but oh what a year

[patrols]

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arrival | stiles, cora, liz, jenna, serena (+ eventual gilberts and pack members/alexander probably)

[impetere]

♫

[They make it through security without any trouble thanks to the vampires and the siren among them, and it’s even smoother once they land. Stiles and Cora rent a car large enough to load their group into and as they navigate their way out of the airport and onto the highway towards Mystic Falls.

Cora sends a glance back over her shoulder, looking up from her text thread with Isaac with regards to where everyone is sleeping.]

According to Isaac, Jenna is going to Damon’s house—Elena is waiting to meet her there—Liz is going to Caroline’s house that she gave me the address for—

[“Caroline also said I could use one of her guest rooms,” Serena speaks up from the back. “But I also need to coordinate with Alexander and Jackson at the wolf house.”

Cora nods.]

Okay, so maybe we drop Jenna off first, then Liz and Serena can drop off her stuff there, and then head to the house?

[phonetically]

According to Isaac or Caroline?

( Because, Caroline is a type-A woman, but he also knows she turned back around to go to - wherever she was. Ryan's. )

But, that sounds good to me. Just direct me where I need to go. So, Damon's. Back to the scene of my crime?

( Jenna and Liz both turn to him when he says it so nonchalantly. )

I was on a stake out behind Damon's house and hunters attacked. Kind of the beginning of the vampire end if you get what I mean.

"You died with vampire blood in your system?" Jenna asks. But Liz listens and adds something else.

"But not right then," she reads. )

No, but at some point between then and the car accident, yeah. I was in and out. Mostly out.

[impetere]

[Cora leans forward to plug in the address for Damon's to the GPS and then leans back in her seat.]

Caroline was trying to save his life, but there's not much even a vampire can do against automatic weapons. Honestly, they're probably lucky Stiles was the only one who died.

[Serena winces. "Those hunters were messed up, man, we had to relocate so many people in the wake of their messes."]

[phonetically]

Elena came close, apparently. I was out for that, too.

( A lot happened while he was out.

"I saw hunters in my time, but none as organized as these sound," Liz says, frowning as everyone gets into the car. )

[impetere]

The woman who was running the operation spent a lot of time building herself an army. Between existing hunters, radicalized locals and ex-military, her whole operation was designed to exterminate us as quickly as possible.

[Cora settles into the passengers seat and glances back with a nod. Laura and Serena move to settle themselves in the back since Liz and Jenna are getting out first.]

Fortunately, she is very dead and a lot of her organization is scattered.

[phonetically]

( "I wouldn't ball my eyes out over her," Jenna says.

"But, she and her army are all stopped now," Liz asks. )

There was this big last stand in New Orleans, but there are also people working on some of the survivors and the internationals. Most of em are either being shown the light or dead.

[impetere]

[Laura raises an eyebrow. "Define being shown the light?"

Cora pauses as she tries to phrase it.]

Less actively genoicidal?

[That's pretty much the best you can get with hunters.]

[unpreparedness]

I guess of everything you'd want genocidal hunters to be, less active is up there.

( She exchanges a look with Liz, who keeps her sight lines outside the car, watching the road and the houses pass.

"There are hunters we trust, that hunt for the right reasons, who've taken up the cause," Stiles says, pulling back onto the highway. )

[impetere]

You'll probably meet some of them at Christmas.

[A beat, before she glances back at Jenna.]

Actually you're guaranteed to. One of them is dating your niece. And they were in Mystic Falls before. The Winchesters?

[unpreparedness]

My - Elena? Elena's dating a hunter?

( She looks over at Liz, because, who else can she look at, and then Serena, because new face, but back at Stiles who catches that look in the rearview.

"Good hunter. On the right side. His name's Dean." Stiles knows they've all come a long way from the open threats but he knows what Dean's good with and for. So, he's not holding that grudge. It's been months, by now. )

[impetere]

[Cora missed the threatening, but Dean did give her a ride down to New Orleans with Lydia when her brother was kidnapped and Allison and Malia were "dead" so she doesn't mind him that much.]

He's a good guy.

[Not always nice, but he can be kind.

Laura is not sure she's buying it, but whatever, she hasn't met the guy. At least his name isn't Argent. Though speaking of Argents. "And this is Allison's house?"

Cora sighs.]

Yes, Allison owns it, but it's for the pack.

[Laura nods again, slowly, not really sure she qualifies as pack just yet. "Right." She just needs to see Derek in person and then she can figure out the rest.]

[unpreparedness]

( "Allison and Scott dated. Real Romeo and Juliet stuff. And, yeah, then her mother died and that was blamed on werewolves and she got a little stab-happy and really used her gymnastics and archery skills. But, once she realized it was all a frame-job, everyone started working together. Beacon Hills was safer with everyone working together. Same goes for this world," Stiles says, into the rearview. )

Allison has lived several lives.

( "Haven't we all?" Liz asks. She was a student, then in law enforcement. A wife. A mother. A sheriff. )

[hereditare]

[Laura doesn't contradict them. She doesn't know Allison, and she's trying not to judge. If Cora and Derek trust her, then she'll deal with it. But it feels weird to be here, meeting the pack, without the alpha of the pack there also. It feels like stepping on someone else's turf.

