01. The Birthday
Tennessee,
"Rudy!" A blond haired women yelled, coming out of her house, "Rudy! Come on, it's too hot to make me come looking for you", the girl turned around and gasped seeing Klaus and Aria standing behind her.
"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Klaus said in a fake American accent, Aria had to stop herself from laughing hearing him.
"Can I help you guys?" The women asked.
"Yeah, our car ran out of gas a couple miles back, me and my sister feel like we have been walking forever" Klaus replied, "Yours is the first house we've come to, so we were hoping we could use your phone".
"Don't any of you have a cell phone?" The woman asked, apprehensive of letting strangers into her house.
"We do, but our batteries died" Aria replied, showing her turned off phone to the women.
"Look, we promise we're not serial killers" Klaus said, "We just wanna use your phone".
The women sighed, "Sure".
"So, I can come in?" Klaus asked hopefully.
"No" The women replied, "I'll get the phone and bring it out to you".
Hearing the woman, Klaus's expressions hardened, "I thought you country folk were supposed to be more trusting" Klaus said, his fake American accent long forgotten.
"I'm from Florida".
"Well, that explains it" Klaus said, grabbing the women by her throat, "Now, show us a little Southern hospitality, sweet pea".
"I bet you a hundred dollar that dog ran off to a house with air conditioning" A dark skinned women said, cooking in the kitchen, turning around she got shocked seeing Klaus and Aria with her terrified friend, "What's going on?".
"Please don't be alarmed" Klaus said.
"Someone told us that Ray Sutton lives here" Aria said.
"He's almost never here, he's on the road mostly".
"But I except he makes it home once a month" Klaus said, shocking the women, "That's what I thought, where is he now?".
Realising the women wasn't going to speak, Aria spoke, "Look, don't make this any harder then it needs to be, I'm tired and I'm sure you are to, just tell us where Ray is, and we will be on our way".
The women glanced between Aria and Klaus, then without thinking bolted towards the door, she screamed in fright when she saw Stefan standing on the other side of the door.
"I love it when they run" Klaus said, coming over to Stefan and the girl.
"He's in Tulley" The woman said, hoping Klaus will spare her, "It's near the border, a bar called Southern Comfort, it's off Highway 41".
"I'm going to go wait outside" Aria said, she knew what was coming next, and she didn't want to be here for it.
Klaus nodded at Aria, and then turned to the hysterical women, "Thank you my love, now may my friend come in and play?".
"Yes" The blonde cried, scared out of her mind.
As soon as she said that, Stefan stepped into the house.
"Kill this one quickly" Klaus said, pushing the blonde girl towards Stefan, "Make that one suffer, I'll be in the car with Ari".
Aria leaned against the car and tried to block out the screams of the girls who Stefan was killing.
"You okay?" Klaus asked, walking over to Aria.
"Yeah, why?" Aria asked confused.
"Well, you've been awfully quiet, and if this summer has taught me anything, it's that you love talking" Klaus replied, making Aria laugh.
"It's just, it's my birthday tomorrow, officially turning into an adult" Aria answered, "It's the first birthday I will spending away from home, away from Caroline, do you know in my past birthdays, Caroline will always come over to my house at midnight with a small cupcake in hand, I'd blow out the one candle she would have on it and me and her will spend the whole night just being us, and this year that won't happen, so just a bit sad, but I'll be okay".
"Well, your friend Caroline isn't here, but I am" Klaus said, knowing Aria was much more upset then she was letting on, "I'm going to make it my mission to make sure you have a good eighteenth birthday".
"You don't have to Nik" Aria said, the more time she spent with Klaus, the more comfortable Aria got with him, and without even realising, she had stopped calling him Klaus, instead started calling him what she used to call him, Nik.
"But I do" Klaus said, "What kind of best friend would I be if I don't give my best friend the birthday she deserves, specially since I'm the reason she's away from her home".
"You know, I'm not upset with you, right?" Aria asked, "This past summer has been amazing with you, yeah being with Stefan has been a bit awkward but you have made it bearable".
"Well, I'm glad" Klaus said, giving Aria a smile, "But I'm still going to make sure you have a great day".
Aria laughed, "Can't wait".
