Amanda and Adrienne by the lake

[x-adrienne.livejournal.com]

Early Saturday afternoon. A chat about rather unpleasant things. Genocide, murder, Emma's love life...

Enjoying the sun, Adrienne lounged on a blanket at the edge of the lake near Nathan's Elpis boathouse. She had brought her laptop with her but had been meditating rather than working. Meditating, she mused with a smile, was a hell of a lot easier these days than it had been before her meeting with Fred Duncan. For the first time since her meeting with Charles Xavier, the psychometrist was actually beginning to feel like she was gaining a grasp on the 'mental discipline' the professor had spoken of. Feeling adventurous, Adrienne dug her lighter out of her pocket and removed one of her gloves, attempting to hold the object without 'reading' it.

"Shit!" she cursed loudly after ripping the lighter out of her hand to stop the visions. Okay, obviously not quite there yet with the mental discipline, she thought to herself, making a face.
For her part, Amanda was dropping by the Elpis office to let Angelo know she was back in one piece, relatively speaking. The sudden voice startled her from her thoughts, and her head whipped around, trying to identify the source. The frown became a grin, however, when she realised it was Adrienne. "So it's the good news girl," she called out, heading over that way.

Slipping her glove back on and enduring the short 'reading' that came from doing so, Adrienne smiled up at Amanda. "I like the new hair," she said with an approving nod by way of greeting. Moving her laptop from blanket to grass, she motioned for the now-brunette to join her. "If you have time," she added, not wanting to keep Amanda from anything important. "So how was... where were you this time? India?"

Amanda screwed up her nose. "Hair's temporary - at least I don't have the dreads any more," she complained as she sat on the blanket with the other woman. "The fun and glamorous life of a spy. You get to dress up like a hippie." And kill people, but she didn't say that aloud. "And yeah, India. Had to see to some stuff coming out of that whole Sri Lanka business. How about you? You're looking a lot chirpier than before I left."

"Ugh. Another reason I will never have aspirations to join your team," Adrienne smirked. "I am not 'chirpy'!" the psychometrist retorted indignantly. "But compared to the last time you saw me-" when she'd recently returned from her own trip to India, with a broken collarbone and a pack of rabid NYPD investigators closing in- "I suppose I am in much better spirits, yes." With a shrug she began playing with her lighter, flicking it open and shut with her thumb as she attempted to change the subject, not sure she wanted to tell Amanda exactly why she was 'chirpier'. "What Sri Lanka business? All I heard was that things were 'very bad' from Yvette's journal entry."

"Well, if genocide is 'very bad', then yeah, that's pretty much it. There was a terrorist attack on an Indian ship by a Tamil mutant terrorist, and India basically got the green light to go and wipe out as many of the Tamils as they could lay hands on." Amanda's light tone took on a definite harder edge. "Right at the same time a bunch of the Red X kids were working at a Red Cross camp there. I'm all for education, but there's some things kids shouldn't have to see."

Remembering her own experiences in India and imagining how much more difficult the childrens' situations would have been to stomach, Adrienne gave a curt nod. "Of course not. Children should be protected and... uh... all that stuff..." Her thoughts had gone to a place she very much wanted to avoid, and she trailed off. Stoppit, she ordered herself firmly, fiddling with her lighter. Genocide is not in any way comparable to having an asshole father. Stop being so goddamned self-absorbed. "So it would seem that the denials made by the Indian and Sri Lankan governments in reference to genocide were not entirely truthful," the psychometrist mused. "Isn't that refreshing. I hope you and your fellow spies smartened some people up over there."

"They're covering their arses, so yeah, there's denials." Amanda looked grim for a moment. "But I think an appropriate message was sent." It was also something she didn't feel comfortable discussing with someone from the mansion, especially a 'civilian', as it were, so she searched for a change of topic. "Ready for the whole school thing next week? They've got you teaching full time now, don't they?"

"Good to hear," Adrienne nodded approvingly in response to the assumption she could make from Amanda's 'appropriate message'. Happy for the shift in topic, the brunette brightened visibly. "Yes, I am officially no longer a 'substitute.' I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about the upcoming school year- but if you repeat that to anyone I'm going to deny it with every fibre of my being," she smiled, lounging back on her elbows. "The fact that I've no longer got the 'substitute' label is something I'm rather proud of, actually. It's symbolic of positive change in my life, or some such crap."

