acontritemess | Reunion;

Reunion;

[That meeting had been annoying, awkward, and left Nathan with a bitter taste in his mouth. The last time he'd joined the lot of them in battle, he'd nearly killed them all, himself included. Now they wanted him to join a concerted effort to assault one of their adversary's weapons depots.

It felt really weird calling them "adversaries", but that's what Natalia insisted on calling them, and who was he exactly to argue with a centuries-old vampire? He couldn't help but smile at that thought. Tony'd hate him for it. "Does that make me an exception, Nathaniel?" He could hear it already. The little meeting they'd had after the main one was boring, and he let Cairn do the majority of the talking.

He was actually finding himself a little exhausted from all the meeting he'd been doing. A year was a long time to be in seclusion and contemplative meditation with only one other person for company and he could already tell it was going to take some to to acclimate to being around people again. There was actually only one person he wanted to talk to at the moment. He hadn't seen her for over a year, and she looked so...different now. Not anything too noticeable, just subtle differences. She held her shoulders straighter, made eye contact. She was more confident, that was it, and it was hot.

Adorable, but hot. Like she'd always been, like he'd remembered her to be. Finally he was dismissed for the night to go back to the rooms they'd prepared for him, and he didn't waste any time getting out of there.

What he wasn't planning on was stumbling upon Luther the Egotistical Prick and Airy in the hall. She didn't look happy to be there and Nathan's eyes immediate narrowed.]

I'm not interrupting anything, am I? [His voice was even, controlled. He didn't like what he was seeing, but the past year had taught him that much at least. How to control his anger, at least to an extent.]

[Luther responds to his question, but doesn't even give Nathan the respect of turning to look at him when he does.] As a matter of fact you are.

[Nathan's tone darkens slightly.] I wasn't asking you.

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I was surprised to.

[She isn't sure if she is more surprised about Gus being able to cook things besides hot dogs or him being a werewolf.

Airy turns the corner and then pauses hearing a familiar high pitch squel shouting at her from a little ways down the hall.]

Airy!

Hi Belle, your mom here?

[The little girl giggles, nods at Airy and then stares up at Nathan.]

This is Nathan.

[She looks over at him with a smile. Rachel sometimes comes with a small child also.]

[Nathan smiles down at her.] Hey, it's nice to meet you, Belle. You're really excited for it to be this early.

[He seems to remember a young girl from a year ago, but only vaguely. He's starting to realize how much he doesn't know about this place.]

[Airy has a sinking suspicion that things were bound to get awkward fast, if only because of the few tidbits of information Airy has shared about Nathan. Before Belle could ask the first question that is most likely rising in her thoughts Airy looks down and preempts her with a smile.]

Why not lead us to your mom before the coffee I got her gets cold.

[Belle seems to know what Airy's game is because she puffs up her cheeks and then stares at Airy. Airy just stares back and in no time at all Belle's concentration breaks into a giggle.]

You win. It's this way. [She runs to Nathan and grabs his hand with her two small ones.] Come on! Is Papa with you? I haven't seen him in a million years!

[Airy laughs as she steps towards the nearest door.]

It hasn't been that long. [While Airy is nice to Belle she's the sort of person who treats both children and adults the same.

She peeks into the room letting Belle entertain Nathan for the time; even if that comes back to bite her. She smiles a little wider and a little sheepishly when she spots Rachel at a thin wooden desk. The woman looks up and her lips curled into a beautiful smile. Belle had given away the fact that they were coming down the hall so of course she doesn't look surprised.]

I brought you coffee. [Airy smiles weakly while Rachel gives her a silent motherly look that merely says 'and?'.] It's a bribe. [She continues softly feeling more and more put on the spot. Airy gets the feeling that Rachel already knows that Nathan is back.]

I wanted to show Nathan around. [She pauses.] And get out of practice today?

[Rachel continues to smile and Airy has no idea how this woman can both be one of her close friends and make her squirm like her mom used too. Silence lingered in the air, only filled by Belle's endless chatter. Finally Rachel spoke and then reached for her bribe.]

Only if you introduce him to me.

[Meanwhile, out in the hall, Nathan has been left at the mercy of Belle, and he smiles first, nodding.] Papa? You mean Cairn? Yeah, he's here. He's the one who brought me back.

Did he make you learn your Latin letter and say them back to him when you made him mad?

[Nathan's eyes narrow at the question.]

Uh...yeah, actually...

[She giggles and covers her mouth.] But it's really easy!

[Nathan laughs, shaking his head even though the little girl is the only one currently able to see it.] Maybe for a genius.

[Belle's little brow furrowed in confusion.] It was hard for you? But Airy says you're really smart! And she says you're funny, too!

