xp_logs | Nathan, Anika, Mick, Bridge, with a cameo from Alison, Thursday night

Nathan watches Anika pack and wonders whether he did the right thing, uprooting her from her new life in Paris. She reassures him, and they each make the other a promise.

Nathan watched Anika pack what little she'd brought with her when she'd left Paris, his thoughts a bit bleak as he pondered precisely what coming in response to his call had cost her. "Are you going to be happy in Berlin?" he asked quietly.

Anika looked up at him, her eyes wide and startled. Her nose twitched for a moment, and then she gave him a reproving look. "Of course I will be," she scolded him. "Don't be silly. And don't do the guilt-thing, either - I didn't have to come, and I knew perfectly well that I couldn't go back to that identity in Paris if I left." She grinned suddenly, almost mischievously. "To be honest? Classes were a bit on the boring side anyway."

Nathan looked startled. "I thought you liked studying art?" he protested feebly. She had certainly said so in all her emails.

"I like art, Nathan. I like playing with paint, or whatever, and creating things. The whole formal instruction thing, though?" She wrinkled her nose. "Not quite my thing, in the end. Besides," she went on cheerfully, shoving a book he'd lent her - one she'd liked and he'd offered to let her keep - into her duffel, "I've really missed the action. The break's been nice, but, well... we're not precisely wired for peace and quiet, are we?"

"I suppose not," Nathan said softly, wondering why he had that empty, 'I've-failed' feeling all of a sudden.

Anika raised an eyebrow at him. "You smell like burnt flowers," she murmured, and came around the bed and over to him. "Idiot," she accused him gently, and hugged him. He froze briefly, then hugged her back. "I needed the time," she told him, her voice muffled because her face was buried against his chest. "I needed it very badly. But now I think I need more. Mick'll be part of that, but, well... I like the idea of joining the Pack. I was very fond of all of them."

"They like you, too," Nathan said, then laughed a little wearily. "Well, except for Hammer..."

"... who didn't like anyone..."

"...and who's not there anymore, anyway." He drew back a bit, gazing down at her. "You need me," he said quietly, "you or Mick... just call, and I'll come."

Anika reached up and patted his cheek. "I know," she said almost contentedly. "I've always known." She grinned again, then poked him in the ribs. "And you! You don't break yourself, okay? Or sprain your silly brain. Otherwise we'll all come back here and kidnap you. And Moira."

"Promise?" Nathan bantered. Not entirely a joke.

"Promise."

A little later, Nathan takes Mick down to say goodbye to Alison, who's not quite coherent, but still manages to elicit a promise from Mick to keep in touch.

Nathan reached and laid a hand on Mick's arm, stopping him just in front of the door to the iso room. "One second," he murmured, peering in the polarized window. #Alison?# he called very gently, ready to retreat from contact if anything untoward happened.

It took perhaps a moment longer than he might have expected, a stirring of thoughts slowly merging into something coherent.

Recognition, something like a greeting - relative calm despite the mental tiredness clearly showing through, though that was dimming slowly. Light still edged her mind, though not nearly as brightly as the last time he'd 'visited' her.

Nathan gave Mick an encouraging look, and Mick took a deep, shaky breath, trying to concentrate on the feel of Nathan in his mind, stepping carefully around the triggers to maintain the link. #Hi,# he sent hesitantly to the glowing presence at the other end. #I--I wanted to see you, before I went...#

There was a moment of hesitation, a slight withdrawal before Alison's presence ventured closer, ever so slowly. She wasn't sure, but even as whoever this was felt unfamiliar, there was something...

#Know you...# A pause, emotions flickering back and forth rapidly, all of them suddenly pausing to be replaced by a faint sense of realization. #Mick?#

Nathan had warned him. But he'd take what he could get. #I just wanted to say goodbye,# Mick sent back as softly as he could. Trying to project gratitude, worry for her... images, rather than words. #We're going to Berlin, to the Pack... Ani and I, I mean.#

The light dimmed briefly - not withdrawing so much as pausing for a moment. #Leaving...# But she'd known that, something told her. Known that would happen, that it was needed. Still, emotions shifted slowly among the radiance that slowly returned - a sense of responsiblity for Mick's well- being, worry, fondness, all of them underscored by a something not unlike protectiveness. They were, most likely, far more clear and easy to discern for Nathan than Mick, however, and Alison herself wasn't even aware that they might be sensed by anyone at all.