***
Mystic Falls,
It was now midnight at Mystic Falls, it was officially Aria Connor's birthday.
Caroline Forbes, sat on her and Aria's shared bed, a small cupcake in hand.
"Happy birthday, my twin" Caroline whispered, blowing out the candle on the cupcake, "I wish, that you come home, please come home".
"Caroline?".
Caroline looked towards her door to see her mother entering her room, after Aria left, Caroline had taken her advice and told Liz and Matt everything about the supernatural world, Matt couldn't take it and ended up breaking up with Caroline, and Liz did take some time to come around, but eventually she did, and after that both the mother daughter have working day and night to find their third family member, without Aria their family was incomplete, they needed her to return.
"I figured you wouldn't have slept yet" Liz said, sitting next to her daughter.
"It's officially her birthday" Caroline whispered, "It's the first birthday where me and Aria are apart".
Liz sighed, "I know baby, and I know it's hard, but we will find her soon, don't lose hope".
"Hope is the only thing I have left" Caroline said, "If I lose hope, then I've got nothing left Mom".
"Come here" Liz said, embracing her daughter.
"I really hope where ever she is, she's happy" Caroline cried.
"Me and you both know, without you and Damon, Aria will never be truly happy" Liz said.
"I know" Caroline whispered, "But it's her birthday, she needs to be happy, even if its for just one day".
"I'm sure she will be" Liz whispered, missing her second daughter immensely.
***
Elena entered the Salvatore house and went upstairs into Damon's room, entering his room, she saw the older Salvatore sitting on his bed, with a picture of Aria and him in his hand.
"Damon?".
"You should learn to knock" Damon snapped, realising Elena had entered his room without his permission.
"I needed to talk to you" Elena said.
"And I don't want to talk to you" Damon said.
"Sheriff Forbes gave us another location to check" Elena said, ignoring Damon's words, taking out a piece of paper from her pocket, "Memphis".
"Caroline already told me" Damon said, "And it's just another dead end".
Truth is, any clue regarding Aria's location, filled Damon's heart with hope, throughout the summer, Damon, Caroline, Jeremy, Alaric, and Liz have been doing everything they could to find Aria, and they decided not to tell Elena, well, Caroline decided she didn't want to deal with Elena, so they kept their investigation away from her.
"You don't know that" Elena said.
"You're right Elena" Damon said sarcastically, "This could be the one, after two months, this could be the clue that tell us Aria and Stefan are alive and living in Graceland".
Before Elena could say anything, both her and Damon heard Caroline's yell.
"Demon!".
"And she's here" Damon whispered, as Caroline walked into his room, with a bunch of shopping bags in her hands.
"What is she doing here?" Caroline asked, glaring at Elena.
After Aria had left, Elena tried to mend her relationship with Caroline, but Caroline wanted nothing to do with her, everything she did just made Caroline hate her more, without Aria, both Damon and Caroline were on edge, and Elena being near them really didn't help.
"I came to tell Damon about the new lead Sheriff Forbes found" Elena answered.
"You realise, my Mom tells Damon and me before she tells you, right?" Caroline asked.
"Right" Elena whispered, "What's with all the bags?".
"Not that it's any of your business, but it's Aria's birthday, and I'm throwing a party for her" Caroline replied, dropping all the bags on Damon's bed.
"But Aria isn't even here" Elena said confused.
"Doesn't matter" Caroline snapped, "I have always celebrated Aria's birthday, and this year it's going to be no different, today is the day the best human being was born, we have to celebrate it".
"Weren't you leaving?" Damon asked Elena.
"What about the lead?" Elena asked.
"I'll check it out" Damon replied, really wanting Elena to leave.
After a moment, Elena nodded and left Damon's room.
"Okay, is it just me, or ever since Aria and Stefan left, Elena has been try to get close to you?" Caroline asked Damon.
"Don't know, don't care" Damon replied, grabbing one of Caroline's shopping bags and looking inside, "I'm a one women man Care Bear, a doppelganger isn't going to change that".
"I trust you, I just don't trust her" Caroline said.
"Caroline Forbes trusts me?" Damon asked, pretending to be shocked, "Who would have ever thought?".
