Moira and Nathan

[x-mactaggart.livejournal.com]

Moira seeks some downtime in the sunroom and is soon joined by Nathan. They try and comfort each other after everything they've seen. And then something miraclous happens. Or at least, according to them. ;)



Moira was grateful the sunroom wasn't cluttered with students looking for another to place to study--or make out--other than their rooms. A good number still hadn't returned from various vacations yet, so that did help, and the rest were scattered about, enjoying the snow. With a tired sighed, she sank into the seat by the window and leaned against it, her thoughts never slowing for a second.

When Nathan found her there, her eyes were closed, but he could sense her mind racing, around and around in erratic circles. Swallowing, he crossed the room in a few short steps and dropped to his knees in front of her, reaching out and taking her hands in his as she opened her eyes and blinked at him.

"Where've ye been?" she asked, sliding her fingers through his. Even with him around, it did not help the erratic thoughts she kept having. For the most part, she was holding up but...well, even that had it's end point.

"Outside." He brought her hands to his lips for a moment, kissing the back of each gently before he lowered them back to her lap. The... frayed feeling he was getting from her end of the link was too much, though, and he only looked up for long enough to establish that yes, there was room for him beside her, before he got up and joined her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly.

It took less than a second for her to snuggle tightly against him, arms wrapping tightly as Moira held on for what seemed to be dear life. "Yer cold," was her only comment about how frigid his clothes and hands felt to her.

"I'm a masochist. Sat out there for too long." He pressed his lips against her temple, breathing out raggedly. "I love you," he whispered, his voice catching. "I love you so much, Moira..."

"Love ye ta, Nathan. Verra, verra much. Dinnae let go for a while, please? Cannae stop shakin' at times. Henry would be upset, told me ta nay play at brave but I need ta. Least for a wee while." She was babbling, she knew and bit her lip hard to slow herself down.

"You can be however you need to be with me," Nathan said hoarsely, his arms tightening around her. "Anything..." He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to steady his breath, to project loving thoughts - because he sure as hell couldn't manage soothing ones - down the link to her.

"I want ta find out who 'e really was," Moira said suddenly, gripping Nathan's shoulder tightly. "Find out who 'e was, 'is family. I need ta find out."

"Then we will." Not that he had any idea how, but surely Charles would have some suggestions. "Whatever you need." His voice broke, his breath catching in his chest, and he shook his head a little, trying to push it away.

"Ye okay?"

"I'll be okay. You're here, you're all right... I'll be okay," he said, clinging to her as much as she was clinging to him. "Don't worry," he whispered almost feverishly, trying to wrap his mental presence around her. "Just hold on..."

"Jus' try an' make me let go," Moira said, laughing a bit. It was a bit shaky but it was coming along from where it was.

Nathan's laugh was just as unsteady. "I'm sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry..."

"Why? Ye dinnae do a thin' wron', Nathan. Ye 'elped me through all this..."

He was shaking his head again, not sure why. "You are the most precious thing in the world to me," he whispered raggedly. "And I just... can't bear the idea of anything happening to you."

Instead of saying anything, because she really couldn't, she simply snuggled up closer. Mentally Moira reached out and stroked the link, relaxing at the familiar sensation that brought.

Nathan held her for a long time, not saying anything. Outside, the moon broke through the clouds, and he sighed, looking up at it through blurred eyes. "I wish I could find you a safe place," he said very quietly, his tone more weary than anything else. "Somewhere where the Essexes and Joes and Mistra directors of the world can't touch you..."

"An' I ye," Moira muttered back, staring out the window as she relaxed her death grip on him. "If we find tha' place, I'd love ta go. Instead, 'ome'll be 'ere an' on Muir an' we'll jus' weather th' comin' storms. Together."

"All three of us," Nathan murmured. He reached down and laid a hand on her abdomen, more in reflex than anything else...

And froze as he sensed something. Not a mind, not even anything approaching coherent thought. Just... a flicker.

She felt more than saw him stiffen. And considering his hand had just fallen on her stomach, where the baby was..."Wha'? Wha's wron'?" There was no hiding the slight bit of panic in her voice as the death grip returned. If something was wrong with the baby...

"I can feel..." Nathan looked down at her, his eyes wide. "Something... I can feel something from the baby." He tugged at the link, pulling her in to share the sensation as the flicker came again.

Moira gasped and her own hand dropped down to touch her stomach. "Oh my god," she whispered, suddenly blinking back stinging tears. "Past six weeks, can pick up on brain signals at tha' age..."

"Ten now, almost," Nathan whispered, his voice husky. "It's like... just this little shimmer of light."

"Almost warm."

"Safe... and happy." Nathan stared out the window blankly, all of his attention on that tiny flicker. "I would never have sensed something this... faint, before."

"Everythin's goin' ta turn out," she whispered, reaching up to cup his face with her free hand.

He looked down into her eyes, almost shining in the moonlight, and raised his hand to the side of her face. "So much... doesn't make sense any more," he whispered, tucking a stray lock of red hair behind her hair. "But I forget that when I'm with you. Or it doesn't scare me as much, at least..."

"Or we can jus' ignore it." Leaning into the touch, she smiled at him softly. "We can forget all th' nasty an' bad out there an' jus' concentrate on us. All o' us." Her hand traced up his where it still lay on her stomach. "Three."

"Just forget..." he said faintly, then kissed her forehead. "As if we were alone in the world. Just for a little while?"

"For as lon' as we need." With that, Moira turned from the window and buried her face in Nathan's shoulder, and blocked out the world.