everyonelives | there's something due any day

( When your assignment changes and then your husband essentially becomes your boss, regrouping takes more time, and that may mean your plan finds itself at your front door. For the most part, Ezra has kept separate and neutral, only giving up himself being a witch and not why he's here. But, in Mystic Falls, dots are connected faster than Ezra could prepare for who's on the other side of his door. If only he knew just how far Elena's network reached. He's been so concentrated on everything in Mystic Falls, that the hunters descending, the Winchesters, werewolves and banshees, all caught him off guard.

Maybe it is better his husband is here now.

(It's always better when David is with him.)

Not expecting anyone, Ezra is the one who opens the door, magic always at the edge of his fingertips before he purposefully and visibly relaxes, forcing a smile knowing all the while the 'officer' Elena had met is in the other room. )

Elena. Dr. Laughlin. Good morning.

Good morning. We were just swinging by because ...

["Is it Claire again?" Referring to the nosy neighbor who was dropping in to pry about his surprise husband. "I thought I ..."

David stops as he crosses directly into view. Elena crosses her arms in front of her chest before raising an eyebrow in return.]

Officer Gainor. What a surprise.

[Only, it doesn't really sound like a surprise at all, does it? She turns back to Ezra.]

We need to talk.

( Mystic Falls has met its match with Claire, it seems. Mystic Falls answer to the nosy neighbor trope. She brought my cupcakes the last time and she's convinced she and her husband will do brunch.

Because all gays do brunch.

Again, Ezra doesn't react, looking past the two women when his husband comes into view.

Ezra is impressed, but, he sighs instead, not needing to show her that he appreciates this display of whatever is happening here. Instead, he very politely steps aside. )

[Elena and Jo make their way inside, and David backs up to give them room, heading back into the living room. That was his bad. He shouldn't have messed that up.

Elena waits until the door is closed behind them, before she glances between the two men.]

So. Let's start with how long you've been spying on me for the Colony?

( Ezra isn't about to be interrogated separate from his husband, so he joins him in the living room, perching on the corner of the couch, bringing one leg up. )

So, you're running this talk. ( The doppelganger taking charge. Okay. ) When you woke up. Covens weren't concerned when you magically disappeared because they could tell something was still special. When you woke up, covens were alerted.

( Which is background he doesn't need to give her, but he feels he's being generous. )

Elena, you know how long it's been since we met.

( It was then. )

[The doppelganger has been through too much BS to not take charge. If there's another threat somewhere, she wants to address it. She can't just ignore it and pretend it'll go away.

And the answer is still disappointing, even if it's expected. She had hoped, maybe, that some part of their friendship might have been real, but she knows better than to get her hopes too high.

Well. Not the issue. She reschools her face and continues.]

Look, I want to make a deal. I'll keep pretending that I don't know what's going on. I'll let you do your thing, whatever it is you're doing. But you need to do something for me.

( That she thinks he and his husband are a threat, she really doesn't know who she's dealing with behind the scenes. He and David are the least of anyone's worries.

Their friendship and the job he did were not one in the same. )

Putting aside that that's not how this works, you're not dealing with me any more. Not directly. You being on death's door had a ripple effect on the chain of command. I can't make any decisions.

( Not without input and someone saying so. His husband. And, since this indignancy is coming off righteously, he's happy to hand it over and make colorful commentary. If she wants to come in her, gun half cocked, and try to make her own rules, so be it. But, he's going to miss her friendship. Too bad the cocky witch persona overtakes that once he feels it crumbling in the first place. )

[Elena's going to miss it too. She really did like him. But she also doesn't want to worry about witches coming in and trying to take control of her life.]

No, that's not why I here. I'm not here to deal with the coven. I'm here to deal with you.

[David's brow furrows. "And why exactly are you making a deal with us rather than the coven?"]

Because I'm willing to bet that if your higher ups - say a Harvey Specter? Were to find out that I know more than they think I do, they'll be quick to replace you both so I'll be back in the dark. And that's not what I want.

[She wants to know where the threats are. She wants to be able to see them and name them. And she also doesn't want to have to use the nuclear option.]

( Dealing with David and Ezra, that's still dealing with their coven, but she's right in that right now she's on their terms and not the Colony's.

She uncovered Harvey's name and Ezra smiles, chokes down a laugh at that, of course she did. )

What is it you think we do, Elena?

I don't know what you want, Ezra. And that's part of the problem. Because the last time I had witches stalking me, the Travelers turned Mystic Falls into a no-magic zone. And then there was that time I wound up in a coma for literal years, or, the time that started it all: how Klaus Mikaelson wanted to sacrifice me to break his curse.

I get how being the doppelganger is. I know how this goes. The witches show up, and then weird stuff starts happening and then people I care about die.

[You're not the first coven she's dealt with, and they probably won't be the last. David rubs his eyes before pushing up.

"And how does this equate to us staying, exactly?" That's not much of a deal.]

I don't want to leave my life. But this is about more than me, so if you're willing to work with me, then maybe I can work with you. But if you're not, then I will pack up my car, pick up some cloaking spells and disappear so that you can't find me. Make a deal with me, and I'll stay put and make your lives easier.

