Amanda and Domino, Monday afternoon
Jul. 26th, 2004 01:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAmanda wakes up to find herself in her own bed with Domino watching over her. The two of them have a bit of a talk about what happened on Saturday, and Amanda asks Dom for a rather substantial favor, which her big sister agrees to immediately.
Her 'little sis' really was just a slip of a thing, Domino thought, sprawled idly in Amanda's desk chair, one eye on the screen of the laptop in front of her, the other on the girl curled up in her bed. Not that she hadn't noticed that before, but right now, all bruised and pale and vulnerable-looking, Amanda looked about twelve, and Domino was surprised by the fierce protectiveness she felt. Anyone who came through that door seeking to disturb her was going to have to go through her first. And after a few days of rest and relaxation and a couple of Amanda's healing spells back after her arrival, she would finally be capable of doing more than just falling on them.
Amanda's closed eyes flickered in dreams, seeing in front of her that grinning, firey face, smell the burning flesh, and then the gun... With a start, she awoke, momentarily surprised to find herself a) in her own bed and b) in her own body. Manuel's trick had left her with the oddest reactions sometimes. She looked up at Domino, wincing a little as she moved. "Hey," she whispered, her voice still sore.
"Hey, kiddo," Domino said with a smile, swiveling around in the desk chair. "You sound a little better than you did. Want some water or anything?" She was being a little chipper, she knew, but Amanda, tough though she might be, was still within the forty-eight hour window after a fairly significant trauma. Having happy, or at least happy-acting people around her was probably a good idea.
"Water'd be great," Amanda replied raspily. She pushed herself up, wincing at the bruises on her chest. "Ow. Think next time someone shoots me, I'd rather they used real bullets. Wouldn't care 'bout it hurtin' then."
There was a pitcher of water and two glasses on the desk, precisely for that purpose; Domino filled one and brought it over, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You're sleeping lots," she said briskly. "That's good. Probably the best possible thing at the moment."
Amanda took the glass and sipped gratefully, the water cool on her abused throat. "Yeah, that's what the docs said," she said, her voice a little stronger. She gave a small shudder. "Dreams're botherin' me, but those'll go soon enough."
"Mmm," Domino said, arranging the pillows behind Amanda so that she could sit up more comfortably. "There. Better?" Amanda nodded, and Domino smiled. "Paige was watching you for most of the morning," she said, "but she had to go to class. So, my turn."
"Think I'll cope," Amanda said with a wry grin, holding the glass with the fingertips of both hands since the grazes on her palms were still tender. Then she looked puzzled. "Class? The only classes we've got during the summer are the language ones, an' they're taught by..." She rolled her eyes. "He's teachin' already, ain't he?"
Domino gave a dry chuckle. "Of course he is. Well, trying, at least. I gather there's some kind of conspiracy afoot." She paused. "Not only that, but since Manuel took the morning off like a sane person, Nate decided he had extra hours that needed filling and snuck away to the gym. Found him pounding away at the punching bag, fractured wrist and all." She couldn't help an evil snicker. "I didn't hassle him. I just told Moira." Amanda, in the middle of taking a sip of water, choked a little, and Domino patted her knee. "Sorry about that."
"'M surprised we haven't heard the bollockin' from here," Amanda chuckled, wincing a little as the sound strained her throat. "Silly bugger." She sighed. "He's blamin' himself, ain't he?"
"Quietly," Domino said with a much fainter smile. "Not so much with the falling apart as the taking it to heart." She shook her head, taking the glass from Amanda when the girl seemed to have lost interest in it. "Not to worry," she said, briskly again. "He'll sort through it. If he wasn't brooding, I'd worry. But you don't need to brood, okay? You need to focus on resting and relaxing."
"Nate wouldn't be Nate without the broodin'," Amanda agreed, shifting slightly as various stiffnesses made themselves felt. "An' don't worry 'bout me, I'm gettin' good at this whole recoverin' thing. Gettin' enough practice, any way." She looked down at her hands, fiddling with the blanket. "Dom," she said presently, looking up at the older woman. "Would you do somethin' for me?"
"Anything," Domino said firmly. "At all. I mean that. Want me to beat someone?" She gave Amanda her best endearing grin. "I beat people well."
"I'll remember that next time Lee gets in me face," Amanda said wryly. "But no, I meant somethin' else. I want you t' teach me what you know, how t' fight an' the rest of it.. While yer here, at least."
Domino gazed at her for a moment, thinking about the request, what was probably motivating it, and all the things Pete and Nate might say to her about this. "Tired of being a little girl playing with the big boys?" she asked gently, quoting her own words from last weekend back to Amanda with a knowing smile.
