Impending Doom [Elle]

[Alecsander]

Alex was packing. Well, not packing really. There was nothing in the room to pack, he'd not brought anything and [fortunately] no one had brought him any sentimental "we hope you don't die" gifts from the gift shop. So what Alex was doing was standing by the window, watching the people below. He shrugged into the shirt Max had brought him and was gingerly buttoning it over the new skin on his chest when the peace of the room was shattered.

"THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN, YOU ABSOLUTE TWAT!!"

Morag blew in, her hair wild. Alex groaned, rolling his eyes up before turning to face his doom. She gestured wildly, directing a look of absolute disgust at him.

"This shite! You'll get him killed!" She lapsed into angry Gaelic for a moment, frustration clear in her voice. She narrowed his eyes at Alex, calling him another nasty name, and flounced out. She took deep breaths through her nose as she stalked down the corridor. She didn't plan on staying any longer. She'd been lost in these idiotic labyrinthine hallways when she'd passed by and seen the idiotic head auror. She didn't intend on letting him ruin any more of her day. He didn't even need to say anything, he raised her hackles just existing. And when he spoke haltingly, she wanted to hex him to hell and beyond.

He'd been hurt seriously, she knew. Healers were huge gossips, and her new friend Ben was chief among them. Speaking of Ben, where the bloody hell was he??  She rounded a corner, relieved to find a reception desk. "Oh! Excuse me!" She exclaimed, gratefully approaching. "Can you tell me where the long-term ward is? I'm looking for Healer Ben Walker." She leaned over the desk and beamed at the young man sitting at it.

[Elle Callahan]

Elle had been at the nurse's station near Alex's room. She knew she shouldn't be there. He would be leaving soon. She had avoided his room since she gave him back his wallet. She hadn't planned on seeing him again. Yet she had found herself on his floor, then going down the corridor. She had managed to stop herself from going inside when she heard yelling. Someone was pissed at him. Elle's eyebrows rose as she translated the Gaelic. Growing up in Ireland, Elle had learned some of it. She had a passing understanding.

Oh! Excuse me!" She exclaimed, gratefully approaching. "Can you tell me where the long-term ward is? I'm looking for Healer Ben Walker."

Elle stared at the woman who exited Alex's room. She was coming right towards Elle. She was lovely, all bright eyed and flushed. Her hair was the color of fire. She walked with confidence and a knowing smirk. Her demeanor was all mature woman. Elle knew who she was. She was Morag. S She had to be. It could be no one else, unless Alex had another secret baby mama. She was older than Elle had envisioned. She had to be in her fifties. Older than Alex. He had slept with an older woman. Hell there was no telling how old this woman was. She could be five years older or more. She looked like a woman who cared about her appearance, who would use magic to stop time. Elle wanted to claw the woman's eyes out. How dare she come to a hospital and spew her venom? She was screaming so loud, that half the floor could hear what she was saying. If she was so worried about the world finding out about Jamie she was doing a piss poor job of hiding her relationship with Alex.

Elle should have walked away as the woman approached the receptionist, sitting next to her. Elle should keep her mouth shut. It was none of her business. She wasn't Alex's girlfriend anymore. Well she wasn't sure if she was. It wasn't quite clear where they stood.

"You shouldn't yell at patients. The entire floor heard you screaming. It's bad for healing," Elle said grabbing her clipboard, ready to leave.

[Max Kameren]

The world was generally traversed a bit easier for Morag MacDougal after she’d had a row; her volume was tremendous and her words could cut diamond. There was rarely a soul that dared get in her way after she’d made an example of someone. When that someone was Alex Kameren even moreso, as he fury for him had no limit. Especially now that he’d mucked up Jamie’s happiness, she could write several soliloquies in both English and Gaelic titled How Alex Kameren Can Go Fuck Himself.

The startled look of the receptionist she stopped was satisfying in that same way as Morag stopped him. "Can you tell me where the long-term ward is? I'm looking for Healer Ben Walker."

The receptionist opened her mouth to reply, but a small brunette woman leaning into their conversation stepped on her words: "You shouldn't yell at patients. The entire floor heard you screaming. It's bad for healing," Elle said grabbing her clipboard, ready to leave.

Morag’s round lake-blue eyes darted to the tiny woman without skipping a beat, a predatory grin plastered across her pale cheeks. Her voice was calm and sweet, but beneath was tension to not be tested. “I’m afraid if my conversation with your patient upset him that deeply you may be failing as a healer, my dear.” She leaned back away from the receptionist’s desk, arching a thin brow and looking down her nose at the healer like a disapproving headmistress. Morag had heard from Jamie about Alex’s small, loud-mouthed date the night they met… “Who do you think you are?”

