[Moira, Marie] Hath she made her affection known to Benedick?

[x-rogue.livejournal.com]

Marie drops by for something to help her sleep but can't help pursuing the issue when her commentary about Nathan garners her a rather interesting response.


It was late but Marie knew that there wasn't going to be any sleep for her if she didn't get some help. She just hoped Moira didn't mind the last minute reverse house-call. She knocked on Moira's door and waited.

Moira glanced up from her notes on Nathan's virus and glanced at the clock. 'Wonder who tha' could be?' Shrugging, she slipped out of bed and quickly crossed over to open it up. "Marie! How're ye?"

"Right now, I'm fine," Marie said cautiously. "But I haven't really slept more than about ten hours since I got up Monday morning. Do you think you could give me something to get through the night? Tomorrow's going to be a really heavy day."

"O' course, come in." She shooed Marie inside and shut the door behind her. "I 'ave some supplies in 'ere jus' in case o' somethin' like this. I've got some tea I made earlier still warm, if'n ye want some while I dig through tha' messy bag o' mine?"

"Thanks, Moira." Marie made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of tea. "I didn't want to make a fuss about it, but I think I might end up confined to bed again if I don't sleep tonight. Not that I don't find that sort of thing incredibly endearing." She leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Moira search for the medication. "And not that I don't ignore it completely when it suits me," she added impishly.

Snickering, Moira rooted through the medicine bag. "Aye, I remember tha'...though 'tis been a lon'...lon' time..." She paused for a second and thought. "Good Lord, it 'as." Shaking her head, she went back to looking. "Twasn't like Joe made 'imself ta be Mr. Want Ta Sha' 'Im Every Chance I Got," she muttered to herself darkly.

"Speaking of incredibly endearing..." Marie said casually, taking a seat at the table. "Nathan certainly falls into that category. He's got all the telltale signs of a real keeper."

Startled, Moira looked up and promptly dropped the bag of supplies onto the floor. "Bloody...!" She crouched and started fumbling with the supplies. "An' what makes ye say tha'?"

Marie discretely covered her smile by taking a sip of tea. "Well, he's well-spoken, educated, thoughtful, quite handsome in his way, and he's marvellous with children, and that's just going on direct evidence, not drawing conclusions from anything he's said on the journals." She put her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, looking over at Moira. "I think he definitely deserves placement in the 'keeper' category."

"I...jus'...perhaps fer someone else," Moira stuttered, at a loss for words. A cheerful little voice in her head reminded her suddenly that Nathan, himself, had left her at a loss for words himself since he had arrived. Damn him.

"Oh?" Marie leaned back in the chair, looking into her teacup. "So if anyone happens to ask, it's open season? Because, /I/ noticed and I'm certainly not looking."

The bottles clattered to the ground at the last comment. "Like 'ell 'e...'tis been a tryin' couple o' days, I nearly didna say tha'," she said firmly, finally stuffing the rest of the bottles back into the bag firmly. "...really..."

Marie's composure almost failed her. She smiled but her voice remained casual. "I'll forget you said it then. Just like I'm sure you forget what movie you saw with him in Edinburgh, the one he told me about that made him laugh remembering it. I'm sure it's just the stress getting to him, just like it is to you."

"Th' movie...oh! 'Gladiator'! My God, nearly forgotten 'bout tha'..." She smiled at the memory. "Bloody daft man..."

"You do remember," Marie said quietly, looking over at Moira. "But then again, I could be reading into that. And maybe you'd better put that bag aside before you drop it again. You know. Just in case." Her smile was affectionate.

"Blast it," she sighed, reaching in and grabbing the bottle Marie had wanted. She tossed it to her and then settled herself across the table from her. "Am I tha' bloody obvious?"

Marie caught the bottle and put it down in front of her. "Well, yes, you are, when the subject comes up." She shook her head. "I take it he's oblivious?"

