(Untitled)

[latinexpert_sam]

Who: Sam and Buffy
What: First meeting...that goes awry
Where: Sunnydale Cemetery
When: November 1/early evening
Rating: PG

Comments

[slayful_buffy]

"You've been doing this since you were a kid?" She stopped to think about that for a moment, about what her life would have been like without Dorothy Hamill obsessions and playing Power Girl up in her bedroom with her cousin Celia, not knowing about any of this.

Was that better? Having normal for a little while and then being thrust into this life? "I'm sorry about your Mom," she offered, though it did occur to her that it was a little strange for his father to bring his kids in on this life, especially as young as Sam had been.

"Eww, a tour with Snyder? You being punished for something, Sam?" She grinned. She could think of nothing worse than being with her Principal for an extended period of time. God, no. It'd been bad enough being in a car with the guy when the towns older residents had gone crazy over the band candy.

It occurred to her suddenly that they were still standing in the cemetery and where Sam was more comfortable than most would have been, Buffy could hear her mother in the back of her head telling her that she was being a terrible hostess.

"Okay, I have the last half of my patrol to finish but then I'm free, mostly." Free if she ignored the SAT prep book propped open on her desk and the little Willow voice berating her for not studying. Again. "You want a proper Sunnydale tour from someone who actually likes this town, the majority of the time?" Her smile was easy, "It'd probably only take an hour. We don't have a whole lot of town to speak of."

[latinexpert_sam]

Sam nodded in appreciation of her condolences, but he really couldn't bring himself to say more about his dysfunctional family. It was different to have someone know the truth about him, about his family, so he still felt uneasy about the whole thing, no matter how nice Buffy seemed.

"Yeah, Snyder doesn't really seem like the type to like teenagers. Or anyone for that matter," he added after a thought. "But, yeah, a real tour would be kinda nice. I haven't really seen much outside of my apartment, school, and unfortunately, the cemetery. Just as long as we can swing by the library so my brother doesn't catch me in a lie."

He nodded towards the girl, a smal fown returning to his lips. He may have met a friendly person tonight, but it had been under horrible circumstances that still weren't settled. "I was gonna leave an anonymous tip with the cops once I was far enough away."

[slayful_buffy]

"Snyder hates everybody," she clarified with a nod, "And he has it in for me on a weekly basis." Which wasn't even close to an exaggeration. He'd only let her back in the school 'cause her Mom had tried the intimidation schtick on for size.

She cast a baleful look at the dead girl, her shoulders slumping just a little. She officially hated this part. "Yeah, we can do that. It might be better that you do it... I don't think I'm so anonymous with the police any more."

He quirked an eyebrow at that and Buffy blinked, wondering what she'd said. "Oh. Not that I'm, y'know, little Ms. Criminal. It's just when you call a few of these in, they tend to start recognizing your voice, y'know?" And amateur dramatics had never been her thing.

[latinexpert_sam]

Sam walked in step beside her as started on her patrol again. He would wait until they were a safe distance from the cemetery before calling. He really didn't feel like spending his first week in town in the local jail.

"Between the principal hating you and the cops knowing your voice, I'm starting to think you may end up being a bad influence on me?" he teased as they patrolled together.

[slayful_buffy]

"Y'know, I'd be offended at that, if I didn't think you were right," Buffy laughed. There was no feeling of unease, though, even though he was partly right.

If Snyder happened to see who Sam had chosen to spend time with, the guy would go right down in her Principal's estimations. "You sure you want me to talk to you? I can maintain a safe distance, if you want..." she teased, smiling.

It felt weird, kinda. Patrolling with somebody. Sure, she'd patrolled with Angel but that had usually ended in kissage up against a crypt - probably not what someone'd had in mind for their final resting place.

Buffy focussed on Sam again, her nose wrinkling, "Y'know, it's kinda weird... All of this, I mean. Five minutes ago I was trying to get all stabby with my stake and now we're... Well, it's weird, that's all I'm saying," she grinned.

[latinexpert_sam]

Weird was definitely one way to put it.

Honestly, he never really made friends at most of his other schools. It just never felt worth the effort when he'd probably be three states away in a month, but this was his senior year. Senior Years were supposed to be all about memories and proms and having a good time, and really, he hadn't had any high hopes of really hanging out with anyone here. New kids usually weren't welcomed with open arms.

"I like that we've moved passed trying to stake me," he said with a nod. "And I definitely agree with the weirdness. Good weird, but I'm still not really used to this whole not using my cover story."

He tried to pull the focus off himself. "So you grew up here?"

[slayful_buffy]

Good weird. Buffy smiled at that, pleased that he thought it was the good kind of weird too. It wasn't every day you tried to stake someone and then went for a tour of your hometown, afterwards.

"I grew up in LA. We moved here a couple of years ago, once my parents got divorced so I know what it's like being the new kid in town." Okay, so she didn't have as much experience with it as Sam, but still.

"I got called just before I moved here," she told him, anticipating that as being one of his next questions. "I think there was a ceremony or something, only I missed it."

Yeah, that was a joke. She was still miffed that the whole Slayer Handbook thing hadn't panned out.

[latinexpert_sam]

He frowned a bit in understanding. He wasn't sure what was worst--growing up knowing about these things and being prepared since birth or being randomly thrown into the world of supernatural.

Suddenly his life didn't seem so bad.

"Not a real democracy with Slayer lore, huh?" he asked. "That actually sucks worse than my situation, I think."