[Elle Callahan]

Elle wanted to hex the grin off her face. The woman was a bloody shark. What was Alex thinking sleeping with a monster like her? She looked like she ate children for breakfast.

“I’m afraid if my conversation with your patient upset him that deeply you may be failing as a healer, my dear.”

Elle snorted, "Look around, hear that? It's called calming silence. It's essential for healing and you screeching like a banshee about someone causing death isn't calming. So please keep your voice down or I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Elle said in a calm even tone as if she were giving instructions to a patient. She smiled sweetly at the woman but her eyes were flashing with anger.

“Who do you think you are?”

"Healer Callahan, Ma'am," Elle said sweetly. "Oh a bit of advise, words echo in hospitals and this place is such a gossip mill. If you're trying to keep something secret barging into patient rooms and hollering on the top of your lungs doesn't help. News of you shouting at the head auror about almost getting someone killed probably has already reached the 5th floor where you will find Healer Walker."

[Max Kameren]

Morag noted the tension in the young woman, the eagerness to step to Alex’s defense. Her immediate bristle at Morag’s grin. Yes, this was the girl. And girl she was; she looked practically pre-pubescent. She arched a brow, looking her up and down and judging Alex’s recent tastes. “Who do you think you are?” She said it plainly: not an accusation, but the condescension was thick.

"Healer Callahan, Ma'am," Elle said sweetly. "Oh a bit of advise, words echo in hospitals and this place is such a gossip mill. If you're trying to keep something secret barging into patient rooms and hollering on the top of your lungs doesn't help. News of you shouting at the head auror about almost getting someone killed probably has already reached the 5th floor where you will find Healer Walker."

A small lash of temper shot through Morag like a comet at Ms. Callahan’s lecture on how she was supposed to talk about her son. She was fairly sure she could yell about her son any way she damn well pleased, and yell at his donor the same way. Besides, there was no genuine concern for Jamie’s safety in this woman; she seethed with her jealousy.

Morag tutted. "Jealousy is not a good color on you, my dear.” She leaned on the desk next to her as she looked down at the young healer’s snarl. “Here: I don’t care what mewling gold-digging child Alex Kameren sticks it to, you’re welcome to him. If you want that fight find someone else.” She continued, her tone darkening, “I’m just protecting my own. I’ve seen him, and he is very capable of hurting those closest to him. I fought in the war, saw his and his decrepit brother emerge with that traumatized child at the end of it.” She leaned in closer, meeting the young girl’s eyes and speaking lowly so only the two could hear. “I’m not letting him fuck up my child like they did Max Kameren.”

She leaned back with a wry grin. “There, that quiet enough for you my dear?”

[Elle Callahan]

The woman was crazy. She truly believed that Curse and Alex destroyed Max. Anger boiled inside of Elle at the thought. This woman did not know that boy. Had no right to judge him or his family.

“I’m just protecting my own. I’ve seen him, and he is very capable of hurting those closest to him. I fought in the war, saw his and his decrepit brother emerge with that traumatized child at the end of it.” She leaned in closer, meeting the young girl’s eyes and speaking lowly so only the two could hear. “I’m not letting him fuck up my child like they did Max Kameren.”

"Funny, I didn't you see you at the black watch meetings, or at final battle. Fighting behind a mask were we?" Elle said narrowing her eyes at the woman. Not that Elle had been fighting. She had been on the edges of those battles, healing the injured fighting if she needed to.

"You know nothing about Max Kameren if you think he's broken. You don't need help to fuck up your child you're doing a good enough job of it on your own." Elle said sadly. With a mom like that no wonder Jamie sneaked out of school to attend concerts.

[Max Kameren]

"Funny, I didn't you see you at the black watch meetings, or at final battle. Fighting behind a mask were we?"

Cold went through Morag and her mouth fell open, her brow furrowing in hurt and silent rage. How dare she. How dare she, after everything the MacDougals sacrificed for the good of the Wizarding World. They’d fought in every war. Died in every war. Morag had lost everything for the good of these people: all that remained was her and Jamie. She could feel the tides turning and she would not do it again. She would not lose him too.

"You know nothing about Max Kameren if you think he's broken. You don't need help to fuck up your child you're doing a good enough job of it on your own."

A hand came up and crossed down; Morag slapped the younger woman across the face with the back of her hand. The secretary started and scrambled for her wand, sending out sparks for security. “How dare you. You know nothing about what I’ve sacrificed. Nothing. These wars have taken more from me than anything that cradle-robbing codger and his dead brother could even imagine.”

