("With Cora and her sister," he says. Well, meeting her sister there, but yes, for moral support, he is. He may dip down to DC. Or, the Underground. He needs his ties. Needs next steps. But, this is the next next step. Step one.
"If she can't, I can," he volunteers with the raise of a hand. )
Witches have skills. Like muscles?
("But, you taught me she should probably be the one who tries. First.")
["More like talents. Some of them are inherited in family lines, but some have variations."
Caroline nods, considering.]
I have to talk to my mom, but I really don't want to break my plans with Ryan's family if I don't absolutely have to. So if we have someone who can compel or persuade for each person who doesn't have ID, we should be okay. I can work with Jenna on compulsion before you guys go.
[Serena and her mom, Jenna covering herself and Laura and Stiles, maybe? Caroline just doesn't like breaking her promises and she feels like she's being pulled in five different directions.]
But if you really need me, I can go. I can also probably go at least to security with you guys.
[It takes a little time, but eventually they manage to wrap things up, and Cora takes them to a loft she says is Derek's for them to spend the night. It feels like Derek's, though the furniture is sparse and the scents say no one has been living in it in a while.
She's given a room and then left to her own devices while Cora gets everyone else settled. She's been quiet all day, beyond when dealing with her sister, not sure how to handle any of this. It's clear, at this point, that she's been dead for a long time. That she left her brother alone while his world became more complicated. That she went back on any promise she ever made to him about keeping him safe because she couldn't keep herself safe.
It feels weird that the one person best able to anchor her isn't here, which makes it harder and harder to believe that this is real so she pulls out the phone she was given, scrolling through the four numbers on it.
Derek, Cora, Malia and Peter.
She fights the urge to immediately block that last one, even if she doesn't want to see him at all right now. She taps Derek's name instead and hits send, waiting as the phone rings.]
( Derek is outside. Erica is inside, getting outfitted, learning to pick locks on safes? Derek is outside. He's giving her space. That's still settling in, there are feelings, and like Isaac, there is silence. But, there is also his sister. He knows the unknown number that calls him, he knows who it's going to be.
So, he answers.
But, he doesn't know what to say. What's good enough. Peter has gone from enemy number one to reluctant ally to -- whatever he is now. It feels like the betrayal it is, but their lives have never been that cut and dry. Not as wolves. Not from Beacon Hills. Family, at the end of the day, is family.
Laura will understand that. Eventually.
He breathes into the receiver. Nothing is good enough. )
[She knows that Peter is complicated. Cora tried to explain it, but she reached a point where Laura wasn't ready to hear it. She also really doesn't want to talk about it just yet, so when she catches the breathing on the other end of the line, she goes with the only thing she can say.]
I woke up naked on the nematon with a vampire and a human I didn't know, and then suddenly Peter's daughter was there, and a hellhound, and Cora was alive but she's also an adult instead of the little kid she was and all of it is just ...
[She swallows hard.]
It's too weird to not be real, but at the same time hard to believe. I missed a lot.
It's real. It's all real. You woke up naked probably because you were laid to rest, naked. The human and the vampire are from a town -- ( She doesn't even know who Scott is. ) I'm familiar.
[She hasn't really given it much thought beyond that. She wants to be where her family is, so she at least has something somewhat familiar to ground herself to before she figures out how she wants to move forward.]
Is Peter there too?
[Because she knows Peter is a factor but she also doesn't want to see Peter at all, not yet, not until she's sure she can see him without ripping his face off. Until she can clamp down her emotions and not give away anything he might be able to use.
She knows he's "better" now, according to Cora, but she still doesn't trust him - doesn't know if she'll be able to trust him anytime soon.]
I am. With Hayley. Scott travels, but he's been spending the majority of his time in New Orleans. The pack is pretty scattered beyond that. There was talk of everyone ( not Derek, rightfully he wasn't invited ) living closer to one another but that was put on hold. There is a house in Mystic Falls under Allison Argent's name. But it's considered all of ours. It's a small town. It might remind you of Beacon Hills, if you thought about staying after everything.
( He was going to say it was her choice. Of course it's her choice. Suddenly, she's the Hale matriarch, technically, but she makes it easy on him. )
I'd prefer that, too. ( And now there are (three) girls alive that can affect an emotion in Derek. He lets it out quietly, but, the sentiment lingers. It's dead serious. It's love. ) Missed you.
