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

( Dean and Elena are entangled - and clothed - just laying there together, but he waits, too. He holds her close, as if they're hiding before hearing Stefan's voice. He gives her a look. Stefan's not going to leave. He lifts an arm that was draped over her and is ready to shift away. She can open the door, or he can. He'll take her lead. )

We're in a little bit of a hurry, and it really is important, Elena. We'll be quick. I think. Quickish.

[Elena huffs, before pulling away from Dean - reluctantly - and heading towards the door. She pulls it open and greets Buffy with a cordial smile, because this is not her fault.]

Hi, Buffy.

[Then her face goes flat again as she turns to Stefan.]

If this is about Kai, Bonnie already called me.

["It's not."]

If this is about Damon, again -

[Stefan holds up a hand, because he knows where this is going. "It is, but it's not. I called him, he knows about Matt. But did he call you?"

Elena sighs heavily, before nodding.]

He left a voicemail, I haven't listened to it or called him back yet.

[Stefan nods. "Call him, Elena." She looks like she doesn't want to do this and he just pushes through. "I know how you left things, and I understand why you don't want to, but what he has to tell you, you really need to know. So call him back."

Elena's brow furrows, but she can tell that Stefan is being serious and not just trying to pass something off on her, so she nods.]

Be careful with Kai.

[He nods and gives her arm a squeeze. "I will."

And with that he and Buffy will head out to join the Kai thread after Jo is done on the phone, while Elena closes the door behind her and slumps back against the door.]

Do you ever wish that life will just leave you alone for five minutes?

Edited (html) 2025-10-26 23:41 (UTC)

( Dean frowns, listening to the exchange. )

I wish people would stop moving your around the board like a freakin chess piece. I thought you ended things on bad terms.

( Not that he doesn't understand, that, sometimes, it's necessary to reconnect. )

Feels like he sent his brother to do his dirty work.

( He does slide out of the bed and unplug Elena's phone from the charger to hand it to her. )

You want to listen to his message or rip off the bandaid? Or, say fuck it altogether cause you don't owe him anything?

[She sighs, scrubbing her hand over her face as she takes the phone.]

Message first, then we'll see if I need to call him.

[Stefan seems to think she does - and he's right. Damon's message is just specific enough to intrigue but also just vague enough that she can't gather his meaning. She moves to sit on the edge of the bed, weighing her options before placing the call - but she hits the speaker button, just in case.

Whatever Damon has to say, she has no reason to think that Dean can't hear it. And when Damon does answer, she says as much:]

Hey, Damon. You're on speaker.

( Damon anticipates this call all night. His son helps with the dishes and Colm and Stephanie watch something on TV or listen to something, he doesn't know, he's a little out of it and into the bottle he's brought.

Later, he does take them to his real apartment. He's Damon, so he has several bedrooms and a balcony. On the way, he does grab them toiletries they'll need and makes shopping plans for the next day, but it does all hinge on Elena, and what she says. He assures them she'll believe him, but it's going to be complicated, and no, they're not on great terms now. Not because of uncle Matt or, yes, she has a boyfriend, but because of him. He's been working on it.

Once they're settled, he sits on his balcony over the French quarter and listens to the traffic and tourists below.

And then he gets a call. )

... With?

( "Dean," he says, before making a face. Why does it matter who she's with. )

Well, like everyone else, I read Matt Donovan's back and I didn't think he'd want to be on speakerphone with me, which isn't why I'm calling. Look, there's no good way to say this, but, we have a son named Gray and a daughter named Stephanie and they're here in this city. In my apartment. They found me at a bar and Stephanie went off on me for ...personal reasons. They are why Lindsay said things were more... sideways. Because, they're ours but it's -- what are they calling it. Multiverse shit.

[Elena.exe has stopped working. In fact, Elena may be fully blue screening right now, because nothing Damon has just said actually makes sense. Kids? Their kids?

She turns to face Dean, trying to gauge from his face if he also heard what she just heard, and eventually she knows she needs to break the silence so just says:]

What.

( "Your saying, in another reality, not this one, obviously, you and Elena had kids. And those kids are here. And one of them gave you a hard time for reasons unknown and you're calling because..."

They're Elena's kids. )

So. Apparently, when Stefan killed Enzo in their world, Bonnie stabbed him with the cure. Then, at the eleventh hour before doing something dumb and heroic, Stefan stabbed me with the cure. Bonnie woke you up. We sorted out all of our issues and I guess we had kids. And they're in my guest rooms.

[Elena's brain is starting to come back online, trying to make this all make sense, and while that sequence of events does seem plausible, she's still not sure ... ]

You're sure? I know, there's no reason they would have to lie about this and everything's weird right now, but you're sure they're ...

[She doesn't even know if she can call them her kids, or even "our" kids. It feels like such a farce.]

I'm sure they have a picture of you and me at Stephanie's graduation. I'm sure Stephanie railed at me because I was cheating on her mom. They have a million names of people in common who, shockingly, along with my baby brother, are all apparently dead there. And Stephanie is me and now I know what having a teenager is like. Also, Gray has my eyes.