Her eyes narrowed and her voice darkened as she got closer to the girl who so arrogantly dared to imply Morag’s sacrifices were for nothing. “You’re lucky the Flux took you and you didn’t see the fallout after the War. I know the Kamerens, I know how they meddle and that will not be my son. That will not be Jamie.”

Two orderlies lined up behind the witch and took her by her shoulders, gently pulling her backwards. Her blue eyes glared with ice at the smaller woman and she scowled, ignoring the security tying to pull her away.

[Alecsander]

This was a nightmare. He couldn't have one moment of peace. Alex seriously considered backing away and leaving, the last thing he wanted to do was get between two such volatile tempers.

CRACK

“How dare you. You know nothing about what I’ve sacrificed. Nothing. These wars have taken more from me than anything that cradle-robbing codger and his dead brother could even imagine.”

He found himself rushing forward, putting himself between Morag and Elle. His eyes were green ice as he narrowed them and hissed in a low tone, "That is  enough. Say what you will about me Morag but this is a mess entirely of your own making." She could have never told him of Jamie, but she had and things had just devolved from there in Morag's opinion. He didn't glance aside, simply staring Morag down.

[Elle Callahan]

"You know nothing about Max Kameren if you think he's broken. You don't need help to fuck up your child you're doing a good enough job of it on your own."

Elle should have left, walked down the hall and got back to work. She shouldn't have stayed to see her blow land. One of these days Elle's mouth was going to get her into serious trouble. She saw the hand fly but she didn't move. She stood there as the woman slapped her. Elle's head jerked back from the strength of the blood.

“How dare you. You know nothing about what I’ve sacrificed. Nothing. These wars have taken more from me than anything that cradle-robbing codger and his dead brother could even imagine.”

. “You’re lucky the Flux took you and you didn’t see the fallout after the War. I know the Kamerens, I know how they meddle and that will not be my son. That will not be Jamie.”

Elle stared up at the woman with pity. She knew nothing. Her son was already involved. If she didn't want anything to do with the Kamerens she should have never told Alex about Jamie. She should have left the country as soon as she realized she was pregnant and she shouldn't have mentioned his name here. She just admitted that she had a son in the biggest gossip mill and that he would be nothing like the Kamerens. Even an idiot could connect the dots.

Alex stepped in hiding Morag from her as the orderlies pulled her away.


"That is enough. Say what you will about me Morag but this is a mess entirely of your own making."

Elle stiffened as Alex faced down the mother of his child. She shouldn't have gotten involved. She wasn't dating him anymore. They were on a break. It wasn't her place to say anything. Instead of waiting around to face Alex's anger Elle just turned around and walked away going back to her rounds.

[Max Kameren]

Orderlies closed in behind her and Alex stepped in front of her to separate the witch from the healer. Morag was surrounded on all sides, but she didn’t put up a fight: her point had been made. The little girl could rant and rave all she wants to her sugar daddy, but Morag wasn’t having it. If she had her way they would not be speaking again.

"That is enough. Say what you will about me Morag but this is a mess entirely of your own making."

“Is that what you tell people who learn about him, that I’m some terrible dark temptress? That I hold him over you despite protestations? Your personal Dark Lady?” Morag’s eyes narrowed as she spoke lowly so only he could hear her, her face inches from his. “How terrible for you, what a victim you are. You’ve never put up a fight like this before. You’ve never tried, not really. I think your little plaything is whispering in your ear, Alex, and you need to make it clear that it isn’t her business. Or I will.”

Her icy stare lingered as the orderlies gently took Morag by the shoulders and guided her down the hall towards the exit.

[Alecsander]

“Is that what you tell people who learn about him, that I’m some terrible dark temptress? That I hold him over you despite protestations? Your personal Dark Lady?”

Alex's eyes filled with sadness as he looked upon Morag, unknowingly echoing Elle's own feelings from not so long before. Something had happened to Morag, while she had been aggressive before this was a hatred bordered on instability. He suddenly worried for Jamie, shaking his head sadly.


“How terrible for you, what a victim you are. You’ve never put up a fight like this before. You’ve never tried, not really. I think your little plaything is whispering in your ear, Alex, and you need to make it clear that it isn’t her business. Or I will.”

"Perhaps I have only realized you hold less power over me than I believed." Alex met her icy blue eyes with his own steady, challenging gaze. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't told me. But I think we both know why you had to.” he lifted a brow, seeing the change on her face as she realized, but Alex continued ahead anyway.

" I shouldn't have been afraid, I know that. And there is no reason for me to stay on the sidelines now.” Jamie knew now, hell the way things were going the world would soon know. ”I'll see you in court, Morag. Probably best to try and behave yourself in the meantime." With that Alex turned and walked away. He saw Elle was gone. Probably for the best, she would have laid into him as well.