xp_communication | Emails from Domino

To: [colossal, interfering, chauvinist ass]
From: [so not a damsel in distress]
Subject: I hate you

I hate you. And GW. And Alexey. I'd hate Doug, too, but he's young and cute and Angie might possibly teach him how not to be so male.

I'm sure GW's told you he's putting me on a plane on Wednesday. I'm still debating whether or not to give you the slip at JFK.

Dom

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To: [Nosey the Hacker]
From: [Pissy the Merc]
Subject: that is not...

...how you repay a favor, Douglas dear. You just had to go and tell the old man, didn't you? I was fine. Drunk off my ass, yes, but I was handling the situation perfectly well on my own. Didn't strike you that I might have had a plan of my own? Cute soldiers don't make particularly good 'minders' for someone like me. I was just having a little fun before I left. I did not need rescuing like some kind of damsel in distress.

I'm very cross with you. And hey, I'll get a chance to tell you that in person, because GW is shipping me over there this week so that Nate can kick my ass. Yeah, this is shaping up to be a great second half of July.

Domino

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To: Pete
From: Dom
Subject: I'd like to remind you...

...that I did not kick your ass about getting shot, in the end. So I expect the same courtesy about my little Mongolian adventure, okay? Since I'm sure Nate's probably filled you in on the details by now, the bastard. Not to mention that I now owe Vasily's insufferable brother. As if I couldn't have walked out of that safehouse anytime I wanted.

Anyway. I'm booked on a Wednesday flight for New York. GW insisted - apparently he doesn't think he can read me the riot act as well as Nate can. So if I'm going to have to listen to the old man speechifying at me, I sure as hell don't need to hear it from you, too.

Dom

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To: [little sis]
From: [big sis]
Subject: Angelo's b-day

Looks like I may make it after all. Apparently I'm coming to Westchester to see Nate whether I want to or not - GW has informed me that he's bought the ticket and will accompany me to the airport to make sure I get on the plane. He's a bully.

Suppose I should probably confess before the bigger bully goes and tells you his version of the story. Your charm did save my ass but it - my ass, not the charm - had already gotten sort of kicked. I sort of didn't pay as much attention to what it was trying to tell me the first time it did the little tingly-burny thing. But hey, live and learn. Next time it did it I paid attention, and here I am... sitting in bed in Berlin, with Mina alternatively fussing over me and raving at me. Oh joy.

Dom

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

xp_daytripper

I'm not mad - well, I was, but I think that was more hurt than anything, since it feels like no-one fucking well trusts me. And I've been trying not to go overboard on the healing and stuff since Nate got shot - Pete and I have been managing really well. Not even a headache with his healing.

But, any way, this ain't about me and my shite. It's about you, and how when you get here we're going to sit down and you're going to let me fix what needs fixing and then we can go out and do whatever kind of thing works best for you as therapy. And if you need to talk about it, or anything, then you can talk to me, and I promise I won't break. I'm tougher than I look, especially when I'm not strung out on magic and stress like I was when Nate got shot.

So, no arse kicking. Plenty of people to do that, and I'm more worried than mad, really. See you Wednesday.

A.

From:

x-cable.livejournal.com

Seeing you, and having Pete laugh at me for not being allowed to drink, and probably indulging myself and falling apart all over Tall, Dark and Grouchy once he reads me the riot act... I really miss him right now.

You know, the others have been taking turns giving me lectures? Except Theo. Theo just sat here and hugged me for about an hour straight. And it would take a much stronger woman than me to tell Huggy the Bear to back off.

Dom

From:

xp_daytripper

*grins* Theo's good like that, I'd noticed. Tell him hi for me, and tell the others I said to give the lectures a break, least until they can take it out on you sparring-wise, all right? There is such a thing as kicking a person when they're down.

No drinking? Fuck, they did do a number on you, didn't they? I'm definitely going to be working on the healing thing - and no, you don't get to refuse the offer. I might not be able to help much otherwise, but I can do this.

Speaking of help... where did Doug fit in with all of this? I'm guessing Nate probably told him not to tell me, which would explain the guilty look and the avoiding me since. Should go track him down.

A.

From:

x-cable.livejournal.com

I should be fair; they're not all lecturing. GW and David won't shut up, true. But Gar and Vasily were doing more arguing with each other - Vasily thought I was an idiot, Gar thought he was an idiot - Lien just brought in a DVD and planted herself onto the bed with me, Mina's been acting all motherly with the occasional outburst of profanity, and, well, Theo with the hugging and all.

And in the spirit of further confession, when it comes to the no-drinking I did a number on myself. Far, far too much vodka plus I went a little nuts with the painkillers. Vasily's idiot brother's idiot doctor friend decided that pumping my stomach would be a fun way to spend part of his evening. And like I said, everyone's half-convinced I was trying to off myself, which is stupid. So no drinking for a while.

I'm not about to refuse the healing, let me tell you... really kind of sore.

As for Doug, well, I guess I kind of owe him big-time. He pestered me about the golf game in Kabul and I was drunk enough I let some stuff slip in email, and so he went and told Nate... as for whether Nate told him not to tell you, I'm betting yes. I wouldn't be surprised, you know, if him not telling you was his ass-backwards way of setting me up so that I had to talk about it with someone... you're awful hard to resist, little sis, you know that?

Dom

From:

xp_daytripper

You sure we weren't separated at birth or something? Apart from the whole older than me thing, that is? We both have the same knack of making a stupid situation worse, and then getting all snarky when someone points that out.

Okay, no drinking. Definitely healing. And spoiling - you're going to have your own pet witch for the time you're here (when I'm not at work, that is, 'cause y'know, commitment and all that. Besides, I won't drive you nuts that way). 'Cause it sounds like you need someone to spoil you for a bit. Notice I said spoil and not 'look after', 'cause I know you don't need that, be every so often it's good to have someone be nice to you for a bit, especially when you've gotten used to fending for yourself.

Besides, I'm hard to resist, remember? *grins*

A.