"So what's this I hear you and you husband are currently not talking to each other?" York asked walking into Emma's office.
"Good bye York," Emma huffed not looking away from her computer.
"Come on, I'm curious."
"You shouldn't be because I'm sure you heard him bitching to you," Emma grumbled.
"Well yea, but there's two sides to a story and as your brother and his best friend, I need both sides of the story so I know which one of you to tell is being an idiot."
"Good bye York." York plopped down in one of her office chairs. She turned and glared at him, "I said good bye. That means I don't want to talk to you and if you make me, I will call Carolina down here and I really don't think you want her pissed at you for something as stupid as shoving your nose in where it doesn't belong."
"That's not why I sat down," York rolled his eye. Emma raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously. I'm not going to talk to you about that."
"And what are you talking to me about?"
"What you're doing for Church."
"That sounds an awful lot like you talking to me about it," Emma replied.
"No, I want to help."
Emma leaned back and looked at him, "You want to help?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Emma asked narrowing her eyes at him.
He shrugged, "Because it's Church. We need him and more importantly, Carolina and the guys need him. It's the last lifeline Carolina has to her father and while she will be the last person to ever admit it, I think she'd be extremely upset if that lifeline disappeared."
"You think so, huh? Even after everything that man did to her?"
"Yes," York nodded. "I think Church reminds her of what kind of person her father could have been had he not had such an issue getting over her mother." Emma watched him as he started picking at something on his jeans. "She'll never admit this either, but family is extremely important to her and she thinks of him as family even though he's just a computer program. I don't want her to have to go through losing him too if it's something that can be avoided."
"Aw York," Church popped up, "I didn't know you cared so much, buddy."
"Shut up," York rolled his eye.
"And seriously, Em," Church turned to her, "You don't have to do what you're doing."
"Shut up, yes I do," Emma replied. "You matter to everyone Church, whether you want to believe it or not and we're not giving you up without a fight."
"And nothing I do is going to stop you?"
"Nope, sorry."
"Fine," Church huffed. "But seriously, how about next time you tell me instead of making me go through your e-mails to find out what you're up to?"
"You went through my e-mails?" Emma growled as York chuckled across from her.
"Well yea. I see something going out to ONI and yea I'm gonna look at it," Church chuckled. "You think this person has the answers?"
"I don't know, that's why I want to look," Emma replied. "I mean, unless you happen to have any of the old research files the Director kept?"
"That I'm not sure about," Church replied. "I can look."
"Do that," Emma nodded. "That way we can look at them both side by side and see if there's something that we can work out."
"Does this 'we' include me as well?" York asked.
"I suppose since you made such a convincing argument," Emma shrugged. "Just don't annoy me."
"It's York, he's going to annoy you at point," Church chuckled.
"Go talk to your wife," South huffed as she watched her brother take apart the rifle he was holding for the third time.
"Stay out of it South," he warned.
"You've taken apart that same gun and cleaned it three times. Go talk to your wife."
"I don't need the marriage counseling."
"Go talk to your wife."
"Starting to sound like a broken record."
"That you keep answering," South smirked. "Go talk to her."
"Yea? And say what exactly?"
South shrugged, "Don't say anything. Just go talk to her."
"How am I supposed to talk to her if I don't say anything?" North growled. "That logic of yours is flawed."
"Look," South rolled her eyes, "She knows you're an over-caring asshole. We talked at great length about it and the fact you like to think you're in control-"
"I do not!"
"Sometimes you do," South nodded. "I know better than anyone and you know I'm right." He glared at her. "Just let her do what she has to do. She knows her own limits and you have to trust her on that. Emma's not gonna do anything that's gonna hurt herself or the kid and you're only stressing her out more by carrying on about what she should and shouldn't be doing."
"I'm starting to regret the fact I wanted you two to get along," he grumbled.
South punched him in the arm, "Don't be an asshole."
"Apparently it's what I'm best at according to you and my wife."
"You wanna go? I've been itching for a fight," she growled.
"Ya know what, yea," North put the gun down and looked at her. "Yes I do."
"Great," South grinned. "Floor in five?"
"Armor or no armor?" he asked as they both turned to walk out.
"Doesn't matter. Either way, I'm kicking your ass."
"Armor," North growled.
"Fine," South growled back. "I win, you're talking to your wife."
"And if you lose, then you keep your opinions to yourself from now on."
Church popped up, giggling, on Emma's desk. Emma rolled her eyes and looked at him, "Have you gone insane already?"
"No," Church snickered. "You might want to look out and see what your husband and sister-in-law are doing."
Emma gave him a confused look before glancing out of her office window out onto the Floor. She watched them square off against each other and rolled her eyes, "Why are they sparring? Do I want to know?"
"Probably not," Church chuckled.
"Great," Emma huffed. "I feel like I should be worried."
"Well, North requested armor when they were working out the details."
"Is this just a practice spar-"
"No, this is open season at the moment," Church replied. "They ticked each other off and South's been itching for an honest to goodness fight against someone so there we are."
