A/N: I kinda lost my inspiration at times throughout this chapter, so I really hope it turned out ok. Let me know what ya think. As always, I would love to hear your opinions good or bad. This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey.
My head lulled to the side as the teacher drawled on in front of the class. Her voice was drowned out by the pounding of blood in my ears as I yawned.
"Today we're going to talk about shadow reckoning," I finally heard her say.
I rubbed my face and looked around me, finding Bonnie to my left in a similar comatose state. She was yawning and leaning back against her seat to stay awake, before finally giving up and laying her head on her arms. I tried to catch her attention, but couldn't find the will to move my hands. I was just too tired. I kept my eyes on her, it was odd, but I couldn't look away. I was unsure why, until I saw her sit up and look over her shoulder, staring at something in the hallway, just beyond the open door. She looked back at the teacher briefly before she stood and started to move out of the room. I turned and looked around me, unnerved to find no one had even noticed Bonnie stand to leave. I felt a tug in my chest, and before I knew it, I was standing to follow her against my own volition. I tried to stop my feet but I couldn't, I was a passenger in my own body. I walked out of the oblivious class. No one seems to care that two students had decided to leave.
Bonnie stood just outside of the doorway, her back to me. She was staring off to her right, and from the rigid set of her shoulders, I knew something was wrong. I tried to move my mouth to ask her if she was ok, but it was like my jaw was wired shut.
I stood behind her, waiting. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw something move to our left, and my body turned at the same time Bonnie's did. Breathing heavily, she slowly started to head in the direction we had seen the flicker. This was precisely what scary movies taught us not to do, but I wasn't in any position to try and tell her that.
My body obediently followed behind her, and I noticed that her shoes clicked against the tiles as she walked. I listened carefully and heard nothing from my own — it was like I was a ghost. I tried to catch my reflection in the glass of the classroom doors next to me but could see nothing in my periphery, and my body was still not in my own control.
As we approached the side door that led to the back parking lot, I felt a familiar presence. Bonnie tensed in front of me, her ragged breathing becoming erratic. She froze, and my body avoided colliding with her by circling around and coming to stand on her other side, right next to Emily Bennett. The tension from my body started melting immediately, it was like someone had cracked an egg on the top of my head. I could feel it trail from my scalp down to my feet. I sighed and squeezed my hands tightly, enjoying the feel of my body once again reacting to my commands. I squinted my eyes at my dearly departed friend, and took her in from top to bottom, for the first time in over a hundred years.
Standing against the wall between the door and the lockers, she patiently waited for Bonnie to accept that she was there. I was unsurprised to find that she still wore the same light-colored, checkered gown and bonnet she had worn the day we had died.
But somehow, even though I wasn't surprised that she still looked the same, my stomach rolled at the sight of her. Although her skin and hair were both uncharred and as beautiful as I remembered, I could still smell her burning flesh. I tried to push the thought from my mind as I cocked my head to the side and placed a hand on my hip.
"Was the puppet master routine really necessary, Em?" I asked in a huff.
Emily smiled briefly before turning her eyes towards Bonnie. Until that moment, I hadn't realized she had still yet to acknowledge me. I stepped in front of her and tilted my head when her eyes never focused in on me. I stepped away when Emily quietly huffed and realized I was not meant to be seen or heard. I was only supposed to observe. Emily turned around and walked out the door, and Bonnie followed silently behind her. I stayed directly beside Bonnie as Emily led us into the woods, the further we got the surer I was of exactly where Emily was leading us. As soon as I saw the piles of moss-covered stones, I stopped in my tracks.
She had led us straight to the tomb.
In all the years I had lived here as Elara, never once had I ventured here. I had avoided it completely, until now. Emily stood in front of the entrance, and Bonnie watched from the treeline, her hands fisted at her side.
"Please help me," Emily said, tilting her head to look at us.