[She'd say she missed him too, but she doesn't remember being dead, so she really hasn't. Instead she takes a breath and nods.]
I'll see you soon. It'll be good to see you in person.
[She couldn't wait to get past the plane ride in order to talk to him, but she really does wish he was here in person so she could see him for herself.]
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"If she can't, I can," he volunteers with the raise of a hand. )
Witches have skills. Like muscles?
( "But, you taught me she should probably be the one who tries. First." )
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Caroline nods, considering.]
I have to talk to my mom, but I really don't want to break my plans with Ryan's family if I don't absolutely have to. So if we have someone who can compel or persuade for each person who doesn't have ID, we should be okay. I can work with Jenna on compulsion before you guys go.
[Serena and her mom, Jenna covering herself and Laura and Stiles, maybe? Caroline just doesn't like breaking her promises and she feels like she's being pulled in five different directions.]
But if you really need me, I can go. I can also probably go at least to security with you guys.
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( He still enjoys a good ramble, anyway. )
We can handle it. And there will be people in Mystic Falls who can take care of all the red tape after. Don't worry.
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[She reaches out and gives his shoulder a squeeze.]
But thank you.
[She then turns her attention back to Jenna:]
Ready for Compulsion 101?
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( And at that, they can go into another room, or maybe the rising sun and work on emotion and eye contact and everything else that goes with it. )
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She's given a room and then left to her own devices while Cora gets everyone else settled. She's been quiet all day, beyond when dealing with her sister, not sure how to handle any of this. It's clear, at this point, that she's been dead for a long time. That she left her brother alone while his world became more complicated. That she went back on any promise she ever made to him about keeping him safe because she couldn't keep herself safe.
It feels weird that the one person best able to anchor her isn't here, which makes it harder and harder to believe that this is real so she pulls out the phone she was given, scrolling through the four numbers on it.
Derek, Cora, Malia and Peter.
She fights the urge to immediately block that last one, even if she doesn't want to see him at all right now. She taps Derek's name instead and hits send, waiting as the phone rings.]
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So, he answers.
But, he doesn't know what to say. What's good enough. Peter has gone from enemy number one to reluctant ally to -- whatever he is now. It feels like the betrayal it is, but their lives have never been that cut and dry. Not as wolves. Not from Beacon Hills. Family, at the end of the day, is family.
Laura will understand that. Eventually.
He breathes into the receiver. Nothing is good enough. )
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Hey.
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( And Stiles? And maybe the others who ended up in Beacon Hills? Hey goes unsaid. But, he wants it to be said. It will and can be said. )
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[She drums her fingers against her leg briefly.]
She booked a jet to take us to Virginia, Mystic Falls. Something about a guy named Barry needing to check us out. Are you heading there too?
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( It's theirs. It's hers. )
Yes, with Erica. She's -- she's like you. She's also back. How are you adjusting?
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I woke up naked on the nematon with a vampire and a human I didn't know, and then suddenly Peter's daughter was there, and a hellhound, and Cora was alive but she's also an adult instead of the little kid she was and all of it is just ...
[She swallows hard.]
It's too weird to not be real, but at the same time hard to believe. I missed a lot.
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[She sighs as she leans back against the headboard.]
Told me about the pack, too. And Scott. It sounds like you have a lot of good people.
[It's a good thing, really. She just wishes she could have been a part of it.]
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( It takes him back. )
Have you thought about where you want to land, or is it still too early?
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[She hasn't really given it much thought beyond that. She wants to be where her family is, so she at least has something somewhat familiar to ground herself to before she figures out how she wants to move forward.]
Is Peter there too?
[Because she knows Peter is a factor but she also doesn't want to see Peter at all, not yet, not until she's sure she can see him without ripping his face off. Until she can clamp down her emotions and not give away anything he might be able to use.
She knows he's "better" now, according to Cora, but she still doesn't trust him - doesn't know if she'll be able to trust him anytime soon.]
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[She's been alive again less than a day, she doesn't have to make a decision right now. Right now, she just wants to be with her family.]
I'll probably just stick with you guys. Turns out I have lots of time now.
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I'd prefer that, too. ( And now there are (three) girls alive that can affect an emotion in Derek. He lets it out quietly, but, the sentiment lingers. It's dead serious. It's love. ) Missed you.
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I'll see you soon. It'll be good to see you in person.
[She couldn't wait to get past the plane ride in order to talk to him, but she really does wish he was here in person so she could see him for herself.]