Eska ~ The Forgotten Gilbert

14a. We promise, Eska

Stefan's POV

"Sheila Bennett is dead," I told my brother, having just gotten off the phone with a tearful Elena, who had also informed me that she would be staying the night with Bonnie. I'd informed her that Eska was currently unconscious in our house, and she pleaded with me to look after her there until she could come and get her later on. I'd sighed as the line had gone dead and she'd ended the call before heading upstairs to where Damon and Eska were. 

"Mhmm," said Damon, not really listening to me as he sat, looking at Eska, whose eyes were still firmly shut. "Wait, what?!" He turned to look at me as what I'd said sunk in. 

"Yep," I said. "The tomb should never have been opened; it took too much power to try and get us out."

Damon looked back at Eska, frowning. "If it's killed Sheila Bennett, you don't think..." He stood quickly and walked over to her, taking a small hand in his and feeling for her pulse. "Hmm, still alive..." he mused, and I noted the relief on his face. 

Sighing heavily, I walked over to sit on the opposite side of the bed, absent mindedly reaching for Eska's other hand and holding it in my own. "You really don't think we should take her to the hospital?" I asked my older brother, who shook his head firmly.

"And what? Explain that she passed out after performing magical spell? We'd all get sent off to the funny farm..."

"Damon!" I chided, frowning at him. He fell silent, shame flickering across his face as he looked back at her.

Silence descended and I looked down at Eska's hand in mine, running my fingers gently over it. I frowned as I felt raised lines, and looked closer, before turning her hand over. To my horror, I saw that her arm, wrist and hand were lined with scars, some faint and faded, others more pronounced and recent.

"Oh my god," I breathed, looking at my brother in shock.

He didn't look surprised, and I realised then that he knew. 

"I've seen them before," he said, as if reading my mind. "She was unwell and spent the night here because nobody cared to notice her absence. I saw them then." 

"Poor Eska," I muttered, looking back at the pale girl on the bed. Damon said nothing and I stood to leave, offering to pour us both a glass of bourbon. My brother nodded and I left, leaving the room before realising that I'd left my phone on my chair. I turned back and popped my head around the door when I saw Damon leaning closely over Eska, taking her face in his hands and stroking her cheek bones. "Come on, sweetheart," I heard him whisper, before he kissed her forehead.

Eska's POV

Yet again, I awoke staring at the sky, before it transformed into being the two bluest eyes I'd ever seen. The eyes crinkled and I realised they were smiling. "Welcome back," I heard Damon's voice say. 

"Damon?" I whispered, before remembering the happenings of the night. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry about Katherine." A cool finger was pressed against my lips. 

"Shh, kitten, just rest, okay?" 

I nodded feebly, suddenly too tired to tease him about calling me kitten again. Besides, I really did feel sorry for him, and I didn't want to upset him any more than he already was. My eyes began to close, and I felt the bed lift as he stood from where he'd been sitting, and heard the door close gently.

"Stefan, she's woken up," I heard him call softly to his brother. 

"Oh thank god," I heard my friend reply. "I'll text Elena to let her know." 

Damon's POV

It was around an hour later after Eska had first woken up, and safe in the knowledge that she wasn't about to die on me, I'd left her to rest with the aim of making her something to eat when she next woke up. Stefan had text Elena to let her know that her sister hadn't suddenly died like Sheila Bennett had, but surprise, surprise - no reply.

The relief I'd felt when she'd opened her big green eyes was second to none - I felt totally responsible for what she was going through, although I had no doubt that Elena would never have let the seal fix whilst her beloved Stefan was still inside the tomb.

I got to work preparing vegetables when I heard light footsteps, and looking up, saw Eska standing in the doorway. Before I could speak, my brother was standing over by her, guiding her to a chair. 

"How are you feeling, Eska?" He was asking, as I took note of her pale face and unsteady walking.

"I'm fine thanks, Stef," she said, trying to smile encouragingly at him.

"Yeah, that's not fooling anyone," I said, focusing on my cooking whilst I felt Stefan's glare on my back.

"Don't listen to him," Stefan said. "Do you want something to drink? I can get you a water? Some juice?" 

"Water would be great thanks," she said, and he sped off to get it for her. "Sorry to be such a pain," she said, and I realised she was talking to me.

Setting the spoon I was using down, I turned to look at her, noting how her large green eyes stood out in her pale face. "You're not a pain, Eska." I said, honestly. "And I'm very grateful for what you did at the tomb."

She was about to reply when Stefan came back, holding a glass of water in his hands. He gave it to her and she took a sip, and I noticed my brother frowning as he watched her shaking hands. He waited for her to put the glass down and looked at her seriously. "Es, do we need to take you to the hospital? You really don't seem well." 

Her eyes widened with alarm. "Please, please don't take me to the hospital! They'll send me away again, please!" She was getting agitated and I knew that I wasn't the only one to notice her heart rate sky-rocket. My brother looked at me for help, and I walked over to them.

"Okay, okay, we won't take you there, it's fine!" I soothed, trying to calm her down. 

"Promise me?" she whispered, her eyes full of tears. 

I looked warily at my brother who nodded. "We promise, Eska," he said.