but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[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.

[unpreparedness]

( No, she gets that hug. She gets the hug right back. Opening her eyes, though, she glares up at Jeremy. )

Get down here, too, punk.

( Jeremy laughs through a few tears before joining them and making it a group hug. )

God, I missed you both. I'm so, so sorry.

[braveandstupid]

It's not your fault.

[None of it is. All of it is on Klaus and Klaus alone or at least that's what Elena tries to tell herself when the guilt gets hard.]

I'm just so glad you're here.

[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.

[yourtype]

Cora and I've met.

[In the vault.

There's an uncharitable feeling about how Cora is the only one who fully survived the Alpha Pack, how it feels like she succeeded in getting out of the vault and stole Erica's life to go along with it.

She also knows that Erica got herself in this situation, in a world where none of her friends are really her friends anymore. She thought she could try and take Kali, tired of being a victim and wanting to do something about it, never mind that she was hungry and weak and hadn't felt the moon in weeks.

Cora is watching her like she doesn't know what to do with her either and Erica is honestly starting to get sick of that face, so she swallows and shakes her head.]

Anyway. Everyone's getting ready for the party. So they're around.

[Serena weaves her way around the Hales. "Hi. Serena. Is Alexander upstairs?"

Erica blinks, and tips her head to the side.]

Jackson's boyfriend. Yes. He's upstairs somewhere.

[Serena smiles and gives her arm a squeeze. "Cool. Nice meeting you." And with that up the stairs she goes.]

[phonetically]

( Shit. He swallows that regret, but of course they did. They knew each other for weeks. He can't salvage the moment, but Erica pushes on. )

Yeah. Right. Great.

( Stiles watches her go upstairs. He sighs, turning back to Cora. )

Hey, can you take our stuff upstairs? I'll meet you up there?