Caroline grabbed a pillow and threw it at Damon, "You're a dick".
"And you're a Barbie" Damon retorted.
"Ugh, I swear I'm losing braincells talking to you" Caroline said.
"You have braincells?" Damon asked.
"Ugh!" Caroline yelled, stomping out of Damon's room, "I'm drinking your bourbon, demon!".
"It's Damon!" Damon yelled, "And don't touch my alcohol Blondie".
"Too late!" Caroline yelled back, making Damon laugh.
Throughout the summer, Damon and Caroline had been each other's support, they helped each other feel a bit better, they helped each other fill in the void Aria's absence had made in their hearts.
***
Ray Sutton walked into the bar called Southern Comfort.
"Hey, Red, let me get a beer" Ray said to the bartender.
"Uh hey" Aria said, in a very awkward manner, Klaus had told Aria to go flirt with Ray a bit, what he didn't know is that Aria knew only how to flirt with Damon, other men made her very awkward.
"Well, hello there" Ray said, checking Aria out.
"Are you by any chance Ray Sutton?" Aria asked, already knowing the answer.
"Who wants to know?" Ray asked.
"My very old friend" Aria replied.
"That would be me" Klaus said, walking over to Aria and Ray, amusement shown clearly in his face when he saw how awkward Aria was, "I've been looking everywhere for you, we started in Florida, Pensacola, I met a young chap there who you worked with before you moved to Memphis, now he directed me to two lovely young women, and they led me here, to you".
"I think I'll be going" Ray said, slightly creeped out by Klaus.
Klaus quickly grabbed his arm, "Not so fast mate, you only just got here, now your type are very hard to come by".
Ray tuned to leave, only to come face to face with Stefan.
"I wouldn't do that" Stefan warned.
"Vampires" Ray realised.
"You're swifty swift, Ray" Klaus replied.
"Hey!" Aria said, "I'm not a vampire".
"Right, my bad, she's a witch" Klaus whispered, making Ray look at Aria in shock.
"Yeap, and now this witch is going to go get some air" Aria said, walking out of the bar.
After walking out the bar, Aria pulled out her phone, the whole day, her phone had been buzzing constantly, it was everyone leaving her birthday messages.
"Hey Aria, it's Jenna, so I've officially settled in New York, I even set up a room for you whenever you feel you want to visit, also it's your birthday Aria, so I wanted to wish you a very very very happy birthday, Ric called and said no one has heard from you the whole summer, Aria you need to call someone, tell someone that you're okay, you're alive, please be alive".
"Hey gaming buddy, it's Jeremy, its your first birthday that we don't spend playing video games and annoying Caroline, I miss you, I've not played any games cause it doesn't feel right without you, come home soon please, Elena is making me lose my mind and I really need you to help me stay sane".
"Happy birthday Aria, hope wherever you are, you are celebrating your birthday with a bang, cause I know we are, we all miss you, please call us, or even message us, I need my adoptive daughter, your literally the only family I have left, I miss you, Ric".
"Happy birthday Aria, so for you birthday gift, I would like you to know, that the adoption papers went through, you are officially my daughter now, come home so we can celebrate, love your Mom, Liz".
"Good morning my twin, as usual sending you my daily message, but this message is bit more special, it's your birthday message! Just so you know, I didn't let our tradition break, even though you weren't here, I made sure to blow out a candle on a cupcake, it is part of Aria and Caroline's many traditions after all. Oh and, I'm throwing you a party at the Salvatore's, I'll send you pics and videos to keep you updated, so what if your not physically here, I know your right by my side in sprit, just like I'm by you, I love you and I miss you, your sister, Caroline".
"I didn't want to write this message, but Caroline is forcing me so here I am. I don't want to wish you happy birthday on text Ria, I want to be there with you, I wish to kiss you, pamper you, just be there, but I'm not, and that sucks. I don't know what else to say, all I know is that if you don't return soon, I'm going to lose my mind, please come back to me, your vampy".
Aria wiped the tears the had spilled from reading all the messages, though being here with Klaus was amazing, it didn't change that fact that Aria missed her friends and family back home, and these messages really didn't help her emotional state.
***
After reading all her birthday messages, Aria entered the bar to see Stefan throwing wolfbanes at Ray, while Klaus watched in amusement.
