best to take a moment present

[maleficum]

Comments

[praevaricatio]

We talked it over, and out of everywhere, and everyone, we trust you and we know what comes with bunker protection. The Men of Letters only put information out there that they want to be out there. ( he also glaces at his husband as he talks. ) The bunker isn't found easily and isn't on any map. It's heavily warded and we want to beef your wards up. ( he parts his lips, as he adds ) And I want to help, personally. In person.

[braveandstupid]

[Elena nods, but she knows that she can't take this conversation further, really, as much as she wants to help. The bunker isn't hers. She can't make this call.]

I have to talk to Sam and Dean. Can I call you back?

[praevaricatio]

Yeah. We're on a train in Siberia. We're over an hour out from anywhere. Take your time.

( and when he hangs up, he slips his phone back into his pocket. )

She's dialing in the Winchesters.

[braveandstupid]

["Good. Hopefully we'll hear back soon."

Elena does drive back to the bunker, trying to do the math in her mind as she makes her way inside. She catches both Winchesters at the center table, working on something.]

Hey. Can we talk?

[Sam, reasonably, assumes that this is a couple-related "Can we talk?" and starts to get up to give them some privacy but she shake her head.]

You, too, Sam.

["... Okay."]

[cholesterol]

( Dean, always with one foot in the doghouse in his mind, closes whatever book is open. They feel close but not close enough to this, so it's a welcome distraction. Or, it could be, now that he realizes he and Sam are both involved. Hold one doghouse, please. Still, his relationship always comes with commentary. )

Sounds serious.

[braveandstupid]

No one's in trouble. Well, neither of you are in trouble.

[She sets down her bag next to one of the chairs and takes a seat.]

Ezra called. They managed to take out Kirsanov, but there was a little girl there that they rescued. Apparently she was the plan for the next time he was going to hop bodies.

[Which, gross.]

Her name is Irina, and she's five, and they need somewhere safe to put her.

[cholesterol]

( they could easily both be in trouble. he left the toilet seat up. a certain magazine slipped out from under the mattress. dishes? all irrelevant.

Dean makes a full face at a pedo-body-hop, exchanging a look with Sam, which lingers because, oh, they're trying to enlist them. He looks back to Elena. )

Here. So, we reenact Adventures in Babysitting and the witch husbands - what?

[braveandstupid]

Well, Ezra wants to come and reinforce the wards here to make sure they're up to par, but I'm guessing that after that, they'll probably have to go back to the Colony and pretend that they have no idea what happened in Russia.

[Because just because Kirsanov is dead doesn't mean their war plans are out in the open yet.]

But we didn't get very far into that conversation before I knew I had to loop you guys in. I can call him back though.

[cholesterol]

( Wards they didn't ask for. )

And we know Irina's the real deal. She's an innocent civilian.

[braveandstupid]

I don't know why they would make her up. And I don't think they knew about her before they went to Siberia.

[A pause.]

That's the other thing. She speaks Russian, but I'm assuming they have some kind of translation charm.

[cholesterol]

( she has him there. )

They need to. ( he comes in hot, first, because it hits a pang. ) I don't run a Russian-to-English daycare. We had a housekeeper, she didn't measure up.

( but, this is also not the point. and he can calm down for a second. )

Look, they vet her? In English or Russian?

( she was homicidal. )

[braveandstupid]

She's five.

[She's not sure there's much to vet. But she's going to pull out her phone and just call Ezra because she can't answer questions she doesn't have the answer to. She puts it on speaker and places the phone on the table where it can pick up everyone.

When Ezra answers:] Hey, Ez, you're on speaker.

[praevaricatio]

( "With a witch, something," he says. He mouths to Sam 'She could be a ghost' but fine, fuck him and his logic!

Ezra answers on the second ring. )

That was fast.

[braveandstupid]

I don't have an answer for you but we have some questions before we say yes.

[Starting from one of the lighter objections:]

You said she speaks Russian. Could you give her some kind of translator charm?

[praevaricatio]

Alexander Abernathy spelled a necklace. Everything you say to her she'll hear in Russian. It doesn't help her learn English, but for the time being, she'll understand everything, until we can find a more permanent solution.

( he can at least answer that. )

[braveandstupid]

[Elena nods, because at least there's that.]

Are you sure she's a real little girl?

[She gets what Dean is getting at, but given the reason Kirsanov was keeping her ...]

Are you sure that she's safe to be here?

[This does feel dumb to ask about a five year-old.]

[praevaricatio]

( sorry, Elena, you're getting as good as you gave. )

She's five.

( and a little girl, but, yes, she has magic. )

I don't think his plan B was trojan horsing a child, but, no we didn't -- invade a five year old's mind. We found her captive, playing with a doll, and it was pretty clear what he was grooming her for, Elena.

[braveandstupid]

Yes. That's what I thought but I wanted to confirm.

[She then glances over to Dean and Sam before raising an eyebrow. Anything else you guys want to know?

Sam glances over to his brother with a shrug.]

[praevaricatio]

( WHY IS THIS HIS FAULT.

"What's the lead time. How far out are you?" Stick to logistics. Not details apparently. )

We're an hour and a half out on the train, but, you know my husband's power, right?

( Dean just washes his hands, moves away from the table. You two handle this. This is ridiculous. )

[imnot_likeyou]

[Yeah, yeah, Sam's got this.]

I don't know with the wards the way they are that he'll be able to just open a door right into the bunker. But I think he's met us in town before?

[He did pick Sam and Allison up for their little adventure not too long ago.

Elena then sits up and leans forward again. "Does she have anything? Clothes, all that?"]

[praevaricatio]

She has the clothes on her back and a doll. We can get her more.

( finally, actual questions. to his husband )

We, or I, can meet you in town. That won't be a problem.

[imnot_likeyou]

Elena said something about you wanting to have a look at the wards?

[Sam, personally, is not thrilled with having them in their space, and if they're updating wards that likely means allowing them entry.]

[praevaricatio]

Improve. I think I said, beef up.

( he hands his husband the phone. )

The wards.

[imnot_likeyou]

I understand that you want to keep her safe, but this doesn't mean you can come and go as you please.

["That isn't what we're asking."]

Then you won't mind if we have someone double check your work.

["Really? I thought we were allies."]

Yeah, that was before you didn't think through your plans, got a friend of ours branded and on the run and coerced Allison's best friend into going on your suicide mission. So no, I don't really feel like we're friends right now.

[praevaricatio]

He didn't say friends.

( he's leaning in close now, ear to ear, also invested in this. )

He said allies. And you can blame me for Lydia, or for Stiles, or for whatever you want. But, your wards will only do so much good against the Gauntlet. We're talking ancient, bloodthirsty witches coming out of the woodwork. By all means, check our work. We do the best. Your wards are good. But they're also dated, Sam.