erinm_4600
in
12to32
Fic: Silent Night
Title: Silent Night
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Stephen and Natalie (mention of Frank, Kate and a few OCs)
Rating: G
Summary: Stephen and Natalie are trapped inside NIH. With beer, thankfully.
Warning: post-series, promptly following A White Christmas. *Written for Prompt Challenge 01 at stephen_natalie. Prompt 02-03: Night For laeliamouse, who is ridiculously patient.
Disclaimer: The original characters belongs to NBC and their respective actors.
A White Christmas | Silent Night
"Well... this is just great," Stephen huffed. Natalie reached up and rubbed her ear - the ringing was actually slightly painful, she noticed - and yawned again.
"Probably for the best," she mused, getting a dirty look from Stephen. "Well," she shrugged and leaned back in the black chair. "Look at it this way: probably saving you from being rear-ended down on the highway."
Stephen breathed slowly and realized she was probably right. Still, if he was going to be stranded somewhere without power, the last place he'd want to be is the office. That was just cruel torture. A muffled laugh from Natalie brought him back and his eyes narrowed.
"Sorry," Natalie smiled. "Just thinking of the irony. Us," she waved between the two of them, "trapped at work, for once, not by choice." Realizing that they were thinking the same thing, Stephen let out a breath and turned away to hide his smile.
"And, of course, no one knows we're here."
"You could call Frank," Natalie said, pulling her gloves off and shoving them back into her pockets. "He'll come rescue us."
"Yeah, that's a great phone call to have. 'Hey, Powell. It's Connor. Yeah, I know you said to go home, but I can't. No, really, I can't leave the building. I'm stuck inside'," he rattled off, moving over to hang up his now-removed coat. "'Oh, and Natalie's here, too.'"
"Come on, Stephen, this is a dream come true for you." Stephen gave her a dirty look and refused to admit that he was actually kind of entertained at their current situation. Though, he'd never considered the scenario with Natalie there. "So," she said, pushing up from the chair. "What should we do?"
"Do?" Stephen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Natalie shrugged. "Until someone comes by to let us out. Or the power comes back and we can get out. You're gonna just sit here and wait?" Natalie's eyes narrowed and she motioned to the door with her shoulder.
"I'm not exactly in the mood to start prowling the floors like James Bond, Natalie."
"Ha ha," Natalie chided. "I'm gonna go get a beer." She moved toward the door and added: "You want one, Double-oh-seven?" she teased.
"Unless you have something stronger," Stephen nodded. Natalie shook her head and smiled as she left his office and moved back into the hallway, hand to her left ear. For whatever reason, the sound was actually painful on that side. Ducking into her office, Natalie sighed as the alarm shut off and the halls were once again silent.
"Thank God," she muttered. And probably thank the staff across the quad at the medical center. Natalie wasn't sure if the buildings were on the same circuit, but, for now, she'd pretend it was true. There was enough of a glow from the emergency lights to let her see the small fridge, but she had to reach blindly for the bottle opener.
"You makin' a chore of this?" Stephen asked from the doorway. Natalie rolled her eyes and turned back, holding out one of the still-closed bottles. Stephen reached for the offered beverage and twisted the cap off.
"Showoff," Natalie grumbled, finally finding the bottle opener.
"Practice," Stephen grinned. Even in the dark, Natalie could see the brightness of his smile and the sparkle in his eyes. "Best light seems to be in the library," he said, holding a hand out and motioning out of the office.
"You gonna read a book?" Natalie huffed as she neared him.
"Maybe I am," Stephen snapped back. They weren't exactly in close quarters, but if they started fighting now, it would definitely be a long night. Stephen glanced at the rim of the bottle and sighed. Reaching a thumb up to his brow, Stephen bit down on his tongue and gave Natalie a sideways glance.
Natalie put a hand on his waist and pushed him out of the doorway. "Come on, Connor. I have an idea." Stephen let her push him across the hall and took her beer as she held it out to him. Natalie moved over to the first bookshelf and reached behind the row of books, feeling for the box she knew was hiding back there.
"What-" Stephen asked as Natalie pulled her hand back and gave the box a shake. She ignored his question and moved over to his side, kicking one of the chairs out and she popped the lid off and turned the box over on the table.
Stephen sat down in the next chair and looked up to Natalie as he registered the chess pieces. "Miles mentioned he always wanted to learn. We haven't had much luck," she said with a shake of her head.
"You play chess, Doctor Durant?" Stephen asked in an impressed tone.
"Only because George demanded it." Stephen snorted slightly; George Donovan their former team leader. His retirement prompted Kate's promotion to Director, while Stephen elected to stay with Frank and Natalie. Natalie pulled out the various pieces and started setting up the board.
"Well," she added a moment later, talking more to herself than Stephen, "We used to play Battle Chess at school."
"What's Battle Chess?" Stephen asked, pulling one of the castles closer, inspecting it.
"Computer game. My roommate had it on her computer. It was rather violent, actually," Natalie said with a shrug.
"Violent computer games?” Stephen scoffed, garnering a glare from Natalie. "How violent?"
"Well, the pieces killed each other, for one. The Queen was a real piece of work," Natalie nodded, reaching for her beer again. "It was nice, though, because it would tell you where you could move, and I retained the highlights. Gave me a slight edge with George," she grinned.
Stephen nodded and put the castle back. Leaning back in his chair, he watched as Natalie tried to look over the rules with what little light she had. Smirking, his eyes moved to the beer bottle and he said: "Thought you knew the rules."
"It's been a while, Connor," she said airily. 'That it has,' he thought. Stephen couldn't remember the last time he'd played chess.
And he couldn't let her show him up.
