xp_logs | Amanda and Kurt, Saturday afternoon

Amanda drops by to check on her big brother.

"Avon calling!" came the cheerful voice through Kurt's suite door, following the brisk knock. Amanda's voice was instantly identifiable. "If you and Monet are doing something naughty in there, you've got ten seconds to put your pants back on before I come in!"

"She is not here", Kurt called back, vaguely amused, and wandered over to open the door. "Hello, jel'enedra."

"Hey, Blue." In jeans and a flannel shirt and her hair in pigtails, Amanda looked far younger than twenty-one going on twenty-two, but there was a certain keenness to her gaze as she looked him over. "I was in the neighbourhood, thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing. Make sure you weren't being Hermit Bloke." There was a faint hint of concern at the last.

"I think it is safe to say no", he assured her, ushering her in. "I have a couch guest for a few days, if that counts. But you know you are always welcome, hermit or not."

"Couch guest?" Amanda glanced at the pile of blankets on the couch, eyebrows raised. "Taking in waifs and strays again?"

"Something like that." He shrugged slightly. "One of our newer residents, a runaway with dangerous powers... she had an incident a night or two ago and needed a safe space."

"Cammie, right? I met her a couple of weeks ago." Amanda frowned. "Hope she's doing okay - if there's anything I can help with, let me know? We kind of got on."

"She is better now than she was then", Kurt assured her. "She has some trouble with not believing she is a monster, but time and friends will help with that." The rest of the story wasn't his to tell.

"Well, she's in the right place for that." Amanda wisely didn't push the issue - it was mansion business and she was sure Kurt had things in hand. "How about you? Holding up all right after the other week?"

"I am... getting by", he told her honestly. "Perhaps better now than before I made the decision, in one way. At least now it is settled."

She moved to perch on the arm of a chair, tilting her head a little at him. "And how many times have you been told 'told you so', by now?"

He snorted wryly. "Less times than you would think, though perhaps it would be more often if anyone had said anything about it at all. I have only really spoken about it with Forge and Scott."

"Well, I can add to it if you really want me to." She was only half-joking. "But seriously, I'm glad it didn't end up a lot worse than it could have. And you know now you can't trust her, as much as you want to."

"I came so close, Amanda", he said quietly. "All it would have taken is me not looking through the window to see the truth for myself, and I would have played into her hands."

"Because she played you." Amanda shrugged. "I'm not going to say you couldn't have been smarter about the whole thing, but she used you, Blue. She used your wanting to belong to someone against you, same as Selene used me. All you can do now is move on and show you've learned from the mistakes."

"I hope to live up to that", he agreed. "It helps to know that people are still here, whatever mistakes I have made."

That got a soft smile. "That's 'cause we're family, Blue. Real family."

"You are." He stepped forward to give her an easy one-armed hug. "All my little sisters."

She returned the hug, leaning into him. "So, you up for coming to Harry's for a couple? Or do you need to stick around for Cammie when she gets back from wherever?"

"She has gone for lunch with Lil", he told her. "In the city, so I would say we have at least an hour."

"Brilliant." She poked him gently in the ribs. "I'll even buy the first round."