watch it close, let it brew

[regentem]

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[slavophile]

( 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. )

[blackstarred]

[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.

[slavophile]

( 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 --

[blackstarred]

[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.

[slavophile]

( 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.

[blackstarred]

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.

[slavophile]

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?

[blackstarred]

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.]

[slavophile]

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. )

[blackstarred]

[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?"]

[slavophile]

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?

[blackstarred]

[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.]

[slavophile]

( 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. )

[blackstarred]

[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?

[slavophile]

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. )

[blackstarred]

[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.]

[slavophile]

( 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.

[blackstarred]

[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?

[slavophile]

They wanted us to find him. They know he was inside. They know he was on ours.

( And Bela is running late. )

[blackstarred]

[She's about to say something in response when Bela appears over William's shoulder. She does look shocked and sells it some (13) but something about her expression is getting on Mia's nerves (15).

But she doesn't say anything, just nudges her brother.]

She's here.

[slavophile]

( (6) has William missing how much Bela doesn't sell. He's still in shock. William faces Bela, thinking he's letting her take in the scene. )

Last thing I heard, he was driving out to the river. He was burned. And he knew it.

[enjoythe_ride]

[Bela nods, resting a hand on his shoulder gently, as though she's comforting him, though that's mostly for the cameras.]

He did. And we had a plan. So just play along until we get the all clear, yeah?

[slavophile]

What?

( A (2) means he doesn't have to play along, or can't, because confusion is all he feels. )

The all-clear? I can't leave the city because I'm a suspect in a murder investigation, which was a part of your plan. Bela, you didn't. I know him. He wouldn't want --

( He gathers his strength to ask a simple question. He whispers, (7), yeah not the best at whispering. )

Did you turn him?

[enjoythe_ride]

No. No, no, no.

[Bela moves to pull him into a hug, turning his face away from the security cameras so that they're still selling the ruse.]

We just knew that she wouldn't believe it unless you believed it.

[slavophile]

( She's lucky he's pulled in close, because that confusion is quickly becoming annoyance. Is he the last to know? )

Get me out of here and then explain everything.

( He leans back, (17) the picture of grief as he turns to Mia. )

Come on.