"W-W-What?" Connor sputtered.
"Come on. I'm bored. I'm gonna end up out of shape, sitting around here all day and night, eating weird named candy and reading. I need some violence. And it's not like I'll kill you, so Angel can't object."
"But you're a girl." He said stupidly.
"Oh, you're going to pay for that." She snatched the book out of his hand. "Come on. You're supposed to have these super vampire powers. Don't you want to know if you could take me?" She walked out of the room, trusting him to follow. "We'll do it in the lobby. There's not a lot to break in there."
Connor stared after her. Of all the things he had hoped might happen tonight when Angel announced it would just be the two of them, this wasn't one of them. He could not hit a girl, especially Caitlin.
But he couldn't sit in here while she was waiting for him.
In the lobby, Caitlin pushed the couch aside. She pulled off her flannel shirt and her t-shirt, leaving her in a black sports bra. She hoped he'd warm up to the idea – she missed sparring with the other Slayers.
"I don't – where is your shirt?" He exclaimed.
She rolled her eyes. "I don't want to get it caught on anything. Jesus, are you sure you can fight?"
He came up to her. "Better than you."
They stood there for a long while. Caitlin was practically bouncing out of her skin waiting. Finally, she groaned. "Are you going to throw the first punch?"
"I can't. You're a girl."
Another eye roll. "Good lord. You better not bruise easily." She hauled back and swung with her right fist.
He didn't know if it was instinct or reflex, but he caught her hand easily. She twisted and swept her leg under his, knocking him off his feet. He dropped her hand and stumbled back, but managed to stay on his feet. He swung halfheartedly, and she ducked. She spun, aiming to kick him in the chest, but he caught her food, throwing her back. She easily spun, landing in a crouch. "Good." She said. "But you're holding back."
She went on attack again and they fought in earnest with no noise except an occasional grunt, taking turns being on the offensive, feeling each other out. She had him pushed back against the wall of the stairway when he jumped, grabbed the rail and hauled himself up, twisting and landing on the stairwell. She walked backwards a few steps so she could see him. "Nice. Don't you ever attack? Or do you just wait around for the demon to come at you?"
He pulled off his shirt, ran his fingers through his hair, and walked up the stairs. "I attack. When I know it's to my advantage. I usually have a weapon, though." He stood at the railing overlooking the lobby.
"Yeah, well, next time we'll break out some swords." Breathing hard, she turned away to get her shirt to wipe her face. "Come on down and-"
He leapt over the rail, landing neatly behind her. He grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. "Don't you watch your back?"
She looked up at him, surprised. They were both surprised by the sound of applause. Faith, Spike, and Angel stood in the doorway, Faith clapping. "Your kid has some good moves." She said to Angel.
"So it seems." He replied mildly, watching the pair. "You two want to get your clothes on? Meet us in the office and I'll tell you what I found at the firm."
Connor let go, ran up the stairs, grabbed his shirt, and ran into the office after Angel and Spike. Caitlin pulled on her t-shirt slowly, then slipped her arms in her flannel and began buttoning it. "Do you think Angel is mad?" she asked Faith in a whisper. "I know he doesn't want Connor fighting."
"I don't think that's his problem," Faith said. "You might want to leave your shirt on next time you get all hot and sweaty with a guy."
Caitlin's face was almost comical. "What? No, it wasn't like that." She glanced at the guys through the office window. "You don't think he thought I was – I - "
"No, no. I'm just saying, as some advice."
"Yeah, okay." She said, following Faith into the office. "I guess I'll be more careful."
"Come on. I'm bored. I'm gonna end up out of shape, sitting around here all day and night, eating weird named candy and reading. I need some violence. And it's not like I'll kill you, so Angel can't object."
"But you're a girl." He said stupidly.
"Oh, you're going to pay for that." She snatched the book out of his hand. "Come on. You're supposed to have these super vampire powers. Don't you want to know if you could take me?" She walked out of the room, trusting him to follow. "We'll do it in the lobby. There's not a lot to break in there."
Connor stared after her. Of all the things he had hoped might happen tonight when Angel announced it would just be the two of them, this wasn't one of them. He could not hit a girl, especially Caitlin.
But he couldn't sit in here while she was waiting for him.
In the lobby, Caitlin pushed the couch aside. She pulled off her flannel shirt and her t-shirt, leaving her in a black sports bra. She hoped he'd warm up to the idea – she missed sparring with the other Slayers.
"I don't – where is your shirt?" He exclaimed.
She rolled her eyes. "I don't want to get it caught on anything. Jesus, are you sure you can fight?"
He came up to her. "Better than you."
They stood there for a long while. Caitlin was practically bouncing out of her skin waiting. Finally, she groaned. "Are you going to throw the first punch?"
"I can't. You're a girl."
Another eye roll. "Good lord. You better not bruise easily." She hauled back and swung with her right fist.
He didn't know if it was instinct or reflex, but he caught her hand easily. She twisted and swept her leg under his, knocking him off his feet. He dropped her hand and stumbled back, but managed to stay on his feet. He swung halfheartedly, and she ducked. She spun, aiming to kick him in the chest, but he caught her food, throwing her back. She easily spun, landing in a crouch. "Good." She said. "But you're holding back."
She went on attack again and they fought in earnest with no noise except an occasional grunt, taking turns being on the offensive, feeling each other out. She had him pushed back against the wall of the stairway when he jumped, grabbed the rail and hauled himself up, twisting and landing on the stairwell. She walked backwards a few steps so she could see him. "Nice. Don't you ever attack? Or do you just wait around for the demon to come at you?"
He pulled off his shirt, ran his fingers through his hair, and walked up the stairs. "I attack. When I know it's to my advantage. I usually have a weapon, though." He stood at the railing overlooking the lobby.
"Yeah, well, next time we'll break out some swords." Breathing hard, she turned away to get her shirt to wipe her face. "Come on down and-"
He leapt over the rail, landing neatly behind her. He grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. "Don't you watch your back?"
She looked up at him, surprised. They were both surprised by the sound of applause. Faith, Spike, and Angel stood in the doorway, Faith clapping. "Your kid has some good moves." She said to Angel.
"So it seems." He replied mildly, watching the pair. "You two want to get your clothes on? Meet us in the office and I'll tell you what I found at the firm."
Connor let go, ran up the stairs, grabbed his shirt, and ran into the office after Angel and Spike. Caitlin pulled on her t-shirt slowly, then slipped her arms in her flannel and began buttoning it. "Do you think Angel is mad?" she asked Faith in a whisper. "I know he doesn't want Connor fighting."
"I don't think that's his problem," Faith said. "You might want to leave your shirt on next time you get all hot and sweaty with a guy."
Caitlin's face was almost comical. "What? No, it wasn't like that." She glanced at the guys through the office window. "You don't think he thought I was – I - "
"No, no. I'm just saying, as some advice."
"Yeah, okay." She said, following Faith into the office. "I guess I'll be more careful."