fandomhigh | Library Open 11/22

"Okay, okay." John thinks about makin a huge, whomping lie but the more lies, the harder this gets.

Might as well do it quick, rip it off like a bandaid. "Now, you both know I'm a nice guy. Try to do my best even when it's a boneheaded thing to do?"

Stalling, stalling.

Janet nods and silently waits for John to continue.

Parker looks dubious, then rolls her eyes. "Basically. You have a warped idea of humor, but yes." Then she taps her foot on the chair. "What did you do, John Boy? How bad did you screw up?"

Oh, so not going to make this easy. John checks to make sure he has sneakers on today. Check.

Screw it. "Angel's staying in my room. I let him stay."

"You what?"

Parker remembers her promise of no bloodshed when she tries to lunge forward and almost falls off her chair. She reassumes her seat, seething.

"Okay. Rational. Calm." She very obviously sits on her hands again. "And I repeat: you what?"

"Angel," says Janet. "I'm presuming you have a good reason for this?"

Still alive? Check. Scared? Oh hell yes. Maybe it was foolish, but John makes sure he has a quick line to the nearest exit should be need to run.

"He's uh, staying in my room. Indefinitely. Friday night, he collapsed against my door and banged up so I let him in and tried to help him out. He told me about the soul, about what happened and I let him stay. He's still there."

If John was twelve, he might've gotten into a kung fu stance. As it is, he just stands looking light a deer caught in the headlights of a mac truck.

Well, that explained what had happened to her medkit and why Aeryn had needed it so badly.

"And you're convinced that he's good now?" asks Janet. "That this is the right thing to do?"

"I'm convinced that he's telling the truth," John says. "That he is who he says he is and that Angelus is still inside him. He needed help and I don't ignore that kind of thing."

Parker is gritting her teeth, and bouncing up and down, now lacing her fingers together under her thighs. "Are. You. Crazy? We don't know about the soul for sure! We don't know that this isn't another trick! You, you, nimrod, he could've *eaten* you, you..." She is being as quiet as possible, but is nearly incoherent. "If it hadn't worked, and you let him in, you'd be dead! Oh my god, how stupid are you!"

"Hey!" John puts up two hands to ward off her near tirade. "I knew what I was doing when he showed up at my door. I'd met him before. And I'm not stupid. I made a risky decision that hasn't backfired. He's a vampire, yeah, fine. But he hasn't tried to eat me. Aeryn fricking examines me for bite marks all the damn time."

"Good for Aeryn," Parker snaps. "You're girlfriend's smarter than *you*, no surprise." She shakes her head. "Why, why, why can't he crash in the common room? Why does he keep going into people's private rooms? Why? Why?"

"He didn't go anywhere," John snaps back. "Obviously, I had to invite him in. And he's said he'd leave if I wanted him to but, considering the atmosphere around school, I let him stay. And he made eggs!"

He has no idea if he says that last part because he's stupid or he wants to piss her off some more.

"Nyyyyyynnnnngggghhhhhh." Parker is biting her tongue, hard.

"Obviously. You had to invite him in." She closes her eyes, then blinks. "Well, at least we can solve that if we have to, now."

Finally, she says what has her most worried. "Look. I know you think he has a soul, and I know *something* happened to him, but I'm not sure what. If he has a soul, he's suffering, and theoretically, he's not a threat. So." Parker grimaces. "If you agree to the results of *one thing* that Angel-whoever said he'd do, then I won't give you crap about it later. Okay?"

"Results of what?" John rubs a hand over his eyes. Still alive at least. "And you guys can't come into my room to kill him. No more blood on my carpet. It's hard enough to get out the first time!"

Parker explains. (http://www.livejournal.com/community/fandomhigh/388196.html?thread=18211172#t18211172)

"Because not everybody feels the need to live by your rules," says Janet. "You're mad that he's still at the school, period. You'd be mad no matter what he did. Look, if John trusts him, then I'm willing to give him a chance."

Janet's quick decision makes him blink rapidly. "Uh, thanks Janet. That...makes me feel a whole lot better, actually. Since you're living next door and everything."

"Hey, I live down the hall," Parker protests, then rolls her eyes at herself. "Anyway...."

"Here's the deal. He sings at Caritas. Lorne, the owner, reads his aura and his future and whatever else. If he says this guy has a soul, I'll shut up. I won't *trust* him." She glares at John and Janet. "Nothing's going to change that. But I won't rag on you, and I won't try to kill him. You're on your own after that. Okay?"

(no subject)

whitedeathpod.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 20:51 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

janet_fraiser - 2005-11-22 20:55 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

mparkerceo.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 20:57 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

janet_fraiser - 2005-11-22 21:05 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

mparkerceo.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 21:08 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

whitedeathpod.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 21:21 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

mparkerceo.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 21:23 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

whitedeathpod.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 21:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

mparkerceo.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 21:30 (UTC) - Expand

Janet gives a quick grin at John's bewildered look. She's had to make a lot of snap decisions in her life. "You're a good person, John, and you can see that in other people. I do want to meet him, though."

(no subject)

whitedeathpod.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 21:35 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

janet_fraiser - 2005-11-22 21:56 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

whitedeathpod.livejournal.com - 2005-11-22 22:01 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

janet_fraiser - 2005-11-22 23:00 (UTC) - Expand

"I'm not," Parker says. "Angelus was way too smart and way too unprincipled, and people bought into it. Nothing may have changed except his tactics. I've been running scenarios for getting him out of her in my head for the last 24 hours. But I *will* hold off on them, given one. Single. Thing." She takes a breath. "I swear."

"Parker," said Janet very, very firmly. "You can be upset if you want, but stop being insulting. John did what he thought was right. Don't disparage that."

"Right? Right?" Parker grimaced, then banged her head on the counter, muttering. "I don't get it, I don't get it, how is helping the guy who hurt Gilmore and Echolls and Blank right, I don't get it, it's crazy talk...."

She takes several deep breaths. Must not aggravate ulcer. Must not kill Crichton. Finally, she straightens again, and says. "Okay. Okay. So. Yeah."

She tries to find a silver lining here, and settles on, "Thank you for *telling* me, instead of letting me find out from someone else." There. That was reasonable.

"You're welcome," he says darkly. "Figured you'd be less likely to kill me if I told you and not the radio or Joe Schmoe down on the corner."

"Got that right." Parker's calming down a bit. "Okay. So..."

She goes into her explanation. (http://www.livejournal.com/community/fandomhigh/388196.html?thread=18211172#t18211172)