[Isaac may have arrived at the airport way too early for either of the flights they’re supposed to be picking up for. He and Bonnie are parked in the cell phone lot, and he’s trying to swallow down all the nerves that are part of what’s coming. He knows he hasn’t been the easiest guy to live with since these resurrections started happening, when they started having names attached to the returned. He’s withdrawn, some, not intentionally, just not really knowing how to articulate.
He's mentioned Erica before, in one of those moments where he winds up saying too much of his sordid history at once and then apologizing for it. He still doesn’t know how much is too much to say. He knows Bonnie well enough at this point to know that they both have their baggage, but it’s hard to dig up things he feels he’s moved on from.
And now Erica is here, and it’s her, and she’s texting him, asking questions about his life and he doesn’t always know what to tell her. How to not feel guilty that he’s done all of the things that she used to talk about and she never got to.
His fingers drum briefly against the steering wheel, before swallowing hard.]
( It's better to be early than on time. One of her grandmother's adages, there's another part to it she can't quite remember right now, but she will actually get the chance to ask her when she gets here. Because she is. She's here in her world, on this plane. She isn't with the witches. She isn't on the other side. She isn't in Jo's or her minds. Sheila Bennett is on a plane on her way here.
Hopefully, Isaac will forgive her for being just as preoccupied. There's a piece of her, with Elena's situation, as fraught and unpredictable as it was, that was jealous. Elena got her parents back. She never thought in a million years, she would get her grandmother back. And Matt. And Jenna. Tyler's mom, Carol.
It's a Christmas to say the least.
Because she's been in her own head and in touch with her friends, (she didn't dare try and get in touch with her grandmother, Stiles gave her travel updates, it's too good to be true until it isn't) she hasn't been a girlfriend that would see how withdrawn Isaac is.
She does know Isaac is carrying his own resurrection(s). She knows Laura was before his time, but she listened when he told her what Erica meant to him. What they went through. She does notice Isaac's phone going off more and him only periodically getting back to that person.
By the time they're both sitting in this lot, they're carrying everything - Expectations. Fears. Anticipation - in them.
Bonnie shifts in her seat, looking up from her phone and Stiles' last message.
On the plane.
Has he been weird? Has he been any less Isaac than he usually is? She isn't going to question it, or deny he's been - weird or any different - but, she knows what must be nagging at him. So, instead of assuring him, she lends an ear. )
[Maybe they both have been in their own worlds, and if that's the case he'll feel less bad about it. This is just the first real relationship he's had in a while, and he doesn't always feel like he knows what he's doing.
But at her question, he nods. And he pauses before trying to elaborate.]
We were each other's first real friend. And now I'm a totally different person, and she's just as she was.
[He hopes it will work, but part of him is scared it won't.]
If it's real friendship, then maybe it won't matter. You've been through a lot. She hasn't. But you're still fundamentally who you are. Is she the one that's been blowing up your phone?
( Not jealousy. But support. And a realization that Isaac has also been in his own head, too. It hasn't been a romantic time to say the least. But it's been nice to have each other to hold at the end of the day. That is something. It's more than something. )
Yeah. She doesn't really have a lot of people to talk to. Derek isn't exactly a huge conversationalist, and Scott is there but I don't know how busy he is. And Stiles has been busy in Beacon Hills and on planes.
[And Allison and Lydia weren't exactly her friends.]
I'm glad she is talking to me, though. I really missed her.
She had a crush on him. And I think he did care, even if he didn't necessarily return her feelings.
[Stiles isn't a terrible person, as much as Isaac gave him shit and continues to give him shit. He thinks that Erica will at least want to test the waters of friendship, even if her crush will be officially unrequited, given the age difference now.
But he nods at what Bonnie says. It's true. They have each other. That isn't going to change.]
( She nods at that. Complicated high school crap, check. Among the supernatural craziness. Check check. )
Worried? No. Grams has this way of being herself anywhere. Unapologetically. She will come back and not miss a beat.
( She sighs, crossing her ankles and dropping her head back. )
I don't know what to do about Enzo. It's been - it feels like forever. There was a time I thought I'd always have him in my heart. ( She's been closed off for so long. Her connection with Isaac felt natural. It progressed naturally. She trusted him. Enzo... ) I don't know what to do with Enzo, but I know he has more to say to Stefan, then to me. Stefan... killed him. During one of his periods he had his humanity off.
