Moira, Domino, Pym, Nathan, Bridge - A New York Minute, part 2 (Saturday afternoon to early evening)

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While the foursome are out shopping, Moira discovers that it's a small world after all as she runs into Pym. Domino comes to her rescue.


With a quick wave and a gentle #I'll catch up wit' ye three in a few minutes# down the link to Nathan, Moira popped into the bookstore. She smiled. A good bookstore always had that familiar smell to it, no matter where it was or what country it happened to be in. Really, she didn't need anymore books, not after the shopping spree. But it never hurt to look. And she had promised Nathan she'd start reading more on a casual level as a way to destress.

But her eyes wandered to the science section and with a mental laugh, she headed over there. Casual reading could wait, she mused, science could not.

Henry glanced up from the copy of "The Origin of Species" that he was perusing when he saw the shock of red hair pass directly by him. A smile came to his lips, as he replaced the book on the shelf and walked quietly over to watch Moira flip through the latest scientific texts.

Frowning, she replaced the book she'd been looking at with a snort. "'ogwash," she muttered, reaching for another book by a different author. "Complete an' utter 'ogwash. Tha' hypothesis should 'ave stayed tha' way."

"My thoughts exactly." Henry reached over Moira's shoulder to select a book from a higher shelf. "Sandusky's nothing more than a pop scientist, riding the coattails of serious researchers. All he knows how to do is stir up the public." He smiled his most disarming grin at the shocked doctor. "And good afternoon, by the way."

Moira bit down a startled scream and started up at Pym in shock. "Where th' bloody 'ell did ye come from?" she blurted out, clutching her heart. Wildly, she calmed her thoughts. The last thing they needed was for Nathan to rush in and tear his head off. Blood on the books was a bad thing.

Pym cocked an eyebrow and leaned nonchalantly against the shelf. "Originally? Nebraska. But you know our field of work, it keeps me busy. Bern, Oxford, Cambridge, Baltimore. Or if you mean today, I'm speaking at NYU on behalf of a friend of mine who's tenured there." He paused and gestured from himself to Moira. "You see?" he asked, "this is small talk. Not that hard, you see?"

She gave him a dry look and sighed. "'Tis easier than our most recent conversation, aye," she replied, starting to edge around him. He was too much like Joe for her tastes, she thought quietly. Luckily, Nathan was too engrossed with whatever he was doing at the moment or else he'd have noticed that something was up.

"Well," Pym offered, "since you're here and I'm here, and we're getting along so well after all, why don't I take you across the way here for some coffee? We can catch up on things, even," he nodded to the bookshelf, "recent quacks like Sandusky."

"I'm 'ere wit' someone," she told him. "Someones, in fact. But thank ye." The polite way first, MacTaggart, she told herself. She gritted her teeth, though, determined not to be run out of the bookstore. He wasn't dangerous, just incredibly annoying in a polite way. So she headed towards the other corner of the science rack, thinking that maybe the no to his face would make him leave.

"Really now, Doctor," Henry insisted, taking long strides to keep up with Moira. "What great advance in science was ever gained by the weak at heart? You're giving up on a hypothesis before ever testing it." As she turned to him, he smiled again. "Coffee. That's all. For a start."

She stopped and stared at him. "Wha' do ye mean weak at 'eart?" Moira asked patiently, realizing she probably wasn't going to like his answer to that.

Pym stepped around in front of Moira, holding up a finger. "Would we be reading anything if Gutenberg hadn't defied the authority of the Church and created the printing press? Come on, Moira. I know that you haven't gotten to where you are in our field by being afraid to try something new? To step into the unknown?"

"I've already stepped int' th' unknown," she replied, dryly. "Look. 'enry. I told ye I'm seein' someone else. Why isnae tha' enough for ye?" She didn't like the way he was looking at her. It was almost like he was picturing the kind of children they would have. Moira blinked, feeling slightly creeped out.

"So you'd mentioned," Pym waved his hand dismissively. "But tell me this: does he understand what drives you? The other people out there," Pym waved his hand to the rest of the store's customers, "they're not like you and I. This other man of yours, is he ever going to know what it feels like to have the burden of knowledge on his brain, driving him to act? I saw the look on your face when the Society recognized you, Moira. That's where you belong. Your kind of people. Like me."

"...other? Th' only man o' mine!" Moira snapped, feeling the anger just well up inside of her. The link suddenly snapped to attention and she didn't regret it. "'e can more than keep up wit' me. An' I dinnae 'ave a kind o'...argh! I'm nay anythin' like yer imagin'! At all! I'm in love, 'enry, an' as much o' a scientist as I am, tha' comes first!" With a sigh, she turned and brushed past him, determined to get to the front of the store before Nathan came tearing through.

Henry reached out to grab Moira's arm as she passed. "Don't be a fool, Moira. You're making a scene."

"Let. Go. Or th' next scene will be even worse," she hissed, tugging her arm in an attempt to break his grip. Unfortunately, probably more for him than her in a second or two, it didn't work.

