xp_logs | Nathan and Moira, very late Tuesday night

Nathan's tossing and turning. Moira pushes and finds out there was a little more to the snarkiness between him and Manuel on the journals than simple head-butting.

"...Nathan, if'n I dinnae know better, I'd *swear* I was on an ocean. Wha' are ye doin' over there, a jig in yer sleep?"

"I'm not sleeping."

"Okay, so wha' are ye doin' over there when ye're supposed t' be sleepin, a jig?"

"Thinking bad thoughts."

"Considerin' I'd be knowin' 'bout yer *good* bad thoughts, what kind o' bad thoughts are we talkin' 'bout 'ere?"

"Never mind. I'm just thinking them. Not going to do anything."

With a sigh, Moira grabbed her pillow and hit Nathan square in the head with it. "Nay ye dinnae. Ye dinnae wake me up thinkin' I'm on a boat an' then back out o' tellin' me wha's wron'."

"Mrmph," was the immediate response. After a moment, the rest of it followed. "I... don't like Manuel."

"...I thought tha' was kind o' obvious? ...give me back me pillow..."

"You smacked me with it, you lose it... Shouldn't I like him at least a little, though? I wanted to help him. Felt compassion for him and all that. And yet here I am wanting to throttle him."

"Welcome t' teenagers, love. An' welcome t' a teenage empat'. Are ye upset 'bout th' journal discussion? ...'tis me pillow, give."

"Bite me, MacTaggart... no, that wasn't an invitation... It's silly. I started the damned discussion. Teach me to try and joke with him..."

"Hrmph. Yer nay fun. I did notice ye werenae exactly 'appy wit' th' comments...somethin' 'it a wee close t' 'ome or somethin'? An' nay, tha' 'tis nay bein' a smart ass, I'm curious 'bout yer reaction."

"Here, take the pillow... and where do I start? Manuel and that fucking idiocy about me being jealous... that's not the first time he's said that... Little bastard."

"Why on eart' would ye be jealous o' Manuel? An' ye can 'ave th' pillow, ye make a far better one."

"I'm not jealous! You know, if he actually believes that, he's not the empath he thinks he is. And if he's just saying it to screw with me... well, fuck him."

"I dinnae say ye were. Jus' because yer all pissy wit' 'im doesnae give ye th' right t' snap at me. Give me me pillow back, I'll use it instead o' ye if'n yer goin' ta be this way. An' I dinnae know why 'e's doin' it...I never know why 'e does most o' th' thin's 'e does."

"...I'm sorry."

"...is tha' why ye jus' tossed me pillow ont' th' floor? Men. Fine, yer shoulder it 'tis. Look, I know yer upset--mad, pissy, what 'ave ye, I jus' dinnae know 'ow t' 'elp."

"I had a devious plan? About the pillow? ... I don't think anyone can help with Manuel... I didn't actually expect him to be grateful for what I did, you know. That wasn't why I did it."

"Or tha' was jus' yer nay so subtle way o' sayin' "Please snuggle wit' me". Ye could ask instead o' tossin' me thin's ta th' floor... An' I know, Nathan. I know ye 'elped 'im wit' nay thinkin' 'e'd even say one word o' thanks."

"I did think he might leave me the hell alone for a few days at least. That would have been nice. Even seventy-two hours free of button-pushing... I could have settled for that."

"I sometimes dinnae think 'e knows wha' 'e's doin'. Which is scarier, I dinnae know."

"Not to mention the patronizing 'I'll be good' crap. And hell, part of me could smack Amanda for that 'play nice' comment, too... I am going to be such a miserable failure as a teacher, aren't I? Why did I think I could handle teenagers?"

"Because ye can, ye bloody pillock. Dinnae give me tha' look. Ye can. Yer jus' nay exactly on yer best game 'ere, lately. Once ye get back up t' speed, ye'll be a whirlwind in th' class room."

"... maybe he won't want to take anything I teach."

"One can always 'ope. Ye could always offer some bizarre, off th' wall class t' make sure 'e doesnae."

"Maybe... He's going to throw all of this back in my face at some point, you know. What he saw about Aliya and Tyler. I'll say the wrong thing and he'll go right for the big red button with the 'Do not push unless you want to see Nate spontaneously implode' button."

"Is tha' wha's been botherin' ye? Nathan...damn, I wish I knew wha' ta say because I dinnae. I dinnae know if'n 'e willnae or won't do tha'. All I know is if tha' 'appens, I'll 'elp ye through tha'..."

"Funny how the right thing to do can be so stupid from a strategic perspective... I let someone I don't have one iota of trust in experience memories I can hardly cope with myself. I'd laugh if the joke wasn't on me."

"Ye know, 'e might nay turn out ta be such a prick an' 'e'll leave well enough alone. Especially wit' Amanda watchin' over 'im."

"...if he ever tells her, I'm going to kick his ass and then deal with the consequences, I swear!"

"Nathan! Were th'...stop movin' around, ye nearly tossed me off th' damned bed. Calm down, love, ye dinnae need t' further either o' us down our roads t' an ulcer."

"...I need to go to sleep and stop stewing about this, don't I?"

"If'n ye dinnae, I'm goin' t' sit on ye. So, aye."

"...you have the patience of a saint, you know."

"At times, aye. Mainly where ye're concerned. Accordin' t' Amanda I'm scary."

"You're that, too. My scary, saintly, Scot..."

"...Nathan, ye kiss me like tha' again, neither o' us is goin' ta be gettin' t' sleep. ...tha' wasnae an invitation, Mr. 'I'm Still 'urt'! G' t' sleep!"