hey it's good to be back home again

[somanyadjectives]

[It's been a while since Stefan has been back in Mystic Falls, but he wasn't going to miss the twins graduation. He knew that coming home was going to be complicated. He was bringing his girlfriend to meet people. He was bracing himself for Damon's judgement about him dating a vampire slayer the entire ride from the airport.

What he hadn't expected, was getting ambushed at a gas station while filling up his car by a hunter.

According to Damon, there haven't been hunters in Mystic Falls in years. They knew that the school would be a beacon, but they also took precautions for that to protect the kids. Most hunters understood that they were trying to reduce deaths, rather than concentrate them. This isn't to say that Mystic Falls is perfect, but they're doing better than they used to.

Stefan doesn't kill him. He's caught off guard enough that he doesn't immediately go for the kill, and Buffy catches the hunter off guard enough that the guy decides to retreat and regroup rather than push his luck against a slayer and a vampire. This isn't, unfortunately, before he manages to plug Stefan with a few wooden bullets. And those hurt like a mother.]

Gotta love coming home.

[He groans as he sinks back against the car, trying to keep an eye on their surroundings, before glancing down at the bleeding holes in his shirt.]

I liked this shirt.

Comments

[braveandstupid]

[That is a very sad story, and she feels terrible about all of that. It sounds like some of the points that Klaus would try to make, back when he was an enemy, not an ally.]

Guess time really flies. I didn't see anything about you coming back to life, so I lost track of you.

[cholesterol]

Then we did something right. We're still Most Wanted, even if the shitty reboot did not do its legacy justice. ( So short-lived. ) We couldn't do anything we do while being on law enforcement's radar. We've had too many close calls. Went to jail once, too. For a case. We'll always be in the system.

[braveandstupid]

[She nods, and finishes the sutures, before placing a bandage over it. She doesn't know what to say about his brushes with the law - probably because she needs to sit on it for a bit, so she'll give herself the space to do that as she steps away.]

All done.

[cholesterol]

( He doesn't know what he expects from her, if anything. Most people they bring into this just take everything at face value once it's clear the supernatural is real. This is nothing like that, for either one of them.

Dean gets up from the toilet, jacket in hand and stands for a second. )

Thanks. Been a long time since I've been actually patched up by a doc.

[braveandstupid]

[She smirks as she finishes putting everything away.]

Take care of it and it might not even scar.

[cholesterol]

Don't start talking dirty now, Doc.

( But, the grin he's sporting is not flirtatious as much as that joke just lands. They went deep. Not very. More surface for Dean, but still honestly. )

Should we check in on our kidnapee?

[braveandstupid]

[She snorts at the joke, because it does feel better to be on a bit easier terms, before nodding.]

Yep. They've probably got him downstairs.

[And she will lead the way through the house to the basement, where she's assuming the usual suspects have congregated.]

Is he on vervain?

[It's a dumb question, but she's going to ask it anyway. It will determine whether or not this is going to be a quick interrogation or a more prolonged one.]

[cholesterol]

One way to find out.

( Once Dean accompanies Elena back downstairs, Buffy and Stefan have uncomfortably tied the hunter to a bar stool. His limbs dangle uselessly and his head hangs forward. He will have a stiff neck come morning.

Everyone else is also downstairs, as the party is now here, save for Sam and Damon who're returning Elena's car. )

Well. He on vervain?

[somanyadjectives]

[Stefan draws his thumb against the corner of his mouth, catching any of the blood that might be remaining, before nodding. The vervain tolerance they've managed to build up over the years makes it easy to check without being completely incapacitated.]

Unfortunately. We'll need to take the day and come back to him later.

[He's also making eye contact with Dean as he does this because what do you think about things new hunter guy. Are you an Alaric or a Connor?]

[attainathons]

I haven't been involved in a hostage situation in years. Like riding a bike.

( Her arms crossed, she's seated nearby in another bar stool, by the bar.

As for Dean, he meets Stefan's penetrating gaze.

"That's one less day we'll have." Which he doesn't like. "We have a friend who might be able to get into his phone."

If Charlie wants to play along. Sam could try, too. )

[somanyadjectives]

[Stefan glances to Elena, to see what she thought since she knew this Dean guy the best. She shrugs.

"Worth a shot."

Stefan shrugs in return, before reaching into the hunter's back pocket for his phone, before tossing it over to Dean.]

Knock yourself out.

[cholesterol]

( Dean catches it, looks to Elena and then pockets it for later. )

Is he talking?

[somanyadjectives]

Not unless you want a long-winded rant about how we're all murderous bloodsucking monsters and we need to be purged from the world, blah, blah, blah.

[Stefan ventures back over to the bar to join Buffy.]

Which, I'm not saying I haven't had my murderous moments, because that would take an incredible lack of self-awareness, but I think wanting to go wholesale murder on a bunch of innocent kids doesn't really make him much better. Unless Elena thinks she stands a shot with her radical compassion powers, or you have some new tricks up your sleeve, we're not going to get very far until we can compel him.

