xp_logs | Hank, Maddie, Friday evening

Hank is more than a little annoyed by the day's online events... definitely more than a little. He vents to Madelyn, when he comes downstairs to take over for the night shift; she listens.... and makes him feel, if not content with his world, at least a bit better.

Hank was scowling as he headed down to the medlab. He hadn't said a word on the journals today... he'd known he shouldn't. He'd been too angry, and he would have said something that... well, he probably wouldn't have regretted, but it would have caused more upset where none was needed. Perhaps when he'd calmed down a little more, he'd be able to say something - he wanted to talk to Forge, at the very least. He wanted to talk to Manuel as well - and smack him upside his selfish head, to be perfectly honest - but that might not be a good idea. He certainly intended to have a word with Danielle.

He slipped into the medlab, and his tension palpably ebbed when he saw Madelyn, frowning at the computer with her 'I'm concentrating' expression... she'd probably lost track of time again. Just looking at her made him feel a little better, reminded him of the good things about being at the school, something he needed just then. "Maddie?" he said softly, trying to relax some more... the last thing she probably needed was a big, scowling furry guy sneaking up on her.

Madelyn glanced up, startled by the sudden voice, and smiled when she saw who it was. A warn, welcoming, 'I'm very pleased to see you' sort of smile. "Hank, hi." Then she looked at him a bit more closely, taking her glasses off and laying them on the pile of printouts next to her keyboard. "You all right, hon? You look... glower-y," she asked as she spun the chair around so she could stand up and cross the room to him. She'd been so deep in FBI cold case files, searching for that elusive memory regarding Haroun, that she hadn't been paying attention to the mansion at large. Maybe that had been a good idea, to judge from the look on Hank's face.

"I am very glowery. Ever since I woke up this afternoon I've been in my room seething, afraid to go out and speak to anyone in case I bit their face off," Hank admitted. He reached out, wrapping his arms gently around her and burying his face in her hair. "This helps, though," he said in a muffled voice. "This helps SO much. Just seeing you..."

"Is this where I realise I should have been reading the journals again and haven't been?" she asked, returning the hug tightly, running her hands over the broad expanse of furry back soothingly. "And no face biting, hon. Face sucking, yes, but no biting." Perhaps it wasn't the time for silly jokes, but she could feel the tension running through him. "Want to tell me about it?"

"Manuel threatened the other students and nobody so much as told him off," Hank mumbled into her hair. "Again. And Forge and Shiro let loose another startling exhibition of immaturity, Jay is still sulking over the Suitemates of Guthries thing, Danielle thought Manuel's plan to emotionally violate every distressed person in the school to make them shut up was a fabulous idea, and Angelo is distressed and I can't help. Remind me why we don't put all the little monsters in solitary until they turn twenty-one?"

"Because as tempting as it is, the little darlings have civil liberties too." Madelyn said wryly, planting a kiss on Hank's shoulder, the ruffled fur tickling her face. "Somehow I'm thankful I've been up to my ears in dead cultists today." She smoothed the fur with her hand and went on. "Jean said something as she left today about Scott taking her, Manuel and Dani out of range of the school for the afternoon - I can't imagine it was a fun environment for a psi today. Not," she added as Hank made a sort of growly noise. "That I condone threats. But it's something to consider when we have one of our general upheavals around here, how it's affecting the psis. Especially when there are those without the control or the maturity to deal with the stress."

"I know how hard it must be for them... but that doesn't excuse threatening the other students, or trying to push them to remove themselves or control the emotions they're entitled to. He has options... he ignored them in favour of whining about how much he was suffering." Hank growled softly and then sighed, pulling back just enough to kiss her gently. "And I'm sorry for getting grumpy with you, dear one, but I am getting... increasingly frustrated with the lack of discipline in the school. We do the students no favours by letting them think that they need exert no control over their behaviour, that no matter what they do or say, there will be no repercussions."

