[Sam catches that motion and his eyes meet hers, but she nods to both the Winchesters that she's okay before letting them go and head off to the cave. She turns to face Ezra and crosses her arms in front of her.]
Sure. What's up?
[She's not sure if now is the right time for a heart-to-heart, given what they're here to do, but she's willing to hear him out.]
( Dean trusts her, knowing there's unfinished business, and leads the Sullivan's and Sam up to the mouth of the cave.
Elena may not like the timing, but something has to be said at some point, and the tension at bunker - and Irina - made things stickier.
He realized back at the bunker that as much as he talked to his husband about never giving Elena up, or betraying her, or planning on doing anything with her, he never expressed it to her face. )
I owe you an explanation, and - I know how many apologies at this point - I just need you to know that never once did I plan on doing anything with the knowledge of your whereabouts, or what was happening in your life. Marrying into David's family came with obligations, and your post opened up. He thought, and I agreed, that we'd rather be the ones on you. Because, you're a human being with your own life and you shouldn't be under anyone's thumb. Because even back then, we didn't believe in his coven. And, then I got to know you. I liked you. I really liked you and our friendship. It was real. I care about you. It's why I'm here. It's why I needed to be here this time. Because, this is still our mess. It's our parents. And, so, thank you. Thank you for taking this on. And, just know... we would never have done anything with you. We would've burned ourselves and sent you running if we thought we needed to.
( the hunters escalated everything and fucked everything else up. )
[While and the gratitude does thaw some of the ice she's been holding up, but at the same time, she can't help but pick a little at it. She's not the naive seventeen year-old she used to be, more willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt, only for it to come back and bite her.]
If you were never planning on turning me over to the Colony, why not tell me when you first entered my life? Why wait until you got caught?
[If she had known in the beginning, they could have become friends on a more even field, rather than leaving Elena feeling like she got duped. Plus, she would have known what she was up against.]
( of course she pokes holes in his apology, in his explanation. he goes with the truth, but keeps back his own hole in her question. would she have taken him at face value had he come at her like this? )
Eyes were on both of us, Elena. I didn't just get assigned and left to my own devices. I had to earn their trust and my independence. ( he sighs. ) Dr. Aloysius.
( who wasn't kind to either of them to their faces. )
And, after... Elena, my standing in their coven is tenuous, and until we got to this point, as close as we are, I had to speak the party line.
[Nope. She makes a face at the name because she remembers them all too well, and it makes sense that he was being watched.
She can't argue with the explanation, but it still stings.]
Okay. Noted. Should we go deal with this body now?
[They have business to get to, and she doesn't want to be focusing on these messy feelings. But, she does have enough grace to give that while she realizes what he's trying to do, she's not going to accept his apology without him actually making one.
( it's the only thing he hasn't said, isn't it. but, he does agree that they should meet up with everyone else. so, with that said, he leaves her to her indignance, (or maybe her slow thaw, one doesn;t know does one) and walks up the trail to the rest of the group.
Dean pops an eyebrow in Elena's direction as she joins them again.
The Sullivan's are checking equipment and arming themselves, ignoring the drama with capital D. )
[His back is to her, so he doesn't see the way her shoulders relax at the actual apology, without caveats or complications. It's not the most perfect apology she ever received, but it is one that he gave without her having to call him out on how much of a non-apology it was.
She'll take it, but she's still going to need time to get them back to where they were.
She'll give Dean a small smile and a nod in return when they get to the top, and glances back to the rest of the group.]
Your guys' research points us to this cave. Everything else in this place is man made. ( he pats the cave wall. ) This is au naturale.
("Translation," Evelyn chimes. "Most likely where a several hundred or more year old witch would stash her original body." She's not Winchester-ready for ancient problems, but what's a several hundred year old witch vs a several hundred year old poltergeist.
Ezra now focusing on the point in hand holds a hand out, closing his eyes. His emotions are still inside, so his (5) doesn't give him a great read.
"It's spelled, but not to keep us out," he says. "But, it does rule out the burned-into-you GPS. Every inner circle member personalized their body drop. Kirsanov took things personally, and would want anyone who did this hunted down. We don't know much about Hernandez besides her paranoia, but we do know that she likes poetry. And art. So, while Kirsanov is focused on revenge, it's likely Hernandez' failsafe is..."
Someone can finish his statement. The most important parts are out there. )
["Something painful? Something poetic usually is."
Sullivan can't say he disagrees with that assessment, but they're not going to find out until they get into the cave itself. Speculating out here isn't going to do them much good given that they don't really know about who they're dealing with.
Not being a magical lowjack is good enough for him for now.
He shoulders a shot gun next to his wife and nods.]
