canon au } { post-s4, of relationship statuses and football

[patrols]

Ben: [and he's just going to sit there, leaning back in her chair and playing with his phone as he waits]

Lindsay: [as she makes her way back into the office, she spots him at her desk and raises her eyebrows a bit. As she makes her way closer she can't help but tip her head to the side skeptically] Can I help you?

Ben: I'm hoping you can, Deputy. [he flashes his charming Winchester grin] I've been working on a case and I was told that you have some experience with the perp from your previous station. I was wondering if we could chat and see if you can provide me any insight.

Lindsay: [she glances down at her watch and gives a shrug] I got a few minutes to kill.

Ben: Let's go find someplace quiet to talk.

Lindsay: [she nods a bit, considering] I'm just about to clock out if you want to go for a beer. Unless you're on the clock?

Ben: I don't have to be if you're off. Beer sound awesome.

Lindsay: Great. Just give me a second to change and I'm all yours.

Ben: I'll be here. [spinning in your chair]

Lindsay: [she shakes her head a bit, before making her way to the locker room. A few minutes later she returns, dressed down and her bag slung over her shoulder] Who's driving?

Ben: I'll drive. I don't think you've seen my new ride yet.

Lindsay: Lead the way, then.

Ben: [is up and showing her the way to where there is a car waiting for them]

Lindsay: [her eyebrows go up a bit, circling the car as she takes it in] Nice.

Ben: It was in the garage. Sam figured it was one of the previous occupant's. I cleaned her up, and Sam said I could keep her. [goes to open the door for her]

Lindsay: [slides inside] She must have been in pretty good condition to begin with.

Ben: [goes to climb in on his side] She was, just covered in a few layers of dust, her fluids were a bit sludgy, but the places that counted were great. Almost like the guy just bought her.

Lindsay: Huh. Nice.

Ben: So where we going for that beer?

Lindsay: O'Malley's isn't too far from here.

Ben: O'Malley's it is. [and he fires up the engines and drives into traffic. He's gotten a lot better since the last time he drove her around, even using those mirror things] So what's been going on?

Lindsay: Eh, the usual. Vampire here, trying to keep an eye on a teenage pack there.

Ben: Sounds fun. I know what it's like trying to make sure teenagers don't get themselves killed.

Lindsay: The McCall pack isn't bad. They're just kids.

Ben: True. I had two Winchesters.

Lindsay: Yeah, I'll stick with Scott and Stiles.

Ben: Thought so.

Lindsay: They're good kids. You should meet them one day.

Ben: Maybe. One day. [probably never. He had met his share of the pack here and was sure he was done with it]

Lindsay: [nods as she just quietly gives directions to where they need to go.]

Ben: [and he's going to follow the directions almost perfectly. And will make a U-turn where he probably shouldn't]

Lindsay: [cringes at that] Did Dean give you actual driving lessons?

Ben: [is quiet a moment] Sam, actually. Dean hasn't been around for a while.

Lindsay: [she's heard whispers but nothing really concrete] Yeah, I heard he got caught up in something crazy.

Ben: Yeah, that's putting it lightly.

Lindsay: Dawn and Derek are apparently getting in one the research party.

Ben: Yeah, I got that on my last update, which was why I figured I would head out this way and see if there was any need of me. I've been picking up their slack on hunting.

Lindsay: The nemeton's been pretty quiet. The biggest thing we've had to worry about is Parrish, but that's mostly because we still don't know what he is beyond fireproof.

Ben: I looked in some of the books to see if I could find anything, but beyond the obvious in phoenix, dragon, or fire kitsune, I don't really see anything that matches

Lindsay: [sighs] Yeah, I figured as much. The Hale brain trust is coming up empty too.

Ben: I heard that brain trust nearly got themselves killed recently.

Lindsay: You're going to have to be more specific than that. That kind of happens to them often.

Ben: Sam mentioned something about Dawn making a deal for Derek's life?

