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[x-mactaggart.livejournal.com]

Moira comes up to find Nathan jittery and unhappy about the confrontation with Manuel. She tries to soothe him and they start talking about what he said, Pete and swimming.



Moira rubbed her head as she nudged open the door to her rooms. The screaming headache she'd been nursing for an hour was finally starting to go away--she hoped it was because Nathan was settling down and not just because there had been five aspirin involved. The giant lump on the couch told her that at least Nathan hadn't exploded. Carefully, she closed the door behind her and set everything in her arms down on the table.

Quietly, she padded over to the couch and looked down at him as his eyes flickered open to look back. "Ye look like 'ell," Moira remarked, reaching down to move the ice pack as it started to escape.

"Well, I feel slightly better than hell," Nathan sighed, "so I guess I'm on an upward trend." He sat up slowly, gritting his teeth as his muscles protested. "Sorry about earlier," he muttered as Moira sat down on the spot he'd just provided. "Too much Manuel in one day."

Reaching over, she pushed back hair that fell out of place. "'Tis okay. Jus' got worried 'bout ye. Felt like ye were bashin' yer 'ead inta a wall." Moira paused to think about that. "Ye werenae, were ye?"

"Would I do something like that?" he asked with a weary, half-hearted smile.

She just looked at him.

Nathan snorted softly. "No, no walls," he said with another sigh. "Wasn't bashing Manuel's head into any walls, either. So I guess I can console myself with the fact that I'm just incompetent, not abusive."

"Tell me wha' 'appened? I 'ighly doubt yer incompetent, Nathan. This *is* Manuel we're talkin' 'bout."

Nathan gave her a full, if succinct recounting of his two separate encounters with Manuel, part of him rather pathetically glad when she didn't look overtly disgusted at him at any point in the tale. "And then he ran," he concluded heavily. "I mean, ran. Not that I blame him. I don't know what the fuck I was saying to him... and it was me, Moira, not the Askani." He stopped, frowned. "At least I don't think so," he said more doubtfully.

Moira frowned. "Maybe they're influencin' ye more than ye think," she murmured, thinking. "'ave ye ever 'ad those words said ta ye before? Tha' ye remember?"

"I don't... what I said to Manuel? I don't think so." Nathan pulled the ice pack off his shoulder and dropped it on the table in front of them. "Got all warm," he muttered, shrugged with the not-quite-as-sore shoulder when she looked at him.

"I know ye, Nathan. Yer nay one ta be incompetent, ye won't let yerself be." Standing, she walked around to the other side of him and started to work gently on his shoulder. "Ye remember anythin' else when ye said tha' tha' felt off tha' may 'ave been th' reason it came out tha' way?"

"I don't know," Nathan said tiredly. "I was seeing the dream again, the one that Amanda shared with me... but it was all blue." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I need to shake this off. Have to go pick up Pete tonight."

"Th' Medlab's prepped," she assured him, sliding her arms around his neck.

Nathan closed his eyes, trying to relax. "Charles ought to fire my ass," he muttered.

"Nay 'e shouldnae. Everyone 'as rough starts." She frowned at him. "'e dinnae fire *Logan*."

"He goes unlocked tomorrow morning," Nathan murmured, opening his eyes again. He knew he was jumping from subject to subject, but he was too scattered at the moment to care. "Galin... the empath who's going to be working with him... says it's the only way he can practice properly."

"Ye're sure yer ready ta deal wit' tha'?" Not if Manuel was ready but if he was.

"He won't get out of line," Nathan said quietly. "He won't risk it. He needs the training too much."

Moira nodded gently, resting her head against his. "Still dinnae answer me question," she pointed out quietly.

"I can handle it," Nathan said, knowing that it didn't sound anywhere close to convincing. "The Askani will help, if I start having trouble."

"I want ye ta be careful. Yer jus' gettin' back on yer feet, love an' I'm worried 'bout ye."

Shake it off, Nathan told himself, and turned to her, taking her face between his hands and kissing her gently. "You don't need to be," he said, managing a more confident tone and even a faint smile. "And you know me. I've always been about jumping back into the deep end."

Moira made a noise at him, not completely buying it. "Always goin' ta worry," she pointed out, kissing him again. "An' I know tha's wha' ye do, tha's why I worry."

He wrapped his arms around her, then winced. "My fucking shoulder hurts," he muttered.

"Poor thin'," she murmured, looping one arm around his neck while the other rubbed the injured shoulder again. "Take an asprin before ta lon'? It may 'elp."

"Will have to, if I want to drive," he sighed. "Speaking of which, did you get the stronger stuff for Pete? Sounds like he's going to need it as soon as he gets off the plane."

"Aye, this stuff'll dope 'im up so well 'e'll stop complainin' soon after 'e takes them, mark me words. Watch though, because 'e may decide 'e's feelin' well enough ta avoid th' MedLab."

"Not to worry," Nathan said grimly. "He'll be in medlab five minutes after I shut the car off, if I have to carry him."

Moira stared down at him for a second and then smiled softly. "'e'll be fine," she said, reaching up to cup his chin. "If'n 'e's made it this far on 'is sorry British arse, in our tender care 'e'll pull through."

Nathan smiled a little ruefully. "Yet another reason to get back in shape," he said. "So that he doesn't have to run off and do these things on his own and come back all shot up."

There was a tingle along the link but Moira didn't look at it too hard, not yet anyway. She had a feeling there would be something else for them to discuss in the coming days so she left it alone for now. "Stupid men, gettin' shot all th' bloody time. Wha' am I ta do wit' ye?" she demanded.

He gave her an innocent look. "Keep us locked up in padded rooms?" he suggested.
"Hmmm...why punish meself?"

Nathan started to laugh suddenly. "Should I be jealous?" he teased, kissing her again.

After a minute, she broke the kiss, snickering madly to herself. "Bloody 'ell, love, I should 'ope nay. Ew." Another round of giggles escaped and she dropped her head onto his shoulder, laughing.

"Oh, good," he said mirthfully. "I was getting worried there for a second." He sighed deeply, amazed at how much easier it was to let go of the accumulated tension of the day when she was in his arms.

"Never 'ave ta worry," she said, grinning as she kissed his neck before relaxing a little more on him. Her breathing quieted as she closed her eyes, listening to him breathing along with her. "Relaxed now?"

"Quite," he murmured. "I don't have to go pick up Pete for a few hours yet. Want to do one of our impulsive things for the week?" She looked up at him questioningly, and he smiled. "Sunset swim?" he suggested, inclining his head at his leg. "No more cast, remember."

Moira beamed at him. "Och, tha' would be lovely. Ta bloody 'ot out, a swim would be th' perfect thin'." A mischievous look crossed her face. "I probably should wear a shirt over th' swimsuit..."

"Like hell," Nathan said severely, then grinned. "I'll just chase away any oglers. Use my scary face."

"...sweetie, won't tha' be a wee 'ard ta do when yer one o' th' ones oglin'?"

"I can multi-task," he said earnestly.

An eyebrow arched and she snickered. "Well, I already knew tha'..."