"Is that really necessary?" Aria asked Klaus.
"Yes" Klaus replied, "I need to know where his pack is".
"I can find out without torturing him" Aria said.
"I know you can, but it's your birthday, you should be partying, getting hammered, not going into a werewolf's head" Klaus said.
"If I get drunk, who will take care of me?" Aria asked, grabbing Klaus's drink and downing it in one, making Klaus look at her impressed.
"I will" Klaus replied, in a obvious tone, making Aria smile, "But before you get drunk, I have something for you".
"What?" Aria asked confused.
"This" Klaus replied, showing Aria a silver crest pendant, that had a huge M carved into it.
"Wow" Aria said, looking at the pendant in awe, "That's beautiful".
Klaus smiled, "It's the Mikaelson family crest, figured our humanity should have it".
"I don't know what to say" Aria whispered.
"You don't have to say anything, just wear it" Klaus said.
Aria nodded and clasped the necklace around her neck, "Thank you Nik".
"Anytime Ari" Klaus said, giving Aria a smile.
"Hello, Mr. Klaus" A woman said, walking over to Klaus and Aria, "I have some more information for you, you told me to tell you if I saw anything, I saw that guy's brother Damon, at the farm house".
Aria looked between the mystery women and Klaus in shock, she knew Damon and Caroline have been tracking them all summer, she just hoped Klaus wouldn't find out about it, she didn't want any of them to get hurt.
"Well, thank you, Claudine" Klaus said, "You just tell your friends to keep up the good work with the neighborhood watch, huh?".
"My brother's still on our trail?" Stefan asked, having heard Claudine and Klaus's conversation.
"He's getting closer" Klaus replied, "I'm gonna have to deal with that".
"No, wait, please" Aria said quickly, not wanting Damon to get hurt, "Let Stefan handle this, he will know what to do to make sure Damon stops following us".
"Why should I let him leave?" Klaus asked.
"Because you know I'll come back" Stefan replied.
"Do I?" Klaus asked.
"You saved my brother's life, and I will never leave Aria here with you, I'm in your service" Stefan replied, making Klaus roll his eyes.
"Oh, it all sounds so tedious and indentured" Klaus said, "Aren't you even having the least bit of fun? Huh?".
"I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us anymore" Stefan said, not replying to Klaus's question.
After Stefan left, Klaus turned to Aria, "Why did you send Stefan? Don't you want to meet your lover?".
"Because if I went, I don't think I'll be able to return" Aria answered truthfully.
***
After getting ready for Aria's birthday party, Caroline went to Damon's room to make sure he was ready. Entering the room, she saw Damon sitting on the bed staring down at a ring box.
"What's that?" Caroline asked, sitting next to Damon.
"Aria's birthday gift" Damon whispered, showing Caroline a rose gold ring, that had a infinity symbol carved into it, and the infinity symbol had small diamonds in it, in the inside of the ring, the words, for me there is only you, was carved.
"Wow" Caroline whispered, "That's beautiful".
"It's a promise ring" Damon explained, "It's a promise that one day, I will replace this ring with an actual wedding ring".
"Do I get to be the maid of honor?" Caroline asked.
"Wouldn't have it any other way" Damon replied, making Caroline smile.
Caroline placed her head on Damon's shoulder and both the friends stared at the ring in Damon's hand.
"Do you think she will return?" Caroline asked after a moment.
"Of course she will" Damon replied, "She promised she will return to us, and we both know Aria never breaks her promise".
"I really hope your right" Caroline whispered.
***
Caroline and Damon walked downstairs with Caroline's arm looped around Damon's.
"What happened to a small party?" Damon asked, looking around his house that was full of teenagers.
"I might have gotten a bit carried away" Caroline replied, giving Damon a sheepish look, making him roll his eyes.
Damon and Caroline entered the living room and immediately Caroline's face fell, the reality that the girl whose birthday party this is, isn't here, finally sinking in.
"Oh, hey, hey, hey, you don't want that" Damon told a teenager girl, who was stealing his bourbon. "You want the cheap young stuff, over by the cheap young people".
"This was a horrible idea" Caroline whispered.
