Then we get terrified, like children waking in the dark, we don't know where we are.

[moralitypolice]

( Bonnie, bag in hand at her side, holds the door open this time. She sighs, looking wistfully off at Danny, sullen, in the backseat. )

I wish I could make it all better, like I could undo it all, or, go back and prevent it altogether. Too many of us have no parents. No living family.

( She sighs.

From Danny's seat if or when he looks back, Bonnie and Isaac continue their discussion. Scott texts Isaac, so he pulls his phone out, eyes down quickly.

A couple approaches from the south, arm in arm. The guy in glasses leans in whispering something that makes the girl laugh. As they separate to move around Bonnie, everything happens quickly. The brunette girl brandishes a stun gun landing a blow to Isaac's side. Out of the leather jacket, the man reveals what looks to be something dark colored, with a flat bottom. He drops it. From the car, he can see a spell attempted, Bonnie's lips moving but nothing happening. She tries struggling, but the woman whacks her on the back of the back sending her down. The man quickly pulls out a pair of iron handcuffs the woman waves away, not now, and as fast as it happens, a bright yellow taxi pulls up.

Three others, including one dressed as a taxi-driver throw Bonnie and Isaac into the trunk. When everyone is inside the car, the driver puts down a black device on the top of the cab quickly, puts on a pair of leather gloves, climbs inside the cab and speeds off.

Bonnie's bag, and the contents within including her phone lie on the sidewalk next to Isaac's dropped phone.

The driver in Danny's car starts the ignition, this is probably protocol. )

Comments

[havethings]

( Elijah wouldn't mention that, yes, even Hope might be drinking. He isn't formally aware of the Old Mill, or the practices of the Salvatore school, nor is he aware why Hope would say they were drinking.

Hope wouldn't metabolize alcohol like Josette's daughters.

"While not uncommon, I suppose that's an irregular admittance. Normally, one would keep that from a parent."

Hope however narrows her eyes, but her (1) in lie detection triggers a roll of her eyes. Great timing, Bela. Not.

We're a little busy, Bela. And we (1) already had lunch. ( She's just so over it, she doesn't bother trying to lie, even in her tone. Also, lunch and not breakfast, so. She's a little over it. ) Didn't you already do the niece thing? ( And Hope even showed up. Elijah being there made it easier. And Hope really was just there to see if Bela could help with the merge. ) We had a nice lunch, I don't need to be included every time. Really. But, thank you.

[polydeukes]

[Hope has the benefit of being her daughters friend, so Jo's view is slightly more charitable. Meanwhile, that's exactly the response Bela expected from Hope, so good to know she's not an imposter.

That still is a concern in the world of the supernatural. She nods and swallows. "No, of course. It was just an offer."

Hope's girlfriend, on the other hand, is making an awkward face. That "I'm going to ask you to do something you might not like" face. Then she gently pulls away the phone from Hope's ear and hits mute before asking:]

Isn't Bela some kind of dark object expert?

[havethings]

Ho -

( She tries to at least tell Bela to hold while the phone is pulled away. Hope makes a series of faces, landing finally on dreading -the-future-but-knowing-her-girlfriend-is-right. Hope is very expressive. )

ld on.

( Hope sighs. )

Allegedly. At least, when she was this grifting power broker. Pre-vampire. I don't know post.

[polydeukes]

Maybe it's worth asking her about the box with Bonnie's magic.

[She knows Bela is not Hope's favorite person for understandable reasons, but they need every resource they can get right now.]

I'm not saying we shouldn't go after the hunters still, but getting Bonnie's magic back to her will probably be more helpful than grilling them. And if Bela's here helping us, Danny and Lizzie could maybe take your uncle for extra compulsion power?

[havethings]

( The stubborn side of Hope, the more powerful side that usually fuels her digs her heels in as she squares her chin off, but as she looks away, and listens to her girlfriend, she knows the truth. )

So, we're all a team now? What happened to leave the adults out of this?

[polydeukes]

I'm not saying let them be in charge.

[This is still Danny's call, and they should probably loop in him and Lizzie before they give Bela and Elijah too many of the details.]

But a good leader knows when to use the best resources at their disposal. Besides, Elijah's hands-off enough that he probably won't force his way into being in charge.

[At least that's her experience.]

