Thirty First Kisses, #1 – Look Over Here

set after 2×04 (The Kindness of Strangers)

“What are you doing?”

It was an accusation, not just a question, when Matt asked it; but the figure in the chair didn’t move or turn to face him.

“I’m resting,” the scientist responded in a tone drained of all inflection.

“Well. Don’t let me disturb you. I’m just going to go over here and work on how we’re going to rescue our kid.” Matt was pissy. But Mohinder wasn’t biting.

After a few seconds of stony silence, Matt said, “You know, I can’t believe you. How can you be resting? I’ve been on my feet all day trying to get everything we need to go to Philadelphia and find this guy, and I get home and you’re resting?”

Thirty First Kisses, #2 – news/letter

set before 2×04 (The Kindness of Strangers)

“It’s not mine.”

Those were the words Matt greeted Mohinder with as he came home.

“Sorry,” Mohinder said, opening the fridge. He was famished. “What’s not yours?”

“The baby.”

Thirty First Kisses, #3 – jolt!

There was a big shag rug in front of the TV. Molly liked the feel of it, said it was like sitting in a field of grass. And Mohinder liked it too, though he only plunked down on it when he thought nobody was looking. Other times, he sat on the couch like a civilized person.

Thirty First Kisses, #4 – The Distance Between Us, and Her

set between 2×03 (Kindred) and 2×04 (The Kindness of Strangers)

The screaming was worse than usual that night. “He’s scared,” she said as Matt patted down her sweaty brow and Mohinder put a glass of water into her shaking hands. “Someone’s after him and he’s scared. And when he’s scared, he’s scarier–”

Thirty First Kisses, #5 – “Hey, you know…”

set after 2×05, “Fight or Flight”

Mohinder was waiting at the precinct when Matt returned. He looked anxious, like he had something to say. Matt brought him into a spare conference room and shut the door. Mohinder’s first words sounded over the click of the latch.

“Did you find him?”

Thirty First Kisses, #6 – Between the Dream and Reality

In the dream, when Matt comes home, there’s the smell of lasagna and a running hug from Molly, who’s up far too late, and Mohinder is standing in the kitchen cleaning up. There are soap bubbles flying through the air and a huge grin on his face, because Molly has just said something incomprehensible but indescribably cute. His rich, chocolatey voice purrs out a “welcome home.”

In reality, there’s a note about leftovers in the fridge and having to work late, and Molly’s put herself to bed, the poor kid.

Thirty First Kisses, #7 – Superstar – and a bonus

“How come you can’t see the stars from home?” Molly asked. The mosquitoes were making Swiss cheese out of her, Matt noted, but right now she didn’t seem to mind, stretched out with her feet dipping off the picnic blanket into the cool, tall grass.

Thirty First Kisses, #8 – Our Own World

Matt was staring at himself. Albeit a pixelated, somewhat porkier version of himself. But it was definitely his face, and it was even wearing his boxers and undershirt. Sadly enough, it was drinking milk straight from the carton.

Thirty First Kisses, #9 – Dash

The form read, The ___ household gives (and here “Molly” was scribbled in, in an eight-year-old’s loopy cursive) permission to visit the New York Museum of Modern Art on Tuesday, Nov. 20.” (Molly had helpfully read it out loud to him last night.) There wasn’t a lot of room in the blank.

Thirty First Kisses, #10 – #10

“It’s a proud moment in our lives,” Mohinder announced as he and Molly came in the door. “Our little girl has bought her very first teen magazine.”