Amanda, Manuel - Thursday morning
Sep. 2nd, 2004 08:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsThe morning after. Manuel gets to help Amanad through some ugly withdrawals, and then they talk - about Angelo, wanting things to be different, Jubilee, and the past. Some headway is made.
The peace of the warm fuzzy place that all lovers inhabit after protracted make-up sex was broken abruptly as Amanda bolted from the bed and for the bathroom, followed by the sound of someone being horribly, terribly ill. Weakly Amanda held herself above the toilet bowl as another wave of nausea sent her stomach into spasms - the withdrawal cramps had started abruptly, as if waiting for the worst possible time, and for a minute she hadn't been sure if she'd make it to the bathroom. It was also impossible to be sick quietly - she just hoped Manuel was sleeping soundly and would miss the whole episode.
Unfortunately, he wasn't - and the sick need pouring across the link and slamming against his shields would have been enough to rouse him from slumber even under the best of conditions. "'Manda?" he asked sleepily. "What's wrong?"
"Nothin'. 'M fine, go back to sleep," she managed to gasp out, between retches. Oh, this crash was a bad one. And she wasn't wearing the amulet... where had it got to? Vaguely she remembered taking it off at the dock, then the scene with Manuel... She'd dropped it on his desk at some point in proceedings. Shite. The desk was altogether too far away right now, and any thought of leaving the bathroom was interrupted by another bout of retching. Vomiting on an empty stomach. So romantic.
Manuel slid out of bed and walked over, not to the bathroom, but to his desk. He found the amulet, picked it up, and _then_ walked into the bathroom. "You forgot your jewellery." he said simply. "Might want to _not do that_ any more." he hissed. He held it out so that it could dangle before her like he was hypnotizing her. "I have an idea for how I might be able to help. Unfortuately, I can't do anything for the physical stuff."
Amanda pushed herself back from the toilet bowl, grabbing a handful of paper to wipe her mouth before taking the amulet from Manuel's hand. "At this point in time, I willin' t' try anythin'," she said, fumbling with the catch with fingers that were shaking too much to function properly. The tiled floor was cold against her bare skin, but she really didn't care. All she wanted was to not feel this way. She'd even take Moira's medicines if it would help.
Manuel took the amulet away from Amanda again, undid the catch, and carefully put it around her throat before refastening it. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked her, kneeling down, heedless of the cold tile on his own nakedness.
"Eventually. Once I detox enough. System's wantin' what it can't have, an' making me miserable for it." The amulet started glowing almost immediately it touched her skin - she'd been running on empty, then, that made sense. "You missed all the fun an' games last time - addiction's fuckin' ugly, when you get right down to it." She gave him a weary, wry smile. "Sorry. I really fucked this up, didn't I?"
"I was having my own fun and games." he said, face seeming to fall into shadow for a second. "Come back to bed, Amanda." he said, stepping back to give her room.
"But I like it down here..." she almost whined. Now the being sick part was over and she was getting enough of a recharge to function, she was feeling very contrary. "'S comfy an' the bed's all the way over there."
"Don't start with me." he growled, reaching down to pick her up. "We're going back to bed, where it is warm. If you don't want to sleep, then we can watch TV or a DVD or something."
"So much for lyin' in an' enjoyin' ourselves," Amanda sighed, not putting up a fight as Manuel carried her back to the bed. Not that she'd be able to, even if she wanted to - she was as weak as a kitten now. Besides, he had a point about the warm thing; his skin felt like it was burning hers, she was so cold. "Can't sleep just yet. Talk t' me? I missed hearin' you."
"I can do that." he said, tucking her into bed and then sliding in next to her. "What would you like to talk about?"
"I dunno, anythin'." Amanda murmured, cuddling into Manuel's chest. "Tell me a story or somethin'."
"A story?" he said, looking completely baffled. "Right. Humor the addict. A story. Hrm ... a story you would be able to appreciate." he said as he thought. "Did I ever tell you about Eduardo?"
