some roads you really fly

[beanchaointe]

Comments

[engender]

Left behind moonstone will travel.

( In case Hayley follows. If not, it's still why he's going. )

[werewolfqueen]

[At first, her brow furrows.]

Moonstone?

[Then, it connects and she makes a sympathetic face.]

Ooh, that means a binding ritual. Those are nasty.

[engender]

It hurt.

( It was nasty. And left him like that. )

She says bringing it could help reverse it.

[werewolfqueen]

Yeah. My understanding of magic is admittingly limited, but think of the moonstone like the bow on top of the present of the spell. Freya needs to untie the bow to undo the spell.

[Hence, needing the moonstone.]

She's undone it before, though. You're in good hands.

[engender]

She did seem familiar.

( Good to know he might not be like this for long. )

What about you? You live in New Orleans?

[werewolfqueen]

[She nods.]

I float between the Quarter and the Bayou, depending on where Hope is and what needs doing. I'm the alpha of the Crescent Wolves.

[engender]

You're the Crescent alpha. You're Hayley Marshall.

( He finally makes the connection. And now, his eyes widen because he is sitting beside werewolf royalty. )

[werewolfqueen]

That's me.

[She glances over with a smirk.]

I guess we didn't really get to do introductions when we were dealing with those hunters.

[engender]

Maybe. I didn't make the connection. Thank you, again, for helping get me out of there. I know you have a lot on your plate with the Crescent wolves.

( And legit, every New Orleans wolf. )

[werewolfqueen]

[She shakes her head.]

You don't have to thank me. Those hunters were planning on attacking my daughter's graduation. Rescuing you may have gotten us there faster, but we were heading there anyway.

[engender]

Still.

( Also... )

How did the graduation go?

[werewolfqueen]

It was good. Hope is very happy to be moving on to college.

[There's a pause as the fasten seatbelt light goes on overhead, and she moves to get that taken care of.]

Or maybe she's just excited for her post-graduation Europe trip.

[engender]

( Derek already did, as he observes the other passengers and the flight attendants. )

Are you?

[werewolfqueen]

[She shrugs.]

It's hard to believe that my daughter is now an adult and is going to be heading out into the world to make dumb decisions all on her own. Up until now, a lot of the things that have impacted her have been things Klaus and I did. Now she's going to have the chance to make her own mistakes and her own enemies.

[engender]

Comes with growing up. You believe in her or you wouldn't put it like that. You're a good mom.

( He can just see it. She exudes that warmth and confidence. )

[werewolfqueen]

Thanks.

[She's not sure how he can tell from a five minute conversation, but she appreciates it all the same.]

And I do believe in her. She's got a way better head on her shoulders than I do.

[engender]

( He had the best. He sees some Talia in her. The bravery. And, maybe it's what he wants to see and what he'd want to hear. It's also pleasant conversation when most of what Derek does say is gruff at best. )

You held yourself together at the warehouse.

[werewolfqueen]

Yeah, but that comes with the benefit of eighteen years of trying to pull myself together to be a responsible parent.

[She glances over with a smirk.]

You're also looking at the girl who had a boozy one night stand with the Original Hybrid and got knocked up as a result.

[engender]

We've all... had relationships we may regret, but we wouldn't be who we are without them.

( As much as he hates Kate, found a compassion for Jennifer eventually (not to her face), he was still used. He was preyed upon. But, he then had a real relationship with Braeden. And? He wouldn't be who he is, it's true. He'd be dead, probably, if Kate hadn't taken an inappropriate liking to him. But he'd take his life away in a second if the rest of his family could live. )

You wouldn't have Hope.

[werewolfqueen]

No, I wouldn't.

[And that would clearly be the worse option, in her humble opinion. She glances over with a smile.]

What about you? Do you have family out there somewhere?

[engender]

My sister Cora stayed behind in Mystic Falls with the rest of our pack. And my cousin Malia is in New Orleans.

( Sorry, Hayley, he'd like to not go into his family beyond them. Maybe one day. )

[werewolfqueen]

Small group.

[She nods, because it's more than she had, at least biologically speaking.]

But I've always been a quality over quantity kind of person.

[engender]

( Quality would not be Derek's word. )

I have an uncle, too, but -- ( He wanted to be a supervillain, and even though he and Malia now have a relationship, Derek only goes to him when he needs a favor. ) he lives in California.

[werewolfqueen]

[She raises an eyebrow curiously.]

I take it you two aren't close.

[engender]

We're not. We're family.

( She probably gets it when he says that. )