[Paul, Moira] Of papparazzi, guilt, and the Bird-Cat Alliance for World Domination

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Moira wanders out into the sunlight and finds Paul out on the patio not-working.  Light conversation ensues.  Moira needs light conversation.  A playdate for Bella and Delphine is made.  :)


A sunny Saturday afternoon was no time to be inside.  Paul had brought his laptop out onto the patio and was sunning in a pair of shorts while reading over a collection of recent police reports that had been flagged as 'strange happenings' when they'd been filtered through the computer.  He was busily tagging things that interested him for cross referencing later.

Moira found herself outside.  She blinked as she stepped onto the patio and rubbed her eyes.  She'd been on the porch the other night, but that had been, well, at night.  This was the first real sunlight she'd seen in a while.  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement and she glanced over, a tired smiling flitting across her face.  She didn't know Paul all that well, except for the odd run in and that Nathan seemed to like him.  "Ye look like yer 'avin' fun."  Even with sleep, she realized, she still sounded exhausted.

Paul had actually been humming happily as he read, totally unaware that he was doing it.  He'd read these things even if they weren't fun, but they were and that made it even better.  He looked over and before he even saw the woman he knew it was Moira.  "Don't tell anyone," he said, smiling at her.  "Theoretically, I'm working."

She grinned a little and wandered over, sitting in a chair close to Paul.  There was some creaking and she figured it was better to assume it was the chair than her bones.  "Ach, I'm th' last one ta tease ye 'bout enjoyin' yer work.  I 'ave a blast when I'm doin' mine.  Which I'll throw meself whole 'eartedly inta once everythin' fully settles down again."

"You might be waiting a very long time for that," Paul pointed out dryly.  "Me, I have a deep appreciation for the misfortunes of the ignorant, bigotted, uninformed, and incompetent.  Which is why reading police reports brings me so much joy."  He leaned back in his chair and stretched languidly.  "People never fail to disappoint.  Oh, before I forget, would it be possible for Bella to come play with Delphine later?  I need something to bribe her with so I can clip her claws without her wailing like an air raid siren."

"Okay, when thin's go back ta as normal as they can around 'ere," she replied, smiling a little.  "Police reports, hmm?  Those can be entertainin'--people can be such morons at times."  Moira looked at him.  "I think Bella would love bein' out o' 'er cage again an' Nathan's so out o' it tha' I'll jus' let 'er out an' tell 'im 'bout it later.  Glad th' bird's settlin' down a wee bit, though."

"She's a character, but she keeps Delphine busy, which is always good.  We'll wake up one morning and find that they've worked out how to use Cerebro and taken over the world in some bizarre cat-bird alliance, but we'll worry about that when it happens," Paul said lightly.  "Speaking of settling down, I assume Nate's doing okay now, yes?"

"Tha' is th' scariest thought I've 'ad in days."  She blinked at the mental image for a few seconds and then shook her head.  "Aye, 'e's doin' better.  Sleepin' a lot but tha's ta be expected.  A wee bit confused sometimes when 'e wakes up but, again, unsurprisin'.  'e's 'imself, though."  A tired but brilliant smile flashed through, even as she reached up to touch the fading bruise on her face.

Paul smiled, relieved.  He hadn't realized until now that somewhere, in spite of his composure, he'd been worried about Nathan.  "That's good news.  I knew  he'd be in one piece physically, I'm just glad he's still himself."

Moira nodded and closed her eyes for a second.  "They did quite a bit o' damage ta 'im.  But Charles managed ta brin' 'im back.  It'll take some time before 'e's completly put together, but 'tis a verra good start indeed."  She glanced over, remembering he'd been in the fight as well.  "Ye werenae 'urt, were ye?" she asked, frowning.  Shinobi had been the worse, yes, but she hadn't checked on the others.

"Me?"  Her concern surprised him and Paul shook his head, laughing a little.  "Not at all.  I wasn't even in the building when it went down, I decided to remove the human gravity well from the premises entirely while I figured him out."

"Good."  She relaxed a little and smiled.  "Still dealin' wit' a bit o' guilt, I'm afraid.  Jus' wanted ta be sure everyone was okay."

"Guilt?" Paul frowned at her and pushed his sunglasses up so that he could see her more clearly, without the tint.  He didn't really need them, the light didn't bother his eyes at all, they were yet another affectation.

Moira tilted her head at him and smiled, though it was a little sadder this time.  "Stupid, I know.  But I cannae 'elp it.  I could 'ave done 'alf a bloody thin's differently tha' Saturday.  Maybe thin's would 'ave turned out differently.  'ard for me ta ignore tha' stupid voice in me 'ead."

"Well, you know, unless you're hiding some precognitive abilities in there - in which case, I need to talk to you because there's some excellent betting going on the Olympics right now - there's nothing you could have changed."  He leaned forward, his expression serious.  "And there's no way you can know if this would have gone worse if they'd had to do it differently.  I've sat down and looked at the variables here, and what happened was so close to the best case scenario, given the factors... it all came out better than it could have."

"I know.  An' I promise ye, I'm normally more rational than this.  But when it comes ta Nathan--"  She shook her head and pushed her hair out of her eyes.  "Rational thought tends ta go out th' bloody window.  Thank God, nay in me work, though.  I'm assumin' th' guilt'll pass in time, especially wit' everyone back.  Safe."  Moira thought for a few seconds.  "Jus' makes me regret goin' out, I think.  Though I know they would 'ave attempted sometime an' I know we couldnae 'ave 'ide."

"If not you, one of the children," Paul pointed out, settling back.  "More than one, perhaps.  Don't regret anything," he said flatly.  "He's back and his conditioning is broken for good.  Whatever happened, whoever got hurt in the process, it was all minor and a fair exchange for the outcome.  None of us at the warehouse were innocent bystanders, that was our choice.  The people and students at the art exhibit, unfortunate that they got involved.  Things happen, though, and for less reason."