"No, you didn't." Amanda restrained herself from poking him for the addict crack - besides, it _was_ true, she wanted humouring - and settled herself in. "Who was Eduardo?" She pronounced the name as he had, rolling 'R' and all.
"Eduardo was my best friend when I was living on the streets. I was, God, about fifteen or so when we met. My power was way out of control, and he - he put up with it. With me. Helped me find something to hold onto. We used to go clubbing, he and I. Use my power to break into a boutique, dress in all the hottest styles. Then we'd go dance and drink the night away, maybe find us some rich old bag who wanted some adventure in her life."
"He sounds like a good mate," Amanda said sleepily, lulled by Manuel's body heat and the amulet doing its job. The link was another factor - warm and pulsing in the back of her head, she hadn't realised how much she missed it until it had come back. "What happened to him?"
Manuel shrugged. "He turned me into the police." he said too-casually. "I really don't know what happened to him from there. Probably still out there, dancing and drinking the sweet red wine."
Amanda winced at the jab of hurt down the link. "'S like that on the streets," she said sadly. "Everyone for 'emselves, doin' anythin' t' survive..." She shook her head slightly and kissed Manuel's collarbone, which was as high up as she could reach without moving. "Had a mate like that. Kate. She was on smack, ended up ODing on it. I was always tellin' her bein' a junkie just meant she didn't have no spine." She sighed. "Set meself up for this, then, didn't I? 'S fuckin' ironic is what it is."
"You could say that." he said. "Eduardo protected me, gave me sanity, some stability. It was he who figured out how to use the Mirror to save myself. And it was via the Mirror that he took me down. Despite everything, I loved him like a brother. God, the times that we had together - the wine, the women, and the music. All the things a man needs, eh?" he said with a grin and a very gentle nudge with his elbow.
"This man, any way, tho' if I keep you locked up here much longer you'll starve t' death..." Aamnda wrapped her arm more securely around him. "You miss him," she said presently. "I can feel it down the link. You ever consider trackin' 'im down? You probably could now, with the Hellfire connections an' all."
Manuel paused. "I've thought about it." he admitted. "But I'm really not sure that would be a good idea. Someone, probably my father, got to him once - they could do it again. Best to leave my memories as happy ones, and not ruin a bright spot with darkness." He smiled then as a memory came back to him. "I remember there was this one time ... I was living with this woman. Rich woman, husband never home to give her what she needs, the usual deal. She brought home some cheese - French, I think. Eduardo and I sat in her living room and drank her wine and ate her cheese and smoked pot and laughed for hours. He brought up this girl, you see, I don't even know _where_ he found her. But she could do the most amazing things with her body. I swear she could have been a mutant, she was that flexible. And she had a need on her, a powerful need. She'd do anything to satisfy it. Anything at all."
"Hmm." Amanda closed her eyes for a second, willing the stab of hurt to go away. He hadn't meant her, she knew that. It was just so hard not to remember the things she'd done, in the name of answering the need. "Know a little bit 'bout that," she said quietly.
"I thought you might. Reason I mention it is that I've felt addicts before. And I think I can do ... this." His eyes glowed red as he rolled over to kiss Amanda deeply, timing it to coincide with his empathic push. He took all the emotional need, the fear and sadness and _need_ that went hand-in-hand with her addiction, and tied it in a very tight little ball. He left it where she could sense it, but away from her usual emotions. As he broke off the kiss, his eyeglow died. "I think I got it all. That ball will unravel slowly, but it should give you time to get yourself ready to deal with it when it does."
Breathless from more than just the kiss, Amanda blinked slowly, realising that it was easier to think now. Yes, the physical need was still there, but she could ignore that. This... She couldn't describe how much it helped. "An' you say yer power don't do anyone any good," she managed at last, her voice tight with emotion. "Thank you, love. I... this helps. So much." She pulled him back in for another kiss, letting everything she was feeling - gratitude, love, wonder, relief - pour down throgh the link to him.
