Hartsdale, New York, Wednesday [31/3/10]
"Doctor, so glad you could make it," Bob said, leaning over his desk to shake Mohinder's hand.
"Well," said Mohinder, taking the chair nearest the door. "I wouldn't ignore your messages. There's not a great deal of sense to biting the hand that feeds me," he added with complete honesty, "Or the company that signs my paychecks."
"You've had a lot on your mind recently," Bob pushed at the window blinds, and looked out onto the orderly grounds, voice lightly coated with sincerity. "Concerns. About how we do things here, and just what your part is. Because you are part of what we do here, Dr Suresh, and I'm not sure if you know quite what that means to us."
"Really?" responded Mohinder. The trouble with keeping several irons in the fire was that it was difficult to tell precisely which one would burn his hand when he pulled it. "I'm sure that-" he started with a platitude.
"Which is why we've decided to take a more conventional approach," Bob over-rode him, moving to the door, hanging ajar behind Mohinder.
"Niki," Bob called through the door. "You'll remember Ms Sanders, of course."
"Of course," said Mohinder. He looked over Bob's shoulder, at the woman behind him who looked - if a bit strained and tired under the tightly pulled back blonde hair - both less drugged than the last time they'd met, and less homicidally inclined than the time before that. "You're feeling better?"
"I am," Niki nodded. "Much more myself."
"That's good to hear," replied Mohinder.
"I think the two of you are going to work out well," said Bob, passing a file to Mohinder, who reflexively took it. His gaxe flicked between them, and the smile on his face fixed. "One of us," he ushered them toward the door, "And one of them."
"So you don't? You can't?" Niki started again. "You're not like us, you're normal."
Mohinder leant against the institutionally painted corridor wall. "I haven't an ability, no. I'm not that lucky."
Niki snorted at that. Mohinder shrugged and rephrased himself, "I haven't that particular genetic quirk. So, you're my new partner."
"I really didn't expect to be, but yes. I owe these people," Niki reached up to push non-existant bangs out of her face. "They helped me. I owe them a lot. Bob said you were worried. That the two of you had trust issues. I'm just here to make sure there are no more problems, okay?"
"Okay," Mohinder wasn't keen to pick a fight when the other party could wipe the floor with him. Assuming Niki still could - that her abilities weren't suppressed - and he hadn't checked her file, he hadn't need to then - Niki's ability had been etched in the bruises on his back for a week. He might need to now.
"I need to make some calls," he said, gesturing with the folder in his hand, "And we'll both need to check in at home before," Mohinder flipped open the folder, missing Niki's tightening up at 'home', and found the address. "Before we leave for a suspected telekinetic in Akron. I'll meet you here tomorrow?"
"I'll be here," Niki gave a tight smile as she left. She'd gone in one direction, Mohinder left in another, wondering if his life ever became less complicated.
[NFB, calls AOK, and picking up the Mohinder/Niki partnership from The Line.]
"Well," said Mohinder, taking the chair nearest the door. "I wouldn't ignore your messages. There's not a great deal of sense to biting the hand that feeds me," he added with complete honesty, "Or the company that signs my paychecks."
"You've had a lot on your mind recently," Bob pushed at the window blinds, and looked out onto the orderly grounds, voice lightly coated with sincerity. "Concerns. About how we do things here, and just what your part is. Because you are part of what we do here, Dr Suresh, and I'm not sure if you know quite what that means to us."
"Really?" responded Mohinder. The trouble with keeping several irons in the fire was that it was difficult to tell precisely which one would burn his hand when he pulled it. "I'm sure that-" he started with a platitude.
"Which is why we've decided to take a more conventional approach," Bob over-rode him, moving to the door, hanging ajar behind Mohinder.
"Niki," Bob called through the door. "You'll remember Ms Sanders, of course."
"Of course," said Mohinder. He looked over Bob's shoulder, at the woman behind him who looked - if a bit strained and tired under the tightly pulled back blonde hair - both less drugged than the last time they'd met, and less homicidally inclined than the time before that. "You're feeling better?"
"I am," Niki nodded. "Much more myself."
"That's good to hear," replied Mohinder.
"I think the two of you are going to work out well," said Bob, passing a file to Mohinder, who reflexively took it. His gaxe flicked between them, and the smile on his face fixed. "One of us," he ushered them toward the door, "And one of them."
"So you don't? You can't?" Niki started again. "You're not like us, you're normal."
Mohinder leant against the institutionally painted corridor wall. "I haven't an ability, no. I'm not that lucky."
Niki snorted at that. Mohinder shrugged and rephrased himself, "I haven't that particular genetic quirk. So, you're my new partner."
"I really didn't expect to be, but yes. I owe these people," Niki reached up to push non-existant bangs out of her face. "They helped me. I owe them a lot. Bob said you were worried. That the two of you had trust issues. I'm just here to make sure there are no more problems, okay?"
"Okay," Mohinder wasn't keen to pick a fight when the other party could wipe the floor with him. Assuming Niki still could - that her abilities weren't suppressed - and he hadn't checked her file, he hadn't need to then - Niki's ability had been etched in the bruises on his back for a week. He might need to now.
"I need to make some calls," he said, gesturing with the folder in his hand, "And we'll both need to check in at home before," Mohinder flipped open the folder, missing Niki's tightening up at 'home', and found the address. "Before we leave for a suspected telekinetic in Akron. I'll meet you here tomorrow?"
"I'll be here," Niki gave a tight smile as she left. She'd gone in one direction, Mohinder left in another, wondering if his life ever became less complicated.
[NFB, calls AOK, and picking up the Mohinder/Niki partnership from The Line.]