She shrugged. "I assume so. Nathan's 'ard ta read. We'd get together once a year or so, except for this last year, but didn't spend much time together. I always put him in th' untouchable spot tha' it's...unnervin'."

"Well, I suspect that he's only oblivious because he doesn't pay attention to himself. I doubt he's gotten to, the way it seems he's been living. The fact that almost every other word out of his mouth is your name is kind of a give away," Marie said dryly.

"...'tis nay..."

"Mmm. Well, not quite, no," Marie admitted. "But the fact that you'd be upset with him if he left was his first reason for saying he wanted to stay. And the second was that he's ready to stop being on the move. I just..." She sighed and pushed her empty tea cup away. "I like you. And I like him already. Or I'd not say anything."

Moira reached over and grabbed Marie's hand. "An' I like ye enough ta 'ave admitted tha' I -might- 'ave somethin' o' a crush on th' big lug. It's jus'...nay me place."

"He's got the look of a man looking to go home, Moira," Marie said solemnly. "He's tired and he's ready to stop. And he called you. I think you already have a place, just before, maybe neither of you ever got to know what it was. But things are different now."

She sighed. "I know...I'm jus'...would ye believe I'm scared? I've always found 'im attractive, there were thin's in th' way an' so I made meself forget tha'. An' now 'e needs me an' God 'elp me if'n I'm jus' nay th' motherin' type...'tis 'ard ta try an' make meself realize tha' it may be different."

"I'd believe you're terrified," Marie said honestly, squeezing Moira's hand. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I'd never have gotten through this January if I weren't so mad at Logan I was going to put him through a wall at any given minute. Being furious kind of numbed the fear right out of me. And Nathan does need you, maybe more than you know. Don't go saying it's not your place."

"'Tis always felt like tha'. There were...okay, there were several men when I was in me teens, but really only Joe. Who left. An' Rory?" She shrugs, greatful for the support of Marie's hand. "Nothin' there. 'e was wit' me too lon' durin' me marriage, if'n tha' makes sense. So...Nathan? Aye, I'm terrified, so I leave thin's alone. Fer once."

"I can't argue with you. I kept my mouth shut for a very, very long time, and I'd never have opened it again if I'd not been driven to it," Marie admitted. "I was the awkward little girl, right? I'm sure people around here were more than amused by me. Who'd want an odd little thing like me and, god, my mutation? What man was going to put up with that?" She shrugged dismissively. "It wasn't my place either. Sometimes, I still feel like it's not."

She squeezed Marie's hand gently. "Someone who'd be wort' it," she said simply. "'Tis amazin' what we tell ourselves an' make ourselves believe, aye?"

"Yes. It is, isn't it?" Marie gave Moira a pointed look. "I know I'm young and all, but Moira... don't sell yourself short. He certainly doesn't seem to. He cares whether you sleep or not, he remembers things you did together, he trusts you, and he needs you. He's your friend and you're his and... that's worth /so/ much right there. Maybe you leave things alone if you have to. But don't slam the door on something good if it comes around. I'll hold your hand if you're scared."

"Thank ye." It's a whisper. "I open up everythin' I 'ave ta everyone an' yet..." She shakes her head. "I dinnae like bein' 'urt. I've gone through too much an' I know 'tis stupid ta try an' protect meself but..." She grimaced. "Joe told me when he officially left tha' I wasna good even fer a birthin' cow...because o'...because o' Kevin's mutation when he died," she said weakly.

"Oh. Moira." Marie's eyes filled with tears as the information sank in and sorted itself out and she drew her conclusions from it. She leaned over to hug the other woman. "Oh, that was a terrible lie."

She clung to Marie and drew in a deep breath. It had been a long, emotional week and Nathan had her worried sick. "Rory broke 'is nose wit' his cane," she said, sniffling a little bit. "An' 'is jaw."

