xp_logs | Angelo and Nathan, Sunday morning (Reply)

In which Angelo fails at hiding things from telepaths.

Angelo wasn't always good at faking things. Secrets, he could do, but he couldn't always manage the part where nobody figured out there was a secret, especially when it was bad. He was doing his best, though, when he walked into the boathouse that morning.

The two telepaths in the room immediately looked up from their lunch. Rachel began to sniffle immediately, gray eyes woeful. Her father's eyes were just as wide, but more shocked.

"She's where?"

"...uh." He froze like a deer in headlights, looking between the two of them. "Damn, I thought I was shieldin' better than that. She's... in London?"

Nathan's jaw tightened, and he reached out telepathically and soothed Rachel. #Eat your lunch,# he Suggested. She gave him a mutinous look, but then picked up a cheese curd and nibbled. "Mmm," he said finally. It was a monosyllable that conveyed several different sentiments, none of them apologetic for the unintentional eavesdropping. When someone walked in projecting like that...

"You're planning to be in London, too." It wasn't a question, and when Nathan went on, his tone was not-quite deadpan. "But in a different way."

Angelo nodded, wandering over to stroke Rachel's hair in something like an apology. "Yeah, I am. Soon as I can."

Nathan's expression was not quite readable. "You'll keep in regular contact," he said; again, not a question. "I don't know what was going on-" And that wasn't quite true, but he was going to pretend it was. "-but I'd prefer to be hearing from you on a regular basis to make sure you're all right. I'd go with you myself, but I suspect you'll have company anyway? And too many cooks spoil the sauce."

"I don't think anybody's comin' back without her", Angelo confirmed carefully. "I'll call you every day, promise. But you can't tell anybody." That last was an appeal.

Nathan didn't quite roll his eyes. "I thought I'd rent a plane, with a banner." A sigh slipped out, though. There were things he had learned to do well, these last few years, and things he hadn't. Worry definitely fell into the latter category. "Moira will know as soon as she's in the same room with me next weekend, if this isn't resolved by then, but you know she'll keep it to herself, too."

"Yeah", he said tiredly. "I know she will. I just wasn't even supposed to tell you. Good thing we're down here, with Terry's ears."

"Right, because you were going to vanish to London for an indefinite period of time with no explanation. Or go to London and successfully lie to me, which I will note you've never actually managed to do in four years and counting."

"I know." He sat down, reaching for Rachel with blatant disregard of her lunch. He needed a toddler hug, right now. "Didn't say it would've worked, just I wasn't supposed to tell anybody."

"I think there are more important things to worry about right now," Nathan said, watching Rachel hug Angelo without hesitating. "She's found her way home from strange places before," he said after a moment, thinking about that day in the infirmary, years ago. "Keep that in mind."

"An' she will again", Angelo said quietly. "She's alive, somewhere out there. An' we'll find her."

"Of course you will. Just don't run yourself into the ground looking - she may need you at the top of your game," Nathan said, then smiled, briefly and wryly. "But then, you should know that. You've had this experience before."