( And for the record, he forwards the graduation picture. )

[She's still struggling it but it's not because she doesn't believe Damon. But because it feels so far out of the realm of possibility that the doctor in her won't allow it. She switches from the call to the picture and stares down at it for a moment, looking at the way Stephanie has her coloring and Gray ...]

He looks like John.

[As in John Gilbert, her biological father. In the shape of his face, even if his coloring is closer to Damon's. She exhales slowly because what exactly are they supposed to do with all of this.]

So what ... I don't even know what to do with this, Damon.

[And she doesn't say that angrily, or with frustration, just ... a statement of fact. Part of her does want to meet them. To ask them so many questions, but they're not hers, not really. They probably want to go back where they belong. How are they supposed to do that?]

Well, if I knew, and I could do it, then I wouldn't be calling. And I know, it's reversing everything I'm doing, but, the only thing I could think of doing, was to call you. Lindsay also floated the idea of a DNA test. In case they are imposter children.

( "Does he know the trick?" Dean asks. )

I didn't go to med school.

( "No, Damon. Silver. Holy water. So they're not shape shifters or ghouls or possessed. So, they are them and you didn't just bring two people into your house." )

They're not -- those.

Edited 2025-11-02 23:52 (UTC)

Did you guys have dinner with Lindsay?

[She waters down her drinks with holy water and Beck's heirloom silverware place settings are actual silver. That would have covered both of those bases. She has a feeling Dean may not just take Damon's word for it.]

But a DNA test is a good idea. Would they come with you to Mystic Falls? I still have connections there and we can get things expedited. Dean and I were headed there anyway.

We did. Beck's Ireland-famous steak and potatoes.

( So, that will answer that. )

They'll do anything that gets them closer to going to their home. Are... you okay with me bringing them there?

I assumed you would.

[She doesn't put any bite into that statement, because she assumes that Damon wants the answers to these questions too.]

And I kind of need you for the DNA test.

[Unless he's going to send a cotton swab with them which seems rather impersonal. It's easier if they're all together in person.]

If you can keep things civil, so can I.

I - yes. I'll, you have nothing to worry about.

( This is not about them, for once.

Dean, still, watches his very tired girlfriend, to see her reaction. What can he do. Does this work? )

Okay. Text me when you get to town. We'll figure out where to meet up.

[And after they say their goodbyes, Elena hangs up her phone and ... yes, she is very tired. She also seems a little shellshocked because what is she even supposed to do with this. It's not often that the surprise child is sprung on the mother.

She rubs her eyes, before looking over at Dean like:]

I swear I'm not trying to steal your thunder.

Hey, what can I even say? I spent the last month or two with my surprise kid.

( But, this matters more, then the shock. )

This crashing your system?

Little bit. I mean, I was just starting to get through the whole kidnapping thing, and ...

[She sighs, running her hand through her hair.]

I guess if I had kids out there in other worlds, I didn't expect them to be actually mine. I wasn't looking to make another doppelganger. Have another girl go through what I went through. I know it's magic and that's not how it works, but I was going to try to do my part.

[She passes him the phone so he can see the graduation picture.]

But looking at them it's kind of hard to argue. Maybe the other Elena felt ... safer.

( He studies the photo, though it doesn't look doctored. And why doctor half a vampire/doppelganger. To get them in the same place? )

Maybe she was happy with the other Damon. Maybe Damon being human made a difference. With that other Elena.

[Does that make the situation they're in now her fault then? Because she didn't give him the cure herself? It sounds like that Damon's situation was different, but ...

She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. She can't let herself go down that spiral. She's happy with her decisions and her life now. This doesn't change that.]

What are they going to think of me? I mean, I'm the one who left Damon. In their eyes, that makes it my fault.

They're going to think of you like we all think about our parents, eventually. They're people. Your Damon and you tried, he was a vampire, you were human. Their Elena's Damon became human. It changed things. If they know their parents, they'll see that. And, either way, you can't help what they think, anyway. I just wouldn't worry.

( But, he's gotten through a lot of his parental issues. )

I'm rusty on advice and opinions so if any of that came off wrong.

[She shakes her head because no. He's not wrong. She looks down at the picture again, and then shrugs.]

I guess even though they're not mine, I still don't want them to hate me.

[Though odds are that one of them might. She shakes her head.]

Regardless, it's going to be a crazy Christmas.

They won't hate you. This world or theirs, you're their mother. At a certain time in your lives, things veered off. I assume, that's your coma. But before that, you're you. There may be little differences here and there, but fundamentally. You're Elena Gilbert. And they are Elena Gilbert's kids.

( Dean does look forward at that, because )

Yeah, I kind of went crazy on the invites before all hell broke loose. I think Rowena's even coming.

We will figure it out. Honestly, it might be nice to have a big holiday. It's been a really long time since it's been anyone but me and Jeremy.

[That being said, she glances over at him curiously.]

Did you invite Ben?

Well, we got a lot to celebrate this year.

( Hopefully. )

I abandoned Ben, left him with mom and came here. ( Not on her, just saying it out loud because it's true. ) You think he'd hoof it up here? Maybe if I invite Lisa and Cliff Huxtable.

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