So we go slow and careful. If anything feels off or weird, you say something and we stop.
Sullivan is a man after Dean's heart. That sentiment is echoed as the group starts down into the cave. Because the cave is a natural occurrence, some of the navigation is more precarious, requiring more rock balance. Dean and Evelyn help anyone with an extra hand if they need a balance partner.
Past the rocky incline, they jump down onto flat surface, something probably not decidedly natural.
Dean pulls out his flashlight, double fisting with his pearl-handled gun holding them both outstretched.
It isn't far before his light shines on one tunnel, moves left and shines on a second. He brings the flashlight down. )
Guess we've reached plot twist number one.
("Is this the part where someone says 'Let's split up,'" Evelyn asks. )
"We're not on a clock yet, but, if one path is the one we need to take and one path backfires, what if we're all in on the backfire," he tries to helpfully offer. And what if it's bad, then they didn't succeed and they have a bigger problem.
Evelyn exchanges glances with her husband. )
One path will most definitely backfire, but that's why you called in the cavalry. Splitting up comes with the hunter territory. I say split. But, I'm half the cavalry. We defer to you.
[Sam nods. "Yeah, let's split up. Whoever makes it to the body first, send a text."
Elena checks her phone with a nod.]
And let's hope we don't lose service.
[That being said, she's going to take a step towards Dean, indicating her preferred spelunking partner - and Sullivan, obviously, is going to pick his wife, so all that leaves is Ezra and Sam.]
( Ezra can't win today, and doesn't need the tension there between them. She's safe with two Winchesters, and he can backup the newbies. )
I'll cover...
( "Evelyn," she says. "And Michael.")
Yeah. You go with Dean and Sam, Elena.
( he means it. he missed her 'look' when he turned so he just knows he's in the doghouse and may always be. he gestures a hand for Evelyn and Michael to start down the right corridor.
on the left
Dean takes the lead with Elena in the middle and Sam flanking in case someone or something comes at them, gun and flashlight at the ready again.
"You see anything?"
Cause Dean got a (2).
"It's all tunnel up here," he calls back. And as he makes his way down. "So, what'd Darren Stephens want back there?" he adds, nosy. And concerned.
on the right
Their path is less narrow and only opens wider gradually the farther they go. Ezra hears something up ahead (17).
"I think I hear water," he says, recognizing the sound of a (small) waterfall down a ways. "I'm Ezra, by the way," he adds, introducing himself to the rest party. )
[Elena also does not catch much, distracted from actually scanning the area by Dean's question (7). While her gaze did flicker slightly when Ezra got pulled over to the other side, she'll admit that part of herself was relieved.
It's easier to focus on the job this way, but she knows that easier isn't always better.]
He wanted to explain what he and David were actually after. And he apologized.
[So that was nice. It feels better than it had before.
Sam in the meantime is seeing lots of things (18). All the things. Much better than his two counterparts here. It's probably for the best someone isn't dealing with their feelings.
"Helps if you actually use your flashlight," he jabs playfully at his brother as he lifts his flashlight and moves to take the lead so Elena and Dean can talk.]
[Elena knows people enough to read between the lines and understands that Ezra wasn't out to hurt her, but some things need to be said, rather than implied.]
It's still not perfect, but it's better.
[Another beat.]
Do you think I've been giving him too hard a time about it? I've been in this situation before where people do things that hurt me and then claim it was for my own good or that they were really protecting me all along, but it doesn't feel like it. I just ... I'm not sure if I can trust my own judgement anymore.
What does your judgment say now? Throw what happened before away. You missed it, but he wanted you to. What're instincts now. Best interests, or not, we're doing his dirty work.
( But, for the greater good. Always for the damn greater good. )
Looks a little like a kicked puppy around you, you want to milk that for a little longer, I won't judge. But, coming from a guy that can hold a grudge. Is it worth it. He's here. Risking it.
[She's not sure he's here, risking it for her, exactly. But the point about grudges rings true in the sense that she's never really seen the point of having them. Life is too short and in some ways, she's not angry. She's hurt. There's a difference.]
I'm not still angry, I just ... it's hard for everything that was before to feel real. I can't just jump back to the same level of friendship because I'm still working on trusting him the same way.
[A pause.]
But I can stop being all ... stoic about it.
[Stoic coldness has never been her strong suit anyway. It doesn't really come naturally, but sometimes it's a reflex to at least try and shield some of the softer parts of herself.]
[He pauses, before gesturing to his wife, also keeping his eyes on things (18). He's not particularly interested in whatever drama's been going in between he and the Winchesters, but he has a feeling he'll find out.]
And Evelyn. You one of the ones who put them on this?
