Room 228 [Tuesday Late Morning/Early Afternoon]
Free from classes, Angel put Sean on his brand-new leash and took him for a walk. Obviously Sean couldn't fulfill all of his puppy needs inside the dorm (thank goodness he'd come already housebroken) but he had a lot of energy and he could exercise indoors just as easily as out.
Plus this way he could meet new people. Angel walked Sean up and down the hallway just to get him get some work in, then he paused by Veronica's door and knocked.
"Come in," Veronica called from her bed, where she was being lazy and reading another Nancy Drew book. She knew Marty had sent them as a joke, but she thought maybe she could get some tips. And it wasn't like she had anything better to do with all of her classes over.
Angel opened the door. He held the leash carefully so that Sean was hidden behind him. "Hey."
"Hey," Veronica said with a grin. She marked her page, put the book down and sat up. She gave Angel a confused look. "Why are you standing in the door way?"
"Got somebody I wanted you to meet," Angel said. He gave a gentle tug on the leash. "C'mon boy."
Of course training had only gone so far with a still young and exuberant puppy. Sean took the cue and immediately bounded for Veronica, who was clearly in need of puppy cuddling.
Veronica's face lit up when she saw the puppy bounding toward her. "Hey you," she said, leaning down to scratch his head. "Aren't you a cutie!"
A sudden thought occurred to her and she looked at Angel. "This isn't John, is it?"
"No," Angel grinned. He folded his arms and leaned against the doorway, watching Veronica with Sean. "I thought maybe Cam. Then Jack because of all the licking. But nope. Pure puppy. His name is Sean."
"Sean, huh?" she said, picking up the puppy and cuddling him now that she was certain he wasn't one of her classmates. He immediately licked her face. "I see what you mean," she said to Angel. "Where'd you get him?"
"The guy who owns the bookstore?" Angel said. "Phale? He gave him to me." Angel made a face like he couldn't imagine why. "Guess for some weird reason he thought I was into brooding and could use cheering
up."
Veronica looked up and burst out laughing. "I can’t imagine why," she deadpanned. She cuddled Sean some more. "I miss my dog," she admitted.
"You've got a dog?" Angel asked. He grinned as Sean wriggled with delight at having made a new friend. "What kind?"
"Yep, his name is Backup. He's a pit bull. A big one. I could never hold him like this," she said, trying to contain the squirming puppy in her arms. She finally gave up and put him down to run around her room.
Sean immediately put his nose to the ground and attempted to sniff everything as a way to explore the room.
"Pit bulls are nice," Angel said, appreciatively. "Good big dogs. Probably like Sean when he grows up," Angel pointed. "See the paws? He'll be huge. Hopefully he stays small enough while I'm here that he doesn't mind living in the dorm room. I'll have to take him out for plenty of walks whenever I can.
Angel looked as though he didn't mind having this responsibility.
Veronica smiled at how absolutely adorable Angel was with his puppy. "He is going to be a big boy. But considering we're graduating in six months, I think you'll be okay. Backup would destroy this place if I brought him here."
"Least you'll get to see him for the holidays, right?" Angel squatted down to scruff Sean's fur as he passed by. "You can have quality dog-mommy time."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to that," she said. "So what does John think about your new roommate?"
"Loves him," Angel beamed. "He's Sean's godfather now. We're trying to make sure Sean has a good first Christmas."
Veronica bent down to pat Sean's head as he came past. "I'm sorry that you got stuck with a crazy daddy," she said to the dog.
"What?" Angel looked innocent. "I want to make sure he has a good time of it. I even hid his p-r-e-s-e-n-t-s."
Veronica shook her head. "Sean, you can come and visit Aunt Veronica any time you get tired of the crazy you live with, okay?"
"Not crazy," Angel protested. "Eager. Happy. I want to do a good job."
He smiled. "Hey, if you ever want to get in some dog-petting time with Backup not being here, you can always come by. Sean obviously likes you."
"Thanks," she said smiling. "And, hey, if you ever need someone to take him out during the day, let me know."
A sad look crossed her face.
"Oh, I have to tell you something," she said seriously. "Why don't you come in and sit down?"
Angel's expression immediately sobered. He came in, closing the door so Sean wouldn't distract them by scampering out into the hall. "Sure. What's up?"
"Well, it's nothing bad," she said. "It's just that Chloe and I are moving next semester."
"Oh," Angel relaxed now that he knew it wasn't life or death. "Okay. Where?"
"The east attic with Piper. She was all alone up there because Rogue left. And it'll give us a little more space and privacy."
"Privacy for what?" Angel asked with a teasing grin.
"Whatever," she replied lightly.
"Should I be helping you to form an alibi now or later?"
"What kind of girl do you think I am?" she asked, feigning offense.