( One of the many reasons. And over time, her connection to Damon waned as well from the other side of the world. That letter really buried its hurt deep. )
I've decided it's not my problem. Stefan knows he's back. And, this time not as a ghost, so, it feels like an improvement. Plus, my grams implied he doesn't really seem... vengeful. I stayed vague, but, I had to know his state of mind. He made a lot of strides when he was with me. And when he wasn't, actually. I was incredibly proud of him. Still am.
No, but he was. And he's still the one that turned me.
[He also was the first person who truly understood all the angry parts of Isaac and gave him an outlet for them, even if it wasn't ultimately what Isaac needed.
Isaac needed someone to believe in him, not someone who thought the only way to protect him was to push him away. But the alpha pack was a bad year for everyone and by the time both Erica and Boyd were dead, he can see why, as an adult, Derek wanted his one remaining beta far away.]
He's still important to me, I guess. Even if he's not important in the same way.
There's nothing wrong with that. I'll ( pay him his dues accordingly, respect him, respect Isaac ) be on my best behavior. Try not to elicit an emotion for fear of one of his eyebrows. How does that sound?
That's not ... if he's being an asshole you can call him an asshole.
[He doesn't want her to feel like she has to dim herself for Derek's comfort, just for him.]
Just - he's not as chatty as my other friends you've met.
[She's met Stiles and Lydia and Allison, and they all are motormouths compared to Derek.]
I do want you to meet Scott one day though. And Melissa. Melissa doesn't leave Beacon Hills much, but maybe ... after the holidays, would you want to go to New Orleans for a little while? I think that's where Erica's going to be for a while, and Scott's been staying there with Davina.
[The McCalls are his family though, so since he's meeting hers, it's only fair she get to meet his.]
( But, yes, she has met his other friends that definitely talk more than Derek. )
Scott's mom, right? ( But kind of like Isaac's second mom, too. She knows he spent time in the McCall house before Paris. She remembers hearing about it. ) I'd love to meet anyone and everyone. And, I think, maybe New Orleans could be a great new adventure. And I still haven't seen Beacon Hills.
[He relaxes some. He's still not the best at advocating for his own wants, but he's relieved that she seems to be interested in the idea.]
We could head out there at some point too. But cool. I'll text Scott and let him know.
[Scott will be pleased, he thinks. He and Isaac didn't really get to spend much time together the last time they saw each other, because he was heading off to New Orleans. It'll be good to take their time.
And just in time, his phone pings with a text from Erica, saying that they're heading towards the pick up section.]
[Isaac puts the car in drive, and they head off to the terminal, pulling to a stop in front of the doors. Almost as though on cue, Erica pops out of the doors, making a beeline towards the car with Erica in it, assuming that Derek is close behind her.
She pulls open the side door and greets them both with a bright smile.]
Hey.
[She slides into the middle row, all the way over to leave room for Derek, and pulls Isaac into a hug from behind. Isaac pauses, eyes closing as he catches her scent again, and suddenly all of this feels far more real than when she was just a person on the other end of the phone. "Hey," he says softly, his hand coming up to rest over her arm.
Then he nods to the woman next to him. "This is Bonnie."
He told her about Bonnie, but seeing her in person is another thing entirely. Erica flashes her a smile all the same, before giving a wave.]
( Bonnie turns, giving Erica and then Derek a smile and letting Isaac and Erica have their moment. She looks at Derek, who watches Erica and Isaac, and takes in the familiar scents as well, what it used to be like. It's been hard, having Erica back, but only because Derek feels like he failed her - and Boyd. And - also, Isaac. But, Hayley has been good at reading between those lines. So, Derek sits back, gruffly half-smiles at Bonnie.
"Derek.")
Hey, Derek, Erica. Welcome to Virginia. It's nice to meet both of you. Any music preferences for the ride?
( Music choices say a lot about a person. She wants Erica to feel comfortable. Derek just finds Isaac's eyes in the rearview. The 'is she serious' look. )
[Isaac gives him a silent look back that says 'serious enough.' He's not going to tell Derek he doesn't have to answer, but he has a feeling he will be judged all the same.
Erica, on the other hand, pulls back to settle in her seat as she considers her options.]
I have been gone so long I don't really know what's cool anymore. Hope and Josie were trying to catch me up a little, but ... it's a lot. Got any recs?