"We've let things slide," Madelyn agreed with a nod, tugging him over to one of the Hank-sized chairs and pushing him gently to sit down, before sitting herself in his lap. He obviously needed to vent, and she was happy to let him do that. "Given most of us aren't trained as teachers here, and the crises we get ever other week... It doesn't help that most of the students are about to graduate and go on to college - they won't take well to us suddenly laying down the law. But you're right, it can't keep going on like this. Today threats... what about next time?" Madelyn couldn't help a small shudder - like most baseline humans, the idea of someone playing with her emotions or thoughts gave her the creeps.

He wrapped his arms around her, feeling rather better already... having Madelyn snuggled up on his knee was a delightful thing, no matter how bad the rest of the day had been. "That's what worries me," he admitted. "Encouraging them to assert themselves, to be self-confident, is one thing... but if they speak to their professors at college the way they speak to us, let alone the utter refusal to listen to instructions or orders that some of them demonstrate, they're going to be expelled within a semester." He sighed, resting his forehead against her shoulder. "I'm worried," he said softly. "Some of them are woefully unequipped to deal with the real world. I feel as if I... we... have let them down."

"You've done the best you could, Hank." Madelyn said it with utter conviction. She'd seen how much Hank had done for the kids, and she felt a momentary urge to kick various culprits in the pants. Instead she wound her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his hair. "And in the end, it is up to them. We can teach them as best we can, offer them all the help in the world, but if they choose not to take it..." She sighed, remembering saying the same words to Jubilee the previous night, and also Paige the night of Jono's accident, coming down in a state of almost collapse. She'd asked for help, then - what had changed? "We can't shelter them from the world forever," she continued, although sounding less sure. "Perhaps the shock of finding the world is a lot less sympathetic to their whining is what kids like Manuel need."

"If I could bottle you, I'd make a fortune," Hank said softly, smiling a little as she nestled against him. "Just being with you makes me feel better... and being able to talk about this helps significantly more." He hugged her gently, smoothing a hand gently up and down her back. "And maybe it will help. Hell, maybe they do know how to behave, they just don't respect us enough to make the effort." Damnit, he was way too good at steering his mood back into the downward spiral. "But you're right... they can't stay here forever. Sooner or later, they'll go out into the world, and it'll come as a shock to some. And for others... maybe it'll be a relief." Angelo, for example... he seemed to be looking forward to finishing school, to getting out and doing something in the world.

"The other thing you have to remember, hon, is that the journals are by no means normal communication. With the screen filtering out the rest of us, the kids tend to forget there are real people with real feelings on the other side. We've seen it a hundred times - people say things they'd never say in person, and it blows up a hundred different ways." She hugged him closer, kissing his temple. "But whatever the reasons for it? It's not a failing on your part."

Hank smiled, lifting his head to kiss her gently. "That's true, I suppose... I still think, though, that something should be done about Manuel's tendency to make threats when he doesn't get what he wants. If he doesn't curb the tendency... well, if he's lucky, we'll have to bail him out of jail." He sighed. "I'll put together a general email to the staff. We should... well. Come to some agreement, I think, before trying to change any policies."

"Charles has been working with him - maybe speak to him as well?" Madelyn suggested. "And I think it's something the staff should talk about - if anything, we need to do some damage control in the wake of Paige leaving as suddenly as she did. I know the standard line is to leave the kids in the dark and assume they trust us to know what's going on, but that's backfired on us a hundred times before. Scott tells me everything checks out with Havard and MIT..." Madelyn trailled off, frowning a little. Something still bugged her about all this. It didn't seem at all like Paige. "And I don't think anyone's told Jono she's gone yet."

Hank winced. "That, I think, I should do," he said reluctantly. "Moira and I have been working with him the most, and since she isn't here... well. I'll break the news as gently as I can." He nodded. "And... yes, you're right. Paige's leaving seems to be acting as a catalyst of sorts for the students... perhaps it should for us as well." He smiled ruefully. "There's this nifty thing called 'detention' that I hear teachers are using in other schools. Maybe we should reintroduce it."

