Message left at the lab for Mal

Mal, is... is everything ok? Did I do something wrong? Please call me.

Mal finds the note and attempts to call Noelle. No answer. No busy signal.

"Hurm. This isn't right." He changes his hat for a mining helmet, and heads for the basement to check the comm system.

Quiet

There was something wrong with her comm. Noelle wasn't picking up any signal from the Knights, nothing from anyone in the Alliance. It was just... blank. Quiet.

She pulled it off her wrist and dropped it on the kitchen table, chucking the earpiece down next to it. She didn't notice when it bounced off the table onto the floor. There was a part of her that liked the silence. Maybe needed it. There was so much talking sometimes... so much said.

Grabbing the phone, she sunk into her couch and dialed an international number. After an interminable series of clicks, the phone rang.

"Base Camp, this is Dr. Frost."

"Mom?"

"Noelle! Noelle, how are you? Is everything ok? Are you eating enough? Why are you calling at this time of day? The rates are exorbitant!"

Noelle smiled. Classic mom. "I'm fine. I just... thought I'd call, see how you and Pops are doing."

"We're good. Everyone's good. Busy, of course... but you know how that is."

"Yup."

"Dr. Merediths just found something..." She continued speaking, and Noelle found a certain kind of comfort in just listening to the gossip from the scientific community. It felt... removed. Safe. She made appropriate noises at the appropriate moments, and hung up a little while later without saying much of anything about her life in Paragon City. She didn't really know what to say. Where to even start. That she'd had an arrest warrant issued on her for breaking and entering into Crey facilities? That she'd been sent to the hospital so often she was wishing for frequent flyer miles on the emergency teleportation network? That she'd been having a very adult relationship with the Elvis Presley? How do you say that to your mom? The other stuff... was even harder to talk about.

She laid the telephone handset on the coffee table, but not before turning the ringer deliberately off. Sinking even lower into the couch, Noelle stretched one hand to the glass doors leading to the balcony, and coated them with a fuzzy layer of frost, impossible to see through. She muffled any hallway noise that might come in her front door with a layer of ice, and pulled a blanket around her shoulders, clicking on the TV.

No talking. No thinking. She didn't know where to begin.

Visiting Hours

The door buzzed, and opened with a loud click. A guard appeared first, checked the room, then stood back to let Noelle Frost in. She stood til he left again, then knelt at the glass separating her from the prisoner.

"Hey Reese."

She placed a small cactus on her side of the glass. "I brought you a present."

Hearing her voice, Reese looked up from the buttons on his comm. His eyes were glazed over and bloodshot due to his extreme lack of sleep. He nodded toward the cactus and smiled slightly.

Reese Riley: You trying to say that I'm about as nurturing as a desert?
Noelle Frost: I thought you'd like it.

He sighed and finally got around to propperly greeting her.

Reese Riley: Hey
Noelle Frost: Always with the sighing
Reese Riley: I blame you.
Noelle Frost: Don't. This wasn't my fault
Reese Riley: Was it mine?
Noelle Frost: That you're in jail? Uh, kinda.
Reese Riley: Not that.
Noelle Frost: ... what?

Reese looked at her as though she would understand if given enough time. A sigh escaped her lips to help vent her frustration.

Noelle Frost: Reese....
Reese Riley: Yeah?
Noelle Frost: I'm not psychic.
Reese Riley: lucky you.
Noelle Frost: So... Mal made you a cake?
Reese Riley: Yeah, and only I can eat it.

Noelle Frost grins
Noelle Frost: Does it have a file in it?
Reese Riley: He made a file with a cake in it.
Noelle Frost: Trust Mal...
Reese Riley: He's funny that way
Noelle Frost: He is.
Noelle Frost: And Cate? Did she ask for a book report?
Reese laughed.
Noelle Frost: "What I learned from reading 'Crime and Punishment'...."
Reese Riley: We talked about hockey mostly.
Noelle Frost: Never knew you were a hockey fan
Reese Riley: I am from Boston.
Noelle Frost: Yeah. Isn't that baseball?
Reese Riley: Gotta support my Bruins
Noelle Frost: So, can you skate?
Reese Riley: A little, I bet you could make me better
Noelle Frost: Only if I get to yell "toe pick" at you
Reese Riley: Hockey skates don't have toe picks'
Noelle Frost: Yes, see, it's from this movie... there's a figure skater and a hockey player...
Reese Riley: Um.... The Cutting Edge.
Noelle Frost: Right. "Toe pick!"
Noelle flashed a broad grin.

