but oh what a year

[patrols]

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[vampireboulevard]

When I realized you knew Emma and about the school, I thought you also knew about my vampire-ness. So that was totally my bad for assuming.

[She pauses before shrugging.]

So yeah. What I was saying about how our relationship is a consultant-consultee situation isn't actually really the case either. It was just a ... convenient cover story for when I was helping Ryan acclimate.

[predilections]

In my - or your - defense, I didn't make the Ryan - you - Salvatore school connection. Ryan has been shy about the details.

( "I've always kept my personal life private," he says. )

Except, when the subject of said personal life was on the tip of everybody's tongue.

( Not the time, she still doesn't harbor resentment toward Marissa Cooper. )

And now...

( "Now, I handle a lot of the infrastructure. Zoning laws. Light construction. And some vampire tutelage, eventually." Eventually. )

[vampireboulevard]

It's a very loose sense of employment. Which I'm not sure if this is better or worse than what everyone else believes.

[She's a vampire, she already has a very loose relationship with power dynamics to begin with.]

But I've been taking really good care of him. Promise.

[quesadilla]

Really, Taylor.

( "I know you, Ryan Atwood," Taylor says, knowingly. "I can tell." And that's coming from someone who always wanted the best for him. )

[likeababyduck]

[She can tell? Caroline doesn't really know what to say to that. Are they all good? Is there something Caroline should be worried about? But before she can stumble into something awkward, the door opens behind them and an unfamiliar face pokes his head out.

Sweets had been off talking with Seth, but he had been given a signal, and he's going to to fulfill his role as Boyfriend:]

Hey, honey, you wanted me to let you know when a new batch of latkes were ... out ...

[It's also at the end of the sentence when he realizes he may have walked into something awkward.]

Sorry, am I interrupting?

[predilections]

( She can tell that he's happy. That he's with the right person, or a person who feels right now. And, thanks to extenuating circumstances, he has more than enough time to find more people who are right. Later and so on. Or, this is it. She could see Ryan settling down. He deserves it. It was a wonder he didn't for so long. But, he threw himself into his work. When not working for the his firm, he did things on the side charitably. )

Not at all. Dr. Lance Sweets, this is Ryan Atwood ( whom she's discussed. Taylor is nothing if not a talker about all things including exes and pregnancy scares. and train trips. and what-if's at friends' weddings. ) and Caroline Forbes. Of the Salvatore School.

[likeababyduck]

[Sweets nods, holding out a hand to Ryan to shake, but his eyes flicker to Caroline with a smile.]

Stiles speaks very highly of you.

[Caroline's eyes brighten. "You know Stiles?"]

We worked together at the FBI. Nice to meet you both.

[predilections]

Like I said, small world. Emma Tig referred me to a client who I am thirty percent sure is six degrees of separation away from you.

( To Caroline. )

Which now making a connection to the name to the face to the school, is really neat. It's like we all have own little secret club at Christmas. ( Turning to Sweets. ) Ryan got himself turned.

( "Turned?" Sandy Cohen comes up, rounding the house with a plate of something he's going to put on the grill. "Julie brought veggie burgers, I completely forgot." Kirsten had nudged him. Never mind the dessert was already out. "What'd you turn?" he asks Ryan, expectantly. )

[likeababyduck]

For the Hoard.

[Sweets flashes Sandy a grin, sliding in just a bit quicker than Caroline with a smooth reference back to his and Seth's conversation in the house (17).]

World of Warcraft. Seth has been trying to get Ryan to play with us and we were trying to decide whether we wanted to be Alliance or the Hoard. The Hoard is infinitely cooler, and Ryan is just starting to see the light.

[quesadilla]

( Caught off guard, Ryan inexplicably rolls an (18) to continue the deception. Sandy is several beers in (8). )

There is finally daylight in my schedule to give it real thought and as many times as I told Seth that World of Warcraft is his thing, his kid is too young, so I gave in. Honestly, whatever they say, Alliance or Hoard, I'm just going to go with.

( Sandy just doesn't process much of that because he doesn't quite care. There is something at the back of his mind, the 'us,' if Seth and Sweets knew each other through Taylor - but, this is Christmas and when his son has a bone he does not let it go.

"Well, I hope your hoarding proves successful," he says, taking his tray of veggie burgers and beer over to the grill. "Caroline, you want to come help me?" he calls back. And even though it's a lovely, nice ask. It's clear. Not an question. )

[vampireboulevard]

Yeah, of course.

[Caroline lives to be helpful. She turns to follow Sandy and once his back is turned, she mouths "thank you" to Sweets, who nods in return. She then turns back, looking over the grill setup before turning back to Sandy.]

What do you need?

