everyonelives | but oh what a year

They were?

( That fact didn't get passed down. )

Your father killed you?

[Stefan nods to both.]

Giuseppe Salvatore was not a very understanding man, to any degree. I didn't realize it until much later but he was quite abusive by today's standards.

I'm sorry, Stefan. That's - ( He can't even imagine. He had cruel friends, but not cruel parents. ) There's a dark side to growing up how we did and everything the founding families passed down. You know that more than any of us.

[Stefan nods.]

And if I'm honest, I don't blame any of them. How vampires exist, especially back then, isn't easy on the humans they live around. And there are a lot of vampires who don't care who they hurt.

Like Katherine.

( He knows things may be different for Klaus or may have become different, for vampires like Isobel. And Caroline. )

Like Katherine. Though she's not a vampire anymore.

[He doesn't know if Elena's gotten around to that but he can't imagine her bringing up Katherine.]

We were told, in case we somehow came face to face with her. Things aren't adversarial, but they aren't - kosher.

( Her parents are going to be biased in their assessment, but Katherine created a lot of carnage. Turned Caroline. They've been told for the better... )

No. She and Elena are still figuring things out.

[But they made it through a whole road trip together so maybe there's progress. But he also knows that Grayson probably doesn't care about that.

Speak of the devil, Elena comes in, bags and boxes in hand, and Stefan raises an eyebrow at her.]

I thought we weren't doing gifts.

["We agreed to that after I already bought them." She sets down one bag and fishes around before passing the wrapped parcel over to Stefan. "Merry Christmas."

She then turns to her father and offers him a small smile. "I have something for you and Mom too. Do you know where she is?"]

I'm losing track of how many grudges I should be keeping or letting go.

( His daughter! Hi honey. He points a thumb behind him. )

In the kitchen with Carol, where I should be.

( The party is bigger than anticipated and sudden and so Carol didn't hire her usual throng of people. Also, with the bevy of supernaturals, it didn't seem right to hire. It's nicer like this, he thinks. More homey. Not Carol's style, though. )

We can open up gifts in there?

Yeah. Sounds good.

[And with that she will lead the way out to where Miranda is helping Carol with the food, and she looks up and blinks when she sees her daughter. "Merry Christmas." Her tone is a bit flat, but Elena tries not to let it get to her.]

Merry Christmas. I have a gift for you and Dad.

["Oh." She glances over her shoulder and gestures towards a spare room nearby. "Will in here work?"]

Sure. Yeah that works.

We'll be right back.

( He tells Carol that before letting his wife and Elena enter the room first, before following behind. He gestures for them to sit and so they do on a shared sofa. )

[Elena leads them over to a bench nearby, before passing the wrapped box over to them.

Inside, once they open it, is a photo album.]

I know we've been overloading you guys with a lot of the bad things that happened, and ... there was a lot of bad. But there was some good too.

[And inside the album is pictures of every major life event that they missed. Graduations, gallery openings, first days at work. She even included pages from her diary - avoiding the more scandalous details, but keeping the good feelings.]

So I wanted you to have that, even if Jer and I lose track of it sometimes.

( Grayson and Miranda share the photo album, flipping through slowly. )

Is this a page from your diary?

( He looks up and then to his wife. )

We - we know there have been good things. Thank you.

Nothing too personal, but ... I don't know. I wanted to add some of what I was feeling. So it could have been like you were there.

[Miranda brushes her thumb over the picture of her and Jeremy at Elena's college graduation and she nods. "Thank you, Elena."

She nods with a small smile.]

I know I've been fumbling a lot and I was going to tell you about Isobel. I just wasn't even sure how I really felt about it yet.

There's a lot to feel. And she didn't get in touch with you directly.

( Did she? )

That would be a nice change of pace if she had. But no. She never does. She just shows up and lights everything on fire in her wake.

[She exhales slowly, letting her shoulders slump.]

Isobel has always been hard to talk about on a good day, and the past few have been pretty crazy.

[Stefan lets them go before stepping off to the side tucking his gift away for later, with the rest of the boxes coming home with him. He then gathers his drink and wanders off into the party, until he finds Bonnie, lingering alone in a room and he offers her a small smile.]

Enjoying the quiet?

( She sees him in the mirror, first, having taken a moment. She remembers this room from that masquerade years ago. Memories of all kinds swirl around the Lockwood property, Stefan not withstanding. Her eyes find some unlit candles. Simpler times.

She turns to face him. )

I guess you could say that. Just - remembering when Katherine linked her life to Elena's.

[Stefan's eyebrows go up as he considers before nodding.]

That was a crazy night.

[He glances over to the windows.]

It was before everything really changed. Before the Originals.

Long lost relatives I never saw again. And, Elena was kidnapped like right after.

( Also, dead Dana. )

Enter Elijah. ( And Klaus. ) Even before Katherine, things felt different. But, once we learned about the sun and moon curse. And Klaus. Nothing was ever the same, was it?

No, I suppose it wasn't.

[He also knows that it's also probably true that things were never the same the moment he came into town. He collided into all of their lives.]

I think sometimes, they can't be.

[Which probably says something about their relationship too.]

I would agree, but, I've gotten past... everything takes time, Stefan.

( It's not just with him. She's gone through it with Damon. Elena. Caroline. She has gone through it and gotten through it. )

I know.

[He pauses, sliding his hands in his pockets as he moves to stand closer.]

Sometimes I don't think I've even gotten past it, if it helps.

It doesn't. ( It's not meant to hurt or to cut him, it's meant to let him know, nothing helps. Nothing makes it okay. They say time heals all wounds but grief has no hold on time. ) But, it doesn't have to. Well. Maybe him being somewhere in this big mansion. Maybe that helps.

( She never needed that for closure, though. )

I know who you are, Stefan. And I've seen you with and without humanity. I know that you - here, now, this you wouldn't have done that. And while that helps me sleep at night... I never forget what all vampires are capable of. Even Caroline. Even you. What kind of witch would I be if I forgot.

And I would never want you to.

[Stefan can't let go of the things he's done, for better or for worse. Especially since so much of it at that time had been at the behest of other people. Of Klaus or Cade.

As much as he and Klaus do get along now, Stefan isn't sure he'd ever forgive him for taking that choice away from him.]

I am glad bad he's back, Bonnie. Him and Shelia both.

but oh what a year

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