everyonelives | but oh what a year

[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."]

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.

["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.

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.

["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.]

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? )

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.)]

( 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. )

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."]

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. )

[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?

He's been living in New Orleans, ( Derek helpfully shares, recognizing the familiar house. After all, he'd had it cased and was kidnapped from here.

"Buffy and Stefan should be there, yep," Bonnie confirms.

Enzo, letting everyone gossip, just looks at the big house and his good taste.

"It's very... Damon," he says, getting out of the car.

"There's a lot of old money here in Mystic Falls and no real bad side of town," Bonnie adds. "If you don't count the reminders of racism." which she does. )

Yeah, old money white people really have trouble letting those go.

[She then pauses, before glancing over at Derek.]

No offense.

[Look he may have lived in a train car but she's also seen his car. He has money, he just had priorities. Also she lived in Beacon Hills her whole life, she knows what the Hale house looked like before it burned down.]

( He doesn't take that personally, also, he's half-white, so, do with that what you will. Or, don't. )

Different kind. Antebellum old money is here.

Oh, yikes.

[She glances over to Bonnie in sympathy.]

Growing up here must have been ... interesting.

[To put it lightly.]

( "They painted it pretty and threw some events that have been discontinued, at least," she answers with half a shrug.

"People really liked dressing up for Founder's Day and for the yearly screening of Gone with the Wind." Even if it was problematic. )

I like Gone with the Wind, but it is a product of its' time.

I've never seen it.

[She didn't really have the time and she liked superheroes more.

Isaac shakes his head. "You're not missing much. I've come to like the real people better."

Erica tips her head to the side and stares at him.]

What?

["We met them at Thanksgiving. Scarlett bought me a very expensive shirt to make up for throwing me in a lake to save my life."]

The castle exploded. The landing ruined Scarlett's heels. But, she and Rhett were both of help to everyone outside and inside.

( They're very fun. A beat. )

They're real and they're vampires.

[Erica continues to stare before spinning around to look at Shelia. She raises and eyebrow and Shelia shakes her head.]

Don't look at me, I didn't know this either.

[She smirks.]

Even at my age, you still learn something new every day.

Scarlett would love you, Grams.

( Rhett would, too. And their son, Wes. Grams has a way of everyone liking her, taking her seriously, not underestimating her. )

[Little does she know she's already met Wes and yes, Bonnie's prediction is true. Shelia smirks before nodding.]

Let's worry about all the people we're getting together for Christmas first. Then we'll worry about getting Gone with the Wind.

Hey, who knows. They could be there. Scarlett and Stefan are friends, and now Damon and Melanie. I bet the invitation was sent. Maybe even Wes, ( She says, turning to Isaac. They just don't know. ) They're actually in Star City right now, too. Melanie Hamilton helped you?

Yes, she did. And I did meet her nephew Wesley.

[So two of four complete.]

But I don't believe they're planning to attend our little get together, or they would have said so.

[And now that Enzo is out of the car and they're moving on to the wolf house, why not a bit of hot gossip:]

And Enzo wouldn't have had to make alternate plans.

( She watches Enzo make his way up the drive and turns back to her grandmother. )

What kind of alternate plans?

( Back a short time and the gossip is already flowing. )

[The gossip is always the fun part. As Isaac pulls out of the driveway and heads towards the wolf house, Shelia shrugs.]

He and Miss Hamilton were making plans to meet up for New Year's. I don't know where just yet, but he seemed intrigued.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject