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

[somanyadjectives]

[He could have needed a lot of things.]

If anyone asks, I need you to say you were in Mystic Falls today with the Winchester brothers.

[He thinks she can probably put two and two together for the why.]

[shreds]

( Well, her eyebrows climb to the sky. Luckily, the sun is blocked by the awning of the bar they're at. In Georgia. )

The Winchester brothers. All shoulders and jaw-lines. We met one time, but, sure. Why am I in Mystic Falls with the harbingers of the apocalypse?

( Still a rumor that will always plague them. They are not good for the world.

But, they are. It's a mixed hunter network, really. Luckily, most hunters drink the Winchester Koolaid. The most toxic hunters were weeded out. Or, killed.

But, Katherine Pierce never forgets. )

[somanyadjectives]

Because they're trying to get information on the hunters that tried to kill me last night, and may possibly be planning an attack on the school.

[He leans back against the door jamb as he talks.]

I don't know why Elena seems to think she needs to be you, but you travel in those circles now. I guess there's a certain amount of questioning she's hoping to avoid.

[shreds]

( Well, that's more information than she expected.

She switches the phone to her other ear. )

Of course my descendant is pretending to be me. You did answer your own question. Not that I expected that to be her choice. If someone could record her performance, I'd love to give notes.

( She jokes, but deadpans all the same. )

Now, to what's important. You were attacked. And this could be widespread. I thought the Salvatore School wasn't on hunters radar? Isn't their whole thing anti-hunter?

[somanyadjectives]

Yeah. According to the Winchesters, there's this hunter network that's radicalizing civilians. Apparently they're gearing up to hit some big targets.

[He glances over to the rest of the group, before saying words he never thought he'd say.]

Honestly, we could use all the hands here we can get.

[Which is the closest he'll get to asking for her help. He knows that Katherine will do what Katherine is going to do, but if she's going to be one of the good guys now, one of the people that help, he needs to give her the opportunity to choose for herself. Not keep asking for favors she can use against him later.]

[shreds]

( Give her a second. Because, there are cards she too holds close to her chest. She glances back into the bar. This is why the hunters' network is quiet. She didn't think the more radical of the bunch would be making moves in a localized fashion.

Hunter Bootcamp has been around longer than this. Why now? )

New Orleans. Mystic Falls. Prague. London was hit first. It was their big hit. You do need me, Stefan. We're a few hours out, but we can be there. If you're actually calling in reinforcements.

[somanyadjectives]

[Another glance inside and he nods, not that she can see it. He doesn't have time to play games with her. If she's offering, he'll accept.]

I'll let Damon know you're coming.

[Because that's sure to go well.]

[shreds]

Like you're giving him a say.

( Even Damon understands when they need her. She knows now is extra help and not being needed, even if she jokes it is. But, a Salvatore owing her is never a bad thing.

Crossing paths with Elena, whatever. )

Should we book a room or is Damon's house of terrors open for two more? He sprung for the five bedroom did he?

[somanyadjectives]

I'll let you know. It's graduation weekend. The B&B might be a little overcrowded.

[But Damon might object to the idea of Katherine and her friend crashing.

Stefan will try to talk him into it.]

[shreds]

Well, then, as they say, we'll play it by ear. We'll be there in a few hours. Unless you tell me otherwise, we'll meet you at Damon's.

[somanyadjectives]

See you then.

[And with that, he will hang up and wander inside to go find his brother.]

Can I borrow you, for a second?

[unforgivably]

( Seeing as he was kept out of the plan, he's back where Stefan will always find him. Doing his job. And doesn't he do it well?

He's explaining something in the system when Stefan leans over the bar.

A few minutes later, they're sitting in Damon's favorite corner. )

You borrowed me, brother. Is there an update on hunter-gate?

[somanyadjectives]

There is. Katherine's coming to town.

[At least he's getting right to the point.]

She wants to know if you have room at the house for her and her partner.

[unforgivably]

Her life partner?

( Give him a whole second, Stefan. )

Only Katherine. Why is Katherine coming to town, let's start there. Walk me through it, Stefan.

[somanyadjectives]

Her hunting partner.

[He doesn't know the status of her and Damian's relationship, and to be honest he doesn't want to know. It doesn't matter.]

And she's coming to help with the incoming hunter Armageddon.

[unforgivably]

Katherine Pierce.

( He doesn't need to think about it. )

I will be making jokes about separate bedrooms.

[somanyadjectives]

That is your right as host, and I would not deny you it.

[And he pulls out his phone to text Katherine and let her know she's good for Damon's. And also Elena to let her know that Katherine will actually be in town.

It will be met with the appropriate amount of ugh, after she's finished being Katherine for the evening.]

[unforgivably]

Where's Buffy in all of this? Don't tell me she met up with Elena and they're doing double teaming that hunter.

[somanyadjectives]

No. Elena is pretending to be Katherine in a hunter bar with someone she called "the Winchester brothers." It seemed to mean something to Katherine.

[He shrugs.]

Buffy is at the school, getting the grand tour.

[unforgivably]

The Winchester brothers.

( Elena is older. They're all older. They're wiser. They're friends. And it doesn't remotely twinge a little bit? Brothers. )

And Elena is going to play the part of Katherine. Did she bring her portable curling iron before she watched a Youtube tutorial in being a heartless bitch?

[somanyadjectives]

[Stefan shrugs.]

All I got was a text asking me to get Katherine to play along. I didn't ask for too many details beyond that, but I think she can do a decent Katherine if she puts her mind to it.

[unforgivably]

I'm not saying she can't. I have all the trust that she'll pull Katherine off.

( But, he still gets to feel like she's running in half-cocked with two brothers they don't know. )

After this is all over, we're meeting these Winchesters.

[somanyadjectives]

Oh, definitely.

[Stefan is in agreement with that too.]

She considers them trustworthy but ... this is also Elena we're talking about.

[He loves her, but she's willing to work with people she probably shouldn't seventy percent of the time.]

[unforgivably]

She may have graduated from everything bad ever. Now, it's everything bad some of the time.

( Less so, but still a lousy track record. )

Did she tell you how she knows them? And why don't we know them? We know everybody Elena knows. That matters.

[somanyadjectives]

She said something about it being from before we got back to Mystic Falls. Friends of her dad. We didn't really have a lot of time to swap details.