"Wonderful. I don't know which of them is the bigger idiot," Emma sighed. She looked at Church, "Monitor things for me and if it's gets too awful, freeze the armor up."
"How awful we talking?"
"Awful enough that one or both is going to need a visit to the Medbay."
"You're not going to watch?"
"Probably best if I don't," Emma shrugged.
"You say so," Church chuckled disappearing.
Emma busied herself at her computer, ignoring the sounds of the fighting out on the other side of her window. She looked up a few minutes later when movement in her doorway caught her eye and saw Carolina leaning there.
"Any idea why North and South are out there fighting when my class starts in ten minutes?" Carolina asked, her arms crossed.
"According to Church, they pissed each other off," Emma shrugged. "Don't really care to be honest."
"Ah," Carolina nodded, walking over to stand in front of Emma's window. "Guess we should be glad it's just a fist fight with no weapons involved."
"Probably," Emma agreed. "I told Church to lock them down should things get too hairy."
"How thoughtful of you," Carolina chuckled. "I would think you'd be more concerned considering some of those hits seem to be pretty forceful."
"Yea well, he pissed me off," Emma replied turning her chair to watch. "And if he can't handle himself against his sister than that's his problem."
"Must've been a good one." Emma raised an eyebrow at him. "Was it a York and I level fight?"
"Pretty much," Emma replied as they heard footsteps out in the lab, both turning to look to see a confused Wash standing there now. "Yes we know what's going on out on the Floor."
"Oh, well yea," Wash smirked, "I figured that much if you were both standing there watching."
"Class might be slightly delayed," Carolina replied.
"Anyone gonna stop them?"
"Church if it gets too awful," Emma shrugged.
"Should…Should I be concerned that you appear to not care that your husband is getting his ass kicked?" Wash asked.
"Why, want to go join him?" Emma asked looking at him. The three of them jumped when a helmet came flying and smacking into the window. They looked out to see South with a fist back and North on the ground, helmet missing. Church appeared between the two of them as they appeared to not be moving. Emma sighed before turning to walk out of her office, the other two following her. She stopped to grab North's helmet along the way. Church unfroze them both when the three got closer. She held out North's helmet to him, "Hope you two worked whatever it was out of your systems."
South unclipped her helmet and lifted it off her head, "Felt damn good, that's for sure. Especially since I've clearly won."
"Yea, yea," North huffed as Wash pulled him up off the ground. He wiped at his lip which was bleeding and glanced at Emma who was watching him with her arms crossed. "No lecture?"
Emma rolled her eyes and turned to stomp back to her office, "You're an asshole."
South hit him again after the lab door closed, "That is not what I meant by talking to your wife you idiot! You want me to kick your ass again?"
"Will you just leave it alone already!?" North yelled at her before marching away from them all. South made a strangling motion behind his back as Carolina shook her head and Wash gave them all a confused look.
"Do I want to know what's going on?" Wash asked.
"They're fighting because he's an idiot and is trying to tell her what to do without mentioning what his actual problem is and she just won't have any of it," South growled. "I don't blame her, I know what it's like."
"I'm sure she's being just as stubborn," Carolina pointed out.
"Oh she is, but I'm totally on her side," South smirked.
"So why were you and North going at it?" Wash asked.
"Because," South shrugged, "He's an idiot and won't go talk to her and if I won, which I did, he has to go talk to her."
"How does that stop them fighting…?" Wash looked between the two of them.
"I know my brother," South huffed. "He doesn't want to be fighting with her, but because she's being stubborn, he's going to try and prove his point by being equally stubborn and if he doesn't just go talk to her, she's going to stay upset at him and do we really want her upset with him? No, no we don't." Carolina and Wash exchanged looks. "Don't look at each other like that. I'd do that same thing for you two. I'm really getting sick of every one thinking I have no heart."
"Well South," Carolina chuckled, "You never gave us reason to think you had one during the Project."
"That's because your dad was a dick," South rolled her eyes. "As was that asshole Counselor. Whatever happened to him anyway?"
"Oh we sort of dropped the ship he was on out of the sky on top of a temple that would purge the entire planet of life," Wash chuckled. "At least, intel says he was on the ship."
"Good."
"You sticking around for class?" Carolina asked as she saw the first group start walking out from the locker room.
"Nah. I'm gonna go take a nice hot shower," South replied walking off towards the locker room.
"I feel like someone should tell her not to involve herself in spats between her brother and Emma," Wash commented.
"That would be like telling York to stay out of it," Carolina chuckled. "Not gonna happen."
"I don't know. York seems to know when to not involve himself," Wash pointed out.
"Which is surprising because it's York, but you're right."
"Don't you have class?" Emma huffed as North refused to move from her office.
"Yes, but they can manage." Emma rolled her eyes and went back to looking over the report that just came back from her latest scan. "You coming home for dinner?"
"I don't know yet. I haven't decided," Emma replied. "Why are you still in your armor?"
