Settling back into a routine at the hospital had been surprisingly easy.  It helped that she was getting a bit of a fresh start by moving to a new floor, but that also made things a bit awkward with her old coworkers from the first floor.  She hadn't gone into St. Mungo's that day looking to transfer floors, but she needed a position at the hospital and Spell Damage really was a good fit.

She had been putting off venturing down to her old floor for a couple of weeks.  Of course she had seen some of her coworkers around the hospital, but she hadn't been in a hurry go explain why she had chosen not return to Creature-Induced Injuries.  The reasons were both personal and professional, and that made it all the more difficult.  She wasn't a terribly good liar and she was sure if she stuck to just her professional reasoning they might see right through her.

Deep down, though, she knew there was one person she had to talk to before too much time had passed.  Jason had treated her well when she was on his team, and in the beginning he had even gone out of his way to recruit her.  She owed him more then silence.

Making her way through the halls towards Jason's office she was greeted by a few familiar faces.  Two of the other mediwitches she had worked with promised to arrange for drinks after work in the coming weeks, which helped take Moira's mind off her nerves for a moment.  However, it was short lived and she was suddenly in front of Jason's door.  Taking a breath she tried to clear her mind a bit before raising a hand and trying to give a firm knock.

Healing had never been a career that Marc was interested in, since saving people was so... dull, but he was finding it relatively easy. It was a good thing that Jason was the head and not a floor healer, since Marc could just divvy up the work instead of trying to do it himself. When he did have to look at patients, he just nodded and let the younger healers get their hands dirty. He had called it 'on the job training' and no one said a thing.

His only real concern at the moment was keeping up appearances and keeping the school from suspecting Lucy's disappearance. Right now, he was reading through her homework to make sure she wasn't trying to sneak messages into it. Not too difficult. Though he had to grudgingly admit that she was smart, she was still a child and perhaps one day she could fool him, but not yet.

He had just finished her History Essay, throughly enjoying her obvious distaste for both the subject and professor, when a knock sounded on his -- Jason's -- office door. Sliding the parchment into his desk, he called out "Just a moment!" before glancing in a small hand mirror to check his hair and eyes. His eyes were turning a pale green again, so the potion was getting close to wearing off. Pulling out a small, sleek flask, he took a sip and rolled his head back, trying not to cringe as it slid slowly down his throat. When he opened his eyes, they were bright blue again.

"Sorry about that, finishing up some pap---" He was in the middle of saying as he opened the door, only to be cut short when he saw who was on the other side. The scar on his arm tingled in recognition as he stared into a familiar face. He had almost forgotten about her... and his promise to her. A smile, friendly on the surface but predatory in nature, spread slowly across his face as he said her name, relishing every syllable "... Hello, Moira."

The door opened and Moira braced herself a bit for the unknown response.  A smile spread across Jason's features and she relaxed a bit...at least he didn't seem upset with her.  Whether she wanted to admit it or not, that had been one of her major concerns when she accepted her new position.  It felt like a bit of a betrayal to her old team to come back after so long and not try to seek out a spot on the first floor.

"Hello, Jason," she said warmly, willing herself to relax.  "Do you have a minute so we can talk?"

Hopefully he wasn't too busy.  He had started to say something about paperwork, and she didn't like the idea of interrupting.  Her stomach fluttered a bit with another round of nerves as she wondered if perhaps she should have given him a heads up that she would be stopping by....or made an appointment to see him.  Uncertainty was all part of the baggage of the last year, and it would take some time before she was a bit more confident in her ability to read people and determine who she could trust.

"If you're busy I could always stop by later," she continued after a moment, fiddling a bit with her uniform trying to squash her nerves again.  "I just thought I should stop by...I didn't really get a chance to discuss transferring floors with you when I decided to return to work.  I had hoped to speak with you that day, but Flynn offered me a spot upstairs and..," she stopped for a moment realizing her speech was picking up speed.

Offering a shy smile she added, "And I'm starting to babble.  So let me give you a chance to answer my initial question....do you have a minute?"

