Alex and Lorna, Sunday Night

[x-havok.livejournal.com]

After his talk with Manuel, Alex goes to tell Lorna his decision on the subject. She tries very hard to not freak out and changes the subject to thier respective conversation with her parents on Thanksgiving.


Lorna finished setting the coffee maker for the morning and straightening the small kitchenette before wandering back into the living room. She sat down on the couch and tugged an afghan around her, wondering idly where Alex was. A glance at the clock told her it wasn’t really all that late but she was dying for some quiet time with him after spending the past few days under her parents’ eyes.

Alex came wandering in after his chat with Manuel. The fact Manuel couldn't remember anything and get headaches when he did scared Alex, though exactly why he didn't know. Was it the fact that maybe, that could have been him? He was so distracted by his own thoughts that he didn't even notice Lorna on the couch when he walked in, heading for their bedroom.

Lorna watched him for a moment, seeing how caught up he was. She set aside the magazine she’d picked up and stood, letting the afghan hit the floor. “Hey, love?” she called softly, not wanting to startle him. She took a couple of steps toward him, more curious than concerned.

He was startled slightly but he just picked up his head and looked at her with a look that was a mixture between pain and confusion. Alex was not looking forward to telling Lorna where he'd been...but he had too. But that could wait for a few moments. "Hey..." He responded softly.

Now she was concerned. She crossed the last few feet between them and put her hands on his shoulders. “What’s wrong, love?”

He looked down unable to look her in the face, hands going to her waist as he was reminded of how she'd treated Alison. Would this be any different? Didn't matter, he had to tell her. "I...I...did something, something I know was right...I just, I'm afraid you won't agree with me."

She frowned and brushed her hand over his cheek, wanting him to look up. “Afraid of me? Alex, what could you possibly,” she stopped, remembering that disagreeing with him hadn’t exactly been a painless experience in the past. “Okay, let me try that again. I promise not to get upset, whatever it is. Please tell me?”


Alex lifted his head timidly to look at her. "I just came back from talking to Manuel. I want, no, I need to help him with what he's going through right now...I'm sorry." Almost as a last ditch effort, he added, "I love you."

Lorna tensed all over when he mentioned Manuel’s name and it was only her promise that kept her from responding immediately. She bit her lip until she was certain that she wasn’t going to say something she’d regret. “I love you, too.” It had to be the first thing she said, needing to hear it as much as he did. “Why do you have to help him?” Her voice shook.

He felt her tense and his grip on her waist increased, afraid she might bolt or something before he finished, though sarcastically he added to himself that that was usually his trick. "While we were gone, something happen to him and Amanda at the Hellfire Club. The Black Queen...She attempted to steal all of his memories, his powers...everything about him. Amanda was able to save a part of him and get them out...but he barely remembers who anybody is or aspects of his own life. And it's Her fault...She did to him mentally what She did to me physically and powers wise. Don't you see? I have to help him..." He swallowed hard and looked down, still slightly afraid of her reaction.

She did see and seeing it killed her. She placed her hand on his cheek again and kissed him softly when he looked at her. “I don’t want you to do this. He could hurt you.”

He shook his head gently. "He can't, he doesn't even have his powers anymore, or his memories of what he did with them. Plus, can he hurt me anymore then She already has? Anymore then She hurt him?" He returned her kiss, pressing his forehead against hers. "I know this is difficult for you and I'm really truly sorry. But I have to do this..."

“I, do you promise that you won’t antagonize him?” Lorna was hiding her panic. First Alison, now Alex. How could this be happening?

"I just want to help him recover from what She stole from him." Alex's tone was slightly stern to show he meant what he said. And he wasn't going to limit himself that either, because frankly, right now what Manuel needed most, was friends.


She bit her lip again and hugged him tightly, possessive, worried and scared all at the same time. “He says he can’t remember anything?” she asked finally, her voice small and shaky.

He held her back, as if to show he was going anywhere. "He remembers his name, some memories of Amanda and random other things. I knew my name which surprised me...I don't think he remembers much about his powers." He added as he had a feeling to what she was hinting at.

She nodded, filing that away to deal with later. Sometime when screaming wouldn’t be so horribly out of place. “I guess if this is something you need, I can’t try to stop you.” Not if it would help Alex with his own Selene issues. “Christ, Alex. Don’t be a hero about this though. Don’t do this if you’re going to get hurt.”

"He. Is. Not. Going. To. Hurt. Me. Please Lorna, I'm telling you the truth, he's different right now, because of all this." He moved a piece of green hair behind her ear, smiling gently. "And I'm no hero, that's a job for you and my brother. I just...I can't stand by when my exposure to Her might somehow help him. It’s more, being a friend."

She nodded, swallowing hard. “I’m having a hard time accepting you saying you’re trying to be a good friend to Manuel. Can we just pretend this is about facing up to the bad guy instead?” She managed a thin smile. “For my sanity?”

He nodded quickly, grinning. "Whatever you want love. It can be all about Her if you like."

“About you, anyway.” She kissed him and sighed. “Why can’t we go back to just being given the third degree by my parents? Things were so much less traumatic when the worst thing was my mother trying to give me tips for better sex.”

Alex pulled back with a start, giving her a funny look. "She did what?"

Lorna nodded, wincing, “Tips. Drawn from personal experience. I told her she was going to be getting Samson’s bills for this one.”

"Dear god, that's almost as bad as when Scott tried. I was afraid I was going to have nightmares again, even more frightening ones!" Alex couldn't hold in his laughter.

“Almost as bad? At least he’s just your brother! This was my mother talking about sex with my father! I would have run out of the room with my hands over my ears but that didn’t work when I was ten so,” she shrugged then gave him a wary look, “Dad didn’t try that with you, did he? I’ve been afraid to ask.”

"Ewww! No way! I got threatened with the shotgun again, asked about my family and asked if I planned on marry you and stuff like that. I said possibly later but I would like to turn 19 first." He still couldn't help but shuddered at the thought of sex tips from Mr. Dane. "Ew Ew Ew!"

Lorna started to laugh then was pulled up short as something sunk in. “Wait, Marry me? You’re joking? He didn’t really ask that?” Lorna was going to die. Just melt into the floor in a little puddle and die.

Alex had been all laughs and smile, but then he cocked his head, confused. "Um yeah he did...why is that a bad thing?"

“No, I just, you don’t think that I put him up to that, right?” She was still re-running what he’d said. She blinked, “You said you would? I mean, we’ve never even talked about anything like it.”

Laughing softly, Alex shook his head and pus his hands reassuringly on her shoulders. "No I don't think you put him up to it, it was father wanting a good future for his daughter. And yes...I said it was a possibility for when we are older...Why, is that a problem?"

The smile she could feel tugging at the edges of her mouth was going to be irredeemably sappy, she just knew it. “No, not at all. I just, we’re so young. Most guys would freak.”


Alex liked sappy smiles, they made her look less stressed then normal, like when she was sleeping. "I'm not most guys if you haven't noticed. I've also made the mistake of almost loosing you twice...I'm not planning on doing it again."

“I did notice, actually.” She hugged him, laughing. “I’m not going anywhere, Alex. I’m not willing to lose you either. I was just worried that Dad is seeking new and innovative ways to run you off. Death didn’t work, so marriage might.”

To fit the mood, he wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled her playfully. "He's going to have to get pretty imaginative to run me off. And considering where we live, this might get pretty interesting!"

“I’m terrified by what he might come up with.” She kissed him. “It won’t work, of course, because I’m never letting you go. But the mental exercise will be good for him. I mean, how do you compete with the wackiness of this place anyway?”