but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[bennettblood]

I missed you too. But we should probably get in the car before the airport police decide your boyfriend's been lingering a little too long.

[She can see the uniformed officers getting antsy. She pulls back and gives Bonnie's hand a squeeze, before heading towards the car.]

We'll have plenty of time when we get where we're going.

[moralitypolice]

Okay.

( After a moment's hesitation, she does step up to Enzo.

"Bonnie Bennett, well aren't you a sight for alive eyes."

She smiles, nods.

They will all get plenty of time. Bonnie pulls the last row's door open in the car they've rented in anticipation of picking up the group so her grandmother, whose hand she holds to help inside, and then Enzo can both get in. )

[bennettblood]

[They all pile in and Shelia's head tips to the side as she studies Derek's profile. She doesn't recognize him, not completely, but there's something just a little familiar that's going to nag at her until she figures it out.

So she does what she should do, because she's an old woman and might as well be direct.]

I'm Shelia Bennett. Now, I know Isaac is up front driving, but may I ask who are the two of you?

["Erica," she replies brightly. "I'm just back from the dead too."

Shelia tries not to turn on a sad smile when she looks at how young this girl is, but nods and turns to Derek also.]

And you?

[engender]

( Derek turns his head to Erica and then looks back at Sheila. She's - oh. Him. Sure. Fine. )

Derek. I flew in with Erica.

( He bit Isaac and Erica and failed them both, thanks for asking. )

[bennettblood]

Mmmm.

[Derek. That name does ring a bell. That also prompts Erica to continue talking since this initially was a three-way conversation. "We flew in from New Orleans, but we're from Beacon Hills originally."

And there it is, going on like a lightbulb. Derek, the werewolf, from Beacon Hills could mean:]

Talia Hale's boy?

[engender]

( Brief, eyebrow arching recognition. )

She was my mother. You knew her?

[bennettblood]

Not well, we met a few times. I was more social with her emissary. But she was ... an impressive woman.

[She was sorry when she heard what happened to her, what happened to her pack. It's good to see that some of her children are still around.]

[engender]

You knew Deaton.

( He doesn't... brighten, as much as, lean in forward slightly more. )

[bennettblood]

He's family. Somehow. Marin is the spitting image of drawings we have of one of our ancestors who lived back during the Civil War. We don't question it.

[We just go with it. This is what happens when you have two witch-adjacent characters played by Bianca Lawson.]

I found them when I was working on a genealogy project.

[engender]

You don't question family.

( Even when they claw down your sister. )

So. Bonnie.

( "We're all family?" she asks, studying Derek's features for a second, well the side. )

[bennettblood]

With Deaton. Not directly to the Hales as far as I'm aware.

[Her head tips as she also studies Derek.]

Unless there's something Alan didn't tell me.

[moralitypolice]

( "Nothing I've heard," he relents. Though, if there were any other skeletons in his family's closet... )

Are you saying Marin and Emily Bennett have similar features?

[bennettblood]

[Shelia nods, before pulling up her phone. It doesn't take much time to search, but she manages to pull up Marin Morell's profile on some professional website, and passes it up for Bonnie to see.]

It's uncanny, really. The first time I saw her, I thought I saw a ghost.

[And because that's a concern:]

Not a doppelganger though. Just ... unnervingly similar.

[moralitypolice]

Wow, she - yes. That's crazy. We have a foot in two worlds.

( Their family, anyway. )

We don't take look-a-likes lightly in ours.

[bennettblood]

I don't think they take the look-a-likes lightly anywhere.

[Shelia sighs as she leans back in her seat.]

Good that you all finally made that connection though. I would have introduced him to Bonnie eventually but ...

[Well, she died. It happens.]

That nematon needs people keeping an eye on it. Who's there now?

["There's a hellhound," Isaac replies. "Though he's still figuring out what that means."]

That, I might be able to help with.

[moralitypolice]

You're an expert on hell-hounds, now?

( "My cousin, Malia, is also there. Law enforcement and hospital workers we trust," Derek says. And they fly who they need in, even if. )

[bennettblood]

I know a thing or two about the kind of hellhound tasked with protecting a nematon.

[She pauses and holds up a finger.]

I do not know anything about the invisible ones that drag you to Hell.

[moralitypolice]

I don't... want to know.

( "No, you really don't," Derek says, grimacing and turning back forward. )

[bennettblood]

If you ever change your mind, you can ask Elena's new Winchester friends about it.

[Unfortunately they have plenty of experience.]

[moralitypolice]

Well, I just might have to, at this point. Isaac, what's our first stop?

( Anything to not talk about hell hounds or hell anything. They'll do proper in person introductions soon, but first, drive. )

[notwitty]

[Yep, time to move on from Hell-adjacent thoughts.]

Enzo is getting dropped off at Damon's and then the rest of us are heading to the pack house.

["Who's going to be there?" Erica asks. "Other than the three of us?"]

Allison, and her very tall boyfriend are already there. Stiles, Cora and Laura are flying in still, and then Jackson and his boyfriend are coming in to help with IDs and stuff.

[Erica pauses as she thinks that information through. "Jackson has a boyfriend?"

Isaac smirks.]

According to Lydia it makes sense, but I'll take her word for it.

[moralitypolice]

( "It happened in London. Technically," Derek says, succinctly. Because, he came back from London and all of a sudden he had a boyfriend. A different boyfriend no. "This one's a witch." And he's done them favors. )

Alexander helped when the hunters attacked in Mystic Falls, right?

( She remembers hearing about Damon's murder party and its' aftermath. In between gossip brunches. )

[notwitty]

[Isaac nods.]

He made Stiles' daylight ring too.

["Right. Because Stiles is a vampire now." Erica pauses. "Honestly shocked he made it this far without becoming a werewolf."]

[moralitypolice]

It does sound like you guys were in danger almost as much as we were back in high school.

( She glances back at her grandmother. )

Sorry. Life never stopped and... Mystic Falls brought a lot to our front door.

[notwitty]

["It always does. Once this world gets ahold of you, it doesn't let go easily." Shelia gestures to her presence in the car. "Case in point."

Isaac nods.]

Things got worse in Beacon Hills after we left. They said they even had a Wild Hunt at one point.

[Shelia winces. "Those are quite nasty indeed. But I'm assuming since you remember all your friends, things worked out well."

Isaac shrugs.]

For the most part, though I wasn't involved.