but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[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.

[moralitypolice]

And this isn't her first - well, it's her best - ( A glance back. ) Our reunions were always short-lived or fraught with breaking nature's balance. Well, take that, nature.

( She listens to Isaac as he talks about his hometown. )

He was in Paris.

[notwitty]

["I heard," Erica rolls her eyes. "He always liked to be fancy."

Isaac raises an eyebrow as he glances at her in the rearview mirror.]

I'm not that fancy.

[Isaac, your love of scarves betrays you. Just accept your fanciness and deal with it.]

[moralitypolice]

It also wasn't a vacation, he went with Allison and Chris, didn't you?

( She doesn't know who's familiar with Allison or her father, or their organization, but she thinks she's right? )

[notwitty]

I did.

[Erica makes a face. "I know Allison is pack now, but it's still really weird that you were just running off to France with her on family vacations."

Isaac sighs.]

It wasn't a vacation - she'd almost died - and we were sort of dating at the time.

[Emphasis on sort of.

Erica makes an even bigger face. "Yeah, still weird." She may also be worried that adult Allison isn't going to let high school grudges lie but she's trying not to put that out into the universe. She's definitely not going to try and steal Allison's boyfriend this time!

(Let's be real, she didn't even really want to do it the first time.

Derek.)]

[moralitypolice]

( Derek does choke back a small laugh. Allison did stab Isaac multiple times, and, still they ended up in a romantic clinch. He remembers that also became a bone of contention between Scott and Isaac, but everyone survived. But, he's not going to get in the middle of the formerly-teenage goings on by making any useful commentary.

"Sometimes, a new start is what's needed," he says, having been captured not long after he took off, actually. "Paris did him good." As did his connection to the Argents. )

[yourtype]

I will take your word for it.

[She thought Isaac was pretty good as she is but what does she know. She was a teenager too.]

Allison isn't going to be weird about me being at the house, is she?

[Isaac shakes his head. "It'll be fine. For her, it's been a long time."]

[engender]

Allison is on the same side. We're all on the same side.

( And they have been for a long, long time. ) She helps those that need it.

( Those like them, he doesn't say. )

[yourtype]

[Would have been nice if she was doing that before her grandfather had her and Boyd tied up and electrocuted in her basement. But Erica swallows that thought as she realizes that they're pulling up to a house, and she leans forward to get a better look.]

Whoa. This is Damon's house? How many people live here?

["Just Damon most of the time," Isaac replies. "But his brother and his girlfriend are currently there, I think?"

Allison and Elena have been handling most of the organization and he doesn't think Damon himself has arrived yet. But he brings the car to a stop and gives Enzo opportunity to get out.

Stefan, himself, is not currently home, he's out shopping for the meal he's helping to make, but he'll be back later. Eventually.]

Is everyone's house here that big?