xp_logs | Nathan and Moira (and Tim and Anna), Monday

Making their way to Spain somewhat slowly (and thus unobtrusively), Nathan and Tim decide to take a short detour to Scotland on Monday night. Nathan ~~scares~~ surprises Moira. Moira's cousin Anna mothers Tim a little. Later that night, Nathan and Moira have a serious talk about what he's doing before they celebrate Valentine's Day in the time-honored fashion.

"It's really pretty," Tim said, his gaze roaming their surroundings as they headed up the path towards the castle. "I mean, I've seen pictures of Muir often enough, in the files..."

"I love it here," Nathan said quietly, smiling slightly. "Always have." He indicated the door to the clinic. "It's that time of day - she'll be busy working."

Moira was indeed working, machines buzzing around her at full blast. Anna was hovering somewhere nearby, apparently the need to watch over someone was proving too much to resist. Frowning, she clicked up the microscope. Ah, much better, the sample wasn't looking nearly as bad as she had been afraid of. Problem with new staff was that they were _new_ staff and had not yet received their full training yet.

Nathan set his duffel down by Moira's office, beckoning to Tim to follow him once he'd done the same. They moved onwards into the clinic, Nathan smiling at the staff members they passed and occasionally raising a finger to his lips to forestall anyone giving him away.

"Janice?" she called, frowning. Where HAD that girl gotten off to with those samples? "I would 'ighly appreciate the samples from our latest arrival before th' end of this century." Sighing, she glanced over at Anna who simply smiled and shrugged. What she didn't see when she returned to her microscope and her notes was Anna snickering to herself as she spotted Nathan in the background.

She was going to kill him. Nathan grinned gleefully and unshielded the link.

The sudden shock of the link opening would have been nothing, Moira was more than used to it by now. But the sudden shock of it being so bloody close was another thing. Shrieking, she jumped, banging her knee into the table as she turned around. "Nathan Dayspring!" Heavy, throwable objects...one had to be around here somewhere.

Nathan snickered. "I will never get tired of doing that," he said, coming over and giving her a quick kiss and a hug before she could give him a concussion.

Tim, standing well back, was looking mildly appalled but still somewhat amused.

Leaning back in his arms, she fixed him with a Look. "Why dinnae ye tell me ye were comin' over?" she accused, poking him in the chest. Glancing around him, an eyebrow quirked. #An' wit' company?#

"Spur of the moment sort of thing. We're actually, uh, heading to Spain." Before she could do more than raise an eyebrow, Nathan decided that it would be a very good idea to remember his manners. "Anna, this is Tim. Tim, Anna... Moira's cousin."

"Hey," Tim said, a bit uncomfortably.

Anna beamed at him. "'ello!" she replied, grinning just a little bit. There was a look on her face that spoke of a great deal of interest towards the new arrival. Moira looked back up at Nathan and giggled.

"Thought we might stop here," Nathan said, "just for the night." #You do remember what day it is, right?#

"Watch me complain." She beamed at him, just a little bit. #Aye, I remember--dinnae know if ye did.# She felt a rush of pleasure that he HAD remembered it was Valentine's Day. Generally, she didn't put much stock into the day but, well, still.

#I brought something for you. It's in my bag. I think Tim's about to bolt, though...# Nathan looked around, noticing that Moira had indeed been busy. "I could go get us settled up in the castle," he offered, a bit reluctantly, but willing to bow to Moira's need to finish whatever she'd been doing if necessary.

"Aye, settlin' 'im in would be good. Show 'im some o' th' good places, would ye?" #Th' view'll relax 'im, I think. Worked on ye well enough.# Taking a firm vow not to press about what he got her, she glanced over her shoulder at Anna. #Think we should unleash me cousin on th' poor thin' later?#

#Oh, that's perfect. And sadistic. But perfect. Did I mention that I loved you?# He kissed her again, just because he could.

