Suite 138: Angela sleeps over, V2

[alwaysroomforhope]

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.

Comments

[alwaysroomforhope]

"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.

[angela-edmunds.livejournal.com]

"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.

[alwaysroomforhope]

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.

[angela-edmunds.livejournal.com]

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.

[alwaysroomforhope]

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."

[angela-edmunds.livejournal.com]

"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."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"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.

[angela-edmunds.livejournal.com]

"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..."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"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."

[angela-edmunds.livejournal.com]

"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.

[alwaysroomforhope]

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-edmunds.livejournal.com]

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

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

[alwaysroomforhope]

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

Steph knows.

[angela-edmunds.livejournal.com]

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

"Sorry to cry all over you. Again."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"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."

[angela-edmunds.livejournal.com]

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.

[alwaysroomforhope]

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