Probably too many, but what if I try and bridge the gap. What did you like? Maybe we can find something similar. Or, honestly, it's easy to find any song on any phone these days. Try me.
( Do your worst!
But, also, Derek is not answering this. But if he did. He'd probably like to listen to Smashing Pumpkins or Nirvana. But this is more Erica's ride, than his. )
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arrival | isaac, bonnie, erica, derek, enzo & shelia
[Isaac may have arrived at the airport way too early for either of the flights they’re supposed to be picking up for. He and Bonnie are parked in the cell phone lot, and he’s trying to swallow down all the nerves that are part of what’s coming. He knows he hasn’t been the easiest guy to live with since these resurrections started happening, when they started having names attached to the returned. He’s withdrawn, some, not intentionally, just not really knowing how to articulate.
He's mentioned Erica before, in one of those moments where he winds up saying too much of his sordid history at once and then apologizing for it. He still doesn’t know how much is too much to say. He knows Bonnie well enough at this point to know that they both have their baggage, but it’s hard to dig up things he feels he’s moved on from.
And now Erica is here, and it’s her, and she’s texting him, asking questions about his life and he doesn’t always know what to tell her. How to not feel guilty that he’s done all of the things that she used to talk about and she never got to.
His fingers drum briefly against the steering wheel, before swallowing hard.]
I know I’ve been weird lately. I’m sorry.
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Hopefully, Isaac will forgive her for being just as preoccupied. There's a piece of her, with Elena's situation, as fraught and unpredictable as it was, that was jealous. Elena got her parents back. She never thought in a million years, she would get her grandmother back. And Matt. And Jenna. Tyler's mom, Carol.
It's a Christmas to say the least.
Because she's been in her own head and in touch with her friends, (she didn't dare try and get in touch with her grandmother, Stiles gave her travel updates, it's too good to be true until it isn't) she hasn't been a girlfriend that would see how withdrawn Isaac is.
She does know Isaac is carrying his own resurrection(s). She knows Laura was before his time, but she listened when he told her what Erica meant to him. What they went through. She does notice Isaac's phone going off more and him only periodically getting back to that person.
By the time they're both sitting in this lot, they're carrying everything - Expectations. Fears. Anticipation - in them.
Bonnie shifts in her seat, looking up from her phone and Stiles' last message.
On the plane.
Has he been weird? Has he been any less Isaac than he usually is? She isn't going to question it, or deny he's been - weird or any different - but, she knows what must be nagging at him. So, instead of assuring him, she lends an ear. )
Is it Erica?
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But at her question, he nods. And he pauses before trying to elaborate.]
We were each other's first real friend. And now I'm a totally different person, and she's just as she was.
[He hopes it will work, but part of him is scared it won't.]
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( Not jealousy. But support. And a realization that Isaac has also been in his own head, too. It hasn't been a romantic time to say the least. But it's been nice to have each other to hold at the end of the day. That is something. It's more than something. )
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[And Allison and Lydia weren't exactly her friends.]
I'm glad she is talking to me, though. I really missed her.
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( Maybe she misunderstood the story of two rival packs, one made in Derek's image, and one that formed itself under Scott's learning. )
Well, maybe focus on that. Don't worry about the connection, it's going to be whatever it is. What's important is you have each other.
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[Stiles isn't a terrible person, as much as Isaac gave him shit and continues to give him shit. He thinks that Erica will at least want to test the waters of friendship, even if her crush will be officially unrequited, given the age difference now.
But he nods at what Bonnie says. It's true. They have each other. That isn't going to change.]
Are you worried about Enzo and your Grams?
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Worried? No. Grams has this way of being herself anywhere. Unapologetically. She will come back and not miss a beat.
( She sighs, crossing her ankles and dropping her head back. )
I don't know what to do about Enzo. It's been - it feels like forever. There was a time I thought I'd always have him in my heart. ( She's been closed off for so long. Her connection with Isaac felt natural. It progressed naturally. She trusted him. Enzo... ) I don't know what to do with Enzo, but I know he has more to say to Stefan, then to me. Stefan... killed him. During one of his periods he had his humanity off.
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[He knows that Stefan is Bonnie's friend, but he also knows that it's complicated between them. This is probably one of the reasons why.]
Should we be worried that we're taking him to Damon's place then?
[Where Stefan and his vampire Slayer girlfriend are currently staying also.]
