everyonelives | you're gonna love tomorrow, i'm making it my personal guarantee

[Caroline will step in, taking the blood bag from them and usher Stiles back to his side of the room, so they can walk through what he might experience, all the pros and cons, et cetera et cetera. The big so you want to be a vampire speech.

But while they're doing that boring part, Elena and Ezra can talk.]

Yeah, it was.

[A beat.]

One of the students at the high school is a healer. I'm going to have to play patient for a little while longer, but I'll be okay.

Healer. That's -

( Powerful. He doesn't ask further. Witch... something more. He doesn't know what Elena is - shouldn't. )

- a lucky break. Caroline told you. About my secret.

( He needs to play this off just right. )

She did.

[But she holds up her hands.]

Secret's safe with me, I promise. My life's been ... pretty far immersed in the supernatural for a while now.

Thanks. But, I wasn't worried you would out me to our rotation.

( His smiles always come with ease around Elena. It's one thing he's never had to fake. )

I'm just lucky I drove by at the right time.

( She is? They are? He doesn't know. They have enough power on their side to save the doppelganger who took the cure. That's something to take note of.

Stiles' phone rings on the bedside table as he and Caroline have the talk. Scott and Allison are trying to find them. )

How are you feeling? Anything... lingering?

Edited 2021-01-03 10:34 (UTC)

[Lydia will notice that and will excuse herself to go find their friends. Elena shakes her head.]

No, nothing at all. I feel good. I just need to lay low long enough that people don't want to study me for science.

We have a few hours before we have to round. Just act weak enough for the staff to believe you made a miraculous, but possible recovery. I could also take over your case. Then I'll be the one doing rounds.

( Nurses stay away from the room, which must mean Caroline did her part. )

You're going to miss graduation.

( If they want to keep up appearances. )

If you can work it out with Jo, that'd probably be good. That way Caroline won't have to compel everyone in the hospital.

[Not only is that a lot of messing with people's free will, but if Ezra's a witch, who knows how many others are hiding in plain sight.

Her face does fall a little at missing graduation.]

Can't be helped, unfortunately. But I'm sure the girls will forgive me.

( Not many, Elena. He is very unique, thanks. (Apparently, not. Jo was right there, too.) )

They'll get over it. They're graduating. What was your graduation like?

( Like he doesn't at least know the circumstances behind it. )

[There's a long deep breath, before Elena shrugs.]

The ceremony was nice. Everything after that was ... Mystic Falls, so. Could have been worse.

[Her best friend died and her ex was kidnapped by his doppelganger, but details.]

I'm learning that. How did I avoid it for so long, and in such close proximity to Elena Gilbert. ( He jokes, brushing her shoulder with his. ) It hasn't been easy, has it? Did it start after you lost your parents?

( Was that because of Mystic Falls?

As for Stiles and - daylight ring, yes...

"No, I want one of those. I may be on the poster for insomnia but I also like vitamin D." )

["We'll work on it. With all the witches around, I'm sure one of them will be able to make one for you." All else fails, they can use the students at the school.

Elena shrugs.]

I think after my parents died, I became more aware of it. Started dating a vampire, you get dragged into their world.

[She leaves out the doppelganger stuff because she had hoped to have left that all behind her. It doesn't need to be relevant.]

And then I was a vampire for a while. That was ... not great, honestly.

You were a vampire? ...I wasn't aware that could be undone.

( It's not common knowledge.

And Stiles has gone from taking one sip to leisurely enjoying his first blood bag. Kind of like a slurpee. Just sips here and there.

"If this is a negotiation, that's dealbreaker territory."

["It's going to take a little time to get it done. Witches who can do the spell don't grow on trees." Caroline then glances down at the bag. "And I think it's a little late for you to be negotiating."

You're already a vampire, Stiles.

Elena shrugs.]

It can't. Unless you happen to be in possession of a one-of-a-kind vampire cure. But once you take it, vampire blood doesn't work on you anymore. So you wind up in situations like this one.

( Yeah, yeah, whatever. Slurping. )

What - did work? I don't know if anybody told you. It didn't look good, Elena. This is approaching miracle territory. Magic has limits.

( Some. The magic Elena knows, anyway. )

I don't know if you noticed lately, but they're getting some pretty interesting students at the Salvatore School.

[And that's all she's really going to give him. As much as she thinks Jack can take care of himself to an extent, he's also very trusting, and she doesn't know what kind of witch Ezra is yet.

She's not going to out him to an interested party, no matter how much she may tentatively trust them.]

Care didn't provide very many details.

I prefer to keep to myself. I find when magic or the supernatural is micromanaged, well, you know what happens when we make plans.

( He's just any average witch here. Friendliness and proverbs. )

[She nods.]

Fair enough. But the range of abilities is getting pretty diverse.

[But that's all she'll say on that. Don't make her pull out doctor-patient confidentiality.]

Obviously. And that came in handy. How are you doing Stiles?

( Mid sip. He backs off the straw.

"Who's he?" )

He is the witch who is the reason why you got to wake up in a nice comfy hospital and not in a ditch somewhere after the hunters were finished with us.

[Caroline rests her hands on her hips as the door opens on the other side of the room.]

This is the part where you say thank you.

Witch doctor?

( Scott's in first, having prepared himself. And then the tableau of Stiles just nonchalantly sucking from the blood bag.

"Dude."

Allison is in next, stepping to the side to set her bag down. )

You can finally say the words, my Best friend is a vampire. Oh, are we rivals, now? Am I the Jets or the Sharks? Scott can pull off an accent better.

[Oh, hey, Scott McCall. Time to introduce herself. Too bad she's still covered in blood.]

Hi. I'm so sorry we're meeting like this, but I'm Caroline Forbes. I'll be Stiles' vampire chaperone from here on out.

[She holds out her hand to him as she does.]

( Scott will shake her hand, a friendly, trusting smile accompanying it.

"Scott McCall. Best friend. Normally his werewolf chaperone when he needs it."

Stiles scoffs. "I live alone." )

When are you home?

( "So, it's gang up on Stiles morning?" )

You died. You lost - has a leg to stand on, privileges. ( But she comes in for a hug, too when Stiles sets the blood bag aside. Scott comes in, too. Look at this group hug.

"I should leave you all to your... reunion. Dr. Ezra Katz. Witch, if we're calling it out. Let me know if anything else is needed. Elena, I'll see you for rounds in a few hours. Practice looking.. weaker." )

["I'll do my best," Elena nods, before pushing up into her seat a little more. She's not exactly dressed to be greeting big names, but she's going to try. "And I'm Dr. Elena Gilbert. Nice to meet you both."

She's willing to guess that if either of them knows anything about doppelgangers - or heard anything from Sam and Dean - they know her connection to all of this.

Caroline lets them have their moment before stepping back.]

So Stiles will probably be stuck in the hospital until nightfall or a daylight ring, whichever comes first. We're working on it. But with Elena here, no one should be asking him to leave or anything like that until we're ready.

Edited 2021-01-03 23:56 (UTC)

So, nobody adjust the blinds, or else I will be a pile of ash, and I could burn down a hospital and that's the opposite of hospitable.

( Nobody says they will. Ezra takes in this display of... friendship and closes the door behind him, only to pull his phone out again. What a difference a few hours makes.

He scrolls down to his husband's number and steps into a stairwell. )

[He answers on the first ring, and without any hellos or how are you's:]

I was just about to call you.

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