MCA #2, Sunday afternoon-then evening
The insistent bleep of his cell phone had finally woken Mohinder. Reaching for it he flicked the phone open as it went silent. He checked - no message, and no recognisable number - before dropping it on his bed as he headed to the kitchen.
He clattered open cupboards, deciding on toast as something healthier than his last breakfast, and - after the events of yesterday - taking the odd glance at the window.
Settled in front of his laptop Mohinder was typing one-handed when he heard the familiar trill. "Again?" he asked the mug of tea before laying it down and padding barefoot into his bedroom to pick up his phone.
"Suresh." Mohinder's voice was clipped.
"Dr Suresh?" The voice on the line - bland American accent, no-one Mohinder knew - confirmed. "This is short notice, but we're looking for a replacement speaker at our 'Practical Genetics Applications'."
"And someone gave you my name?" Mohinder leaned to rifle through the notes on his desk for a pen.
Several minutes later he had the offer of a twenty minute slot on Monday afternoon. Yes, someone had suggested his name. No, they couldn't tell him who - despite his protests that, "I hardly think an offer counts under legal privilege." The chance to speak - without strings - in New York, on a topic of his choosing to a potential audience larger than his so far failed attempts to interest the academic world in the plight of those with abilities.
It sounded too good to be true.
"And if something looks too good," Bennet had looked back from the window to Mohinder, snapping it shut, "Then it probably is."
"Including your offer of help?" Mohinder had asked.
"We need to take the company down," Determination had etched the sincerity of that on Bennet's words. "Until then they won't be safe. Not my Claire, not your Molly and Matt, not any of them."
"I know that." It was why he was here. Why he hadn't packed all of who and what he had and headed home.
"Then you know what we have to do."
Even so.
"Of course I'll accept," Mohinder answered. "No, travelling won't be a problem." A few minutes later he had verbal confirmations, and a few minutes after that a folder of email attachments to look through.
With all the necessary arrangements made - a call to Portalocity, a few amendments to his Cairo presentation and two sweet teas - Mohinder picked up his cell and dialed. His fingers moved automatically over the keypad and he waited.
Several rings later a New York phone was picked up. A slightly tired voice answered. "Parkman."
"Matt," Mohinder leaned back in his chair.
"Hey, Mohinder," responded Matt. "How's life on that island of yours?"
Mohinder smiled and opted for discreet. "Eventful."
"Is that it?" Matt asked lightly. "Or do I have to mind-read it out of you?"
"It's currently full of small children. Smaller than usual." Mohinder paused. "It reminds me of home."
"Yeah?" 'Home' might have caught Matt's attention there.
"How is Molly?" Mohinder went on to ask.
"Still dreaming, but not every night and she seems okay when I wake her. Settling in at school, her homework would do you proud."
"And you, Matt?"
"Yeah, about that. We never talked about how permanent this" vague hand gesture "was going to be?" Matt trailed off.
That didn't sound good. "This situation - as in me here or you in New York?" Mohinder asked, concern in his voice.
"Not you," Matt answered. "I mean, I'd like to have you here," he rushed on over that. "But I get it. No, it's more about security here. I've been looking for a job" - don't mention the details in case it falls through - "and I might have some good news. I'll soon be pulling my weight."
"If it happens soon, you can tell me in person," Mohinder told him. "I have a conference in New York tomorrow, so I'll see you soon, Matthew. Unless you have other plans."
"That's great," Matt smiled. "How long can you stay?"
"Just a few days," Mohinder smiled and shook his head. "Not long enough to poison me with your choice of food."
"Hey." Matt gave a half-hearted protest. "For that you get to cook."
"I intend to," he hadn't, but still, "but I may have to draft you in to help in the kitchen."
"Now I know you're lying."
"Perhaps." Mohinder clicked shut his laptop. "You'll just have to wait see me in person to find out." He paused. "How are you managing with the telepathy?"
It's getting better," Matt said with enthusiasm. "I can pick out minds in crowds, match them to the person. It's like a mental voice, you know?"
"Does it sound different to the physical one?" Mohinder was curious.
"Kinda. I guess." Matt thought about it, running a hand through his hair.
"We'll have to look into that when I get there," Mohinder was thinking out loud. He pushed his chair back from his desk and stood.
"To think you only want me for my mind," Matt joked.
Mohinder grinned at the phone. "I am fond of the rest of you, Matthew."
"Yeah, well," said Matt. "Do I need to pick you up at an airport?"
"No," replied Mohinder as he ducked into his bedroom and pulled out his luggage. "I might be late in. You needn't wait."
"Have a safe trip," Matt told him. "Molly and I will be here when you get in."
"I will." For values of safe that included transport by some unknown molecular dispersion through a portal. Mohinder clicked his phone shut and slipped it into his pocket.
