alwaysroomforhope | Suite 138: Angela sleeps over, V2

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Suite 138: Angela sleeps over, V2

Gifr and Gheri: twin bundles of fluff blessed with boundless energy. The slightly less-than-pristine state of the apartment can be attributed to that - chewed cushions, scattered books, and so on. At least there's no pee on the carpet yet ...?

When Steph opens the door, they both bound towards the newcomers, yipping gleefully. They like Angie! Does Steph have meat? Is there food? What's going on? Talk talk talk talk talk!

... Steph points Angie at the couch and goes to get them food. That seems the easiest way to quiet them down.

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Angela plunks herself down on the couch and lets the puppies climb all over her until Steph gets the food out. There's a faint smile on her face as she watches them run, legs moving too fast for their bodies.

There's ice-cream, and there's Milo, and maple syrup, and banana, and chocolate topping; Steph stacks these all on the bench before digging around for the raw steaks that seem to be the puppies' favourite. "They're totally adorable. They're gonna grow up huge, apparently, I don't know where we'll keep them when they get too big to be indoors puppies, but I guess we'll worry about that later."

She sets up the puppies' meals first, and then devotes her attention to making enormous confections of icecream and whatever else sweet she can find. It doesn't take too long. One bowl is deposited firmly in Angie's hands, and Steph perches comfortably on the arm of the couch with her own.

She takes the bowl. It's a monstrous confection, really. "Thanks," she says quietly, and eats a little of it. It's monstrous, but really good.

"I'm usually pretty okay with being by myself but sometimes it just gets to me, you know?"

"I know," Steph agrees, sympathetic. "'S what I'm here for."

She'll let Angie talk at her own pace. Probably. For now, anyway.

"I'm just so angry sometimes. Sometimes I just wish I could go home, and sometimes I don't ever want to leave here."

She sighs. "And I'm just tired, all the time. It's so tiring."

Steph nods, slipping down into the couch and resting her back against the armrest instead. "I wish I could fix it for you."

She smiles. "Yeah, I know. It's frustrating that I can't do anything or go anywhere. Wouldn't be so bad if Melou were here, but he's stayed away from home too long already, and time doesn't stand still in his world while he's here."

If Melou were here, he'd tell her what to do.

Sometimes, it's nice to be told.

"That's gotta be hard on you," Steph says. She doesn't care if Melou stays away forever for her part, but not if it makes Angie unhappy. "He'll come back soon, though, right?"

"He said he'd try." Angela shrugs. "He doesn't get to decide when he comes back, only when he goes home." She knows that Steph and Melou don't exactly get on well.

Angela sighs. "It's easier when he's here, but it wouldn't be so hard if my Mom hadn't gone home." There's a faint air of resentment in her voice.

"Your mom went home, too? Oh... I didn't know. I'm sorry."

She hasn't been keeping up with Bar gossip - she's been spending most of her time in Zuko's suite. "They'll be back. Both of them. They will."

"She went home to get my Dad, but she's been gone a long time." Angela takes a deep breath.

"In the meantime, the bastard who kidnapped me is walking around free and easy and I'm still here, dealing with all that shit."

Angela takes a big scoop of icecream and whatever sugar is on there and shoves it into her mouth to keep from talking for a minute.

Ow. Ice cream headache.

"Did they find out who he was?" Steph asks, intent suddenly. "I mean, I've got free time."

And she wants to hurt someone for hurting Angela, too.

"Ramon Salazar. He hates my grandfather, so basically I was his target because of that."

She sighs. "But there's no proof. I just...know."

She wants to hurt him herself, and her fists clench.

Steph nods slowly. "Ramon Salazar. Okay."

She might have to think about that.

"They'll get him in the end. Karma will if nothing else. I mean, that guy could've killed you. Did, technically."

Gheri has finished eating and wants to come back and climb on Angela again. Gifr won't be long, either. Steph approves of that idea.

Ah, she's a Bauer. She'll probabaly die a couple more times before her final death.

Angela helps Gheri onto her lap and cuddles the puppy.

"I'm remembering a lot more now. I remember that, a little. Feeling bad that I just didn't care enough to want to breathe anymore."

Angela...probably wouldn't be able to talk if it were't for puppies. Not about this, anyway.

Puppies make things easier.

Puppies make everything easier. Steph wishes she'd discovered that a long time ago.

"He really screwed you over," she says, softly. "You shouldn't - it's not your fault. You shouldn't feel bad about anything you were feeling because of it."

"I'd just like to forget the whole thing. But I can't." The puppy, having eaten, curls up in Angela's lap and yawns sleepily.

"I see him in the bar every so often...and I just want to hurt him. But it won't make any difference, anyway."

"It'd make you feel better," Steph mutters, but she approves of Not Being Violent.

... Well, she approves of other people Not Being Violent, anyway.

"Maybe, but then he'd kill me, so it wouldn't do much good."

She's petting the puppy. Puppies are good.

"I just..." She swallows. "I was just waiting, I thought, any moment and someone will come for me, any moment and I waited and waited but nobody came and I didn't know if it was day or night or how long it was..."

"They didn't know where you were," Steph says, setting her bowl on the floor and shifting over to lean against Angie. There is puppy in the way of giving her a proper hug, but that's okay. "Your grandpa was so worried. And Melou. And - everyone. They - he took you outside the Bar. They couldn't follow."

"But I didn't know, I didn't know, I didn't know where I was, it was just hot and there was no air and there was really salty food and bottles of water that I couldn't get enough of and then I'd just sleep and sleep and it was so dark..." Angela shakes her head and tears come again, and she turns her face into Steph's shoulder.

Steph holds tight, wishing she knew what to say.

"We won't let it happen again," she promises, stroking Angie's hair. Because you can't really say 'it's over' or 'it's all right now' when it's so clearly not.

Angela nods, sniffling. "Just wish I could stop with the pain and tears."

She sighs. "I'm so tired of it."

"It'll get better," Steph promises her. "It will. It just takes a while."

Steph knows.

Angela nods, leaning her head against Stephanie's shoulder wearily.

"Sorry to cry all over you. Again."

"Hey," Steph says, elbowing her gently. "If you apologise one more time I'm gonna have to sic Zuko on you or something. It's okay, Angie. That's what friends are for."

She smiles a little. "Yeah. But now I want to just veg out in front of the television and eat more chocolate," she says with a laugh.

"That," Steph says, "we can do." She shifts puppy aside to go for extra chocolate. "All night long."

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Suite 138: Angela sleeps over, V2

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