Moira tried to relax; she tried as hard as she possibly could, for Ned's sake.

And she almost succeeded. Almost.

"Wow, I seriously underestimated your cooking abilities," Ned said, as he finished his fifth pancake. "Would it be rude if I asked for another one?"
Moira smiled, and responded with a short, but sweet "Yes."

"So, what do you know about the body that Paulina got?" she asked casually, hoping Ned would respond to her feigned nonchalance.

"I told you, I have no idea."

And then the floodgates opened.

"Oh, come on you've got to know something! Did it look like any animal on the previous Earth? Did it have fur? Scales? OH! Maybe feathers?

"Moira, I really d-"

She continued, completely unfazed: "How big was it? How did it die? How do you think it reproduces? Did it make any sounds? Perhaps it can speak!!"

Moira paused, and flashed a quizzical look at Ned, who had just pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing...?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm calling Paulina. It's abundantly clear that you won't stop until you get answers."

"Abundantly? I see you've been working on your vocabulary," Moira said, jokingly but also with a hint of surprise.

"Well, I've had time to read now that our job- oh hi, Paulina! Is now a good time?"

Moira extended her arm so that her fingers nearly grazed the phone in Ned's hand, and tapped her foot impatiently. She wanted to talk to Paulina as soon as she could.

"Great, well Moira was hoping she could speak with you and... oh, you are busy? But you said... I understand. Take care, Paulina."

"What happened?!" Moira exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Moira, but I think she's especially overwhelmed right now. She didn't want to speak with you."

"Oh," Moira looked down at her shoes. She wasn't busy. She's still jealous of my job. I bet she was lying about the body to seem important again.

"I think... I think I'm going back to the office," she said slowly and deliberately. "Would you like to join me, Ned?"

Ned reluctantly told her that he had plans, and left her house. Yet again, Moira was left alone.

***

Upon entering her office, Moira was appalled by the state of it.

How could I have ever left? She thought. There are papers everywhere! Someone needs to start organizing.

Looking around, she realized that 'someone' would have to be herself.

She began rifling through the records. Every so often, she would smile at remembering some of the more comedic causes of death.

I still cannot believe that guy tripped over his own beard... what an idiot!

At other times, she grimaced at the sheer brutality of the deaths. Any death from the World War II era always left a bad taste in her mouth.

As she sat on the floor, drowning in papers, something nearly impossible happened: she heard a knock on the door.

What? I must be hearing things.

Moira ignored the knock, and continued to reminisce.

But then another knock came, and another. Eventually, she opened the door, and was greeted by an unsuspecting man.