Amanda recognised the quote and nodded. "They laughed at me, Dom. I threw everythin' I had at 'em, an' they shrugged it off like it were nothin'. I couldn't stop 'em from killin' those people, I couldn't help Nate... all I could do was get meself used as a fuckin' bargainin' chip. If Manny hadn't done what he did, we would've lost him. He was surrenderin', Dom, an' you probably know better 'n me what that would've cost him." She realised she was straining her voice again, and reached for the water in Dom's hands. "'M sick of bein' a liability."
Domino handed the water back to her, watching her quietly for a moment. "Anything," she said finally, "and everything. I mean that." Pete and Nate would probably kill her if they heard that - well, maybe not Pete, but certainly Nate would - but she didn't give a fuck. This wasn't about them. She smiled a bit sadly at Amanda. "You do seem to wind up in situations where it would be best to know as much as you can." Shifting farther up the bed, she slid an arm around Amanda, gratified when the girl let her head rest against her shoulder. "I don't want you to feel like a liability," she said sofly.
"Nate don't call me 'Trouble' for nothin'," Amanda said with a tired sigh as she leaned against Domino.
"An' it's gunna get worse - I ain't stupid. Some of those bastards saw what happened, saw their blokes get taken down. They ain't gunna let that rest, an' I'm the one they saw doin' it. Never mind it weren't me drivin'." She took another sip of water, then passed the glass to Domino to put on the bedside table. "An' I ain't gunna sit 'round waitin' t' be rescued. They wanna have a go, I wanna give 'em a decent bloody fight. An' I don't care what Pete or Nate or Strange think. They can't be there all the time."
"Makes perfect sense to me," Domino said, nodding to herself. If she hadn't been already strongly inclined, that alone would have been an adequate reason. Nate had been rather vehement about his belief that the Mistra team would have taken Amanda back with them if they'd had the opportunity. "We'll see how you're feeling tomorrow, okay? I'm here for a couple more days at least..."
Relief at not actually having to argue her point filled Amanda, and she relaxed further against Domino. "Definitely tomorrow," she said, stifling a yawn. "An' thanks, Dom. For understandin'. I ain't about t' go out an' start killin' people for fun an' profit - the magic won't let me - but I need t' do this."
"Yeah, I'm seeing that," Domino murmured, setting the glass on the table. "And I'll help. But tomorrow, okay?"
"Tomorrow is good," Amanda replied sleepily.
Her 'little sis' really was just a slip of a thing, Domino thought, sprawled idly in Amanda's desk chair, one eye on the screen of the laptop in front of her, the other on the girl curled up in her bed. Not that she hadn't noticed that before, but right now, all bruised and pale and vulnerable-looking, Amanda looked about twelve, and Domino was surprised by the fierce protectiveness she felt. Anyone who came through that door seeking to disturb her was going to have to go through her first. And after a few days of rest and relaxation and a couple of Amanda's healing spells back after her arrival, she would finally be capable of doing more than just falling on them.
Amanda's closed eyes flickered in dreams, seeing in front of her that grinning, firey face, smell the burning flesh, and then the gun... With a start, she awoke, momentarily surprised to find herself a) in her own bed and b) in her own body. Manuel's trick had left her with the oddest reactions sometimes. She looked up at Domino, wincing a little as she moved. "Hey," she whispered, her voice still sore.
"Hey, kiddo," Domino said with a smile, swiveling around in the desk chair. "You sound a little better than you did. Want some water or anything?" She was being a little chipper, she knew, but Amanda, tough though she might be, was still within the forty-eight hour window after a fairly significant trauma. Having happy, or at least happy-acting people around her was probably a good idea.
"Water'd be great," Amanda replied raspily. She pushed herself up, wincing at the bruises on her chest. "Ow. Think next time someone shoots me, I'd rather they used real bullets. Wouldn't care 'bout it hurtin' then."
There was a pitcher of water and two glasses on the desk, precisely for that purpose; Domino filled one and brought it over, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You're sleeping lots," she said briskly. "That's good. Probably the best possible thing at the moment."
Amanda took the glass and sipped gratefully, the water cool on her abused throat. "Yeah, that's what the docs said," she said, her voice a little stronger. She gave a small shudder. "Dreams're botherin' me, but those'll go soon enough."
"Mmm," Domino said, arranging the pillows behind Amanda so that she could sit up more comfortably. "There. Better?" Amanda nodded, and Domino smiled. "Paige was watching you for most of the morning," she said, "but she had to go to class. So, my turn."
