Remy, Amanda - Wednesday afternoon
Mar. 30th, 2005 03:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_daytripper posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsAnother of those long, rambly, not-quite-angsty talks. Testing the friendship waters, in a way.
Amanda knocked on the boathouse door, not even sure if Remy was there or not. She'd been so busy since the mission in Greece, down in the medlab, and Remy had a habit of vanishing away to parts unknown on mysterious errands at the drop of a hat. And unlike Pete, he had no obligation to tell her he was going. But still, he'd said it would be okay to find him and talk, and that's what she was doing.
"Come in." Remy called out, emerging from the newly rebuilt bathroom. Cain had seen the old boathouse expanded since the attack a month ago, and one of these days Remy was going to get around to asking him about the need for a spare room.
Considering Marko, he likely didn't want to know.
Remy kept toweling dry his hair, moving to the middle of the living room so he wouldn't catch a gust of frigid air on his bare chest and legs as who every it was entered.
"'S only me," Amanda said, coming in, but stopping as she realised Remy wasn't actually dressed. "Oh, bad time, yeah? I'll go..." she began, already turning to leave again.
"Not really." Remy said from the depths of his towel, scrubbing vigorously. Obviously body modesty was not high on LeBeau's list of worries, as he moved unselfconsciously around the living room with a towel tucked around his waist.
"Oh. All right then." Amanda closed the door behind her and came in, perching on the arm of Cain's over-large sofa. She wasn't exactly body conscious either, at least not when it was other people's bodies, but living at the school had taught her everyone else was, really. "Just thought I'd drop by. For a visit." It sounded lame now, and she didn't want to say she'd just wanted some conversation where she didn't have to guard every word and every emotion. "Haven't seen you much, but then again, I've been in the medlab a lot helping out, an' that ain't yer favourite place, I've noticed."
"No. Tends to be full of insane red-headed cops dat like to stick things in people. By the way," Remy paused and peered out from under his towel. "Dere haven't been any love spells or weird telepathic sex signals or anything in de mansion lately? Maybe some thing dat makes people do crazy things?"
Amanda shook her head, trying not to show the hurt at the mention of love spells. Luckily life with Manuel had given her a lot of practice at not responding to unthinking comments. "Just the whole nearly gettin' killed thing in Greece," she said. "People've been pretty weird after that, an' with the funeral an' all. An' I don't have that book any more, so I ain't done anythin'."
"Den she just crazy." Remy muttered under his breath, balling up the towel and tossing it back into the bathroom. "Guess Remy missed all de X-Men excitement in de Med. Last time I was in Greece, I got food poisoning."
"Better 'n lead poisonin'," Amanda pointed out. "Tho' they probably could've used you. Things got pretty bad, but then again, it was Mistra so it always was going to. At least it's over now." She thought of Nathan, lying there so broken, physically and emotionally, and sighed. "Just wish there was more I could do t' help Nate. He's taken this as hard as you'd expect, I suppose."
"Talked to him earlier." Remy perched on the other side of the couch, crossing his arms across his bare chest. "Nate's a soldier. He's hurt, he'll grieve, but he'll get through it. He's done it too many times before not to. De problem is dat no one can help him do dat but him."
Amanda wondered if maybe this was one time too many, but pushed the thought away. He was doing better now, she reminded herself. "Yeah, I s'pose," she said, sighing again. Her people kept getting hurt and she couldn't stop it. Any more than she could stop them leaving. "Docs won't let me do any more with the healin' any way, so I s'pose I've done everythin' I can."
"Dat sounds 'bout right. Sometimes, all dat you can do is do what you can." Remy grinned. "And if dat don' win de award for de least comforting axiom out dere, Remy don' know what is."
Amanda snorted. "Yeah, well, you always were good at that," she replied. Strangely it felt better, having Remy point out the facts as he usually did, even if it didn't do much for the helpless feeling. "Manuel wrote to his dad," she said suddenly, coughing up the thing that had been preying on her mind the most without warning.