Nobody said anything about leaving your life, Elena. And, if you think back to when we first met, nothing weird happened. You were straight out of med school, unless you call uneven shift scheduling I had nothing to do with.

( He's tired, too. While they both know that the reason the doppelganger needs to stay alive is high level, Ezra's not about to tip that nefarious hand. )

Did you think we intended to disrupt your life? The hunters, the Winchesters, the Salvatores, your parade of superaturals the last few days, they disrupted your lives. I did kill the hunter that ran you off the road.

Yeah, but how long is that going to last?

[Elena's not stupid. She's heard the promises before. You can go and live a normal life if you just let us hold this power and sway over you. She doesn't like it, and she doesn't feel like any of her choices are hers.]

I have a feeling the coven isn't watching me for my health or because you actually care about me. You're watching me because you want to use me for something.

[Is she wrong? Please, enlighten her if she is.]

This isn't my first round at the supernatural rodeo.

( All he does is watch over her. That's what he tells himself. While he knows the darkness runs deep, it's the under current of both of their families and the earliest iteration of the Colony, he doesn't know the why.

So he turns it to his husband, gesturing. The coven believes she should live. That's what he knows. )

Does the coven want something?

[Elena raises her eyebrows at the question, curious for the answer as well. David takes a deep breath and shrugs.

"She's one of the most rare and valuable spell ingredients on Earth. Of course they want something."

Elena nods, because that's exactly what she thought.]

Especially since I'm probably going to be the last one. At least, of the Petrovas, anyway.

[And that makes David sit up a little. "What's that supposed to mean?"]

Silas and Amara - the two people who cast an immortality spell on themselves to create the doppelgangers? They're dead. They cured themselves and died so with no immortals in need of death ...

["Nature won't keep creating copies to do it for them." David buries his face in his hands. "Well shit."]

( His eyes roll to the side because his husband has never been one to mince words. Maybe Ezra should've taken that. They want Elena on their side but after this, Elena will only be on her side. )

Nature's vacuum's sealed.

( Can he smooth this over? )

Elena, all I tried to do is ensure you were never in danger. That's what I did.

I know.

[A beat.]

Okay, I didn't know, but once I learned the kind of coven that was involved, I figured it out. But that doesn't change the fact that if they asked, you would have packed me up to turn me over.

[She raises an eyebrow.]

Am I wrong?

And what kind of coven is involved, Elena?

( He won't answer that yet. She is wrong. She's dead wrong. And he and his husband are playing a longer con that might start there, with not handing her over. But, he is not about to set his entire hand down for Elena to see. )

["The kind that curses an entire coven line in order to destabilize power."

Oh, look. Jo's still here, in case you forgot. And she's taking in this volley of information in with a serious grain of salt. As for Elena, the non-answer is answer enough and she doesn't push it.]

Also the kind of coven that has my best friend getting warned by black arts arms dealers that she probably should be careful if she crosses them. Bonnie Bennett mentioned you -

[She points to David.]

- and Harvey by name with a warning. And I actually trust her with my life.

[David's head snaps up as the final pieces of the puzzle come together. He glances between the two women before reaching for Ezra's arm. "Can I talk to my husband for a moment?"

Elena shrugs, before waving an arm because by all means.]

Edited 2021-04-23 01:04 (UTC)

Excuse us.

( He leaves Jo and Elena there stewing in distrust, distrust brought on by one of her best friends who isn't even in town. He's about to get answers, then, as he follows David into another room. )

[David reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone, placing it on the kitchen counter. He dials the number he has for a certain Benett witch before placing it on speaker as it rings.]

Remember London?

( What follows isn't an explanation, but a call.

Bonnie steps away from communal dinner, leaving Danny laughing with a few slayers. She steps further away back into the hall.

"London is not something anyone would forget, David. What do you need?" )

Is this Bonnie Bennett?

( "David." )

Bonnie, this is my husband, Ezra. Ezra, Bonnie.

[The question about London was more for Ezra - he thought it would take her longer to pick up the phone. Especially considering he hadn't bothered to check time zones.]

You failed to mention that your best friend has cajones of steel, Ms. Bennett.

( He caught her at dinner time, at least he didn't wait another few hours.

"Elena's there?" )

She paid us a visit. Connected all the dots. I also remember London. You're the witch that he saved.

( He has his own, had you stayed maybe he wouldn't have literally stepped through death's door, but, David did a good thing and he thought that had made his husband an ally. )

Why did you warn Elena against me and my husband?

( "I only told her your coven came from dark magic and to be careful. And you can't be surprised I warned her about Harvey Specter."

No, he can't. Not for that. )

So I'm going to hazard a guess that she's here to barter for a cure for the Gemini Twins as well? Not that that wouldn't be obvious with Jo Laughlin standing in my living room.

[He should have seen that one coming.]

( "Can you do that?" Why would Elena have done that herself, when Bonnie hadn't heard first hand that it really was possible. )

She also doesn't want us to ... what, report things back?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject