om_main | Scott and Lydia, Tuesday afternoon

Lydia informs Scott that she's hiring X-Factor. Scott is beyond displeased and bad at explaining himself. Lydia is, as ever, determined to do things her way.

Scott swiped his towel over his wet hair, leaving it damp and a little spiky, before he hung it back up. He had just gotten back from the gym and, after a shower, was walking around his room in sweatpants. It had been good to go to the gym, to burn some energy, but now he had logistics to look at, for the team.

He took a seat at his laptop, and powered it up. Time for work.

Lydia smoothed her dress--a simple short skirt with thick leggings and ankle boots--and her hair before knocking. Anyone who saw her would've said she looked like she was walking into a fight. And, in fact, she was pretty sure she was. But now things were settled elsewhere, it was time to settle them with Scott. Game face on. Calm. And. Knock-knock.. "It's me, Scott!"

His instant recognition of the voice meant he didn't bother to put on a shirt. Instead, Scott just went to the door and opened it for her. "Come on in."

He watched her as she did so, closing the door behind her. She looked impeccable, as always, but there was something formidable about her today. Like she was bearing bad news. "What's up, Red?"

"I'm going home to stay with my mother for a while during winter break, and I'd like you to come," she said, closing the door behind her. "She's been on me about meeting you forever now. Dad, too."

"Really?"

She nodded and went to sit on the bed. They'd talked about it briefly ages ago, but no mention had really been made since. "I've just been too busy here to really go home. And honestly, I wasn't ready. I am now, so of course you're invited."

He was a little stunned. Yes, Lydia had mentioned the fact that her parents knew of his existence, before, but Scott hadn't really thought anything would come of it. He wasn't exactly parent-approved material, as far as he could tell. Of course, he didn't have much practice with them, so what the fuck did he know?

Still, 'so of course' he was invited? That was big, right? "And you're honestly ready? Now?"

The surprise did not escape her notice, but she refused to treat it like anything but what it was: a fact. Why would she go home and not invite him? "Whether you refer to going home or to taking you with me, the answer is still yes."

"Well...thanks, Red." He'd never been invited to someone else's house before. At least, not since he'd been very small. "Do I need to...bring something special? I've never really done this before."

"Just yourself," Lydia said with a little smile. Then she grew serious suddenly. "Now comes the part you won't like as much, though. I should've done it a long time ago" --she'd hate herself if anyone else had gotten hurt while she was busy healing her own woundss, but there was no time for that now-- "but I'm ready to solve my own mystery. Who attacked me and why.

"So I've hired X-Factor."

He'd been nodding along, in agreement and understanding - good, she was ready to look into what happened to her - right up until she mentioned, "X-Factor." Scott's tone was flat, emotionless. "You've hired X-Factor to do this."

"Yes. It's what they do, and they're good at it, and Damon knows all the details." She held up one hand. "I know, and you're right, he's not to be trusted. Not with me. But with this, there's no one better for the job than him, Tessa, and Remy."

The way she'd dismissed him with one hand rankled, but it paled in comparison to his intense dislike for the fact that Damon Salvatore would be helping Lydia with her very, very personal issues in her hometown. There was a knot in his stomach, and Scott had to press his lips tightly together to keep himself from saying he would later regret. All that would do is piss Lydia off, and likely lead to her not keeping him informed.

And, even if it bothered him to hear it, Scott still needed to hear it.

He wanted to object, badly. But somewhere in the back of his mind, Scott realized that this was Lydia's personal issue. This was her demon to slay, her trip to Alaska. It was her show, not his. Still, it hurt. Scott crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine."

"I know it's not," she admitted. If not for that conversation with Jean-Paul, she wouldn't even have been this gracious, but, well... he'd had a point. Damn him. "And I am truly sorry that it's Damon. But it is--if not just Damon. They're the only people in the world who do what they do, how they do."

"I doubt that their skill sets can't be replicated by other people," Scott said, voice carefully neutral. If she was going to hire X-Factor, regardless of his opinions (and since she'd done it before talking, he guessed she'd sent that message loud and clear), the least she could do was not justify it with bullshit.

"I think you're wrong," she said with a little shrug. "And even if you weren't, their experience couldn't be.

"I need the best paranormal crime-solvers I can get. That's them." Of course, she wouldn't tell him the rest: that Damon had known she needed to do this for even longer than Scott. That Damon had been one of the first to hear the whole story, and had been thinking of how to help her for ages.

"I think there is more to this that you aren't telling me. Which makes me wonder why you bothered to tell me at all," Scott said. He got up, and went to get dressed. He felt stripped down enough right now.

"That's both ridiculous and unfair," Lydia said. It didn't especially matter that he was right; she didn't ask him to talk about what he'd shared with Lil, and she saw no reason she should be obligated to discuss what she'd shared with Damon. "But if you're done with the conversation, then there's not a lot I can do." She stood.