It's in everyone's best interest that they are in this, but, yes. If we don't get this and the other body burnings done, me, my husband, and every witch you know will be in each other's cross-hairs.
The first one recorded. Made it easier, killing a lot of birds with one "I saw Goody Martin with the Devil." ( and now more history. ) They weren't far off that some witches were aligned with Hell, but with demons, and some of the time they didn't know what they were being swayed for. ( he pauses again. ) My husband's parents - the people inside their bodies, the original Colony inner circle - did it to ensure power, and to flush out another one of their heirs. It all goes back to Colonialism.
[His tone is dry, but he's not disagreeing - more that he's been seeing the horrors of the past rise up to cause people pain long enough that he's not often surprised anymore.]
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everyonelives2024-11-30 05:12 pm
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Sure. What's up?
[She's not sure if now is the right time for a heart-to-heart, given what they're here to do, but she's willing to hear him out.]
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Elena may not like the timing, but something has to be said at some point, and the tension at bunker - and Irina - made things stickier.
He realized back at the bunker that as much as he talked to his husband about never giving Elena up, or betraying her, or planning on doing anything with her, he never expressed it to her face. )
I owe you an explanation, and - I know how many apologies at this point - I just need you to know that never once did I plan on doing anything with the knowledge of your whereabouts, or what was happening in your life. Marrying into David's family came with obligations, and your post opened up. He thought, and I agreed, that we'd rather be the ones on you. Because, you're a human being with your own life and you shouldn't be under anyone's thumb. Because even back then, we didn't believe in his coven. And, then I got to know you. I liked you. I really liked you and our friendship. It was real. I care about you. It's why I'm here. It's why I needed to be here this time. Because, this is still our mess. It's our parents. And, so, thank you. Thank you for taking this on. And, just know... we would never have done anything with you. We would've burned ourselves and sent you running if we thought we needed to.
( the hunters escalated everything and fucked everything else up. )
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If you were never planning on turning me over to the Colony, why not tell me when you first entered my life? Why wait until you got caught?
[If she had known in the beginning, they could have become friends on a more even field, rather than leaving Elena feeling like she got duped. Plus, she would have known what she was up against.]
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Eyes were on both of us, Elena. I didn't just get assigned and left to my own devices. I had to earn their trust and my independence. ( he sighs. ) Dr. Aloysius.
( who wasn't kind to either of them to their faces. )
And, after... Elena, my standing in their coven is tenuous, and until we got to this point, as close as we are, I had to speak the party line.
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She can't argue with the explanation, but it still stings.]
Okay. Noted. Should we go deal with this body now?
[They have business to get to, and she doesn't want to be focusing on these messy feelings. But, she does have enough grace to give that while she realizes what he's trying to do, she's not going to accept his apology without him actually making one.
He still needs to use the words "I'm sorry."]
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( it's the only thing he hasn't said, isn't it. but, he does agree that they should meet up with everyone else. so, with that said, he leaves her to her indignance, (or maybe her slow thaw, one doesn;t know does one) and walks up the trail to the rest of the group.
Dean pops an eyebrow in Elena's direction as she joins them again.
The Sullivan's are checking equipment and arming themselves, ignoring the drama with capital D. )
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She'll take it, but she's still going to need time to get them back to where they were.
She'll give Dean a small smile and a nod in return when they get to the top, and glances back to the rest of the group.]
So what are we dealing with?
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( "Translation," Evelyn chimes. "Most likely where a several hundred or more year old witch would stash her original body." She's not Winchester-ready for ancient problems, but what's a several hundred year old witch vs a several hundred year old poltergeist.
Ezra now focusing on the point in hand holds a hand out, closing his eyes. His emotions are still inside, so his (5) doesn't give him a great read.
"It's spelled, but not to keep us out," he says. "But, it does rule out the burned-into-you GPS. Every inner circle member personalized their body drop. Kirsanov took things personally, and would want anyone who did this hunted down. We don't know much about Hernandez besides her paranoia, but we do know that she likes poetry. And art. So, while Kirsanov is focused on revenge, it's likely Hernandez' failsafe is..."
Someone can finish his statement. The most important parts are out there. )
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Sullivan can't say he disagrees with that assessment, but they're not going to find out until they get into the cave itself. Speculating out here isn't going to do them much good given that they don't really know about who they're dealing with.
Not being a magical lowjack is good enough for him for now.
He shoulders a shot gun next to his wife and nods.]
So we go slow and careful. If anything feels off or weird, you say something and we stop.
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Sullivan is a man after Dean's heart. That sentiment is echoed as the group starts down into the cave. Because the cave is a natural occurrence, some of the navigation is more precarious, requiring more rock balance. Dean and Evelyn help anyone with an extra hand if they need a balance partner.
