best to take a moment present

[maleficum]

Comments

[pricetags]

( "A broken relationship, a kidnapping, two daring rescues. Sounds to me like a Parker family reunion," Luke says, unable to deny that he's happy it happened. He's still visibly shaken from his encounter with Jacqueline but everything turned out alright in the end.

For Shepherd, it feels like another job, but it also isn't, because it involved his family. He'd been hiding for so long, he never thought about the possibility. He's about to admit to everyone that he should connect with their sister, but his text pings. He'd usually ignore it, but he knows instinctively that duty calls.

Phone in hand, he looks up at his siblings. )

The Underground beckons.

[geminated]

Alright. Guess I'm taking you back to your car.

[She glances over to Luke.]

What about you? Am I dropping you somewhere or are you following me back to the Armory?

[pricetags]

( "I guess I'm here for the rest of the weekend, broken date or not. Sure, show me your inner sanctum, sis." and then to Shep, he does turn back. "Sorry I made things more difficult. I am happy to see you. We both are. It's -- you're alive."

Shepherd sets a hand on his sibling's shoulders, and squeezes, sitting back. )

You have my number now.

( which is like a step one, right?

"Oh, should I cancel my room?" Luke asks. his bags are still in his sister's trunk and he's not... staying with someone. )

[geminated]

Up to you. It's just going to be me and Ty around.

[So if Luke wants to be their third wheel, that's his choice. Or he can get some space to himself to process.

She glances back over to Shep.]

Do you want us to tell Jo? Or do you want to wait?

[pricetags]

Tell her. I go dark more often than not and I'm not making you hold me on your shoulders.

( As a coven and a family, secrets were never kept. He's not about to start keeping them now. )

Tell her I can't wait to see her in person. And I'm still your pain in the ass big brother.

[geminated]

[There's a breath of relief because Liv would have kept the secret, but she wasn't looking forward to it.]

Okay. We'll text her after we drop you off.

[Meaning Luke will do it because Liv will be driving.]

[pricetags]

( and then they do drop him off. hugs are shared all around. the bittersweet discovery settles between the three of them promising this isn't the end.

as liv hugs him goodbye, luke takes the front seat and does what he knows he needs to do.

hey sis, got some updates for you. )

[saveslives]

Love updates.

[Her youngest siblings are adults now, so she's accepted that she doesn't hear from them as often and is dreading this period to come with her daughters, but she's always happy to hear from her siblings.]

Hopefully fun ones?

[drugdeals]

Let's just say, we Parker siblings really make an impression with the people we are or aren't dating meeting our family. And, history really tends to repeat itself.

[saveslives]

Oh, I'm sorry. I know Liv was really going to try to be on her best behavior.

[She's assuming that things went sideways because Liv was Liv - she loves her, but she's also a walking live grenade when she wants to be.]

[drugdeals]

Oh, she didn't. And wasn't. But, that's not the history I mean. Jonathan didn't take well to me lying about my heretofore dead older brother being suddenly alive and at the bar.

[saveslives]

[There's several attempts at dots appearing and disappearing, before she gives up the ghost and this gets switched to a phone call instead.

Ring-ring Luke phone.]

[drugdeals]

( it was only a matter of time, so he answers, first against his ear. if he needs to switch to speakerphone, he will. )

So, Shepherd's alive.

[saveslives]

[It's a bit of a gut punch, even if it's still good news. Jo knows that it's likely going to be complicated, given that he was gone for so long and that a lot might have happened but it's still good. It's always good to get a part of the family she actually likes back.]

Where is he? Is he with you?

[drugdeals]

He was. He - he was in Baltimore, on an assignment for a clandestine organization he works for because I think our brother is basically a spy now. ( which is kind of cool. ) Liv saw him first, and that's what started everything with Jonathan. I tried playing it cool, but he didn't take great to my gaslighting. And then, the next day we were kind of roped into more witch business and I uh, was kind of held as leverage, but then rescued. So I'm fine. And that's about everything. Those are all my updates.

[saveslives]

[Okay, she's going to sort through some of that to the:]

Held as leverage?! By who?!

[drugdeals]

One of my - ( clients, he still does some shady shit. ) someone I knew, but didn't know my connection to everything. But, her specialty is getting inside people's heads so my help made me bait.

( basically, everybody has a giant network now, and everyone is called in at some point. )

We were called in for help.

[saveslives]

[Okay, okay so he got in over his head but he's fine now. That's good. But called in?]

Was it an Armory thing? Or was it part of Shep's clandestine thing?

[drugdeals]

Shep's. And, the FBI was involved. But, Shep was asked for the favor and we were with him.

( and then, more of the lead has been buried. )

A vampire was being used by the Colony, taken to strongarm someone else into doing something. And, yes, I was the last to know about the Colony. Anyway, I tried to be the distraction but underestimated her. All's well that ends well. Enough.

[saveslives]

[Vampire.

FBI.

There's a contemplative pause before:]

This vampire's name didn't happen to be Stiles, did it?

[drugdeals]

You would have thought it was the Watch What Happens Live buzzword. If we were playing a drinking game, we'd all be under the table.

( He heard his name so many times, Jo. SO MANY TIMES. )

[saveslives]

[Makes a note to text Caroline to check on her latest baby vamp, sounds like he's going through it.]

That poor kid really is a magnet for trouble. But everyone's okay?

[drugdeals]

She knows Stiles.

( and then to Jo )

Everyone got out unscathed. Well, we royally pissed the two Colony witches off, but they have bigger things on their minds.

[saveslives]

... Well, that's less good but you guys know how to go to ground if things get bad. Just let me know if you need help.

[Part of the reason why she lets them go so long between updates is because she trusts them to be able to take care of themselves. After all, they did for a long time while she was gone.]

Stiles got turned in Mystic Falls. He's one of Caroline's. And he's been a vampire for less than six months so really, drawing the attention of Colony witches that quickly is kind of impressive.

[drugdeals]

( or if they're called in for it. )

Caroline turned him?

( and, technically, Stiles was dragged in by other people who ran afoul of Colony witches. )

By accident?