Leave (Get Out) (AJ, Terry, Evan)

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A.J. was sitting at the bar in the hotel having a couple beers, watching people come and go. The place was pretty crowded, which bothered him sometimes - dulling his senses and all. But tonight it suited him just fine.

A young woman - maybe twenty or so - came in and sat down a few stools down from him. He gave her a once-over discreetly. Petite; long, dark hair; black dress; red heels. He couldn't get a very good read on her, but he did pick up on an air of huffiness about her.

Just get in a spat with your high school sweetheart? he thought, swallowing the last of his beer and ordering another - his third of the night.

The woman in the black dress started ordering tequila right from the start. That told A.J. she was there to get wasted. That could get interesting, he thought as she started competing with one guy and then another. All of them were pounding back shots like they were going out of style. A.J. had been the one to start the betting.

"Ten bucks says the lady's still standing after four shots," he said, tossing a bill onto the bar. Other people followed suit, bringing the pile up to forty bucks. The game went on like that, A.J. tossing another bill in here and there to keep it going.

She was still standing after several shots, although one guy she was competing with ran to the bathroom. That left one more.

"My money's still on Miss America over here," A.J. said, putting another ten-dollar bill into the pile. He grinned and winked at her, more to egg her on than anything else. A.J. was a betting man, and it was obvious this little lady was competitive. If she won, so did he. And if she lost, well that would just be entertaining, wouldn't it?

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Once the first group of guys left the competition, another group started putting money down and getting in on it.

Time for round two, A.J. thought. He didn't need to put any of his own money in during the second half. This was turning out to be fun to watch. He didn't know what was more entertaining - the guys trying to fill their egoes with tequila, or the girl in the middle of it all with a "Look At Me!" complex. He wondered how long she'd be able to stay standing on those little heels of hers.

She looked around, her cheeks a bit flushed from the alcohol. Clearly she liked the fact that all eyes were on her - even if it was because most of the people in the place were just waiting for her to run for the bathroom or pass out. A.J. was getting a good read on the crowd as a whole. Everyone was having fun, but everyone also wanted to see this girl lose her own competition.

At least the betting's going strong, A.J. thought, giving a quick estimate to how much was on the table: a good couple-hundred easily, maybe even a thousand. If the little lady did win - which was unlikely now that she'd had so much alcohol - they'd split it 50/50. If she lost, he'd only be out thirty bucks. He didn't much care what happened in the end. He just wanted to sit back and enjoy the show.

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The second group who had come into the challenge lost quickly, already reaking of alcohol when they walked in. A.J. was a bit disappointed. He was hoping the contest would go on longer. It had been fun to watch for a while.

He went back to drinking his beer, turning his attention to the bartender. The guy seemed a bit troubled, maybe even disturbed, but A.J. couldn't be sure. He couldn't always get a good read on an individual person in a crowded place.

A.J. didn't pay much attention to the lady in the black dress until she beat the hell out of some guy. A.J. looked up in time to see her punch the guy in the stomache and send him flying into the bar. He stood up and backed away just as his beer tipped over, sending a puddle over the top of the bar, which dripped onto the floor. He looked up at the petite woman plied with tequila. He was a bit surprised. He hadn't picked up demonic energy from her, or any kind of energy other than... well, human. She had to be a hunter. That, or she took kick-boxing and really hated getting hit on.

The bartender pulled the man off the bar, onto his feet, and told him to go home and sleep it off. He approached Terry and started giving her hell. "I don't allow fighting in my bar. I don't care how cute you think you are..."

A.J. sighed and walked over to them. He didn't care much about what happened to the woman, but she was entertaining. He'd have to find something else to take up his time if she got thrown out.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt," he said to the bartender - a big guy with sleave tattoos covering both arms. "But that guy's been hasselin' her all night. Didn't you see it? I don't know about you, but I don't like to see a lady bein' bothered. If you ask me, he had it comin' and the lady was just doin' what she needed to so he'd leave her alone."

A.J. clapped a hand on the bartender's shoulder. Normally he wouldn't have touched the guy, but physical contact helped him get a better read on people. With the amount of people in the bar, A.J.'s senses and abilities weren't as strong as they could've been. The guy was annoyed, but seemed to agree with A.J.'s point.

"Consider this a warning, then," the bartender said to the lady. "Don't be causing trouble on my shift, you hear me? And I'm cutting you off. That tequila's not helping any."

He stalked back behind the bar, and A.J. returned to his seat. The bartender mopped up the spill quickly with a rag and slid A.J. another beer. "On the house," he said. The guy wasn't doing it to be generous, but because A.J. had willed him to do it. He smiled, pleased that it had worked. There was always a risk that it wouldn't, and his target would turn the tables. But that didn't happen this time. A.J. thanked him and started sipping his new drink.

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A.J. hadn't intended to play hero tonight, but at the moment this woman was the most entertaining person at the bar. He'd stepped up to defend women before and they usually ended up following him around for the rest of the night. Sometimes it bothered him, but most of the time he enjoyed their company.

He sat at the bar sipping his beer, listening to the conversation going on around him.

"This seat taken?"

A.J. wasn't surprised to look up and see the little lady in the black dress standing beside him. Her hear was a bit tangled, her face still a little flushed. His gaze moved from her to the stool beside him. He shrugged.

"Seat's yours if you want it," he said.