Angel looked down at himself. "One who hangs out with known troublemakers?"
She chuckled. "You may be on to something there. Back home I dated a guy who turned out to be a drug dealer and one of my good friends is the leader of our local biker gang." She looked down. "And we won't even get into the whole Logan thing."
Angel looked up at that. "Actually I - uh - talked with him last night. It was weird."
"You did? Where?"
Angel pointed through the wall in the direction of the outside of the dorms. "Out there. He passed by when I was playing with Sean."
"Oh," she said. "Well, it's good that you guys had a civil conversation. It was civil, right?" she tilted her head.
"It was," Angel said. He looked as surprised at this development as anyone. "We talked about movies and pizza. And he got along with Sean."
"That doesn't surprise me. Backup always loved Logan," she told him, her expression thoughtful.
"He's pretty good with dogs," Angel admitted. He sat forward to give Sean a scritch. "We're going to watch movies when he gets back from Hawaii."
"He's going to Hawaii?" Veronica asked, a sad note entering her voice.
Angel nodded. "That's what he said. Sun and surf."
Veronica shook her head. "Damn," she muttered.
Angel looked surprised. "You hate sunlight? Not that I can't agree with that as a lifestyle..."
"It's not that," she said. "It's just... this is Logan's first Christmas since his mom... died. And it makes me sad that he's spending it alone in Hawaii," she admitted.
"Yeah," Angel picked Sean up to hold him in his lap. "I noticed he doesn't really have anybody."
Veronica glanced at the few wrapped packages on her desk. "Can I ask your advice on something?"
"Sure," Angel said. He gave a wry smile. "Don't know if it'll be any good."
"I bought Logan something over the summer... before we broke up... and I never gave it to him. I was thinking about giving it to him for Christmas, but... I don't know if it's the right time." She looked at the floor again. "It's one of those guardian angel pins and I had his mom's initials engraved on the back."
"Oh," Angel said. He looked at Veronica as though he was starting to understand something. He then covered the look by petting Sean again. "Uh - I dunno. It sounds really nice. Personal, though. Like something I'd want from somebody who wasn't exactly an acquaintance."
Veronica looked up. "Well, considering everything we've been through, I like to think that Logan still considers me a friend." She frowned.
"Then it sounds like just the thing," Angel said.
"Really?" she asked hopefully. "I mean, that's not the only thing I'm giving him. I bought him something else, too. I just don't want to make him sad, you know?"
"Did you know his mom?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, she was a nice lady."
[ooc: started via email... will be finished in comments... V will be open for interaction after Angel's visit and before she heads to work at Caritas.]
Plus this way he could meet new people. Angel walked Sean up and down the hallway just to get him get some work in, then he paused by Veronica's door and knocked.
"Come in," Veronica called from her bed, where she was being lazy and reading another Nancy Drew book. She knew Marty had sent them as a joke, but she thought maybe she could get some tips. And it wasn't like she had anything better to do with all of her classes over.
Angel opened the door. He held the leash carefully so that Sean was hidden behind him. "Hey."
"Hey," Veronica said with a grin. She marked her page, put the book down and sat up. She gave Angel a confused look. "Why are you standing in the door way?"
"Got somebody I wanted you to meet," Angel said. He gave a gentle tug on the leash. "C'mon boy."
Of course training had only gone so far with a still young and exuberant puppy. Sean took the cue and immediately bounded for Veronica, who was clearly in need of puppy cuddling.
Veronica's face lit up when she saw the puppy bounding toward her. "Hey you," she said, leaning down to scratch his head. "Aren't you a cutie!"
A sudden thought occurred to her and she looked at Angel. "This isn't John, is it?"
"No," Angel grinned. He folded his arms and leaned against the doorway, watching Veronica with Sean. "I thought maybe Cam. Then Jack because of all the licking. But nope. Pure puppy. His name is Sean."
"Sean, huh?" she said, picking up the puppy and cuddling him now that she was certain he wasn't one of her classmates. He immediately licked her face. "I see what you mean," she said to Angel. "Where'd you get him?"
"The guy who owns the bookstore?" Angel said. "Phale? He gave him to me." Angel made a face like he couldn't imagine why. "Guess for some weird reason he thought I was into brooding and could use cheering
up."
Veronica looked up and burst out laughing. "I can’t imagine why," she deadpanned. She cuddled Sean some more. "I miss my dog," she admitted.
"You've got a dog?" Angel asked. He grinned as Sean wriggled with delight at having made a new friend. "What kind?"
"Yep, his name is Backup. He's a pit bull. A big one. I could never hold him like this," she said, trying to contain the squirming puppy in her arms. She finally gave up and put him down to run around her room.
Sean immediately put his nose to the ground and attempted to sniff everything as a way to explore the room.