Lindsay: She thought she needed to but he was doing some werewolf thing where they "die" and then come back with the ability to shift full wolf, but Dawn didn't know that so the deal sort of bounced around and brought back his sister Laura instead - you'll meet her later, she's crashing with me. Anyway, part of the deal was also making Dawn human, so it's not like it was a complete waste.

Ben: ...... Yeah, there's still a lot I have to learn about this shit. How can that... no, no I need beer first before you explain.

Lindsay: [smirks as they pull up and she gets out of the car] Beer, coming up.

Ben: [he may need a whiskey first before the beer chaser]

Lindsay: [whatever he needs, she'll wait until he gives her the all clear before she starts]

Ben: [whiskey back, sipping the beer, food ordered because no really, food is going to be needed] Alright. I think I'm prepared now.

Lindsay: Okay, so ... just for a basic knowledge check - you know Dawn's the Key, right?

Ben: I knew whatever she was let her blood create a portal between dimensions. [yeah]

Lindsay: Right. So it basically sucks, because technically she's not even a real person. She wasn't a "human" until the monks made her one back when Buffy was the only Slayer and working out of Sunnydale. All the growing up memories she has never actually happened. And it makes her a giant target for trouble. So she and Giles have been trying to find a way to separate the girl from the Key for a while, especially considering as long as she's the Key, if she's killed or turned back into Key form, all of us? Will forget Dawn ever existed.

Ben: [nods, sipping his beer] Yeah, that kinda sucks hardcore.

Lindsay: Anyway, Derek started losing his wolf after he got hijacked by his psycho ex and we had no idea what was wrong with him but by the time same psycho ex kidnapped Scott and dragged him down to Mexico, Derek was completely human. Dawn went to see the Oracles in LA to try and see if they had any information on what was going on with him and they proceeded to give her a play by play of what was happening in Mexico. It was ... bad.

Ben: I take it the play by play included whatever was leading to Derek's "death"?

Lindsay: Derek got hit by one of the beserkers. Was basically stuck in Mexico bleeding out and Dawn ... snapped. She went off on the sons of bitches and got a deal that made her human and was supposed to save Derek's life. Only Derek wasn't actually dying, he was going through some kind of weird werewolf rite of passage. But a deal's a deal so instead of bringing back Derek they brought back his sister Laura instead.

Ben: And Laura was dying somewhere else?

Lindsay: Laura was killed about two years ago, I think? Unrelated incident. Sort of.

Ben: And that's so not going to be super creepy or awkward at all. [nods] You sure those powers that be aren't angels?

Lindsay: [shakes her head] From what I've heard? Definitely not. To come down here at all they have to be literally birthed into the world. It's super creepy.

Ben: Well, they sound like they are the same kinds of pains in the asses.

Lindsay: My only experience with angels is Castiel and I plan to keep it that way.

Ben: Good plan. I fully support it. [raises his glass in approval]

Lindsay: [raises her glass as well] Anyway. Laura wasn't just some random choice - it was kind of a bribe to keep Derek from looking where they didn't want him to look because Dawn didn't just get to be human - she got a whole new human life, completely oblivious to who she was before.

Ben: ..... What the hell even.

Lindsay: That's what we said. But we found her and we fixed her, but since she didn't pay the price for her deal, now she gets to fix your dad - without transferring the mark to someone else.

Ben: ... Hopefully without killing him either, though if that's what has to be done… [shrugs]

Lindsay: From what I've heard, he tried the dying thing, didn't really work.

Ben: ..... Well, there are other ways to kill him that would. Now that we know what won't work.

Lindsay: [her brow furrows] Do I want to know?

Ben: [smirks and looks towards the bar to make sure no one was looking at him, and then shows her the angel sword sheathed against his body] Not much this thing doesn't do in.

Lindsay: [raises her eyebrows a bit] Wasn't he fighting an angel when he died?

Ben: Yeah, but he was human when he died.

Lindsay: Yeah. It's the coming back a demon part that we're trying to avoid.

