because the lives of the wicked should be made brief

[somanyadjectives]

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[cholesterol]

( He gestures for Ben to follow him, phone in his other hand. He walks them a few feet away from the table. He rubs at his jaw and lets out a shaky breath. He lets Ben step out in front of him and then does his best. Cause this hurts. )

I can't say nothing was gonna drag me away from you ( except for Wild Horses, probably a lost reference on his son ) because, as always, ( he can't have nice things. ) nothing I say sticks. I swear if it was anything else, I have people that can handle these things. But -- Elena's mixed up in this witch crusade and those witches took her. From her work. That was Sam. So, I gotta go. But, Ben. I'm coming back.

( He hastens to add. )

It's not good. And, if this were some run of the mill freaking case, I don't know what I would do, but we've spent months on this. ( And maybe they brought this on themselves. And Ben thinks so, too. ) Mom'll take good care of you. But, ( He points to Ben. ) you make sure she buys the buy. Promise me. She's the best shot around and spry for a former corpse, but she cooks for shit.

[acdc_rules]

[Ben doesn't comment one way or another on whether or not Dean is coming back. He's not the little kid anymore who needs to hear it, and honestly whether or not he comes back - or at least keeps in touch - is going to be the test in and of itself.

He does like Elena though and he does want her to be safe. And Dean is really good at coming for people who need him, so he's not going to ask him to stop now.]

I think we'll manage. Rudy can tag in, worse comes to worse.

[He shifts uncomfortably.]

Be safe, okay?

fucking. buys the "pie," was the line before

[cholesterol]

( Of course Rudy can cook.

He can't leave it like this, though. It's him and when push shoves to shit, he pulls people in close and holds them like life depends on it. So, Ben may not love it, but, one hand brings him nearer as Dean throws his arm still holding his phone around him. He just needs the minute. )

[acdc_rules]

[It's uncomfortable, at first, but Ben doesn't fight him. Eventually, he'll reach up and clap him gently on the back. He holds it for as long as he can stand before pulling back.

It'll get easier, but it's only been a few weeks and it still feels a little weird. But he's trying.]

Don't drive too crazy.

[cholesterol]

( Maybe he remembers his dad's life or death. He doesn't do in between. )

Yeah, I'll try. Look after mom. She likes you.

( And, because there's nothing else he can say, he retreats, heading further away from the tables, back to the parking lot. He slams his Baby's door behind him before dialing Sam's number again and starting the ignition. )

[imnot_likeyou]

[Sam is back at the bunker at this point, where Buffy and Stefan have arrived and been filled in, and they were in the process of breaking the news to the rest of the Gilberts.

They're not taking it well.

But when Dean calls, he steps away to answer.]

Yeah?

[cholesterol]

I'm on my way back.

( It'll be hours. )

Mom's staying with Ben, Bobby might have to get her a flight. ( Or, Lisa will make up the guest room. She's nice like that. He sighs. ) So, Bela.

[imnot_likeyou]

Do you want me to make the call?

[She may gloat significantly less if it's Sam. Or she at least won't waste time trying to antagonize him to death.]

[cholesterol]

No. ( He speeds out of the parking lot. ) It's Elena, Sam. Let me. I'm gonna have to one of these days right? Six degrees of my girlfriend? ( Elena - Bonnie - Bela. ) It'll take me all night to get back, but rally everyone for a morning briefing.

( And maybe Bela. )

I'll call you back. Try to -- ( Fuck. ) Her parents know? And Jeremy? ( A beat. ) Weren't Stefan and Buffy getting there tonight? Another full house?

[imnot_likeyou]

Yeah, they had just arrived when we got back, and they're in to help. We just have to know where to go.

[So the sooner they get that info from Bela, the better.]

Drive safe. And don't let her get the better of you.

[Because even when she's being helpful, Bela is an asshole.]

[cholesterol]

( He ends the call, gives himself a stubborn minute as he weighs the zero options they have with all the witches all the board. It takes him another minute, because he saved her in his phone under an unkind name "Traitorous Bitch," and he reminds himself what that unkind name is.

A long, suffering, guttural sigh and he's connecting the call betweent hem. )

[enjoythe_ride]

[Bela, Elijah and Rusty are having dinner at the Abattoir when her phone rings. Normally she doesn't answer business calls over dinner, but things are winding down, the men retreating for drinks so she gathers her wine glass as she places her phone to the ear.

The unknown number isn't out of the ordinary in terms of referrals, so she doesn't think anything of it as she answers.]

