Return To Mystic Falls

Picnic

Light filters in through the thick curtains as I toss aside the millionth book on werewolf and vampire folklore. They all say the same thing...Rose is going to die. There is no mention of a cure. Nothing gives any suggestions on what will slow down the spread of the venom long enough for us to try and find a cure. Rose's soft sobs continue to spill from Damon's bathroom, her current self-imposed prison. Even without the knowledge I've acquired, she knows she's going to die. Rose has heard the stories, is living the terror of suffering a werewolf bite. Getting up, I pad into the kitchen, pouring coffee into the already stained cup. I sip as I head up the hallway towards Damon's room. He's made it his goal to help Rose as much as he can. Underneath the tough exterior, he's just a big teddy bear.

"Just a little fatal to a vampire-werewolf bite," Rose's doubtful voice floats up the hall, shooting down another of Damon's attempts to cheer her up.

"Well," Damon scoffs. Through the crack in the bedroom door, I see him wave his hand, brushing of Rose's words. "According to legend, which is a notoriously unreliable source."

Taking a shaky breath, I push the door open; preparing myself for the disappointment that will follow my news. "Damon, can I talk to you for a minute?"

After squeezing Rose's hand, Damon gets up, remaining silent until we're back out in the hallway, the room door shut firmly behind us. "What's up?"

Taking hold of Damon's hands, I cloak us, making it so Rose can't hear what we're saying. She already knows she's going to die. She doesn't need to know any more than that. "The legend is backed up by every source I've looked into. I can soak her bandages in wolfsbane but, it's not going to cure her."

"How long does she have?" Damon questions, glancing back towards his bedroom door. He's grown closer to Rose over this past week. I think he sees parts of himself in her.

I shrug. None of the books say anything definitive about how quickly a werewolf bite can take to kill a vampire. Some suggest a few days, while others talk about months of pain. Rose's bite looks bad, taking over more of her shoulder as the hours tick by. I give my best guess. "A couple days. The infection is moving fast." Damon's face falls as he nods. As he goes to re-enter the room, I stop him, fingers curling around his arm. I hate that I'm the one who has to deliver this news. I'm supposed to be here to help Damon and lift his spirits. This is doing the exact opposite. "Damon if what I've been reading is true, her end is going to be painful."

Damon pulls me into a hug; "We'll make it through this."

As we enter the room, Rose forces a smile, trying to pull down the shoulder of her robe to get a look at her back. As the silky fabric falls, I wince. The bite, which covered all of Rose's shoulder last night, has extended down her back. A yellow puss oozes from the blistered skin, a redness fanning out along the edges of the wound. "How's it looking?"

"Definitely...better," Damon does his best to fake a smile, covering the wound back up before Rose can get a proper look at it. He turns looking to me for support. "Right?"

"Yeah. Right, Elena," I question as the girl appears in the doorway. "It looks better?"

Elena's eyes grow wide, as she shakes her head trying to get out of answering. Walking over to her, I curl my fingers around her shoulder. She lets out a soft gasp of pain as I begin to dig my nails into her soft flesh. "It doesn't look bad...."

"Good girl," I whisper softly, removing my hand quickly as Damon turns to look at the two of us.

Leaving the bedside, the dark-haired vampire eyes Stefan's girlfriend, "Where's Stefan?"

"He left," Elena answers with a frown. "I need you two to talk to him, I think he's going to upset Elijah."

Sure, let's just add that one on to today's agenda; keep Rose's spirits lifted, find the cure to a werewolf bite, track down Jules and kill her, and keep Stefan from doing anything stupid. As if we don't already have enough on our plates. Stefan is a big boy. I'm sure whatever he thinks is best to keep Elena alive is fine. Elijah isn't someone who should be trusted. Whatever back alley deal Elena made with him will only last as long as Elijah has the power. If I know anything about Klaus and his family, Elijah's time being able to negotiate will be short-lived.