xp_logs | Pete and Amanda

In the medblab, with the nictoine gum. They chat about healing spells, getting shot, Angelo's birthday, the Askani, and women...

Competent medical care made all the difference, it really did. That and actual pain medication, rather than just drinking the stuff they used to clean the wounds. Pete was feeling rather better than he had in most of the last week - he was even managing to read the paper without cursing his useless right arm too much. If only they'd let him have a bloody cigarette...

There was a tap on the door, and then Amanda poked her head around the door. Taking in the sight of Pete, she let the door swing open fully, leaning against the frame. She shook her head. "I dunno whether t' laugh or kick yer arse. What the fuck have you been doin' t' yerself?"

Pete looked up with a grin. "I didn't do a bloody thing to myself. The cunt with the gun decided I'd look better if I let a little more light through, that's all. How was your holiday? Did Romany turn De La Rocha into a frog?"

"You'll be disappointed t' hear he got through unscathed. I think she's gettin' mellow in her old age." Amanda came in and took a seat in the chair beside the bed. "An' the trip was good - 'm all relaxed an' ready for the next disaster this place throws at me. Tho' it seems t' have hit you first..." Tilting her head, she nodded at his badages. "You want me t' give you a hand with any of that? I ain't touched a healin' spell for a couple of weeks, so I should be all right with it."

"Wait 'til you next see Strange. If he's OK with it, I'm OK with it. I trust your judgement, but I can do without him sending me more shirty emails, cheers - he tends to copy them to Romany as well, and she hasn't
mellowed that bloody much. Besides, I was stupid enough to let the bastard shoot me, so I'm probably due a few weeks of suffering as a reminder not to do it again. If Mandy gets into trouble in the next while, she'll just have to find some other sucker to get her out of it." He gave her a rueful grin.

Amanda looked doubtful, but let it go. The last thing she wanted was Romany deciding to yank her out of the school altogether. "You know, I think you have an Amanda curse. We're nothin' but trouble t' you, tho' at least I haven't gotten you shot. Yet."

"Nah, you're not *nothing* but trouble. Mandy, maybe, but she's a journalist, and they're all bloody mad. Besides, her Dad's an old mate, and it'd wreck him if she turned up with bullets in her. Besides, it's not always women called Amanda that wind me up in serious trouble. I've a couple of exes who landed me in more hot water than they were bloody worth." He scowled briefly at the memory.

"Ooh, gossip." Amanda grinned, pulling one knee up so her bare foot rested on the chair seat and wrapped her arms around her leg so her chin was resting on her knee. "Speakin' of exes, we saw Dom an' the Pack in Amsterdam. She's off on a job now, but she's goin' t'give you so much grief for this. What's it worth to you?"

"Yeah, I heard about that. I'm going to get Dom a t-shirt that reads 'I must not break the boys'. As for what it's worth, well, lets just look on this as a test of your discretion, shall we? I mean, you'd hate me to stop turning a blind eye to all the little things that some of the students around here get away with, wouldn't you? What with Angelo's birthday coming up, and all?" Pete's familiar evil grin repaced the scowl.

"Which reminds me - got any idea what you want to get him?"

"Bugger, I really ought t' remember that blackmail only works if yer own nose is clean." Amand sighed theatrically. "I'll be good. An' nah, haven't a clue, yet. There's some vague plans of goin' out an' misbehavin', but as for an actual present, I'm stumped. 'S gotta be somethin' good, tho'."

"Arse. I'd like to get the kid something, and I've got no fucking clue, either. I was hoping to pick your brains. The brightest idea I'd had was vouchers for a tattoo or something, but I dunno if he's the type. That or
something for him and Paige to do together..."

He paused.

"Any idea when his Mum gets to town?"

"No idea - stuff keeps comin' up, delayin' things." Chewing thoughtfully on her thumbnail, Amanda continued, slowly: "Hmm, here's a thought. Somethin'for him t' do, I mean. We were talkin' 'bout a bunch of us goin' out for his birthday, but there ain't that much t' do in town, an' no room t' have the good kind of fun if we have t' come back here an' run the teacher gauntlet an' start another of those idiotic fights on the journals." She didn't mention the last underage drinking debate had resulted in Sarah and Shinobi taking off. "But maybe if we could arrange somethin' in New York, an' somewhere t' crash... might be an idea." With a grin, she added: "Or at least get permission t' stay out all night."

Pete looked thoughtful.

