[Yeah, an apology is an apology, but if you're only apologizing because you're dying and you won't have another chance it doesn't really feel earned. At least not in Elena's opinion.
Honestly, she would have rather had John come back than Isobel. But she doesn't get that lucky, and she knows that maybe the way John died means he couldn't come back.]
Yeah, she is.
[She doesn't have a lot of evidence to say that she isn't. But after another moment of reflection.]
At least, she is if you stand in the way of what she wants. Or she decides you'd be a fun distraction to compel for a while.
So, either she's off the rails or she's subdued, but still, she's one big bitch of a mystery. I'm not looking for Christmas to get bloody. Were you planning to go to Barry's big summit?
[Oh. Oh, right they probably shouldn't invite Isobel into Carol's house, if she does arrive. Elena pauses, thinking carefully for a moment as she tries to figure out what's the best option.]
I don't know - he just says he needs space, and the Lockwoods have space. But maybe we could do it outside? If it's not too cold?
She's a vampire, Elena. ( A beat. ) Oh, for Barry. Well, you could ask. Do you want to be kept away from her? ...Is Carol posting up at the door for invites? Is she on vervain?
( He raps his fingers against the steering wheel, giving a look around them to see if anyone's pulling it yet, cause this is serious. )
Isobel didn't grow up here, and for that matter neither did Carol. My mom would, though.
[And so would her father. She also thinks a little too long on whether or not she wants to reach out herself because one, she doesn't have her number and two, she doesn't know if she wants to open that door herself. But before she can give a definitive answer, Damon's familiar blue convertible rolls into the hospital parking lot and she straightens some.]
I don't know. I'll think about it.
[Meanwhile, from the backseat, as they drive closer, Stephanie frowns when she realizes she recognizes the car her mother is leaning against. "Is that a 1967 Chevy Impala?"]
( Inside their car, he glances to Elena, taking her hand. He squeezes it once, inhales, and unbuckles.
Inside Damon's car, in the front seat, Gray just tilts his head. His sister's a car nut? He also got an (8), so her love of Supernatural did not assimilate to him.
"Uh, yep. Pretty cherry car. But, not my style," he says, pulling into a spot parallel and one row over from Dean. "Huh, not a busy day at Mystic Falls General," he says, turning the car off. )
[Stephanie reaches forward, grabbing Damon's shirt by the shoulder and holding him in place so that she can ask her questions before they get out of the car, instead of being in ear shot of the man that she's really hoping he is not.]
What did you say his name was?
[Did Damon give them a name? Right now she can't remember or is thinking that maybe she's sliding it in like some kind of Mandela effect.]
[Coincidence. It has to be a coincidence. This totally isn't going to be some alternate universe where her mom winds up sleeping with Dean Freaking Winchester, that Dean Winchester, her favorite character from her favorite ... oh no she hates this already but she has to ask, very quietly:]
Does he have a brother named Sam?
[She doesn't want to say it out loud until she knows for a fact that she's wrong.]
("He... does. Are you being psychic right now or is this one of those bizarro world things. That, they're in our lives, too, back in your worlds." But not... romantically with Elena.
Sometimes, he does listen when his sister talks or clean up when she leaves her books around -- )
[Stephanie finally lets go of her father, before burying her face in her hands and making an embarrassed noise that she will absolutely deny later. Then she takes a breath and looks up.]
You don't need me, right? I mean, Gray has the same DNA I do, so I can just stay in the car and not get out and talk to them at all.
[She knows that's not truly a viable option, but you never know if you don't ask.]
[You are not helping, Gray. And then, as she's trying to process this because again, this truly can't be happening, she remembered a very salient number of books in the series.]
This even happened in books. There was an actual book where they confront the author who was writing the books, and then there was one where they went to fan conventions and then after a certain point Shurley truly lost his mind and declared himself "God" and ...
[She pushes up, sticking her head between the seats.]
Please don't make me do this. I cannot look that man in the eye. Or Mom for that matter. I know things. Things a daughter should not know about her mother's boyfriend!
("I take it these novels are graphic," Damon says, turning his head. Oh, his daughter's head is right there. )
Dad.
( Gray looks to the right, keep him out of this conversation, but as horrified as he is, he's smiling. He's - smiling - and even for a second it feels wrong. He sees himself in the side view mirror - and the facsimile of his father.
He goes quiet.
Damon notices. He can't not.
"Your - Elena - is waiting. She wants to meet you both.")
[When they are done with this day, she wants so many drinks.
But she sighs, dramatically, through her nose, before nodding.]
Okay, okay, fine. But just be aware that I have no poker face, so if this gets awkward, don't say I didn't warn you.
[And with that, she will open the door to slide out of the car and very studiously looks anywhere but the other two adults that are coming towards her.]
( He wants to remind her that if she does recognize Dean and it is this Dean, then he probably won't be surprised. Maybe embarrassed, but. It's not their real mom, right?