"To warn him?" Remy said, slightly puzzled. He really didn't understand family bonds well, at least on anything other than an intellectual level. He figured that considering what Alphonso had done, Manuel would be happy to see him dead. "How you feel 'bout dat?"
"Not t' warn him - he doesn't know anythin', an' I'm sure as hell not tellin' 'him. Dunno what'd happen." Amanda started worrying at her thumbnail absently, chewing it down to the quick. "I don't know how t' feel. Scared, I s'pose. Manuel's givin' that cunt an' openin' an' he'll bloody well take it, I know he will. Angry. Hurt. Only I can't say any of it, since he'll know 'bout Pete the minute I open my mouth - there's only so much blockin' the link I can do, an' talkin' 'bout that bastard will push it."
"Guess you want to keep it quiet den." Remy nodded, and flicked a bit of still wet hair out of his red on black eyes. The girl was obviously nervous and worried, her whole posture announcing her state. Five years ago, he could have told you a dozen ways to use that to get anything he wanted. Sometimes, memory was the enemy.
"So, what are you going to do?"
"What can I do?" she asked. "Can't tell Manuel - he'll either warn that fucker an' maybe get Pete or Rom or even me killed instead. 'S the sort of thing that bastard'd do, some pre-emptive thing. Can't tell any of the teachers - there's no rule against talkin' t' yer family, even if they are murderin' fucks." She shrugged. "I suck it up, same as I've been doin' since Pete left. Work on that poker face of mine some more so at least I don't have people givin' me shite 'bout not appreciatin' what I've got."
"Wondering when Paige would show up." Remy said mildly, wondering off through the open door of his bedroom. His voice carried easily through the boathouse as he shucked the towel and went rummaging for pants and a shirt.
Amanda raised her eyebrows at the comment. "Talked to her then, did you?" she remarked. Okay, so she probably should be looking away and blushing, but it wasn't like she hadn't seen him naked before. And it was only glimpses as he walked past the open door. She grinned briefly at the memory. Too bad it would bring the wrath of the school down on them both if anything ever happened again. "If it counts for anythin', I'm sorry 'bout messin' with her horse. Forget people get touchy about things they think of as theirs. Not that she'll actually listen t' me if I tried t' tell her that."
"Never know." Remy shrugged the sweatsuit over his head and re-emerged from the bedroom. His wet hair was sticking up in spikes, so unlike his former long ponytail. "Offered to talk to her 'bout people. Motivations, actions, triggers; 'bout understandin' dem."
Amanda snickered at the inadvertent spiky hairstyle despite herself. "Well, apologisin' would mean actually her stayin' in the same room long enough for me t' speak t' her - she's doin' that whole 'la la la I'm going to pretend I'm fine until someone asks me if I'm all right an' then I'm gunna still pretend I'm fine an' bite their head off for askin'' thing she does so bloody well. I figure stayin' out of her way, an' away from her friends so she doesn't think I'm poachin' is enough for now."
"For now. Not much of a long term solution though." Remy sat back down on the couch, waving her off her perch on the arm. There was enough space for the entire team of X-Men on Cain's sofa. "I'm leaving in a couple of days." Remy said, switching gears rapidly.
It was difficult to pause in mid-slide from arm to seat, but Amanda managed it. "Oh. All right," she said, completely the manoeuvre but keeping well out of arm's reach. "How long for?"
"Not sure. Two, three weeks. Be back occasionally. Dere's a lot of stuff to do in Europe and 'round here. Still," Remy grinned wickedly. "De frequent flyer miles are just racking up. Maybe Remy go to Fiji after?"
"Sounds yer style - all beach an' women runnin' 'round in little bathin' suits, an' those fruity drinks," Amanda replied, making the effort to join in the joking tone. She had no claim on Remy, even with the various talks they'd had.
"God, what a fantastic idea." Remy let his head loll back. "Maybe even some of dem in de little grass skirts. Bring Nate. Can strap him to a windboard or something."
