xp_logs | Angelo and Marie, Sunday afternoon

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Angelo goes to find Marie after he finishes his game of basketball with Bobby. He knows what to say to get her to start feeling better and it all ends with a dip in the lake.

Marie was curled up in a chair in her room lost in her own thoughts. This had turned into just about the worst week ever. She had just about messed up everything that happened and said the wrong thing to everybody. After coming across Doug's empty room and sending him a panicked email, she had come to her room and collapsed. Hearing footsteps approach her door, she prayed that whoever it was would keep walking and just let her wallow in her misery alone.

She was going to be unlucky. But maybe she wouldn't mind too much, in view of who it was. "Em?"

She should have known better than to be surprised by Angelo seeking her out after seeing her flee. Dragging herself out of her seat, she opened the door and walked immediately back to her chair without another word.

He followed her in, closing the door and going to settle in one of the other chairs. "You want to tell me what that was about?"

"Ah wish Ah could. Ah thought...Ah thought things might be different now." She sighed and looked at him. "Stupid, huh?"

"Not stupid", he corrected firmly. "It's been a long time. Not unreasonable t'think it might have changed stuff."

"Why does he hate me? Was Ah really that bad?" Her entire body seemed to sag and her hair fell to cover her face.

"Oh, hey..." He got up clumsily, crossing the room to her. "I wish I knew."

So engrossed was Marie in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Angelo move toward her. "Ah just wanted to set things right…if we're both going to live here, work here, it can't stay like this."

"Then you need to keep tryin'", he told her, setting a hand carefully on her shoulder, well away from her collar. "Maybe there's stuff he just needs to get out, before you can start gettin' to somewhere better."

Looking up at the unexpected contact, the expression in her eyes was conflicted. "If he hasn't worked it out since Ah left, why would anything change now? Its been years Angelo. Years…and he's not any less angry than the last time Ah saw him. In fact, he's angrier."

"Because you weren't here?" he suggested gently. "It's easy to stay angry when you don't have to be in the same house with someone."

"But Ah don't hate him...Ah never did." Something in her mind shifted, and a bit of anger entered her eyes. "He broke up with me and then got upset when Ah moved on. And now he's angry at me, but he's supposedly moved on and is in a relationship." However unhealthy it may be.

"Look, okay... from what I know? You were just kids when you were together. An' I know I don't know the whole story, but if you two need to talk it out with a mediator, I'll drag him into the room if I have to."

"That won't help. He doesn't want to change. He just wants me to go away." A note of frustration entered her voice and she rose from her seat, causing Angelo's hand to fall off her shoulder.

He stayed where he was, looking at her steadily. "You talked to him, what, once since you came back?"

Halting, she stared at him defiantly while putting her hands on her hips. "Twice." Even she realized how ridiculous that sounded, but she couldn't help it. Thinking about Bobby made her feel like...like she was seventeen again.

"Twice. An' you've been back in the mansion how long?"

"Ah dunno...a month or two. He's avoided me like the plague ever since Ah got back." Marie began pacing again. It was all she could do since she couldn't stop the stream of images flooding her mind.

"He does that sometimes", Angelo acknowledged ruefully. "Much as I love the guy, I've dragged him out of his room before."

"Ah remember when he wasn't like that. He used to be happy. He used to..." she trailed off, unable to continue speaking

"A lot of things happened since then", Angelo said quietly. "I'm not even sure you know about all of them, an' if you don't, it's not for me to say."

Closing her eyes, Scott's memory rose to the surface and she grimaced at the image of Bobby and Jean. And Terry had mentioned problems, emphasis on the plural. Pushing her hair behind her ears, she opened her eyes. "No its not," she agreed.

Angelo looked at her seriously. "Look. Don't give up on him, if you want to make anythin' like a friendship again. He's not a bad guy, even if he's angry."

"Yeah, maybe," she found herself saying. "Ah just don't think Ah can make myself try again. It was hard enough making myself knock on his door the first time..."An' then he slammed the door in my face

"An' that's where I come in, if you need help. He's my roomie, you're one of my best friends... I want you to fix this, if there's any fixin' it."

"What'd Ah do to deserve a friend like you Skin?" she asked while walking over to give him a hug. "If...if Bobby ever sounds like he wants to work all this out...you know where to find me. Ah just want him to be happy again."

"I'll talk to him", he promised, giving her a quick squeeze in return. "An' for the happy... we're workin' on that. Maybe I'll throw him in the lake again, if he starts mopin'."

Marie rewarded that comment with a brief smile. "Ah can't say Ah wouldn't like to see that."

"You should've been around when he first came home. Got him good then. An' then the dog jumped in too."

"When was the last time you got thrown in the lake?" she asked innocently.

"Round about the same time", he said with a grin. "Bobby dragged me in - turnabout, an' all."

The smile on Marie's face grew a little stronger. "Ah dunno...sounds like that was some time ago...and you're looking a little dry..."

He eyed her warily, backing away. "Oh, no. Don't you dare, Marie."

"Don't Ah dare what?" she drawled slowly blinking her eyes and holding her hands up in the air placatingly. Before Angelo could make it to the door, she bolted forward and wrapped her arms around him, then flew into her bedroom and out the open window.

Angelo yelped, but he was laughing. "Em! You drop me in an' I'll get you back later!"

Marie hovered a foot over the lake and forced herself to give him a serious look. "Ah'm counting on it," she said right before letting go.

Angelo sank a few feet before his momentum stopped, and he scrabbled back to the surface, spluttering. "Right. You're goin' down." And reaching up, he shot out a strand of skin to wrap around her ankle, and tugged.

Giggling, Marie only mock struggled against Angelo's pull until finally surrendering and allow herself to be pulled into the lake. Rising to the surface, she stuck her tongue out at him before saying, "Thanks, Ah needed that."

"Everybody needs dunkin' in the lake sometimes", he answered with a wicked grin. "Does people good."