[Nathan's eyes dart back toward the room before he smirks slightly and crouches down to be more on her level. He leans forward, whispering conspiratorially.]

What else has Airy said about me?

[Belle's lips curl into a child like smile that suggests she's doing something she isn't supposed too. She leans forward and hurriedly whispers in Nathan's ear like a pixy whispering its secrets.]

She says you're an amazing actor and she wants to see you perform in a musical. Mommy teases her a lot when your name comes up and it always breaks Airy's concentration. She says-

[Airy suddenly feels very nervous and she doesn't even know what the conversation out in the hall is about. She just nods at Rachel before peeking around the door frame. She's just in time to stop Belle from getting to the horribly embarrassing part of her tale.]

Nathan? Come in and say hi. Rachel wants to meet you.

[Nathan's smile of bashful excitement falls apart he hears Airy's voice behind him. He swallows and looks over his shoulder, nodding.]

I'm on the way.

[He looks back to Belle and whispers.] We'll finish this conversation later. [And he turns toward the door to meet Rachel, smiling amicably.]

[Airy blinks noticing Nathan's expression. She raises an eyebrow and looks from Nathan to Belle.]

What were you two talking about?

[Her words sound weary however Belle just giggles and runs back into the room with her fingers over her lips. Airy watches Nathan for a few seconds as he heads into the room too.

Yeah, she has totally just missed something.]

[Nathan smiles as he heads in after Belle, eyebrows raised innocently.]

Nothing, really. You know kids.

[Airy really doesn't believe him but she doesn't really want to argue about it. She wants to get to her room to give him the plant she found in Rome.

She walks in after him and Rachel just smiles at Nathan.]

The infamous Druid. It's nice to meet you formally Nathan. You've been training under my Grandfather so I suppose I should apologize as well.

[Rachel stands and holds out her hand as she speaks more formally than Airy is used too.]

I wasn't able to see you before you left. Seth, Belle and I were working on something important. [That important thing was Airy...]

[Nathan takes her hand and returns the handshake, though he looks more than a little confused.]

I'm infamous? That's news to me. I guess your grandfather didn't think keeping me abreast of new was important. [He shrugs.] He's not so bad, once you get past his love of nature, his weird problem with running water, and the demand for no power. [He smiles, though.]

It's nice to meet you, too.

[Rachel's smile stays in place and her eyes flick between Nathan and Airy with a knowing gaze. Belle moves to cling to her mothers side as if that includes her in the conversation.]

The Creator and The Druid? You two are very well known, best get used to it.

[She waves a hand and then looks down at Belle.]

I've given Airy the day off so go have fun but tomorrow. [Her smile widens and her eyes shine at Airy.]

Ah! Right tomorrow. [Airy takes Nathan's hand and pulls him from the room.] Tomorrow.

[Seriously Rachel is going to kill her if she begins asking Nathan questions.]

[Nathan waves a hand as he's pulled from the room.]

It was nice meeting you, and you too, Belle.

[Once they're gone from the room, though, he looks over to Airy, confused.]

...so, what happens tomorrow?

[Airy waves a hand dismissing the question with a statement that might not count as an answer.]

Just remember who she's related too. [In truth, Rachel is going to grill her about Nathan but he doesn't need to know the details.]

So! I have something to show you and... give you.

[She releases his hand awkwardly and then moves toward her room which is a few doors down. It isn't a big room but it fits Airy, her bed and a few random things including a boombox, a purple quilt and a few things she's swiped from home including a photo album that stays on her nightstand.]

[Nathan grimaced at the description. She really needn't say anymore than that. He followed her into her room, smiling as he looked around.]

I like this. It... [And then his eyes fell on the photo album and his brow furrowed.] Where'd you get that?

[The walls were white with two movie posters framed hanging along the back wall. There isn't a closet but isn't a wardrobe which holds dresses that Airy's never worn. Next to that is a dresser filled with paints, shorts and t-shirts. All of the furniture looks like it's from the same set and purchase all at once.

Airy takes a seat on her bed which is a full sized bed filling 50% of the room. She looks over at the photo album before reaching for a small potted plant]

From my house.

[She holds the little pot in her hand suddenly feeling awkward. After running away and speaking with Gus she hasn't talked about her family. Everyone in their little hideout never asked her about it. Except one time that Luther did but that ended quickly.]

[He looked concerned.]

You went to Island Falls? [He'd only been once, and it was...weird...sort of disorienting.

He didn't know her parents were dead, though.

He looks to her hands, tilting his head slightly.]

What's that? ...besides a plant. I can see it's a plant.

