The Bells of St. Drausinus

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Angelo and Lorna catch up outside of the church and worry about other people.



As the group arrived at the church for evening Mass, Angelo hurried to catch up with Lorna. He hadn't talked to her properly for a while, and this seemed as good a time as any.

Lorna was lost in her own thoughts, as she had been for days, and didn't seem register when Angelo reached her side. It was several long seconds before she turned her head to look at him. "Hey."

"Hey", he answered. "How you doing?"

She shrugged, falling back on her usual image of casual breeziness, "About the same. Glad to be out of the house, at least for a bit." She tilted her head back to look at the church spire. "How about you?"

"I'm fine. Little bit worried about... well, just about everybody else, though."

"I know what you mean." She shook her head and sighed, "I've been angry and I've been worried and none of it's doing a damn bit of good. But what else can I do, right?"

"You... you know they thought -- think -- they were doing the right thing, don't you?" he asked tentatively.

“The road to hell,” she snapped more sharply than she intended. She winced and shook her head again, “Good intentions and good results, but I’m still worried. I mean, thanks to this stunt we have Betsy back. But the US Army also has the medical records of a telepathic mutant.” She looked back at Angelo, “I’m trying not to be angry but it’s hard. Even though they thought they were doing the right thing.”

"I know", he said. "I guess I'm just saying... don't be too hard on them..."

"I'm trying. I think the best I can do at this point is just avoid them. I'm not cut out to make them feel better about themselves like Ali or the Professor. All I do is cook."

"And you do it very well", Angelo said lightly, trying to ease the mood a little. "But I think... if you can... maybe not right away, but soon... you should talk to them. Especially Kitty."

"Kitty?" Lorna blinked at him incredulously, "I wouldn't even know where to start."

Angelo sighed. "I found her in the physics lab yesterday. I think she'd been down there for hours, and she wouldn't unphase. Said it was more comfortable that way, and she didn't want to be touched..."

"Well, that's just...oh, lord." Lorna scrubbed her hands over her face and tugged at the bandanna over her hair, "Is she still there? Did you tell anyone?"

"I got her to come back upstairs with me, basically by refusing to leave until she did. Last I saw her, she said she wanted to go for a walk by herself, and promised not to go back to the lab."

Lorna nodded, "I wonder if Alison has spoken to her yet. I'll have to ask." The worry was back in her voice and the weariness as well.

"No idea if Ms. Blaire found her yet. I just... I thought people should know she's not doing so well", Angelo said, wondering if he'd been right to tell.

"Right. Thank you," Lorna pondered making a phone call back to the mansion then decided it could wait an hour, "I'll make sure someone talks to her."

Angelo smiled slightly, relieved. "That's good. Not sure how the others are doing -- I haven't really seen them since they came back."

"I haven't either. Probably avoiding me, what with the way I blew up at Marie-Ange." She glanced over her shoulder at the young French girl.

Angelo followed her gaze, concern obvious in his eyes. "Well, she came here with us, so she can't be avoiding you that much. And Sarah just avoids everybody, most of the time, I think."

Lorna's jaw clenched at the mention of Sarah, reminding herself that uncharitable thoughts weren't exactly the best idea when one was about to go into a holy place. "I think she needs the Church more than she's afraid I'm going to skewer her with a pitchfork," she said, returning her thoughts to Marie-Ange.

Angelo nodded, realizing Lorna had a point. "I can understand that."

"So can I, which is why I haven't." She smiled slightly to show it was a joke. “Not that I think she would have come if it was just her and I." They had reached the church door by now and Lorna paused just outside. "I do feel bad about yelling at her. I wish I had just kept my mouth shut."

"Hey", Angelo said, trying to reassure her. "It was... everybody involved was upset, and that's understandable too. Once things have calmed down, it'll be OK."

Lorna nodded, "I hope so. It seems like things haven't been okay for a long time now. So I guess we're due, right?" She glanced inside the shadowed church, at the handful of people already there lost in their own prayers. "It can't be this awful forever."

Angelo sighed, then replied, "Well, I sure hope not."

"Commandos invading the school, giant robots, kidnapped teachers, and missions that have the team coming back like they've been dragged through hell. Yeah, the universe definitely owes us one." Lorna tossed her head, "And I'm going to tell Him so." Clearly, Lorna wasn't a fan of the idea of being humble before God.

Angelo grinned. "Sounds like a plan!"

"Then let's go." Lorna grinned back and walked into the church, her stride far more confident than she felt.

Angelo followed her in, at least somewhat reassured that Kitty and the others would be OK.