xp_logs | Nathan, Moira, and assorted members of the Pack, Friday night

Nathan arrives on Muir for a happy reunion with Moira, and later, several members of the Pack who've been there helping with rebuilding the pub and upgrading the castle's security system. The chocolate jalapeno cake is a hit.

Clarice had teleported right back to Westchester - apparently she had plans for the night - so Nathan headed up to the castle, absently creating himself a telekinetic umbrella against the sleet. The halls were quiet as he came in through the clinic door, heading deliberately for Moira's office. It was very, very bad of him to be shielding the link, he thought in amusement, but he would just take the thwapping like a man.

Moira rubbed her head and grimaced. The clinic was quiet--for once that evening--and the downtime was allowing her to think about what was to come. She had to find someone to fill Rory's position and soon. On top of the fact that it was becoming more and more clear that her extended absences had not been benefical to the clinic or her staff. Grumbling, she poked at the remains of the sandwich Mina had sprung on her earlier and checked the clock again. Where was he?

Nathan set his duffel bag - and the cake - down carefully outside her office door, which was half-open. Inside, she was sitting at her desk, her back to the door, and he stopped in the doorway, smiling.

"You're eating," he commented, and unshielded the link.

She screamed, loudly, and spun around. It was a very good thing there were no heavy objects near her or else something would have gone flying. Moira stared for a second, long enough to get her bearings and stop her heart from attempting to leave through her rib cage. And then promptly threw herself at Nathan. "Ye bloody bully!"

"Come on," he scoffed, his arms going around her. "You know that was funny."

"It was nay!" But, really, she didn't want to protest all that much, not when kissing him was a much better use of her time.

This had been the longest they'd been away from each other for almost a year, Nathan thought as he kissed her very enthusiastically. Absence made the heart grow fonder and all that. "Mm," he said as they paused for air. "I missed you. Horribly."

"So did I," Moira sighed, clinging to his neck for all she was worth. "'Tis a bloody mess but 'tis even worse without ye bein' 'ere." She wasn't going to cry, really. Stupid hormones, she thought, as she smiled at him. "Mina's been drivin' me insane."

"Oh?" He reached up, stroking rumpled red hair back from her face. "Let me guess. Mothering you shamelessly." He reached out telepathically as he spoke, finding David and letting him know that he had arrived and he and Moira would need just a few minutes here, thank you very much.

"Aye, she's lucky I like 'er. A lot." Mina had calmly born the brunt of a few of Moira's rants and tears. And had also bullied a good deal of the new help into doing exactly what they were supposed to. Most where good but there were a few that were still in awe of even being at Muir that they tended to go a little scattered-brained. "Glad yer 'ere."

Nathan wrapped her in his arms again and held her close, sensing that she needed that. "Glad to be here," he said softly. "Believe me. I love you to death, you - ow!" He flinched as she shifted her grip on him, giving her a sheepish look as she immediately jumped back a little. "Uhhh. Cracked rib?"

Her eyes widened. "Wha'?"

"That last Danger Room session," Nathan said. Very, very meekly. "It's just a little bit broken. Really. Hank said it should heal up really quickly."

Placing her hands on her hips, Moira glared at him. "Ye promised! An' ye dinnae say anythin' when we talked!" She punched him in the shoulder for good measure.

"Because I knew you were going to do that," Nathan said crossly, then took the hand that came at him threateningly again and kissed it instead. "It's done, though," he said, trying to reassure her. "I'll be doing less intensive training now - they aren't going to be trying to run me into the ground anymore now that I've gotten the point."

Eyeing him warily, she allowed herself to be pulled closer. "Really? I dinnae 'ave ta go beat Scott or Alison?"

"Really. And..." He kissed her again, forehead, cheek and lips, before he went on. "... I think I'm going to be wearing one of those leather suits soon."

"Really? They're about ta give ye th' all clear?" she said, smiling just a little at the idea of him all in leather. Black leather, at that. She would have to make certain she was not in the area when they changed for missions, or... bad things.

"I think so. Sometime over the next little while, at least..." Nathan managed to look somewhat abashed. "I probably should not be overhearing half of what I am lately, but it's getting better. Charles keeps telling me I'm doing well, adjusting to the new power levels."

Reaching up, Moira brushed an escaping lock of hair back into place and smiled. "Good. See, twas only a matter o' time before ye started ta get th' 'ang o' it. Really, 'tis nay surprisin' tha' ye were 'avin' difficulties when it first spiked like tha'."

He had escaped death. Whee. Nathan grinned and leaned in to kiss her again. "What say we go find the others?" he asked, once he was done doing that. "I brought cake."

She perked up at the thought of food. "Wha' kind o' cake?"

"Chocolate jalapeno," Nathan said, looking at her very intently to see if the combination tweaked a craving, like he'd suspected it might. If it didn't, he was going to feel rather stupid.

Moira blinked and then grinned sheepishly as her stomach rumbled. "Tha' sounds...oddly good," she said and then winked at him. "Good guess, love, 'bout th' cravin'."

Nathan slipped an arm around her waist, leading her out of the room. "Of course it was," he said smugly. "I'm brilliant, don't you know."

