darkest timeline } { of big reveals and complicated families

[hereditare]

Laura: [she tries not to put herself in this position, knowing where it's going to end. She tries to keep herself busy with other things so she doesn't get too attached, but in the end, she can't help but feel drawn back to him and finds her spending more of her mornings in his bed than her own. This particular morning is the last, definitively. Tomorrow she flies back to California with her mother, and Derek gets his chance to live his own life for a while. Certainly not something that's worth trading in for a two week fling, but at the same time, part of her wants to stay. But she can't. It's not her turn.

Taking a deep breath, she reaches down and finds his henley on the floor. Pulling it over her head, she slides out of bed and goes to investigate what he has in his fridge. Feels like the least she can do is make breakfast, if they're going to be saying goodbye, and maybe it'll give her some time to get her thoughts in order]

Esposito: [and he will shift into the warmth of her spot, taking in her scent while continuing to doze. Eventually he will realize that he's alone in bed and will get up, pulling on a pair of short before padding into the kitchen. He sees her cooking breakfast and just leans in the doorway, smiling]

Laura: [hears him moving and turns when he stops in the doorway] I'm glad you at least had eggs or this romantic breakfast would have been a lot less impressive. [scrambled eggs, bacon, toast - it's a pretty good spread]

Esposito: [chuckles] I would've gone to the mercardo if you needed.

Laura: I know. But that would have ruined the surprise. [she grabs a pair of plates before tipping her head towards the coffee maker] Coffee's ready.

Esposito: [she gets a happy noise at the mention of coffee. But he's going to walk over and slide up behind her, pressing her back against his chest and kissing along her neck.]

Laura: [closes her eyes as she leans back into him, trying to ignore the shiver when his lips find the spot where all werewolves are sensitive] You are very good at that.

Esposito: Well, you make it easy. Plus, when I have a girl, I make sure she's well taken care of.

Laura: So I've noticed. [she scoops up some eggs from one of the plates and offers it up to him to taste] Does it need more salt?

Esposito: [he'll take the proffered bite and let it roll over his tongue.] Nah. It's perfect.

Laura: Good. [and she'll turn to kiss him before passing him a plate] Eat before it gets cold. [she's not going to let him distract her from his enjoying her hard work]

Esposito: [and he'll obediently take the plate and put it on the kitchen counter, then fix up their coffee] So what are your plans today?

Laura: I have summit stuff all day, and then family dinner tonight. Then on a plane tomorrow to fly back to California.

Esposito: So no chance seeing you one more time after you leave here?

Laura: Probably not. [though she does sound sad about that] Our flight's really early. It's probably better if I just leave from the Air B and B.

Esposito: Understood. [yeah, he's sad about it too] I bet I can swing a vacation that way in a month or two.

Laura: I'd really like that. [because not seeing him again didn't really seem fair] I'm sure I could get away for a week or something. Meet you in LA?

Esposito: Sounds like a plan.

Laura: Good. And it might be nice. To ... actually spend time talking with each other. Since we know the physical stuff works.

Esposito: [chuckles] That would be a good thing for us to do.

Laura: Just a little. I mean, I'm sure this relationship could last on sexual chemistry alone, but it'd be nice if there was more than that.

Esposito: Now I feel bad that I didn't provide you with the right kind of stimulation.

Laura: Oh, you did. We just kept getting distracted.

Esposito: And that wasn't always my fault.

Laura: No it was not. I'm very good at distractions.

Esposito: [grins] You'll get no complaints from me.

Laura: [grins] I'm definitely going to miss those distractions.

Esposito: Guess I'll be checking on my PTO time today at work.

Laura: If you find the time, I'll make sure to work you into my calendar. [she finishes off her eggs, before checking the time on the microwave with a sigh] But I should probably shower and get out of here.

Esposito: Already?

Laura: You have to get to work, and I have a lot of final things to do at the summit today. [she leans a bit closer as she does] Unless we have a good reason to be late?

Esposito: Well, New York traffic is notoriously bad. sometimes it's better to wait until after the early birds get to the office.

Laura: You are the traffic expert. I completely trust your judgement. But what will you do with me until then?

Esposito: Well, you do need a shower. How about I scrub your back?

Laura: That would be very helpful. And conserve water, if we're both showering together.

Esposito: And efficient, no missed spots.

Laura: That definitely sounds like the best course of action. [she glances back to the mess she left in his kitchen] Should we do the dishes first?

Esposito: Yeah, probably a good plan.

