Angelo, Amanda - Sunday afternoon

[xp_daytripper]

After the Great Awakening and breakfast, Amanda escapes the medlab. Only to find Angelo on his way down.



They would have to wake up just when he'd gone to take a shower, Angelo thought wryly, heading back down to the medlab. Still, he couldn't really complain about it since it meant everybody was awake now.

Pants! Pants had been achieved! Amanda laughed out loud at herself. Apparently the euphoria of being awake and back in the world was still there, serious talks notwithstanding. Doug was off catching up with Angel and some of the others, which meant she had a bit more time before getting a lift back to the brownstone, so she decided to do some catching up of her own. With one specific person in mind, she headed upstairs, pleased that Doug had brought the extra-comfy Pixies shirt.

Of course, bounding up the stairs just as Angelo was doing the same thing down was a recipe for comedy, as practically collided half-way.

He yelped as Amanda almost crashed into him, then focused on who it was and reached out to steady her, laughing. "Hey there. Guess you really are awake, huh?"

"Large as life and twice as lively," she replied with a grin, grabbing onto his sleeves for support. "And very glad to be - you wouldn't believe the dreams we had."

"You were dreamin' all that time?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Sounds like a story."

"Oh, it is. Preferably to be told sitting down somewhere comfy. But how're you? Nate mentioned you were pretty much a fixture down there." She gave him a careful once-over, noting he looked tired. "Medlab chairs still suck for sleeping in, don't they?"

"Yeah, they're not the world's most comfortable", he said casually, glancing her over in turn. "Where were you headed?"

"I was coming to find you," she admitted, grinning a little embarrassedly. "But I'll settle for anywhere that isn't medlab. Especially now Doug's brought me clothes - next time I wind up in a coma, I'll make sure I'm wearing something more than the t-shirt and underwear."

"Kitchen, then?" he suggested, grinning back and ignoring the embarrassment. "Or the suite?"

She realised she was still hanging onto his sleeves and let go. "Your suite? The kitchen's likely to be a bit busy, what with everyone awake and demanding food." With a grin, she added. "Not everyone had the full Bamf Service."

"Good point", he said, taking her cue and stepping back a little. "Suite it is, then. Not sure where Forge's likely to go, but I'd guess straight to his lab, so it'll at least be quiet in there."

"Typical Forge." She paused, then reached for his hand, the way she used to. "Besides, I sort of, um, slapped Lorna, while we were stuck. So avoiding the kitchen's probably a good idea - if I know her, she'll be in there doing theraputic cooking."

Angelo blinked, letting her take his hand without thinking and squeezing hers. "Slapped her? Do I even want to know?"

"Part of the long story, but the short of it is we had to have skin contact with each other to remember who we were. Lorna doesn't speak German and I didn't speak English, so things got a bit... confused." She squeezed back, trying to ignore the odd little skip her heart made at the contact as they headed back up the stairs. "I thought she was trying to pick me up, so I slapped her. Traditional movie fashion and all."

He was focusing on what she was saying, not on her hand in his. Even if it might be taking a little more effort than usual. Just a little. "Wow, that sounds like a... special moment", he said, amused. "At least the slap probably counted as contact?"

She laughed. "Enough for the dream - as soon as I'd done it, I remembered everything. I thought for a minute Lorna was going to put me through a wall - we've never got on, and I did put a bit of nelly behind the smack."

"Yeah, I can see why you'd be wantin' to avoid her now, then. You hungry, or was one breakfast enough for you?"

"Oh, the Bottomless Pit's filled for now, tho' I wouldn't say no to more tea. Apparently the tea thing's definitely part of this world," she joked, glad he understood the Lorna thing. "What about you? Nate said he'd made sure you ate, but I know what you're like."

That got her a sideways look. "Yvette an' Sooraya were still awake, as well as Nathan. Trust me, I ate."