---

Tim couldn't figure out what he was quite as unsettled as he was. Muir seemed very peaceful. The castle was very nice. And Moira's cousin was feeding him. Maybe that was it. A rather attractive blonde woman was feeding him, and looking at him very speculatively.

Anna was indeed eyeing him carefully. She knew better than to ask the questions "So, how did you know Nathan?" because, ten to one, she didn't want to the answer. "Want some more?" she asked, cheerfully, more than ready to feed him more even if his answer was no. He looked like he could use a good feeding.

"Uhh... no, I think I'm good," Tim said after a moment. He hadn't been eating much at Westchester, for various reasons, and he doubted he was going to be able to finish what he had on his plane. "It's... really good. Thanks."

The look she gave him could have been right off of Moira's list of Looks to Give to a Difficult Patient. Shrugging, she filled another plate up and sat down across from him. "Well, I 'avenae eaten yet so I'll keep ye company while ye finish wha' ye 'ave."

Keeping him company. Oh, joy. Although she really was attractive; he could see the family resemblance to Moira. "So do you live here? On the island?" he asked awkwardly. He so wasn't used to this whole small talk thing.

"Nay, only 'ere while Moira's 'ere so I can take care o' 'er an' th' baby. I live wit' me Da on th' mainland, right across th' way." Putting her chin on her hand, Anna studied him for a second. "Muir's a fine place ta get yer 'ead on straight," she said suddenly, that keen sense of reading people obviously ran through the family.

Tim nearly choked. "Well, I'm just here for the night," he said, managing a slightly tight smile. "Not that it isn't... nice. But Nate and I have things that need doing elsewhere."

"Knowin' me cousin th' way I do, ye'll be more than welcome ta return," she said, smiling at him. "Moira's got a 'abit o' takin' people on. Like Nathan."

"Uh. Right." Okay, this was ridiculous. He sounded like an idiot. Tim stared down at his plate, pushing the food around with his fork.

"...are ye alright?" Dumb question but it had to be asked.

"I'm... it's been a strange week," Tim said, then surprised himself with a hoarse laugh. "Have you ever had one of those weeks where your whole world changed completely? Everything, all at once?"

Well, then! That was a start. Feeling pleased with herself, Anna forgot about the plate of food in front of her. Tim was, by far, much more interesting. "'onestly? Nay really. I've been around someone who 'as, obviously, Nathan. An' Moira."

Tim nodded slowly, still poking at his food. "I don't think I've processed it all yet," he said slowly. Really, he probably hadn't even started processing it. "But I feel like I can't stop to do that. Maybe I'm afraid to."

"Because if ye stop ta think an' process it--then 'tis really 'appened?" Anna guessed. She'd seen Moira do that after Kevin died. Before slipping fully into the bottle, she'd pulled an entire week without sleeping. She just...worked.

"Maybe." Tim gave a faint, rueful smile. "Sure had a number of people who didn't think I should be back on my feet yet, let alone running of to... well, never mind."

"All th' doctors got grumpy wit' ye?" She snickered slightly. "Be glad Moira was over 'ere when ye made th' decision. There's nothin' scarier than tha' woman when she's 'ellbent on gettin' 'er way."

"Nathan didn't agree at first, either. I talked him into it, though." Tim's expression went distant. "Nice to know I can still do that."

"Do wha'?"

"Talk him into things. He used to tell me I liked taking too many risks. He'd never listen to me until I sat down and sorted out all the details."

Anna couldn't help but smile at that. "Nathan's jus' a wee bit stubborn at times," she commented, holding up her fingers within an inch of each other. "But it seems as if ye've got a good 'old on how 'e'll accept certain thin's."

"We've known each other for a long time," Tim said, then smirked faintly. "Although we've having to get... well, reacquainted."

"I can understand tha'." While she didn't know the full story, she certainly understood the little that Moira had mentioned. Mainly because she had asked nonstop questions for about a full hour. And she knew a little about the incident in the summer. "'e's changed," she said suddenly. "From th' first time I met 'im. An' for th' better, I'd like ta think."

