Singing Blood

The Dinner Party

It was the next morning after the werewolf attack and Stefan was standing on the docks outside of the Gilbert Lake House, skipping stones across the lake. He was still furious about last night's events and the revelation that Elena had given up and was set on sacrificing herself to Klaus so everyone else would live. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't lose her. His phone started buzzing and he picked it up. It was Damon."What's going on?" he asked his brother."Well, I showered. I shaved. Had breakfast. Very relaxed."Stefan sighed."That makes one of us.""I did hear one piece of good news though. Tyler Lockwood ran away from home last night."Stefan frowned. He had just met the Lockwood boy last night after he had tried to kidnap Elena with his werewolf friend to break the curse, not knowing it would result in her death. He had felt incredibly guilty after finding out the truth and went back home - or so Stefan had thought."How do you know?""Well, I heard it from Sheriff Forbes, who heard it from a very distraught Carol Lockwood, thus, ending our werewolf chapter, bringing us to...""...killing Elijah.""Exactly.""Well, it's not going to be easy. He's crafty.""Well, I've got a crafty little dagger."Stefan bit his lips, concerned that his brother would do something without thinking it through like he always did. Elijah was dangerous. They had to be careful. If they failed at the first try, he would no doubt kill them all."He's an Original. We don't know what all that encompasses."Damon clicked his tongue."Oh, trust me, Stefan. I'm gonna dot all my t's. I don't want any surprises.""Wow, Damon, tell me you're actually gonna be careful for once?" He was thoroughly impressed. Damon sighed on the other end of the line."Yes, Stefan, I've become you. How tragic for both of us. Got to run. I've a murder to plan. Busy day."He ended the call and Stefan put away his phone. When he looked back at the house, he could see Elena observing him through the window. He sighed and straightened his shoulders before making his way back inside. He couldn't hide from her forever. It was time to put some sense into her.

After that terrible shock from last night, I was looking forward to an ordinary, quiet and peaceful day. Jenna and I had met with Elijah early this morning to give him a tour of some of the historical sights of Mystic Falls, hoping we could help him find whatever he was looking for. It was a nice morning walk. We laughed and joked a lot and forgot all our worries for a few hours."The old Fell property actually starts just beyond that fence," Jenna said, pointing at the run-down fence on our right."Ah, the Fells. One of the Founding Families," Elijah mused.Jenna and I looked at him."Why do you say it like that?""My research showed me that this area was actually settled almost two full centuries earlier. It was a migration of townsfolk from the northeast, um, it was Salem, to be precise."Jenna's eyes grew wide."Massachusetts? As in the witch trials?"Elijah nodded."Which means the ever-lauded founding families...didn't actually found anything."I smiled at Jenna triumphantly."See? I told you all that founding families stuff is just made up bullshit! There has been plenty of proof of settlements in this area way before the nineteenth century." I thought back at the strange viking runes Jenna and I had stumbled upon years ago when we were playing Hide and Seek at the old Lockwood Estate in the woods. Jenna snorted."Well, I bet it was the men who made a big deal about being founders back in 1860. Men are very territorial.""Yes, they are," Elijah said, staring into the distance. A few seconds later Alaric walked up to us. Jenna was less than happy to see him but decided to play friendly."Elijah, this is my friend, Alaric Saltzman."Alaric scowled slightly at the word "friend"."Yeah, I got your message about walking Elijah here through the old property lines. I thought I would tag along. You know being a history buff and all. Where to next?""I'm pretty curious about the freed slave property owners. Some say, you know, the descendants of the slaves are the true keepers of American history," Elijah said.I beamed at him."My parents would have loved you for that statement alone. Especially my dad. He made it his life's work to prove that the founding families were actually just full of bullshit." A sad smile tucked on my lips at the thought of my deceased parents. I wonder if they had been my actual parents. They had been as human as could be, so I highly doubted it. But no matter if biological parents or not - they had raised and loved me for eighteen years so I would continue referring to them as mom and dad. Elijah squeezed my hand slightly."It's a shame I never got to meet them."I nodded grimly. "Blame it on the racist asshole who shot them on the way to the restaurant to celebrate their 20th wedding day."An awkward silence fell upon us."Well, I only brought the surveys," Jenna broke the silence. "I got that list in the car. Just give me a sec."With that she left towards where we had parked our cars. When she was gone, Elijah looked at Alaric."Alaric Saltzman. So you're one of those people on Elena's list of loved ones to protect.""So are Jenna and Marianne.""Rest assured their protection is guaranteed even if they weren't on that list."Alaric frowned and Elijah gave him an amused look. "You don't have to be jealous. I don't really pursue younger women who are not my mate." He laughed at scowl on Alaric's face. "It's a joke, Ric, lighten up."He patted his shoulder before leading me forward."Right," Ric mumbled before he followed behind us.