Damon sighed, just like Caroline, the thought of Aria not being at her own party, hurt Damon, but at the same time, he knew that Aria wouldn't want Caroline to be upset on her birthday, she would want her to have fun.
"No it wasn't" Damon assured, "If Aria was here right now, she would be forcing us to get drunk with her and dance the night away, and that's exactly what we are going to do".
"I don't know about dancing, but I don't mind the getting drunk part" Caroline said, feeling extremely claustrophobic in the house full of drunk teenagers.
"Shall we then?" Damon asked.
"We shall" Caroline replied, giving Damon a mischievous smile.
***
After taking numerous shots with Damon, Caroline had somehow managed to lose the older Salvatore, so she decided to go retire to Damon's room, it hadn't even been an hour but Caroline was already over the party.
Elena entered Damon's room, looking for Damon, only to see Caroline laying in his bed staring at the ceiling with tears streaming down her face.
"Caroline?".
"This room's off limits" Caroline snapped.
"Are you crying?" Elena asked.
"No Elena, I'm laughing, can't you tell?" Caroline asked sarcastically, "What are you even doing here?".
"I was just looking for Damon" Elena said, making Caroline frown.
Caroline sat up and glared at Elena, "Your not trying to make a move on my best friend's boyfriend, are you?".
"What? No" Elena said, shocked Caroline will even think something like that.
"Good, because if you are, I suggest you back off, I'm not going to let you ruin Aria's happiness" Caroline said.
"I will never do that" Elena defended.
Caroline scoffed, "Yeah, right".
"Are you going to come downstairs to cut Aria's cake?" Elena asked, changing the subject.
"No" Caroline whispered, "I organised this party, because I hoped that somehow a miracle will happen and Aria will come and cut her cake herself, but obviously that didn't happen, she didn't come, and now Damon's also missing, this is officially the worst party ever".
"Have you ever thought that maybe Aria doesn't want to return?" Elena asked.
"Excuse me?" Caroline said, glaring at Elena.
Elena sighed, "It's just, this whole summer, Aria hasn't contacted any of you, surely if she wanted to return, she would have at least tired to contact you guys, maybe being with Klaus made her realise that she doesn't want to return to Mystic Falls, or to you and Damon".
Caroline glared at Elena, and suddenly Elena was against the wall with Caroline's hand wrapped around her neck, "Listen here Elena, you don't know Aria, so don't even pretend you do, screw what you think, I know Aria more then you could ever know her, and I know how much she loves me, how much she loves Damon, she would never willingly stay away from us, so stop trying to manipulate me, because it won't work, I'm not Bonnie who will listen to everything you say without any question", Caroline let go of Elena, causing her to fall into a coughing fit, "And if we are talking about people not wanting to return, let's talk about Stefan, who just like Aria, hasn't contacted you the whole summer, yet you still haven't stopped looking for him".
"Caroline--".
"Get out Elena!" Caroline yelled, "And it's in your best interest to not mess with me until Aria returns, I'm already on edge and if you keep testing me, I will end up hurting you, don't say I didn't warn you".
Elena sighed and walked out the door, leaving behind an angry and sad Caroline behind.
***
After much torture from Klaus, Ray finally revealed the location of his pack.
"Okay, it's a three step process, Ray" Klaus said, "This is step one, I want you to drink from my wrist".
"I already told you where to find the pack, what more do you want from me?" Ray asked.
"Have you been listening to a word I've been saying, Ray?" Klaus asked, "I have great plans for you".
Klaus made a cut on his wrist and forced his blood down Ray's throat.
"He'll thank me for it later" Klaus told Aria, who was getting drunk at the bar.
"I believe you" Aria said, downing her drink.
"There we go, thattaboy" Klaus said.
"What are you gonna do now?" Ray asked, terrified for his life.
"It's time for step two, Ray" Klaus replied, snapping Ray's neck, as Stefan entered the bar.
Seeing Stefan, Aria quickly ran over to him.
"So?".
"Don't worry Aria, I took care of it" Stefan assured.
"How?" Aria asked, slightly worried.
"By going on a mini killing spree in the town of Mystic Falls" Stefan replied, walking away from Aria and towards Klaus, while Aria stood there in shock.
