but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[telegraphs]

Several somethings. A weapon made of Hellfire crafted from the bones of Arcadius. And a bell, that if fallen into the wrong hands, could unleash Hellfire on everyone we hold near and dear. So, it's just another Tuesday.

( Sometimes, it's nice to talk about the dire things with Lindsey. What's that about? )

Liv is calling for a team meeting. The station, I assume, with Stefan's continued refusal of sunlight protection?

[patrols]

Yeah, he's not going anywhere. I think he's worried that if he leaves Cade will take him back.

[And that's not what he wants, and Lindsay is inclined to respect that.]

But glad to here this may be a problem I can stab. I was starting to feel like I was spinning my wheels.

[telegraphs]

He might just. Leave him there, then. Smart moves.

( He respects that, a lot, and this probably is the first break in, oh, these two could be friends. )

Isn't that just the American justice system?

[patrols]

Hah. I'll let them know you're coming. We'll see you in a bit.

[The American justice system is entirely fucked though, so he's not wrong.

She hangs up and moves back to the brothers to catch them up.]

The nerd squad seems to have had a break. They're on their way over with the info to catch us up.

[More to Damon than Stefan, who has taken to being in his own head. He still hasn't put his ring on.]

If we need to leave, is he going to be okay in there?

[unforgivably]

You tell me. I'm not the psychologist and I didn't think my brother had a deathwish.

( But, frustration aside. )

If the angle of the sun holds, he'll be fine. The faster we figure this out, the faster Stefan can brood properly. In his house with a stiff drink.

[patrols]

Is there someone in town who doesn't hate him? Or at least likes him enough to keep him from walking into the sun of his own accord?

"I'm not going to walk into the sun," Stefan replies flatly, because yes, he can hear her. Lindsay sighs as she looks back to him.]

Forgive me if I don't take you at your word. You've been through a huge shock and you've done a lot of terrible things recently. It's a lot to process. I'd feel better if there was someone here.

[unforgivably]

Caroline Forbes wouldn't let him.

( If they're talking about it. )

And I wouldn't let him. On our good days.

[patrols]

[Lindsay nods.]

Can you call her, then? See if she'll be here?

[As much as she is a Slayer, she's also the sheriff and doesn't want to come back to a crispy body in her holding cells.]

[unforgivably]

( He gives another glance back at his brother, shakes his head and then heads back in the direction Lindsay had headed in, dialing the familiar number. They are on better terms considering her and Bonnie both were involved with bringing him back from catatonia. )

[vampireboulevard]

[Yes, they are on better terms. But Caroline is doing her best to be there for Bonnie, so there's still a small sigh when Damon's name pops up on her phone screen. She excuses herself, and makes her way into another room to answer.]

Hey, Damon. Did you find him?

[unforgivably]

In jail. Our local sheriff is keeping him locked up for his own good and now he's keeping himself locked up for his own good. But, we have an Arcadius, break. We just need a Stefansitter. Sheriff Miller is worried about the town's suicidal vampire rate and, honestly, I'm not far behind her. He's refusing to put on his daylight ring.

( Sorry, Caroline, you get that all. )

[vampireboulevard]

[Caroline exhales slowly, weighing her options. Abandoning Bonnie to go babysit the man who murdered her love is not going to go over well. But Stefan is also one of her best friends too, and she knows that Damon is probably right and they shouldn't leave him alone.]

Let me talk to Bonnie and I'll get back to you?

[unforgivably]

Yeah. Of course. If there's a conflict of interest, I'll find someone else.

( But, they'll see. )

[vampireboulevard]

Talk to you in a bit.

[Caroline hangs up and heads back to where she left Bonnie. She knows how she feels about Stefan right now so she won't lead with Stefan but she will lead with this:]

That was Damon. He might have a lead on how to deal with Cade.

[moralitypolice]

( Bonnie is - well, when she isn't catatonic, or crying, she is angry, or going on a run. Or, sitting on the floor of the shower. Tonight, Caroline has gotten her to eat. She did her part in trying to find Stefan, to save others but bowed out when it didn't work.

She straightens up. )

I take it, he found Stefan.

[vampireboulevard]

Stefan is in jail. Literally. The sheriff found him and has him locked up in one of the cells. Sounds like his humanity is back too.