________________________
For fun: Battle Chess. It was technically the brother's, but I still have it.
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Stephen and Natalie (mention of Frank, Kate and a few OCs)
Rating: G
Summary: Stephen and Natalie are trapped inside NIH. With beer, thankfully.
Warning: post-series, promptly following A White Christmas. *Written for Prompt Challenge 01 at stephen_natalie. Prompt 02-03: Night For laeliamouse, who is ridiculously patient.
Disclaimer: The original characters belongs to NBC and their respective actors.
A White Christmas | Silent Night
"Well... this is just great," Stephen huffed. Natalie reached up and rubbed her ear - the ringing was actually slightly painful, she noticed - and yawned again.
"Probably for the best," she mused, getting a dirty look from Stephen. "Well," she shrugged and leaned back in the black chair. "Look at it this way: probably saving you from being rear-ended down on the highway."
Stephen breathed slowly and realized she was probably right. Still, if he was going to be stranded somewhere without power, the last place he'd want to be is the office. That was just cruel torture. A muffled laugh from Natalie brought him back and his eyes narrowed.
"Sorry," Natalie smiled. "Just thinking of the irony. Us," she waved between the two of them, "trapped at work, for once, not by choice." Realizing that they were thinking the same thing, Stephen let out a breath and turned away to hide his smile.
"And, of course, no one knows we're here."
"You could call Frank," Natalie said, pulling her gloves off and shoving them back into her pockets. "He'll come rescue us."
"Yeah, that's a great phone call to have. 'Hey, Powell. It's Connor. Yeah, I know you said to go home, but I can't. No, really, I can't leave the building. I'm stuck inside'," he rattled off, moving over to hang up his now-removed coat. "'Oh, and Natalie's here, too.'"
"Come on, Stephen, this is a dream come true for you." Stephen gave her a dirty look and refused to admit that he was actually kind of entertained at their current situation. Though, he'd never considered the scenario with Natalie there. "So," she said, pushing up from the chair. "What should we do?"
"Do?" Stephen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Natalie shrugged. "Until someone comes by to let us out. Or the power comes back and we can get out. You're gonna just sit here and wait?" Natalie's eyes narrowed and she motioned to the door with her shoulder.
"I'm not exactly in the mood to start prowling the floors like James Bond, Natalie."
"Ha ha," Natalie chided. "I'm gonna go get a beer." She moved toward the door and added: "You want one, Double-oh-seven?" she teased.
"Unless you have something stronger," Stephen nodded. Natalie shook her head and smiled as she left his office and moved back into the hallway, hand to her left ear. For whatever reason, the sound was actually painful on that side. Ducking into her office, Natalie sighed as the alarm shut off and the halls were once again silent.
"Thank God," she muttered. And probably thank the staff across the quad at the medical center. Natalie wasn't sure if the buildings were on the same circuit, but, for now, she'd pretend it was true. There was enough of a glow from the emergency lights to let her see the small fridge, but she had to reach blindly for the bottle opener.
"You makin' a chore of this?" Stephen asked from the doorway. Natalie rolled her eyes and turned back, holding out one of the still-closed bottles. Stephen reached for the offered beverage and twisted the cap off.
"Showoff," Natalie grumbled, finally finding the bottle opener.
"Practice," Stephen grinned. Even in the dark, Natalie could see the brightness of his smile and the sparkle in his eyes. "Best light seems to be in the library," he said, holding a hand out and motioning out of the office.
"You gonna read a book?" Natalie huffed as she neared him.
"Maybe I am," Stephen snapped back. They weren't exactly in close quarters, but if they started fighting now, it would definitely be a long night. Stephen glanced at the rim of the bottle and sighed. Reaching a thumb up to his brow, Stephen bit down on his tongue and gave Natalie a sideways glance.
Natalie put a hand on his waist and pushed him out of the doorway. "Come on, Connor. I have an idea." Stephen let her push him across the hall and took her beer as she held it out to him. Natalie moved over to the first bookshelf and reached behind the row of books, feeling for the box she knew was hiding back there.
"What-" Stephen asked as Natalie pulled her hand back and gave the box a shake. She ignored his question and moved over to his side, kicking one of the chairs out and she popped the lid off and turned the box over on the table.
Stephen sat down in the next chair and looked up to Natalie as he registered the chess pieces. "Miles mentioned he always wanted to learn. We haven't had much luck," she said with a shake of her head.
"You play chess, Doctor Durant?" Stephen asked in an impressed tone.
"Only because George demanded it." Stephen snorted slightly; George Donovan their former team leader. His retirement prompted Kate's promotion to Director, while Stephen elected to stay with Frank and Natalie. Natalie pulled out the various pieces and started setting up the board.
"Well," she added a moment later, talking more to herself than Stephen, "We used to play Battle Chess at school."
"What's Battle Chess?" Stephen asked, pulling one of the castles closer, inspecting it.
"Computer game. My roommate had it on her computer. It was rather violent, actually," Natalie said with a shrug.
"Violent computer games?” Stephen scoffed, garnering a glare from Natalie. "How violent?"
"Well, the pieces killed each other, for one. The Queen was a real piece of work," Natalie nodded, reaching for her beer again. "It was nice, though, because it would tell you where you could move, and I retained the highlights. Gave me a slight edge with George," she grinned.
Stephen nodded and put the castle back. Leaning back in his chair, he watched as Natalie tried to look over the rules with what little light she had. Smirking, his eyes moved to the beer bottle and he said: "Thought you knew the rules."
"It's been a while, Connor," she said airily. 'That it has,' he thought. Stephen couldn't remember the last time he'd played chess.
And he couldn't let her show him up.
________________________
For fun: Battle Chess. It was technically the brother's, but I still have it.