Fifty more like her get off the bus every minute

[summers_day]

RP to ConnorBuffy couldn't help thinking of the old show business cliche as she stepped into the terminal at LAX. There were way too many pretty people in this town and, considering her desperate need to shower, and burn all her clothes, she didn't feel like one of them

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[abetterlie]

Connor is actually between college classes, but today the office line gets redirected to his cell phone, as Justine and Holtz are going to be busy the entire day with pursuing Yahva demons. He can see it's a call for the agency, and thus answers:

"Holtz and Associates, how can we help?"

Which is a pretty phony line, but no way he was going to use that "helping the helpless" phrase Angel & Co. used to have on their answering machine.

[summers_day]

Buffy is still under the effects of the Cyvus Vail mindwipe spell, and has no idea that Connor even exists. So of course, she has no reason to recognize his voice.

She is, however, somewhat intimidated by the very professional phone manner. Buffy Summers has a lot of skills, but if there's one thing she sucks at it's cold calling. So immediately descends into ramble-mode:

"Oh hey, yeah, look my friend gave me your card and I feel a little weird about this, I'm not even sure if it's the kind of thing you do and I might be insulting you by offering it's kind of a muscle job though there's probably some investigating too honestly I'm not even sure where to start so that's why I called you it's for my friend Anne I wouldn't even ask for myself but Anne has worked really hard and done a lot of good and we're not rich but we can find a way to pay you and maybe we should meet in person do you like coffee?"

She takes a breath.

"Oh yeah. I'm Buffy."

[abetterlie]

Connor knows Buffy exists by now, but never heard her voice. The babble, however, reminds him of Fred, which causes a weird sense of nostalgia. He does not associate her name immediately with the Slayer Cordelia has mentioned to him; it was a while ago, and there are other things on is mind. However, she obviously has a problem, and aside from everything else, he just used all the recently ill-gained earned cash to get Patrick Keating to Boston. Which means a new client sounds good.

"Err. Yes, sure. I mean, I do. Like coffee, and hey, our rates aren't that high. Where do you want to meet?"

Then he remembers he should probably offer his name.

"I'm Connor. Connor Riley."

[summers_day]

The name means even less to her than the voice.

She suggests a diner that Anne mentioned as being close enough to the shelter that Connor can get a feel for the neighborhood, and not so close as to scare him off the job before he starts.

"And when we meet, I'll be totally coherent. I'm much better in person. I may even have notes. I'll be the shortest person there and probably the blondest. Oh, and I have this necklace that kind of looks like a golden branch. And maybe one with a cross, for good measure."

[abetterlie]

As well as making him sure she's here about supernatural business, her reply makes him smile.

"Well, then I promise I won't make you die of boredom,"

Connor quips back, then gets more serious. And risks plain talk.

"Okay. On the level. If you've got problems of the non-human kind, I can help you with that. If the problems are human, it depends. But then the options are sort of limited."

Meaning he can't kill humans, as opposed to demons.

[summers_day]

"My problems are strictly of the nonhuman variety," Buffy assures him. "Let me explain. I made a chart."

She looks down at the legal pad, with its interconnected web of roman numerals and bullet points. She concentrates on remembering which sections of the graph represented which parts of her plan, then finally heaves a sigh. "Screw it, I suck at this." Looking up at Connor, she says hopefully, "Could I just show you?"

[abetterlie]

The chart bewilders him. Even Wesley didn't do that. So he's really relieved at her question.

"Let's go,"

Connor says, then recalls he hasn't eaten since early morning - those long drives to and from college don't make for long breakfeast time - , and if it is reconnaissance and/or instant action, it might take a while, so he adds hopefully:

"Can we grab a sandwich on the way out?"

[summers_day]

In her nervous preparation for the meeting, Buffy realizes, she forgot to actually eat anything. Plus, that coffee's going to go right through her.

"Good idea. can you pick me up, um, do they have something with chiken and um, sprouts?" She doesn't remember what you can order in a diner in California. "I gotta pee." She paused. "Sorry. That's what my friend Willow calls a public service announcement." Then she flexes and pokes her bicep, silly from the caffeine and the prospect of a fight. "Then I'll be all ready to kick butt."

[abetterlie]

She's fast. As in, really fast. Connor reaches the corner a heartbeat after her, and by the time he does, things click. Buffy. Willow. Superpowers. And he remembers Cordelia's explanations.

