Azazel was home the next week, as promised, with plenty of funds. Moira managed to convince him to go shopping for furniture with her, with the help of his image inducer. She knew how much he hated the thing, but he wore it in order to make this trip.

"You know I am happy with anything you pick," he told her, milling around the store, his eyes on the people around them.

"You say that," she responded, a hand moving over a couch. "But I saw your face when you saw the headboard I picked for our room."

"Is just," he sighed. "Cherry wood? Why cherry wood? No oak?"

"Well, let's pick another," she took his hand and pulled him in the direction of the beds.

"Moira," he sighed.

"Alek," she turned to him. "We need furniture." She put her arm around him as they walked. "Isn't this nice? Being out like a normal couple."

He lifted a brow. "Are not normal couple."

"It doesn't matter," she stopped at the headboards. "What do you think? Which one?"

He shrugged. "You pick."

"I did pick, and you didn't like it," she replied. "What do you think?"

He sighed again. "We keep the other one, is fine."

Moira rolled her eyes. Did she expect him to be any different? "Well, ok, then let's find a couch."

They headed over to that section again. "How did your job go, by the way?"

He lifted a brow. "You never ask about job."

"Well, I'm curious," she told him. "You haven't done one in a while."

"What you think I did for Magneto?" he replied. "Same types of thing."

"I don't know," she said. "You don't tell me about it all. So I have no idea what any of it is."

"Is not important," he said. "Secondary to my life. Only do in order to keep my family happy and healthy."

She was quiet a moment. "It doesn't make us happy."

He sighed. "You know what I mean."

"Yes," she replied. "But still, I wish you could do something else. I hate staying up late worrying if I'll ever see my husband again. You can't imagine how that is."

Azazel shrugged. "What am I to do? We need money, moya koroleva. Is still not free to raise children."

"Well," she took a seat on a rather plush couch and looked up at him. "Charles has brought up an interesting job. He wants to talk to you about it."

"Nyet," he sat beside her. "Will not take job from Xavier. Don't need it."

"Please," she took his hand. "Just talk to him? Love, if you can make money doing something safe, and something that keeps you around our family, isn't it worth looking in to?"

He laid his head back and closed his eyes. "This is nice couch."

"Alek," she prodded. "Please? Just talk to him for me?"

He was silent a few moments, then his opened an eye to see her. "Alright," he sighed. "I talk. But no promise."

"Thank you," she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "So you like this couch?"

"Da," he replied. "But not color. Is too blue. But you pick, I am ok with what you like."

Moira sighed at him.

~&Q~

A little tidbit after the holidays. I've had some luck with writing this recently, so hopefully I'll find my way to the conclusion and be able to finish this saga. Happy holidays to those celebrating!