everyonelives | for the rest of us death will be a relief

( He looks at Jenna, who stares intently as him, recognizing Caroline's voice. Like she's ready for the worst to have happened, or ready to pull him back together. Jenna can also hear something else in him, he bets. No heartbeat. )

Hey, I'm okay. I'm at the sheriff's station in Beacon Hills. I saw you on the group, so I don't need to preface whats been going on with, with your friend Matt. And, others. The thing is, Malia and Jordan Parrish did stumble on people in the preserve. It's - it doesn't matter what it is. But, Caroline, your mom's here. Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes. And a woman named Jenna Sommers.

( Also his girlfriend's sister, but - these are Caroline's priorities. )

What.

[That, probably, is loud enough for Ryan to hear, but not the rest of the house.

To say Caroline isn't expecting it is an understatement. She thought that they would just get Matt, and of course Bonnie would get her Grams, it's what she deserves, so does Tyler, but she never thought that her mother would actually be a viable name on the list of people returning.

It's actually a gift, specifically for her, and she's not entirely sure how to process it. Which is why it's a good thing that Stiles also said Jenna because that gives her problem-solver brain something to focus on.]

Wait, Jenna? Is ... is she a vampire?

[Because that could be a lot of problems at once.]

Yeah, she's a vampire. And, okay, and in a not very well-lit room, but probably stuck here at least until sundown.

( Ryan opens the front door and lets himself out, stopping behind his girlfriend. He did hear her. But not the other end of the conversation. Until now. )

You did hear me about your mother, though, right? She's also here.

No, I did, just ... Jenna is the solvable problem and she is a problem.

[It feels harsh to say, but she doesn't know how things went for Jenna on the Other Side or in Peace but she definitely has not had to deal with vampire hunger in a nice normal mortal way.]

Jenna never learned, Stiles. She never had anyone help her because she turned and died so quickly for Klaus' stupid ritual so here's what I need you to do. Make sure you have enough blood on hand until I get there. I'm in Newport so it'll probably take me a few hours to get there. I'll stop and see a witch friend in L.A. to get her a daylight ring.

Don't make her nervous but keep an eye on her, okay?

[Processing her mother is going to be a whole other thing, but Jenna she can focus on.]

She's a good person, but she just ... doesn't have any guard rails right now.

( Jenna can't turn it off. Caroline's right. She doesn't have the discipline. Doesn't have a Stefan. Caroline has always been the organized friend. the Type-A. Apparently, still is as a vampire. Hearing the word, though, Caroline's not wrong - blood. She wants it. She was alive and confused, but now she's just aware. Of Liz. Of Laura. Cora. The sheriff. His deputy. All pulsating. )

I'm not at a blood bank, Caroline -- ( So, he needs to get blood. Is he going to step up and be the Caroline to Jenna? He doesn't even know Jenna. Well, he didn't know Caroline either. ) That'll take hours.

( Why is he fighting. )

Yeah, I'm pretty sure she can hear all of this, but I'll do nerves damage control.

( Jenna looks away. )

Got it. She's a wildcard. Do you have anything to say to your mom, no, actually ( he says, stalking over and handing Liz the phone. Confused, she takes it.

"Caroline?" she asks.

Jenna turns as Stiles faces her with a sigh. )

I know you heard all that. I was where you were last year. Like, May. And Caroline got me through it. So. You're in my hands. First, I'm going to dig into my dad's stash, because alcohol's going to help with the cravings. And there are no windows in his office. I got you.

( Jenna and Stiles end up in there, but Stiles stops by his dad, )

Hey, so, this is going to be the first, very gross thing I'll ask you but, I need you right now, dad. I brought blood with me. It's in the garage fridge. I need you to bring a few bags here.

( His dad makes a face,

"Stile -" )

Hey. Your son's a vampire. This is the vampire reality. And Jenna needs help. So. Suck it up. Leave Parrish in charge and please grab my blood. ( A beat. ) And another bottle of bourbon you hide you don't think I know about. They curb the cravings.

( "Okay," he reluctantly says. )

[Caroline will also be bringing blood, so he just needs to have enough until she gets there. But all of that planning is derailed by her mother's voice on the other end of the line.

For a moment she's quiet because she doesn't know what to say, doesn't know how to process this. But it sounds real, so all she can do is just lean into it.]

Hi, Mom. Are ... are you okay?

( She almost thinks the call dropped. But, then she hears her daughter's voice. And, even though they're not right there -- not together -- all is right. Her daughter is alive.