"Because my sister is currently in the locker room and if I go in there, I will be tempted to drown her in the shower," North answered.
"So why are you here bothering me?"
"Because I can," North shrugged.
"You really love digging yourself deeper and deeper, don't you?" Emma glared at him.
"Pretty sure you're the one who started the anger train," North grumbled. Emma rolled her eyes again. "Why are we fighting about this?"
"Because you can't just let me decide for myself what I can and cannot do. I know my workload. You don't."
"It's not your workload that I'm concerned about here." Emma looked up at him. He ran a gloved hand through his hair, "I know you know what you're doing on that front."
"Then what are you so worried about?" Emma asked.
"I'm concerned that contacting ONI and trying to find a solution for this yourself is going to bring unwanted attention your way," North replied. "I've heard plenty of rumors about them and how they operate and they don't exactly like that Halsey woman."
"Yea well, I don't want her, just copies of her AI research," Emma grumbled quietly.
"I know, but that's my point. You start doing your own work on that subject and they're gonna be all over you."
Emma leaned back in her chair and looked at the ceiling before pushing herself up and out of the chair and walking up to him. She put her hands on either side of his face, careful not to bump his split lip.
"It'll be fine, I promise," Emma looked him in the eye. "The person I contacted was someone I was in basic with before the Project. They'll get me what I need and that'll be it, I promise."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. I've heard the same stories as you," Emma smiled. "Besides, I don't think even the best hacker they have could get past my shit. I'd love to see them try, that's for sure."
"Now I feel like the asshole you all keep calling me," he chuckled scooping an arm around her waist.
"Yea, well, ya kinda were," Emma grinned. She reached up to kiss him, "Now go get your armor off and go teach your class."
"It's not so much teaching as it is watching them hit targets," North smirked. "I'm sure they won't care I'm a bit late. Besides, could use your assistance getting this off. I think South may have pulled a muscle in my back."
"Yea, sure she did," Emma chuckled, rolling her eyes. "I'll help ya, but that's all the help you're getting until we get home tonight." He grinned at her as she turned him to walk out of her office and towards the locker room, the long way around since Carolina's class was going on. "Next time, just come out and tell me what you're actually worried about so that we can squash this right away."
"But then that takes all the fun out of it."
"Yes, but it also keeps us from fighing," Emma replied, "Which I know you don't like me getting upset and fighting makes me upset."
"Alright, I get it," North chuckled as they walked into the locker room and over to his locker. He stood still while Emma started undoing the pieces for him. They heard footsteps coming from the shower and saw South come walking out, towel drying her short hair.
"All better?" she asked.
Emma covered North's mouth before he could answer, "Yes. Someone over-reacted and needs to learn how to express himself before I start yelling at him."
"You started yelling and assuming before I could-"
"Shh," Emma covered his mouth again giving him a smirk. "I think you hit him too hard and rattled his brain."
"Have I mentioned yet how thankful I am we're having a boy?" North rolled his eyes as South laughed. "Maybe I won't be so outnumbered in my own family now."
"Well, if we're including York and company," Emma chuckled, "You might still be a bit uneven."
"When do they find out?" South asked.
"Next week hopefully," Emma replied.
"Which could potentially even the sides," North added. "I mean, unless we can just adopt Wash."
"I am not adopting Wash," Emma rolled her eyes.
"Fine then if the sides aren't even, we're having another one," North shrugged.
"And what if that doesn't even the sides?" Emma asked. "You want to keep going until they're even?"
"Or South can he-"
"Oh hell no asshole," South cut him off. "Hell fucking no. Do not pull me onto the baby train. I will explode that fucker."
"Sorry hubsand, but you might have to deal with the fact that you might be outnumbered," Emma chuckled.
"I have a week to hold out hope then," North sighed.
"Did Carolina talk to you yet about this weekend?" South asked as Emma finished helping him. He shook his head and gave her a confused look. "She asked me if I could go on the supply run this weekend and said she was going to ask you."
"She has not spoken with me yet," North replied. He looked at Emma, "Would you care?"
Emma shrugged, "That is completely up to you what you want to do. I can fend for myself for the weekend until you get back."
"Sounds like permission to me," South chuckled. "It'll be a quick one anyway. When we talked, she wanted us taking the pelican since there's some things they want us to bring back."
"Any idea who she's putting on it yet?" North asked.
"Didn't give me those details," South shrugged.
"I think she still needs to talk to Wash," Emma added.
"I'll check in with then her before I come home," North replied. Emma nodded as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Better go make sure they're hitting targets and not themselves."
"Have fun," Emma chuckled.
South watched her brother head out as Emma started putting his armor in his locker. She opened up hers and grabbed a sweatshirt out and pulled it over the tank top she had put back on after her shower, "So things are good now?"
"Yes," Emma smiled. "Thanks I guess."
"No prob, sis," South winked. "He's thickheaded and needs a few kicks to the head sometimes which I am more than happy to give him."
