om_main | Damon and Lydia, Backdated to Dec 17

Damon and Lydia solidify X-Factor's preparations for a trip to Beacon Hills.

"Okay, so, I'm thinking the fact that this Hale guy works at Memorial and owns a place out in the woods at least makes him our first stop," Lydia said, sinking into one of the comfy couches at X-Factor's barn headquarters. She only had eyes for the info on her iPad, though, at the moment. "What's the first step of getting to him without tipping him off?"

"Simple. We check out the guy's work schedule at the hospital, then pay a little trip to his house while he's off changing bed pans," Damon smirked, toasting her with a glass of bourbon. "Maybe set up a few cameras around the place, see what Bellamy can pick up."

Lydia nodded, gaze flicking up to shoot him a smile at the toast, then back down to her tablet. "Okay, makes sense. Too hard to make more plans until we get that done, I guess.

"I'll need to lie low so no one knows I'm home but my parents. What kind of disaster prep do we need to have ready before we go?"

"Disaster prep?" Damon scoffed. "We're bringing a mutant strike force with us. What kind of disaster prep do you think we're going to need?"

Lydia gave a delicate snort of a laugh. "I take your point, fine. I didn't know if you and Sage had any kind of--I don't know. Process for predicting potential drama when it comes to a case. Probably not enough data in this one, anyhow."

"Sage and I have our tools, yeah." Damon swirled his glass thoughtfully, making a mental checklist. "I'll make sure they're packed, but the weapons won't make it through airport security. My collapsible bo might...but anything else, we'll have to scrounge up in Beacon Hills. Our biggest weapon'll be Braddock, if this guy really is a psychic."

"I've tried to come up with alternate explanations, but nothing fits. There's no technology, no known drug, that induces that particular kind of hallucination." She sighed a little. "But if you get me a list of what you need, I'll see what I can dig up."

"This isn't exactly like any other case X-Factor's taken on," he pointed out, leaning back in his chair.

"Mostly, it's monsters and ghosts. And in one case, a sentient house," which was said completely without irony, his lips ticking up in a smirk. "The EMF detectors and voodoo dust isn't going to help us here. We're going to need to get in and find out what's going on before the telepath can figure out what's going on, which means moving fast."

Lydia nodded. "No one knows I'm coming except my mother, and she knows not to say a word. Scott and I will stay with her--Actually." A thought struck and Lydia looked up. "Would it help if we drove, so we could take your equipment?" Scott would probably rather, anyhow.

Damon raised an eyebrow at her. "You want to drive cross-country with me and Summers in the car?"

Lydia winced. "Okay, good point. Maybe you and Simon should fly." Betsy was already meeting them, after all. "And I could drive with Scott?

"Or we can just have my mother pre-arrange to get you what you need. Or I could when we get there, if you'd rather keep her uninvolved. She's not the brightest, but she's not a complete idiot, either. She has her moments."

Damon set his glass down on the table and leaned forward, into her space, blue eyes dancing. "No...no, I think I'm starting to warm up to this driving idea..."

She made a face. "Pleeeease. I am keeping you two as far from each other for as long as possible. I do not want this getting derailed before it even starts." But she smiled, even gave a little laugh there, because she honestly didn't think either of them would do that, in the circumstances. Not even a little.

"Yeah?" He reached up, sliding his thumb down the curve of her jaw. "What about me and you?"

"Stop trying to provoke." She rolled her eyes and swatted his hand away gently. "Save it for after we've found this fucker. God, I hope I get to stab--whoever it is."

Something flinched in his eyes but he smirked and sat back, reaching for his glass again. "I'll make sure we save the honor for you."

She caught both the flash in his look and the immediate reach for the bourbon, but pretended not to. That old concern again, as familiar as the occasional ache in her side, just beneath the scar: Should we even be friends? Is it fair to him?

This was business, yeah, but it also wasn't and they both knew it.

Lydia just smirked back at him, packing it all away for another time. "Much appreciated. So get me that list and I'll put Mom on it. Do you guys need cash upfront or will you tally expenses in the end?"

He rolled his eyes. "Save it. We'll figure out what you owe us when we know what we've gotten ourselves into. Bellamy and I'll fly. You and Summers and drive ahead with the equipment and weapons. Don't put your mom on the scent or we'll have more trouble than we need when we get there. Relax. I took a look at Google Earth. The guy's house is remote, we'll be in and out before he knows what's going on. You can stab him all you want, and Braddock will cover our asses. It's a good plan."

"It's a great plan," Lydia said. Especially the stabbing part, as far as she was concerned. A slight pause, then, "Someone should get a read on this Hale guy in person, too. Maybe while we do surveillance, send Betsy to the hospital..."

Damon nodded. "Send Summers with her as backup, just in case this guy enjoys fucking with psis."

Lydia cocked an eyebrow, but didn't comment beyond, "Good idea." She tapped at her tablet a few times. "That should at least be enough to tell us which direction to go, then."

"Just because I think the guy's a moron with a stick up his ass doesn't mean I'm not going to use his tactical advantage," Damon pointed out in response to the eyebrow. "You're bringing him, so we're going to use him."

She had known he wouldn't let her get away with just... moving on. She nodded, a slightly wry smile on her face. "And he'll pair well with Betsy in terms of tactics and abilities."

"Exactly," Damon waved a hand expansively. And then, because he couldn't resist a jab, "It's the least he can do when he has no experience whatsoever in a situation even remotely similar to this."

She shook her head sightly and looked back at the iPad. "Yes, Damon, I know. And you do.

"What else do we need to straighten out before we go?"

"Just...one last thing," Damon hummed, looking up at her, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Which of your friends is most likely to get in the way?"

"From home?" Lydia thought for a moment.

"If any of them are still running around, and not at college," Damon amended.

Allison... might actually be helpful. Jackson, maybe? No, why would he even care? Then she remembered that moment of coming back to lucidity in the woods, looking at the Sheriff and ... "Stiles." She winced. Not exactly a friend, but he tried? "This guy, he had kind of a crush on me, I think? Nice kid but--I'll make sure not to cross paths with him before we get started."

"You sure you don't want me to just head it off at the pass? I can make sure he stays out of the way," Damon smirked.

Lydia pursed her lips at him.

The smirk dropped away. "I'm serious. If he's going to fuck this up or tip us off to the mark, then we need to use every resource. I'm not going to hurt your friend. Just...tell him to stay busy at the mall or whatever."

"If I have my way, he won't know I'm in town. Not until it's all over, anyhow. Then, I'll talk to my friends," Lydia promised. "If I happen to run into them before, I'll make it known that they are to stay busy elsewhere. Out of our hair."

"Because that always works," Damon commented without malice or, really, all that much heat. He accepted it as her show, and if she wanted to handle it, fine. It was clear he was already riding some kind of line with her, and he didn't want to push it. "That's fine. I'll make sure Chroma and I will stay invisible-" pun intended "-on our end of things too."

Lydia nodded, satisfied. "If that's everything, then I guess I should go start packing for a hell of a road trip."

Damon rolled up to his feet, strolling over to the bottle of whiskey on the counter. "Text me when you're going to drop by for the equipment. Sage and I'll have it ready."

"Thank you, Damon." She stood and turned to look at him for one long, quiet second. Then turned to leave. "I'l let you know."

He glanced over his shoulder, giving a slight nod. "You do that."