He wants to remind her of all of that, but his mom is coming toward him. Her hair is long again and styled different. Or, was always. But, it's her. It's Elena Gilbert.
Damon walks the teens up, until everyone meets in the middle.
Nobody knows what to say. Gray was ready until he wasn't, Stephanie wasn't ready, and Dean's taking Elena's lead. But, he wants to whistle, oh, does he, because, shit these two kids look like Elena and Damon, who's also here. )
[Elena takes a deep breath as she looks over both of them, because wow. It's one thing seeing them in a picture, but it's another seeing them in the flesh.]
Hi.
[She feels the need to introduce herself, but it's one she squashes. She doesn't need to introduce herself when she's their mother.]
How was the trip? Not too crazy?
[Stephanie shrugs, her eyes latched onto a piece of the Impala over her mother's shoulder so that it seems like she's looking at her, but is more really trying to not look at the man next to her. She's resisting the urge to scrutinize every inch of the real person to compare and contrast with the picture she's made in her mind, build on three hundred and twenty seven different book covers and the flowery descriptions.
Honestly just the less she focuses on Dean the better. "It was fine."
("Think the trip over the rainbow was crazy, but the trip here was cake. Got shiny fake new identities and everything. Well. Real-fake. You get it," he says, giving the kids room to breathe to say - well, anything.
His breath catches. She sounds like their mom, too, but he has to set the example. )
Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Pretty easy once we got past security. Hi. Gray. Well. Grayson. Like...
Yeah. He's really excited to meet you, albeit a little confused for obvious reasons. But that's been pretty much a staple since they came back.
[That gets Stephanie to blink and look at her mother directly. "Wait, they're part of this too?"
Elena shakes her head.]
Yes, but also no? They came back as part of a separate thing. But yeah, your grandparents and your Aunt Jenna.
[And Isobel. But that's getting saved for a sidebar conversation with Damon because no one knows the vampire version of Isobel better except for Katherine. And Elena is not having this conversation with Katherine.]
( Quickly, Gray shoots Damon a betrayed look, but then looks to Elena for better context, trying to make sense of it all. )
Yeah, he mentioned aunt Jenna, but not...
("Your grandparents were brought back on a witch hunt. It was about a month ago. Give or take," Damon says, a little sheepish. "You had a lot on your plate, with me and your mom, and she's always been better at breaking news to people." Damon would've ripped the bandaid off. )
So, everyone is just alive here. ( He looks to his sister. ) And we're going to the Lockwood's, so, Tyler Lockwood is alive here, too, or just his mom again?
[Elena blinks in surprise at the question, and the question flies out before she can think better of it:]
Tyler died?
[Which seems to be an answer in and of itself. Something about that doesn't seem fair, but no death is fair, not really. Her eyes drift to Damon because she doesn't want to ask the thing she suspects may be the truth. Instead, she shakes it off and focuses on the information.]
No, Tyler isn't one of the returned. He and his partner, Liv, work for the Armory.
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Honestly, she would have rather had John come back than Isobel. But she doesn't get that lucky, and she knows that maybe the way John died means he couldn't come back.]
Yeah, she is.
[She doesn't have a lot of evidence to say that she isn't. But after another moment of reflection.]
At least, she is if you stand in the way of what she wants. Or she decides you'd be a fun distraction to compel for a while.
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( He's only half kidding. )
So, either she's off the rails or she's subdued, but still, she's one big bitch of a mystery. I'm not looking for Christmas to get bloody. Were you planning to go to Barry's big summit?
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[She sets her jaw before glancing back to him.]
Do you think I shouldn't?
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( Do either of them know? He's just frustrated and doesn't like the sound of Elena's biomom. She's no Mary. )
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I don't know - he just says he needs space, and the Lockwoods have space. But maybe we could do it outside? If it's not too cold?
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( He raps his fingers against the steering wheel, giving a look around them to see if anyone's pulling it yet, cause this is serious. )
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[She saw it near the coffee when she's been helping get ready for the party.]
And I do not think untrustworthy vampires should get invited in, which Isobel qualifies for. But I'll bring it up with Carol and Tyler later.
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( He nods, though, good idea. But, then realizes he started supportive and got gruff. )
Sorry, this has gotta be close to the last straw of all these returns. She reads like a wildcard, maybe we treat her like one.
( But not like the enemy. )
You think getting in touch beforehand might help? Clear things up, or not, give you what you need to hear to know what we... do?
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Isobel didn't grow up here, and for that matter neither did Carol. My mom would, though.
[And so would her father. She also thinks a little too long on whether or not she wants to reach out herself because one, she doesn't have her number and two, she doesn't know if she wants to open that door herself. But before she can give a definitive answer, Damon's familiar blue convertible rolls into the hospital parking lot and she straightens some.]
I don't know. I'll think about it.