[slayful_buffy]

"It's not too bad," she found herself saying and was completely horrified by it. She'd spent the last three years of her life saying how crappy this gig was, how unfair that she'd just been tossed in at the deep end and expected to deal with sending her boyfriend to hell, making decisions that actually affected the end of the world and not your usual 17-year-old crap...

And now she was defending it?

She shuddered slightly and shot a look at Sam. Maybe her own life didn't look so bad because she'd had normal, she'd had something before all of this.

"I have a Watcher. Employed by the Watcher's Council for general training and keeping me alive purposes. Of which he only failed once," said Buffy brightly, "He's more a Dad-figure than anything else..."

And general runner-to when things were really bad. And things needed explaining or researching. Giles was kind of the all-round member of the Scooby Gang. "There was supposed to be a Slayer Handbook but I didn't get a copy. Something about my not following orders."

Her smile may have been a little smug, right then.

[latinexpert_sam]

He grinned at her smug smile. "You? Not following orders? I can't even imagine," he teased. "So do your parents know, or are you basically living the life of a secret agent?"

He couldn't imagine not being a hunter if his dad wasn't, especially trying to keep it a secret. He could lie with the best of them, but there were some things you just couldn't explain away.

[slayful_buffy]

"I follow orders," Buffy protested, but it was futile. Even Sam would know she was lying. She had the feeling she was pretty world-reknowned for not doing the following-order thing and she was the good Slayer. Not like Faith who seemed to have skipped town AND her duty this week.

"Mom knows and has... Pretty much accepted it. Not before she kicked me out and I ran away, of course..." Her voice tailed off. "Long story. And my Dad... My Dad pretty much doesn't care. He's still living in LA with his very-much-younger-than-Mom wife."

God, that sounded bitter. It was amazing that she could still sound as bitter when she didn't actually care.

Their patrol was coming to an end, thankfully with no more demons or unspeakable evil to pummel into the ground. They got to the cemetery gates and Buffy glanced Sam's way, watching him for a moment. "So, what's your usual cover story? You as creative as me when it comes to getting out of stuff?"

[latinexpert_sam]

He thought many times about running away as a kid, but really, where the hell would he have gone? Can't run away if you have nowhere to run away to.

"In school, I usually stick to being a military brat, which explains my constant moving and weapons knowledge, and usually people just think I'm some undercover goth kid when I check out books on paranormal stuff at libraries." He paused with a small tilt of his head. "And, honestly, this is the first time I've ever been caught mid-hunt so I'm not even sure what my cover story would have been."

[slayful_buffy]

Buffy groaned, "You realize you're gonna spoil my relationship with Giles forever, right? Weapons training, checking out books on the supernatural... He's gonna love you."

Beyond getting all stabby with her stake, she had no interest in learning about the supernatural. Sure, she helped with the research on occasion but that was, after all, what Giles was partly for - to point her in the direction of the Big Bad, it was her job to hit it until it was reduced to a gooey mess.

"I've been caught a couple of times outside The Bronze," said Buffy, recalling instantly the moment she'd held Cordelia up with 'a pointy stick' and the ensuing people-think-you're-crazy looks. "It's not easy developing a cover story for that. Or when your assailant goes up in a big cloud of dust."

She was kinda lucky - most of this town, and this was a broad generalization here, decided to just... Turn a blind eye. Or blame it on gangs high on PCP. A blessing in disguise, maybe?

[latinexpert_sam]

"Sorry," he laughed a bit. "I'll turn down my dorky paranormal side around him if that helps. Dad always makes us do research so it kinda became second nature. Old habits die hard and all the crap."

It was amazing how same and different they were to him. Both young, both hunters by default, but both approaching the idea differently. She seemed to be more about the actual hunt and getting the job done, and while he could be the same, he really didn't mind the research that it sometimes involved to get from point A to point B.

"What's The Bronze?" he asked, a bit concerned. The title seemed odd for a hangout.

[slayful_buffy]

"I'll survive," she told him, grinning as she heaved a pretend-sigh. "Besides, I think he'll like you without that stuff, anyway."

She did. Which she was surprised she could admit, even to herself. Not that she thought this was going anywhere. She had nothing against Sam - he was a nice guy and someone who she didn't have to continually lie through her back teeth with in order to have a relationship...

It was just... Buffy and relationships were something like Buffy and driving. Totally unmixy things.

"The Bronze is like... A nightclub, sorta. It's the only place we get to party in this town, unless you count the Fish Bowl but not only is that in the bad part of town, it's got more demon clientele than human, so..." She gave a light shrug, "It's pretty decent. The Bronze, I mean. We could go there if you want."

Willow would be home studying, hopefully. And would avoid giving Buffy those disparaging looks that told her that enjoying herself with some random hunting guy she'd met on a patrol was NOT studying.

[latinexpert_sam]

Sam blinked at her, nearly stopping in his tracks. "Wait, there's an actual demon nightclub?" He gave a shocked laugh. He'd always seen demons as pretty one-dimensional creatures, not exactly the type that liked to socialize over drinks, but apparently, there were a lot of things he didn't know. "This city just gets weirder and weirder."

"I should probably be home studying, but honestly, I'd probably get nothing done," he admitted with a shrug.

Besides, he'd actually kinda enjoyed hanging out with Buffy--kick to the ribs and nearly being staked aside, and honestly, there hadn't been many times when he'd been able to have an actual conversation with a pretty girl without hiding nearly everything.

And in the back of his mind, he could hear that annoying voice that occasionally sounded like Dean calling him a dork for turning down hanging out with a girl for locking himself up in his room with textbooks.