A sense of purpose followed, along with words that were more defined, sharper and more present. #News. Stay in contact?#

Mick blinked at Nathan, who was smiling at him, wordlessly clarifying what was coming down the link. #I--I promise. I will.# His eyes stung as he peered into the room. #Get better?# he sent, almost in a plea. #And t-thank you...#

It was getting harder to concentrate, Alison knowing she was on a downward swing, trying to still hold on as long as she could. #Yes...# Though whether it was a promise to get better or an acknowledgement of his thanks was unclear as her thoughts started to turn inwards once more, as though trying to hide what was coming from everyone.

Nathan broke the contact gently. "Come on," he said softly, taking Mick's arm. "Time to get ready to go."

Mick resisted, just briefly. "You'll let me know..." His voice broke on the word.

"Of course." Nathan smiled very faintly. "As soon as she's out of there, I'll let you know." Mick gave him a definite 'that wasn't what I meant' look. But Nathan gazed steadily back at him, choosing not to acknowledge what he had meant - he wasn't on speaking terms with that particular option - and drew him away from the door. "Come on. You don't want to miss your plane."

Bridge and Nathan talk briefly before he leaves with Anika and Mick. Bridge tries to remind him that yes, there is actually a world outside the mansion and maybe he and Moira might like to visit it.

"You look like hell, you know."

Nathan raised an eyebrow at Bridge as they headed towards the front door of the mansion, where Anika and Mick were already waiting in the car Bridge had rented to get from and to the airport. "Oh, be quiet, GW," he said, mostly tolerantly. He'd been waiting for that, after all.

Bridge arched an eyebrow. "Right. I'm not supposed to point that out - I forgot. Interferes with the whole deluding-yourself process." They walked down the hall in silence for a moment before he spoke again. "Moira looks just as bad. Actually, worse. When are the two of you getting out of here for a while?"

"Christmas holidays, most likely," Nathan said, unable to keep the twist of bitterness out of his voice. "If then. I mean, that's what, a whole six weeks? God only knows what sort of crises will hit between now and then." He really shouldn't be that resentful. It wasn't as if it was the fault of anyone here, that they hadn't had any real time to breathe and weren't liable to get any in the near future. And to be honest, he didn't really want to leave - he was afraid of what might happen while he was gone if he did.

"I'm beginning to think that we need to stage a commando raid and whisk the pair of you out of here for a couple of weeks," Bridge said lightly.

Nathan gave him a baleful look. "Don't tempt me."

"The fact that you actually want to run away for a while should tell you something," Bridge pointed out with entirely too much insight. "You so very rarely ever do."

"What do you want me to say? That I have this little fantasy where I throw Moira over my shoulder, hop on a plane for Muir, and never come back? Fine. I have that fantasy. It's a happy little fantasy."

Bridge reached out and stopped him with a hand on his arm. His dark eyes were serious as he met Nathan's. "I'll take care of them, you know," he said, inclining his head towards the front door, in Anika and Mick's general direction. "If you promise to take care of yourself and Moira. Well," he amended, smiling wryly, "I'll take care of them anyway. But I still want you to make me that deal."

Nathan gave Bridge a deadpan look. "You're a nag."

"I know."

"And a mother hen."

"I know that too." Bridge grinned suddenly, a flash of white teeth in his dark face. "You're just damned lucky Dom didn't come along. She would have backed me up. But anyway... deal?"

Nathan shook his head, but laid a hand on Bridge's shoulder, squeezing briefly. "I'll do my best, GW. That's all I can promise."

"Then I'll take that for what it's worth, and have a plan in place for that aforementioned kidnapping, just case," Bridge said almost peacefully, as if it was all settled in his head.

Nathan had to laugh. "Being the boss has definitely gone to your head," he accused cheerfully as they resumed their progress towards the front door.

"I know. I'm power-mad." Bridge grinned up at him. "But at least I'm having fun with it."