Ben: Been there, done that, Sam cured him for now.

Lindsay: Yeah. So we don't want that to happen again. However much of a dumbass Dean is being - and trust me, I'm sure he's being quite the dumbass - that doesn't mean he deserves to have his soul damned for eternity.

Ben: [sips his beer.] No, no one does. Not even Dean.

Lindsay: So ... let's avoid killing him until we know that that's not going to be the end result.

Ben: That's the basic plan right now anyway. Sam's trying to keep him calm and out of the game for a while so that he doesn't have any flare ups. Hence why I’m embracing the family business.

Lindsay: How's that working out for you?

Ben: Actually pretty good. I'm so glad not to be wasting away in the bunker, that's for sure. At least I'm useful this way.

Lindsay: [she nods] It's not bad once you get used to it. I mean, I can see why some people think it sucks, but it's more kind of an extension of the job I already have.

Ben: Yeah, I'd get that. Especially in a town like this. Hell, the bunker has an entire book just on Beacon Hills' history.

Lindsay: Not surprised. It's probably got one on Sunnydale too.

Ben: A shelf, actually.

Lindsay: [she laughs] That sounds about right.

Ben: [smirks] I swear I've never seen Michael's eyes widen that big when he saw all the books. He's totally his father's son.

Lindsay: Wait till Dawn gets there. It's a good thing she's bringing Derek because I don't think she's ever going to leave.

Ben: Yeah, it's pretty much a book junkie's nirvana.

Lindsay: Pretty much.

Ben: Didn't really do much for me. Now the garage...

Lindsay: [she laughs] I just want to see the armory, honestly.

Ben: I could set up a private tour if you're ever there. [smirks]

Lindsay: [smirks back] We'll see. I've got plenty to keep me busy here.

Ben: Anything I can help with?

Lindsay: Nah, it's just the usual. Vampires, occasional demon. Sometimes I actually have to do work so it's also occasionally dumbass criminals.

Ben: So nothing you can't handle in your sleep. Got it.

Lindsay: [nods] The problem is more volume than difficulty.

Ben: So no vacation anytime in your future.

Lindsay: Slayers don't really get vacations. Bad guys tend to follow them wherever they go.

Ben: So then you can take a vacation, but your work just follows you. [which is him saying why aren't you coming to the bunker then?]

Lindsay: In theory. But personally if my work follows me, it's not really much of a vacation.

Ben: Unless you can, say, slide into an impenetrable bunker that they can't follow you into. I wonder where there's one of those...

Lindsay: [gives him a bit of a look] So my vacation would consist of hiding out in a bunker with you, your dad and your uncle, your cousins, and Derek and Dawn.

Ben: I was thinking more like when they aren't there. [he was. He doesn't want the rest of them around. The place echoes]

Lindsay: Making that happen does not sound like it would be easy.

Ben: I do like a challenge.

Lindsay: I'm sure you do.

Ben: [grins]

Lindsay: [shakes her head] You make that happen, I'll come out to the bunker.

Ben: Alright, we have a deal then.

Lindsay: We have a deal. [she's not expecting anything anytime soon]

Ben: [as she shouldn't. It'll end up being something very last minute. very 'get here tomorrow'] But until then, I'll just have to come and visit you when I'm in the area.

Lindsay: That's fine by me.

Ben: [and oh hey, food has arrived. And he can actually pay this time too. Not that it's really his own money, but still!]

Lindsay: [wow they are living it up, it's almost like a real date]

Ben: [oh god it's a date? what?!]

Lindsay: [relax Casanova, she's not expecting anything]

Ben: [good. Because he totally is behind in this whole skillset] So you busy after this with slaying stuff?

Lindsay: [shakes her head] Buffy's patrolling tonight.

Ben: So maybe we could get a movie or something? I mean, that's what normal people do, right? Drinks, dinner, movie...?

Lindsay: [eyebrows go up] Careful - that's dangerously close to sounding like a date.

