everyonelives | some roads you really fly

[After finishing brunch, Elena makes her way over to the Lockwood Mansion. Caroline told her that he was back in town, and she wanted to see him before he decided to disappear again.

Slipping in through the front door, she tips her head up and looks around.]

Tyler?

( Tyler's evaluating his next move. He got back just in time to miss everything, but to at least know Elena's safe. And to keep a graduation safe that was going to be safe, and to -- bury a hatchet he hadn't seen coming.

It gets harder to come back. Every year, every visit. Without his mother, without Mason. The pack he feels closest to shifts. He helps where he can. Jeremy's his closest best friend which, if you would've told high school Tyler that...

Coming in right behind her, Tyler' pulls down an earbud from his ear. He's sweating from a run. )

Gilbert. You're in one piece.

[She spins around to meet him with a smile before nodding.]

Yeah. I had a little extra help with healing up.

[Thanks again, Jack. He's the best.]

And given what we learned about the witch situation in Mystic Falls, we decided it would be better if I "recuperated" at home.

[aka she's fine but her job's making her take time off and she needs to pretend to be normal.]

And I have to buy a new car. Again.

I'm sure any one of your vampire friends could help you out with that.

( He doesn't mean to sound like Matt when he says it, but there are several ways out of that. Plus, the money from her parents and Jenna. He assumes. Also, doctor money. )

What is it with you and wrecking your car? That's like, five now?

I honestly don't know. It's not like I try to destroy them.

[There might even be a bit of a pout because this is getting to be an expensive problem.]

I wasn't even driving this time.

You must be a bitch to insure. Do you have a liability policy by now? It's good you're not a big drinker.

( Sorry. He's joking. He comes in for a sweaty hug, though. )

You'll figure it out. You're Elena Gilbert. You always do.

[She will hug him back, though she won't hold it the way she normally would. Sorry, Tyler, you're a little gross right now.]

I will. And Damon gave me a loaner until I have one of my own again, so at least there's that.

He won't miss it. You should convince it to put it in your name. Knowing Damon, it's fast and sporty.

( No harm done, nor offense taken. )

Yes, but then he'll be sad when it's inevitably wrecked.

[Because she is Elena Gilbert, destroyer of cars.]

I've never really been into cars that fancy anyway. That was always more Matt's thing.

[And bringing up Matt never failed to sting, at least a little, but if there's anything she's learned from all her grief, never talking about them isn't much better.

She manages a half smile all the same.]

I don't need him haunting me because I wrecked something valuable.

Better than Vicki haunting me now that I've kicked alcohol.

( Don't ask. It's just a thing he said. It's a true thing that he's trying. He doesn't need it, nor does he need a reason to get any angrier any easier. It never really helped him. It never helped any of them. )

On second thought, let's both not be haunted by our exes.

( That's a plan. )

What brings you by, anyway?

[Elena won't ask, but she will raise her eyebrows at that because good for him. She still favors a bottle of wine or burbon every now and again, but those without healing livers could probably stand to drink a little less.]

Caroline told me you were in town. Thought I'd swing by to see if I could catch you before you disappeared like a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot.

[She's teasing, but it's also true.]

Am I legend now? A ghost of Mystic Fall's past?

( The walking reminder of his mother's gruesome death. )

More like it's easy to miss you when you're here.

[Elena turns to him with a smile.]

And we miss you when you're not.

I miss everyone, too. I'm doing good work.

( Doesn't make it any easier. )

Might go check in on somebody's little brother.

[Her face lights up a bit at that.]

If you do, tell him I'd really like to see him for Christmas this year. And to call me.

I'll make him. You know Jer. West Coast artistic genius with no time for any of us.

( He's half-joking, but when Jeremy gets onto a case, he disappears. And he might have his own family soon enough. )

Yeah, I know. But let him know that he doesn't have to come to me. I can come to him.

[She doesn't have as much tying her down.]

I'll tell him. Should you be on a plane so soon after your miraculous recovery?

( Ha. Ha ha. )

[She rolls her eyes.]

I will be fine by the time you get him to actually agree to it.

[By which she means she's fine now, but by the time Jeremy agrees, she'll be fine by modern world standards.]

How's your practice?

( She's probably making her dad proud, something Tyler never could do. )

It's good. The kids are great. It's nice to be helping.

[Rather than hurting. Even if it wasn't her directly, her presence in Mystic Falls did a lot of damage for a long time.]

Did you find a partner for your practice or is it still Elena Gilbert, MD.

( Which would never be a bad thing! )

It's me and Jo.

[Which is also really nice, given that she was her mentor.]

We work a lot out of the hospital too, but small town. It doesn't seem too out of the ordinary.

It wouldn't. So, she took you far. You really found your calling. What's your secret?

( He never did. )

[She shrugs.]

Keep trying until you find something that works?

[Then she pauses.]

You know, there's an alpha in town, if you want to talk to him.

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