[She knows Bonnie likely doesn't care about the personal Stefan stuff, but Caroline can read between the lines of what Damon is saying.]

But the big news was that they had a lead on how to kill Arcadius. Team meeting at the sheriff's office. We don't have to go, though, if you don't want to.

[Caroline is worried about her. She's worried about Stefan too, but other people can handle Stefan if Bonnie needs her.]

[moralitypolice]

( She doesn't react. Doesn't say anything yet. )

Caroline, we do. Arcadius is a problem we can solve. ( Stefan just happens to be there. ) And thanks to Stefan, and two dead sirens, I'm involved directly. I've been involved since Damon took Enzo on his world tour of blood and souls. So, we're going.

[vampireboulevard]

Okay.

[They can go to listen. And then they'll figure out the rest from there.]

But say the word and we can leave them to figure it out. It doesn't have to be our problem.

[If she needs more time, they can take more time.]

[moralitypolice]

Caroline. It does. Because, this is all our problem. And the sooner it is nobody's problem, then I will say the world. I'm not fragile. And I'm not going to do something I regret to someone that not too long ago was a friend. But, I can't not hate 'em. That's what I can give right now.

( And the more you try to shield and help, the more she will break. And she can't break. )

[vampireboulevard]

I don't blame you for hating him.

[Even if Caroline doesn't, even if it's complicated.]

It looks like he's not even going to be involved in the Cade stuff either.

[She won't elaborate on why, because that's not Bonnie's problem!]

I was just checking.

[Because Enzo's dead and she knows that eventually the grief is going to become too much to hold back and Caroline wants to be there to catch her when she's ready. But until then, off to the sheriff's they will go.

When they arrive, Tyler will probably also be arriving and Liv and Beck are making their way in. It's sad, in a way, how much of their team is missing. No Matt, no Elena, no so many other people who have been there for them.

Caroline pops out of the driver's side and squints at Beck.]

You brought the librarian?

[recrudesce]

( "Great," she says, trying to betray how much she does care. The contempt isn't going anywhere and it's exhausting. But, even if he is involved, the Cade stuff is the priority.

All cars converge at once, each taking a space nearby one another. All passengers see one another. It isn't often a mob of people descend on the sheriff's building. )

The librarian's a watcher.

( Which probably means nothing to her as Tyler leads Liv inside. Beck, smirks, turning back as soon as Caroline makes it up the steps.

"Beck Ford, at your service. Mild-mannered librarian. Occult expert by profession and by blood. And you're Caroline Forbes, a walking vampire success story. We have cautionary tales we tell the newbies, but you, you're a prime example. You're the paragon." )

[vampireboulevard]

Thank ... you?

[Caroline isn't sure what to do with any of that, because one, this man she just met seems to know a lot about her, and Tyler's calling her a Watcher which honestly seems kind of creepy with zero context, so she ends up looking at both Tyler and Liv for some additional information.

Liv sighs. "The sheriff is something called a Slayer. They're like ... mystically supercharged hunters but all women and basically professionals at stopping apocalypses. The Watchers are their informational arm - they handle research, speak a lot of dead languages, all that."]

Oh.

[Caroline takes a moment to process that.]

So are we in apocalypse territory now?

[Liv shrugs slightly. "Seems like it."]

Great. No big deal, just the end of the world.

[recrudesce]

Apocalypse now.

( But, he has it on good authority that slayers have stopped them before.

He holds the door open for Caroline, Liv, and Bonnie, whom he gives a quiet look. Her eyes say don't start, and he doesn't. )

[patrols]

[They all make their way inside, and Beck will be able to lead them down to the vampire cells. Stefan still hasn't moved from his spot, still hasn't put on his ring, but he does look over when the new footsteps arrive. His eyes meet Bonnie's briefly, holding her gaze and then letting his eyes drop to his knees again. Guilt radiates off him, but he's trying to pull it in.

Stefan's guilt isn't Bonnie's problem.

Lindsay looks at the group, rubbing her hands together.]

Okay. What have we got? Are we ready for me to actually stab something yet?

[telegraphs]

( beck catches that. as a watcher, he's always eyeing human (and demon) behavior. )

We got something you should be able to stab him with. Made from hellfire and his own bones.