Hello?

[cholesterol]

The Colony took Elena. We need to know where and how long we have.

( He treats it like business, choosing not to swipe, snipe, or insult. It won't help Elena and she's the priority. Getting her back. He and Bela can do that another time. But, this can't wait. )

[enjoythe_ride]

[Any witty retort is swallowed in the face of what he actually says, because she doesn't know enough but she knows any spell that deals with the doppelganger is bad. She shifts Dean to speaker, and calls out after her dinner guest.]

Rusty! They took the doppelganger.

[And while they're waiting for Rusty to join the call:]

I'm going to guess they're aiming for the solstice, so I'll say you have roughly ... eighteen hours east coast time. Where are you?

[cholesterol]

Tearing out of Battle Creek, Michigan.

( Leaving behind a part of his heart and he doesn't even know if he's allowed to think like that. But, he fucking cares. He'll get back to Ben. He'll get Elena and get back to Ben. ) Sam and everyone else are -- ( Fuck, can he trust her. ) They're together in Kansas.

[enjoythe_ride]

Don't go back to Sam.

[She keeps barreling forward before he can interrupt her and accuse her of trying to lessen his numbers:]

You'd just be wasting time - you need to go to Baltimore. I'll send you and Sam both the address.

[Rusty joins them in the room, and before Bela can issue any order in his direction. "Are you sure it's the Inner Circle that took her? A lot of people could have use for a doppelganger."]

[cholesterol]

Sam's sure. Is this Rusty?

( When he gets off the phone, he'll tell Sam to get things in gear. )

[enjoythe_ride]

["The one and only." He looks back at Bela. "Are you sure - "

Bela cuts him off decisively.]

Trust me. You want to ruin someone's day? You throw a Winchester at it and see what happens.

[Rusty sighs before acquiescing. Fine. These guys have been trusted with the bodies and it seems to have worked out so far, so he'll follow Bela's lead.]

How many charms do you have made?

["Currently? Four."]

It will do. Dean, do you still have an angel on call? I can provide something that will help you move faster.

[cholesterol]

Cas!

( Never mind she knows they have an angel at all. She runs in her circles. It's fine. Elena's the priority. )

Sam, too?

[enjoythe_ride]

[Cas appears in the passenger's seat next to him, brow furrowing in confusion as to why he's been summoned when he already couldn't find Elena.

Bela just continues, unaware of the angel's presence.]

I'll send one for you and then Sam can distribute the rest however he pleases. I'll have the routewitch who made them so we should be able to get there expeditiously.

[Before anything too dangerous goes down. She's truly praying that they don't arrive there to find half the Inner Circle already transplanted.

Rusty is simply lingering in the background, trying to figure out why they want the doppelganger now, why this ascension? What are they planning?]

[cholesterol]

( Dean holds a hand up, listen, because he guesses Cas already can't find Elena, too. )

Bela.

( Dean finally explains. ) Root-witches? Better not spring a tree up in the middle of the car. ( And then to Cas. ) We're in a game of Uno and she's sending us skip cards. Need you to take the rest to Sam when they get here.

[enjoythe_ride]

[... He was doing so well.

Rusty's brow furrows and her eyes roll to the ceiling, before she corrects him.]

Route, Dean. Like the route you drive.

[Castiel disappears, before arriving next to Bela in the Abattoir, hand out. "I am not a delivery service." He just wants to make that clear.

Bela looks over at the angel in a trenchcoat, before nodding as Rusty places the four charms on leather cords in his hands. "We appreciate your help, Rusty adds, just to make it clear.

Castiel disappears, then reappears in the Impala again. "I'm here."]

Place the charm on the rearview mirror. It will allow you to reduce the drive time by a third.

[So instead of a ten hour drive, it's looking more like six and a half.]

[cholesterol]

Supe-booster.

( The route-witch sends him to a route that shifts his perspective, like something out of one of his late night creepy pasta binges. But, he knows where it's taking him, so he puts the pedal to the medal. ) Get the others to Sam, tell them I'll meet them there.

( He'll thank him later. And remind him no he's not a delivery service. )

Rusty meeting us there, or is he just gonna point us in their direction.

[enjoythe_ride]

["I've been wanting these people dead for four hundred years. I'm not going to let you have all the fun.

Bela smirks before throwing her own hat into the ring.]

We'll be there in about six hours.

[cholesterol]

We missed the murder party in Mystic Falls, glad we get to throw our own. Anything I need to know before I get there?

( From Bela or from Rusty. )