everyonelives | watch it close, let it brew

[Mia Queen should not be licensed to drive by any state in the union, but between her Slayer reflexes and the unobtrusive choice of vehicle allowed by their rental car, they some how manage to make it to New Orleans from Mystic Falls in two thirds of the time without causing a major accident or getting a speeding ticket.

William likely white knuckled it the whole way down, but you know what, they're alive. You're welcome.

It's also, because of that very precise timing that they manage to get there before the commotion starts. Mia finds a place to park near the Quarter, glancing down at her phone as she scans the square. It's mostly free of people, as it's inching close to ten at night, but there are still a few wandering, as well as someone who might have had a bit too much to drink, slumped over the edge of a nearby fountain.]

This is where Bela said to meet right?

( William has done what he can from the road, unable to be there himself. He has no direct tie to Cooper and his one connection went into the drink - he assumes. There are no cameras by the river. And his usual attempts have gone unnoticed. He's preoccupied, worried, and his thoughts are going a mile a minute.

He could be worrying for nothing, especially because Bela wants a meetup. )

Uh - I think.

( He triple checks, closing his laptop and peers around. (18) for a spot check. )

Edited 2021-12-04 01:19 (UTC)

[He is at the right place. And as he peers around, he makes note of the quietness of the street and the absolute absence of Bela. But that slumped over figure by the fountain does seem familiar, now that he looks at him, but it's only the briefest glimpse before a cop steps in to block him from view, thinking it's a drunk who fell asleep.

Mia misses it, is too focused on finding Bela (10).]

I don't see her. Are we early?

Or, late. Or - on time and she's --

( A nagging feeling gnaws at him, the familiarity of the body not sitting right as he climbs out of the passenger side. )

What if she was intercepted - or held up. That's --

( His heart drops. )

Mia, that's a crime scene.

( As if in slow motion, he runs across the street over to the square, nearing the fountain, the onlookers and the police presence. )

Wait, wait!

[Mia catches on just after, and does her best to slide between the scene and her brother. It's more protective than anything else - it's entirely possible this isn't something he's going to want to see. It's entirely possible that they were too late, and tonight is going to break her brother's heart, rather than provide any reassurances. William may be older, but she's protective anyway.

Also, if it is a crime scene, and it's not what they both fear it is, then it's probably better if they don't contaminate it by rushing in prematurely.]

Let me check, okay?

( He pushes up against her body, but holds himself back, fearing the same. He nods, barely, mustering just enough energy to let Mia do the honors, afraid of the worst.

He tries to muster up his resolve (12), preparing himself for whatever she sees. His emotions are getting away from him. He can't help it. With no sign of Bela and crime scene ahead of them...

Let it be unrelated. )

[Mia slips through the crowd that is forming as the cop starts to realize that this isn't a drunk, this is a body. She lands on the opposite side of the fountain, and when she sees, William will be able to see the way her face falls before she can even say anything, as realization sets in.]

( With her face, he bounds forward, stopping behind her, stepping out in front.

He doesn't try to sneak past the cop, just practically falls forward. Instinct pushes him to check the pulse, ignoring the discoloring of Cooper's skin, and the how he's been left here. He didn't collapse. He was placed.

William drops back on his ankles, sliding back, ass hitting the pavement, his breath knocked out of him. )

[The cop is about the grab him, forcibly push him away, but Mia is quick to intervene.]

I'm sorry. He doesn't mean any harm - they were a friend.

[The cop perks up. "You know him? When did you last see him?"]

In person? Not recently. We were just getting in from out of town.

( William sits frozen, lost in his thoughts, running through every scenario, hardening as he does, fighting back tears. )

I did this. This is my fault, this - he shouldn't -- be here. This is me. It's all me. I --

[The cop seems to get interested in that and Mia quickly steps between him and her brother.]

It's the shock. We were supposed to meet in Dallas, and William convinced him to spend a couple days in New Orleans, that's all.

[The lie is a shaky one (3), and while the cop catches that it's a lie, he doesn't know enough to find where the bluff is (5). "I have to call this in. Just ... stay here."

He steps back to call it in, and Mia crouches down to speak to her brother.]

This is not your fault.

( Right. Right. They're not alone. There's a cop and he just admitted fault. A lawyer would have a field day unraveling that. He did not sign up to be in a Law & Order episode, he will not be that put upon grieving boyfriend suspect. He speaks under his breath, recounting how they'd met. )

He became a double agent. I connected him with Isaac and Allison.

And those were his choices. He wanted to do this. It's not like you seduced him into it, he came to you.

[She needs to get this through to him before the cop comes back, because she needs him to hold it together, at least until they're alone again.]

You didn't twist his arm, William. He knew what he was risking.

I know. He sought me out. He had his doubts. If it weren't me --

( That, he doesn't know. )

I have to talk myself out of this, don't I? ( (2) to remember the excuse his sister gave when they were overheard. ) What was your reasoning again?

We were supposed to meet in Dallas, but you talked him into meeting in New Orleans instead.

[Simple enough. Not enough of a paper trail, maybe, but they were on a road trip. There's no need to book flights or anything like that.]

Right. More romantic.

( He gathers himself and gets back to his feet, ready to talk to the officer again. He's still rattled, but his job now is to not screw up and get arrested. He can't help if he's arrested. If Cooper is dead -- it doesn't stop there. He knows that. )

[Mia nods, but intends to stay by his side, regardless. She's not going to let the cop separate them just yet.

The cop eventually does return, pulling out his memo pad to take notes.

"So how well do you know Mr. Sullivan?"]

I've known him - ( He decides then and there to be as honest as he can be. So, he sticks to true facts. ) we're in a long distance relationship. It's only been a few months. We met in London and we uh, slept together when we first met. Anyway, we stayed in touch and he did some work for me and the company I've been consulting for. Private security. And - we were supposed to - he was supposed to reach out, and he didn't and he agreed to stay in New Orleans -- Dallas, it ( (9) was too far. ( He breaks the policeman's gaze to look around them (19) to spot. ) Are there -- cameras around here?

[The cop is distracted by the TMI, but not enough to not see that this isn't the whole truth. It's suspicious, but he still doesn't know how (15). But he presses his lips together as he responds.

"We'll be checking the street cameras, yes."

That is a yes. William can spot them on the corners of the square, far enough from each other to give a wide range of view, in an attempt to decrease as many blind spots as possible.]

( He needs to patch into them. He's already thinking ahead, distracted, also happy the TMI distracted the cop enough to not ask further questions. )

We were in over our heads together. Cooper Sullivan, that's his name. But, my sister and me, we literally drove into town twenty minutes ago. We weren't here.

( (15) to persuade the cop. )

[As much as he has his reservations, he believes them (14). He can't deny the fact that if they literally weren't in town, they couldn't have committed the murder. But he will take both of their numbers down before he leaves and ask that they remain in New Orleans for at least the next forty-eight hours.

And once he moves on to question some of the other visitors in the area, Mia glances back to him.]

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking we look at the cameras. At least then, we know what happened, if -- he was killed by the river and brought here, or if he made it out and was double-crossed. Either way, we get answers.

( But, he also knows there are bigger things happening and he says: )

Cover me?

( Tears welling up, he tries to discretely search Cooper's body for anything that might help them (17). Keys, address, his phone, anything that could aid in the fight against Monroe. He will grab whatever, push himself back up and lead his sister back to the car.

Inside the driver's seat, he pulls his laptop out (14) to hack into the local cameras, specifically the past few hours. )

[Mia does cover him, but he doesn't find much. The cops have already taken his wallet and phone, and Bela, Klaus and Mickey didn't leave much in the way of evidence.

When he gets into the cameras, however, he does find something interesting. He sees a man he might recognize as Mickey bringing in Cooper's body and leaving it there, but no sign of the vampires who helped him. And definitely no sign of Bela.]

( He's now going to feel a type of way about feeling up his dead boyfriend, then. )

Mia.

( He rewinds again, to show his sister. )

Does this look -- staged? Call Bela.

[She does as she's told, pulling out her phone and calling Bela. It rings, and rings and rings before going to voicemail.

A minute later, she gets a text in response:

On my way.]

I guess she's driving?

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