First meeting. (Open to John)

[toughlittlesis]

Alex drummed her acrylic nails on the table, trying to tap out the butterflies before John showed up. She knew he was probably as nervous as she was, but that was only a small comfort while she waited for her father to walk through the door of the coffee shop where they'd agreed to meet

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[toughlittlesis]

After hearing John's words about acting like a family, Alex felt a wave of relief wash over her. It wasn't that she had been hoping for an immediate family connection with him. She really wasn't the type to expect that two strangers could become an instant family just because they shared each other's blood. It just didn't seem all that realistic. Life was never that easy, and the important things-especially the good ones-weren't supposed to be. To Alex, the single greatest force behind bringing people together was time, and she was pretty damn sure that one minute wasn't enough to make her anything other than an accidental daughter to him.

Still, his acceptance of her was comforting, even if they knew absolutely nothing about each other.

Truthfully, Alex had yet to figure out just what it was that she was looking to find with her biological father, but knowing that he was open to the possibility of a relationship lifted the burden of uncertainty off of her shoulders. At the very least, she knew that he was making an effort to get to know her, and that in and of itself was an incredible gift.

In spite of the awkwardness of the situation, Alex found herself moving into his arms and wrapping her own around him in a warm embrace. Then, after enough time had passed, she stepped back again reclaimed her seat.

"How was your trip?"

[winchester_john]

John just held her for a moment as she stepped into his embrace, feeling a sense of...*something* that told him this was real. Any other man might not have known it, but the last twenty years had taught him to easily recognize that paternal intuition...that deep-seated sixth sense that wasn't supernatural in any way, shape, or form...just the simple chemistry and energy that went into sharing blood with another human being.

Wasn't too bad." he replied, moving over to take a seat across from her when they released each other. "Drove, so I got lucky the roads were pretty clear. LA's one big traffic jam nine times out of ten...one of the reasons I don't come here real often."

[toughlittlesis]

Smiling, Alex folded her hands in her lap and looked up at John while he spoke. She wanted to give him her undivided attention because it was unlikely that another opportunity like this one would present itself to her anytime soon. While her father was in the same room with her, Alex was going to commit as much to memory about him as possible.

"That's the same reason why I usually just walk to wherever it is I'm going. I have a car, but I've lived here all my life, and its really not the easiest way to get around."

Alex preffered the exercise anyway. It was easier to stay in shape without having to make daily trips to the gym if you were willing to walk to work, or to the bar you might be meeting friends at, or even just for the hell of it. Doing that also gave her the opportunity to see more of the city she lived in than travel by car ever would.

Thinking about it, she decided that John didn't strike her as the type of man who would be lazy about walking. Actually, judging by the way he'd made that comment about the roads, John seemed like someone who was experienced in travel.

"Where are you from?" She asked curiously, hoping that it wasn't a weird question to ask. After all, she didn't know anything about him, and the basics seemed like a good start.

[winchester_john]

"Lawrence, Kansas, originally." he replied, settling back in his seat and signalling a waitress for coffee. "Born and raised there...I pretty much travel most of the time these days, though, so I guess you could say I'm from all over."

He paused, continuing to regard her with the same kind of curious, thoughtful scrutiny that hadn't left his face since he'd laid eyes on her, then smiled slightly.

"So," he sighed, shifting to fold his arms along the edge of the table, "mind if I ask you to tell me a little about yourself? If I'm not being too presumptuous." He paused, glancing down for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.

"I'd really like to get to know you better." He paused, meeting her gaze again. "If you're open to it, at any rate."

[toughlittlesis]

"I am." Alex reassured John, glad that he had been kind enough to get that particular question out of the way, because it was one that she had planned on asking him. Although things were quite possibly as strange as they could be without a vampire showing up to out her on demon slaying, Alex was happy to hear that her father was interested in getting to know her beyond one coffee meet-up.

"And as far as telling you about myself...," she trailed off for a second or two when she realized that she was about to lie to him, and it took Alex a moment to collect her thoughts. In her opinion, being outright dishonest was a sure fire way to start things off on the wrong foot.
And all that aside, she was already getting a paranoid feeling that if she didn't give John the truth, he'd just know. So while she couldn't call herself average--not in good conscience, anyway--she also didn't want him to know exactly how much of a freak she was.

Luckily, chances of John being informed about how "crazy" Alex was from her mother were slim. She was hoping that if she didn't mention her very much, or could at least admit to their falling out when it came up, he wouldn't press her about their relationship. It made enough sense for her not to dwell on it.

"I teach ballet at a Lacey Richards, its a dance school for girls. There's a boy in one of the jazz classes so technically its a dance school for everyone, but I think most little boys would rather learn karate."

She was tempted to bring up how "skilled" she was with self defense while they were on the topic, but that was another aspect of her life that might have been cause for alarm with John, and Alex decided to leave that out too. It was bad enough that she was planning on dropping out of UCLA. She didn't want to make it any worse, just in case it mattered.

"I tried college for a little while, but it wasn't for me. I'm happier being around the girls."