Manuel smiled his twisted little smile. "It's not permanent." he said with real frustration. "I can't take it from you - but I can give you a little room to breathe. Just like before." he said with a sad smile. "Before it all went sour."
"Room t' breathe is good. Bloody fuckin' hell, do I need room t' breathe. Everythin's been insane since Columbia..." She reached up to touch his face. "Don't think you ain't done anythin' just because it ain't permanent. An' we'll work it out, we have to. Not after all this." There was some conviction in her voice, but not completely - they'd both inflicted a lot of damage on the other. "Did you miss me? At all? I couldn't tell without the link, an' you acted like you hated me..."
"There's a very old and fairly bad song that I once heard that answers that question." he said with a grin, and then started to sing. "I only think of you on two occasions / that's day / and night" he sang with a chuckle at his own corniness. "I'd wake up, and be confused because you weren't there. I'd pass Angelo in the halls, and get all pissed-off all over again because he wasn't taking care of you."
"He sent me an email, 'bout a day after everythin'... blew up. Told me he wasn't gunna be my friend any more, since it meant I got hurt. 'S bloody typical of him - he tries t' be the damn martyr all the time, think of everyone else before himself." Another stab of sadness, this one unconnected to addiction and so coming through, a touch of anger. "Every time you said somethin' 'bout him an' me, it made me feel like I'd thrown everythin' away. An' I didn't even love him, not the way I do you. It was just one of those silly things, daydreams. Wantin' t' be like Paige, I s'pose." Talking about Angelo probably wasn't the wisest thing in the world, but they had to sometime. And she needed to.
"What, you wanted to dangle multiple partners around? Does that mean he gets to go away with Emma and pull himself together?" Manuel asked sarcastically. "And you had thrown everything away - but I didn't give up on you, despite some serious temptation."
"Not like that, an' you know it. Just... bein' closer t' normal. Big family, smart, pretty... Stupid, like I said. Remember when you asked me if I would change things if I could? Remember what I said? Face it, Manny, 'm not exactly a fuckin' poster child for any kind of stability, an' that ain't gunna change any time soon, even with me workin' on it. I just wanted t'... not be me, if only for a second." She sighed, and added wryly. "'M glad you didn't give up on me. 'Specially when I gave up on meself."
Manuel shrugged, not understanding why she got so bent out of shape on this topic. "You're smart enough, and under all the scars, pretty enough. Paige - feh, blondes like her are a dime a dozen, even if it is natural. Nice tits, though. Give me something more exotic, something a little dangerous. Not some white-bread farm girl!" he said with some disgust. "She has abysmal taste in men - a half-man and Angelo. Crowning achievements, to be sure. Guess she couldn't do any better."
"Don't be a git - Paige is a mate, an' I ain't gunna sit here an' listen t' you insult her," Amanda said, poking him "An' I don't expect you t' understand, just thought I'd try an' explain, is all. 'S all academic now, any way - Ange won't talk t' me ever again. That should make you happy."
"Oh, I like her well enough - we're going to the opera at some point." he said with a smirk. "I just don't particularly find her all that attractive. Not like you." he said, leaning over and nuzzling into her neck. "You don't need Angelo - Paige is your friend, you've got me, and Nathan adores you like a daughter."
"True." Amanda didn't add what she was thinking, that Angelo couldn't be replaced if she became the most popular girl in the school. For a long time she was silent, thinking over things. "I should go down t' medlab later," she said, apropos of nothing. "Need t' start Healin' Lee."
Manuel shrugged. "OK." he said. "I don't even want to know what was going through your mind when you decided you needed to beat Lee's face in. That was tacky."
"_I'm_ tacky, in cause you hadn't noticed. "S the way I learned t' settle differences on the street. 'M only surprised I didn't do it sooner." Amanda sighed and shifted - suddenly she wasn't so comfortable any more. "She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was like everythin' piled up - everythin's that gone wrong since I got back from England, pretty much - an' she happened t' be on the receivin' end. It was like I had t' prove I wasn't gunna let people push me aruond any more." Another sigh. "Doesn't excuse it, an' I feel like shite now. 'Specially with her tryin' t' do a runner an' all. S'pose I'll have t' apologise, tho' she'll probably throw it back in my face."
