xp_logs | Angelo and Nathan, late Thursday afternoon (Reply)

Angelo goes to see Nathan to explain why he wants to go back to LA.

As he'd promised, Angelo made his way along to Nathan's room to tell him the details of the LA trip. He knocked and waited for an answer as usual.

"Come in," Nathan called from where he was attaching a new perch inside Bella's cage. She was sitting on top, hooting at him as he fiddled with the screws.

Angelo did so, grinning at Bella as he walked into the room. "Hey, Nathan. Hey, Bella. Gettin' a new toy, are we?"

"Play! Anglo!" Bella squealed at him, but didn't get off the top of the cage.

"She broke the old one," Nathan said wryly. "Don't ask me how. I came out here this morning and it's lying in the bottom of the cage. She was clinging to the bars looking mournful."

Angelo chuckled, holding his arm out in Bella's direction. "Silly girl. What'd you do to your perch, huh?"

Bella fluttered down off the cage and landed on his arm, immediately clambering up to his shoulder and cooing in his ear. Nathan grinned at the two of them, then left the perch where it was and waved at the couch and chairs.

"Pick a seat, any seat," he said briskly. "So what are you wanting to do in LA?"

Angelo grinned back, sitting down carefully so as not to dislodge Bella. "Well... I was watchin' the news, an' it seems like they're tryin' to fix up my old neighborhood. Only there's this group of kids that keep gettin' in the way - vandalism, stealin' tools, that kind of thing. Three guesses which group of kids." He sighed. "If I know them like I used to, they're doin' it because they don't believe it's really meant to help the neighborhood. So I wanna go talk to them if I can, try an' convince them it could be their chance. I figure... it's more'n a year since everythin' went down, a lot could've changed, an' I won't be goin' in alone anyway, so the worst that's likely is they won't listen."

"Do you think it's possible that they will listen?" Nathan asked, sitting down carefully. He was really starting to feel the aftereffects of that fight with Haroun, as much fun as it had been. "You didn't leave on very good terms with them." He just didn't want to see Angelo go down there to try and wind up getting his heart broken over it.

Angelo shrugged helplessly. "Like I said, a lot could've changed in a year. Not like they could have got in touch with me if they wanted to. An' if anyone can talk them round on this, I've probably got a shot at least. I have to try."

"So how are you thinking you'd go in?" He wanted some evidence that Angelo had thought this through, too.

Angelo answered promptly, having gone over some of this with Paige the day before and spent a good part of the night thinking about it. "First day, check out what they're actually doin'. The buildin' works an' so on, I mean. So I know exactly what's goin' on. Second day, I go find them an' talk to them."

"Mmm." So he had thought about it. Nathan frowned a bit, still concerned about how precisely Angelo would be received by the sort of people who'd done what they'd done to him when he'd manifested. Then again, that was why he wouldn't be going alone, wasn't it? If I can't handle a group of gang kids if they get out of hand, I'm definitely losing my touch...

Angelo watched him carefully, worried he'd change his mind about chaperoning them. He reached up a hand to stroke Bella's side. "I think I need to do this", he said quietly. "If I can help, if I can make a difference, then I can. An' if I can't, then at least I know. That nothin's changed an' nothin's likely to change, whatever."

Closure, then. Nathan smiled, then shrugged. "Well, as I said, I have no plans this weekend," he said lightly. "I can manage to come along and keep you and Paige out of trouble."

Angelo smiled back, relieved, as Bella nibbled his fingers. "Thanks. Like you said, we couldn't go without a staff member, an'... you were my first choice."

He was really rather unreasonably touched by that, Nathan reflected. "You've talked to the Professor about all of this?" he inquired.

Angelo nodded. "Yeah, I e-mailed him the same time I did you. He's right behind it - sortin' out flights and board an' an emergency communicator for us."

"I'll knock on his door tonight, then," he said thoughtfully. "Go over the arrangements with him. When were you thinking of leaving?

"Saturday mornin', I think, an' come back Sunday night", Angelo answered. "Gives him enough time to sort everythin' out without it bein' a mad rush, an' there's no classes missed that way."

Nathan nodded. He'd miss the homecoming of the Istanbul gang, but he was sure he could catch up on all the stories later. "Definitely count me in," he affirmed again. "But if anything starts looking like it's going wrong, you are going to listen to me, right?" He raised an eyebrow.

Angelo nodded firmly, with a wry grin. "Trust me, what happened before isn't somethin' I want to live through again. An' Paige'll be there too this time." No unnecessary risks.

"Well," Nathan said, getting back up and limping over to the cage again, "let's call it a plan, then. I'll talk to the Professor, make sure I know everything he wants me to know, and we'll plan to leave when all the arrangments are made."

Angelo grinned, walking Bella back over to the cage. "Sounds good."

"Play!" Bella demanded imperiously and hopped from his shoulder to the side of the cage, climbing up to the top again. "Play now! Play!"

"I'll get it done. Stop being so demanding," Nathan chided her.

Angelo laughed. "If I'd known she was bored, I would've brought the puppy. Could still go an' get her, if you want."

"Nah... once I get this new perch up she'll be occupied for the rest of the evening marking her territory," Nathan said, finally managing to get the screw set properly.

Angelo grinned, watching Bella pay close attention to what Nathan was doing, before his own attention drifted to the stiffness of Nathan's movements, and the bruises he'd somehow failed to notice on the older man's face. "So what happened to you, then? Been in the Danger Room again?"

"In the gym," Nathan said easily, the fierce smile flickering across his face as he remembered. Fuck, that was entirely too much fun.

Angelo noticed the smile, and understood. "You had a good spar, then? Who with?"

"That," Nathan said with a certain amount of relish, "would be telling." He grinned shamelessly at Angelo. "I'll tell you what. You keep your eyes open tonight and tomorrow, and see if you can guess. Consider it a test of your observational skills."

Angelo grinned back. "A challenge! You're on."

"I'll even provide a prize, if you like," Nathan said with a chuckle. "Don't ask me what. I'll be all creative..."

"Week of surprise presents, this is", Angelo said lightly. "Amanda's promised to bring me back somethin' from the markets in Istanbul."

"Here's hoping she and Angie and Sarah all come back a little more relaxed," Nathan said dryly. "I'd say the same for Pete, but he's a big boy."

Angelo nodded. "Yeah, they could definitely use it. Well, we all could this week, but I guess Pete had his reasons for pickin' those three."

"Well, if this trip to LA goes as well as we all hope it does, it can be a bit of a vacation for you and Paige, too," Nathan pointed out cheerfully. He'd have to make sure the two of them enjoyed themselves at least a little, in between the serious stuff.

Angelo nodded, smiling, and started to drift back towards the door. "That'd be good."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Nathan said. "Once we get all the details in order."

"Thanks for all this", Angelo answered sincerely, with a nod of acknowledgment. "Goin' with us an' all."

"You're welcome," Nathan said just as seriously. He only hoped it would go as well as Angelo obviously wanted it to.