xp_logs | Angelo and Amanda, Wednesday during the night

All the talk of Alphonso de la Rocha has its effect on Amanda, but Angelo's there to comfort her.

The hotel room wasn't as luxurious as the one Manuel had booked, but it was still nice, comfortable and homey. A scene of peace and tranquility - rain pattering on the windows, the two shapes curled up in the bed... Then everything changed as Amanda sat bolt upright with a strangled cry and then flung the bedclothes back, fleeing into the bathroom. A few seconds later, desperate retching sounds could be heard as she threw up what was left of the small amount of dinner she'd eaten that evening.

"...Manda?" came the sleepily worried query from the bed as Angelo woke up enough to realize what was going on, then he swung himself up and out to follow her.

She was on her knees before the toilet, holding tightly onto the sides. As Angelo came in she threw up again, gagged once or twice and then spat before sitting back and reaching wearily for the toilet paper to wipe her mouth. "Sorry," she managed after a moment. "Bad dream."

"I figured." He wandered over to sit on the floor next to her, aiming for comfortingly close. "You want to tell me?"

"Alphonso," she said, a shudder going through her. "That fucking Hellfire thing where he..." She didn't finish - she didn't need to. Angelo had seen the results, after all, when she'd 'ported herself and Manuel back. "Still makes me sick to my stomach to think about."

He reached over to rub her back at the shudder, nodding. "You knew we'd have to hear about him. I could have gone to see Fernando on my own..."

She tossed the wad of toilet paper in the bowl and then flushed. "I knew, yeah. Which was exactly why I had to go." She scooted back to lean against Angelo, taking comfort in his body warmth. "I can't let things like that run my life. And I'm fine - just my stupid subconscious giving me grief."

"You sure you're okay?" He peered down at the top of her head, still worried. "Gonna talk to Sofia about it, at least?"

"Yes, love. Always do." She sighed a little. "Some days I just wish I could get Emma to wipe all that shite out of my brain, but that doesn't really do much in the long run. Better to deal with it and get the fuck over it."

"I wanted Nathan to do that for me, once", he admitted. "He wouldn't do it. Said... pretty much that, actually, in different words."

"Which ones?" she asked quietly. "When you manifested, or when you were caught by the other gang?"

"Both." He shrugged slightly. "An' the other reason I'm afraid of fire. But I guess the bad stuff made us who we are, in the end."

"Pretty much. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or whatever that bollocks is?" she replied, nestling closer into him before shivering. "Okay, I think I'm done with the digestive pyrotechnics. Back to bed where it's warm?"

"Warm is good", Angelo agreed, pushing himself to his feet and pulling her with him. "Come on, let's get you back."

"Just a sec." She pulled away long enough to rinse out her mouth and then came back, tucking herself under his arm. "Okay, that's better."

He wrapped his arm around her warmly and ushered her back towards the bed. "Think you can get back to sleep?"

"If you're there, I think I can. Might be a little while, tho'." She pressed a kiss to his cheek before climbing back into the bed and pulling the covers over her with another shiver. "Next trip we take, let's make it somewhere warm? With a beach and drinks with little umbrellas?"

"Definitely. I didn't think Spain'd be this cold." He slipped into the bed and curled up around her.

"Stupid winter," she agreed, cuddling up against him, aware of how chilly her skin must be. "Definitely a beach next time."

He was aware of it too, and the next moment she'd gained an extra close-fitting blanket. "Very next time we get a vacation, yeah."

She made a contented-sounding noise as his skin wrapped around her and she closed her eyes, nuzzling into his neck. "'Sides, it means I get you wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, which suits me," she murmured drowsily.

That got an amused snort. "None of that 'til you've had some decent sleep."

"Spoilsport." She nipped his neck lightly, then yawned. "Tho' you might have a point." She might have said more, but it was lost in another yawn as warmth snuck back into her skin and her body decided sleep was needed after her violent awakening. With a final sleepy mumble, she drifted off again, arm still wrapped around him.