No One's POV

"So, how's life in a small town as a teacher treating you, big brother?" Eliza's voice asks over the phone, tone a bit teasing. "Better yet, how's life in Mystic Falls treating you? Missing me yet?"

"I'm always missing you, Eliza. And, it's fine. For your information." Alaric snorts lightly over the phone, stressing the word fine, which would indicate the opposite to Eliza, while shifting his cell to his other shoulder as he cooks dinner for himself in his two bedroom apartment.

"Right… Fine. Like I really believe that. With the shitstorm that is the town you live in? Come on, what am I? Ten?" Eliza snarks, Alaric practically seeing the eye roll from over the phone.

"Language." Alaric jokes.

"Haha." Eliza laughs. "Seriously, as the resident Hunter in Mystic Falls, which draws more drama than the Scooby gang or Dean and Sam Winchester, what is it this time?"

"Eliza…" Alaric says, voice actually becoming firmer. "You know I don't want you involved in this."

"I'm already involved in this."

"Okay, more involved in this than you already are." Alaric corrects, thinking back to the reasons he began hunting in the first place; despite the story he had crafted upon coming to Mystic Falls it wasn't because of his wife Isobel, or at least, it wasn't solely because of her. It was because of his sister Eliza and their parents, who had been murdered when Eliza had been in middle school and he had been barely out of college.

"I miss you, 'Laric." Eliza says softly, voice now wobbling a little. "It's not the same here. I want you to come home."

"I miss you too 'Liza." Alaric replies, slightly softly.

"Then come back. You don't have to help them. What do you owe them? I mean, really?" Eliza says, now pouting a little, ever the little sister she was by eleven years.

"You know why, 'Liza." Alaric replies, now sounding conflicted.

"Then I'm coming to you." Eliza says, voice determined.

"No." That was said definite and resolute. "Absolutely not."

"Too late, big brother." Eliza chimes in a bit too cheerfully.

"Eliza…" Alaric warns, tone dropping. "You didn't."

"Guess who's visiting you in Mystic Falls!?"

"No, Eliza."

"Yes, Eliza!" Eliza only chatters back overly happy. "See you soon, big brother!"