everyonelives | but oh what a year

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[Stefan is settled in a cell, sans daylight ring, to wait it out until he decides he wants to be a vampire that has a civil conversation. Lindsay has been in Mystic Falls long enough to know that if he were to mysteriously disappear, people would notice, and Lindsay isn’t looking to be noticed just yet.

That cat may already be out of the bag, given she just abducted a well-known vampire, but she’s still trying to fly under everyone’s radar. Stumbling across him, covered in blood, on one of the backroads is a gift, in her mind. It gives her a plausible human reason to arrest him, and if anyone questions how she got him in the cruiser, well. That would give her room to question why they thought it would be an issue. And true, maybe it would lead to the grand reveal of a Slayer among them in due time, but she doesn’t really think it matters at this point.

Mystic Falls was a detour, really. A pit stop of problems that seemed to need a Slayer. She met a guy named Matt who seemed to want to warn her away – that in the end it would cause her more problems than it would solutions. But then Matt turns up dead in the trunk of his car, and Lindsay finds herself unable to resist the urge to investigate.

There isn’t much left of the Mystic Falls police force. The so-called “Founder’s Council” is especially gone. No one is protecting the people from this weird brand of vampires, and while she can acknowledge that they’re not the soulless demons that Lindsay is accustomed to, something isn’t right here. And she’s bound and determined to figure out what.

As she moves up the stairs, back towards her desk, she stops short when she sees that Damon Salvatore is sitting in her desk chair. There’s a high chance that he’s gone rifling through her desk. That he may have tried to break into her locked drawer and see all the files she and Beck have been putting together on the different vampires in town. Or maybe he isn’t on to her yet, and is just looking for his brother.

Either way, Lindsay keeps her eyes on him as she tries to play it cool.]

Not sure if you’ve spent a lot of time in police stations, but visitors are usually supposed to sit on the other side of the desk.

( Nobody goes "missing" from the Armory. They escape. Or, they negotiate. Stefan has nothing to negotiate with or for and doesn't want to negotiate. He stonewalls them for days while he dries out. He needles into his brother and his best friend. Even Bonnie thinks that the only good that comes from this is getting Stefan back. But, Stefan makes sure to twist that knife gruesomely, reminding her of all she's lost, and always at the hands of her friends or people they're working with. Is it her?

Damon makes daily visit, but there's one particular day when Alaric answers a call at home with the girls. It's a quick Abbott and Costello back and forth, 'Where's Stefan', 'He's there,' 'I'm here and there's no Stefan,' and 'Where' 'Ric!' 'Damon.' He tells him to find Dorian who's on the schedule for the day and Damon makes it clear nobody. is. there. Including Dorian. Well, Caroline's here, but she also doesn't know where Stefan is.

Caroline emerges from Dorian's office - they can replace the lock - they have bigger problems. She sees what he was reading and researching. And his search history yielded results that make it clear...

Stefan is in danger. And dried out. Probably drugged.

Things take a turn for the less comical as they pay Dorian's apartment a visit, but neither can enter. They don't hear anything, either. Caroline's friendliness gets the super to let them in for a wellness check, though she's at the ready with compulsion. She uses this as a learning experience, 'Compulsion isn't always the answer, Damon, see?'

Unbeknownst to them, in a distant wood, a dried out Stefan can still overpower an emotionally angry man, leave him for dead (unconscious) and hobble out to the road where the local 5-0 finds him. Instead of a helping hand, he gets another fight and one he's on the losing end of.

As they think the worst, Bonnie comes through with a locator spell before making it clear this is the last time she's helping with Stefan.

Which brings Damon to his one-time second favorite place in Mystic Falls. He makes himself at home, picks up a framed photo from her desk, rifles through the drawers, and finds Liz old stash in the back of one. So, he posts up. And waits. He's ready to compel the new sheriff he knows nothing about - and was out of town (humanity off, doing the Devil's work) during her appointment. He wasn't here or else he would've reached out to someone friendly and trusted or compelled Tyler into the position - not that he'd have accepted.

But, no, now he has a wildcard who has his brother.

She finds him reading his brother's file. He sips from his glass and doesn't look up, ready to make this a violent situation if it needs to be. )

The former sheriff was one of my best friends. Well, former former. R.I.P. Matt Donovan.

( He sets the glass down and looks up at her. Not very imposing. On the young side. All business. He drops his legs down from her desk. )

So, I'm very familiar with polite situations. Sheriff, with her vampire research. ( He points to her, then to him. ) Concerned citizen who didn't sign up to live in a police state. Plus, I wanted you to be able to thank me in person.

[Oh, so they're going to play it that way, then. She likes that better, putting all the cards on the table and seeing where they land. She even appreciates that he's not dancing around the vampire of it all. She also notices that he's not calling her out as a Slayer, so she keeps that card close to her chest for right now.