"Think I'll cope," Amanda said with a wry grin, holding the glass with the fingertips of both hands since the grazes on her palms were still tender. Then she looked puzzled. "Class? The only classes we've got during the summer are the language ones, an' they're taught by..." She rolled her eyes. "He's teachin' already, ain't he?"
Domino gave a dry chuckle. "Of course he is. Well, trying, at least. I gather there's some kind of conspiracy afoot." She paused. "Not only that, but since Manuel took the morning off like a sane person, Nate decided he had extra hours that needed filling and snuck away to the gym. Found him pounding away at the punching bag, fractured wrist and all." She couldn't help an evil snicker. "I didn't hassle him. I just told Moira." Amanda, in the middle of taking a sip of water, choked a little, and Domino patted her knee. "Sorry about that."
"'M surprised we haven't heard the bollockin' from here," Amanda chuckled, wincing a little as the sound strained her throat. "Silly bugger." She sighed. "He's blamin' himself, ain't he?"
"Quietly," Domino said with a much fainter smile. "Not so much with the falling apart as the taking it to heart." She shook her head, taking the glass from Amanda when the girl seemed to have lost interest in it. "Not to worry," she said, briskly again. "He'll sort through it. If he wasn't brooding, I'd worry. But you don't need to brood, okay? You need to focus on resting and relaxing."
"Nate wouldn't be Nate without the broodin'," Amanda agreed, shifting slightly as various stiffnesses made themselves felt. "An' don't worry 'bout me, I'm gettin' good at this whole recoverin' thing. Gettin' enough practice, any way." She looked down at her hands, fiddling with the blanket. "Dom," she said presently, looking up at the older woman. "Would you do somethin' for me?"
"Anything," Domino said firmly. "At all. I mean that. Want me to beat someone?" She gave Amanda her best endearing grin. "I beat people well."
"I'll remember that next time Lee gets in me face," Amanda said wryly. "But no, I meant somethin' else. I want you t' teach me what you know, how t' fight an' the rest of it.. While yer here, at least."
Domino gazed at her for a moment, thinking about the request, what was probably motivating it, and all the things Pete and Nate might say to her about this. "Tired of being a little girl playing with the big boys?" she asked gently, quoting her own words from last weekend back to Amanda with a knowing smile.
Amanda recognised the quote and nodded. "They laughed at me, Dom. I threw everythin' I had at 'em, an' they shrugged it off like it were nothin'. I couldn't stop 'em from killin' those people, I couldn't help Nate... all I could do was get meself used as a fuckin' bargainin' chip. If Manny hadn't done what he did, we would've lost him. He was surrenderin', Dom, an' you probably know better 'n me what that would've cost him." She realised she was straining her voice again, and reached for the water in Dom's hands. "'M sick of bein' a liability."
Domino handed the water back to her, watching her quietly for a moment. "Anything," she said finally, "and everything. I mean that." Pete and Nate would probably kill her if they heard that - well, maybe not Pete, but certainly Nate would - but she didn't give a fuck. This wasn't about them. She smiled a bit sadly at Amanda. "You do seem to wind up in situations where it would be best to know as much as you can." Shifting farther up the bed, she slid an arm around Amanda, gratified when the girl let her head rest against her shoulder. "I don't want you to feel like a liability," she said sofly.
"Nate don't call me 'Trouble' for nothin'," Amanda said with a tired sigh as she leaned against Domino.
"An' it's gunna get worse - I ain't stupid. Some of those bastards saw what happened, saw their blokes get taken down. They ain't gunna let that rest, an' I'm the one they saw doin' it. Never mind it weren't me drivin'." She took another sip of water, then passed the glass to Domino to put on the bedside table. "An' I ain't gunna sit 'round waitin' t' be rescued. They wanna have a go, I wanna give 'em a decent bloody fight. An' I don't care what Pete or Nate or Strange think. They can't be there all the time."
"Makes perfect sense to me," Domino said, nodding to herself. If she hadn't been already strongly inclined, that alone would have been an adequate reason. Nate had been rather vehement about his belief that the Mistra team would have taken Amanda back with them if they'd had the opportunity. "We'll see how you're feeling tomorrow, okay? I'm here for a couple more days at least..."
Relief at not actually having to argue her point filled Amanda, and she relaxed further against Domino. "Definitely tomorrow," she said, stifling a yawn. "An' thanks, Dom. For understandin'. I ain't about t' go out an' start killin' people for fun an' profit - the magic won't let me - but I need t' do this."
"Yeah, I'm seeing that," Domino murmured, setting the glass on the table. "And I'll help. But tomorrow, okay?"
"Tomorrow is good," Amanda replied sleepily.
