Emails from Domino

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

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

Comments

Re: I'd like to remind you...

[x-pete.livejournal.com]

Point taken. First I knew about it, you were safe, so it's not like I was up all night worrying myself to death, and it ain't like I've never had a job go south on me, so I can't really give you a hard time about getting banged up. Hazard of the job.

But the next time you tell me pretty little lies, in email, or in person, and get caught at it, I'm going to find a way to kick your arse, no matter how hard I have to cheat.

See you Wednesday. Look me up when the grumpy bastard's done with you, and I promise not to say a word.

Pete.

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

To: [Bitchy the Merc]
From: [Human Decoder Ring]
Subject: You could say thank you...

Yes, Dom, I know you have a way of getting yourself out of tight situations. But by your own admission, you had been beaten up, cut, burned with a bloody _cigarette_, caught in a truck bomb explosion, and were mixing alcohol and painkillers. You might ask if I've heard of the phrase 'backup plan', I ask if you've heard the phrase 'dead in a ditch somewhere'. Because that was where I was scared that you were going to end up. I don't have yours (or Nathan's or Pete's) nonchalance about this sort of thing, and if that's a problem, then I'm sorry. I was worried sick about you, and I couldn't just sit back and do nothing, okay? I just wanted to help. I know you like to be able to do things on your own, but it's not a weakness to rely on your friends sometimes.

You being cross aside, I'm still looking forward to seeing you. If only so I can reassure myself that you're in one piece. See you soon.

-Doug

Subject: you will wait at the gate like a good girl...

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Or I'll ask Charles to track me down for you. And you wouldn't want that, would you?

I know I've said this before a large number of times before, but the petulant act? Doesn't impress me. Never has. Here I'd been going merrily along for the last three years fully believing I could trust you to call when you needed help if you ran into trouble on a solo job. What the fuck good is it to have contacts all over the world if you won't take advantage of them when you need them?

I am not impressed.

Nathan

Subject: wasn't a lie...

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

I just left stuff out. But point taken, too. I'll deny this until I'm blue in the face if you tell anyone else I said this, but I suppose I was trying to make like nothing happened. Got the fear of God put into me, for sure. Last time I had my powers knocked out like that I was actually wearing a collar. Don't know what kind of psi-inhibitors they had that building fitted with, but they hurt. Like they warped my power instead of shutting it right down. Damned things came on when I was already inside, and my luck started going bad real quick at that point...

I'll look you up, but I'm not allowed to drink for a while, apparently. Not that I was planning to; I think it'll be a while before I can look at vodka the same way again. *grumbles*

Dom

Subject: I'm sorry I scared you...

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

I hear you gave yourself a headache trying to help me (Nate told GW, GW threw it at me) and I appreciate it. Just have majorly stinging pride today, all right? You guys aren't the only ones who have your macho moments.

As for 'dead in a ditch', I tried that once. Didn't take.

Dom

Subject: Bite me...

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Or at least save the lecture for when I'm actually there. All this carping over email is very tedious.

No love,
Dom

Re: Subject: I'm sorry I scared you...

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

The headache is apparently a side effect of using my powers too much when I'm trying to hack things. Don't worry about it. It's just a thing I can do. Nathan's been embarassing me telling me how impressed he was. I was a hacker before I knew I was a mutant, my power just makes me a little better at it.

And I understand stinging pride. I'm sorry if I was a little snappish myself. I was just really worried. Get yourself out here and take a few days to relax with all of us and we'll call it even, how about? :)

-Doug

Subject: Yeah, well, let's not get semantic, eh?

[x-pete.livejournal.com]

Just y'know, save the macho crap for someone you need to impress, eh? Your secret's safe with me, at least until the next time I want something.

I'm joking.

As for the drinking thing - that, I *am* going to mock you about.

Pete

How kicked are we talking here?

[xp_daytripper]

To: [big sis]
From: [mushroom girl]

No, he hadn't told me anything - here I've been, wandering around merrily thinking you're safe and well and having yourself a bit of fun and games with those Russian soldier boys. More fool me.

How bad is it? And don't try and spare my feelings or not make me worry or any of the rest of it, even tho' all of you seem to think I'm some kind of pathetic kid who can't take bad news. I didn't freak when I heard about Pete, did I? So, tell me straight - what happened, and do you need a kickstart healing wise when you get here?

I just love being kept in the dark and fed bullshit.

A.

Subject: don't be mad?

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Seriously? Everyone's pissed and it's really getting kind of depressing... I didn't intend to wind up needing a rescue. Thought I'd just distract my two keepers and slip out, but I just sort of overdid the distraction end of it. Not to mention the vodka. And don't be mad at Nate for not telling you... I gather he didn't even wake up Pete. Just saved my ass from a distance, with an assist from Doug...

Anyway. You wanted to know what happened. The building I was infiltrating had some kind of funky psi-inhibitors that didn't go off until I was already inside and they screwed up my powers but good. So I got caught. Then I got treated to Amateur Interrogation Hour(s). Could've been a lot worse, really. Isn't like I've never been beaten up before and I've got plenty of scars from boys playing with knives already. A few more, no biggie. The cigarette burns are kind of a bitch, though. If the truck bomb hadn't hit the building when it did... could've been a lot worse.

Shit, my hands are shaking again. I wasn't trying to bullshit you, little sis, I swear... I just didn't want to face up to the fact that I basically got the shit scared out of me. I hate being helpless. Spent all these years trying to be one of the baddest things walking and yet I still wound up about two minutes away from another miserable object lesson about why little girls shouldn't play with the big boys... I've had quite enough of those in my life. Nate's probably half-convinced I was trying to off myself mixing vodka and painkillers, but I was just trying to blot it out...

Okay. Sounding really, really pathetic. I'll see you in a few days, okay? You can kick my ass as much as you want then... I don't think I'm going to be up to stopping you, although you might have to wait on Nate to finish with me first...

Dom

Your turn for spoiling

[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.

Subject: really kind of looking forward to it, you know?

[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

Subject: Who else gets their personal walking teddy bear?

[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.

Subject: the tag-teaming...

[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

Subject: Gah

[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.