She's also glad that she hasn't texted Beck yet, to let him know about Stefan. She and her Watcher are still finding their rhythm, and she doesn't want him to walk in unprepared and get himself killed by an angry Salvatore.]

I think police state might be a little harsh.

[She's only investigating the undead ones. Most normal citizens of Mystic Falls are doing just fine. That being said, his last sentence isn't going unnoticed.]

What am I thanking you for, exactly?

( He leans forward, setting his file down. Holding his hand up, he presents two fingers. )

Two things. ( One finger falls. ) One, I killed the last sheriff on his leave of absence, long story, I was working for the Devil, but, instead of an interim nobody, we have you ( a permanent nobody. the finger shoots back up. ) - and, I personally weakened my brother enough for you to even hope to get your hands on him and behind bars. Because, we both know those wouldn't keep him in otherwise.

( Damon doesn't do intimidated, not by a small town sheriff obsessed with vampires. She doesn't ring as a Connor. Considering their tussle with Rayna, he should probably have his guard up harder. But how many unstoppable vampire killing machines can one universe really have. )

So. You're welcome. On two fronts. You didn't happen to find a young intern. Black. Probably regretting his life right now?

Edited 2026-01-03 01:12 (UTC)

Wow.

[She takes all of that in with a nod.]

First of all, bold to admit to the murder of the previous sheriff in front of the current one like she's not going to do something about it.

[Because she may just. They'll get back to that Devil comment later. She'll also let him think that Stefan's weakened state is the reason she has him. That she got "lucky." That'll play for now.]

But no. I didn't find an intern. What happens is your brother came out of the woods, covered in blood that did not seem to be his, and when I tried to question him about it, he attacked me in an attempt to steal my cruiser. So he's chilling out in a holding cell until he's ready to have a conversation like a civilized person.

[In a nice cell, with a big spot of sunlight between him and the door, because this isn't her first rodeo.]

Edited 2026-01-03 01:51 (UTC)

( His hands come up in a, 'what' gesture, as in, what would you even do? Where would you even start? Vampires don't go through the justice system pipeline. )

Goes by the name of Dorian.

( He interrupts as she recounts her time with his brother. )

Well. I don't condone stealing from law enforcement but that intern basically brought him out to the woods to murder him. So, I'd chalk that up to his fight or flight response. And, my brother currently in your holding cell isn't a civilized person. He's been compelled not to be. Humanity switch, if you want to add to your copious notes, Sheriff...

( What's her name? )

Miller. Lindsay, if we want to get personal and it seems like we are.

[Given his confessing to murder and all that.]

And yeah, I heard about that. It's weird, how your kind of vampire can just flip a switch on whether or not you have a soul. It's kind of creepy, actually. But if that's the case and your brother's flipped his switch, then he can stay down there until he turns it back on. To me, sounds like you're saying that he's a danger to himself or others so I'm not really seeing how that's an argument to let him go.

[You just seem to be proving her case for her, Damon.]

( Sheriff Miller, Lindsay.

Ignoring that he is taking Stefan with him when he goes, he holds his hand up, pressing the air a few times. Back up. )

Bup-bup, our kind of vampire?

Oh, you didn't think you were the only kind, did you? There's two others actually.

[Part of her is pleased he caught that. Maybe he isn't completely underestimating her after all.]

Yeah, there's a type of vampire that predates you guys buy a couple centuries at least. They're different though - no handy soul switch. No healing blood either. A lot more intentionality when a vampire is gonna turn them. In their case, they get drained by the vamp, the vamp gives 'em a little blood, and then they bury the body and a demon slips in there to take the soul's place. Upside though, I stake one of them? They turn to a pile of dust. Quick and easy clean up. I stake one of you, and I got a whole body to deal with. Messy. Not my favorite.

[She may be showing her hand a little here, but maybe it's time to dismiss the idea that she's just some local yokel who's done her research.]

The third one you shouldn't stake at all. You have to go for full decapitation and that's even messier. Also, they don't even have to kill people to turn them and have way too many teeth. Gross.

Edited 2026-01-03 15:35 (UTC)

( He slides to the edge of his seat, ready to be the student.

He sets his jaw. So, she has a track record. Dust, though. That's new. Just turns to dust. Handy clean-up. Or, not? Wind does it's job. )

Yeah. Gross. So, one sounds like Anne Rice's basement flooding wet dream and the other... never heard of them. ( He slides back. ) So, you're some kind of vampire expert. Let me guess. Some such hunter whose family line leaves her destined to hunt vampires for all of eternity. Except, you got the handy trifecta map in your mind. ( He pushes his folder towards her. ) Gotta say, better than Rayna Cruz' vampire scribbles. A lot more coherent. Do you have, like, a killer secretary? Oh, and Daddy issues?