Laura: [nods as she leans in to give him a quick kiss and goes to clean up]

Esposito: [and he'll go start the shower so it's nice and warm]

Laura: [and not long after she will join him, lingering under the water and enjoying their last morning together to the best of their ability]

Talia: [and, many hours later after the summit is complete, the two of them arrive at the Abattoir to meet the rest of their family. Talia looks around the bar and takes it in with a nod] Interesting place. I can see why Cora likes it.

Laura: [nods] Yeah, it's got her kind of hipster vibe.

Derek: [and he will probably be off with some of the Mikaelsons, trying to make friends among them.]

Peter: [sits at a table with Malia, sharing a basket of fries]

Hayley: [and because of this friendliness he will be subjected to a series of photos of Klaus and Hayley's new baby girl, aka the best thing in Hayley's life, you're welcome. Kol claps him on the shoulder as he heads back behind the bar because you asked for it, mate.]

Malia: [looks up and flashes her a smile as Talia and Laura make their way over] Hi, Aunt Talia!

Talia: Hello, Malia. Are we just missing Cora?

Malia: She said she might be a little late because class ran long.

Talia: Then hopefully she'll be here soon.

Derek: She's adorable.

Peter: [and he will stand up and greet his niece and sister properly] Until then, you should both relax. Get a drink and something to eat.

Hayley: She is. Probably the best thing I've ever made.

Talia: [nods before looking over to where Laura and Malia have started bonding] Do you want something?

Laura: [shakes her head as she steals one of Malia's fries] I'm good for now.

Talia: [nods, and makes her way over to place her order. It's one of the rare instances when Elijah is behind the bar - he's usually in the kitchen, but Rebekah needed the night off and Freya is avoiding Talia.]

Elijah: What can I get you?

Talia: White wine, if you have it?

Elijah: [looks up, and as he studies her, his eyes soften. He seems to be looking past her, to something deeper and he reaches forward to place a hand on her arm gently] ... I'm so sorry. [Talia pulls away, unsettled, and he shakes his head] My apologies. One white wine, coming up.

Peter: [and he knows his sister and picks up that instance of unsettlement in her chemosignals and walks over] What happened?

Talia: Nothing.

Elijah: [looks at a loss because she clearly doesn't want to talk about it, and he shakes his head] Nothing. My mistake. I thought I saw something, but clearly I was wrong. [he places the white wine down in front of her] Enjoy. [this is why he usually stays in the kitchen, and he's off to convince his sister to tag in]

Peter: [...yeaaaah, nope. Concerned brother mode has activated] Tali...

Talia: It's nothing, Peter. [and she's going to leave it at that and head back to the table, but will pick up the sound of Mikaelson's debating in the kitchen. while those details don't provide anything concrete, it does tell him that Elijah is going to be taking out some trash to the dumpster in the alley before he returns to work - hopefully in the kitchen]

Peter: [oh yeah, he hears it too. He debates a moment, then does his expert move silently skill to slip out of the room and into the alley]

Elijah: [whistling to himself as he drops the bag into the dumpster, turns to head back in and jumps out of his skin when the werewolf appears behind him] Peter. It's Peter? Sorry, I didn't see you there.

Peter: I'm sorry for sneaking up on you, but I wanted to speak with you out of earshot of those inside.

Elijah: Of course. What can I do for you?

Peter: What did you see in my sister?

Elijah: [and there he hesitates, because this is personal and he's not sure if he shoulder share it] That's something you should probably discuss with her.

Peter: My sister won't talk about things like this. She has to maintain that Alpha persona, even with me, even as her second. So if you can help me know what's wrong, I can plan on how to help her.

Elijah: [swallows hard because he knows what he saw] I'm not sure there's much you can do.

Peter: [and his tone softens to that of a worried brother] Please. If it was your sister, you'd want to know.

Elijah: [bringing his sisters into this is very rude of you, Peter. he sighs] It's a broken mate bond.

Peter: [but it works, and it's true. He nods] I know. Her husband passed a while ago now.

Elijah: How long ago?

Peter: Thirteen.

Elijah: Weeks?

Peter: Years.

Elijah: [at first his eyes widen because that's generally impossible. Then the surprised look fades to something more discerning as he tries to make sense of what he saw] She's the alpha, isn't she? That would make more sense. She's supplementing the loss with pack bonds. [a beat as he goes to close the dumpster] It's not uncommon for alphas in her position, ones without a heir fully ready to succeed them.

Peter: It's common knowledge that alphas get their strength from their betas. But you think that it's keeping the effects of the mate bond away?

Elijah: More like a counterweight. She's hemorrhaging massive amounts of mystical energy, and is borrowing from her pack bonds in order to make up the difference. Honestly, even when an alpha is able to supplement the loss, they can only manage for a few years at most. Not without close and constant contact with her pack.

Peter: Which she doesn't normally have. Cora and I live here, and Laura is getting her degree. Only Derek is there with her.

Elijah: Ask him if he's noticed a difference in the time they've been in New York. In her attitude, her demeanor. It's possible she's reinvigorated some with you all being in close proximity. Or ... she's been taking a lot more from him than he realizes.

Peter: [thinks] He has been more like his old self the longer he's been here.

Elijah: [he nods] He likely has more energy to spare.

Peter: [nods, the wheels in his head spinning] Thank you for telling me this. I may not be able to solve it, but I can support her through it.

Elijah: Of course. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. This happens to be my area of expertise.

Peter: I appreciate that, and I will let you know.

Elijah: [nods and with that he retreats back into the kitchen]

Peter: [and he will slide back into the party, unsure of what to say, but debating a few options over in his head]

Cora: [and she will have arrived while he was outside, grabbing a drink from the bar and smiles when she sees him] Hey. There you are. We were about to order. [and then, because she knows his faces well enough at this point] What's wrong?

Peter: Something we can talk on later. [he blinks out of his own mind and smiles] How are you doing?

Cora: Starving. Let's eat. [and she'll guide him back to the table so they can have that family dinner]

Peter: [yes, dinner would be a welcome distraction]

Cora: [they all have a lovely dinner and then head back to the B&B for after dinner drinks and an uncomfortable conversation probably.]

Peter: [yup, because he's going to pull the three kids into the kitchen while Talia reads Malia a bedtime story in an upstairs bedroom.] So, I have something to tell you three, and we need to decide on how we're going to handle this as a pack.

Laura: [frowns because that sound ... ominous] Shouldn't Mom be here then?

Peter: It's about you mother. [he takes a deep breath] Your friend Elijah [said to Cora] is an empath, and he felt that your mother is still dealing with the effects of losing your father and the mate bond.

Cora: [her eyes narrow. she knows that Elijah's skills lie in reading the flows of energies but this is the first she's heard of this] I ... wait, they were actually mated?

Laura: [brow furrows] What does that mean, exactly?

Peter: [to Cora] Yes, they were. [looks to Laura] When a mate dies, the damaged bond takes a toll on the soul. Most die within weeks or months of their partner's death. A few survive longer, but usually because of a large pack bond that help feed the energy back into the alpha. From what I gather, as we've left Beacon Hills, she's been losing more energy.

Cora: [it takes a second as she processes this information and tries to make sense of it] So she's just been energy sucking all of us to survive?

Laura: Cora.

Cora: Am I wrong? [then there's a beat as she realizes and gets angrier] No, not us. Derek.

Peter: [holds up a hand before Cora explodes] Your mother didn't intend for all of us to leave town. She may not even realize what she's doing.

Derek: If it helps keep Mom alive, she can have all my energy. [determined]

Cora: No, that's not fair. [looking to her brother] Look, I'm not unsympathetic. I'm sure whatever she's going through has sucked, but it's been thirteen years. You can't just keep her alive forever - you'll never have a life of your own.

Laura: [just conspicuously quiet as she runs through the implications, trying to figure out why this is happening and coming to a rather unfortunate conclusion]

Derek: You all LEFT! [wow, he's angry. He never realized just how angry he was at this] You can be as mad at mom all you want, and yeah, maybe it sucks being trapped in Beacon Hills, but she's my mother and I love her. I wasn't going to abandon her like everyone else, leaving her alone in the house. Do you know how quiet it became after you guys left? How many nights I listened to her crying because you [points at Peter] made her send you away and you [points at Cora] blame her for everything wrong in your life. Laura at least stayed within driving distance, but you two went to the other side of the country. And you didn't just abandon her. You abandoned ME too. So while yeah, I was all that she had... she was all I had too. [and he's going to just turn and storm out, because he needs to run off his anger somewhere]

Cora: [her jaw sets because no, she's still angry. She never intended to abandon him. She spent so much of this trip making sure that Derek would be able to stay here with her. She can't help but feel that Talia abandoned her first, emotionally, if not physically, and this revelation only seems to justify everything she knew back then but couldn't put into words. She shakes her head, before following Derek out - not to track him down but just to be somewhere else] Fuck this.