Manuel shrugged. "Not how I would have handled it, but I'm not you. If you want or need my help, just ask." he said as he streeeetched himself out. "I think you should tell me a story." he said after a few minutes of silence. "Turnabout's fair play."
"True or made up?" she asked, stalling for time. Most of her stories were of the dark and depressing type, although if she tried, she could think of something, maybe.
"Oh, because I so do enjoy it when you _lie to me_." he growled. "The only answer to that stupid question is _true_."
"Remind me t' never give you a book of fairy tales," Amanda said, rolling her eyes. "Not everythin' made up is a lie, 'least not the way you mean." She wriggled around some more, trying to get comfortable - Manuel suddenly seemed all angles and bones, as he tensed up, and she's lost too much weight again. "I never told you 'bout how I got here, did I? The actual story, not just that Rom found me."
Manuel tried his damndest to let go of the irritation she'd raised in him. "No, you didn't." he said pleasantly. "I know almost nothing about you, really."
"I was livin' on the streets in Brighton," she began. "Beggin' an' the like, doin' odd jobs, but a lot of the time I made me money buskin'. Magic tricks - cards, makin' thinngs disappear, pullin' pennies out of kids' ears..." She chuckled at the memory. "Miles still thinks that's a brilliant trick. Most of it was sleight-of-hand, stuff I picked up on me own, but some of it was real. Magic, I mean. Enough t' get the punters in. Light shows, lightin' fags with me finger, that sort of thing. Any way, I was doin' this one day an' I notice there's this woman watchin' me. Starin', really."
"Let me guess - Romany?" he asked, leaning back to enjoy the story. Even if he did have to cut through her atrocious accent on some words to understand her.
"Yeah. Only I didn't know it at the time. Thought it was bloody Social Services come t' pick me up again. I finished what I was doin', collected me bits an' pieces, an' legged it. Led her a merry chase, or so I thought - 'round the back ways, wnet over a couple of back fences, surprised some old dear in her rose garden. Any way, eventually I figured I'd lost her, decided t' find a place t' get out of the rain for a while, turned the corner an' ran smack bang into her. You could've knocked me down with a feather." Amanda chuckled at the memory. "An' she just looks at me, an says; 'So there you are - I've been looking for you, Amanda. You really need a bath. Come along, I haven't got all day.' Like she'd lost me down the shops or somethin'."
Manuel paused for a second, translating what she said. Then he grinned. "Bet that was awkward." he smirked. "I didn't have to worry too much about smelling bad - I could usually charm just about anyone out of their shower. Or their clothes, for that matter." he said.
"Unfortunately I couldn't, so in winter I used t' get pretty ripe. Summer weren't so bad - I'd have a splash down the beach, get rid of some of it. When it got really awful, I'd score a place in the homeless shelter, use their shower an' grab some clean underwear at least." Amanda's tone was matter-of-fact, almost businesslike. "'Course, I didn't trust Rom an inch, still thought she was the government, maybe the old Bill. So she put a geas on me, a compulsion spell, an' made me go home with her. That sort of convinced me she weren't a social worker at least."
Manuel's face twisted at the mention of compulsion-spells. "I'm still trying to figure out how to break those." he muttered. "Go on!" he said, more loudly.
"Not much else t' tell. She got me cleaned up, fed me, an' then told me who she was an' how she knew me. I didn't remember a lot 'bout her gettin' me away from Rack, but she managed t' convince me. Magic's good for show an' tell." Amanda smiled a little. "She tried t' place me with a coven in England, or failin' that, somewhere on the Continent, but they wouldn't have me. So she sent me here instead. The rest you know."
Manuel nodded. "Feeling any better?" he asked her quietly. "You should sleep."
"I am. Still ain't hungry, but I could sleep. I'n knackered..." She yawned, and then snuggled into the curve of his arm. "Promise yer'll be here when I wake up?" she asked, already drifting.