[General family issues, more like. But that's not important. She listens to this extrapolation of what he thinks her life is and well. He's not one hundred percent wrong. But he's not completely right either.]

Not exactly. They call us Slayers.

[She makes sure he can hear that capital "S."]

You're old enough you've probably heard of us once or twice.

( Damon knows the band, Slayer. Does that count? )

Can't say that I have. But, you're speaking to someone whose reputation usually proceeds him. Case in point. You missed the redemption arc, though, it is more a now thing. I really rock a colored past, though, don't you think? ( But to not mistake while they're here. ) Let's get back to Stefan.

Right. Stefan.

[And now the narration is going to make up some stuff about the Mystic Falls Sheriff's Office for funsies.]

I knew what you brother was when I grabbed him, so he's not in any of the normal cells. Turns out, I did some digging when I first got hired and the Founder's Council built vampire-proof cells in the basement of this here office. I picked the one that has a nice big patch of sunlight between him and the door for the next ten to twelve hours, give or take. Figured that would give him enough time to cool off.

[A beat.]

Oh, and I confiscated his daylight ring. Real statement piece, though it looks like you've got one that matches, so I'm gonna guess family heirloom?

Edited 2026-01-04 00:49 (UTC)

( Damon's eyes narrow as he squeezes the arms of her chair, almost hard enough to break it. But, this is the new and improved Damon who forgave his brother and saw the damn light, Sybil be damned. So, he keeps his cool. )

You're not listening to anything I'm saying.

Oh, I hear you. I hear that you thought you could just come in here and semi-flirt, semi-threaten your way into getting your brother back, and I'm telling you that that's not the game I'm playing. This isn't going to be a I look the other way and all the humans suffer kind of relationship.

[Lindsay stares him down, not scared, not even flustered. It's just a simple statement of fact.]

I have a job to do. And I'm gonna do it. So if you want to wait here until your brother's ready to talk, you're more than welcome to, but I'm not releasing him into your care. The world's not going to end if I don't.

( Okay, so this is not Matt 2.0. )

Then I guess we've got nothing but time, cause I'm not leaving here without him.

( He holds his hand out, palm upward. )

And I'd like his ring back.

[No, she's really not.

But fine. She can exist in the spirit of compromise.]

It's in evidence. I'll go get it.

[And with that, she will push away from the desk and head towards the evidence locker - she waits a beat to see if he'll follow, giving her the opportunity to text Beck without him noticing, or if he'll wait at her desk.]

( He slides that chair back out, determined to stay close. He's not letting her out of his sight. She can still text, if she'd like, but he's sticking to her like glue. )

[Yeah, she figured he might do that. She moves behind the desk, scanning through the drawers until she finds the one she locked Stefan's daylight ring in. She pulls out her keys and unlocks it, before pulling out the plastic bag with the ring in it.

She turns and heads back to Damon, holding out the plastic bag to him across the desk.]

There you go.

( Once he sees she's not going far, he does circle back around, dropping down in time for his prize. )

Thank you.

( He unzips the bag, pouring Stefan's ring into his hand. )

That's it. ( He looks up at her. ) How long's he been out?

[She glances down at her watch.]

About an hour? I had just finished getting him settled when I came up to find you here.

[She doesn't know where that fits on the timeline of where Stefan was supposed to be and this business with an intern, but she hasn't had him long.]

Thank you, much, for not staking him.

( Was it the body that would've dropped that stopped her? )

Why didn't you, anyway?

[It was at least fifty percent the body, if she's honest. But it's not the only reason.]

Well, I was trying to fly under the radar. Staking one of the most prominent vampires in town wouldn't really do that. He attacked me, so in my capacity as sheriff, I could arrest him without it being a huge deal. I had human plausible deniability.

[Kind of. That being said.]

I was also looking for information, so I was looking to interrogate him. And, as I said. You guys are weird. You have souls, even if you can sort of turn them on and off. We try not to kill people with souls unless they don't give us any other choice. With Stefan, I still had choices. So I exercised them.

And slayers. They're not human. Plural, too, I assume.

( Well, good she exercised her choices, then. But, he respects her just a little more now. )

Weird isn't the half of it, but, you made the right choice. Or, we'd be having a very different conversation. Maybe even no conversation.

We're mostly human. Actually, I think we come up human according to most supernatural tests.

[She could just throw Damon across the room if he gave her a reason to. And yes, it's plural.]

I get it. Your brother's your brother. I mean, it's not my sibling relationship, but I get that it's a thing for some people. And despite my job, I'm not completely stab happy - or stake happy, in your case.

[She thinks she could take Damon, but she's not looking to pick a fight at the moment.]

lindsay & damon | mystic falls (s8)

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