Forever The Name On My Lips

twenty-one.

twenty-one. take back your memories, they're no good to me

Caroline had texted you, telling you to come to her house for the night. It seemed like your best option. Caroline hadn't known about the plan, and so, she was the only one who hadn't betrayed you, in your mind at least. And it was too late in the night to leave now. You'd leave in the morning, you decided.

You were sitting on her bed as she came back from the kitchen, handing you one of the blood bags in her hand. "Thanks," you said.

"I can't believe Mikael is dead," she said, sitting in front of you as she ripped into her own bag. "The way they talked about him, I thought he would be much harder to kill."

"He was," you said quietly. "I mean, it took a thousand years."

"That's true," she said. "I know that was our last kill Klaus plan. But at least it broke your compulsion. I just can't believe they did that to you."

You tensed, looking down at the bag in your hand. You didn't want to talk about it, or even think about what you'd gone through these past days. You decided to change the subject. "So, you broke up with Tyler then?"

"Yeah," she said sadly. "The sire bond just...got in the way too much."

You nodded. You hated the sire bond, you always had. You knew first hand the hardships it brought.

"I know he loves you," you said. "The sire bond in hybrids, it's different than in vampires. In the end, he can't defy him. Even if he wants to. There may come a time when it is dangerous for you, especially given what he is."

"I know," she said softly. "God, it just sucks. Our lives were so much easier before all this Originals mess." She sighed loudly and fell back onto the bed before leaning up against her elbow and looking at you. "Can I ask you a serious question?"

"You're letting me stay in your house," you said, smirking slightly. "So I guess I can allow one."

"Do you think you'll forgive them?" she asked.

You sighed and looked at the bedspread. "I don't know," you said. "I mean, I barely know the others, and they don't know me. Can I fault them for betraying me to protect their own? I would have done the same. I have done the same. But Damon...our friendship is different. I never thought he'd betray me like that."

"I know he saved you and all but he's a jerk," Caroline said. "He doesn't deserve your forgiveness."

You didn't respond, because in truth, there was nothing to say. She was right. The level of his betrayal stung deep. You didn't really care that the others, like Elena, had led you to Mikael as a lamb to slaughter. Sure, you liked her better than her predecessors. But you didn't know her, and she didn't know you. Not really. And she loved Stefan. Once, you would have done the same to save Niklaus or any of the Mikaelsons. They were your family. Elena was not.

But Damon...you had been there for him at his lowest. You had come to this town, for him. You had stayed, for him, even knowing what it would mean for you. For decades, after regaining your memories, you had hidden from Klaus. Until now. Until you needed to protect Damon from him. But when the shoe was on the other foot, he had not done the same for you. He had chosen Elena. He had told you once that he would always choose Elena, but he had once told you that he had your back, that he'd never leave you. A promise he was easily able to break apparently.

"Sorry," she said, seeming to understand what your silence meant. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it. You done with that?"

You nodded and handed her your empty blood bag before lying back on her bed. "I think I'm just tired of this town," you said softly as she turned off the light and climbed into the bed beside you.