xp_logs | Love Potion # 9: When It All Goes To Pieces

Follows the third of these scenes and before the light-stick discovery

Moira goes on Charles' request to the centre of the day's uproar, and finds that even street-punks can break...

Moira takes the stairs two at a time, medical bag jostling slightly. The only logical place for Amanda to currently be is her room, she hopes, so she heads straight there. Her mind flashes back to a meeting they had the other week. Amanda hadn't noticed it but she had placed the crystal ball Romany had sent her in a corner, out of line of sight and much to Moira's dismay it had glowed rather brightly. She was getting power source from somewhere and since they weren't sitting on some mystical site...

Reaching the door, Moira knocks a couple of times and waits for a response. Long moments pass, and just as Moira is racking her brain for other places the witch might be, the door opens a crack. She pushes it open slowly, confused when she doesn't see anyone at first, and then realises the Brit is sitting on the floor next to the door, back to the wall and knees drawn up against her chest. She is wearing a boy's t-shirt and underwear and nothing else.

Moira frowns slightly. As warm as the mansion was kept, it couldn't be comfortable sitting like that and for God knows how long. "Amanda?" She edges into the room slowly, not knowing yet if she was in shock and not wanting to startle her. Over the years, she has learned valuable lessons in not startling mutants

"Come t' read me the riot act, have yer?" Amanda says distantly. She's unconsciously rocking herself, back and forth. "Come t' tell me how evil I am?"

"'ardly," Moira answers. "I figure ye'll be gettin' tha' enough from others an' since I dinnae know 'alf th' story, I'm nay 'bout ta go off 'alf-cocked. I came ta see how ye were doin'. May I come in?" Moira's irritated that something got out of hand but knows that whatever happened, Amanda didn't do it on purpose. The end result, that is. Mistakes happen and she's figuring Amanda's paying the price without having someone else bring her out to task.

"Might as well," Amanda replies to Moira's request to come in. Her fingers clutch at her upper arms so tightly the nails are digging in, and for once she doesn't seem to care about someone seeing her scars - the welts on her legs are thick and angry in the dim light. "An' it doesn't matter how I am, does it? 'S a big joke, witch gets hit by her own potion." She shudders. "I'm gunna kill Ramsey for this. He must've thought it was poetic justice or somethin'. Payback."

Moira quietly enters the room and shuts the door behind her. She doesn't think Amanda wants anyone walking past to hear or see this. She hesitates and then sits besides the girl, not close just in case Amanda spooks. Mentally she files away the scars but doesn't pay them any attention. That's not why she's here. "I dinnae think he's the one who did it...but currently, nobody knows. An' it's not funny tha' ye got 'it wit' it too, I dinnae think anyone's laughin."

"Of course he did it - he an' I were the only ones who knew about the potion, an' he had it. For all his high morals, he's just like the rest of 'em." Amanda spits the words out.

Moira starts to respond and then stops herself. Nothing she can say right now will make Amanda believe Doug's innocence, especially when she hears the bitter undertone. She had something like that once, when Joe revealed how he truly was to her and knows that it'll take time to get that out of her. Instead she nods. "I'm sorry, lass...is there anythin' I can do? An' I'm nay offerin' because I'm staff, I'm offerin' because ye've 'ad a shit o' a day." She also realizes that talking down to earth will possibly get through better than anything else.

Amanda laughs, the sound harsh and ugly and slightly tinged with hysteria. "That's puttin' it mildly," she says, trying to curl up more. "The only way to top this off would be if fuckin' Rack or me cunt of a mother showed up." She buries her head in her arms. "I felt... I feel..." She trails off, unable to put it into words.

Gently placing a hand on Amanda's shoulder Moira says gently, "Helpless?" She blinks, embarrassed, she hadn't meant to say that out loud. "I'm sorry, Amanda...I was jus' recallin' somethin' from me past..."

Amanda shudders at the touch, and at the word. How could this woman know? "Helpless is exactly it," she chokes against the sudden rush of tears. "It wasn't anythin' I wouldn't normally do, but I didn't have the choice, just like it was with Rack. An' then findin' out it was me own potion..." Her tight control slips and she bursts into anguished sobbing, instinctively clutching at the older woman.

This time Moira doesn't hesitate and wraps her arms tightly around Amanda. She doesn't try to make "there, there, stop it noises" but instead just holds Amanda, stroking her hair and back. "I know," she says softly, holding the shaking girl tightly, "'tis scary an' painful." She has a flash of Kevin after the accident with Rory and she closes her eyes tightly against the memories and just keeps holding on.

The storm passes, as they do. Eventually Amanda wears herself out, not difficult after the traumas of the day. Hiccoughing and sniffling, she pulls herself out of the older woman's embrace, shivering slightly.

Moira eyes her and then holds out a hand. "Ye probably could use several good 'ours o' rest, lass. And, besides, ye look like yer about ta freeze yer arse ta th' floor. Think ye can sleep?"

"I.. don't know. Don't think so. My head's just about t' burst. Too much magic, too much everythin'..." Amanda takes the offered hand and lets Moira haul her to her feet - her legs are stiff with the lack of movement. "What... what do yer think they'll do? T' me?" she asks hesitantly.

Helping Amanda to her feet, Moira smiles softly. "I dinnae know...but considerin' who we 'ave still livin' under this roof, I dinnae think ye'll be kicked out." She moves her towards the bed and, more importantly, warmth. She has a gut feeling that that was Amanda was worried about. Between reading her records and talking to her, she is guessing that's what she was probably most afraid of.

"I… don't want t' go," Amanda admits, her voice suddenly sounding a lot younger. Having Moira help her to bed, feeling the gentleness of the woman's touch, they are stirring old, long-buried memories. She lets herself fall into the pillow as Moira pulls the blankets around her, surrendering to the comfort. "This.. 's the only place that gave a rat's..." she murmurs.

Pulling the comforter around Amanda, Moira sits at the edge of the bed. "Aye, we do give a rat's arse," she agrees, "an' I'm willin' ta bet we'll nay be gettin' rid o' ye anytime soon. What wit' Charles runnin' this school an' me bein' as bi' a mouth as I can be? Ye'll nay be goin' anywhere without 'avin' 'ere ta come back ta." She reaches down and grabs her bag again. "As fer sleep, I 'ave some sleepin' pills ye can take. Knock ye right out, guaranteed no dreams an' ye'll get all th' rest ye need?" She holds them out to her.

Amanda reaches out and takes the pills without a murmur. No dreams? She's all for that, especially after the amount of magic she's been doing - one of the side effects are nightmares of fire and blood and an ancient and powerful Evil... She shudders and dry-swallows the pills. "Ta."

Moira waits a second, making sure Amanda isn't about to choke on them, and then nods. "G'night, Amanda," she says softly, drawing up the covers even closer. "Get a 'old o' me if'n ye need some support over th' next few days, aye? Me door is always open." She stands and starts to head out of the room, turning at the doorway to look at the girl again. Amanda's already asleep.