everyonelives | the ground could open, he could still say please

[He shakes his head.]

No, I just slept in the back seat of his car from New Orleans to Central City. Apparently just my mere presence is intimidating.

[He's enjoying it, even if he probably shouldn't.]

Well, you're his boyfriend's father. If they're using that word.

( This is what she's missed. This is the easy part. It's better than their hunting banter or their arguing. It's their lived in dynamic she's missed.

She points out, however, he will not be sleeping in her backseat! )

We're going to share driving duties.

Of course. I would expect nothing less.

[He also likes to drive, so it's not like he minds.]

And I'm not sure what word they're using. But I'm sure you'll find out soon enough.

I need to make things right.

( She will. She doesn't know when he's coming back (if they're coming back) but she will be there. She will always be there. He just... needs to know that. )

You will.

[Coop forgives easily when it comes to his parents. Disrupting lunch is the least of what she's done to him.]

I'm sure they'll be back from whatever it is they're doing at some point.

Hurricane Evelyn has taken whole small towns down to the studs.

( This is nothing.

Her arm hitches to his. It feels natural. She doesn't want to let go. )

I'll be here when he's ready. We'll both be.

We will.

[And he relaxes some, now that he and his wife are back on the same page.]

Want to go out and explore the city a bit?

Yes.

( She doesn't need to do what she wants to most, kiss him, because this is the intimacy she has missed and this isn't their garden. But, they are on the same page and maybe she was the problem. Maybe they're both the problem.

Later, the marrieds return tipsy, but happy.

It's in the morning when William brings Cooper back for breakfast that their paths cross as she's bringing mugs of coffee up to his father. William, Cooper, and his mother with piping hot coffee meet in the foyer. )

Good morning. William.

( "Morning, Mrs. Sullivan." )

Call me Evelyn or take a shot to the foot. ( She cants her head to the side. ) Sorry. First impressions and me... I'm not actually threatening you. And my gun's upstairs.

Hi, Mom.

[Cooper doesn't really seem all that phased by this, because he grew up with this, but he also doesn't seem condoning of shooting his boyfriend in the foot.]

You and Dad have fun?

( She hasn't met a boy like this, morning after whatever. Either Cooper did what he did away from them or she caught the glimpse of a morning after interaction, or just the guy leaving from her son's room.

This is a first. )

We're good. ( Again. ) Could we talk?

Of course.

[He glances back at William with a small smile.]

I'll come find you when we're done?

( "Yeah, send up the bat signal if you need anything." He says it encouragingly, but still with a lighter lilt. He is here for Cooper in any capacity. She's going to ignore being compared to a Batman villain. )

I know you're not a quitter and I know spending time here, taking a much-deserved break after everything - I know it's not the end. I'm sorry that I acted like it was a slap in my face. I know it's not.

I know. I caught you by surprise.

[He doesn't hold it against her.]

I just didn't know you had such strong feelings about me hunting.

Hunting's all we know. And, whatever you do, if it isn't hunting, I want you happy. I know it's not an easy life and I know it's not - the safest - but I did think you loved it. Before Monroe... Everything felt clearer and true. I guess I didn't know what would come out of the other side for you after. And I guess I worried it wouldn't be hunting.

( And that's how it had sounded. But, even if that is the case, she can't take it personally. Her son has his own life to live. )

[He nods because he gets it.]

I just need a little time, to be not on the road floating from job to job. And if I'm honest, I probably won't be completely retired here. I'm sure Star City has got it's fair share of restless spirits to take care of. I just am not going to be so focused on it for a little while.

[He's not planning on giving up his job. He loves his job. He just needs a break.]

And the whole Monroe situation did give me a lot to think about when it comes to how I do this job, and how I want to handle that moving forward.

I'm real proud of you, you know that?

( Simple and to the point. He's grown up so much in such a short time. And now she has to prepare for more time away from him. )

[He smiles, because he is always glad to hear it.]

I just like to think I had good examples.

[Her and dad both, even if Michael has been making some mistakes as of late.]

Well, we tried. Glad we didn't screw you up to the point of no return.

( Or, at all. )

I like him for you.

I like him for me too.

[He mostly just likes William, but the fact that William wants to be with him too doesn't hurt.]

But we haven't had a lot of real time together, so hopefully this will be good.

Explain to me, how did it happen. It feels quick. I'm not saying it is, I just - you're in love with someone. I feel like I missed it all.

( It's an assumption she makes, but she can see it in his eyes, even if he can't yet. Or, maybe she just hopes. )

Well, we were in London. My brother had just died and I was trying to get out of a bloodbath, and we got trapped under a building together.

[Because that's always the first meeting story you want to here.]

We were fine, mostly, just trapped, and we had to work together to get out. I found out he was working for Isaac Lahey, who works for Allison Argent. After we got out, when Monroe didn't give me satisfactory answers regarding why Lucas was there and what the point was, after some thinking, I tracked him down again and volunteered to be his inside man.

( Way to bury the lede, but she doesn't doubt the happy outcome as you're standing here in one piece. But the worrying brow lessens as he keeps talking. )

Is - is that a euphemism?

... Inside Monroe's organization.

[He's surprised Dad didn't tell her. Probably because he didn't want to get more of his wife's wrath than he'd already earned.]

I was feeding him information for about six months.

( Look, she doesn't have all the facts. It's only awkward if you make it awkward. That makes more sense. )

You were a double agent.

[He nods.]

Yeah. It worked out for the best. Kept some people alive that might not have been otherwise. But can't save everyone, you know?

[And he wound up not being able to save a lot of people on the hunter side. Good men who like his dad, just thought they were following the cause.]

the ground could open, he could still say please

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

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)