ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ɪs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsᴀʟ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʟɪғᴇ. ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ᴅɪᴇs, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ʟɪᴠᴇs.

[tramplemain]

ꫀꪜꫀꪹꪗꪮ᭢ꫀ ꪶỉꪜꫀక

1 - kol when he finds out why kieran proposed this experiment.
2 - anything with the heirs prior to David getting possessed.
3 - allison and lydia post nogitsune
4 - shep's early days in the underground
5 - bela and elijah's jet setting adventures
6 - oliver and laurel getting together
7 - rebekah and doc, first meeting
8 - derek and hayley, date night
9 - alice and doc, attempts to bond
10 - faith and mia, training montage
11 - That is a very long story involving a psychic and a circus in South Florida. Sweets.

Comments

12

[foreclosures]

The "Fine," echoes in her mind as she holds the phone in her hand. Katherine's moved outside, for the privacy, and maybe for her own benefit. Damian knows all her squishy parts and met her with most of her dark parts intact, but there is a side to her he never saw. The ruthless vampire always ten steps ahead. The one who would betray someone at the top of a hat if they can get her the better deal.

Isobel knows her better. Not for longer, not anymore, but it felt like it, didn't it.

One final sigh and she dials the number that dialed Damian.

"He never gave his name. You've trained him well," Isobel says, having taken a seat at one of the most impractical benches in the Apple store.

"So, it's true," Katherine says, taking a few more steps away from the front door of her building. Damian can be emotional support from in the penthouse. She'll return to him after she decides what this even is. Who's calling her.

"Against all the odds and with no help from Klaus, I think," Isobel says, watching Adrienne at one of the tables.

"This wasn't Klaus," she affirms.

"No, I realized that." She'll get back to the person she appeared beside. Or, she won't. That's yet to be determined. "Phones are everything, now, did you know that?"

"Everything you need in one place, but can it tuck you in at night," Katherine deadpans.

"We've never had a problem finding someone who'll tuck us in at night, Katherine. Case in point, your male caller." Well, answerer, she'd correct.

"He's not up for discussion, yet." If there is a yet. She approaches the fountian, crossing the roundabout.

"Are you near water?"

Behind Isobel, someone from the Genius bar calls for the next customer.

"Are you in an Apple store?"

"Well, I can't possibly do anything without a phone, can I? That's what they'd have me believe," she says, looking back to her right. "But, I didn't call you to make technical commentary."


"It's been a long time."

"Didn't I say that?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Katherine asks, stepping a heel up on the edge of the fountain. She tests her balance as she hoists herself up completely, clacking in a circle.

"Taking Elena to the cemetery. It was Klaus."

"I know," she says, opening that old wound.

"I really would have helped you, though, not at my daughter's expense," Isobel briefly explains. "He got to me. Everything I did was because of him. No doubt his form of revenge on you, or perhaps Elena for shirking him for so long..." She doesn't know, does she. "All I know, is that I'm alive in an Apple store. And a man answered your phone."

"His name is Damian," she finally says.

"Like The Omen."

"Well, he does have a devilish side," she coos. But, she changes the subject before she can go in more detail. "Things aren't the same, Isobel."

"I gathered that, seeing as it's been over thirty years. I have questions."

"I might have answers."

"So cagey. I really did teach you well."

"I taught you, but, you didn't need the lesson, did you. You had things handled. Better than I did after I first turned," Katherine says, sweeping a foot down over the side.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Borderline," she admits.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"A lot. Are you curious about Elena?"

Isobel doesn't have an answer for that. She was the monumental disappointment. Lost all trust in her, even if she was about to betay her, and then immolated herself in front of her.

"Elena doesn't need me complicating her life right now, not when I'm just getting my bearings."

"What would you say if I told you, you weren't the most complicated part of Elena's life? That, maybe hearing from your wouldn't destroy her. Or, if you did track her down, the door might not be completely slammed in your face."

"I would ask you why you even care."

"I don't," she feigns. She steps down, sitting herself on the edge of the fountain.

"You used to be such a good liar."

"You wanted me to call you back," Katherine says.

"I thought knowing Klaus was behind what I did, maybe there'd be water under this bridge."

"There is," she replies, switching her phone to the other ear.

"So, you were calling about Elena."

"Among other things," she says. "You called, I called back. It's what we do."

"I should go," Isobel says, getting to her feet, smoothing out her new dress. "This was fun," she says into the receiver as she looks down at her phone. She ends the call. Thirty-odd years not on this Earth, she still knows Katherine better than she thinks.

"Is --" The line goes dead. Kind of like their friendship. Maybe it would still be did had Katherine told her. She's human now. No longer immortal. Her daughter did that. But, now isn't the time.