She greeted him, oblivious to his true intentions, and begin to fidget with her lime green robes as she explained herself. Cocking his head to the side, Marc focused more on her body language than what she was stuttering on about. His inquisitive, even invasive, gaze noted the frantic flutter of her jugular, the beads of sweat gathering at her delicate collar bone and the way her eyes avoided his. She must have expected Jason to be angry for her betrayal. Which meant that he must have meant something to her for her to care so much. Whatever it was, Marc could use it to his advantage. Good timing too, since he had been fighting quite a bit with Jason's girlfriend and expected a messy breakup any day now.

"And I'm starting to babble.  So let me give you a chance to answer my initial question....do you have a minute?"

His eyes, which had settled on the heartbeat throbbing along her slender neck, quickly twitched back towards hers and the corner of his mouth curled, "Of course. You know I always have time for you." Stepping back, he ushered her in and shut the door behind her with a foreboding click of the handle. Walking around his desk, he motioned her towards a chair and took his own, leaning back casually, "So... You want to leave. Thats... fine. You do what you have to do... but, I just need to know..." He leaned forward and met her eyes in an arresting stare, as though he were trying to hypnotize her "... Is there anything... anything at all, that I can do... to convince you to stay?"

Her entire body seemed to relax when he motioned her inside.  She felt a bit silly at being so nervous, it wasn't like Jason had ever done anything to make her suspect this would be a tense confrontation.  He had always been pleasant to work with after all.  So, forcing herself to relax until she had a real reason to feel any sort of nerves, she settled in one of the guest chairs in the office.

A soft smile formed on her lips and she held his gaze when he asked if there was anything he could do that might convince her to stay.  In some ways it was nice to feel as that her previous supervisor was hoping to keep her on the first floor.  It meant that despite the long period of absence, she was still a valued member of the team and her hard work had not gone unnoticed.  Part of her wished there was something simple that could be easily fixed.

"Honestly, it wasn't just a professional decision," she told him.  "I've been gone from St. Mungo's for almost a year...and I think really I just needed the change.  The last year has been tough...I'm just trying to get a fresh start for my mental well being."

The worst part was some of the drama of the last year had taken place within the walls of St. Mungo's.  It had also all been so public, thanks to her ex-fiance's former position in their government.  She had felt like she couldn't sneeze without a reporter noticing.

"I truly do appreciate the offer to stay on though," she said.  "It's just simply also a decision based on my personal life."

"Honestly, it wasn't just a professional decision, I've been gone from St. Mungo's for almost a year...and I think really I just needed the change.  The last year has been tough...I'm just trying to get a fresh start for my mental well being."

Nodding as she spoke, Marc had to cover his mouth before she saw the smirk playing at the corner of his lips. A year ago... the timing should be about right. It was around that time when they met. 

"I truly do appreciate the offer to stay on though, It's just simply also a decision based on my personal life."

He didn't have the foggiest idea of what had happened to her, aside from their little run in, but he did an excellent job of pretending he gave even half a shit. When she finished her little pity party, Marc leaned forward across the desk and placed what was supposed to be a warm, comforting hand on top of hers. "I completely understand, Moira... and I can't say how glad I am that you still want to return after all that has happened to you..." He stared up into her eyes with a deceptively kind smile as he ran his thumb lightly over her knuckles, throughly enjoying the feel of her skin. Then, when his gesture was at the edge of becoming improper, he released her and sat back.

"Look... I know it is a perhaps a bit... imprudent to ask so soon..." He said suddenly, breaking the awkward silence between them with a smile that was bordering on flirtatious, but not quite "...but since I am not longer your boss... Why don't I take you for a drink?" Then, to smooth any fears[1], he sat back with a hearty laugh and held his palms up to show no ill intentions, adding, "To welcome you back to the hospital of course..."

1.	Although fears were most certainly warranted

In a gesture of comfort Moira felt Jason's hand on top of hers, and she glanced down for a moment at his thumb ran over her skin.  She had felt a slight jolt at the touch which was a bit unexpected.  They had always kept a respectful distance, their relationship remaining strictly one might expect between a manager and an employee.  She wrote off the gesture as merely one of compassion, offering him a small smile of thanks as he settled back in his chair once more.