"Ridiculous and unfair, possibly, but accurate." Scott pulled a shirt on. "Lydia. This is your thing. Your show. And no, I don't like X-Factor. I don't like Salvatore. But if you think you need them, fine." No matter how much it stung, that he wasn't enough. That she felt she needed Damon.

"It's not exactly including someone, though, when you decide everything and just let them know afterwards. I don't do that to you." If he did, he'd have helped Alisha and told her afterwards. "So, yeah. I'll be ridiculous and unfair about it."

"Included in the investigation, hopefully, since they'd be foolish not to work with us," Lydia said. "Included in the decision to do an investigation in whatever way I think is most expedient? No, Scott. You're not. And I fail to see why you should be."

He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "If I took the same approach, I'd have just helped Alisha because I felt obligated to, and told you afterwards. Think about how it feels from this side.

"But yeah. I shouldn't be part of any thinking you ever do about anything personal."

"Right," Lydia said, hands on her hips, obviously pissed. "Because letting someone trying to steal you from me tie you up and make you want to fuck her is exactly the same as hiring someone who wants to fuck you to do a job they're incredibly good at."

"Do you think I'm blind? Or stupid?" Scott asked. "First, let's not pretend his interest in you is one-sided. I wasn't born yesterday. Second, let's not pretend that your personal investment in him has nothing to do with your decision. You don't need Salvatore's skills for this job."

No, what was actually happening was worse. "You personally think you need Salvatore. Don't give me this bullshit about it just being about a job for him."

"I don't care what it is for him, as long as he gets it done," Lydia said. "I do think that I need him--and Tessa--in particular. I know that sucks for you, but I'm not going to lie about it. I also think I can trust them to choose their personnel for the job at hand, because this is literally what they do.

"If that was even slightly different, no other consideration would make me put you in this ugly position, or make you feel this way. But it is a fact, and I need this to be done. Forever."

"No. I'm saying it's not just a job for you." Because it couldn't be. Not an investigation about what had happened to her. Lydia could segregate the personal from necessary like the best of them, but she was still human. "You need Salvatore as a person. That his job gives you the excuse is just bonus.

"So, yeah. I'm in an ugly position," Scott said.

Lydia made a face and opened her mouth to ask on what, exactly, he was basing this assumption. But the thing was, Scott wasn't wrong. She still thought it would be counterproductive to tell him everything, but then... she wanted him to be supportive with full knowledge, or not at all. That was how they operated.

So instead, she said, "Damon and I did preemptive digging over a year ago--into both of our hometowns and their weird happenings. He's very aware of the situation, and yes, that's because of what was once a friendship and is now... in question, to say the least.

"But I would not have hired X-Factor based on that, and I didn't. Just like he has made it clear I'm not welcome in further digging when it comes to Mystic falls. And that's the whole truth."

He weighed her words silently. They didn't help, not really. But at least he had them, and he could guess what the admission cost her. "At least I know now. Thanks." He still felt sort of sick.

Lydia felt a little sick too, but had no idea of backing down. She;d done it how she had for a reason; she'd do it all over again. "I know it's hard, because it implies that nothing is more important to me than resolving my past... even you.

"But I need this, and I need it right. If you can't support me in that, I understand. Think about it, though."

Scott visibly reacted as she spoke, first looking like he'd been slapped and then offended. "You think it bothers me because your well-being is more important to you than I am? Well fuck, if you think I can't understand this is something you need to face, then I kind of have to wonder why you're with me at all."

He shook his head, schooling his face back to neutral. "It's not about you needing to do this, Lydia."

"It is to me," she said simply. "That is all it is about, and all it was ever about."

He couldn't tell if this was his own inability to communicate, or if she was misunderstanding on purpose. "I mean that's not the reason I'm annoyed. I'm annoyed because you tried to by my compliance with omissions, Lydia. You need to do what you need to do, I get that, okay? I do. But you didn't need to lie to me about it."

Her eyes flashed. "What?"

Scott gazed back, evenly. "Which part are you objecting to?"

Lydia glared. "I am not obligated to tell you what I discussed with anyone, Scott. My past or otherwise. That was a courtesy--one I'm suddenly regretting.

"It was not a lie of omission, and you should have backed me up whether I told you that Damon knew about it before or not."

"You're right, you didn't have to tell me anything at all. And yeah, I wouldn't have been thrilled, but I would have backed you up on it, Damon or not. I will back you up on it, even with Damon. But once you decided to give me an explanation, which you did from the beginning, it should have been a real one. Give me something or refuse to give me anything. Be clear about it, though. Don't do this half-hearted hide-the-ball," he retorted.

"I will give you whatever I feel comfortable giving you," Lydia said icily. She turned for the door. "Fuck you for calling me a liar, and fuck you for telling me how to go about my own business."

Scott was so frustrated in that moment - at himself for his inability to articulate what he actually meant in a way that made sense and wasn't fucking terrible, at the situation in general - he could've screamed. She didn't have to tell him more than she was comfortable with, and he wasn't trying to demand it. Somehow, though, he'd said it all fucking wrong. He didn't let the frustration show, though. Instead, he shoved it deep down into a mental box, and pushed it away for the moment.