"I plan to be." he told her, as he watched her drift off to sleep.
The peace of the warm fuzzy place that all lovers inhabit after protracted make-up sex was broken abruptly as Amanda bolted from the bed and for the bathroom, followed by the sound of someone being horribly, terribly ill. Weakly Amanda held herself above the toilet bowl as another wave of nausea sent her stomach into spasms - the withdrawal cramps had started abruptly, as if waiting for the worst possible time, and for a minute she hadn't been sure if she'd make it to the bathroom. It was also impossible to be sick quietly - she just hoped Manuel was sleeping soundly and would miss the whole episode.
Unfortunately, he wasn't - and the sick need pouring across the link and slamming against his shields would have been enough to rouse him from slumber even under the best of conditions. "'Manda?" he asked sleepily. "What's wrong?"
"Nothin'. 'M fine, go back to sleep," she managed to gasp out, between retches. Oh, this crash was a bad one. And she wasn't wearing the amulet... where had it got to? Vaguely she remembered taking it off at the dock, then the scene with Manuel... She'd dropped it on his desk at some point in proceedings. Shite. The desk was altogether too far away right now, and any thought of leaving the bathroom was interrupted by another bout of retching. Vomiting on an empty stomach. So romantic.
Manuel slid out of bed and walked over, not to the bathroom, but to his desk. He found the amulet, picked it up, and _then_ walked into the bathroom. "You forgot your jewellery." he said simply. "Might want to _not do that_ any more." he hissed. He held it out so that it could dangle before her like he was hypnotizing her. "I have an idea for how I might be able to help. Unfortuately, I can't do anything for the physical stuff."
Amanda pushed herself back from the toilet bowl, grabbing a handful of paper to wipe her mouth before taking the amulet from Manuel's hand. "At this point in time, I willin' t' try anythin'," she said, fumbling with the catch with fingers that were shaking too much to function properly. The tiled floor was cold against her bare skin, but she really didn't care. All she wanted was to not feel this way. She'd even take Moira's medicines if it would help.
Manuel took the amulet away from Amanda again, undid the catch, and carefully put it around her throat before refastening it. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked her, kneeling down, heedless of the cold tile on his own nakedness.
"Eventually. Once I detox enough. System's wantin' what it can't have, an' making me miserable for it." The amulet started glowing almost immediately it touched her skin - she'd been running on empty, then, that made sense. "You missed all the fun an' games last time - addiction's fuckin' ugly, when you get right down to it." She gave him a weary, wry smile. "Sorry. I really fucked this up, didn't I?"
"I was having my own fun and games." he said, face seeming to fall into shadow for a second. "Come back to bed, Amanda." he said, stepping back to give her room.
"But I like it down here..." she almost whined. Now the being sick part was over and she was getting enough of a recharge to function, she was feeling very contrary. "'S comfy an' the bed's all the way over there."
"Don't start with me." he growled, reaching down to pick her up. "We're going back to bed, where it is warm. If you don't want to sleep, then we can watch TV or a DVD or something."
"So much for lyin' in an' enjoyin' ourselves," Amanda sighed, not putting up a fight as Manuel carried her back to the bed. Not that she'd be able to, even if she wanted to - she was as weak as a kitten now. Besides, he had a point about the warm thing; his skin felt like it was burning hers, she was so cold. "Can't sleep just yet. Talk t' me? I missed hearin' you."
"I can do that." he said, tucking her into bed and then sliding in next to her. "What would you like to talk about?"
"I dunno, anythin'." Amanda murmured, cuddling into Manuel's chest. "Tell me a story or somethin'."
"A story?" he said, looking completely baffled. "Right. Humor the addict. A story. Hrm ... a story you would be able to appreciate." he said as he thought. "Did I ever tell you about Eduardo?"
"No, you didn't." Amanda restrained herself from poking him for the addict crack - besides, it _was_ true, she wanted humouring - and settled herself in. "Who was Eduardo?" She pronounced the name as he had, rolling 'R' and all.