"The way he is at the moment you could practically use him as a surfboard," Amanda said wryly. "Domino an' GW said I could go stay with the Pack a while durin' the hols," she added, as if reassuring herself there were places she could go herself.
"Not coming to Fiji den? Dat's a shame." Remy said idly, his eyes closed. Behind his lazily indolent expression, his mind was working furiously, listening closely to the tone of her voice. Telepaths? Ha! Reading someone's mind didn't need telepathy. Just needed to listen hard enough.
"Didn't realise that was an invite," she replied, hiding her surprise. "'Sides, I've got this pale English skin - I get sunburnt if I look at the sun twice. I'll stick t' Europe for the holiday thing."
"Guess dat means de tiny bikini and de grass skirt are out too?" Remy said saucily, eyes still closed.
Amanda bit down on the instinctive bitter response about frightening the other beach dwellers. The scars didn't matter, really they didn't. "Not unless you want t' be my cabana boy an' cover me with sunscreen," she replied in the same vein.
"Always been good at dat. Must be all dat training." Remy said, finally opening his eyes back up. "Have to rotate Nate so he can't see . Might get a little upset, neh?"
"Is there anythin' you aren't good at?" she teased, before shrugging a little. "'M a big girl. Nate knows I'm not all innocent an' pure."
"I don't think it's you dat Nate might object to." Remy grinned wickedly. "And precisely because dere not anything in dat area dat Remy not good at."
"Like I said, 'm a big girl - I make me own choices, least 'bout that." She smiled wryly. "An' it's all academic any way, ain't it? Manuel an' I are tryin' our hands at the exclusive thing, see if that works out any better than the sharin' did."
"Funny how dat often doesn't work out, isn't it?" Remy said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Which is why my current bachelorhood is such a trial. Remy missed his relationship assignment coming back to de school."
"Works fine for Rom," Amanda muttered, not appreciating the reminder of yet another of her mistakes. "Guess that's what happens when you do that whole goin' insane an' disappearin' thing. You miss out on all the good people."
"Could be worse. Could have drawn de cop or something." Remy said, shaking his head. "Guess I'll have to live wit' it. 'sides, Remy had lots of women before, but never had friends 'fore I came here. It's a lot more difficult, but I think dat I like it."
She raised her eyebrow at him, surprised by the admission. Remy seemed to prefer his isolation. Or if not prefer it, then be resigned to it. "'S hard, but most of the time it's worth it," she offered, letting him interpret that how he would. She wasn't about to assume anything.
"Hope so. If not, den been wasting a lot of time without any sex in return, and dat's just not right." Remy said with a chuckle, constantly pulling the conversation out of the serious. "Besides, look at dis place; de home for wayward and messed up mutants. All my friends are fuck-ups."
"Yeah, but they're fun t' have around," Amanda said, with a grin. "Otherwise, why stay?"
"De Professor's dread psychic powers compel me to obey." Remy said so seriously that Amanda almost got caught asking him if he was serious. "So, where in Europe do you want to go?"
"The Pack's in Berlin at the moment, so probably there," Amanda replied, rolling her eyes at him slightly as she realised he had been joking about the Professor. "Dunno, wouldn't mind goin' back t' Istanbul some time - that was fun. Nowhere near Spain." She frowned briefly, then went on. "What's yer favourite place t' not get shot at in?"
"Been shot at in dem all, feels like." Remy shook his head ruefully. "But Remy's favourite place is a little castle outside of Medoc. Medieval town called Beaumont-les-Bains. Run by a real Baron and everything. One of de best wine cellers in France, so exclusive dat de tasters come down dere to drink with dose dat respect it properly. Cafe makes dere own Calvados and cheese. Dat was de only place dat I used to feel free."
She could tell that just by the hint of softening of his voice, and the very slightest relaxing of his habitually-tense body language. "Sounds nice," she said, meaning it. "You ought t' try an' get back there this time. Once you've taken care of business, that is."
