Back in the Game?

[st_clare]

Julianna had sent her letter to Edmund special post so he could respond as soon as possible, and he'd actually called her right away when he'd gotten the information she'd asked for. She'd added the relevant details to her personal notes out of habit. Even if no one else could read her writing, she knew what she'd written.

The fact that she had Valerie's daily schedule meant she'd had the option of meeting her after one of her classes. She could have even arranged for the girl to speak to her in her office. But she hadn't wanted to make it seem like an order or a command. To arrange an accident might have made the Slayer suspect her motives. When she didn't even know what her motives might be, it was best to leave things to chance.

The Watcher was currently seated at a table by herself in the student union, half of her attention on the daily paper. Emotionally, she felt as shaky and coltish as she had the day she first went away to university. Hope intermingled with terror as she finished one page of the newspaper and started on another. She didn't know if she was prepared for this. What if the girl wasn't interested in what she had to say?

Then again, this was a chance to correct what she still saw as her error. To fix her mistakes. If Valerie didn't respond positively, she would have at least made the effort. That was all she could truly do.

Comments

[valerie_vause]

One bite became three as Valerie watched the elder woman work out if she had something to say. Silence lingered save the noise of a crisp bite now and then. When Julianna spoke green eyes took in the sight of someone trained to be stoic so very blatantly uncomfortable. From tight smile to shredded label that scattered around the bottle like sad confetti. It was strange and equally intriguing. Temporarily it appeared the roles were reversed. The blonde tilted her head then took a sip of soda.

“I’m glad you said that, I don’t fit very well into molds other than my own. Especially when forced.” Lips quirked slightly as one shoulder raised. “I don’t think we’re meant to forget our past. It’s what makes us who we are, without it all, we’d be someone entirely different.”

Valerie paused for a second, nodded as if an internal debate had been decided, then took in a slow breath. “In the spirit of being honest.” She held Julianna’s gaze and continued softly, “I can be stubborn and set in my ways too which means you might find me difficult at times in return. I’m not going to go out of my way to push your buttons, that’s not who I am. I do want this to work but I need to know that when we talk openly, when we disagree, that it stays between us. I work better without constant worry that what I’ve said isn’t getting me shipped off to… Well, the mother land of Watchers for correcting.”

Julianna was right, sometimes you had to take a risk. Lately it seemed like she’d been doing a lot of that and it unsettled her, but right then it had been necessary to be very frank with the woman. Valerie did want it to work, but only if the Council played no part in it. The last thing she wanted to do was confide something, or state something that wound up getting her in some sort of trouble. Granted she didn’t run around at night attempting to break laws but occasionally she had to break down a door or get creative with property that happened to be at hand.

“I wouldn’t want to keep you from that.” The blonde gently teased, clearly regarding the prospect of grading papers as much fun as having to write them. Valerie stopped the laughter but not the amusement as the Watcher caught herself doing the very thing she’d suggest they stop. “I enjoyed our talk, Julianna, I hope you have a good rest of the day.”