Fifth Floor Common Room, Thursday afternoon

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

Walter was apparently making a point of enjoying 21st century conveniences, between the microwave popcorn and Wonka soda, the laptop open on the arm of the couch, and his advanced channel surfing skills.

Pup had found yet another superball under something (those things were as bad as beach sand) and was prancing around the common room with it, occasionally dropping it in order to have a reason to yap and chase after it.

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[nadiathesaint]

Thanks to her little bout of nightmares that morning, Nadia had mostly been sticking to herself, making notes on the dreams and working out if they meant anything, when she wasn't in class.

That? Gets old. Especially when one has a boyfriend that one hasn't seen in a week who's finally back.

"There you are," She leaned against the door frame with a grin. "Pippi and I were starting to talk about going to 1945 to get you."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"She mentioned something like that," Walter said, closing the laptop and turning to face her. "I think you two would have caused all sorts of havoc in '45."

[nadiathesaint]

"I was pretty sure I wouldn't fit in, yeah." Nadia headed over to sit down next to him. "It wasn't too awful, was it?"

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"Arthur didn't have me put up against a wall and shot," Walter said, smiling faintly and leaning over to give her a kiss.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Dude. Did you know that my grandfather knew your boss?"

[nadiathesaint]

Mmmm, lips. Nadia smiled against his. "Well, he must have done something," she commented when the kiss was done. "Sofia was an excellent lecturer, but I'm pretty sure even she couldn't have managed to keep it up an entire week."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"What?" That was hardly the greeting Walter had expected.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"No, seriously. I went back home over the weekend. They knew each other. Arthur hired him to take care of stuff in places he... didn't precisely have jurisdiction in."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

Walter's stomach had apparently decided to take up a form of yoga involving quite a bit of stretching and curling in on itself.

"He didn't. There was a lot of stuff that hadn't gotten properly taken care of in my absence that I wanted to get sorted out."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"That's...." Walter stopped, pulled a face, and nodded. "Not too suprising when I think about it."

[nadiathesaint]

Okay, something had definitely changed on that statement. "Everything's okay now, though, right?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded in reply. "Yeah, it really isn't. Although it does mean that we're from the same... something or other. World? Time? I dunno."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

That... was not as easy a question to answer as he would have liked it to be.

"Not exactly."

Dammit, this was why it was such a shitty idea to form attachments.

"I'm going back. In two weeks."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"Or not. We could just be from one that's very similar. We can't be from the same time, after all," Walter pointed out. "I did just get back from 1945."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia's expression went blank as she watched him answer. "I'm guessing you don't just mean for another visit."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

Walter had no idea if it made things better or worse that he knew exactly how it felt to hear this news. Come to think of it - definitely worse. This thing with empathy was highly overrated at times.

"No. I'm going back for good."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "My granddad wouldn't say if he met you or not, though."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"I won't be forgetting the name when I go back. I'll find out for myself."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Jean-Luc Bernadette. When's the next time you're liable to go back?"

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"In about two weeks," Walter said reluctantly. "For good."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia sat silently for a moment, letting that sink in.

Then she brought her fist down hard on the back of the couch. "Dammit, they're making you go back? Did you tell them you'd do better in your classes?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"...Ah," Pip said. "Why?"

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"No," Walter said, steeling himself for her reaction. And potential broken bones.

"Arthur gave me a choice. I just don't feel like I have one."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"Because there are matters to take care of there that only I can." True, but incomplete.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip glanced around a few times, then motioned for Walter to join him in the corner of the room.