"Non. Not yet. Maybe not ever." Remy said softly. "Dat's something dat you have to earn, being free. Maybe in de future. Good to have a goal, you know?"
She didn't understand, not really. At least not why he'd deny himself that sort of comfort. And freedom had been given to her, she'd never earned anything. But she kept those thoughts to herself. "One day, then," she offered, uncurling herself in preparation to getting up. "Maybe you could take me with you, not that first time, some other time. At least we wouldn't have t' pinch the wine." She gave him a brief half-grin, deliberately reminding him of their first meeting. It was a good memory, in her opinion.
"Haven't even thought to check dat old cellar since I got back." Remy grinned quickly, a flash on his features. "Look, things might get a little hairy 'round here. If you need to, give me an e-mail. Can't promise, but if I'm in a low risk stage somewhere, you can always spend a couple of days in Europe wit' me. Likely be fuckin' Prague again, but it's at least somewhere dat's not here."
She nodded, and the smile became a full, genuine one. "I'll keep out of trouble, as much I can," she said. "But havin' an out always helps. Ta, Remy." She didn't hug him as she might have done Nathan or Pete, but there was a definitely relaxation in the tension she'd been carrying. "I should get back t' the madhouse. Got me first exam tomorrow. Maths." She pulled a face.
"Cheat. Dat makes it a practical test." Remy said, getting to his feet. "If you need me, I'll be checking in on de system. Likely be back and forth for a while, at least until things settle."
Amanda stood also, stretching out her back as she did. Too much sitting in that damned medlab chair. "I'll keep an' eye out for you," she told him, and somehow knowing he'd be around helped. "Keep yerself out of trouble, yeah? Or at least out of the sort of trouble that involves you breakin' bits. Kind of like them where they are." Tipping him a naughty wink, she headed for the door. "Save me a spot on that beach in Fiji - I might just take you up on that."
"I'll tell Nate to wax his surfboard den." Remy said as she slipped out the door. He shook his head and went back into his room to pack for his flight.
Amanda knocked on the boathouse door, not even sure if Remy was there or not. She'd been so busy since the mission in Greece, down in the medlab, and Remy had a habit of vanishing away to parts unknown on mysterious errands at the drop of a hat. And unlike Pete, he had no obligation to tell her he was going. But still, he'd said it would be okay to find him and talk, and that's what she was doing.
"Come in." Remy called out, emerging from the newly rebuilt bathroom. Cain had seen the old boathouse expanded since the attack a month ago, and one of these days Remy was going to get around to asking him about the need for a spare room.
Considering Marko, he likely didn't want to know.
Remy kept toweling dry his hair, moving to the middle of the living room so he wouldn't catch a gust of frigid air on his bare chest and legs as who every it was entered.
"'S only me," Amanda said, coming in, but stopping as she realised Remy wasn't actually dressed. "Oh, bad time, yeah? I'll go..." she began, already turning to leave again.
"Not really." Remy said from the depths of his towel, scrubbing vigorously. Obviously body modesty was not high on LeBeau's list of worries, as he moved unselfconsciously around the living room with a towel tucked around his waist.
"Oh. All right then." Amanda closed the door behind her and came in, perching on the arm of Cain's over-large sofa. She wasn't exactly body conscious either, at least not when it was other people's bodies, but living at the school had taught her everyone else was, really. "Just thought I'd drop by. For a visit." It sounded lame now, and she didn't want to say she'd just wanted some conversation where she didn't have to guard every word and every emotion. "Haven't seen you much, but then again, I've been in the medlab a lot helping out, an' that ain't yer favourite place, I've noticed."
"No. Tends to be full of insane red-headed cops dat like to stick things in people. By the way," Remy paused and peered out from under his towel. "Dere haven't been any love spells or weird telepathic sex signals or anything in de mansion lately? Maybe some thing dat makes people do crazy things?"
