everyonelives | perpetual anticipation is good for the soul but it's bad for the heart

[That's a lot of rapid-fire questions:]

Okay, first of all, yes. We are even. Whatever I'm asking of Lydia has nothing to do with our arrangement. We are square.

[Now that that's out of the way:]

I am not trying to divide and conquer your team. I am sorry about how we had to approach Lydia, but we don't exactly have a lot of leeway on time. As for your asset ...

[He turns and gives a confused look at his husband.]

Who's running for their life?

( But why ask anything of Lydia at all, why make the rounds of all your allies? She lets him keep talking, waiting for him to dig his own grave.

Oh. Right. The message. Shit. "Damian Jericho was marked after destroying the first body. I had never seen anything like it, I wasn't of much help." )

[David closes his eyes before nodding.]

I didn't know about Damian until right now. After we get off the phone, I can have a look at what's happening with him after we're done.

[And he will. But he doesn't think that that's the major issue.]

Why Lydia? If you want me to support this, I need to know everything, David. I need to know you're not sending my best friend into the fire without a plan. Without contingencies. And, if you don't have those answers yet, then call me when you do.

( She hangs up, done. Done for now, anyway. She knows he gave Lydia until the morning.

Ezra tries to feel out what just happened.

"So, that tenuous level of trust between us and Allison Argent...?" )

Might have imploded a little.

[He sighs as he slumps down into a chair.]

She feels like we ran around her by going to Lydia directly.

We did. Isn't that her best friend from high school? I know we aren't sentimental about our school days, but Allison's beginnings are wrapped up in them. And Scott McCall and everyone else in Beacon Hills. She's taking it personally. ... We didn't think about her.

( And should they have, really? )

I didn't think of her.

I did but I also thought that Lydia was a grown adult and Allison and I were even so Lydia could make her own choices. I didn't think that she would summon Allison like a shield.

[Though he should have. He would have done the same if someone went after Ezra.]

But now this is even more delicate than we originally anticipated. She also wants the plan, as well as contingencies.

Because she's a leader. And pissed. This is only our first and it's this complicated.

( He knew it was coming - almost, anyway. )

It was never not going to be complicated.

[Though that's stating the obvious a bit.]

Okay. We need to just focus on the plan. I will deal with Allison. She's not expecting a response until we have more information for her so let's at least get this part right.

Do we need to worry about our detente between the Malroux and Sierra?

( All they need is for something else to rock the boat. )

No. They'll stick to the plan.

[They don't need Stiles until they need him.]

Jaqueline may be difficult but she understands the stakes. And Sierra will stand by Jaq.

And Max is on Rusty's leash, or is that the other way around?

( Everything is getting foggier. )

Rusty is still vetting us. He has very few reasons to trust us right now, and I honestly don't blame him.

[How many of their ancestors have murdered him over the years?]

But I don't think he intends to stab us in the back unless we give him reason to.

We're playing nice.

( Which is good enough. )

I think Lydia will say yes.

Do you?

[He's not suspicious, he's more curious. He's not quite ready to put all of those eggs in one basket.]

Everyone is involved now. Allison, the Winchesters. We approached her honestly. Mark or not. What happened to Damian isn't our fault.

( Who could know? )

Maybe you're right. But I also think that Lydia is smart enough to make sure this is weighted in her favor.

[And as he says that, his phone buzzes with Harvey's text. He sighs and holds it up for him.]

And she's currently got one of the best lawyers around on her side.

Who knows our moves.

( He shakes his head. )

Stiles is going to be moved off the table.

( He picks up his own phone, sending a rapid-fire text to Jaqueline

You need to make contact. Harvey connected the dots. )

I don't think that's a bad thing. Stiles was going to be a last resort regardless.

[It takes a minute before a response comes: And while we're making contact, what do you want us to do with the werewolf he recently brought to town?]

( Whatever you need to do.

He taps his phone on the table with a shrug. )

Mhm.

[You're the boss.

Or something. David finishes his conversation with Harvey and glances back to his husband.]

I think we're as far as we're going to get for now. Let's get some rest and come back to this in the morning.

I love you.

( He unleashed Jaqueline. But, it needed to happen. Stiles can't be off the board. It is Lydia's choice.

Until it's not. )

Love you too.

[And with that they will head to bed and let the chaos of the current situation unfold without them.]

perpetual anticipation is good for the soul but it's bad for the heart

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