Ben: Can't friends do that too?

Lindsay: They can. Are we just friends? [with benefits obviously, but she's trying to feel out what he wants from her. His signals are a little hard to read]

Ben: [and that gets her a different look from her. One where he's so not like Dean at all, but the confused man who doesn't get the real world and isn't sure how to answer that]

Lindsay: [her head tips to the side a bit as she watches him before shrugging] I'm just trying to figure out what you're looking for here.

Ben: [he just looks at his beer a moment, and then shrugs] Honestly, I have no clue. I don't have much experience on this end of things, you know.

Lindsay: No, I know. Which is why I'm asking.

Ben: I just like spending time with you. I don't know what I'm supposed to do beyond just that.

Lindsay: [sighs softly] It's not something you have to do. People make it out to be this huge complicated thing, and it's not. If you want to be with me, say so. If you don't? Then we're just friends. With maybe occasional benefits. I'm not looking to play games, but I also want to know where I stand.

Ben: [he bites the side of his lip] Listen, maybe this is easy for other guys to answer, but you're talking to the guy who grew up in survivalist mode. I don't know any of this shit. All I know is that I like spending time with you. If I didn't want to, I wouldn't keep showing up. And yeah, you're hot and the sex is amazing, but I'm not showing up just for the sex. You know that, right?

Lindsay: I had a feeling. [she shrugs] I'm not expecting it to be easy, either. Just ... don't assume that I'm in the loop? Your signals aren't like most guys around here.

Ben: You can just ask. If I don't want to answer, I'll just tell you. I don't really care for playing games with people.

Lindsay: That's why I am asking.

Ben: Okay. Can I ask what you want from me then? I mean, if you're wanting to know my intentions, it probably means you've got your own.

Lindsay: [she's quiet for a moment as she gives a bit of a shrug] I guess I want to figure out whether or not I should ... be invested.

Ben: Well, I mean, with what are jobs are, we could both die tomorrow.

Lindsay: [eyebrows raise a bit] Is that an argument for or against?

Ben: [shrugs] I was thinking realistically. I didn't think it was on a side.

Lindsay: Anyone could die tomorrow. That has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

Ben: Yeah, but not everyone is putting themselves in the demon's crosshairs on a regular basis. Our odds are a lot higher.

Lindsay: No they're not. We've lived this long by not sucking at this. That's a bullshit excuse.

Ben: I'm not making an excuse.

Lindsay: [she rolls her eyes] I was a cop before I became a Slayer. I know the risks of my job. It's never stopped me before.

Ben: Yeah, and I've been helping kill people who caught a demon virus since I was twelve. Sorry if I have a different point of view on how the world works. [reaches for his beer]

Lindsay: And you have to remember that this isn't your world. The odds are different here.

Ben: The odds may be different, and I'm trying to get a handle on this world and how I'm going to fit in it. But what's up here, Linds? [he pointed at his head] Doesn't go away. So you ask me if you should get invested and I can't give you an answer because I can't tell you to or not. I don't have the ability to not think I'm not going to maybe die tomorrow. That's how I stayed alive. Am I invested in you? Maybe just a bit because I like you. I don't want to see you die so I can come out here more and do what we're doing now.

Lindsay: [well, that's a ringing endorsement. She's not sure why she's getting upset about this because she sort of knew this already. She should know by now not to get her hopes up - even with the guys she doesn't have to lie to, so she just nods a bit] So we'll stick to what we're doing now.

Ben: [he scratches the back of his neck, because he can just tell that wasn't the answer she was looking for. He sighs, finishing his beer] If this isn't what you want, Lindsay, just say so?

Lindsay: [she shakes her head] The only thing I need is to know when to walk away.

Ben: [he leans back, and the cheerfulness is gone from him as he looks off to the side] Yeah, well I can’t tell you that one either. But I don't want to hold you back from something better either.