Tim sure wasn't about to tell her that most of the times he'd seen Nathan over the last eight years, up until this past week, he'd been either trying to kill or capture him. "I've been noticing that," he said judiciously. "Not quite the man I remember."

"'e could be such an ass sometimes, when 'e first arrived," Anna said, cheerfully. "Good for Moira though, she wasnae used ta 'avin' anyone really fight back wit' 'er."

"They do that a lot, do they? Argue?" Nathan and Aliya certainly had.

"They _used_ ta. I think 'twas all tha' built up sexual frustration meself." A giggle escaped at the look on his face. "Right down ugly rows but ye know somethin'? Since they 'ooked up, they really 'avenae gone at it. One or two big fights, th' occassional disagreement but most o' 'tis jus' in fun."

"That's good. I'm glad they're happy," Tim said a bit lamely. He really needed to work on this social stuff.

Anna suddenly thought of something. "Wait, ye knew Nathan...before. I know 'e was married before an' I know she died. Wha' was she like?" She had this sudden urge to find out. Not wanting to approach Nathan about it, Tim seemed a perfect target for these questions.

"She was..." Tim hesitated, fumbling a bit. He had done his best not to think too much about Aliya, or Tyler, these last eight years. It hurt too much to dwell on what had happened to them. "She was a telepath, and a soldier... quiet around most people, but you didn't want to cross her." He smiled a bit. "She had one hell of a temper."

Her lips quirked slightly. "Seems Nathan's got a thin' for women who speak their mind."

"I think so. They were..." Tim stopped, shrugged a little. "Happy as they could be under the circumstances, I suppose. Ty... Tyler was the sweetest little kid." He couldn't keep the pain out of his voice, or his expression.

It was hard resisiting the temption to reach ove and pat his hand or offer some sort of physical comfort. But she didn't want to explain to Nathan why his friend had run screaming out of the castle. "I'm sorry. I know 'ow tha' feels, on a different level. Kevin was one o' the sweetest, lovin' wee boys ever, even in all tha' pain."

Tim swallowed. "Nathan was a good father," he said hoarsely. "He'll look after Moira and the baby. No matter what."

"I know. I dinnae doubt 'im in tha' regard at all. So, after yer trip ta wherever, wha' are yer plans?" It was obvious that the subject was painful to him, so Anna wisely decided to drop it.

Tim looked blank. "After...? Um. No clue. Whatsoever."

"Vacations are always nice. I 'ear th' islands are especially beautiful right now."

After. Was there going to be an after? Tim turned it over in his head for a moment, then smiled ruefully, again. One of those places he really wasn't ready to go just yet. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, and told himself that it would be a shame to waste this meal. Besides, food was necessary, or so a number of people back in Westchester had been telling him.

---

Moira stretched out on the bed, half on Nathan and half simply sprawled. "I'm gettin' fat," she complained. Not really fat, not really complaining, but it had to be said. She giggled at the look he gave her and cuddled up closer to him. "Maybe nay, but we're supposed ta complain 'bout this kind o' thin'."

Nathan rubbed her back gently. "You're not getting fat. And even if you were, you were too thin beforehand. I have no issues whatsoever with women with curves, believe me." He poked her lightly in the ribs.

Snickering, she batted at his hand playfully. "I wasnae ta skinny!" she protested.

"You were." He kissed the top of her head. "So. Are you going to ask me why I'm going to Spain, or did you want to eat more of that chocolate first?"

Moira thought about that for a second. "Bot." Reaching over she grabbed another piece of chocolate as she touched the link. #See? I can cheat. Why are ye goin' off ta Spain when, really, ye bot' should be restin' back at th' mansion?"

#We're going to Spain because MacInnis is in Galicia,# Nathan said, and grimaced a bit at the look she gave him. "Tim's idea. He's going there instead of Berlin."

"Why?"