"Moira?" Domino strode down between the bookshelves, smiling quizzically as she took in the sight of the man holding Moira's arm, and the angry flush to the older woman's face. "There you are," she said lightly, then let her eyes flicker to the stranger. "And who would you be?"

Pym looked over at Moira's pale companion. Quickly, he composed himself and released Moira's arm, extending a hand to this new woman. "Henry Pym, miss. I'm a colleague of Doctor MacTaggart's. And you might be...?"

"Intrigued," Domino said, giving him her best dazzling smile but not taking his hand. "Do you generally accost Scotswomen in bookstores?"

Pym arched an eyebrow and dropped his arm. "Just having a professional discussion. We scientists can get..." he glanced quickly at Moira. "Passionate... about our interests."

Moira snorted and rubbed her arm, glaring at Pym slightly. She could feel Nathan sending reassurances, while he was cursing Bridge for not letting him in. "Someone's *interest* anyway," she said, darkly.

Henry's eyes narrowed, but he managed to nod politely. "As it would seem. I won't keep you and your 'friend' anymore, Doctor MacTaggart."

"Now, now," Domino said, keeping the dazzling smile on. "You wouldn't deprive us of the pleasure of your company, would you?" She strode up to him, glad she'd picked the low-cut shirt when getting dressed this morning. He appreciated cleavage, she could see it in his eyes. "How very heartless of you."

Rather quickly, Henry Pym began to reevaluate the afternoon's options. "To be honest, I believe Moira had mentioned someone she was meeting. I, however, seem to find my time recently free and a table open for a cappucinno is calling my name. I believe there's two chairs, if you're inclined."

Moira's eyebrows suddenly darted up to her hairline and she hid the sudden grin. Dom was *good*. "I am meetin' someone," she agreed, edging away from the two of them. She nodded, politely. "Dr. Pym." She looked at Dom and shook her head, amused. "'ave fun," she murmured as she walked away, reminding herself to thank her later.

"I do so enjoy a good cappuccino," Domino said idly, sliding her arm through Pym's. "You can do such delightful things with whipped cream." She looked up at him through her eyelashes, letting him get a very good look. Proving that there were many types of intelligence and even geniuses were deprived in some areas, he didn't immediately run in the other direction.

"Well, I..." Pym thought briefly. "Indeed. Moira, good day. Young lady, I believe I'll go reserve that table."


Moira makes her escape from the bookstore, only to find Bridge all but sitting on a Very Enraged Nathan.


Shaking her head in bemusement, and some relief, Moira nudged open the door to the bookstore and made good her escape. She looked back and couldn't help a small giggle. Pym was in for a pretty fun ride but the end result probably wouldn't be what he expected it to be. The area on her arm where he had grabbed her still hurt and she looked down at it with a frown. There'd be a bruise tomorrow, probably. Damn him.

Suddenly, she blinked at the link. Nathan was still cursing, a lot actually, but a good deal of it was directed at G.W. 'Wha' th' 'ell?' she thought and went to look for the boys.

"Let go of me," Nathan grated at Bridge, who was sitting beside him on the bench, resting a hand on his shoulder. It would have looked like a casual, friendly touch to anyone walking by, but it was actually a very firm grip, and although he could have freed himself without too much trouble, it would have involved public violence, which would draw too much attention. G.W. was slouching just as not-casually, his leg out at an angle that would make tripping easy if Nathan did manage to get off the bench. "Bridge," he hissed under his breath. "Let go. Of me."

"Not a chance, partner," Bridge said pleasantly, all too aware that they were treading fairly close to the line here. Then again, he had been depending, on a regular basis for a while now, on the fact that Nathan liked him and thus wouldn't blow him up in a fit of pique. "You do not need a murder rap on top of everything else."

"O' dear," Moira murmured and made a quick bee-line for the bench and at the same time reaching down the link towards him. It looked like Nathan was going to blow at any second, which was probably the opposite result of what the other two members of the Pack had been planning on. A public scuffle, with either Pym or Bridge by the looks of it if she didn't get up there quickly enough, would be harmful to all three.

"Nathan...Bridge, ye can let go now," she said softly as she approached, not quite sure what Nathan's reaction to all of this was going to be.

Bridge looked at Moira, then at the door of the bookstore, deciding that Nate would have to go through her to get there and he wasn't liable to do that. "Settle down," he told Nathan quietly, letting go and straightening up. "No harm done." Nevertheless, he was very glad that Dom had gone in after Moira and not Nate. Things could have gotten very ugly.

Nathan looked up at Moira as she came up to him, placing herself right in front of him. It was hard to keep the burning anger off the link, but it started to cool, a little, as he realized that Moira was almost more amused now than she was upset. "Are you all right?" he asked tightly, reaching out and taking her hands.