"Eduardo was my best friend when I was living on the streets. I was, God, about fifteen or so when we met. My power was way out of control, and he - he put up with it. With me. Helped me find something to hold onto. We used to go clubbing, he and I. Use my power to break into a boutique, dress in all the hottest styles. Then we'd go dance and drink the night away, maybe find us some rich old bag who wanted some adventure in her life."
"He sounds like a good mate," Amanda said sleepily, lulled by Manuel's body heat and the amulet doing its job. The link was another factor - warm and pulsing in the back of her head, she hadn't realised how much she missed it until it had come back. "What happened to him?"
Manuel shrugged. "He turned me into the police." he said too-casually. "I really don't know what happened to him from there. Probably still out there, dancing and drinking the sweet red wine."
Amanda winced at the jab of hurt down the link. "'S like that on the streets," she said sadly. "Everyone for 'emselves, doin' anythin' t' survive..." She shook her head slightly and kissed Manuel's collarbone, which was as high up as she could reach without moving. "Had a mate like that. Kate. She was on smack, ended up ODing on it. I was always tellin' her bein' a junkie just meant she didn't have no spine." She sighed. "Set meself up for this, then, didn't I? 'S fuckin' ironic is what it is."
"You could say that." he said. "Eduardo protected me, gave me sanity, some stability. It was he who figured out how to use the Mirror to save myself. And it was via the Mirror that he took me down. Despite everything, I loved him like a brother. God, the times that we had together - the wine, the women, and the music. All the things a man needs, eh?" he said with a grin and a very gentle nudge with his elbow.
"This man, any way, tho' if I keep you locked up here much longer you'll starve t' death..." Aamnda wrapped her arm more securely around him. "You miss him," she said presently. "I can feel it down the link. You ever consider trackin' 'im down? You probably could now, with the Hellfire connections an' all."
Manuel paused. "I've thought about it." he admitted. "But I'm really not sure that would be a good idea. Someone, probably my father, got to him once - they could do it again. Best to leave my memories as happy ones, and not ruin a bright spot with darkness." He smiled then as a memory came back to him. "I remember there was this one time ... I was living with this woman. Rich woman, husband never home to give her what she needs, the usual deal. She brought home some cheese - French, I think. Eduardo and I sat in her living room and drank her wine and ate her cheese and smoked pot and laughed for hours. He brought up this girl, you see, I don't even know _where_ he found her. But she could do the most amazing things with her body. I swear she could have been a mutant, she was that flexible. And she had a need on her, a powerful need. She'd do anything to satisfy it. Anything at all."
"Hmm." Amanda closed her eyes for a second, willing the stab of hurt to go away. He hadn't meant her, she knew that. It was just so hard not to remember the things she'd done, in the name of answering the need. "Know a little bit 'bout that," she said quietly.
"I thought you might. Reason I mention it is that I've felt addicts before. And I think I can do ... this." His eyes glowed red as he rolled over to kiss Amanda deeply, timing it to coincide with his empathic push. He took all the emotional need, the fear and sadness and _need_ that went hand-in-hand with her addiction, and tied it in a very tight little ball. He left it where she could sense it, but away from her usual emotions. As he broke off the kiss, his eyeglow died. "I think I got it all. That ball will unravel slowly, but it should give you time to get yourself ready to deal with it when it does."
Breathless from more than just the kiss, Amanda blinked slowly, realising that it was easier to think now. Yes, the physical need was still there, but she could ignore that. This... She couldn't describe how much it helped. "An' you say yer power don't do anyone any good," she managed at last, her voice tight with emotion. "Thank you, love. I... this helps. So much." She pulled him back in for another kiss, letting everything she was feeling - gratitude, love, wonder, relief - pour down throgh the link to him.
Manuel smiled his twisted little smile. "It's not permanent." he said with real frustration. "I can't take it from you - but I can give you a little room to breathe. Just like before." he said with a sad smile. "Before it all went sour."
