Moira/Sarah

[x-mactaggart.livejournal.com]

Sarah dug through the desk drawers, in an attempt to find something to leave a note with. As much as she'd have preferred leaving it in blood on the walls, she didn't figure Moira would appreciate it much, and didn't look forward to cleaning it up afterwards. But the fact of the matter was, Moira had no pens in her desk. Not a goddamned one. Sarah shut the drawer, and went rifling through the next one.

The next drawer was full of file folders and papers, and while Sarah /had/ been looking for a pen, she also needed something to write her note on, so she dug around, looking for something that looked unimportant enough to write on. She picked up a clipboard, with what looked like unused paper in it, and a picture fell to the ground. She stood there, looking at it, hand curled into a fist on her hip. So that's what it was.

Moira nudged open the door with her hip, eyes glued to readouts of Marie-Ange's latest test. She stopped when she caught sight of Sarah standing by her desk. "Wh...Sarah, what are..." Her eyes flickered over to the open desk but she didn't realize that there was something else by Sarah's feet. "What th' bloody 'ell are you doin'?"

Sarah looked up at Moira, thoroughly unaffected by her agitation. There were other things to deal with now. "I /was/ going to leave you a note, but I think I've answered my own question." She picks up the picture from the floor, and holds it up for Moira to see. "He's cute. Is that why you don't like Leech? Isn't pretty enough?"

Moira found herself staring at the picture of her holding Kevin. She remembers that day very clearly. It had been a good day for him. No outbursts of powers, calm, no pain. "Put tha' down," she snapped. "An' wha' are ye talkin' 'bout, I like Miles." She was uncomfortable around him...but he had reminded her so much of Kevin in that one second that it had been too much to deal with.

But Sarah doesn't put it down. She stands there, and shakes her head. "He came to me, Moira. I told him if anybody wasn't nice to him, to come to me. And he did. Crying no less. Told his Sarah-Marrow that Dr. MacTaggart didn't like him, and wanted me to tell him why." It's obvious in Sarah's voice, that /something/ is going to be done about this, even if she has to do it personally. "So what'd you do to make him come crying to me?"

Her eyes narrowed and she walked until she was nearly face to face with Sarah. "I left, tha' was all." But a part of her was screaming at her, yelling that she had made Miles cry and God, she was a horrible person. "Give me back th' picture."

"You just /left/? He came crying to me because you left?" Sarah held the picture out of reach, determined to get some answers before giving anything back. "You know, this is the first time he's come to me."

Moira had had enough and she stepped up into Sarah's space and grabbed the free side of the picture. "I -left-, abruptly, because o'...aye, because o' this wee bairn in th' picture. Did ye 'ave enough common sense ta LOOK at it or did ye jus' assume tha' it was because 'e was a "pretty pretty"?"

"What else is there to see?" she snapped, "Do you have a goddamned explanation for Leech cry on the back?" She stepped back, trying to take the picture with her.

Moira braced herself and snarled. "Possibly." Anger flared in her eyes and she placed her face inches from Sarah's. This wasn't the type of anger she channeled at Joe the other day. This was white and cold, not red and hot. "Put the bloody fuckin' picture down, Sarah." She didn't want to get into this now, not after the incident with Joe so recent. Moira barely stopped herself from shaking, knowing Sarah would possibly take that as fear. Self-loathing, yes, fear...no.

Sarah doesn't flinch. In fact, she doesn't /move/. "I want an answer Moira! You made my little brother cry and I'll be /damned/ if you're getting anything until you tell me why." She practically growls it, each word slow and pointed.

"All right, ye bloody wanker, fine. Th' wee bairn? Kevin. Me son." Each word came out clipped. "'e died, mutation destroyed 'is body. Th' back o' the picture? Birt'date an' when 'e died. Ye wanted an answer, Sarah, ye fuckin' well -got- one." She tugged harder on the picture. "Give. It. Back."

But Sarah never got a chance to give the picture back. She started to reply, still angry with a hint of disbelief in her voice, "You won't talk to Leech because your--" only to stop dead silent when Moira pulled on the picture and it ripped, leaving Sarah with one large chunk of the picture and Moira with the rest. Her glare didn't waver as she looked from her hand to Moira's and back again.

Moira's back became ridged and her stare iced over. "Miles reminds me of Kevin. Kevin died because 'is body couldna 'andle 'is mutation. He died mere *mont's* before I completed somethin' that could 'ave saved 'is life." Her voice is controlled, but only just. She could feel something in her start to snap, slowly, but damned if she was going to lose it in front of Sarah. "I look at Miles an' I see me son an' I see wha' th' failure cost me an' 'im. 'Twas never me intention ta 'urt Miles. But when ye're battered from all sides, somethin's got ta give. An' so I left, ta compose meself. He *sounded* like my *son*." Her eyes narrowed and she very deliberately leaned in closer to Sarah, placing the ripped half of the picture gently on the edge of the desk. "An' tha' picture...was th' only time Kevin was nay in pain." She straightened. "When ye're able ta face yer past wit'out regret or pain or anger or 'urt, then come lecture me. Until then..." She turned and walked to the door. Moira didn't glance back. "Know when an accident is an accident. I expect by th' time I'm back, whenever tha' maybe, that ye'll nay be in here."

The door slammed behind her with such force that it nearly cracked the window.

Sarah continued to glare at the closed door for a while, just to make herself feel better, and finally sighed angrily, slumping a bit. God damnit. She grabbed the other piece of the torn picture from the desk, shoved them in her pocket and left, heading upstairs to see if Shinobi was in his room. Maybe he'd know what to do.