Laura: [and that just leaves Laura, who is still uncomfortably quiet]

Peter: [rubs at the bridge of his nose] Well, I guess there'll be no dessert.

Laura: Guess not.

Peter: You were quiet through all that. What's on your mind?

Laura: She's doing this because of me. [she tries not to sound upset, but Peter can likely hear the tremor in her voice] Because she doesn't think I'm ready.

Peter: [sighs, then looks up at his niece] It's not that she doesn't think you can do it. She wants more time to teach you. More time to have your life before your become something more.

Laura: And because of that Derek had to suffer. Yeah, that makes it all feel really worth it.

Peter: I had a solution I was going to suggest before the kids started arguing.

Laura: And what's that?

Peter: Convincing your Mom to stay in New York for awhile so we can all be here.

Laura: Will the other alphas in town be okay with that?

Peter: From what your mom's told me, Satomi has helped her with the preserve for years now. I think if we allow her pack access to our lands in return for protecting the town, knowing we will be there if needed, she would want your mother to feel better.

Laura: I didn't mean that town. I meant this one.

Peter: Well, I have a good relationships already with the local packs. I'm sure if I explain the situation, they will understand.

Laura: [nods] This can't be a permanent solution. You know that, right?

Peter: I know. And we don't even know if she'll agree to it. But it could give her the time and strength to help you feel secure and prepared.

Laura: [and yeah, she doesn't know how she feels about that. About feeling like somewhere along the way she's basically going to be giving her mother permission to die.] Yeah, I guess.

Peter: [sees the hesitation] What's wrong?

Laura: [she shakes her head] Nothing that matters right now. [and before he can try and push the issue] I need to get some air. But you should talk to Mom.

Peter: In a bit. When I don't think she'll tear me a new one

Laura: Okay. I'll be downstairs in a minute. [she pushes up to press a kiss to his cheek] We'll figure it out.

Peter: We will. It's what families do.

Laura: [gives his arm one last squeeze before heading out and down to the street for a breather. Meanwhile in Malia's room, the door opens and closes, indicating the story is done]

Peter: [and he takes a deep breath, then goes to find himself another glass of wine to bolster his courage]

Talia: [makes her way into the kitchen, and is surprised when she doesn't find any of her children] Did something happen?

Peter: Derek finally had hit his breaking point on feeling abandoned by his sisters. Cora took the bait and they fought, then went their own ways. Laura just needed some air.

Talia: [raises an eyebrow] And why is that?

Peter: [takes a long drink of his wine] Because we realized why You've kept Derek close.

Talia: [her jar sets, and she frowns] You spoke with the witch from the bar.

Peter: If it helps, I pretty much forced the intel out of him.

Talia: [no, it doesn't, but it's not Elijah's fault] It's not why at first. I didn't realize how dependent I had become on him until later.

Peter: When you realized it, why didn't you call me?

Talia: Because I could manage. I made sure Laura was home when Derek had to leave with Stiles, and things were fine.

Peter: But you can't use your children like batteries, Talia. I would have come back to help if you just asked. More people around makes the strain on the pack less.

Talia: And what were I to say, Peter? Having more people around wouldn't have changed the facts. I'm not doing this to live forever.

Peter: No. But right now, Laura thinks you're doing it because of her not being ready.

Talia: Well, she's not.

Peter: Then you need to start preparing her.

Talia: That is the plan. But there are certain things, like finding a mate of her own, that I can't do for her.

Peter: She doesn't stay in any one place too long to form one. [thinks] I'm certain she's sleeping with my partner currently.

Talia: That's not the point. The point is, I can only sustain this for so long, even with help. Eventually my body is going to give out and she'll have to step up. But I didn't want ... [deep breath] I didn't want it to feel like it was her fault, or that the reason you came home was because I was dying. As I said, I was managing.

Peter: You don't have to just manage, Tali. Stay here in New York with us. Let us all help you manage while Laura learns and Derek figures out his own life.

Talia: And what about the alphas who actually live here?

Peter: I'll talk with them. I mean, I've spent the last decade out here building alliances for us. Now's the time to see how well they hold.

Talia: Fine. [Victor should go over well enough, but it's the rest that concern her] If they agree, I will consider it.

Peter: I think your bigger problem is fixing your relationship with Cora.

Talia: [snorts] That might be asking too much.

Peter: Miracles happen.

Talia: I don't have anything to give her, Peter.

Peter: What she needs is for you to make her feel that she isn't expendable.

Talia: [and she doesn't know that she can do that. The part of her that Cora needs died when her husband did.] I don't think it's me she should be looking for that from.