"The army of small girls looked after you, did they? 'S good to know." She paused, and then said, a little less carelessly than she had been: "I'm sorry to have worried you. I know it's not my fault it happened, but still, I don't like to put folks through that sort of thing. Especially when you've done the medlab vigil plenty of times before on my account." She squeezed his hand again. "I appreciate it, tho'. 'S nice, knowing there's someone who'll be there for me."

He squeezed back with a faint smile. "You know you can count on that. An' I haven't done it that many times for you. Not as many as for Nathan."

"No-one beats Nathan's medlab record, tho' he was quick to point out I beat him with comas." She pulled a face. "Not exactly a reassuring claim to fame, actually. At least this time I wasn't actually hurt?"

"Yeah, that's a definite plus. Scary as all hell when none of you would wake up, though. I mean, I woke up an' Forge was passed out on the floor in the common area..."

"Must've been a shock all right. Marie just found me tucked up in bed." Amanda snorted a little. "Angie thought I'd been out all night with Mark again. Just goes to show what happens when you get a reputation for sleeping in."

"The kids were really scared too", he said with a nod. "I mean, poor Yvette, the rest of her suite wouldn't wake up, or most of it."

"Poor things. Must've been hard for her and Sooraya especially - they haven't been here long enough to get the whole weirdness thing yet, and then there's the language issue too. I just hope this doesn't put them off the place, or field trips. All jokes aside, there wasn't any stopping this, no matter what sort of security procedures you put in." They hit the main halls, and headed for the staircase to the residential floors. "i was serious about doing field trips again, if people needed me - we can't lock the kids up for fear of something happening."

"Yeah, I'll be arguin' for field trips if there's any question about it. Even if it needs to be escorted an' have the buddy system until they get Sabretooth."

"Yeah, I'm still waiting on word about the bus run. Might be I'll have to call in another 'responsible adult' to come along, keep a tighter rein on the kids. Especially after what happened to Kyle." She sighed.

"You know you can always get me, an' probably Marie too. An' someone's gonna have to make sure Kyle knows he's not to go wanderin' off on his own anymore. Though he probably got that lesson already."

"The hard way, even. Just wish I'd been there - might've been able to do something, instead of finding out later. Not that I ever want to front up to a psycho like him, but at least I've got the shielding." Amanda sighed again, and shook her head. "Not that wishing'll do any good. I'll just have to hope they catch the bastard soon and the staff don't just cancel the whole thing." She gave him a wry smile. "I never thought I'd miss driving through New York traffic in a mini-bus, but I do."

"I think they'll be tryin' to avoid that, as far as they can", Angelo offered. "Try an' keep things normal for the kids, an' all."

"And that's what I'm hanging onto," Amanda admitted. "That they'll see it that way. And I'm willing to jump through whatever hoops they need security-wise."

"Don't think any of us're gonna argue that. Hell, I'll escort the whole group of them together, if that's what the teachers say."

Amanda laughed at that. "Oh, you're signing yourself up for any amount of fun, you realise? They aren't as bad as we were, but they've got their own brands of trouble." She nudged his shoulder. "Mind you, between you, me and Marie, we could probably stay on top of anything they cook up."

"Helps that we've probably already done most of anythin' they could think up", he agreed cheerfully, turning to open the suite door.

She chuckled. "And then some. Tho' at the rate they're discovering hormones, things could get fun - Angel and Julio are still in the cute stage, but I dread what happens when someone has to give her the Talk."

"Doesn't one of her parents live near here? They can do it."

Amanda finally let go of Angelo's hand to flop on the couch. "Her dad. But 's not really a dad kind of talk, is it?" There was a hint of actual questioning in Amanda's voice, since she'd never been in the situation.

"I wouldn't know", he said with a shrug. "Got mine from the boys back in LA, as far as it went."

"I never got a talk. More like a practical demonstration." Amanda shook her head, banishing the memory. "So... tea? That is, if you've got any up here?" She gave him the demon puppy eyes of doom, as Marie-Ange called the expression.

"I think we can dig some up", he said with a grin. "Give me a minute to find it."

"My hero,"" she replied, fluttering her eyelashes at him.