Another Alternate Makes An Appearance Who: Isabella and Josie Where: Avarice When: Saturday night, March 27th
Isabella was finally in a place where she felt that all of her emotional wounds had almost fully healed, and for once she was actually… content with the world and her place in it. She smiled faintly as she made her way into Avarice, wearing her traditional jeans, tank-top and leather jacket combination. She deserved a beer, damn it, and nothing was going to stop her from getting one. She sat down at the bar and mimed for a beer from the cute… pregnant… redhead. She tilted her head to the side as she watched the young woman, since hey! There was nothing wrong with looking.
Josie wasn't paying attention to anything at the moment. Right now, she was out on the dance floor, enjoying the music being played. She had been accidentally shipped here along with all the other future kids, but she had done her best to keep a low profile, even staying out of school. Of course, she had expected to go back shortly, and not still be here after all this time, as it felt to her. So, she might actually have to do something with herself soon, or go and see SOMEONE. Still, she'd rather not think about it tonight, instead focusing on the music blaring around her.
Isabella grinned when she finally got her beer and took a look around. She was an avid people watcher, after all (heh), and it wasn't too long until her eyes found Josie. Again, her head tilted to the side and she frowned lightly. Do you ever get that feeling that when you see someone, you feel like you know them, even though you've never really met them? That's what Isabella felt at that moment. Of course, staring at a woman who was technically young enough to be her daughter? Probably not the best idea…
Josie could feel eyes on her. Hell, she was used to that. Still, right now she felt a PARTICULAR set of eyes on her. Damn, and she was hoping to avoid this as much as possible. Still, she was kidding herself if she thought that they'd never run into each other. She had hoped for it, though. What she did for now was stop dancing and head to the bar for something to drink for now, though.
The Watcher was still frowning when Josie took a seat near her and while it could have been the most horrible thing to say? She leaned across the bar and asked: "Do I know you?"
Damn. Should have went to a different bar tonight. Then again, how was she supposed to know that her mom was going to show up? "Yeah, just not yet," Josie said, grabbing her drink and taking a swallow.
Isabella spluttered a little on her beer, since that sounded more like a come on then 'oh, by the way I'm your daughter from the future' than anything. "What's your name?"
"Name's Josie Delallo-Gregory," Josie said, waiting to see her reaction. If she knew her mother, she'd probably think that she was lying or something. Damn, if only she was.
Oooo-kay, putting the beer down now, lest she choke on it again. She gave Josie a sceptical look and shook her head, "You're kidding, right?"
"Wish I was...MOM," Josie said to her. Yeah, if only she knew how much the three of them didn't get along in a somewhat near future.
For once? Isabella was at a complete loss as to what to say. She blinked a few times, trying her damndest to process this. She wasn't doing very well, "Let's… let's discuss this somewhere else."
"Do we have to? It's not exactly complicated," Josie said. Still, she was quickly finishing off her drink to do just that. You rarely said no to Drill Sergeant Delallo, after all.
Isabella didn't bother to finish her drink, instead she walked out the front doors, knowing that Josie wasn't too far behind, and down the street a bit, away from the noise or… anything else. "Explain, please." She crossed her arms.
"Not sure how much I can really explain," Josie told her. "I'm your daughter from the future. I know you've already heard of some of the other kids. Not all of them are as good at keeping things quiet, you know."
"Yes, some of them are quiet loud, actually," Isabella replied, frowning again. She leaned back against a car, studying Josie's face. She looked… healthy, at least, and as much as Isabella wanted a child of her own, she knew that Josie wasn't really hers to claim. She was daughter to another Isabella, somewhere. Still, there were questions. "Delallo-Gregory?"
"Yeah, Meeghan is my other mother," Josie told her. Didn't care much for her other mother, either, but that was another story. One was a drill Sargent and one was always away. Story of Josie's life.
Isabella looked like she’d be physically ill then, "Right. Of course she is." She pursed her lips together and looked away, "…And your biological father?"
"You look pleased," Josie commented. "And Rupert Giles is my biological father. Don't worry. Nothing kinky or anything like that. Just the nice and sanitary donate and fertilize in a hospital type thing."
"Oh, far from it," Isabella murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose. At the mention of Rupert, however, she shrugged, and likely said something that would traumatise the poor girl. "I don't think I would have minded the kinky."
Josie made a face. "Yeah, you can keep that secret," she told her. "I'm taking it that you're not talking to Meeg Mom right now again, are you?"
"No. No… Last I heard, she'd left the state. Something about reprioritising or escaping drama, or some nonsense." She waved a hand airily. "I'd rather… not tell her about you, if it's all the same to you. She's not exactly aware of these kinds of things, as far as I know." She softened then, her tough exterior cracking a little: "Are you… Do you have everything you need?"
Wow, this was NOT quite the Isabella she knew in her future. Then again, wasn't this technically a different timeline? Who the fuck could really tell, anymore, anyway? "Nah, it's fine. She wasn't around much when I was growing up, so it's not exactly that different, anyway." She shrugged at the last question. "I don't know. I'm scraping by."
That was certainly an understatement. In this timeline? Isabella still had that softer side, the side that few people rarely got to see. She grumbled a little. Apparently Meeghan was still a sore subject, after all. "Do you… you could stay with me," she suggested, rather than ordered.
"Man, Meeg Mom must have messed you up in my future," Josie muttered. "You were NEVER this nice." Well, she was like both her mothers in the fact that she rarely minced words just to be nice. "I'll at least think about it, I guess."
"I mustn't have been a very good mother, then," Isabella murmured, perhaps a little sadly since she'd always wanted a daughter. And while she did have Bethany to think of, now, it wasn't quite the same. She had to be tough in some areas with the girl, to better prepare her… Maybe that was where Alterrnate!Isabella screwed up. She forgot that she was raising a daughter, not training a Slayer. "Yes, of course. I … don't want you to go without, that's all."
Josie nodded. "Thanks," she said. Probably the first time she had said that to either of her mothers, actually. "Life got kind of screwy where I came from, I guess." She sometimes thought that her mothers had a love/hate thing going on. She really wasn't sure.
"I'm sorry that happened," Isabella replied, shrugging apologetically. What could she say, really? 'I'm sorry I fell for someone so bad that it made me mental'? … Probably not. "But while you"re here, don't hesitate to come to me if you need help.”
Josie nodded. Seeing her mom like this actually made her almost willing to do so. She was still hesitant, though. However, her money was running short, so she might have to take her up on that offer.
Isabella sighed and had to wonder what kind of horrible person she was in this… alternate world, and, more importantly, if she'd turn out the same here? The thought actually made her feel nauseated. She hesitated, before saying: “I'm not much of a hugger where you’re from, am I?”
"Not really, no," Josie said to her. Even Giles wasn't much of a hugger, really, although she got one occasionally out of him. She just wasn't from a 'huggy' family, she supposed. "Why?"
Well, that wasn't much of a surprise, but she had to ask. "Just had a very strong urge to do that," she murmured, daring, my god, was that a smile? "But perhaps when we know each other a little better."
Josie shrugged. "Yeah, maybe," she said. Who was this person and what had they done with her mother? OK, so it was like, a past version of her mother, but still. Kind of weird, but at least this made her want to get to know her a bit, which was good, right?
"Good, it's always good to keep an open mind," Isabella replied, smiling faintly. Perhaps this would be a good learning experience for the both of them, who knew?