Ryan's hands comes to Caroline's shoulders as he leans forward, breathing her in. There, supporting her. )

I'm fine. I'm safe. I'm - alive. And here for you. Whenever. Good thinking, addressing Jenna first. I can also keep an eye on her. I don't ... know what to tell her about anyone else. I don't know much beyond this werewolf with a poor bedside manner knowing your name.

[She does lean back into Ryan, taking that extra support and she can't promise she's not going to have a mini meltdown when this phone call is over but she's very glad he's here.

Though at the mention of the werewolf, she blinks.]

Cora?

[That does sound like Cora but she can't think of any reason Cora would have to be rude, so she'll just shake it off.]

Doesn't matter. Stiles is a friend and he's also a vampire. He should be able to help her until I get there, and I already gave him a list of things to help. I'm in Newport and I have to make a stop on the way so it's probably going to be a few hours, but Stiles can handle this until I get there, and you can call if you need me.

The best thing to do for right now is to keep her as calm as you can. Spikes in big feelings can lead to hunger spikes too.

[She doesn't want to stop talking to her mom right now, but she also doesn't want to be talking around Jenna without talking to Jenna so -]

Can you put Jenna on?

Malia?

( She hasn't met a Cora.

But, what she can do is listen and glean information. She nods along. Newport. The map on the wall shows her she's in the same state as her daughter. That's luck. )

Yeah, Stiles took her into the sheriff's office. One second.

( She knocks on the closed door and Stiles answers. )

It's Caroline

( "For Jenna," she says, behind Stiles, glass of bourbon in her hand. "I heard." She takes it from her. "Can I have the room, please?" she asks nicely. She closes the door behind Stiles and her mom, leaning against the door. "Okay, Caroline. I remember you being sixteen, but please school me on being a vampire. I was never a quick study, but maybe this'll be my exception." )

Haven't met Malia yet.

[Guess she's going to. But she has heard things, which also line up with terrible bedside manor.

She waits until she picks up everyone leaving and she tries to put a smile into her voice because it is good to hear it. Elena and Jeremy will be so happy to see her.]

Hi, Jenna. I'm sorry that you probably had to hear all of that, but I wanted to make sure people would be prepared to help you. How are you feeling?

Not probably.

( But, she is an adult. Perhaps, not the grown adult in this situation, but old habits, old dynamics. )

I'm - dealing. I remember everything, including my conversation with Katherine thinking it was Elena. ( She feels herself getting riled up, but pauses, closing her eyes. ) And Klaus' ritual. And then I woke up on a stump. And, instead of an ineffectual poor excuse for a guardian, now I'm a baby vampire - your words, stuck inside for a few hours who needs to keep a handle on her emotions. Also, your mom is entirely too chill with all of this.

Mom has had a lot of time to get use to things. Things changed a lot, after. But Elena and Jeremy are okay. Elena's a doctor now, and she's living in Kansas with her partner and Jeremy has a gallery in Portland, and he's got a really great girlfriend who I'm pretty sure he's going to propose to at some point. They're both going to be really happy to see you.

[She also knows she should probably tell her about the rest but she's working up to it. She wants to try and calm any nerves and any worries that come from the last thing she remembers.]

There's also a lot of people coming back and while it wasn't part of this exactly, your sister and her husband got brought back too.

[She's not sure that Miranda will handle it as well as the younger Gilberts, but just putting it out there.]

And you will be okay. I know it's a lot right now, but really, everything is going to be fine. Stiles knows exactly what you're going through right now, and he's going to do his best to help. He's a good person to trust.

Edited 2025-10-20 01:31 (UTC)

( Elena and Jeremy calm her and help crack a smile. Portland isn't far from California. And a girlfriend. He got himself together. Well, kept himself together. Jeremy did do better very suddenly, and then maintained. She tries to climb through the last few days but then - )

My - Miranda and Grayson?

( That has to be them. That's her sister and her sister's only husband. )

As much as I feel like I'm being handled, I can recognize what you're trying to do. And I get it. So, I'm going to cooperate. Because Elena and Jeremy and my sister are somewhere right now. And, I hope, after talking to you, someone will get me in touch with them. I think that's fair, don't you?

You are totally right.

[And she can work with that. She pulls her phone away from her ear and dips back into the messages she's been ignoring to get a status on her friends. Then she comes back to the call.]

Elena is asleep, but I will text Jeremy. Have Stiles text me a good number to call you on if he needs his phone and I will do what I can to get Miranda in touch with you. Okay?