Lindsay: [she shrugs. It's not like she has a lot of better prospects. After Ben it probably would have been her partner, but he has Laura now - and she doesn't begrudge him for that. She likes that he's happy.] You're not. But if that changes, I'll tell you.

Ben: [nods. Something about her saying that stings, like it's confirming that he's not good enough for someone like her] Well, anyway I should probably go find myself a room for the night before I head out. [he tosses cash down on the table to pay for the bill] I'll give you warning next time I'm in town.

Lindsay: [that's not what she's saying. She's just saying she can't wait for something that isn't going to happen. She swallows hard a bit at that, before getting to her feet] Sure. I should head home anyway. [and maybe she will actually patrol. She's actually in the mood to hit something]

Ben: Talk to you later. [yeah, he wants to punch something too. Hard. But he's just going to drive to find a motel for the night, parking outside the room and just staring numbly at the television trying to silent the voices in his head creeping in and trying to remind him just why he wasn't good enough for anything]

Lindsay: [will go home and return to Laura and Parrish on the couch, being adorable over football and head right to her room to be angry at herself]

Parrish: [watches her walk by and blinks] I think she had a bad day.

Laura: [glances over to him, then back to Lindsay and nudges him towards her] Go.

Parrish: Yeah, I'll be right back. [he's going to grab two beers and head to her room and knock] Lindsay?

Lindsay: [she's in the middle of getting changed to patrol, lining up weapons on her bed] Hey. I'm just picking up some stuff and then I'll be gone.

Parrish: [opens the door and looks in at the arsenal] Are you sure you should be out slaying when you're pissed?

Lindsay: Oh, that's exactly when I should be out slaying.

Parrish: I feel sorry for the thing that gets in your path. [thinks] Is it Ben?

Lindsay: [she takes a breath before sitting down on the edge of the bed] He was a Winchester. I don't know what I was expecting.

Parrish: [holds out the beer to her] Do I get to shoot him now? I mean, as the big brother figure here, I get to shoot him if he hurts you.

Lindsay: [she chuckles a bit before shaking her head] No. He didn't do it on purpose. I think it's unfair if I let you shoot him when I sort of conned him into it.

Parrish: ....... Do I want to know? [yeah, he's going to start on his beer too now]

Lindsay: [sighs] I wanted to figure out what to expect. Which ... I just shouldn't have asked in the first place. I know better.

Parrish: [winces] Yeah, that's never a good convo to have.

Lindsay: People in my world ... our world now, I guess ... they focus too much on the end of things, you know. Especially Slayers, because when you're a Slayer, it's all about how long you have until some demon or vampire gets one up on you and you're dead. And I just hate it when that gets thrown in my face because yes! I know. It's a bullshit reason to not live.

Parrish: [licks his lips] And you brought this topic up with a guy from a zombie apocalypse world?

Lindsay: I know. I'm an idiot.

Parrish: We all have our moments. [takes another sip as he thinks] Do you know if he's ever had an actual relationship?

Lindsay: I doubt it. And I wasn't trying to pressure him into anything. I just need to know when to walk away.

Parrish: [sighs] Lindsay, that sounds like you're looking for a reason to walk away. Did you actually say that to him?

Lindsay: After he already pissed me off.

Parrish: [puts his beer down] Okay, not to take the guy's side here, but you have a guy who's probably got the worse case of PTSD imaginable because of a zombie apocalypse and being ripped into another universe, probably has no idea what an adult relationship is or how to even be in one, and you're asking him for expectations and that you're needing to know when to walk away,,, and you expected him not fail that line of questioning?

Lindsay: All I asked him was what he wanted.

Parrish: The fact he keeps showing up like the plague to see you wasn't enough?

Lindsay: I'm probably the only friend he has in this universe. That doesn't tell me what he wants.

Parrish: [shakes his head] You're making it more complicated than it is. When a guy drives through five states to visit a friend? If he was looking for sex, he could find it a lot closer to where he was staying. And he can probably make friends easy. He was coming here to be with you because he likes you. He just doesn't know what that is because he has no experience to know what that is.