Reese Riley: You're weird.
Noelle Frost: I know
Reese Riley: Must be why I like you.
Noelle Frost: ...
She coughed out of being surprised and perhaps just a little uncomfortable.

Noelle Frost: Must be.
Reese Riley: You ok?
Noelle Frost: Yeah
Noelle Frost: And you? You holding up?

Again he sighed. This time to put his thoughts together. Not that it helped much.
Reese Riley: I'm losing it.
Noelle Frost: Don't say that
Reese Riley: Why?
Noelle Frost: Don't give into it by admitting anything of the kind.
Reese Riley: Huh?
Noelle Frost: Something I picked up from watching Magic folk. Words have power.
Reese Riley: You just totally lost me.
Noelle Frost: You're NOT losing it, ok?
Reese Riley: Yeah I am.

Concerned and a bit frustrated, Noelle took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Noelle Frost: Tell me
Reese Riley: No sleep means hallucinations.
Noelle Frost: ... Sunglasses don't help?
Reese Riley: The pelvis doesn't seem too happy about that.
Noelle Frost: He was... surprised.
Reese Riley: Is that all ok now?
Noelle Frost: Yeah
Noelle smiled slightly at the thought of just how well they were going.

Reese Riley: That's good I guess.
Noelle Frost: Uh-huh.
Reese Riley: ...shit.
Noelle Frost: What?
Reese Riley: Nothing, you're happy so don't worry about it.
Noelle Frost: Reese, don't... *changes her mind* Reese, tell me.
Reese Riley: It's not really that important.
Noelle Frost: Let me be the judge.
Reese Riley: No. I'm here and you're not, so it all turned out ok.
Noelle Frost: I don't understand.
Reese Riley: Don't worry about it.
Noelle Frost: Don't tell me not to worry about it. You say something, and not tell me the whole thing, and I can do nothing BUT worry about it!
Frost crept up the window separating them.

Noelle Frost: Please? Trust me?
Reese looked down at his feet before meeting her eyes again.
Reese Riley: You treat what we did like a mistake. And that really hurts me.
Noelle Frost: I don't... it was.. you and I both said... it was....
Noelle had to look away as Reese became visibly upset.

Noelle Frost tries to find the right words
Noelle Frost: It wasn't a mistake. I *don't* think it was a mistake.
Reese Riley: Sure it was.
Noelle Frost: The timing was off, maybe, but I'm glad we... you know.
Reese Riley: Look, I'm stuck in this tiny cell and I can't sleep, I'm obviously losing it.
Noelle looked back at him, searching his face.
Noelle Frost: No...
His bleary eyes fought to focus on hers.
Noelle Frost: Oh god, Reese....
Reese Riley: Don't worry about it. I'll deal.
Noelle Frost: No, I can...
Noelle Frost looks around for cameras, sensors.
Reese Riley: It's not a big deal
Noelle Frost: Maybe I can help. More.
Reese Riley: There's nothing to help.
Noelle Frost: I can try... some ice might... cut down on the light.
Reese Riley: I don't know what's going on Noelle but there are times when I miss you so much.
Noelle Frost: Reese...
Noelle layed her hand on the glass and another layer of ice buildt up, softening the light.

Reese Riley: I'm sorry. You don't need to worry about this. I'll deal with it somehow.
Noelle Frost: But if I can help.... I want to. I don't like seeing you like this.
Reese Riley: You've got Elvis and he hates me. I don't want to get in the way.
Noelle Frost: Reese, I don't know what you're telling me.
Reese Riley: I think maybe you should go.
Noelle Frost: ... What? You're kicking me out?
Reese Riley: You have a chance to be really happy and I don't want to get in your way.
Noelle Frost: I don't....
She shook her head.
Noelle Frost: ....Don't understand
Reese Riley: I care about you too much to drag you down with me.

Her voice suddenly became small and very soft.
Noelle Frost: So now there's caring?
Reese closed his eyes to gather himself.
Reese Riley: There is now.
Noelle Frost: Now.
Reese Riley: Yes.
Noelle closed her eyes tightly.
Reese Riley: Please go.

She nodded and looked to the guard to escort her out.