Then she also needs to remind herself that she's not an alpha anymore, and she doesn't have one. She was invited. She's technically not doing anything wrong.]

At least she seems to be nothing like her grandfather. Or her aunt.

[phonetically]

Or her mother.

( For the record. )

The Argents were matriarchal. So, all that hate. That... ( He doesn't even know how to describe it. He just remembers hearing vividly about how Victoria threatened Scott using a pencil sharpener. That wasn't a sweet woman. ) Not that Gerard didn't... his influence lasted, but because of Monroe and we took her off the board. Pretty sure Kate's dead, too.

[hereditare]

Good. I would have hated for Peter to have killed me and not gotten all of them in his little murder spree.

[The bitterness is obvious but one does not get over being dead in a couple days. That's the kind of thing that's going to take time.

Unfortunately, on the matter of Kate, Cora winces, before glancing over at Stiles and then back to her sister.

"He actually accidentally turned her first.

Laura's eyes close, and she takes a breath.]

Of course he did.

[phonetically]

But then she did die.

( Later on. He wasn't going to comment on Peter's murder spree. Because it wasn't much of one, really. Lydia didn't count? )

[hereditare]

As long as we're sure she's dead.

[She was referring to all of the people involved in killing her family that Peter did successfully kill. She hasn't met Lydia yet.

"Last we heard, she and Gerard took each other out," Cora nods. "Little over a decade ago."

Laura nods, her eyes turning back to the window again.]

Good enough.

[phonetically]

Peter's also not invited.

( Just to make that crystal clear. She is so her brother's sister. )

[hereditare]

I would not be sitting here if he was.

[It does not preclude him crashing, but so long as she's not intentionally putting herself in a room with him, it's fine.]

[phonetically]

Would never have guessed you're a Hale sister.

( But, that's said to the steering wheel.

Jenna smirks, Liz questions, and then Jenna shakes her head, mouthing 'I'll tell you later.' )

[braveandstupid]

[They fall silent for the rest of the trip into Mystic Falls, and soon they pull up to the front of Damon's house. Elena and Jeremy are standing out front, having headed over when they got the text that they had landed, and have been chatting with her brother.

Mostly about party arrangements. Maybe a little about her kids. She hasn't spent much time with them yet, but it's been enough to at least get a sense of them.

She straightens when the car is pulling into the driveway, nudging her brother to get his attention. There's anxiousness in her stance, but she does throw Stiles a wave in the driver's seat and tries not to get too over-eager. Of all of them, she's the one who hasn't actually talked to Jenna yet, so she can't help but be a little nervous.]

[unpreparedness]

( Jeremy is swallowing a lot, it feels like, and he has been since Thanksgiving. What's one more. Surprise kids. But, he can play uncle. He also presses Elena on Dean's - not as gossip, but regarding how she feels - now that it's more public business.

But both pipe down when they see the car rounding the bend. Well, Elena does. Her nudge has Jeremy turning.

Stiles puts the car into park and turns back to Jenna.

"You need help with your bags?"

Jenna shakes her head, thanks Liz and tells her she'll see her in a few hours. Climbing out of the car, she gets a good look at a familiar house. It wasn't always Damon's, but she remembers it all the same. Slamming the door behind her, her eyes fall on her niece and nephew.

She has nothing to her name, so she leaves the idling car behind and makes her way up the rest of the roundabout to the porch. )

Hey you two.

[braveandstupid]

Hey.

[And because Elena has a lot of feelings, she's just going to meet Jenna halfway and pull her into a hug. She knows she probably should ask first, and she'll step back if Jenna pushes her away, but she's missed her, and there's not a small amount of guilt there for her role in how Jenna got here.

But for now, she'll just focus on the fact that Jenna is here and worry about the rest later.]

I missed you.

[yourtype]

[After dropping off Jenna, they head off to the Forbes house next, and leave Liz to reacquaint herself with her home. Once Serena is back in the car, they turn and head off to the pack house, pulling up into the driveway in front of the large house, cars piled in front, and Laura follows Stiles and Cora's leave as they go and let themselves inside.

At the sound of familiar voices, Erica comes down the stairs, and flashes Stiles a grin.]

Hey, Batman.

[It's falling back on an old pattern, and she hopes he'll fall with her, but she follows up with:]

Since you're a vampire now, are you actually a bat man?

[phonetically]

( It's weird, but no weirder than anything else - no weirder than being a vampire, so he relaxes. He remembers the dynamic. The playful banter. The danger he felt, but the electricity. It wasn't a lack of chemistry. )

Hey, Erica. ( He smirks to himself, wheeling his bag to the side. ) No, unfortunately, not one kind of vampire turns into a bat. But, if I reach my next Pokemon evolution, you'll be the first to know. ( Unbeknownst to him, this was discussed. ) Cora, Laura, this is Erica Reyes. Cora and Laura are Derek's sisters. And Cora's my girlfriend. Laura's actually like you.