Amanda shook her head, trying not to show the hurt at the mention of love spells. Luckily life with Manuel had given her a lot of practice at not responding to unthinking comments. "Just the whole nearly gettin' killed thing in Greece," she said. "People've been pretty weird after that, an' with the funeral an' all. An' I don't have that book any more, so I ain't done anythin'."
"Den she just crazy." Remy muttered under his breath, balling up the towel and tossing it back into the bathroom. "Guess Remy missed all de X-Men excitement in de Med. Last time I was in Greece, I got food poisoning."
"Better 'n lead poisonin'," Amanda pointed out. "Tho' they probably could've used you. Things got pretty bad, but then again, it was Mistra so it always was going to. At least it's over now." She thought of Nathan, lying there so broken, physically and emotionally, and sighed. "Just wish there was more I could do t' help Nate. He's taken this as hard as you'd expect, I suppose."
"Talked to him earlier." Remy perched on the other side of the couch, crossing his arms across his bare chest. "Nate's a soldier. He's hurt, he'll grieve, but he'll get through it. He's done it too many times before not to. De problem is dat no one can help him do dat but him."
Amanda wondered if maybe this was one time too many, but pushed the thought away. He was doing better now, she reminded herself. "Yeah, I s'pose," she said, sighing again. Her people kept getting hurt and she couldn't stop it. Any more than she could stop them leaving. "Docs won't let me do any more with the healin' any way, so I s'pose I've done everythin' I can."
"Dat sounds 'bout right. Sometimes, all dat you can do is do what you can." Remy grinned. "And if dat don' win de award for de least comforting axiom out dere, Remy don' know what is."
Amanda snorted. "Yeah, well, you always were good at that," she replied. Strangely it felt better, having Remy point out the facts as he usually did, even if it didn't do much for the helpless feeling. "Manuel wrote to his dad," she said suddenly, coughing up the thing that had been preying on her mind the most without warning.
"To warn him?" Remy said, slightly puzzled. He really didn't understand family bonds well, at least on anything other than an intellectual level. He figured that considering what Alphonso had done, Manuel would be happy to see him dead. "How you feel 'bout dat?"
"Not t' warn him - he doesn't know anythin', an' I'm sure as hell not tellin' 'him. Dunno what'd happen." Amanda started worrying at her thumbnail absently, chewing it down to the quick. "I don't know how t' feel. Scared, I s'pose. Manuel's givin' that cunt an' openin' an' he'll bloody well take it, I know he will. Angry. Hurt. Only I can't say any of it, since he'll know 'bout Pete the minute I open my mouth - there's only so much blockin' the link I can do, an' talkin' 'bout that bastard will push it."
"Guess you want to keep it quiet den." Remy nodded, and flicked a bit of still wet hair out of his red on black eyes. The girl was obviously nervous and worried, her whole posture announcing her state. Five years ago, he could have told you a dozen ways to use that to get anything he wanted. Sometimes, memory was the enemy.
"So, what are you going to do?"
"What can I do?" she asked. "Can't tell Manuel - he'll either warn that fucker an' maybe get Pete or Rom or even me killed instead. 'S the sort of thing that bastard'd do, some pre-emptive thing. Can't tell any of the teachers - there's no rule against talkin' t' yer family, even if they are murderin' fucks." She shrugged. "I suck it up, same as I've been doin' since Pete left. Work on that poker face of mine some more so at least I don't have people givin' me shite 'bout not appreciatin' what I've got."
"Wondering when Paige would show up." Remy said mildly, wondering off through the open door of his bedroom. His voice carried easily through the boathouse as he shucked the towel and went rummaging for pants and a shirt.
Amanda raised her eyebrows at the comment. "Talked to her then, did you?" she remarked. Okay, so she probably should be looking away and blushing, but it wasn't like she hadn't seen him naked before. And it was only glimpses as he walked past the open door. She grinned briefly at the memory. Too bad it would bring the wrath of the school down on them both if anything ever happened again. "If it counts for anythin', I'm sorry 'bout messin' with her horse. Forget people get touchy about things they think of as theirs. Not that she'll actually listen t' me if I tried t' tell her that."