I shook my head and looked away. This was completely unnecessary, Emily should know me better than this. No idle threats or little reminders of what was at stake would stop me from helping Damon. If it came down to me helping, or something far worse happening, then I would help him. If my sister was perpetually self- sacrificing, then I was perpetually heroic. I always had to try and save everyone. It was as much my curse as the one that kept me forever seventeen.
"Who are you?" Bonnie asked, breathing heavily.
I chuckled at her attempt to act oblivious. Everyone here knew that Bonnie was as gifted as any Bennett witch before her. I smiled at Emily and looked down at my feet. I knew Emily understood that I had caught on to the reason for my being here. My part in this was over. Message received. I know what was at stake if the vampires in the tomb were released, pulling me into Bonnie's dream was overkill. Then again, the Bennetts always did have a flair for the dramatic. They liked to make statements.
"I'm Emily. You know that." Emily said with a sly smile.
Bonnie clenched her fists and took a step back.
"We're family," Emily said.
Bonnie looked at the ruins in front of us in fear. "Where am I?" she asked.
Emily tilted her head up, motioning towards the crypt. A jolt of fear, panic, and hunger flickered down my spine, and I bit my tongue. The souls of all those trapped inside were crying out all at once, and Emily was kind enough to let them filter their way into Bonnie's dream to find me. I narrowed my eyes at her and pushed them out of my mind with force. Yet, I could still feel an echo of their presence imprinted on my subconscious, another reminder of what danger lay waiting in the tomb. Not cool, Emily.
"This is where it started. And this is where it has to end," Emily said, turning towards Bonnie.
Bonnie shook her head in disbelief, her hair flying out around her, eyes glistening with frightened tears. "This isn't real," she squeaked.
She took off, running away from Emily and the ruins. I followed behind her slowly, knowing she wouldn't be able to get away that easily. Emily stopped her less than a foot from where she had tried to run, appearing right in front of her, her dark brown eyes stern and annoyed. She didn't say a word as Bonnie jumped and spun on her heels, trying to run in the other direction. This time, she didn't even get five steps before Emily appeared again. Anger was present in her brown eyes.
"Help me," she said sternly.
Bonnie's gasp was the last, and the first thing I heard as my head shot up, and I felt my hair sticking to my face. I quickly moved it from the corners of my mouth and looked around me, I was in class again. The startled eyes of my nearby classmates looking at me in shock. I looked around the room, and my eyes found Bonnie on the other end, she was breathing heavily, her hands firmly pressing against her desk. Our eyes met, and she looked at me questioningly before saying something snarkily to a girl next to her. I steadied my breathing and wiped the rest of the drool from my face.
Great, that's super attractive.
I turned to try and catch Bonnie's attention again and noticed Emily sitting next to her. I sighed deeply and ground my teeth together.
Really? A dream within a dream?
She was lucky I had liked the movie Inception. Of course, who doesn't like Leo?
Bonnie turned her head and screamed loudly, her voice ringing in my ears. The dream shifted again, and I sat straight up, air escaping my lungs in a rush. I moved my hands and felt the cold earth beneath my fingers. Opening my eyes, I saw Bonnie slowly sitting up directly in front of me. She was in her pajamas, a pair of pink cotton pants and a white top. Her feet were bare, and a tiny jacket was all that was protecting her upper body from the cold. I let out a steady breath, and stood carefully, brushing off my mostly bare legs. I was only wearing blue silk shorts, a silk top, and socks. I never wore much to bed; my magic always left me feeling overheated most of the time. I looked behind Bonnie and noticed where we were. The cemetery. We had woken up directly in front of the Salvatore family crypt. How nice...
Bonnie shakily stood and brushed her self off.
"Its ok, Bon, we're ok," I said, rushing towards her.
I wrapped her jacket around her, zipping it up quickly. I wasn't sure how well her body dealt with the cold.
"What the hell happened?" she asked.
I looked around us, scanning the area for potential danger, and took her hand before starting towards the cemetery exit.
"That was Emily trying to contact us. She wants you to assist her with something, and the longer you ignore her, the worse things will become," I explained.
