Madelyn, Angelo - Wednesday lunchtime

[x-madelyn.livejournal.com]

On a quick lunch break, Madelyn comes across Angelo on the back porch and speaks to him about this post, and makes an offer to help him out settle things with God if he wants to.




She'd gotten a few odd looks from students not used to seeing medlab staff in the kitchen, but falling over from lack of food wasn't an option tonight. Madelyn took her sandwich and glass over juice onto the back porch, making the most of a break in the weather, and was not very surprised to see Angelo out there, smoking. Considering his recent post to the journals, it would have been more of a surprise if he'd been anywhere else. "No partner in nicotine crime today?" she asked lightly, taking a seat as far away from the smoke as she could get.

He glanced over with a faint smile, transferring his cigarette to his other hand so as to take the smoke a little further away from her. "Hey. No, she's... actually, I'm not sure where she is. Class, probably."

"Or she could be doing what you're doing, waiting for the fallout from those posts of yours," suggested Madelyn, taking a sip from her glass. It was generally a good idea to put something other than caffiene in her system.

He grinned wryly. "Could be. Would've thought she'd be out here with the nicotine, but maybe not."

"I'm not about to argue with either of you smoking less," said Madelyn, glad to see the grin. She took a bite of her sandwich and swallowed before speaking. "It must have been difficult, making that post," she observed. "Especially considering what was involved."

He nodded slightly, glancing at her then away. "Not the easiest thing I've ever written. Took quite a while to get it right, for both of us."

"You did a good job, both of you, considering what you both had to say." Madelyn looked troubled - just when she thought she knew the depths to which humanity could sink, there were those who had damaged two kids in horrific ways. "Feel free to tell me if I'm being nosy, but you have talked to Samson about this? What you told us about?"

"Yeah, I've been seein' him since... well, since the Professor took him on, pretty much. There's not much I haven't talked to him about by now."

Letting out a relieved breath, Madelyn nodded. "And we covered the legal side of things when you asked me about law enforcement - you did get that extra information I sent you, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah - there's no actual warrants or anythin' out for me any more. The Professor pulled some strings for those of us as needed it - all completely above board. We got Presidential pardons."

"A clean slate. That's more than a lot of people in your position get. I'd say I hope you'll take advantage of it, but I don't need to. I know you will." Madelyn gave him a steady look. "Regardless of what anyone else says. Including certain annoying blondes."

Angelo chuckled, and managed to make it only a little bitter at the mention of Illyana. "Oh, I'm plannin' to. Don't know exactly how yet, but... yeah."

"Good." Madelyn remembered her sandwich and took another couple of bites. "It was hard, reading that. Not because it made me think any the less of you. Quite the contrary. It takes quite the person to come through something like that with their compassion intact."

He glanced sideways at her with a sudden, hopeful smile that made him look a lot younger. "That's good t'hear. Thanks. Just hope most of the others see it the same way - there's a couple I'm pretty sure won't, but that's 'cause they don't like me anyway."

"If they judge you on your past, not what you've done since, then perhaps they aren't worth the effort of trying to convince," Madelyn hinted gently. "Sometimes... people make their minds up, and nothing short of a miracle will budge them. But I think the bulk of the people here will pleasantly surprise you."

"They did last time", he acknowledged, the smile growing stronger. "You're probably right."

"I'm the all-knowing Doctor Bartlet, of course I'm right." Madelyn finished her sandwich and lay the plate on the bench next to her. "So, we've covered your peers, the law, Leonard... Anyone else you worried about disapproving?" she asked lightly. "God, for example?"

He looked down at that, the smile fading. "Yeah. ...You remember when Ms. Braddock did that post about atonement? An' the whole fuss that came after it? That's part of what that was about, for me. Haven't quite got up the nerve to go to confession about it, yet."

Madelyn nodded. "I remember." She thought for a while. "Look, Angelo, I'm not the best Catholic - it's been forever since I last went to confession myself. But I think... I think it would be good for you. The same way that post of yours will probably be good for you. No more secrets, nothing more outstanding between you and God..." She shrugged a little. "Kurt would probably be better to talk about it with. But if you decide to go and need a lift... well, my mom would be grateful if I had a reason to go to confession myself."

He smiled. "I think... I'd like that. I don't know Mr. Wagner so well, so if you have time..."

"For you, I'll make time." The words were barely out of her mouth before her pager went off. Silencing the annoying beeping with a roll of her eyes, Madelyn gave Angelo an apologetic look. "Except now. Duty calls, I'm afraid. But remember the offer - I meant it."

He nodded. "Yeah - you've got your job to do. I'll probably be spendin' this weekend in the city with my mom, but we could always meet up on Sunday, if you wanted it to be this weekend. Or another time'll do."

"Whenever you're ready - it doesn't have to be straight away." Finishing off her juice and collecting her plate, Madelyn stood. "You take care, Angelo. You're a good person, regardless of whatever crap you've had to go through."

He offered her a half-smile. "Thanks. I... usually... think so... You take care too. Hope it's not too much of an emergency you're headin' off to?"

"Some test results that need attention. Nothing critical, but if I don't get to them it could be. Bye, Angelo," said Madelyn, and with a wave, she was gone.