Mohinder started throwing clothes into an overnight bag and checked his watch. There was some time before he needed to catch the next portal out.
Establishy, and NFI but OOC AOK
He clattered open cupboards, deciding on toast as something healthier than his last breakfast, and - after the events of yesterday - taking the odd glance at the window.
Settled in front of his laptop Mohinder was typing one-handed when he heard the familiar trill. "Again?" he asked the mug of tea before laying it down and padding barefoot into his bedroom to pick up his phone.
"Suresh." Mohinder's voice was clipped.
"Dr Suresh?" The voice on the line - bland American accent, no-one Mohinder knew - confirmed. "This is short notice, but we're looking for a replacement speaker at our 'Practical Genetics Applications'."
"And someone gave you my name?" Mohinder leaned to rifle through the notes on his desk for a pen.
Several minutes later he had the offer of a twenty minute slot on Monday afternoon. Yes, someone had suggested his name. No, they couldn't tell him who - despite his protests that, "I hardly think an offer counts under legal privilege." The chance to speak - without strings - in New York, on a topic of his choosing to a potential audience larger than his so far failed attempts to interest the academic world in the plight of those with abilities.
It sounded too good to be true.
"And if something looks too good," Bennet had looked back from the window to Mohinder, snapping it shut, "Then it probably is."
"Including your offer of help?" Mohinder had asked.
"We need to take the company down," Determination had etched the sincerity of that on Bennet's words. "Until then they won't be safe. Not my Claire, not your Molly and Matt, not any of them."
"I know that." It was why he was here. Why he hadn't packed all of who and what he had and headed home.
"Then you know what we have to do."
Even so.
"Of course I'll accept," Mohinder answered. "No, travelling won't be a problem." A few minutes later he had verbal confirmations, and a few minutes after that a folder of email attachments to look through.
With all the necessary arrangements made - a call to Portalocity, a few amendments to his Cairo presentation and two sweet teas - Mohinder picked up his cell and dialed. His fingers moved automatically over the keypad and he waited.
Several rings later a New York phone was picked up. A slightly tired voice answered. "Parkman."
"Matt," Mohinder leaned back in his chair.
"Hey, Mohinder," responded Matt. "How's life on that island of yours?"
Mohinder smiled and opted for discreet. "Eventful."
"Is that it?" Matt asked lightly. "Or do I have to mind-read it out of you?"
"It's currently full of small children. Smaller than usual." Mohinder paused. "It reminds me of home."
"Yeah?" 'Home' might have caught Matt's attention there.
"How is Molly?" Mohinder went on to ask.
"Still dreaming, but not every night and she seems okay when I wake her. Settling in at school, her homework would do you proud."
"And you, Matt?"
"Yeah, about that. We never talked about how permanent this" vague hand gesture "was going to be?" Matt trailed off.
That didn't sound good. "This situation - as in me here or you in New York?" Mohinder asked, concern in his voice.
"Not you," Matt answered. "I mean, I'd like to have you here," he rushed on over that. "But I get it. No, it's more about security here. I've been looking for a job" - don't mention the details in case it falls through - "and I might have some good news. I'll soon be pulling my weight."
"If it happens soon, you can tell me in person," Mohinder told him. "I have a conference in New York tomorrow, so I'll see you soon, Matthew. Unless you have other plans."
"That's great," Matt smiled. "How long can you stay?"
"Just a few days," Mohinder smiled and shook his head. "Not long enough to poison me with your choice of food."
"Hey." Matt gave a half-hearted protest. "For that you get to cook."
"I intend to," he hadn't, but still, "but I may have to draft you in to help in the kitchen."
"Now I know you're lying."
"Perhaps." Mohinder clicked shut his laptop. "You'll just have to wait see me in person to find out." He paused. "How are you managing with the telepathy?"
It's getting better," Matt said with enthusiasm. "I can pick out minds in crowds, match them to the person. It's like a mental voice, you know?"
"Does it sound different to the physical one?" Mohinder was curious.
"Kinda. I guess." Matt thought about it, running a hand through his hair.
"We'll have to look into that when I get there," Mohinder was thinking out loud. He pushed his chair back from his desk and stood.
"To think you only want me for my mind," Matt joked.
Mohinder grinned at the phone. "I am fond of the rest of you, Matthew."
"Yeah, well," said Matt. "Do I need to pick you up at an airport?"
"No," replied Mohinder as he ducked into his bedroom and pulled out his luggage. "I might be late in. You needn't wait."
"Have a safe trip," Matt told him. "Molly and I will be here when you get in."
"I will." For values of safe that included transport by some unknown molecular dispersion through a portal. Mohinder clicked his phone shut and slipped it into his pocket.
Mohinder started throwing clothes into an overnight bag and checked his watch. There was some time before he needed to catch the next portal out.
Establishy, and NFI but OOC AOK