"Because he doesn't want to hide." Nathan sighed, remembering the brief flash of hurt on Mick's face when Tim had come out with that particular statement. Tim had apologized immediately, looking absolutely horrified at himself, but the damage had been done. "He's in considerably better shape, emotionally speaking, than Mick or Ani or I was. He wants to work with MacInnis and his people... or keep an eye on them. Both, actually."

Moira thought about that for a minute. "I dinnae like it, but then again I trust tha' old bastard as far as I can throw 'im." Sighing, she put her head on Nathan's chest. "Ye think Tim's goin' ta be okay? An' 'ow're th' others reactin' ta this?"

"Ani and Mick are on their way back to Berlin. Ani flat-out said she didn't want anything to do with MacInnis. Mick just looked worried." Nathan snorted softly. "And I'm really not sure about Tim. Hence why I'm going with him, at least for a little while."

"I cannae blame Ani, really. An' Mick's in nay shape, emotionally really, ta go an' 'elp Tim out. Does Tim know wha' 'e's doin', really? An' why th' 'ell did tha' bloody Trojan 'orse work?"

"Tim? No clue, really. I think he's desperate to not have to stop and think about everything that's happened to him. It's insane, him thinking he's ready to do this." Nathan smiled very slightly. "Sort of like how I wound up on the Blackbird going after Shiro."

"Tryin' nay ta think 'bout wha' jus' happened because then ye'll think 'bout it?"

"Exactly." Nathan sighed and stole a chocolate. "And the Trojan Horse... well, turns out that was my fault. I held onto it at the subconscious level and Askani helped me... refine it a little." He sighed, remembering. "She was under the impression I was fully aware of what we were doing. Really surprised her to find out I had absolutely no idea why it was still there."

Moira's eyes widened in shock. "So subconsciously, ye figured twas a brilliant idea except for tha' whole it would kill ye thin'? Tell me ye've discussed it wit' 'er now tha' ye know?"

"Extensively," Nathan said, reassuring her. "Her and Charles. Really, the only reason the original version would have killed me is because it was breaking my conditioning at the same time. The feedback from spreading it would have hit me right when I had absolutely no defenses at all."

She shuddered at that. "I still 'ate tha' woman."

Nathan kissed her again. "She's dead," he said quietly. "No need to keep hating her."

She made a noise but didn't push the issue, settling to snuggle up tighter. "Glad it all worked out in th' end, though. Wish ye werenae goin' ta Spain ta see th' rat bastard. When do ye think ye'll be back?" Away from MacInnis.

"I figured I'd give it a week," Nathan said. "That should be enough time to know for sure whether it's safe to leave Tim there." And whether he could handle it. But Tim did have a point, which was part of the reason Nathan had agreed to this in the first place. MacInnis' liberated second-gens needed a leader. The old rat bastard himself wouldn't quite cut it.

"'onestly, ye'll think it'll work out? Aye, Tim's in better shape than ye or Mick were but still, 'tis nay an easy thin' ta 'ave ta go through. Mick's still reelin' from it, poor thin'. An' I know there are days ye 'ave problems as well. 'Tis nay somethin' tha' ye can simply walk away from, they've made it ta difficult."

Nathan sighed. "I honestly don't know. But I'll give it the week, like I said. Either it works out, or it doesn't and I thump Tim upside the head and drive to Berlin." And even if it didn't work out, he'd get a better look at precisely how MacInnis ran his organization.

The look on his face she recognized easily. It was the "I get something out of this as well". "Bein' sneaky again, aye?"

"Do I ever stop?" He shifted, both arms sliding around her. "Enough about that, though," he murmured. "We have much better things to talk about than the old rat bastard. Or not talk. Not talking is good, too..."
"I thought ye liked it when I--" Giggling as Nathan cut off her words, Moira enthuastically returned the kiss.

#Oh, I like all kinds of things...# Yes, they'd spent entirely too many night apart over the last few weeks, Nathan reflected.