Damage control.

He was faster than she was, even when she was pissed off, and Scott darted around her. He didn't block the door, she could leave if she wanted to, but he did put himself where she would be forced to notice him. "I'm...not saying of this shit right. I'm sorry. You have no obligation to tell me anything you don't want to. I shouldn't have implied that you do."

She paused, but was perfectly ready to continue to the door if he said one more fucking stupid word to her. "No, you shouldn't. I didn't think you'd enjoy hearing what Damon and I have and have not discussed about our personal lives. I didn't feel comfortable telling you, because it is an awkward situation. And I will never, ever feel bad about that."

No, she wouldn't. Of course. He pushed aside the prick of hurt at that, too. Scott wasn't really sure what to say next. Trying to explain might just fuck this up more, given how steller he'd been doing so far. "I'm just...frustrated, I guess. That you think I wouldn't support you even with the full information." That was much closer.

"That's not what I said," Lydia reminded him. "I just didn't want to go there. Kinda like I don't want you to tell me what you and Lil talked about, personally speaking, before me."

"I know, but that's not...fuck, forget it." He couldn't find the words, and he wasn't going to. "Just know that yes, I'm not really thrilled about that asshole being there. No, it doesn't impact my support. Do what you need to do." Not that she needed his support for it anyway.

"I always do," she said, voice low and dangerous. "And that's all I wanted from you, while I do it. I'm glad you can give it."

"I'm kind of offended you thought I wouldn't. I don't like Salvatore, Lydia, but I'm not a child. And I know this is important to you."

"I thought you would," she corrected. "I knew you would. I even knew this conversation would suck, and I completely get why.

"But even with all that, I couldn't stop myself from getting angry. Angry enough that I don't care if you're offended. So am I."

She never cared if he was offended. Not when they argued. Hell, she rarely cared if he was hurt by it. Or, if she did, her expressing that sentiment was rare. He noticed it every time they fought, and every time it made the pinprick of doubt that much more insistent.

He wasn't good enough. Couldn't be, no matter how he tried. The challenge drove him to be better, but it also made him forever aware how close to the edge he might be. She might hesitate before dumping him, but she would do it.

The reminder of that fact kept him from bringing up the perceived imbalance. "I'm sorry I fucked up." Scott would leave it at that. The fact he clearly wasn't an equal right now could wait. Would wait.

"You didn't fuck up. You just said things I didn't like. It happens," she admitted, softening visibly. "I'm sorry, too. For a lot of things."

"I don't like it. Him having this power over you," Scott admitted. He dropped his gaze down to the floor for a second before looking back up at her. "But that's just because I don't want him to hurt you," and don't want you to leave me.

"But this is...this is your life. Your show, Red. And if you need him there...I can suck it up."

"It's not power, not really," she said firmly. "No one gets to have that. Except, I guess, you, but god knows I fight that too." She sighed.

"Knowledge is power. And this...especially this...it gives him insight, into who you are." He pointed out. That understanding might be used to manipulate Lydia, to hurt her. Scott didn't want that.

"That's true," she admitted. "But anyone with an internet connection could find out most of it. The rest..." a little more firmly, now, "I control."

Scott held his hands up, as though surrendering. "I trust you implicitly, okay. I'm just explaining why it makes me...twitch."

She nodded and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I get it. I'd feel the same. And I may not be sorry I offended you, but I am sorry for the pain it causes."

He wanted, so badly, to believe her. Part of him even did. Scott moved around her, brushing past Lydia in a way more tender than he'd even intended, so that he could sit on the edge of the bed. "I can take it."

"It doesn't mean you should have to. I promise to try and limit how often I'm the cause of it." She huffed out a little sigh, sending stray hair flying.

Scott figured she would. Mostly. It would depend on what she needed. "So...field trip to California."

She nodded and sat next to him. "Yep. I'm guessing we're driving?"

He shrugged, looking more than a little awkward. "Up to you, Red. Like I said, your show. I won't take more time out of your schedule than you want me to."

She narrowly avoided rolling her eyes. "We can discuss travel arrangements later. In the meantime, great, put it on the calendar."

Scott snorted. "Oh, good. I've always wanted a holiday with Damon Salvatore." What? He couldn't help it.

Lydia just laughed. "Right?

"He won't be staying with us, though, never fear. I would not inflict that pain, even on my mother."

"Appreciate it," Scott said, all dry humor. "We'll just inflict my idiot ass on your mother."

"She deserves so much worse than we could ever dish out," Lydia said, but it was good-natured enough. Oddly, the farther away Lydia was from her mother, the closer she felt to her--especially with how supportive she'd been of everything since she'd come to Xavier's.

"Well," Scott promised, like a moron, "I'll do my best."

"I'm sure," Lydia said, smiling faintly. "We always do."