Amanda, Pete - Wednesday evening
Feb. 23rd, 2005 07:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAmanda checks in on Pete, as she has been since the news about his father. It's all about family.
"No, don't give me your fucking excuses. You know what I've got on you, you little fuck, and unless you want the police to find out about your little hobbies, you're going to come up with what I want to know. Two days. No more." Pete slammed the phone down. "Shit!"
He leant forward, resting his head on the desk for a moment, then looked up at the knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Who else?" came Amanda's voice through the door. "'S me. Got some dinner for you." Without waiting for his reply, she came in, balancing the tray awkwardly against her hip to open and then close the door behind her. She was really starting to miss the TK spell. "Hey," she said by way of greeting, taking in his rumpled state with no small amount of worry in her eyes. Had he even showered in the past week?
Pete sat upright again, taking a second to massage his temples with his hand, before smiling.
"Hey there, sunshine. How're you doing?" He shoved some paper to the side on the desk, to make room for the tray.
Setting it down, she leaned against the edge of the
desk rather than taking a seat on the other side, as she usually did. "Better than I was," she said frankly - she figured Moira would be keeping him informed any way. "Headache's mostly gone an' I haven't had a nosebleed since the day before yesterday." She resisted the urge to pick at the dressing covering the cut on her wrist from the spell. "Let Moira put me through the wringer, tests-wise." She left it there, gauging his reaction. He looked like hell, and she didn't want to add to that, especially with what was ultimately a pretty stupid stunt, no matter what the intentions or the results.
"Yeah, she said she was going to make you dance for her entertainment, or something." Pete sounded amused. "So what did the madwoman of Muir say, then?"
Okay, amused wasn't so bad... "There's some damage," she said. "Brain-wise, I mean. 'S not huge, but I've got t' take it easy for a while, an' watch the magic - anythin' too much or too big'll make it worse, she thinks. So I'm back on that whole thing again."
The smile vanished instantly. "Damage? But you're going to be OK?"
"Yeah," she hastened to assure him. "'S not much, an' Moira says I'll be fine, as long as I'm careful. I can't do that spell again, which I s'pose isn't much of a loss." Hanging her head a little, she went on: "I'm sorry, Pete. Guess I fucked it up again."
"So long as you're OK, I don't care. Just for fuck's sake listen to Moira, won't you? I know it's a complete fucking pain, but if something happened..." Pete trailed off.
"I will. Promise." She did something she rarely did with him then; she reached over and lay her hand over his. "I wouldn't do that to you or Rom. I'm selfish sometimes, but not that selfish."
"You're not as bad as you think you are, sunshine, really. You've got a long way to go before you've given Romany as many grey hairs as I've managed, you know." He flashed her a quick smile.
"An' speaking of which... She called me last night. Worried 'bout you an' wantin' t' know how things are goin'." She tilted her head at him questioning. "How are you goin'?"
"Fi-" Pete started, then caught himself. "Shit." He sagged a little, leant on the desk. "I'm running out of ideas, and I can't seem to catch a break. I've got no idea who did it, and no idea if they're finished, or if they're going to take a shot at me next, or at Romany, or what..." He looked at her, not bothering to hide the combination of worry and exhaustion.
"I wish there was somethin' I could do, but without a focus, I can't swing a location spell. What about Remy? Or Nate? They'd be able t' help, yeah?" Amanda rested her other hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension there. "You look bloody awful, Pete, worse than me on that bender last year. How about a shower an' some sleep?"
"Later." Catching her look, he continued "No, really, I will. I've just got a few people to chase up first, then there's nothing I can do for a bit anyway. And Nate's been busy with Mistra, and LeBeau's been off on some errand or other, and he's been taking care of some things I've let drop, so he has been helping, but they've both got too much other shit going on."
There was a pause.
"And this is personal."
"I know, which is why I haven't doped you up with a sleepin' spell yet." Amanda smiled ruefully. "Well, since I can't do much else t' help, I can go on at least makin' sure you eat." She gave the tray a pointed look. "Family looks out for each other, yeah?"
"Yeah. What d'you think I've been wrecking myself over this for?" Pete smiled ruefully. "Even if I can't do anything else, I can make damn sure that everyone knows what happens if they go near you or Romany."
Impulsively, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Just make sure you don't wreck yourself too bad, yeah?" she said, quietly. "I need more than just as the scary bastard that happens t' other people."
Pete hesitated a second in surprise, then returned the hug.
"Don't worry, sunshine. I'm tired of this school, and I'm tired of worrying about anyone but me and mine. But whatever else happens, you're stuck with me, OK?"
"Got it. An' that goes both ways - no matter what happens, you'll still be me 'uncle' Pete." Wrinkling her nose a little, she pulled back and with a cheeky grin, added: "You sure you won't re-think that shower thing, tho'? You reek."