---

"They're in the rec room," Moira said, even though from the sounds coming out from behind the door, Nathan probably already knew that. Theo must have apparently gotten into something sweet again. One of the nurses had probably fallen to his puppy dog face, she thought, snickering slightly. "Oi, ye lot, settle down!"

Nathan laughed, shaking his head at the sight that awaited him. "For pity's sake, people," he mocked, seeing Garrison hanging onto Theo, as if trying to subdue him. "What precisely are we doing?"

"Nate! I had chocolate!"

Amused, Moira stood back to watch the slight tussle between the two. "I swear ye 'ave more energy than most o' th' mansion," she said, shaking her head. "Yer goin' ta be in a world o' 'urt later, Theo, ye do realize this, aye?"

"Worth it," Theo said gleefully, then tossed Garrison in the direction of the couch. Garrison yelped, but landed safely.

Mina rose from where she'd been typing on her laptop and came over, hugging Nathan with a warm smile. "We were waiting for you," she chided.

"Hey," Nathan said fondly, hugging her back.

"'e scared th' bloody daylights out o' me when 'e finally did arrive," Moira grumped, a hand going to her stomach. There was some weight gain but the lab coats seemed to hide it well. "We dinnae see each other in over a week an' 'e's a meanie, I swear."

Mina gave Nathan a reproving look. "You didn't."

"I did." Nathan stepped back, sliding his arm around Moira again. "Where's your husband - oh," he said, sensing David approaching at speed in the hall outside. "How goes the security upgrade?" he asked as David blurred in and to a stop, smiling.

"Brilliantly, if I do say so myself," David said with a chuckle. "We'll have this place right and secure yet."

"Owe ye all one," Moira said, leaning against Nathan. "Makes me feel better 'bout this place already."

"That's enough of a thank-you for me," David said briskly. "Let's have no talk of debts." He went over to Mina, kissing her cheek. "Minding the boys, love?"

"Letting them run rampant, actually," she said tranquilly.

"Men--they're all nay so secretly three," Moira mocked. "Isnae tha' right, dear?"

"Absolutely," Mina said beatifically, poking her husband in the ribs. David, though he could have dodged easily, grinned and let her connect.

Nathan shook his head at them. "Aren't you glad we're not that violent?" he asked Moira, grinning.

Moira smiled at him innocently. "Ach, absolutely. Tha's th' reason tha' ye used ta duck when ye first arrived at Muir for a few years runnin'?" That got a few snickers, especially from Garrison as he was rolling off the couch. "Apparently, Nathan brought food so I forgive 'im for th' fright earlier."

"Food!" Garrison bounced up, looking as enthusiastic as he ever did. "What did you bring, Nate?"

"Chocolate jalapeno cake," Nathan said, and then gave Theo a stern look. "No." Theo proceeded to pout, which was a truly alarming thing coming from an eight foot tall bear.

#'e's already 'ad so much tha' 'e'll be miserable even without a wee piece o' this,# Moira sent gently. #Besides, if we dinnae give 'im any, I'll 'ave an eight foot puppy wanderin' my 'alls all sad an' one o' th' girls will take pity on 'im.#

"Chocolate jalapeno cake," Mina said thoughtfully. "That's very interesting." She took the foil-wrapped cake from Nathan, without asking, and brought it over to the little kitchenette to start doling it out. Garrison and Theo both trailed along after her, and David snorted.

"So," he said, giving Nathan a quick once-over. "You look none the worse for wear."

"You know me," Nathan said with a smile. "Appearances are usually deceiving."

Moira snorted and trailed after Mina and the boys. She reached over to help and barely avoid a hand smack from the other woman. "Wha'?" she asked. "'Tis nay like th' bloody thin' is made o' metal." There was a pause from all of them around the cake and as one they peered at Nathan. "There's nay metal, is there?" she teased.

"There's no metal!" Nathan said, offended. "Chocolate, eggs, flour... that sort of thing."

"Always best to check," Mina said, the knife poised over the cake as she looked thoughtfully at Nathan. "Nothing explosive?"

"I'm not Dom, damn it!" Mina smiled wickedly, and Nathan groaned as he realized he'd just fallen for it again. Mina had the damnedest way of coming across entirely serious when she was joking, even to his telepathic senses. "Witch," he accused her half-heartedly.

"...Dom put somethin' explosive in a cake?" Moira asked.

David coughed. "Uh... yes, as a matter of fact, she did. Boobytrapped the candles with--"

"David," Mina said reprovingly. "No giving away Dom's secrets."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "How precisely have you survived three days with them, again?" he asked Moira.

"Bribery," she said calmly, handing Mina the plates. "Well, except Mina. I jus' shoved 'er towards th' nurses. But bribery works best wit' th' boys. Doesnae it, guys?"

"We're really very shallow," Theo said enthusiastically.

Garrison scowled at him. "Don't drool on the cake!"

Reaching over with a sigh, Moira gently bapped Garrison upside the head. "Behave th' bot' of ye," she warned. "Oh, an' they're afraid o' th' scary pregnant woman."