"You're back" Klaus realised.
"Did you doubt me?" Stefan asked.
"Not for a second" Klaus replied.
"I knew you'd pass the test, you still care for your brother, for your old life, and you wouldn't leave Aria alone" Klaus walked over to Stefan, and whispered in his ear, "Must be hard being in love with someone who wants nothing to do with you".
Stefan looked at Klaus in shock, but decided not to comment on him being in love with Aria, "No, I don't care about anything anymore".
"You put on a good show, Stefan" Klaus said, "I almost believe you, let's hope, for your brother's sake, he does" Klaus glanced over to Aria, who was now drinking directly out of a bourbon bottle, "You never stop caring about family, do you?" Klaus turned to Stefan, "But every time you feed the blood makes it easier to let go".
Stefan didn't say anything, just stood there, glaring at a smug looking Klaus.
***
Leaving Klaus and Stefan on their own, a slightly drunk Aria, stumbled out of the bar with a bottle of bourbon in her hand.
Aria took a swing of the alcohol and glanced at her bracelet, the bracelet Damon had given her. In the beginning of the summer, staying away from Damon caused Aria a lot of pain, both emotional and physically pain, but she managed to hide her pain from both Klaus and Stefan, eventually Aria had found a spell, that made it so as long as Aria had the bracelet on, she wouldn't feel any pain, the spell stopped Aria from feeling physically pain, but it didn't stop the emotional pain.
Aria stood outside the bar with tears streaming down her face, she realised today she could have gone back home to meet Damon, instead of Stefan she could have been the one who talked to him, then maybe so many innocent people wouldn't have been dead, maybe she wouldn't be in so much pain, but Aria's fear got the best of her, she was scared Damon was over her, she was scared he hated her, she was scared that Damon wouldn't love the girl Aria has now become.
Spending the summer with Klaus, had not only taught Aria many things, but also changed her as a person, the once scared of blood Aria Connor, now stood there in silent while watching both Klaus and Stefan torture people, even though Aria wasn't a vampire, she was slowly letting go of the feeling of caring, the more she cared, the more she hurt, so Aria wanted to stop caring, which was working, Aria no longer cared about people she didn't know, but even after everything, she couldn't stop caring about Damon, about Caroline, about her family back home.
Aria took out her phone from her pocket and her finger hovered over Damon's contact, after much hesitation, Aria pressed his number.
Damon stood in Stefan's now trashed bedroom, Stefan had come back to Mystic Falls and killed five people to stop Damon and Caroline from searching for him and Aria, despite Damon constantly asking him where Aria was, how Aria was, Stefan didn't tell him, making Damon wonder was Aria okay, was she even alive, the thought of anything happening to Aria, slowly broke Damon.
Suddenly, Damon's phone started vibrating in his pocket, annoying Damon.
Without seeing who was calling him, an annoyed Damon answered his phone, "What?!".
Hearing Damon's voice, Aria froze, she has been yearning to hear his voice the whole summer, and now finally hearing it, made Aria realise just how much she missed the older Salvatore.
Damon suddenly froze, for some reason he knew who was calling him, Damon Salvatore always knew when it came to Aria Connor.
"Ria?" Damon whispered.
"Damon" Aria whispered, making Damon close his eyes, and letting the tears spill from his eyes, just like Aria, he had also been yearning to hear the voice of the girl he loves so much.
"You're okay" Damon whispered, assuring not only Aria, but also himself, "You're okay".
"I'm so sorry" Aria cried, Damon knew Aria was apologising to him for breaking her promise, she promised she wouldn't leave, but that's exactly what she did, but Damon wasn't angry at her, he was grateful, as her sacrifice, saved Damon's life.
"I love you, Aria" Damon cried, "Hold on to that, never let that go, I promise we will see each other soon, I promise to bring you back home".
Hearing Damon, Aria started sobbing, not wanting Damon to hear her break, Aria hanged up on him.
Damon stared at his phone in sadness, if Aria was broken, so was Damon.
Without each other, Damon Salvatore and Aria Connor were having trouble surviving.
***
Just thought to clear, Tyler and Caroline are not happening in this book, it's all about Klaus and Caroline here 😁
words: 4798
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