"I think they wanted someone nonpowered, easier ta grab."  A small smirk appeared, despite the fact that Moira was still worrying.  "I dinnae think they expected trouble out o' me an' they still 'ad one unconscious person when I got grabbed an' another one 'urt 'is arm because o' me.  Still--yer right.  I jus' overanaylize sometimes.  Bet tha' one gets a big...wha's tha' word Jubilee uses?  'Duh'?  Wish I could make me brain take a night off."

"Practice," Paul said blithely.  "I keep telling you people, practice.  You have to work on relaxing or you won't be able to do it in a crisis."

She snickered slightly.  "People keep tellin' me I need ta learn ta relax," she admitted.  "Luckily, all tha' I get is an ulcer.  God 'elp me if'n me 'air starts ta go gray."

"See, that's why I do it," Paul said, his tone self-depreciating.  "I'm a vain bastard and I'd hate to get a wrinkle over something as mundane as caring about someone."  The truth was, he told himself, he was too much of a coward to care about someone like that.  He brushed the voice aside irritably.

"Ye can stil be pretty an' care 'bout someone, even someone as pretty as ye are," Moira said, cheerfully being blunt again.  "Thank God for natural Scottish red 'air, though, after all th' stress in me life."

"You're just trying to get on my good side now," Paul accused.  "Looking at the files, I can see that the stress would be getting to you, red hair and Scottish constitution not withstanding.  I'm so accustomed to the stress that after a little while without it I start wandering about like I've lost something.  I end up checking in closets and under the bed and wondering if I left the stove on, because I know something's not right."

"God, I know 'ow tha' bloody feels.  Stuff starts ta go smoothly an' ye start lookin' over yer shoulder, wonderin' wha's waitin' in th' shadows."  She frowned a little.  "Ye think we'll ever get passed tha' point?  Because it gets old after a while."

"I don't know," Paul said, shaking his head, looking almost serious again.  "I doubt I'll ever find out.  I tried slowing down earlier this year.  I retired and settled down and I lasted all of a couple months before the quiet and the introspection nearly killed me.  On the other hand, if you want something badly enough, I think you'll figure it out."

"I think th' quiet would drive me insane.  Between Muir an' 'ere, I'm used ta zoo levels o' noise.  A _vacation_, on th' other 'and...though I jus' 'ad one."  Moira grinned over at Paul.  "I think everyone needs a vacation."

"Vacations are different," Paul agreed.  "I highly recommend them.  They're license to be everything you're not the rest of the time.  I haven't had a vacation in a year or so, a proper one.  I really should make time to skip back over to Europe and wallow about in Cannes or something."

"Cannes gets ta crowded."  Moira's nose bunched up a bit, she remembered a family vacation there before her mother died.  It had been her grandmother's idea, of course.  "I like out o' th' way places, meself.  Santorini is a gorgeous place ta go, by th' way."

"I love the crowds," Paul admitted.  "The press keeps me from feeling lonely."

"Been a while since I was bothered by them.  Probably because th' last time I was bein' 'ounded 'bout Muir, I put one o' them in a 'eadlock an' politely told 'im where I would put me medical instruments if'n 'e kept askin' me stupid questions."

Paul laughed and shook his head.  "I can see that would make you less popular with them.  I gave up caring a long time ago.  I think they've already said the worst they can about me, so it's all old hat now."

Moira grinned.  "They still try, though they keep their distance.  An' they _know_ better than ta take pictures o' th' patients I 'ave on Muir.  Tha's when cameras go inta interestin' orfices."

"I should bloody well hope so."  Paul shook his head.  "There really should  be a limit, there /is/ a limit, some people just don't read the fine print.  It includes the part about angry Scotswomen shoving a camera somewhere painful, without benefit of lubrication or a call in the morning."

A giggle escaped.  "Most o' th' British ones arenae stupid enough ta cross tha' line.  An', luckily, they're all ta busy wit' th' royal family.  Makes me glad I'm stationed in Muir an' nay anywhere else."

"I've never gotten to go out to Muir," Paul said thoughtfully.  "I'm not surprised, because my work focussed on bringing people into the spotlight, not keeping them out of it.  I'd love to see it some time, though.  It's got an exceptional reputation."

"Why thank ye.  Nice ta know it does."  Moira shrugged.  "I think 'tis bloody amazin', but I think I'm a wee bit prejudice," she admitted.  "An' ye're welcome ta visit any time ye like.  This place is becomin' 'ome but tha's where I grew up an' I think I'll end up retirin' there.  If I ever do retire, tha' is."

"I don't think you'll ever retire," Paul said, smiling at her.  "I can't see it in either you or Nate.  Settle down, take it easy, yes.  But I get the feeling your door's always going to be open and with the kids that come through here being what they are, I expect someone'll end up on your doorstep every once in a while."

She smiled back and nodded, knowing that was true.  "Ach, yer probably right.  We're goin' ta 'ave 'ouse guests like every bloody week if we leave.  Nay tha' I'm complainin', Muir got lonely sometimes."  Moira paused as she felt the link in the back of her mind open up a bit.  "Whoops, needs ta run--Nathan's awake an' pokin' at me for bein' gone."  Her smile grew as she got up.  "Thanks for th' talk--really needed it."

Paul quirked an eyebrow at the thanks, not the mention of the link with Nathan.  "I was here and I wasn't busy," he said, shrugging it off.  "Say hello to Nate for me, would you?"

"I will.  An' feel free ta stop by any time."

The invitation surprised Paul a little, he put it down to her being polite but somewhere in the back of his head he considered taking her up on it.  He gave her a wave before returning to his reading.