"You didn't hit him!"

"I cannae reach 'im."

"They're wiser than they used to be," Nathan said, then looked at David. "You didn't bring Vasily?"

"He and Lien got a job offer. They headed off just before we did." David smirked a little. "GW was looking so very forlorn."

"Don't make fun," Mina told him disapprovingly. "It's very sweet."

"Am I missin' out on gossip?" Moira demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "I've known they were kind o' together but I take it 'tis gotten serious? Och, tha' tis verra sweet."

"Quite serious," Mina assured her, smiling again. "It's very nice to see. Although Dom is beginning to feel very left out."

"And we all know what Dom does when she feels left out," David murmured under his breath to Nathan, who snorted.

"Wasnae there someone she 'ad a crush on?" she asked Mina, eyebrow raising. While the idea of Dom crushing was slightly amusing, she knew that there were some rumors going around.

Nathan coughed. "Um, can we try the cake now?" he asked, grinning a bit helplessly. "Dom would have a fit if she knew we were gossiping about her love life."

"Dom doesn't have a love life," Garrison said. "Just a sex--"

"Ryan Michael Garrison," Mina said very firmly. "If you want any cake, you'll stop right there."

"Interestin' reaction." Shaking her head, Moira nudged Garrison into a chair and then stared at David and Nathan. "Are ye two goin' ta stand over there an' watch or are ye comin' over 'ere?"

They did as they were told, of course. The cake was portioned out, and Nathan steered Moira over to the couch. Not letting her out of arm's reach for more than a few minutes at a time, oh, no.

"So the security system's under control - how's the pub coming?"

"We were down there earlier," Theo said, happily eating his cake. "We'll have the worst of the reconstruction done before we have to leave. Helps to have Speedy over there on our side."

"I live to serve," David murmured, making a thoughtful face as he tried the cake. "This is rather good, Nathan."

"Why, thank you."

Moira was making small noises at her cake and it looked as if anyone tried to take it away from her, she'd stab them in the hand. Repeatedly. Stretching her legs, she threw one over Nathan as she continued to eat it. "Uncle's 'appy wit' ye all," she commented. "Pub'll be open back for business pretty soon."

"Well, it's only the best pub in the world. Shouldn't be shut down because of stupid people," Garrison said very vehemently, and then blinked as everyone looked at him. "What?"

"Nothin', lad, jus' eat yer cake." There was a bit of wistfulness in her voice and she leaned against Nathan, seeking his warmth.

Nathan put an arm around her, reaching out comfortingly on the link. The brief awkward silence lasted for a few minutes, until Mina abruptly started to tell an only slightly outrageous story about David, Domino, and a Sherpa wedding.

#You're tired,# he sent to Moira. #Can sense it.#

#I've been tired since I got 'ere,# Moira admitted to him, snuggling further into his side. #Mina's been a godsend, truely, but I've still got so much stuff ta do. I'm afraid tha' somethin' 'as ta change even after I get someone ta replace Rory.#

#Something?# Nathan half-listened to Mina's story - not that he hadn't heard it before - but focused mostly on chasing down where that thought led. #You're not thinking about moving back over here,# he said, fairly sure of it but puzzled as to what that left. #Coming over here more often...?#

#Nay movin' back, nay yet, nay without ye,# she sent very firmly. #Comin' back over 'ere on a more regular basis, though, aye.#

#There has to be a way to do that,# Nathan mused, kissing the top of her head. #Without wearing yourself out on commercial flights all the time, or taking too much advantage of our teleporting students.#

#Mmm, I'll think o' somethin'. I'm brilliant.#

#Brilliant and beautiful, and did I mention I missed you horribly?# He shivered a little, thinking about how lonely the bed had been, especially last weekend when he'd been unable to close his eyes without seeing flashes from six months ago.

Reaching out, Moira brushed the link to soothe it, sending calming thoughts towards him. #We 'ave each other now, though. Keeps away all th' memories o' when we're apart, aye?"

Nathan was aware, suddenly, that Mina had stopped telling her story and the other four were smiling at them. "Um... we're still here," he said with a smile, coloring a little.

David chuckled. "Not quite," he said, and rose. "Come on, you three. Finish your cake and let's give them some time alone. Work to be done, in any case."

Moira didn't protest when Mina took her plate off of her lap, simply snuggled more into Nathan's side, nearly trying to burrow through or so it seemed.

The door closed quietly behind them, and Nathan let the air in his lungs out on a sigh, wrapping his arms more securely around Moira. "This is going to sound like such an old-man sort of thing to say," he said with a helpless, weary laugh, "but I just want to go to bed. And not in the fun way. Well, except for the holding-you part."

"Mmm, holdin' part, yay." There would be fun part later but right now, all she really wanted to do was curl up in Nathan's arms and sleep. A lot. "I'm gettin' fat, think ye can still carry me?" she teased.

"Well, let's see..." His side protested a little as he lifted her into his arms and rose, but he ignored it. "Yep. Still seem to be on my feet and all," he said, heading for the door. "Although I may fly up the stairs. Objections?"

"Object ta flyin' wit' ye? Never."