"It's a start," Marie said direly, shifting a little so she could hug Moira better. "You're a good person, Moira. And you deserve a hell of a lot better than anyone who'd say that to you. I dare anyone to walk into this school and speak that way about you. They'd be going home in fifty ziplock baggies and don't think they wouldn't." She rubbed Moira's back gently. "No wonder you're scared."

Moira let her head rest on Marie's shoulder and shut her eyes. "'Tis 'ard lettin' meself open ta tha' again...an' 'tis somethin' Nathan doesna know about, so I dinnae know if 'e thinks I'm jus'...argh, stupid, stupid's a good answer."

"Only a fool would think you were stupid, Moira. And he's not a fool from what I see." Marie's voice was low but a little chiding. "And if he's the kind of man I think he is, he'd cut his own throat before he said something so terrible to someone he respects and cares for."

"We -are- bot' stubborn people," Moira reminded her, chuckling a little. "But, aye, I know...I know tha' fer certain. It's 'is move, aye? Does tha' make sense?"

"Mmm, yes," Marie said thoughtfully. "I'll allow that it might be. You just have to promise not to ignore it when it comes."

"If it comes. But if'n it does, I willna ignore it." She pulled back slightly and smirked. "Unless 'e's stupid, then I'll kick 'im in th' shin an' -then- I willna ignore it."

Marie gave her a little smile, taking in the change in Moira's demeanor with approval. "Good for you. I know this can't be easy. I didn't have anything a fraction as bad as you did and it was hard for me. It still is sometimes." She blushed and ducked her head. "I've even started fights with Logan, just because I couldn't take waiting for something awful to happen. But... you deserve it." She looked up at Moira again. "You really do. Trust me on this one."

"I...thank ye...tis 'ard fer me ta say ta meself. An' I'm glad yer 'appy...-ye- deserve it." She paused. "Ye realize we're goin' ta be goin' at at each other like this all night, aye?"

Marie laughed at that. "Well, Logan will come looking for me eventually," she said with an affectionate roll of her eyes. "Just like he did when I was talking to Nathan in the middle of the night Wednesday. /That/ was amusing. Nathan was very gracious about it." Marie leaned forward and gave Moira another hug. "I can keep coming around and reminding you that you deserve good things, though. It's not like I don't have time to tell a friend the truth she needs to hear."

Chuckling, Moira hugged back, hard. "I'd like tha'. But only if'n ye let me do th' same." She suddenly sits up blinking. "Ach, God, in all th' excitement an' emotional angst, I completely forget...I brought ye somethin' back from me trip."

"You did?" Marie looked bemused and sat back herself to let Moira get up.

"I cannae believe I fergot 'bout this..." she muttered to herself as she got up and opened the closet. She pulled out a fairly large wooden box and brought it back over to Marie. "When I was there, I was thinkin' 'bout our talks an' thought ye could use some o' this stuff, hopefully will 'elp."

"What on earth?" Marie put it in her lap and looked inside. "Ooh!" The girlish exclamation was at odds with her previous seriousness. "Oh, Moira, thanks!" She looked through the contents, yoga books and various aromatherapy products with delight before putting it aside to hug Moira again. "I'll try that before the pills tonight, I promise."

Grinning, she hugged back. "I think it'll 'elp a lot an' I'm glad ye like it. 'Twas 'ard ta pass up when I saw it."

"Oh, I hate to go, but I should," Marie said regretfully. "I have that party that Emma's taking us to tomorrow and I think I'll need a good night's sleep to cope with that. I'm only going because Shinobi made puppy-eyes at me and said he needed his friends there."

"Friends are good ta 'ave...especially when ye invited ta parties." She winked at her. "Try th' bat' supplies an' then th' pills an' ye should be well rested in th' mornin."

"I'll let you know how it goes." Marie tossed the pills in the box and put the box on her hip before heading for the door. "Maybe I'll sneak over and show you my party dress before we go."

"Ooohh, I'd like tha'. Havenae been ta a party in ages...I need ta live through someone. Night, Marie an' I'll definatly see ye before tha' party."