Past the rocky incline, they jump down onto flat surface, something probably not decidedly natural.
Dean pulls out his flashlight, double fisting with his pearl-handled gun holding them both outstretched.
It isn't far before his light shines on one tunnel, moves left and shines on a second. He brings the flashlight down. )
Guess we've reached plot twist number one.
( "Is this the part where someone says 'Let's split up,'" Evelyn asks. )
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[Sam inches forward some, shining his own flashlight down each of the tunnels, before shaking his head.
"Both ways look the same. We could all venture down one and see where it gets us, or we could split up and save time?"
Elena makes a face, not sure how she feels about that prospect, but she glances back to the rest of the group.]
Does it make sense for all of us to go together?
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"We're not on a clock yet, but, if one path is the one we need to take and one path backfires, what if we're all in on the backfire," he tries to helpfully offer. And what if it's bad, then they didn't succeed and they have a bigger problem.
Evelyn exchanges glances with her husband. )
One path will most definitely backfire, but that's why you called in the cavalry. Splitting up comes with the hunter territory. I say split. But, I'm half the cavalry. We defer to you.
( Dean looks to Sam. What do they think? )
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Elena checks her phone with a nod.]
And let's hope we don't lose service.
[That being said, she's going to take a step towards Dean, indicating her preferred spelunking partner - and Sullivan, obviously, is going to pick his wife, so all that leaves is Ezra and Sam.]
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I'll cover...
( "Evelyn," she says. "And Michael." )
Yeah. You go with Dean and Sam, Elena.
( he means it. he missed her 'look' when he turned so he just knows he's in the doghouse and may always be. he gestures a hand for Evelyn and Michael to start down the right corridor.
Dean takes the lead with Elena in the middle and Sam flanking in case someone or something comes at them, gun and flashlight at the ready again.
"You see anything?"
Cause Dean got a (2).
"It's all tunnel up here," he calls back. And as he makes his way down. "So, what'd Darren Stephens want back there?" he adds, nosy. And concerned.
Their path is less narrow and only opens wider gradually the farther they go. Ezra hears something up ahead (17).
"I think I hear water," he says, recognizing the sound of a (small) waterfall down a ways. "I'm Ezra, by the way," he adds, introducing himself to the rest party. )
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It's easier to focus on the job this way, but she knows that easier isn't always better.]
He wanted to explain what he and David were actually after. And he apologized.
[So that was nice. It feels better than it had before.
Sam in the meantime is seeing lots of things (18). All the things. Much better than his two counterparts here. It's probably for the best someone isn't dealing with their feelings.
"Helps if you actually use your flashlight," he jabs playfully at his brother as he lifts his flashlight and moves to take the lead so Elena and Dean can talk.]
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He does hang back and fall in step with his girlfriend, though. Are they labeling it? He's not going to overthink that right now. )
For pulling the wool over your eyes for years?
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It was good to actually hear him say it.
[Elena knows people enough to read between the lines and understands that Ezra wasn't out to hurt her, but some things need to be said, rather than implied.]
It's still not perfect, but it's better.
[Another beat.]
Do you think I've been giving him too hard a time about it? I've been in this situation before where people do things that hurt me and then claim it was for my own good or that they were really protecting me all along, but it doesn't feel like it. I just ... I'm not sure if I can trust my own judgement anymore.
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What does your judgment say now? Throw what happened before away. You missed it, but he wanted you to. What're instincts now. Best interests, or not, we're doing his dirty work.
( But, for the greater good. Always for the damn greater good. )
Looks a little like a kicked puppy around you, you want to milk that for a little longer, I won't judge. But, coming from a guy that can hold a grudge. Is it worth it. He's here. Risking it.
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I'm not still angry, I just ... it's hard for everything that was before to feel real. I can't just jump back to the same level of friendship because I'm still working on trusting him the same way.
[A pause.]
But I can stop being all ... stoic about it.
[Stoic coldness has never been her strong suit anyway. It doesn't really come naturally, but sometimes it's a reflex to at least try and shield some of the softer parts of herself.]
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( You know, exactly what you said. Sam, make a spot check. )
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[He pauses, before gesturing to his wife, also keeping his eyes on things (18). He's not particularly interested in whatever drama's been going in between he and the Winchesters, but he has a feeling he'll find out.]
And Evelyn. You one of the ones who put them on this?
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( he sighs. )
It's called the Gauntlet.
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[But that's about the extent of what he knows about the Gauntlet (10). He doesn't have very many witch friends, clearly.]
Wasn't that back in the Salem Witch Trials?
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[His tone is dry, but he's not disagreeing - more that he's been seeing the horrors of the past rise up to cause people pain long enough that he's not often surprised anymore.]
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