Angelo and Amanda, Friday night

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Angelo and Amanda meet at Finnegan's and have a rather overdue talk.



For various reasons, this particular Friday night at Finnegan's was a bit quieter in terms of the Snow Valley people than usual. A combination of personal matters, outstanding work, and being sent on a particularly-unpleasant drop-off meant that tonight Amanda was, for now, sitting in the booth alone, a pint sitting in front of her, a cigarette smoldering between her fingers and a ring binder - Charlie's notes on magic, in fact - open on the table. Every so often, however, she'd look up as the door opened, as if waiting for someone.

One of those times, the right person came through the door. Angelo grinned and waved as he made his way over. "Hey there. How's things?"

She gave him a wide smile and flipped the binder closed. "Same old, same old. Saving the world one bastard at a time. How about you? Stopped any mutant child slavery rings lately?"

"Workin' on it", he told her. "An' I really wish I didn't have to say that, but yeah. State of the world, an' all that. Keeps us busy."

"I'd say keeping busy keeps you out of trouble, but I know what your field mission record is like," she teased, gesturing for the waitress to bring Angelo a beer - the staff knew the two of them well enough by now to not need any more of a cue than that. "I like that tie on you, by the way. Very nice."

"It's not just me", he protested. "Did I tell you about that whole thing with Julio an' the jaguar? An' thanks, it's new. Ish."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, it was more of a you plural - all of Elpis seems to have taken on Nate's attraction for trouble." Taking a sip of her beer, she continued. "And speaking of trouble... how's the new place with John going? He seemed pretty happy with things when we had lunch the other day."

"It's good!" he said cheerfully. "John's bein' his usual self, but I got used to that a long time back. An' he replaced my shoes."

Amanda made a face as the waitress brought Angelo's drink. "Yeah, I saw that on the journals. Ah, Americans, can't handle their booze," she said, in blatant - and deliberate - disregard for the fact Angelo was from California himself.

"White Americans", Angelo corrected. "Should've seen Bobby the first time I gave him vodka. It was pathetic, but at least he's got over that now."

"It's this whole 'no drinking until you're 21' shite," Amanda replied, acknowledging the correction with a nod. "They don't get the practice in."

"Unless they're the bad kids like us", he finished with a grin. "Who always have much more fun anyway."

"Yep." She held up her pint. "To youthful misadventures, yeah?"

"Youthful misadventures." He clinked his glass against hers. "An' still havin' fun even when you're grown-up an' respectable."

"I'll drink to that," she replied and did so. "So," she continued, setting down her drink again. "Anything new with you since last time we did this?"

"Now, when was the last time...?" he asked teasingly, before nodding. "Yeah, there is actually. Been meanin' to tell you, when the time was right... I'm seein' someone."

Well, at least he'd told her himself - she'd been hoping he would. She took a drag of her cigarette, the laughter dying in her expression. "Yeah, John mentioned something about that. He said you'd taken up with Alejandra again."

"He's right", Angelo said seriously, fumbling in his jacket pocket for his own cigarettes. "It's just... we're seein' where it goes, for right now."

"Ah." Amanda looked down and tapped her cigarette into the ashtray. "It's... good. That you're not just doing the work thing," she said lamely, not sure what to say. She didn't begrudge Angelo dating again, but there was a sting of doubt.

"'Manda." He reached over and tapped her hand. "Look at me. I know you never liked her..."

"It's not that." She took a breath and made herself meet his eyes. "It's just... fuck, this is going to sound lame and needy and all that other shite I'm supposed to be working on." With a sigh of exasperation, she blew her bangs out of her eyes. "I guess I'm wondering, is all. Where I fit in. When you saw her again, in LA... did you maybe hope you'd get together again?"

"Not then", Angelo said instantly. "For one thing, I didn't want the girl she was when we found her in LA. Not for a second. An' for the more important thing... I was with you then."

"'S ironic, isn't it? I'm the one that broke us up and it's me getting bent out of shape over who you're dating." Amanda wrinkled her nose and tapped her cigarette again, even though it didn't really need it, before taking another drag. "It's just... well, s'posing me and Manny had got back together after. Would it have bothered you?" Not there would have been any chance of that happening, but she needed the example to explain - to herself as well as him - what she meant.

"Might've done", Angelo admitted. "I mean, Manny's not the person he was at school, he an' I were actually gettin' on pretty well by the time he left, but... yeah. It's the history, that's what you're sayin'?"

"I s'pose so. It makes me wonder... going back to her, what does that mean about our time together? Did it count?" Trying to put it into words was frustrating and Amanda gave a lopsided grin. "I'm being balmy. We both know my whole thing about coming second with people and all."

"You never came second with me", he told her firmly. "An' of course it counted. I even turned her down for you, once, not long before the whole Church of Humanity thing... but we ended, you an' me. An' maybe I wanted to see if I could make things work with her, now I was single, but it doesn't mean I was waitin' for that to happen. You get me?"

She nodded. "I do. I mean, I knew I was being nuts, but I think I needed to hear you say it, you know? You're my best mate, you always will be and I trust you not to blow smoke up my arse." A brief, wicked grin appeared. "Unless I'd asked you to, of course." Then she sobered again. "But yeah, it's mostly my whole insecurity thing getting in the way. Sof and I have been working on it - at least I said something this time?"

"I'd call that progress", he agreed, relaxing. "Sofia's good at her job, looks like. I know you'd've just sat on it, this time last year even."

"Yay, progress." She twirled a finger in the air. "I'm getting there. I wouldn't say I'm ready to double date with you and her, but I'm not going to give you grief for it. You never got to see things all the way through with her, not like you did with me and Paige. Maybe you need to do that."

"Never got a proper endin', with Alejandra", Angelo confirmed. "An' that didn't matter so much when she was out of my life an' I never expected to see her again, but then when she wound up here..."

"Of all the cities in the world, she had to walk into mine," Amanda paraphrased, mock-grumpily. "Seriously, tho', Ange, I do get it. I might not be jumping for joy, but if you're happy, then that tends to be good enough for me, especially since that was why we split in the first place. So we didn't make each other miserable."

"An' I appreciate it", he said with a nod and a drag on his cigarette, then looked at her. "So what about you? Anyone on the horizon?"

She snorted. "Not really. I've got my plate full with teaching Nico on top of my usual job - doesn't leave a lot of time for dating. Besides, I think I just need a break for a while. Sort my shite out, work out what I want."

"Fair enough", he said equably. "I met Nico, by the way. Seems like a good kid."

"She is," Amanda said with a proud smile. "Even if she is too much like me for her own good."

"But that's why you're the perfect teacher for her", Angelo pointed out. "You've been there, you made the mistakes, so you know what to steer her away from."

"Well, that's the idea." There was a certain worry clouding her eyes. "Angie's turned up some possible trouble on the horizon. I'm keeping a close eye on her, to make sure. Temptation, dark power, the usual bollocks."

"Always seems to come with the magic, doesn't it?" he said quietly. "You, your mom, your sister in a way... but it's still only possible trouble, right?"

"Part of the big ol' game of snakes and ladders that is magic," Amanda agreed. "It definitely brings out the worst in people." She paused, and then added. "And the best. Nico's strong and she's got people looking out for her. I think she'll do."

"Between the folks at the mansion, an' you guys at Snow Valley, God help anyone tryin' to tempt her", Angelo added with more humour, and finished his drink.