"You're her,"

he states, not asks, and for a moment, looks at her horrified. Because in the middle of a serious situation with lives at stake, Connor wonders whether this means he'll fall for her next. But. Beyond registering she's pretty, seems to be bright and can quip, he doesn't sense anything. No attraction or sudden urge to cheat on Justine. Which means he's not doomed to fall for each and every one of his fathers' girlfriends after all. The curse is defeated! There is no incest complex. Angelus obviously was just plain wrong.

You didn't fall for Justine on sight, either,

the guy in question tells him, but Connor ignores him, and his horrified expression changes to grateful delight.

"I mean, you're a Slayer,"

he clarifies, trying to get back to business. "Cool. That should even the odds. I hope."

[summers_day]

There's something odd about this kid, no question. He shouldn't be able to keep up with her, not if he's human. But he doesn't look like any demon she's ever encountered and her instincts tell her he just doesn't FEEL like a demon. If anything, the way he moves, it's almost as if -- but no, that's silly. The sun is setting, but there's definitely still daylight. He can't be a vampire.

And then --"You're her."

Buffy is surprised at what a charge she gets from hearing that. Over seven years in Sunnydale, she got plenty sick of it: Yeah, I'm her. Do you want an autograph? Let's just get this over with.

But it's the first time she's heard the words for many months now, and she can't help a feeling of disappointment when he goes on to say, "You're a slayer. A slayer. Of course, she doesn't know much of what's gone on in LA, since the retrieval team came to recover Dana, but it's logical that more slayers would have been seen, and known, in the city

[abetterlie]

As the bickering with Kara can't exactly be called "working", Connor thinks of the other Slayer he met, and replies

[summers_day]

Listening to Connor talk about Faith, she has the odd sensation of being in one of those dreams where your first-grade teacher and former President Bush and Mystique from the X-men show up in your backyard to play badminton and drink lemonade. The weird thing isn't so much the combination of X-men and ex-presidents as the fact that everyone casually seems to know each other and to expect drinking lemonade in your backyard as part of the normal course of events

[abetterlie]

"I'm not going anywhere without her,"

the red-headed Tucker declares warily, while eying Justine with a mixture of scepticism and hope. But obviously knows Bella is his ticket out of here. Or maybe he's actually in love. Who can tell?

Connor, at this point, isn't interested. (And grateful Justine showed up; of course, he knows she has no intention of letting Tucker escape, but Buffy might not.) He spots the obvious opportunity. If they let Tucker leave with Bella, he'll at one point will have his back turned on one of them, as long as they're standing at three different sides. Then it's just a matter of speed and aim.

"If you promise to treat her well,"

he says to the vampire. "You should at least buy her a slushie for that one, pal."

Which makes Tucker, Bella, Buffy and Justine give him odd looks. Well, they don't know Kara Keating

[summers_day]

Buffy glances at Connor's struggle with Bella, but decides that subduing a teenage girl of the non-Slayer variety, even a grief-crazed one, is well within his mysterious superstrength.

So without taking her eyes fully off Connor, she turns to Justine -- Connor is very good about introductions; his mother must have taught him well -- and says the first thing that comes to her mind.

It isn't the most polite thing (her mother also taught her well, but with Buffy, it is sometimes hard to get a lesson to stick). Buffy doesn't but doesn't have a great filtering system at the best of times and now she's jazzed from the fight and remembers what Rodney the vampire said: the Holtz kid and his bitch.

Offering her hand to Justine, she says, "Nice diversion there. You must be the bitch."

[livingtwin]

"On a good day." Justine agrees - and she can't help but have a moment where she thinks:

Why are all these slayers always so pretty as well?

Pretty and little and blonde. Justine was never the prom queen but she had the same insecurities most women have and she can't help but feel not so pretty, not so little and not so blonde in comparison.

Then she remembers what her own priorities are, that she isn't a prom queen, cheerleader type and that she wouldn't want to be. Of course, that just leaves her with the reasonable insecurity that comes from having seen Buffy fight with supernatural ability. Justine is good, but she isn't that good.

The crying Bella is some distraction.

"You'll be in love again." Justine tries to assure her in what is her most sympathetic voice - which isn't particularily sympathetic. "And here's hoping the next one wont be a bloodsucking demon."

[abetterlie]

"We just wanted to be together and not be hungry again