"Never know." Remy shrugged the sweatsuit over his head and re-emerged from the bedroom. His wet hair was sticking up in spikes, so unlike his former long ponytail. "Offered to talk to her 'bout people. Motivations, actions, triggers; 'bout understandin' dem."
Amanda snickered at the inadvertent spiky hairstyle despite herself. "Well, apologisin' would mean actually her stayin' in the same room long enough for me t' speak t' her - she's doin' that whole 'la la la I'm going to pretend I'm fine until someone asks me if I'm all right an' then I'm gunna still pretend I'm fine an' bite their head off for askin'' thing she does so bloody well. I figure stayin' out of her way, an' away from her friends so she doesn't think I'm poachin' is enough for now."
"For now. Not much of a long term solution though." Remy sat back down on the couch, waving her off her perch on the arm. There was enough space for the entire team of X-Men on Cain's sofa. "I'm leaving in a couple of days." Remy said, switching gears rapidly.
It was difficult to pause in mid-slide from arm to seat, but Amanda managed it. "Oh. All right," she said, completely the manoeuvre but keeping well out of arm's reach. "How long for?"
"Not sure. Two, three weeks. Be back occasionally. Dere's a lot of stuff to do in Europe and 'round here. Still," Remy grinned wickedly. "De frequent flyer miles are just racking up. Maybe Remy go to Fiji after?"
"Sounds yer style - all beach an' women runnin' 'round in little bathin' suits, an' those fruity drinks," Amanda replied, making the effort to join in the joking tone. She had no claim on Remy, even with the various talks they'd had.
"God, what a fantastic idea." Remy let his head loll back. "Maybe even some of dem in de little grass skirts. Bring Nate. Can strap him to a windboard or something."
"The way he is at the moment you could practically use him as a surfboard," Amanda said wryly. "Domino an' GW said I could go stay with the Pack a while durin' the hols," she added, as if reassuring herself there were places she could go herself.
"Not coming to Fiji den? Dat's a shame." Remy said idly, his eyes closed. Behind his lazily indolent expression, his mind was working furiously, listening closely to the tone of her voice. Telepaths? Ha! Reading someone's mind didn't need telepathy. Just needed to listen hard enough.
"Didn't realise that was an invite," she replied, hiding her surprise. "'Sides, I've got this pale English skin - I get sunburnt if I look at the sun twice. I'll stick t' Europe for the holiday thing."
"Guess dat means de tiny bikini and de grass skirt are out too?" Remy said saucily, eyes still closed.
Amanda bit down on the instinctive bitter response about frightening the other beach dwellers. The scars didn't matter, really they didn't. "Not unless you want t' be my cabana boy an' cover me with sunscreen," she replied in the same vein.
"Always been good at dat. Must be all dat training." Remy said, finally opening his eyes back up. "Have to rotate Nate so he can't see . Might get a little upset, neh?"
"Is there anythin' you aren't good at?" she teased, before shrugging a little. "'M a big girl. Nate knows I'm not all innocent an' pure."
"I don't think it's you dat Nate might object to." Remy grinned wickedly. "And precisely because dere not anything in dat area dat Remy not good at."
"Like I said, 'm a big girl - I make me own choices, least 'bout that." She smiled wryly. "An' it's all academic any way, ain't it? Manuel an' I are tryin' our hands at the exclusive thing, see if that works out any better than the sharin' did."
"Funny how dat often doesn't work out, isn't it?" Remy said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Which is why my current bachelorhood is such a trial. Remy missed his relationship assignment coming back to de school."
"Works fine for Rom," Amanda muttered, not appreciating the reminder of yet another of her mistakes. "Guess that's what happens when you do that whole goin' insane an' disappearin' thing. You miss out on all the good people."