Fine. I will find a number to give Stiles. ...Stiles is my vampire sponsor? ( He didn't introduce himself. She turns to open the door again. ) Thanks, Caroline. I'm sorry for giving you a hard time. But I do wish everyone would have more faith in me. I'm not the grad student who couldn't keep a goldfish alive. I'm new. But, I'm not young.

I do have faith in you, even though I know that's probably not how it sounds. But what you're going through is hard. I want to make sure you have support. And I promise, once we have time I will do the full vampire training package.

[She pauses, and turns a bit more vulnerable.]

I did a lot of damage when I thought I had everything handled and it turns out I really didn't. I don't want you to have to live with that too.

What I have is a Stiles. And your mom. And the sheriff and a deputy. I'm not looking to do damage inside a police station, but if I think it's going to become a Tarantino film in here, I'll have Stiles call.

( She hangs up, sucking in a breath she doesn't need to take. It was harsh. But, she's frustrated. She pushes back hunger she feels in her eyes. She's fine. She opens the door again, finding Stiles and tossing his phone at her.

"Caroline says she's going to pass my sister's number along, so, please provide her with a number Miranda can use. Also, so everyone can just keep an eye on me," she says, sitting in one of the chairs. She holds the arms. She's right here. )

[Caroline sighs as she pulls down the phone before turning to face Ryan and all of the conversation crashes down on her because yes, she probably fucked that up, but also her mom is alive, and Jenna is alive, and her to-do list for the evening has just expanded.

So she just begins to speak, words flowing out of her mouth faster and faster:]

Okay, so I have to call Jeremy so he can prepare his mom and then I have to call Serena to see if she's in California, and then I have to go apologize to your family, because I am about to bail. I'm about to bail so hard, and I'm so sorry, but I need to go to Beacon Hills.

( Ryan stays close, cold forehead to cold forehead, hands rubbing her sides as the words tumble out. )

Hey, hey, it's okay. ( In a minute, he'll tell her they're about to bail - together ) Take however long you need. Make your mental list. If you need me to go in and tell them that we need to leave early, that's what I'll do. I'll even pack while you make whatever arrangements and calls you need. I can also call Serena if you don't want everything on your shoulders. Just know they're not only your shoulders. ( He holds her closer. ) And, if you need another minute for just yourself or just us, I'm not going anywhere, okay?

[It's still new, sometimes, having someone who has her back. She's certainly not mad at it and some of the tension relaxes from her shoulders. She leans on him, solid and steady, as she tries to figure out what to do next.]

I don't want to bail completely, so maybe once we get my mom settled I could come back? I don't know. We just ... I have to get to Beacon Hills first. And if you could call Serena and find out where she is, that would be very helpful, thank you.

[She shifts forward, winding her arms around his neck and leaning in close.]

And thank you for just ... being you.

Thank you, for helping me be me again.

( She's the influence in him he's needed. )

I'll call Serena, you call Jeremy, and then we'll go inside, united front. We can go with work or a family emergency, whatever you want. And no talking about coming back until we know the answers you need. Seth and Summer will understand. So will Sandy. Ignore Kirsten.

You say that like it's easy to ignore Kirsten.

[Because it is not, and she loves Ryan very much so naturally does not know what to make of Caroline and Ryan's rapidly shifting relationship.]

Also speaking of mothers, my mother was a sheriff in her previous life, but also she had known all my previous boyfriends since they were small children so I honestly don't know what will happen there.

[She takes a deep breath.]

Sorry, I really need to call Jeremy before he passes out, just, thank you. I love you. Please don't let my mom scare you off.

[She will realize in three seconds what she actually said but it's not important (it's very important, she just has other things to panic about right now).]

Sandy's in your corner. Kirsten will be soon enough.

And, I'm not afraid of meeting your mother, Caroline. And, when we do get back down here, we can go to Chino and visit mine. She's in a home, but I want you to meet her.

But, right now, call Jeremy. And then we will map out the best route from here to Beacon Hills and get back in touch with her and make a plan.

( Ryan lets Caroline stay in project mode, pulling out his own phone and stepping down onto the winding driveway. He walks a few feet away so he can focus on Serena, dialing her number.

Jeremy, exhausted, gets off the phone with his girlfriend and then sees someone else is calling him.

"Caroline?" )

Hey, Jeremy.

[He sounds so tired, she feels bad. But it needs to be done.]

Are you okay? No grievous bodily harm in storming the castle?

[Let's start there and work their way up to wrangling his mother.]

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