Title: New Job Part 2

Author: Ethiercn

Disclaimer: Marvel owns them, and I am making no profit.

Rating: MA

Note: The letter Angel mentions was sent at the end of my fanfic "Revenge".

"Thank you for coming," Angel said to Conrad as they left the theater and walked down the street.

Enjoying himself, Conrad smiled, "You were the one with a spare ticket." They turned a corner. "You can get home okay?" Angel's blue green eyes looked at him in surprise, and then the two of them dissolved into laughter. "Okay, it was a stupid question," he admitted.

"But do you need a lift?" she asked, looking at him. Dour and surly, Vance had described him. Because of that description, she had been nervous working with him. But, while Conrad was more closed off than Scott and Mac, he patiently tutored her in self-dense, never once making her feel stupid, treated her as an equal, and joked with her. In some ways, it felt like she had Randall back.

"Being a mutant has advantages, doesn't it?" he asked as they turned a corner.

"You never have to take public transit unless you want to."

"As long as it isn't out of your way," he said. Stupid Astrovik, he thought, standing up his girl like that; someone else could step into those empty shoes eventually.
"It's not," Angel replied.

The following day, Angel slid her books into her bag and left the classroom. She had an hour before her next class. She should get something to eat.

"Angel!"

She looked up and saw Vance coming down the hallway. He must have found time to go home and change, and she hoped he found some time to rest. Her eyes brightened with joy, and before she knew it, his warm lips were on hers.

"I know you have some time between classes, and since I need a break, I thought we could get some lunch," he said, taking her bag and sliding his free arm around her waist. They walked out of the building and to one of the food trucks that dotted the campus.

"Did you get caught up?" Angel asked after they had gotten some sandwiches and found a quiet place to sit.

Vance unwrapped his burger. "Not yet. There's so much history, Ang! I'm going to be busy for days. After lunch, it's back to the grindstone." He looked at her, his blue eyes intent. "It's like I'm so stupid compare to . .. "

"They wouldn't have asked you to join if they didn't want you," Angel interrupted and studied him. Despite the clean shirt and jeans, he looked tense and worried. Perhaps, he hadn't slept but worked all night. "You probably know more about their history than they do."

Vance swallowed a bite. "I know. And you're right. But it's like being thrust into a new school, and I don't want to make a mistake. I'm struggling to catch-up."

"I know what that feels like, Angel murmured. "But the news said you were an excellent addition to the team," she quoted, adding. "WABC says you were cool under pressure."

He smiled brightly and relaxed a little. "Really?" his face took on that kid in a candy store look he had when he had accepted the Avenger's offer. "How was The Producers? Did Mac or Scott go?"

"It was wonderful. Conrad came, actually."

"Conrad," Vance picked up an onion ring. "That sourpuss?"

"He's not that bad," Angel countered. "He's been rather nice."

"Did he laugh?" Vance asked. His relationship with Conrad hadn't been. For some reason, Conrad didn't approve of him or of the practices that Vance had with the guardsmen.

Angel nodded. "He's quite the Mel Brooks fan. He can quote huge sections of Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and Spaceballs, though not Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He says that one was sub-par. He even has a cat," She finished her B. L. T. "He said something at dinner . . . "

"At dinner?" Vance put down his soda. Conrad, chummy, he thought, and how did Angel know about the cat?

"He paid for dinner before the show as a thank you," Angel explained. "He said that we would mostly likely be working with my mother at some point, so I decided to read the letter she sent." She looked at the students walking across campus and shook away the memory of what Stephan had done to Empath and James.

"Did you tell Conrad?" Vance asked watching her.

Angel looked at him in confusion, "No. Why would I?"

"No reason. Just . . ." he shrugged it off. "What did she say?"

"That she wasn't sure exactly why she brought my painting. That I shouldn't believe everything Stephan says about her. That she would like us to have a relationship." She sighed. Vance reached and took her hand, stroking her palm with his thumb. "I don't want a repeat of Frost," she finished softly.

"I don't think she's like Frost, Vance replied. "I think it's fear, which is, I will admit, a worry. But she's not Frost."

She squeezed his hand, "So what is Iron Man like?"

A little later, hand in hand, they walked back to Vance's bike. "I don't know when I'll have more free time," Vance said as he leaned against his bike and took Angel into his arms.

She rested her hands against his chest, "I know. It's okay. I've got a job too, remember?"
"It's just until I get caught up," he promised.

"It's fine, Vance. I know how much this means to you. Don't worry. You're doing fine." She kissed him.

He kissed her back as his hands moved down her back and pulled her closer. Angel thought briefly about this new almost electric pulse between them, a tingle, a something that the slightest touch could spark. Something totally different from the feeling she had when they first started dating. Was this tingling feeling and awareness arousal, lust, or something different, she wondered as she felt both their hearts beat.

"I could always quiz you," she whispered, her hands had moved down his chest.

"I have idea, every time I get an answer correct, you remove a piece of clothing," his response came out in a rough whisper.

She blushed and rested her head against his shoulder, "I can't believe you said that."

One of his hands stroked her cheek and then played gently with her hair, "You know, neither can I. Rich must be rubbing off on me." He rest his head hers and sighed. "I have to go," his voice was a strange mixture of desire and regret. Despite his word, his hands tightened on her.

Whatever this feeling was, it was nice to know he felt it too. Angel took his hand and pressed a kiss into his palm. "Go," she kissed him on his cheek. "I'll quiz you later." she promised.

"I'll call," he said as he got on his bike. He pulled on his helmet, and with a wave, left.

Two hours later, as she was leaving her last class, Conrad called. "Red," he said. "Smith's calling us in," he paused. "And we're working with your mother."