[quesadilla]

( "Have you ever grilled before?" he asks, without waiting for an answer as he sets the temperature he wants, letting it heat up. "There's an art to it. A timing. You put the patty on. You watch the flames, the juice. You flip - once - so it doesn't get too dry. There's thought behind it." He holds a hand over the griddle, dropping the top so it can heat up.

"How are you liking a Newport Christmas, Caroline?" )

[vampireboulevard]

[Okay. This is not a conversation about grilling. This is a Conversation, and she is going to put her best girlfriend foot forward.]

It's been lovely. Thank you so much for having me.

[quesadilla]

( "We're happy to have you. And Ryan. The thing is, we haven't seen Ryan in person for over a year now. We know he was only recently affiliated with your charity work and your outreach." Recently in Sandy speak is the last year. "But, we worry about him. Ryan tends to sit in the flames a little too long. Seeks out the grill. Jumps out of the frying pan -- You get it," he explains.

"We just want to make sure Ryan isn't..." )

[vampireboulevard]

I totally get that.

[And she thinks that the person they should be asking is Ryan himself, because she isn't really sure how to talk about it for him. He's been through a lot of change over the course of the last year.

Is she the fire he's referring to?

She's also well aware that Ryan can hear all of this and she doesn't want to misstep.]

If it helps, I don't feel like he's on fire? Or in a frying pan? I'm ... not really sure how this metaphor works. Unless I'm the frying pan in question?

[quesadilla]

( "Life's the frying pan," Sandy says, opening the grill top again and distributing the patties onto the grate. "A life Ryan included us in until he started his involvement in your organization." He turns to her. "And I don't blame you for him checking in less. He is a grown man. I just want to make sure in those times we're kept in the dark, that he has someone. Someone to keep him out of the fire. Or, get him back into the frying pan. It's... not my best metaphor." )

[vampireboulevard]

Oh.

[Okay, that does make her feel better. And even if it's not the strongest metaphor, it's an accurate one.]

I do have his back. I ... I'm still getting to know him in a lot of ways so I don't know him as well as you guys but ... I care about him a lot.

[quesadilla]

( "It shows," he insists. "And Kirsten likes you, which is not an easy get." Kirsten loves them Type-A and feels like since Marissa, Ryan has had that kind of type. "Thank you, for spending this holiday with our family."

He knows something else came up, an emergency that sent her away. But she returned.

He holds the spatula out.

"Want to flip?" )

[vampireboulevard]

Sure.

[She will take the spatula and will very carefully flip the burgers while not getting anything on her outfit.]

And thank you for inviting me. I have my friends and stuff, but it's been a long time since I've been to a real family holiday.

[quesadilla]

( "Ryan said, you lost your mom and dad. We want you to know that, if you ever need anything, we'll never try to compare, but we're all here," Sandy says - half meaning Julie Cooper, too. She's come a long way with all of them as well. He keeps a few questions back about any interactions with Frank, or if she's met Dawn, his mother who isn't doing well but who's further north.

Back at the other group, Ryan looks at Taylor who's caught him. He sips, turning his ears off again. It's Sandy. She knows. She leans into Sweets' side.

"Ryan's listening to whatever Sandy is saying to Caroline." )

[likeababyduck]

Yes, vampires tend to do that.

[And Sweets is not judging. He had a feeling that if his girlfriend was cornered with a parental figure he'd want to be listening in too. He glances over at Ryan.]

Everything okay?

[Caroline swallows because her mom is back now, but ... how does she explain that to Sandy. She won't! Not yet! It's not like she and Ryan are getting married. "I appreciate that. You've all made me feel really welcome."]

[quesadilla]

Yeah. Just Sandy being Sandy.

( It was heavy-handed and a bit vague but the love came across.

"And we will continue to," he insists, dropping the grill front back down. "Alright, you heard my spiel. Go, go back to your boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend." He points with his spatula making it formal more for his amusement. Also, this is Newport. Julia became Kirsten's stepmom that one time. )

[vampireboulevard]

[That is a tangled line of connections but it's not nearly as bad as Mystic Falls so at least there's that. She nods, before making her way back over and glancing over to Ryan.

She knows that he was listening - she's not judging. But did she do good? That's the question that echoes in her glance as she pastes on a smile for Sweets and Taylor.

Sweets nods, glancing between them, before giving Taylor a small squeeze with his arm around her waist. "We should go see if there's any latkes left. We'll see you two back in there?"

Caroline nods.]

Yep. We'll be there in a sec.

[quesadilla]

( Taylor gives a look, like nothing needs to be kept from people, when everyone are friends, but she follows him in, anyway.

Ryan watches them go and then turns to her. )

You okay?

[vampireboulevard]

Yeah.

[She gives him a small smile as she steps closer, wrapping her arms around his waist.]

He's just worried about you and wants to make sure you're okay.