"Well, I'm glad for one that you're sticking around. You bring a nice breath of cynicism to the land of the happy people," Amanda joked. "And it's fun watching you and Morgan torment the Mountie on the journals. So much more entertaining than the kids going after each other."

Digging a silver case out of her pocket, Adrienne opened it and took out a cigarette, then held out the case to offer one to Amanda. "I don't know, I think the kids are fairly entertianing when they fight about how sexually active they all are on the journals. There hasn't been much Mountie-tormenting lately," she admitted with a rueful smile, then added before she thought twice about it: "I think we've been avoiding each other a little since I had my meeting with his boss last week."


Pausing in the middle of taking a cigarette, Amanda raised her eyebrow at Adrienne. "Duncan?" she asked, curious. "What were you doing talking to him?"

Fingering her own unlit cigarette in one hand as she continued to hold the case out with the other, Adrienne stared back at Amanda unabashedly, keeping her tone and expression neutral rather than letting any joy seep into her words. She was fairly certain Amanda wouldn't get up and walk away in disgust, but she wasn't entirely sure the former blonde would be pleased with her, either. "He was delivering a deal. To keep me out of jail after I hired a man to kill my husband. I don't think Garrison's too happy with the fact that it took me seven years to confess, and there seems to be a general consensus around all of the law-enforcement officers that I'm pretty stupid." After grinning to show she didn't care Adrienne set her cigarette between her lips and lit it one-handed.

After a moment, Amanda leaned over for Adrienne to light her own cigarette. Meeting the brunette's eyes, she asked simply: "Did he deserve it?"


The answer was immediate. "Even after seven years and all this trouble- nearly getting charged and sentenced to lethal injection- I still think so." The psychometrist lit Amanda's cigarette and took a drag on her own. "Even Emma thinks so, so what does that tell you?" she mused with a small smile. "I got tired of being a punching bag, and after 'reading' my own death on his wedding ring a few different times, I decided I had to take some action." With another drag Adrienne wondered why it didn't bother her to explain her reasonings to Amanda when it had been nearly impossible to tell Garrison, and anyone else, for that matter. "I just wish I'd been brave enough to do it myself."


Leaning back and inhaling deeply on the now-lit cigarette, Amanda was quiet. "I thought that, when I was sixteen. Nearly got myself and a couple of others killed before Pete and Emma bailed me out. Some things are better left to those who know what they're doing." She gave Adrienne a wry smile. "I'm glad you sorted it out, tho'. Garrison's a good sort - he stuck by you?"


Adrienne laughed at Amanda's 'some things are better left to those who know what they're doing' statement. "Yeah, but then you hire a contract killer who's supposed to know what he's doing and you still get caught. Maybe I should have asked Emma to do it," she chuckled. It really wasn't something to laugh at, and she knew that, but Adrienne was quite pleased that Amanda was still speaking to her, and also that Amanda wasn't dwelling on the whole uncomfortable 'punching bag' issue and making her speak about it. "Kane stuck by me, yes. Such a good Boy Scout. I gave him such a hard time, and he stuck by me. Dunno why. New topic." Why was she uncomfortable talking about it? "Who's Pete?"


"'Uncle' Pete?" Amanda grinned broader now. "Well, he's not really my uncle, but he pretty much accepted me as family from the moment I turned up on the doorstep. His sister Romany bailed me out of a couple of spots and decided to send me here where Pete could keep an eye on me. He's a grumpy old bastard who knows far too many ways to kill someone, but he's stood by me, even when I was being incredibly dumb." She winked at Adrienne. "I think he and Emma had a thing at one point."


Giggling uncharacteristically, Adrienne inhaled more toxic smoke as she shook her head. "Hasn't Emma had a 'thing' with nearly everyone in the free world?"


The witch snorted. "Probably? But Pete's one of the few who's still around and not walking funny. Or at least when he hasn't been shot recently."

Unable to think of any response to that, Adrienne just shook her head bemusedly and smoked. "I should really make a point of talking to my sister more often," she murmured eventually. "And meeting your Uncle Pete."