"Could be worse. Could have drawn de cop or something." Remy said, shaking his head. "Guess I'll have to live wit' it. 'sides, Remy had lots of women before, but never had friends 'fore I came here. It's a lot more difficult, but I think dat I like it."
She raised her eyebrow at him, surprised by the admission. Remy seemed to prefer his isolation. Or if not prefer it, then be resigned to it. "'S hard, but most of the time it's worth it," she offered, letting him interpret that how he would. She wasn't about to assume anything.
"Hope so. If not, den been wasting a lot of time without any sex in return, and dat's just not right." Remy said with a chuckle, constantly pulling the conversation out of the serious. "Besides, look at dis place; de home for wayward and messed up mutants. All my friends are fuck-ups."
"Yeah, but they're fun t' have around," Amanda said, with a grin. "Otherwise, why stay?"
"De Professor's dread psychic powers compel me to obey." Remy said so seriously that Amanda almost got caught asking him if he was serious. "So, where in Europe do you want to go?"
"The Pack's in Berlin at the moment, so probably there," Amanda replied, rolling her eyes at him slightly as she realised he had been joking about the Professor. "Dunno, wouldn't mind goin' back t' Istanbul some time - that was fun. Nowhere near Spain." She frowned briefly, then went on. "What's yer favourite place t' not get shot at in?"
"Been shot at in dem all, feels like." Remy shook his head ruefully. "But Remy's favourite place is a little castle outside of Medoc. Medieval town called Beaumont-les-Bains. Run by a real Baron and everything. One of de best wine cellers in France, so exclusive dat de tasters come down dere to drink with dose dat respect it properly. Cafe makes dere own Calvados and cheese. Dat was de only place dat I used to feel free."
She could tell that just by the hint of softening of his voice, and the very slightest relaxing of his habitually-tense body language. "Sounds nice," she said, meaning it. "You ought t' try an' get back there this time. Once you've taken care of business, that is."
"Non. Not yet. Maybe not ever." Remy said softly. "Dat's something dat you have to earn, being free. Maybe in de future. Good to have a goal, you know?"
She didn't understand, not really. At least not why he'd deny himself that sort of comfort. And freedom had been given to her, she'd never earned anything. But she kept those thoughts to herself. "One day, then," she offered, uncurling herself in preparation to getting up. "Maybe you could take me with you, not that first time, some other time. At least we wouldn't have t' pinch the wine." She gave him a brief half-grin, deliberately reminding him of their first meeting. It was a good memory, in her opinion.
"Haven't even thought to check dat old cellar since I got back." Remy grinned quickly, a flash on his features. "Look, things might get a little hairy 'round here. If you need to, give me an e-mail. Can't promise, but if I'm in a low risk stage somewhere, you can always spend a couple of days in Europe wit' me. Likely be fuckin' Prague again, but it's at least somewhere dat's not here."
She nodded, and the smile became a full, genuine one. "I'll keep out of trouble, as much I can," she said. "But havin' an out always helps. Ta, Remy." She didn't hug him as she might have done Nathan or Pete, but there was a definitely relaxation in the tension she'd been carrying. "I should get back t' the madhouse. Got me first exam tomorrow. Maths." She pulled a face.
"Cheat. Dat makes it a practical test." Remy said, getting to his feet. "If you need me, I'll be checking in on de system. Likely be back and forth for a while, at least until things settle."
Amanda stood also, stretching out her back as she did. Too much sitting in that damned medlab chair. "I'll keep an' eye out for you," she told him, and somehow knowing he'd be around helped. "Keep yerself out of trouble, yeah? Or at least out of the sort of trouble that involves you breakin' bits. Kind of like them where they are." Tipping him a naughty wink, she headed for the door. "Save me a spot on that beach in Fiji - I might just take you up on that."
"I'll tell Nate to wax his surfboard den." Remy said as she slipped out the door. He shook his head and went back into his room to pack for his flight.
