Buffy Summers (buffy_da_slayer) wrote in btvsal, @ 2009-08-10 22:13:00 |
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Current location: | Ash's Apartment |
Current mood: | thoughtful |
Entry tags: | ash kowalski, buffy summers, place: la |
After the Meeting
Who: Buffy and Ash
Where: Ash's Apartment
When: After the Slayer Meeting
Buffy was more than a little angry right now. How dare Candice make her have to bring up all of that stuff? If anyone knew Ash at this point, it was her. Hell, she was the one who had to witness first hand all the havoc that he managed to cause her sister. She was right there in Sunnydale to watch his own decent into darkness. The only person who could speak even more for that right now was probably Meredith Delany, and, well, she might not be the best judge at the moment. She marched up to Ash's apartment door and knocked, praying that he was there.
"Yeah, yeah... hold on..." Ash grumbled, hopping up from his sofa, where he'd been reading a book quietly. He was (big surprise) dressed in black slacks, a black t-shirt, and black socks, his short blonde hair trimmed and in some semblance of order for once. Looking through the peephole, he swung the door open quickly. "Buffy? Everything ok?"
Buffy did not look happy. "No, I think I'm going to have to strangle your former roommate," she said, walking inside. "I thought that you two were friends."
"Candi?" He asked, blinking in confusion. "We... I mean... we got along alright, I guess... mostly it was just living together for financial reasons. And she used to come onto me like a dog in heat."
"Well, she wasn't exactly playing nice today," she told him. "We were all at that Slayer meeting, and, when I brought up your name when someone asked who we could depend on, she started talking about how maybe we shouldn't trust you so much, because of your past. Forgive me for saying, but I *know* your past better than pretty much anyone. If I trust you, shouldn't they?"
"Y-Yeah, I suppose..." He stammered a little, as that hit a nerve. Truthfully, he himself had wondered just how much he could be trusted. "It's sweet, though... you stuck up for me?"
She knew that would have hit a nerve, but she also felt that he needed to know what anyone was saying about him right now. "Yes, I stuck up for you. Of course I did. Did you think I wouldn't? What I've told you isn't just for private conversations, Ash." She grinned. "Well, maybe some of it, but the stuff about how I believe in you, and that I think you can do good? That's for everyone to know."
He knew this should have been a more... professional moment, and maybe that's why relationships between slayers and watchers were so frowned upon... but still, Ash couldn't help it. Just hearing her get so defensive about him... he walked over, and without saying another word placed his palms on her cheeks, kissing her softly.
She kissed him back. "Well, not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" she asked, smiling at him.
"For believing in me." He said, his voice soft for once. "Even when *I* don't."
"Well obviously someone has to, or you'll just sink into your 'woe is me' stuff again, and we just can't have that," she said, wrapping her arms around him in a hug for the moment.
"Yeah... kinda hard to be an angsty, broody-type with you around..." He laughed, slapping her playfully on the butt. "But I guess, really... the girls can't be blamed for not trusting me. They don't know me like you do."
"No, I guess they don't," Buffy agreed. "But some of them don't seem to be willing to even try to give you a chance. However, even my sister is willing to at least give it a shot, at least you being my Watcher. Still not sure how to approach the other stuff."
"Yeah... that's gonna be interesting, to say the least." He didn't bring up the fact that technically he'd slept with Dawn in the past, and THAT could make things weird between them all... but he figured if Buffy DIDN'T know, now wasn't the time to bring it up. "So... how DID the meeting go, anyway?"
"The meeting went, fine, otherwise, I suppose," Buffy said. "Catherine is really taking the whole 'leader' thing seriously." Which was probably a good thing. At least she didn't seem to be lording it over them.
"Mr. Giles seems to think Catherine's the most capable of you all right now." Ash paused, before speaking his mind. He knew that as her boyfriend, it was his job to be sweet to her... but as her Watcher, it was his job to be HONEST with her. "And I agree. She's the only one of you that doesn't have at least one glaring weakness." He smirked, and put a hand on her shoulder. "And I'll tell you what I think yours is, before you get pissed at me."
She did arch an eyebrow when he said 'glaring weakness.' "Sure, I'd love to hear what mine is," she said, smiling at him. Not that she wanted to be any sort of leader, anyway, but she was dying to hear this.
"Well, the first is obviously that the other girls have a lot of experience on you. Until I came along... your training hadn't been nearly as intense as theirs." He smiled, looking into her eyes. "Also? Confidence. You're starting to get it... but you still have too much self-doubt."
"All good points, especially the experience part," she admitted. "Besides, who wants a leader who set fire to one of their school's gyms?" She laughed. "I'm working on the confidence thing, though. And, honestly, I didn't have much in the way of training before you came along, intense or no."
"I'd never admit it to her... but I'm the one who vetoed having Gwen as leader." He snickered, just picturing her reaction if she knew. He was one of Gwen's oldest friends, after all. "She's got it all in the fighting department... but god DAMN does that girl have a temper problem."
Buffy nodded at that. "She didn't get to stick around long, though." She grinned. "Skylar apparently went into labor today."
"Jesus Christ." He laughed, unable to help himself. "I can't even BEGIN to imagine Gwen as a mother. Back in Sunnydale, she couldn't even keep a TURTLE alive."
Buffy snorted. "I think we've all done some growing up since Sunnydale, though."
"Ok, ok... you've got a point there." He laughed again, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "So... I have something I've been thinking about... maybe you have some ideas."
"Sure, what have you been thinking about?" she asked.
"Well... we want help from Meredith and from the Bales." He looked at her, desperate for ideas. "Who do you think should talk to them? None of them are terribly close to any of the watchers... Skylar and Gwen are a little busy to go talking to Meredith, and Catherine's really only close to one of the Bales."
"Well, maybe you should talk to Meredith," Buffy ventured. "Not that I love you talking to your ex or anything like that but, other than Skylar and Gwen, you're really the only other person who really knows her." She shrugged. "As for the Bales, if Meredith comes on, Ben's sure to follow, right?"
"I think Meredith only likes me now because she enjoys seeing me suffer." He said, sighing at the thought. "Truly... I'm NOT the person who should be asking her for a favor."
"Are any of us ones who should be asking her for favors?" Buffy replied. "At least she has some liking toward you, for whatever reason it may be. Other than Skylar and Gwen, I think she merely tolerates the rest of us because we can all gang up on her and kill her if need be."
"Alright, alright." He sighed, REALLY not liking this idea. "I'll talk to her. But if I come back without a pulse, you know who to blame."
"Yeah, me," Buffy pointed out. She was the one telling him to go and do it, after all. "I can mention to Catherine that she would have the best shot at getting the Bales involved, after Meredith, anyway. Where one goes, the others usually follow, it seems."
"Right. So... I'll head out, talk to her." He smirked at Buffy, sweetly poking her on the nose. "And remember, if I become lunch, I want "BUFFY MADE HIM DO IT" on my tombstone."
She laughed, even though a tiny part worried about him doing just that. "I'm sure that you'll be fine, or Meredith will have to contend with an angry Buffy, and no one wants that."
"Fine." He huffed, playfully. "Then after I do this, you owe me. Big. I'm thinking stripperiffic outfits may be involved."
She laughed. "Well just have to see about any outfits," she said. Although she did kind of want to try out a superhero costume.