[Airy wonders if she should say more considering her initial hate of secrets in this stupid place. For the moment she waves Nathan over to take a seat with her next to the bed. She hasn't shared her photo album with anyone other than Gus and that is only because Gus had been there when she retrieved it.]

It's the seed to an olive tree.

[She smiles as if proud of herself.]

I found it in Rome and I thought of you so I took it to give to you when you got back. [That sounds just as lame as it did in her head.]

I haven't been able to make it grow. [She adds sheepishly but she somehow knows that the seed is alive. After she potted the seed, it became something like a friend she had talked to when everyone else was asleep. It is weird but it's better than being alone and after that trip she was.]

[Nathan took the offered seat next to her on the bed, looking a little confused at the small pot she held in her hands.]

An olive seed made you think of me?

[He smiles, reaching for the small pot.]

Maybe I can. [That's what he'd been trying to do recently, anyway.]

[Airy felt the bed shift under Nathan's weight but held the little plant steady. She didn't really want to admit that a lot of things made her think of him. This one just seemed cute.]

Well, I also bought a lot of dresses while I was there. [Which amused Gus and pissed off Luther.] I don't think you can benefit from those as much. [Mostly because she never wears them.]

Besides I thought you'd like it.

[She looked up at him hopefully, brown hair spilling over her shoulder.]

You like it right?

I don't know. I can think of a few ways I could benefit from you having new dresses. [Well, that just came out without his permission.

The plant...seed, thing. Yes, that's a better focus.]

And yeah, I like it. I'll take good care of it.

[Airy's cheeks flush and she feels her heart jump in her chest at Nathan's response. He moves on and she works to keep any sign of her reaction out of her face as she passes the seed over.

She wouldn't mind showing him some of her dresses but there is no way she can say that and not have it sound wrong.]

Good.

[She pauses and feels her heart skin when she glances back towards her album.]

Hey, Um... Nathan? Can we talk about something?

[Airy looks over at him, her bright green eyes dulled slightly as the sensitive topic rises in her thoughts.]

[Nathan would need some time alone with the seed to determine whether or not he could actually rejuvenate it, but he was going to try, damn it, because she brought it all the way from Rome for him.

He nodded at her question, though.]

Of course. What's up?

[Airy reaches for the photo album after placing the seed safely on the nightstand. She pulls the large leather bound book in her lap and gently rests her hands over the cover. It's only then that she looks over at Nathan again, her expression a little sad as she began to talk.]

I found out what I did to my home town. I think that's why Darren hates me. [She pauses realizing that Nathan might not know who that is.] Darren's the one who kidnapped me. [She adds quickly before moving on.]

After I first woke up here... I didn't really feel up to doing much. I mostly stayed with Antonio. I sorta lost count of the days. [Except she remembers all of them as if it had been yesterday.] I decided after a few weeks that I wanted to just go home. I got tired of people not telling me stuff and staying locked up here like another prison. I left during the day leaving Antonio a really crumby note.

[She looks over at Nathan before looking down at the book again.]

Gus caught up with me before I made it. He told me that my family was dead. I... [Her voice broke and her fingers curled into tight fists.] It's my fault... that they were killed.

[He listened through her explanation, growing slightly more annoyed when he heard they didn't tell her about the state of Island Falls. If he'd been given the chance to see her before he was dragged away to Arkansas, he would have told her what'd he'd found there when she'd accidentally teleported Antonio there and he'd had to go get him.

He didn't, however, know the rest of it.]

.......they're dead? How? They...were fine when I was there. They...didn't remember you, but they were okay.

[He holds up a hand.] I wanted to tell you, but...I couldn't stay here. [He clenches his jaw.] Airy, no. It's not your fault. You aren't the reason people are nuts, and you aren't the reason they have such little concern for life that they can just decide to end it.

[Airy shakes her head and forces herself to smile at him. She lightly reached for his hand as she spoke.]

I know you would have Nathan. Believe it or not but I have a high opinion of you. [Her smile then falters.] You sound like Gus.

I might not have committed the act but I ran away from home. I kept what I could do a secret and I thought that somehow that was helping. I've made...so many mistakes Nathan.

[She looks down at her album.]

I know you met them... I still can't believe I did that to Tony... [Airy lets out a short laugh and shakes her head. She realizes then that she's still holding Nathan's hand and slowly slips away again.]

I just wanted to tell you. I technically own my house now but I've left it the way it was. I don't really have anyone here... beside maybe Gus and sometimes Tony who I'd want to share my memories with.

[She lets out a shaky breath.]

That's sorta a lot isn't it. I'm sorry. [Now she feels a little awkward after unloading on him like that.] I miss them but it was a year ago now. It isn't as painful anymore and I'm fine honest.

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