everyonelives | some roads you really fly

[Somewhere in the sleep deprived haze of the night before, Lydia asked Damon to open the grill early for them, so pack could have breakfast and decide what steps they were taking next.

Then, she slept hard, her body exhausted because despite being a creature of the night herself, she still needs to sleep. The previous day feels like a blur with so many emotional ups and downs, it's probably for the best that she didn't try to speak with Damon beyond that.

She wakes the next morning, cleans up and puts on her typical Lydia Martin armor, before making her way down to the Mystic Grille. She's doubly early, because the conversation she wants to have with him is one that she doesn't want to have with wolf ears around. Or vampire ears, as it were.

(Stiles will likely be miffed that she left without him, but Stiles can deal.)

So she's there, tablet tucked under one arm so she can set up the calls with Malia and Isaac, waiting for Damon to open the door. And she's doing her best to seem casual about it.

This isn't weird, stalkerish behavior at all.]

[This particular BFF brunch was supposed to be in person, with all of them there for the graduation, but that didn't work out as well as they had hoped. Bonnie was still in Europe, doing whatever it is she's doing, but that doesn't mean she doesn't make time for girl time.

Caroline's finishing setting up in the kitchen, putting the last of the brunch options for her, Buffy and Elena on the table when her tablet setup begins to ring. She darts across the room and accepts the video call with a bright smile.]

Bonnie!

[Alexander isn't the type of person who likes to leave loose ends. With the graduation safely squared away and the hunters dead, the witches from the Underground are retreating, so Alexander is swinging through and making sure nothing else is needed from the cause.

This particular stop involves sitting in front of a newly turned vampire, glancing between Damian, Katherine and Stefan, and raising an eyebrow.]

Are you sure you want to do this?

[Give him a daylight ring, he means. It's too late to take back the vampire turning.]

[Cas currently finds himself paging through the internet. With Jack heading off to Europe, he wants to make sure he has everything he needs, and most of the blogs are being unhelpful.

Likely because Cas's internet search skills are not the greatest.

His brow furrows as he considers everything.]

Money is going to be an issue.

[Angels don't exactly carry cash.]

[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?

( Damon's ready. He shows up an hour before opening up anyway, so when he's opening up even earlier, he's even earlier. He's not dressed to the nines Damon style, but a t-shirt and still too expensive pants. He has a great closer, so there's very little he needs to do.

He hasn't gotten the chance to really speak to Lydia before all Hell broke loose and everyone went their separate ways. And, then there was Stiles and graduation. From what he's heard, she has Salvatore level codependence when it comes to Stiles, but he's be worried about Elena, too. Best not to make too many parallels with that.

She catches him a bottle in so of course he says he'll open up early with his stipulation being, he be there.

Damon meets her at the front door, unlocking it. He swings the door wide open and lets her in. )

Good morning. I like your Sunday best.

( Little does he know, Lydia is always on her best. )

( Whatever it is she's doing. She doesn't love that that's her reputation. The vague Jetsetter, but over the years, she did find a bigger purpose. It's just witchier and more international. She flies in when she can. She has Enzo money, and her dad's savings. One day, she'll settle down, probably back in Mystic Falls, Grams-style. But for now, there are witches that need her.

Bonnie chooses the terrace, headphones in, mimosas already ordered. Things aren't awesome, but she is cloaked, in a nondescript section of an Italian city. She does have a pitcher of mimosa just offscreen.

And she - first tried to angle it, leave the phone there, but, it falls as it comes through. )

Caroline! Hold on.

( She picks it up showing her bright, and showered face, drying waves of hair and -- is she in an uncomfortably metal chair? That's fine! It's that evening, but she's still well lit. She's just going to hold it for now. )

Are Elena and Buffy there? Am I late?

( It's been a wild several days. Some of the worst and best. Worst, because he's dead. He fucked up, got taken, and ended up here. Best, because when he woke back up - still dead, and he was forced to complete his transition, he then felt better than he ever had. More powerful.

Being cooped up inside Damon Salvatore's home could be worse. He had to stick to the basement without a ring, but the basement is like its' own apartment.

For the record, he hates people speaking about him like he's not in the room.

Katherine keeps her hands clean, bringing them up.

"Don't look at me. I'm not the vampire who did this." )

Are you asking me or them?

( Dean brought his bag over, and the car. Dean basically brought everything over to Cas'. When he comes back here for the night, maybe don't be surprised. )

Isn't he going with the rich kids?

( But, uh -- if that's the issue, he looks up from his bag as he unpacks some books, his computer. )

We can send him with one of the cards. It won't max out til he gets back.

( 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.

Yes, but they said it's good when traveling to have cash, and to keep it in odd places.

[In case of robbery, or what not.]

Definitely them. No offense dude, but you did try to murder at least one of the people in this room.

[Stefan pauses and holds up his hand with a wave. "Hi." But after that he will turn and address Alexander to speak on his brother's behalf.

"Yeah, we're sure. If he's going to blend in and do what we need him to do, he needs to not burn up in the sun."]

Just double checking.

[He then points to the table where he has the spell set up.]

I'll be over here.

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?

You are right on time.

[Everyone else is late. But she doesn't say that because she's trying not to nitpick today.]

Where are you? That view looks amazing.

What kind of odd places?

( That gives him an at the Mexican border pause. )

Thank you.

[She steps inside into the empty restaurant, scanning the room just to be sure before turning back to him.]

And thank you for this. And for going to get Derek.

[Another pause as she takes a deep breath.]

I owed you a few thank yous.

( You all get an eyeroll as he walks back to the other side of the basement apartment. At least there's alcohol there.

Katherine keeps her judgmental eyebrow up.

"What IS the plan, anyway?"

Or, did Damon not think this through. So like Damon. )

I - can't tell you that. I'm sort of on witch lockdown. But, I can tell you, it's warm here. And beautiful. And I'm eating my way through. Well, eating what's delivered. I'm fine before you ask.

( And safe. )

How was graduation?

You don't owe me anything. But, I'll take what you think is owed.

( He closes the door behind them, locking it again. )

Drink?

[She nods. She almost needs it, given how everything's gone this weekend. She moves to slide up onto one of the barstools, watching him as he does.]

I heard the graduation went well. Does it seem like we got all of them?

All of the out-of-towners.

( Except for Mickey. Now is not the time to talk about Mickey. While he should be home handling Mickey, Stefan is there as his proxy.

It's the morning, so -- he goes for a screw driver, throwing ice in the glass, pouring vodka and then orange juice. )

Graduation was long, uneventful, and safe. Went off without a single hitch. How's your friend, Stiles? Rediscovering sunlight?

( He sets down her drink. )

It was good. Everything went off without a hitch.

[Which was dicey for a second there, but honestly Caroline just seems so much more relieved that everything went okay.

She finishes pouring their own mimosas, occasionally checking her phone for texts from Buffy and Elena.]

Also, if you think you might be able to take a break from your super secret witch spy life, the twins and their friends are going to be in Europe for some of the summer and would probably love some Aunt Bonnie time if you can swing it.

We're going to build a mole. A little compulsion, a little vervain tolerance building ... hopefully by the time the next attack happens, we'll be able to have more information.

[It's a plan that hinges on a lot, but most moles usually do.]

Yeah, I can uh, I can make that work. Should I anticipate the itinerary in my E-mail?

( If not Caroline's, Lizzie is her mother's daughter. Bonnie, too, pours her own mimosa, bringing it close. )

some roads you really fly

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