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I've decided it's not my problem. Stefan knows he's back. And, this time not as a ghost, so, it feels like an improvement. Plus, my grams implied he doesn't really seem... vengeful. I stayed vague, but, I had to know his state of mind. He made a lot of strides when he was with me. And when he wasn't, actually. I was incredibly proud of him. Still am.
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[That's good. Hopefully Enzo will remember all of that, and not just be waiting until they're together in person to figure things out.
He lets the silence sit between them before looking back at her.]
Should I be worried about your Grams?
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( She smiles to herself, before that smile dies. )
I don't know. She never lived long enough -- She'll have opinions but if I'm happy, and you not being a vampire will win you major points.
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[He jokes. And then he remembers that Derek is also going to be in the car so:]
Derek is also a quiet guy. Does a lot of communicating with his eyebrows. So if he doesn't say much, don't take it personally.
[He's very well-versed with his eyebrows. He can convey whole sentences with a dramatic arch. He's just not as good with his words.]
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I won't take anything Derek does personally. But, you two, I thought you weren't close anymore. He's not your -- Alpha.
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[He also was the first person who truly understood all the angry parts of Isaac and gave him an outlet for them, even if it wasn't ultimately what Isaac needed.
Isaac needed someone to believe in him, not someone who thought the only way to protect him was to push him away. But the alpha pack was a bad year for everyone and by the time both Erica and Boyd were dead, he can see why, as an adult, Derek wanted his one remaining beta far away.]
He's still important to me, I guess. Even if he's not important in the same way.
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[He doesn't want her to feel like she has to dim herself for Derek's comfort, just for him.]
Just - he's not as chatty as my other friends you've met.
[She's met Stiles and Lydia and Allison, and they all are motormouths compared to Derek.]
I do want you to meet Scott one day though. And Melissa. Melissa doesn't leave Beacon Hills much, but maybe ... after the holidays, would you want to go to New Orleans for a little while? I think that's where Erica's going to be for a while, and Scott's been staying there with Davina.
[The McCalls are his family though, so since he's meeting hers, it's only fair she get to meet his.]
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( In her way. )
I'm not always chatty, myself.
( But, yes, she has met his other friends that definitely talk more than Derek. )
Scott's mom, right? ( But kind of like Isaac's second mom, too. She knows he spent time in the McCall house before Paris. She remembers hearing about it. ) I'd love to meet anyone and everyone. And, I think, maybe New Orleans could be a great new adventure. And I still haven't seen Beacon Hills.
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We could head out there at some point too. But cool. I'll text Scott and let him know.
[Scott will be pleased, he thinks. He and Isaac didn't really get to spend much time together the last time they saw each other, because he was heading off to New Orleans. It'll be good to take their time.
And just in time, his phone pings with a text from Erica, saying that they're heading towards the pick up section.]
And that's our cue.
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Scott will be pleased! He loves Isaac and he'd live with him in a heartbeat. He just wnats him happy.
Bonnie settles back, giving him an encouraging look, ready to be there for him when they all come face to face. )
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She pulls open the side door and greets them both with a bright smile.]
Hey.
[She slides into the middle row, all the way over to leave room for Derek, and pulls Isaac into a hug from behind. Isaac pauses, eyes closing as he catches her scent again, and suddenly all of this feels far more real than when she was just a person on the other end of the phone. "Hey," he says softly, his hand coming up to rest over her arm.
Then he nods to the woman next to him. "This is Bonnie."
He told her about Bonnie, but seeing her in person is another thing entirely. Erica flashes her a smile all the same, before giving a wave.]
Hey. I'm Erica.
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"Derek." )
Hey, Derek, Erica. Welcome to Virginia. It's nice to meet both of you. Any music preferences for the ride?
( Music choices say a lot about a person. She wants Erica to feel comfortable. Derek just finds Isaac's eyes in the rearview. The 'is she serious' look. )
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Erica, on the other hand, pulls back to settle in her seat as she considers her options.]
I have been gone so long I don't really know what's cool anymore. Hope and Josie were trying to catch me up a little, but ... it's a lot. Got any recs?
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( Do your worst!
But, also, Derek is not answering this. But if he did. He'd probably like to listen to Smashing Pumpkins or Nirvana. But this is more Erica's ride, than his. )
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[She'll really take anything with a beat at the end of the day. Trying to move on from the sad girl music of her pre-werewolf days.
But as they're discussing the music, Bonnie receives a text from Shelia that she and Enzo are ready to be retrieved.]
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