"Pit bulls are nice," Angel said, appreciatively. "Good big dogs. Probably like Sean when he grows up," Angel pointed. "See the paws? He'll be huge. Hopefully he stays small enough while I'm here that he doesn't mind living in the dorm room. I'll have to take him out for plenty of walks whenever I can.
Angel looked as though he didn't mind having this responsibility.
Veronica smiled at how absolutely adorable Angel was with his puppy. "He is going to be a big boy. But considering we're graduating in six months, I think you'll be okay. Backup would destroy this place if I brought him here."
"Least you'll get to see him for the holidays, right?" Angel squatted down to scruff Sean's fur as he passed by. "You can have quality dog-mommy time."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to that," she said. "So what does John think about your new roommate?"
"Loves him," Angel beamed. "He's Sean's godfather now. We're trying to make sure Sean has a good first Christmas."
Veronica bent down to pat Sean's head as he came past. "I'm sorry that you got stuck with a crazy daddy," she said to the dog.
"What?" Angel looked innocent. "I want to make sure he has a good time of it. I even hid his p-r-e-s-e-n-t-s."
Veronica shook her head. "Sean, you can come and visit Aunt Veronica any time you get tired of the crazy you live with, okay?"
"Not crazy," Angel protested. "Eager. Happy. I want to do a good job."
He smiled. "Hey, if you ever want to get in some dog-petting time with Backup not being here, you can always come by. Sean obviously likes you."
"Thanks," she said smiling. "And, hey, if you ever need someone to take him out during the day, let me know."
A sad look crossed her face.
"Oh, I have to tell you something," she said seriously. "Why don't you come in and sit down?"
Angel's expression immediately sobered. He came in, closing the door so Sean wouldn't distract them by scampering out into the hall. "Sure. What's up?"
"Well, it's nothing bad," she said. "It's just that Chloe and I are moving next semester."
"Oh," Angel relaxed now that he knew it wasn't life or death. "Okay. Where?"
"The east attic with Piper. She was all alone up there because Rogue left. And it'll give us a little more space and privacy."
"Privacy for what?" Angel asked with a teasing grin.
"Whatever," she replied lightly.
"Should I be helping you to form an alibi now or later?"
"What kind of girl do you think I am?" she asked, feigning offense.
Angel looked down at himself. "One who hangs out with known troublemakers?"
She chuckled. "You may be on to something there. Back home I dated a guy who turned out to be a drug dealer and one of my good friends is the leader of our local biker gang." She looked down. "And we won't even get into the whole Logan thing."
Angel looked up at that. "Actually I - uh - talked with him last night. It was weird."
"You did? Where?"
Angel pointed through the wall in the direction of the outside of the dorms. "Out there. He passed by when I was playing with Sean."
"Oh," she said. "Well, it's good that you guys had a civil conversation. It was civil, right?" she tilted her head.
"It was," Angel said. He looked as surprised at this development as anyone. "We talked about movies and pizza. And he got along with Sean."
"That doesn't surprise me. Backup always loved Logan," she told him, her expression thoughtful.
"He's pretty good with dogs," Angel admitted. He sat forward to give Sean a scritch. "We're going to watch movies when he gets back from Hawaii."
"He's going to Hawaii?" Veronica asked, a sad note entering her voice.
Angel nodded. "That's what he said. Sun and surf."
Veronica shook her head. "Damn," she muttered.
Angel looked surprised. "You hate sunlight? Not that I can't agree with that as a lifestyle..."
"It's not that," she said. "It's just... this is Logan's first Christmas since his mom... died. And it makes me sad that he's spending it alone in Hawaii," she admitted.
"Yeah," Angel picked Sean up to hold him in his lap. "I noticed he doesn't really have anybody."
Veronica glanced at the few wrapped packages on her desk. "Can I ask your advice on something?"
"Sure," Angel said. He gave a wry smile. "Don't know if it'll be any good."
"I bought Logan something over the summer... before we broke up... and I never gave it to him. I was thinking about giving it to him for Christmas, but... I don't know if it's the right time." She looked at the floor again. "It's one of those guardian angel pins and I had his mom's initials engraved on the back."
"Oh," Angel said. He looked at Veronica as though he was starting to understand something. He then covered the look by petting Sean again. "Uh - I dunno. It sounds really nice. Personal, though. Like something I'd want from somebody who wasn't exactly an acquaintance."
Veronica looked up. "Well, considering everything we've been through, I like to think that Logan still considers me a friend." She frowned.
"Then it sounds like just the thing," Angel said.
"Really?" she asked hopefully. "I mean, that's not the only thing I'm giving him. I bought him something else, too. I just don't want to make him sad, you know?"
"Did you know his mom?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, she was a nice lady."
[ooc: started via email... will be finished in comments... V will be open for interaction after Angel's visit and before she heads to work at Caritas.]