[attainathons]

I've been privy to those. They're no different the thousandth time you hear them.

( If anybody wanted her two cents. Doesn't matter. Buffy gives it anyway. She leans into Stefan when he moves closer, eyeing the hunter that, for now, isn't saying anything else. )

As for compassion, it goes a long way. Just... not for people like him.

( But, she eyes Elena expectantly. Go to it. She'd be impressed if she could talk her way into answers.

Dean looks to Elena, too. There something he doesn't know? Is her compassion magic or persuasive? )

[braveandstupid]

[Elena glances between the two men, because no it's not powers, exactly. She has a way of understanding people and sometimes that means getting through to them, but sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes people are just determined to be who they are.

Stefan calls it radical compassion, but in a lot of ways it's manipulation, and she might be more willing if Katherine wasn't stomping around somewhere over their heads.

But the hunter's neck is still bleeding, so maybe that could at least earn her some good will.]

I can try? But I'll need the first aid kit, and you - [She indicates Stefan] - will have to go upstairs and make sure Damon doesn't interrupt by being Damon.

[Stefan nods, reaching over the back of the bar before turning to face Buffy.

"Shall we take these drinks upstairs?"]

[shreds]

( Buffy's good with that. She can also be on Damon patrol. And, if not, there are other, newer people. Sam will probably be back by now, if Damon is. So, she follows Stefan up and leaves Elena and Dean to the hunter.

Upstairs Katherine is snooping in the living room, inspecting Damon's bookshelves, having helped herself to the good scotch that was on the bar cart.

Damon is not back yet. )

[somanyadjectives]

[Yep. She and Dean will patch up the hunter and Elena will talk and while they might gain a little ground, she probably won't get any major details.

Stefan, however, will see Katherine browsing, and raise an eyebrow at her curiously.]

Looking for something new?

[shreds]

( Dean will be impressed with how disarming Elena can be, and honest. And how she's not an impartial person. She sees in shades of grey. Dean would go whole hog. Elena is careful. She's human. )

It's been ten years. ( She doesn't turn around, though. ) Honestly? I thought he might have made a shrine to your journals. I didn't exactly bring any reading material to this long weekend.

[somanyadjectives]

Oh, no. Those are over at the Salvatore School. Caroline made a joke and thought I wouldn't follow through.

[Not to say he's not still journaling these days, but apparently his journals are good at discouraging young vampires from being careless about how they feed.]

Speaking of, we should probably loop her in at some point. I think she's arriving tomorrow with her vampire protege.

[He means Ryan. Though he has no idea if Ryan's actually coming.]

[shreds]

You're a cautionary tale, now.

( Interesting. Everything else is boring. Ledgers and history. All things that will put her to sleep. )

I'll get right on that.

( She is not Caroline's favorite person. The exact opposite, anyway.

But, Buffy is also here, hello, Katherine.

"He meant me-we." Not you, Katherine. "I'll check with Alaric first." )

[somanyadjectives]

Right, we didn't get to do proper introductions.

[He pours glasses for he and Buffy both, before gesturing between the two.]

Buffy, this is Katherine Pierce, the woman who turned me. Katherine, this is Buffy Summers, my girlfriend.

[Also the Slayer, but he has a feeling Katherine already knows that.]

[attainathons]

( Years later and it still sting along the edges, some deeper part of Katherine that will always carry a torch for her lover, Stefan. But, she's buried it deep down and started over.

"Stefan always did date high profile."

Or, she'd kept track of everyone because that's what she did. Not that she wasn't high profile enough, even on the run. )

One day, I'll live Harmony's reality show down...

( That, and, she was enemy number one thanks to the government, too. And then all Slayers were. She's had a time and a half. She shakes her head, though, texting Caroline. )

Has Alaric called you?

( Katherine looks from Buffy to Stefan.

"Reality show?"

Classy. )

[somanyadjectives]

We all make mistakes sometimes.

[And Caroline is on the plane, but thankfully she's got wi-fi texting, so Buffy's text comes through.

Still in the air. Why, is something wrong?]

But I think she was referring to you being high profile for being the Slayer.

[shreds]

( Buffy did assume she'd spring for the Wifi.

You could say that. Let's just say it won't be my first graduation that might end in fire.

Katherine shrugs, moving over to the plane bench. Setting her glass down, she opens the piano, testing it out. F note. F note. )

And me being high profile in infamy. The girl who dared run away from Klaus Mikaelson.

( "The Klaus that's ... here?"

Katherine looks up, turning around. )

We've all moved on.

[somanyadjectives]

[Ryan may notice that Caroline made the most undignified of squeaks.

WHAT? NO. THERE WILL NOT BE ANY FIRES AT GRADUATION.

She is already offended, beware all hunters who come across her path.]

We have. Oddly enough, having a kid mellowed out Klaus a lot.