[Meanwhile, from the backseat, as they drive closer, Stephanie frowns when she realizes she recognizes the car her mother is leaning against. "Is that a 1967 Chevy Impala?"]
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( Inside their car, he glances to Elena, taking her hand. He squeezes it once, inhales, and unbuckles.
Inside Damon's car, in the front seat, Gray just tilts his head. His sister's a car nut? He also got an (8), so her love of Supernatural did not assimilate to him.
"Uh, yep. Pretty cherry car. But, not my style," he says, pulling into a spot parallel and one row over from Dean. "Huh, not a busy day at Mystic Falls General," he says, turning the car off. )
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What did you say his name was?
[Did Damon give them a name? Right now she can't remember or is thinking that maybe she's sliding it in like some kind of Mandela effect.]
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Gray turns back to his sister. )
What's wrong?
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Does he have a brother named Sam?
[She doesn't want to say it out loud until she knows for a fact that she's wrong.]
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Sometimes, he does listen when his sister talks or clean up when she leaves her books around -- )
Wait, isn't that that...
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You don't need me, right? I mean, Gray has the same DNA I do, so I can just stay in the car and not get out and talk to them at all.
[She knows that's not truly a viable option, but you never know if you don't ask.]
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After tipping his head to see if she's peeking an eye through her fingers, he turns to his - their - dad. )
So, I think Dean Winchester is one of the main characters in this series she's, like, obsessed with.
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This even happened in books. There was an actual book where they confront the author who was writing the books, and then there was one where they went to fan conventions and then after a certain point Shurley truly lost his mind and declared himself "God" and ...
[She pushes up, sticking her head between the seats.]
Please don't make me do this. I cannot look that man in the eye. Or Mom for that matter. I know things. Things a daughter should not know about her mother's boyfriend!
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( "I take it these novels are graphic," Damon says, turning his head. Oh, his daughter's head is right there. )
Dad.
( Gray looks to the right, keep him out of this conversation, but as horrified as he is, he's smiling. He's - smiling - and even for a second it feels wrong. He sees himself in the side view mirror - and the facsimile of his father.
He goes quiet.
Damon notices. He can't not.
"Your - Elena - is waiting. She wants to meet you both." )
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But she sighs, dramatically, through her nose, before nodding.]
Okay, okay, fine. But just be aware that I have no poker face, so if this gets awkward, don't say I didn't warn you.
[And with that, she will open the door to slide out of the car and very studiously looks anywhere but the other two adults that are coming towards her.]
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He wants to remind her of all of that, but his mom is coming toward him. Her hair is long again and styled different. Or, was always. But, it's her. It's Elena Gilbert.
Damon walks the teens up, until everyone meets in the middle.
Nobody knows what to say. Gray was ready until he wasn't, Stephanie wasn't ready, and Dean's taking Elena's lead. But, he wants to whistle, oh, does he, because, shit these two kids look like Elena and Damon, who's also here. )
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Hi.
[She feels the need to introduce herself, but it's one she squashes. She doesn't need to introduce herself when she's their mother.]
How was the trip? Not too crazy?
[Stephanie shrugs, her eyes latched onto a piece of the Impala over her mother's shoulder so that it seems like she's looking at her, but is more really trying to not look at the man next to her. She's resisting the urge to scrutinize every inch of the real person to compare and contrast with the picture she's made in her mind, build on three hundred and twenty seven different book covers and the flowery descriptions.
Honestly just the less she focuses on Dean the better. "It was fine."
Elena nods, before looking over to Gray.]
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His breath catches. She sounds like their mom, too, but he has to set the example. )
Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Pretty easy once we got past security. Hi. Gray. Well. Grayson. Like...
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[That gets Stephanie to blink and look at her mother directly. "Wait, they're part of this too?"
Elena shakes her head.]
Yes, but also no? They came back as part of a separate thing. But yeah, your grandparents and your Aunt Jenna.
[And Isobel. But that's getting saved for a sidebar conversation with Damon because no one knows the vampire version of Isobel better except for Katherine. And Elena is not having this conversation with Katherine.]
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( Quickly, Gray shoots Damon a betrayed look, but then looks to Elena for better context, trying to make sense of it all. )
Yeah, he mentioned aunt Jenna, but not...
( "Your grandparents were brought back on a witch hunt. It was about a month ago. Give or take," Damon says, a little sheepish. "You had a lot on your plate, with me and your mom, and she's always been better at breaking news to people." Damon would've ripped the bandaid off. )
So, everyone is just alive here. ( He looks to his sister. ) And we're going to the Lockwood's, so, Tyler Lockwood is alive here, too, or just his mom again?
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Tyler died?
[Which seems to be an answer in and of itself. Something about that doesn't seem fair, but no death is fair, not really. Her eyes drift to Damon because she doesn't want to ask the thing she suspects may be the truth. Instead, she shakes it off and focuses on the information.]
No, Tyler isn't one of the returned. He and his partner, Liv, work for the Armory.
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