Lindsay: Which he said. He said "I don't want you to die so that we can keep doing this." Whatever this is.

Parrish: Spending time getting to know you. He wants to have more of them. He's looking at a longer picture than just a night.

Lindsay: Friends do that too, though. Everything he wants to do, friends can do too. And I'm not interested in labels or any of that crap. I don't want him to say he's my boyfriend. I just ... are we friends who screw around? Because if we are then I don't mind being his friend. But I won't expect more than that either.

Parrish: And if he wants more but doesn't know that's what he wants? Maybe he doesn't even know what it means to be a boyfriend verses being a friend that screws around with.

Lindsay: All I wanted to know was if he wanted me. All I did was make a comment about how his plans for the evening sounded kind of like a date - joking, mind you - and he backpedaled so hard it was like I was asking him to marry me.

Parrish: [shrugs] Can't help you there. I mean, if he's afraid of the word date, that's a clue. Unless he doesn't know what it really means. Which he may not. Hell, dating may mean marriage to him.

Lindsay: [she shakes her head] I'm just frustrated and pissed and I need to cool off. If a few vampires have to go down for the cause? So be it.

Parrish: Well, you go do that. Just, be safe okay?

Lindsay: [she nods] How's Laura doing with football?

Parrish: Not sure if she's liking it for me, or if she's actually liking it, but she's enjoying the game.

Lindsay: [she gives a bit of a shrug] Enjoy it while you can then.

Parrish: [nods] Yeah, until I get outvoted by you both on Monday nights for ballroom dancing again.

Lindsay: It's only like ... three more weeks. Football season is longer than that, right?

Parrish: Yeah, goes until January.

Lindsay: Then we won't be imposing on you for too much longer.

Parrish: [mutters] Except when it's the Seahawks...

Lindsay: [she smirks a bit before nudging her shoulder and making her way out the door] I'll be back later.

Parrish: Have fun staking vampires. [follows her but stops in the living room to sit back on the couch]

Laura: [out the door Lindsay goes and Laura shifts to settle back next to him] Everything okay?

Parrish: Just her relationship issues and miscommunications and I think me being a guy didn't help her find any resolution.

Laura: Maybe she'll find something else that will.

Parrish: I hope so.

Laura: [she nods a bit, before turning her attention back to the game] So they got a flag but I'm not really sure why. It all looked like normal tackling to me.

Parrish: I can rewind it and review the play. What color was it?

Laura: Orange? I think?

Parrish: [and he's going to go and do the thing of explaining that I can't do since I know crap about football]

Laura: [and tries to take in everything, but a lot of it is really going over her head] See, why couldn't you be into basketball? Basketball I actually understand.

Parrish: Well, the season just began. I don't really watch it until March with the whole college thing.

Laura: Derek and Peter both played basketball so I was pretty much forced to learn the rules through osmosis.

Parrish: Oh. Yeah, I could see Derek as a basketball player. [Peter was something that wasn't a sassiopath?]

Laura: [once upon a time, yep] He was obsessed. You couldn't get him to put the ball down.

Parrish: Sounds almost adorable.

Laura: He actually was, once upon a time. He still has his moments, when he thinks no one's watching.

Parrish: Well, I can't really see him as adorable. You, totally. He's just not my type.

Laura: I guess I should consider myself lucky.

Parrish: Well, I think so, but that's my opinion. [grins]

Laura: [she grins back at that before leaning in to kiss him softly]

Parrish: [yeah, he was hoping to get one of those. he's just going to kiss back and cup her cheek, enjoying it.]

Laura: [of course he was. She sighs softly into the kiss, leaning into his hand a bit as she does]

Parrish: [and they were watching football? why weren't they just doing this?]

Laura: [she was trying to learn! And they didn't know when Lindsay would be home.]

Parrish: [and now she's gone for a good long time, so nope, this is what they will do until we RP them more]