"Room t' breathe is good. Bloody fuckin' hell, do I need room t' breathe. Everythin's been insane since Columbia..." She reached up to touch his face. "Don't think you ain't done anythin' just because it ain't permanent. An' we'll work it out, we have to. Not after all this." There was some conviction in her voice, but not completely - they'd both inflicted a lot of damage on the other. "Did you miss me? At all? I couldn't tell without the link, an' you acted like you hated me..."
"There's a very old and fairly bad song that I once heard that answers that question." he said with a grin, and then started to sing. "I only think of you on two occasions / that's day / and night" he sang with a chuckle at his own corniness. "I'd wake up, and be confused because you weren't there. I'd pass Angelo in the halls, and get all pissed-off all over again because he wasn't taking care of you."
"He sent me an email, 'bout a day after everythin'... blew up. Told me he wasn't gunna be my friend any more, since it meant I got hurt. 'S bloody typical of him - he tries t' be the damn martyr all the time, think of everyone else before himself." Another stab of sadness, this one unconnected to addiction and so coming through, a touch of anger. "Every time you said somethin' 'bout him an' me, it made me feel like I'd thrown everythin' away. An' I didn't even love him, not the way I do you. It was just one of those silly things, daydreams. Wantin' t' be like Paige, I s'pose." Talking about Angelo probably wasn't the wisest thing in the world, but they had to sometime. And she needed to.
"What, you wanted to dangle multiple partners around? Does that mean he gets to go away with Emma and pull himself together?" Manuel asked sarcastically. "And you had thrown everything away - but I didn't give up on you, despite some serious temptation."
"Not like that, an' you know it. Just... bein' closer t' normal. Big family, smart, pretty... Stupid, like I said. Remember when you asked me if I would change things if I could? Remember what I said? Face it, Manny, 'm not exactly a fuckin' poster child for any kind of stability, an' that ain't gunna change any time soon, even with me workin' on it. I just wanted t'... not be me, if only for a second." She sighed, and added wryly. "'M glad you didn't give up on me. 'Specially when I gave up on meself."
Manuel shrugged, not understanding why she got so bent out of shape on this topic. "You're smart enough, and under all the scars, pretty enough. Paige - feh, blondes like her are a dime a dozen, even if it is natural. Nice tits, though. Give me something more exotic, something a little dangerous. Not some white-bread farm girl!" he said with some disgust. "She has abysmal taste in men - a half-man and Angelo. Crowning achievements, to be sure. Guess she couldn't do any better."
"Don't be a git - Paige is a mate, an' I ain't gunna sit here an' listen t' you insult her," Amanda said, poking him "An' I don't expect you t' understand, just thought I'd try an' explain, is all. 'S all academic now, any way - Ange won't talk t' me ever again. That should make you happy."
"Oh, I like her well enough - we're going to the opera at some point." he said with a smirk. "I just don't particularly find her all that attractive. Not like you." he said, leaning over and nuzzling into her neck. "You don't need Angelo - Paige is your friend, you've got me, and Nathan adores you like a daughter."
"True." Amanda didn't add what she was thinking, that Angelo couldn't be replaced if she became the most popular girl in the school. For a long time she was silent, thinking over things. "I should go down t' medlab later," she said, apropos of nothing. "Need t' start Healin' Lee."
Manuel shrugged. "OK." he said. "I don't even want to know what was going through your mind when you decided you needed to beat Lee's face in. That was tacky."
"_I'm_ tacky, in cause you hadn't noticed. "S the way I learned t' settle differences on the street. 'M only surprised I didn't do it sooner." Amanda sighed and shifted - suddenly she wasn't so comfortable any more. "She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was like everythin' piled up - everythin's that gone wrong since I got back from England, pretty much - an' she happened t' be on the receivin' end. It was like I had t' prove I wasn't gunna let people push me aruond any more." Another sigh. "Doesn't excuse it, an' I feel like shite now. 'Specially with her tryin' t' do a runner an' all. S'pose I'll have t' apologise, tho' she'll probably throw it back in my face."