[havethings]

Elijah also knows all our parents.

( It could go either way. She sighs, taps the mute button again and chooses her words carefully. )

Could we meet you and Elijah in the hotel lobby?

( Soon. In shows, time limits are never given. Everybody just knows. Once Bela signs off, Hope brings a finger to her ear. )

Danny, William, are you there?

[undermyfeet]

[Bela brightens because hey that's progress. Though progress for what she's not sure. She raises an eyebrow back at Elijah, who can likely hear their conversation, before responding.

"Yes, we can do that. We'll see you soon." And with that, she'll hang up and she and Elijah will sneak back down to the lobby to wait.

Danny takes a second to respond, sounding sleepy and miserable because he slept in a chair like a dumb-dumb.]

Yeah?

[havethings]

You chose the chair, didn't you?

( She rolls her eyes. )

We may have two good leads. Ideas. Can you meet in the lobby? Lizzie, too.

[undermyfeet]

[He's not going to respond to the chair comment. He's just not.]

Yeah, sure. We'll be down in a bit.

[And with that he will push up, do his best to stretch himself out and glance over at the no longer empty bed that he could have slept in, but now has William's sister in it.

Mia was not invited to the party, though, so she still gets to sleep while he heads over to wake up Lizzie.]

Lizzie? Hope wants us to meet her downstairs.

[havethings]

He's coming down. He slept in the chair.

( It's obvious, though. No need to harp on it.

As for Lizzie, she stirs, muttering to herself, "We c'just share." )

[undermyfeet]

[Josie smirks as she leans back against the wall. "He and Lizzie are going to out ridiculous each other real fast."

Danny pauses, then blinks, then tips his head to the side.]

You are still asleep. But I need you to wake up.

[havethings]

They do match up in stubbornness.

( And Hope is one to talk.

Bleary-eyed, she blinks her eyes open, yawning, before her vision comes into focus. )

Danny?

[undermyfeet]

Yeah. Hope wants us to meet her down in the lobby. Didn't say why.

[He probably should have asked, but Hope has that "do as I say" way about her.]

[jockwitch]

Now?

( He's leaned in close, closer in proximity than she'd expected, but her senses come back to her as everything else comes into focus. Bonnie. The late night phone call. Danny and his losses. She nods, slithering out from under the blankets to open one of the bags she'd brought.

She pauses. ) Do you have something to change into?

[undermyfeet]

[He glances down and shakes his head.]

Nah, but I can stop by my and Bonnie's room after this.

[jockwitch]

Tell them we'll be late, then. I'm not dragging you to the super secret meeting in yesterday's clothes. You'll thank me later.

( And should he have no objections, she pushes her way out from under the covers. )

[undermyfeet]

[He doesn't. Instead he sighs, before placing his finger to his ear to talk to Hope.]

We'll be down in a bit. Just gotta stop by my room for a change of clothes.

[jockwitch]

( "The sooner, the better. We're dragging in the adults. SOME of the adults." And that's all he gets as Lizzie turns away from him and changes, one of those fun romantic comedy moments where she's both modest, but curious to see if Danny is being a gentleman. A (17) means she doesn't look behind her to see if he is looking because she has resolve and she believes he's a gentleman. )

[undermyfeet]

[He's definitely intently listening to hope until he realizes skin is happening, and then it's eyes widening, before he snaps around and focuses on the windows, the wallpaper, anything that is not Lizzie and his teenage brain going haywire.]

Right, we'll be there soon. Which adults?

[jockwitch]

Which what?

( She turns back, decent. )

[undermyfeet]

Hope. She says they're looping in some adults?

[Playing the middle man is not the easiest. He's tempted to just hand the earbud over.]

You want to talk to Hope while I go change?

[jockwitch]

( Oh. Right. The ear thing. )

I'm coming with you. Adults?

( She thinks. )

Probably Elijah and Bela.

( William counts as an adult, right? )

OK. Let's go to your room.

[undermyfeet]

[It doesn't take them long to get there, with the Do Not Disturb knocker on the door. He quickly lets them both in and Lizzie will see the remains of the locator spell - and the damage that came with it.]

Won't be long. Make yourself at home?

[jockwitch]

( As she -- approaches the burned carpet. She calls out. )

Redecorating your room?