"Look... I know it is a perhaps a bit... imprudent to ask so soon...but since I am not longer your boss... Why don't I take you for a drink?

For a moment Moira wasn't sure what to think, especially after the familiar gesture just a moment earlier.  She had never thought of Jason as anything more then her boss, but of course during all her previous interactions with him she had been attached to Marcus Annwyl.  Certainly she had always found Jason attractive, but she had just never considered it beyond that.  It was certainly true that there was no longer some hospital policy to worry about.

"To welcome you back to the hospital of course..."

The addition brought up a brief moment of something that felt like disappointment, which was also a bit unexpected and confusing.  It was just a friendly drink between acquaintances, nothing more, and she kept a genuine smile on her face.  He was a bit difficult to read and she wasn't entirely sure what his intentions were.

"I don't find it imprudent," she said.  "I would like that....it would nice to chat a bit outside the hospital walls.  Perhaps get to know a bit about each other's non-professional side.  Aside from work, at the moment my schedule is looking quite sad....so I can take you up on that offer whenever you have a bit of free time."

"I don't find it imprudent, I would like that....it would nice to chat a bit outside the hospital walls.  Perhaps get to know a bit about each other's non-professional side.  Aside from work, at the moment my schedule is looking quite sad....so I can take you up on that offer whenever you have a bit of free time."

Marc smirked in satisfaction at the hesitance in her voice. It was quite clear that she was feeling a bit put out by his addition of 'just as friends'. If he played his cards right, she would be in his arms by morning. He had to be careful, though. If he came across as too desperate, she would probably sense something was wrong. Although he didn't fear that she would discover what was really wrong, he didn't need her asking around or getting suspicious. When you were using someones life you had to tread lightly.

However, Lucy's disappearance would be noticed any day now and Marc knew now was the best time. Lacing his fingers together, he sat them on the desk and grinned "Whenever's good for me. I'm not doing anything after work iiiin...." He made a show of looking at his watch without actually looking at the time "... about an hour. So...." He shrugged a little with a rakish grin, and added "I'm free tonight..."

"I'm off in about an hour or so as well," Moira told him.  "I just need to pop home for a few minutes, but I can meet you somewhere after that."

There was part of her that couldn't believe the way things had just worked out.  She had come down to Jason's office unsure of what to expect and now suddenly she was meeting him for drinks.  It wasn't a date, but it still was not what she expected.  They had been friendly in a professional way, but anything more then that had always seemed a bit impossible.

Giving him a smile she added as she started to rise from the chair, "I should probably head back upstairs and finish my shift.  Any place in particular you'd like to meet up?"

It was a good step in the right direction.  She had gotten her professional life back on track and now it was time for her personal life.  That meant having friends she could count on once more.  She still felt a little flutter in the pit of her stomach, but she wrote that off to a day of nerves and not knowing exactly how interacting with Jason outside the hospital would play out.

"I should probably head back upstairs and finish my shift.  Any place in particular you'd like to meet up?"

Marc shrugged nonchalantly, "Eh, not really, but there are some great pubs in the area... Let's meet outside and figure out where to go from there..." This offer should have been creepy and frightening, and would have had it been Marc uttering it, but it sounded friendly, perhaps a bit flirty, coming from Jason. Luckily she didn't seem to be bothered by it. As she stood up to leave, Marc took his chance to study her, his eyes greedily tracing her form. Had she looked closely enough before she left, she would have noticed the odd tinge of green that was already starting to tint the edges of the brilliant blue, like the madman underneath was peeking through.

When the door shut behind her, Marc put his hands behind his head and leaned back with a pleased sigh. Things were really coming up Donnelly. He had a fun job, a handsome new persona with no criminal record and soon, the woman he had obsessed over in his bed. That was the plan anyways, and Marc was fond of plans coming to fruition.

Glancing at his watch, he decided to pop back to the hideout to freshen up and torture Jason until he told him what he knew about Moira. It was shaping up to be a great night.