"I'm sorry, hon, I didn't mean for you..." Madelyn's apology died as it began - there wasn't really anyone better, except maybe Charles himself. "The kids have known something's up with Paige for a while now - it's only logical that her being taken off active trainee status and then leaving is something more than her accepting a college offer. They're bound to wonder." She rested her head against his with a small sigh. "I seem to remember you suggesting going out sometime. Can it be soon? I think you need a break from this place, in company that doesn't throw teenage hissy fits. At least, not _too_ often."

"I would be delighted... the sooner the better for our next assignation, as far as I'm concerned. And I will have you know that your hissy fits are not at all adolescent." He grinned. "Admittedly, I am at this stage likely to find almost everything you do charming, but... I kind of like when you yell. It makes it so easy to know what you're upset about." He smoothed her hair gently. "And thank you. For letting me vent. Feel free to do the same at me at any time."

"Well, you might not think it's so charming the next time it's directed at you, but I'll accept the compliment this time," she said with a laugh and a kiss to his nose. "Especially if you buy me dinner. Dinner makes me very agreeable. And I should hope you could talk to me about anything, Hank - wouldn't be much of a relationship if you couldn't." She paused. Oops, had she just let the 'R' word slip? Things were moving a tad faster than she'd anticipated, but she found she actually wasn't minding that much. And she doubted Hank would.

"That is very true," Hank said, beaming. "A relationship..." he savoured the word, "...should imply trust and the ability to talk about... well, almost everything." He grinned. "I'll respect your privacy in the area of bathroom-going, for example," he teased, holding her happily. "You make me very happy, you know that?"

"What, you don't want all the gory details about my period? For shame," she replied, laughing gently now. Cuddling closer, her tone turned a little serious. ""And I'm glad you're happy, hon. Of all the people I think deserve happiness, you're up there at the top of the list. Especially when it's something that makes me happy too." She leaned in and kissed him, most thoroughly.

Hank returned the kiss with great enthusiasm and equal thoroughness. "You, dear one, are equally deserving of happiness," he murmured, when they had to stop to catch their breath. "And I will do my very best to make you happy." He stood, scooping her up in his arms and smiling down at her. "On that note, I think it's time for bed, don't you?" He held it for just long enough to let her eyes widen a bit, and then swung her down onto her feet, smiling. "After all, while I may be prepared and expected to stay up all night, you're supposed to actually be awake in the morning."

"You, sir, are a very bad man," she informed him mock-solemnly, thwapping him gently on the arm as she broke into a grin. "And a tease." Then she surprised hherself by yawning, covering her mouth with her hand. "And you're also right. So I'll take myself and my dead cultists to bed, and I shall see you in the morning." This was said most definitely, punctuated by another kiss. "My turn to make breakfast, I think?"

"It would be much appreciated." He kissed her affectionately, still delighted at how good just kissing her felt. "Sleep well, my dear," he said softly. "And have sweet dreams free of bickering adolescents."

"Well, they were going to be, until you said that," she teased him, collecting her printouts and her glasses. "Night, hon. No fretting about things. Or there will be no muffins for you tomorrow morning." She wagged a finger at him sternly, and then spoiled the effect by laughing. "Discipline enough for you?"

"Well, I like it, but if you discipline the students through intimate little breakfasts I will be forced into a jealous sulk." He grinned. "Be off with you, dearest, and I'll see you tomorrow." He hadn't called her THAT before... not too much, though, he hoped.

It wasn't too much at all, if the pleased little smile and the accompanying blush were anything to go by. "But you're so cute when you sulk," she teased him, before taking the hint and making her way to the door. She paused at the doorway to give him another smile. "Night, hon," she said, and then she was gone.

Hank watched her go, feeling better than he had all day. Obnoxious adolescents and worries aside... Madelyn was the best thing that had happened to him for a long time. He hoped she was going to keep happening for a long time.