Manuel shrugged. "Not how I would have handled it, but I'm not you. If you want or need my help, just ask." he said as he streeeetched himself out. "I think you should tell me a story." he said after a few minutes of silence. "Turnabout's fair play."
"True or made up?" she asked, stalling for time. Most of her stories were of the dark and depressing type, although if she tried, she could think of something, maybe.
"Oh, because I so do enjoy it when you _lie to me_." he growled. "The only answer to that stupid question is _true_."
"Remind me t' never give you a book of fairy tales," Amanda said, rolling her eyes. "Not everythin' made up is a lie, 'least not the way you mean." She wriggled around some more, trying to get comfortable - Manuel suddenly seemed all angles and bones, as he tensed up, and she's lost too much weight again. "I never told you 'bout how I got here, did I? The actual story, not just that Rom found me."
Manuel tried his damndest to let go of the irritation she'd raised in him. "No, you didn't." he said pleasantly. "I know almost nothing about you, really."
"I was livin' on the streets in Brighton," she began. "Beggin' an' the like, doin' odd jobs, but a lot of the time I made me money buskin'. Magic tricks - cards, makin' thinngs disappear, pullin' pennies out of kids' ears..." She chuckled at the memory. "Miles still thinks that's a brilliant trick. Most of it was sleight-of-hand, stuff I picked up on me own, but some of it was real. Magic, I mean. Enough t' get the punters in. Light shows, lightin' fags with me finger, that sort of thing. Any way, I was doin' this one day an' I notice there's this woman watchin' me. Starin', really."
"Let me guess - Romany?" he asked, leaning back to enjoy the story. Even if he did have to cut through her atrocious accent on some words to understand her.
"Yeah. Only I didn't know it at the time. Thought it was bloody Social Services come t' pick me up again. I finished what I was doin', collected me bits an' pieces, an' legged it. Led her a merry chase, or so I thought - 'round the back ways, wnet over a couple of back fences, surprised some old dear in her rose garden. Any way, eventually I figured I'd lost her, decided t' find a place t' get out of the rain for a while, turned the corner an' ran smack bang into her. You could've knocked me down with a feather." Amanda chuckled at the memory. "An' she just looks at me, an says; 'So there you are - I've been looking for you, Amanda. You really need a bath. Come along, I haven't got all day.' Like she'd lost me down the shops or somethin'."
Manuel paused for a second, translating what she said. Then he grinned. "Bet that was awkward." he smirked. "I didn't have to worry too much about smelling bad - I could usually charm just about anyone out of their shower. Or their clothes, for that matter." he said.
"Unfortunately I couldn't, so in winter I used t' get pretty ripe. Summer weren't so bad - I'd have a splash down the beach, get rid of some of it. When it got really awful, I'd score a place in the homeless shelter, use their shower an' grab some clean underwear at least." Amanda's tone was matter-of-fact, almost businesslike. "'Course, I didn't trust Rom an inch, still thought she was the government, maybe the old Bill. So she put a geas on me, a compulsion spell, an' made me go home with her. That sort of convinced me she weren't a social worker at least."
Manuel's face twisted at the mention of compulsion-spells. "I'm still trying to figure out how to break those." he muttered. "Go on!" he said, more loudly.
"Not much else t' tell. She got me cleaned up, fed me, an' then told me who she was an' how she knew me. I didn't remember a lot 'bout her gettin' me away from Rack, but she managed t' convince me. Magic's good for show an' tell." Amanda smiled a little. "She tried t' place me with a coven in England, or failin' that, somewhere on the Continent, but they wouldn't have me. So she sent me here instead. The rest you know."
Manuel nodded. "Feeling any better?" he asked her quietly. "You should sleep."
"I am. Still ain't hungry, but I could sleep. I'n knackered..." She yawned, and then snuggled into the curve of his arm. "Promise yer'll be here when I wake up?" she asked, already drifting.
"I plan to be." he told her, as he watched her drift off to sleep.
