(no subject)

[gavemea_45]

As soon as the shower had started running in the motel's bathroom, Sam had seized his chance. He yelled something indistinct about lunch, grabbed his laptop and messenger bag, and headed straight for Milliways without waiting for Dean to answer.

Now he's sitting at a booth, the laptop open in front of him, staring at something on the screen.

(From time to time he stares at a note, instead.)

Either way, it doesn't look like he's making much progress.


[ooc: open until it scrolls, with a break at 9 MT for tonight's episode of Supernatural.]

Comments

[cannotforget.livejournal.com]

She shrugs.

"It's not important, Sam."

[gavemea_45]

"It is to me," Sam retorts.

[cannotforget.livejournal.com]

She sits still for a moment, silent.

Almost ... thoughtful.

"What does it matter?"

[ellectrical]

She looks up, her frustration obvious from her voice. "No."

Elle really doesn't care if anyone else knows. And maybe more importantly, she doesn't get why anyone thinks she would.

"But if - they say it or something -"

I didn't start it. Bela had thought they could do something fun.

"- it's like she's different for them."

The frustration has cooled, but only to something more like bitter.

[gavemea_45]

"Anyway, that's... that's a big part of why I'm okay with word not getting around."

Sam hesitates, then adds, very quietly,

"And, uh... I remember that kind of did a number on you and Mac, when... you know."

[gavemea_45]

"I think I'll stick to a different sort of workout," Sam tells her. "No handsprings. No kicks. Definitely no splits."

[gavemea_45]

"... oh," he says again, softly, this time letting it out on a quiet breath like a sigh.

"Like she's two different people." A beat. "One who's witty and stubborn and laughing and fun and -- all sorts of things --"

Another beat.

"-- and the other. The one who attacked you."

And me. And the rest of them.

[gavemea_45]

"It just matters, okay?" He shoves his hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture, then lets it drop.

"You're talking like you know all about me, and I don't even know your name!"

[ellectrical]

Elle's shoulder stiffen. Her eyes don't come up.

"Yeah. Whatever," she mutters.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Okay," X says, after a quiet moment of consideration.

And then, very seriously --

"I will not hold it against you."

[stilljustandrew]

"Yeah, but ..."

He trails off.

Whatever comes after the but, it's too complicated to articulate right now. Even to himself.



"But we're okay now," is how he finishes instead; that's part of it, at least.

[cannotforget.livejournal.com]

Resigned, she gives him a glare.

Fine, then.

He asked for it.



When she closes her eyes and opens them again, they're ink-black.

"The name's Ruby."

[gavemea_45]

Sam nods.

"Still."

[gavemea_45]

"Glad to hear it," he says, smiling.

[cutting_edgex23]

"You are just relieved you do not have to do splits."







Was that a joke?

[stilljustandrew]

(Go ahead, follow me around and tell all my friends --)

"Still," he repeats, low. "Yeah. It should be up to her."

[gavemea_45]

"Yeah, whatever," he echoes.

Sam looks steadily at her.

"Still sucks. And in this case, I've got reason to know."

[gavemea_45]

"Yeah," he agrees.

Besides which, the more that word of what happened in Cold Oak gets around, the more likely it is that people will find out more about the Winchesters' situation than either of them want known, although Sam doesn't say that.

Instead, he hesitates, and then slips the piece of paper out from under the laptop and unfolds it. Sam glances down at it, then back at Andrew.

"So, uh..."

Beat.

"You, um, got Buffy involved?"

[gavemea_45]

Deadpan,

"You've no idea how relieved."

[stilljustandrew]

Pause. Blink.

"Yeah. I -- did she write to you?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X tilts her head very slightly, studying him.

"You do not know that."

Beat.

"Your biochemistry is useful for evaluation."

[gavemea_45]

His eyes go wide with shock, but even as it happens he's already moving.

Sam's out of his seat and backing up, reaching behind his back for a weapon as he does.

[gavemea_45]

"Just a note," Sam says, setting the paper down on the table. He makes no move to put it deliberately either in Andrew's reach or beyond it.

"She wanted to let me know you two had talked, I guess."

[stilljustandrew]

Andrew's brow furrows slightly. He doesn't reach for the note.

"That's ... huh. I didn't even really mention you to her, I just asked her to stand backup when I talked to Ava."

[ellectrical]

She doesn't answer.

But Elle does finally look up from the table, and meets his eyes again.