Reminiscence {Book Two of the Vengeance Trilogy}

Chapter Twenty Six: Mr. Blue

When I opened my eyes next, I was laying in my bed at Nan and Granddad's house, but when I stood, it was as if my body was still motionless. When I looked down, I could see myself laying there, cradled in Elliot's arms. At this point I had fallen asleep and my memories of what had happened this night and the days before had vanished. I would wake up the next morning as if it were any other day. I wouldn't remember the fact that Elliot had killed my parents, or why he had done it in the first place. I would have no idea that vampires existed in my world, or that I had fallen in love with one.

For a long while, Elliot stayed there with me, stroking my long blonde hair as tears streamed down his cheeks. Any time I shifted in my sleep, he would sit as still as a statue, but once he knew that I was still asleep, he would go right back to holding me or tracing little shapes over my comforter. It wasn't until the sound of small pebbles clicking against my window snapped him out of his trance. Elliot slowly and carefully placed a kiss on my head.

"I'll be back, Princess," he whispered as quietly as he could before softly getting up from my bed and slipping out of my room like he was never there to begin with. I was hesitant to follow, taking one last look at my sleeping body. Somehow, the person lying there didn't look like me. She was so calm, serene, and after everything that happened, I was shocked to say that she looked okay. She would be the person I was now, but I didn't feel like her. I felt like the person I was before I had fallen asleep this night. A person who knew too many dark secrets for her own good, but didn't want to forget a single one.

I quickly followed Elliot down the stairs, knowing that if I stared at myself any longer I would deepen the divide I felt within myself. Although my feet were bare, I couldn't feel the chilly pavement kiss my skin. I remembered this sensation. Being in a memory that Elliot showed you meant that you weren't actually there, but instead you were just watching the scenes play from the wings. The rest of the pack was at Elliot's home just next door, but he took a long pause before making any moves. He slowly took a seat on the steps that led up to my grandparents door and buried his head in his arms, pulling his knees close to his chest.

I took a seat next to him. I could hear his breathing hitch as he tried his best to calm himself down. That feeling of wanting to reach out came up again, but I knew that if I tried, nothing would happen. It has been so long since I have felt that urge to hold him close.

"Is it done, mate?" Emmet's voice asked, causing Elliot and I to look up at him. Immediately, I noticed the fact that he no longer looked sympathetic. There was something different about the energy he brought forward. It was almost like a switch had gone off in his brain.

"Y-yeah, it's done," Elliot quietly said.

"Listen, you need to toughen up if you expect us to be a pack. Danny had a point when he said a lot of us don't get along." Emmet's tone had a certain degrading tone to it, almost as if he didn't think that Elliot could be in control of his pack. I could feel my fists beginning to clench as I realized more and more that this was just who he was. I had always thought that Emmet was someone who could be trusted, but that feeling was slowly dissipating. He was showing more of this attitude that he was more in control than Elliot was.

"I'm not really the toughen up type, Emmet. You know that," Elliot argued back.

"Well, then maybe having you as the alpha isn't the best idea," Emmet said. I could see the anger growing in Elliot's expression. Becoming the alpha of the pack was something he always wanted. He wanted to follow in his parent's footsteps and take what was rightfully his. Elliot swiftly got back on his feet and rolled his shoulders back, making himself appear taller.

"Emmet, I need you to promise me that this is going to work." Elliot was now standing centimeters away from him, showing no emotion at all. Emmet was silent for a moment, taking deep breaths. Of course, now we knew that it just barely worked, but if Danny hadn't been there to help, I would have been changed or dead. Now, he was telling everyone that Danny should be killed for being some kind of traitor, even though all of this was his fault from the beginning.

"It will. When have my visions been wrong?" he asked. Elliot pushed past him and began to walk down towards the sidewalk. Before he could get there, Emmet called out to him, "you know I'm right."

Elliot stopped, taking a moment before turning around. It was if I could see the cogs turning in his head as he thought about Emmet's words. For a bit, I was confused as to why Elliot was showing me this memory he had. I had my memories back, but there was something else that he had to tell me. That he really was doing what he thought was right. Elliot was convinced that he was making the right decision by trusting Emmet, and that he gave him little reason not to trust him.

"I guess you have a point."

"I'll help you through this. I can make the decisions that might be difficult. You just have to trust me," Emmet said, walking closer to Elliot and extending his hand for a shake. Although his back was turned to me, I knew that Emmet had a smug smile on his face when Elliot shook his hand.

***

When Elliot pulled his hand away, I was suddenly transported back into the present. I could feel rage boiling within me, but I didn't begin to know where it was being directed. I hated Emmet for pressuring Elliot into going along with his horrible plan that almost seemed to fall apart. I was angry with Elliot for not abandoning the plan after the first few months of not being able to find Tom. He had told me that if he couldn't find Tom anywhere, then he would come back. Once again, I was being fed nothing but lies.

"I never meant to hurt you. You were my everything, and you still are," he said, his voice low. I tried to stay upset with Emmet, but hearing the hurt in Elliot's voice made my anger fizzle out. When his eyes locked with mine, my expression softened. I could feel tears welling in the corners of my eyes and although I was trying so desperately to push them back, I knew that I couldn't stop them from falling. He went to wipe my tears away, but I backed away from him before he could touch me. I promised that I wouldn't let my walls fall down in front of him. I may have had my memories back, but that didn't mean that things just went back to the way they were.

"You left me, Elliot. I understand that Emmet didn't make it easy, but you still had a choice. Months went by and you could have done something," I said, my voice trembling.

"Caroline, please, I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough. You can't expect things to just go back to normal after giving me my memories back. Things have changed, I have changed. I can't forgive you right out of the gate like this. I need time," I explained, folding my arms across my chest, looking away. The silence swirled around us like the chill winter breezes as tears blurred my vision. I looked out into the back garden and my eyes were immediately drawn to the tree swing, where I used to sit with my mother. Where I once sat with Elliot that one summer night. We shared our first kiss that night. It seemed like a lifetime ago...

"Then I'll wait," Elliot blurted out, causing me to glance up at him.

"What?"

"I'll wait. I'll do whatever I need to do to earn your forgiveness. I still love you, Caroline, and I'm not going to make the same mistake I've made now. I won't lose you again." I stared at him, trying to think of what to say. There were no words to describe what was going through my head. How did he expect to make this up to me? He lied to me again. Elliot kept secrets from me that could have saved my life. How many more times was he going to put me in danger? How long was he going to have to wait? What did he expect me to say?

"You'll wait no matter how long it takes?" I asked, knowing it was the only question I could verbalize.

"I'll wait forever," he replied. I nodded lightly, biting my lip and finally wiping the tears away from my cheeks. Elliot let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his blonde hair. I looked towards the door that led to the kitchen and then back at Elliot.

"I'm going to go check on Danny and Peter. They'd probably like to see a friendly face since everyone seems to hate them right now," I said, walking past Elliot and making my way towards the door. Once my fingers wrapped around the frigid door knob, I took a moment to look back at Elliot, who was leaning on the balustrade with his back towards me. "You need to spare him, Elliot. If you want to start making up for all of this, you can start with that."

And with that, I made my way back into the house.