"No, don't give me your fucking excuses. You know what I've got on you, you little fuck, and unless you want the police to find out about your little hobbies, you're going to come up with what I want to know. Two days. No more." Pete slammed the phone down. "Shit!"
He leant forward, resting his head on the desk for a moment, then looked up at the knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Who else?" came Amanda's voice through the door. "'S me. Got some dinner for you." Without waiting for his reply, she came in, balancing the tray awkwardly against her hip to open and then close the door behind her. She was really starting to miss the TK spell. "Hey," she said by way of greeting, taking in his rumpled state with no small amount of worry in her eyes. Had he even showered in the past week?
Pete sat upright again, taking a second to massage his temples with his hand, before smiling.
"Hey there, sunshine. How're you doing?" He shoved some paper to the side on the desk, to make room for the tray.
Setting it down, she leaned against the edge of the
desk rather than taking a seat on the other side, as she usually did. "Better than I was," she said frankly - she figured Moira would be keeping him informed any way. "Headache's mostly gone an' I haven't had a nosebleed since the day before yesterday." She resisted the urge to pick at the dressing covering the cut on her wrist from the spell. "Let Moira put me through the wringer, tests-wise." She left it there, gauging his reaction. He looked like hell, and she didn't want to add to that, especially with what was ultimately a pretty stupid stunt, no matter what the intentions or the results.
"Yeah, she said she was going to make you dance for her entertainment, or something." Pete sounded amused. "So what did the madwoman of Muir say, then?"
Okay, amused wasn't so bad... "There's some damage," she said. "Brain-wise, I mean. 'S not huge, but I've got t' take it easy for a while, an' watch the magic - anythin' too much or too big'll make it worse, she thinks. So I'm back on that whole thing again."
The smile vanished instantly. "Damage? But you're going to be OK?"
"Yeah," she hastened to assure him. "'S not much, an' Moira says I'll be fine, as long as I'm careful. I can't do that spell again, which I s'pose isn't much of a loss." Hanging her head a little, she went on: "I'm sorry, Pete. Guess I fucked it up again."
"So long as you're OK, I don't care. Just for fuck's sake listen to Moira, won't you? I know it's a complete fucking pain, but if something happened..." Pete trailed off.
"I will. Promise." She did something she rarely did with him then; she reached over and lay her hand over his. "I wouldn't do that to you or Rom. I'm selfish sometimes, but not that selfish."
"You're not as bad as you think you are, sunshine, really. You've got a long way to go before you've given Romany as many grey hairs as I've managed, you know." He flashed her a quick smile.
"An' speaking of which... She called me last night. Worried 'bout you an' wantin' t' know how things are goin'." She tilted her head at him questioning. "How are you goin'?"
"Fi-" Pete started, then caught himself. "Shit." He sagged a little, leant on the desk. "I'm running out of ideas, and I can't seem to catch a break. I've got no idea who did it, and no idea if they're finished, or if they're going to take a shot at me next, or at Romany, or what..." He looked at her, not bothering to hide the combination of worry and exhaustion.
"I wish there was somethin' I could do, but without a focus, I can't swing a location spell. What about Remy? Or Nate? They'd be able t' help, yeah?" Amanda rested her other hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension there. "You look bloody awful, Pete, worse than me on that bender last year. How about a shower an' some sleep?"
"Later." Catching her look, he continued "No, really, I will. I've just got a few people to chase up first, then there's nothing I can do for a bit anyway. And Nate's been busy with Mistra, and LeBeau's been off on some errand or other, and he's been taking care of some things I've let drop, so he has been helping, but they've both got too much other shit going on."
There was a pause.
"And this is personal."
"I know, which is why I haven't doped you up with a sleepin' spell yet." Amanda smiled ruefully. "Well, since I can't do much else t' help, I can go on at least makin' sure you eat." She gave the tray a pointed look. "Family looks out for each other, yeah?"
"Yeah. What d'you think I've been wrecking myself over this for?" Pete smiled ruefully. "Even if I can't do anything else, I can make damn sure that everyone knows what happens if they go near you or Romany."
Impulsively, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Just make sure you don't wreck yourself too bad, yeah?" she said, quietly. "I need more than just as the scary bastard that happens t' other people."
Pete hesitated a second in surprise, then returned the hug.
"Don't worry, sunshine. I'm tired of this school, and I'm tired of worrying about anyone but me and mine. But whatever else happens, you're stuck with me, OK?"
"Got it. An' that goes both ways - no matter what happens, you'll still be me 'uncle' Pete." Wrinkling her nose a little, she pulled back and with a cheeky grin, added: "You sure you won't re-think that shower thing, tho'? You reek."