She nodded, glad her hands weren't shaking. The entire encounter had been surreal but it had done more to get her anger up than her fear. "Aye. A wee bit shaken, more angry than anythin'." She glanced down at the red on her arm and sighed. "Guess I found out exactly th' kind o' man 'e is. Nay, surprisin', really."

There was a red mark on Moira's arm.

A red mark in the approximate shape of a handprint.

Nathan stood up, or tried to, because Bridge's hand shot out, back to his shoulder, and forced him back down again. "Stop that," Nathan said in his best reasonable voice. "I'll be quiet about it." He just needed to get Pym in line-of-sight, and he could pinch the carotid shut telekinetically. No muss, no fuss.

#I'm fine, love, really,# Moira sent, soothingly, keeping a firm grip on his hands as she settled next to him on the park bench. #'Tis nay tha' bad. I'm fine.#

Oh, this was really not fair. Now they were ganging up on him. Nathan grimaced, rather half-heartedly trying to tug her hands out of Moira's, but she wasn't letting go. "Where's Dom?" he asked, and then froze, looking sideways at Moira. "She didn't."

A small smirk and then a giggle. "She's...uh...'avin' a drink wit' 'im. She rescued me." Another giggle escaped.

"Oh, boy," Bridge said with a soft laugh, letting go of Nathan. "This is not going to end well for the good doctor." He patted Nathan's shoulder. "No need to do anything," he pointed out cheerfully. "He'll be wishing he was dead by the time she gets finished with him."


Later, strategy is discussed at dinner. Poor Pym.


"I love these cook-your-own places," Domino said with relish, laying a skewer of chicken and vegetables on the grill in the middle of your tables. "I get to play with fire!"

Bridge choked and sputtered. "You had to wait until I was drinking the damned sake before you said that, didn't you?" he accused her, red-eyed.

"Of course I did."

Nathan laughed to himself, leaning back in his chair as he assembled a skewer of his own. Moira, beside him, had her hand over her mouth, obviously to stifle giggles, and he smiled at her. "The Dom-and-Bridge Show is back in town," he said, rather goofily at the sheer happiness that the thought provoked. "Remind me that we need to leave a very big tip for our poor waiters."

"O', I'm sure they're enjoyin' themselves," Moira replied, nudging the steak further down the skewer in order to put even more, well, steak on there. This was not a time for vegetables, she had decided cheerfully. The afternoon had gotten better once Domino had joined them after playing with Pym and they had finished up their shopping. Nathan had been just a tad overprotective since the confrontation earlier but she really didn't mind much.

"I have to be back in the city by six tomorrow, by the way," Domino informed Nathan cheerfully, her eyes sparkling. "Pym and I have a date."

"A... oh," Nathan said wisely. Besides him, Bridge groaned and buried his face in his hands, but the shaking of his shoulders was laughter and everyone at the table knew it.

Luckily for the rest of the table, Moira had already finished swallowing her drink. "O' my God." Her face had a look of horrific fascination and she was trying, and failing miserably, to keep from giggling.

Domino leaned forward, giving Moira a sly smile. "Any particular requests?" she asked lightly. "Pieces you would like brought back in a little box with a bow on top?"

Bridge looked up, shaking a finger at her, still snickering helplessly. "No dismemberment, young lady."

"Bite me, George."

"Nay dismemberment? Yer nay fun, Bridge," Moira pouted.

The look Bridge gave her was horrified. "Domino, stop influencing her!"

Nathan laid his skewer on the grill. "Specific plans?" he murmured at Domino, giving her a look that made it clear he did want details. Bridge had pointed out to him that killing Pym, much as he would really, really like to do it, wasn't an option at this given time. For any of them.

"I thought what I pulled on that Chinese ambassador would work just as well on Pym," Domino said mildly, sipping at her sake. "Better, given that the media's much more significant over here. So glad I brought my digital camera."

Blinking, Moira looked between Nathan and Domino, confused. "D' I want ta know?" She had to admit she was incredibly curious.

Domino shrugged. "Men with important jobs don't like to be caught in compromising positions," she said. "Too bad they make it so easy to get them in those positions." She giggled, assembling another skewer. "What would make Pym look best in the pictures? Make-up or women's underwear?"

"Pink underwear, if ye go tha' route. It'd so clash wit' 'is skin color."

"My only regret is that the whole thing involves giving him a good time first," Domino said, making a little face. She wasn't really all that distressed at the idea. Their conversation over coffee had made it quite clear just how empty-headed Pym was for such a supposedly intelligent man, but he was moderately attractive. An ass, but a pretty one. It could be an enjoyable evening in a number of ways. "Tedious, but it's the only way to get the handcuffs on them."

Moira scrunched up her face slightly. "But th' end result is wha' makes it fun," she sighed, shaking her head. Suddenly, she beamed. "First Joe an' now Pym? I think th' universe is startin' t' like me again."

Comments

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"I get to play with fire!"

Bridge choked and sputtered. "You had to wait until I was drinking the damned sake before you said that, didn't you?" he accused her, red-eyed.

"Of course I did."

I like her. :)