"Well, we can't do it on the school's dime - you'll have to chaperoned if Charlie's paying. And as a faculty member here, I can't do it, either. That'd be encouraging you lot to misbehave, and we all know that that's Evil and Wrong." Sarcasm dripped from every word. "But if you knew a woman who wasn't staff here, and who has a sensible attitude to this sort of thing, and were to give her a bell, and it just so happened that her brother had sent her a cheque because he thought he owed her some money when in fact he didn't, well, she might be disposed to use the spare cash to help you lot out by booking you some hotel rooms."

An evil grin crossed Amanda's face. "That sounds just the ticket. Oh, and speakin' of presents..." She dug into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a battered packet of nicotine chewing gum. "T' tide you over until yer up an' about again. An' if you need the real thing, Jono an' Sarah's basement ain't that far t' stagger."

"Ah, gum. For when the inhaler just won't cut it. Mate of mine tried to quit using this stuff, wound up addicted to it - he was smoking Silk Cut Ultra, so the gum had more fucking nicotine than his fags did."

His expression turned slightly more serious.

"While I'm thinking of it, what classes're you signed up for over the summer?"

Amanda snickered. "It got me through all those flights without maimin' anyone or drivin' Manny insane, so it should do at a pinch. An' you might as well smoke a toothpick as those things." Then she gave him the slightly amused look that always followed one of his serious "responsible guardian type" questions. "Nate's language classes; Mandarin an' Arabic, an' Askani when it takes off. Tho' the pushy bitch in his head seems t' want t' put me on the fast track, same as she did Alison. Told her I wanted t' think 'bout it first, seein' how I've had it with people fuckin' with me head with their powers." Amanda grimaced.

"I'm gunna sort out some actual powers trainin' - the mutant one, not the magic - with Moira, see if I can't get a handle on this whole addiction problem, considerin' I'm workin' with one arm tied behind me back, so t' speak, as long as I need this." She lifted Rom's pendant from where it hung around her neck, a slightly contemptuous expression on her face, aimed more at herself than the charm.

Pete nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. What d'you make of all this Askani business, then? I mean, I just don't get why everyone's so sodding keen to learn a language that's only spoken by mad bastards living in Nate's head..."

"A lot of us had dreams of 'em, the night they moved into Nate's head. Gave us a perspective on 'em. An' the language classes're just a start, a way of teachin' us 'bout the rest, the history an' all."

Amanda shrugged. "I ain't sure it's gunna change things any more 'n Jamie's group, or the RedX stuff, but I like languages, an' it's an interestin' one. 'Sides, the Askani reckon they can help train Manny, so that gives 'em brownie points. Not enough t' let 'em re-write me head, tho'."

"Yeah, but it's basically teaching you about a history that's not going to happen, if they get any say in it. Fairy stories. I like a good story as much as the next man, but I dunno, it just seems kinda pointless. Plus the whole thing stinks of holy fucking cause, and that always sets me teeth on edge."

Pete scowled.

"I dunno, maybe it's just me being a suspicious-minded old sod. I should sit down with Nate, talk to him about them, but there always seems to be something more important to do. Or y'know, one of the other of us is shot..."

"Someone has t' be the suspicious-minded old sod," Amanda told him with another chuckle. "There's a bit of the religious crusade about it - 's what sets me teeth on edge 'bout Askani, I s'pose - but I can't see Nate lettin' them use him for that, not with how he is with religion." She shrugged.

"I think they just want t' be remembered, 'specially if they wind up never existin'. 'S more Homily's line than mine, all this." Then she mock-glared at him. "Plastic bubbles for the pair of you if you keep this up."

"What, you think we do this for fun?"

"No, but this is the second time for you since I've been here, an' as for Nate..." She rolled her eyes. "Just sayin', is all. I don't like seein' me family in medlab with holes in 'em."

Pete sighed. "Wish I could promise you it won't happen again. But this is what I do, y'know? The teaching, and the guidance counselling, it's nice, but it ain't what I'm trained to do."

Reluctantly, Amanda nodded. "I know. I wish it were otherwise, but that ain't happenin', so the best I can do is hope yer all right when yer out there, an' help patch you up when you aren't. 'S part of what you do, but that don't mean I have t' like it."

"OK, you need to spend less time talking to Romany. You're starting to sound just like her. Keep it up, and you're going to starting disapproving of the girls I bring home, and then you and I are going to have words..." Pete grinned.

"Yer'd have t' bring one home first," shot back Amanda with a smirk.

"Are you fucking kidding? I like me private life private, and I can do without the kids here speculating about who I may or may not be seeing..."