The seconds ticked by on the slender gold watch Julianna wore as she pondered Valerie's words. There was something, but it was difficult to articulate. While being open was something she could get used to, it was an acquired skill, not a natural one.
"I want you to understand, I'm not planning to try and make you fit into the mold that was cast to make Allison who she was. You're not just a Slayer, you're an individual being, your own person. If I'm to truly rebuild, I have to start fresh. Perhaps I'll never be able to forget the past, but I'm not intending to re-create it, either."
Her smile tightened when she finished speaking, but the honesty made her breathe more easily. "I can't guarantee that I'll always be easy to get along with," she cautioned the blonde. "I'm stubborn and difficult and set in my ways. I can be arrogant. But I also want this to work. Sometimes you have to take a risk or nothing happens."
She had unconsciously begun to remove the label from her water bottle while she talked, and she crumpled it in a loose fist. "I should let you go," she said, beginning to gather her things. "It's just past the middle of the day and I'm sure you have a class to attend or a lecture to get to. As for me, there's a stack of papers on my desk that I should deal with. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, school won't be in session in a couple of weeks. I'd like to have the scutwork cleared away so I can enjoy the time off."
She'd have to find a hidden spot in her office to put the stone, somewhere the cleaning people wouldn't find it. Valerie might carry it everywhere with her, but as a Watcher Julianna was more cautious. Psychic energy could be powerful, and until she was certain of what properties 'Beth's' token possessed, she was wary of bringing it into her home. With the notes she'd made, she could consult her books that night, then study the stone.
"I wish you a pleasant afternoon, Ms...Valerie," the older woman said as she slowly pushed her chair back to get to her feet. A sheepish smile. Damned formality.
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"I want you to understand, I'm not planning to try and make you fit into the mold that was cast to make Allison who she was. You're not just a Slayer, you're an individual being, your own person. If I'm to truly rebuild, I have to start fresh. Perhaps I'll never be able to forget the past, but I'm not intending to re-create it, either."
Her smile tightened when she finished speaking, but the honesty made her breathe more easily. "I can't guarantee that I'll always be easy to get along with," she cautioned the blonde. "I'm stubborn and difficult and set in my ways. I can be arrogant. But I also want this to work. Sometimes you have to take a risk or nothing happens."
She had unconsciously begun to remove the label from her water bottle while she talked, and she crumpled it in a loose fist. "I should let you go," she said, beginning to gather her things. "It's just past the middle of the day and I'm sure you have a class to attend or a lecture to get to. As for me, there's a stack of papers on my desk that I should deal with. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, school won't be in session in a couple of weeks. I'd like to have the scutwork cleared away so I can enjoy the time off."
She'd have to find a hidden spot in her office to put the stone, somewhere the cleaning people wouldn't find it. Valerie might carry it everywhere with her, but as a Watcher Julianna was more cautious. Psychic energy could be powerful, and until she was certain of what properties 'Beth's' token possessed, she was wary of bringing it into her home. With the notes she'd made, she could consult her books that night, then study the stone.
"I wish you a pleasant afternoon, Ms...Valerie," the older woman said as she slowly pushed her chair back to get to her feet. A sheepish smile. Damned formality.