Bonnie pulled her hand from mine and took her hair in her hands. "This is insane. You're telling me some dead relative is trying to get me to do something for her? And if I don't, she will keep mentally torturing me?" she asked, her hands still clenching her hair roughly.
I wrapped my hands around hers, slowly removing them from her hair, careful not to get her fingers caught in the tangled mess. I cupped her face and took deep deliberate breaths, nodding for her to follow my example. "Listen, Bonnie, I know you didn't ask for this and that it is a lot to take in all at once, but you are a witch, and this is part of it," I let go of her face and stepped away, lighting my fingers up with tiny blue flames. "So, you can either accept this wondrous gift, or you can run from it. It is truly up to you, but I will warn you. You cannot run from a piece of yourself forever. It will always find you,"
I had lifetimes of experience with this, and I hoped Bonnie would take my advice. She watched the tiny flames of my magical signature dance around my fingertips for a moment before sighing.
"I just want to go home," she said softly.
I nodded and closed my hand, the color disappearing, and took her hand in mine again. She didn't flinch away from me, and I took that as a good sign. I hoped that Emily linking us together like this would end up being a good thing for us both. As we walked home, I smiled down at her in thought.
"At least this isn't one of the nights I chose to sleep naked. Now that would have been a fun walk home," I said lightly.
Bonnie looked up at me in mild shock and then burst into a fit of stressed giggles. I hugged her close to me and warmed her with my magic.
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A large group of football players rushed past us, and I pushed an oblivious Caroline and Elena out of the way. They both looked at me in shock, and I sighed at their one-sided view of the world.
"Hello, focus, please. I really don't want to scoop your sticky remains from the bottom of my new leather boots," I said, picking up one foot and showing off my new white leather Guess boots. They were heavenly. With three belted straps spaced out evenly over the top and small silver balls covering the straps. It had been a pleasant surprise to come home to after the horrible dreamsaster with Bonnie.
"Sorry, Ellie, thank you for saving us. And again, your boots are amazing!" Caroline gushed, placing a hand over her mouth and fake gasping.
I pushed her shoulder with my own and smiled brightly. Elena watched us, moving her books from one side of her arms to the other. "So, what were you saying about Bonnie, Care?" she asked.
Caroline huffed and shrugged. "Just that she has totally been avoiding me the last few days. Every time I try to talk to her, she blows me off,"
Elena frowned and shook her head. "Caroline, I don't think she is blowing you off, I just think she has been swamped and stressed out,"
Caroline crossed her arms with a huff. "Well, I am not talking to her until she finally decides to talk to me. It's a matter of principle," she said, a hint of annoyance in her tone.
I blinked several times before deciding to just stay out of this one. Bonnie would deal with this when she saw fit. Her business was just that — hers.
"Well, I tried," Elena said, ever the peacekeeper. "I'm officially out of it," she sighed and looked at me with an eye-roll.
I shrugged and ignored the hurt expression on her face at my abrupt brush off.
"Good. Your turn. Where's Stefan? Have you talked to him?" Caroline asked, her blonde curls bouncing as she turned her head to gaze at my sister.
Elena's expression was hard as she kept her eyes ahead of her. "He's avoiding me," she said, still not meeting Caroline's gaze.
I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to forget the last night I had seen Stefan. He and I had both been a wreck. I had cried on his shoulder for a good hour and had tried my best to convince him not to give up on Mystic Falls and Elena. It hadn't worked. He had been adamant that he would end up getting Elena killed. He promised he would still try and search for a way to help me, but stuck firm, he would not have anything to do with Elena - for her own good. I wanted to tell him the truth of what was to come, but something told me it wasn't that time, and as always, I had to trust that instinct.
"Why?" Caroline asked in confusion.
Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I stepped closer, my arm brushing hers, and I could feel her mood steady. "It's complicated," she said.
The bell rang, and Elena pulled me forward. Caroline waved us away with a quick "Bye." as Matt exited the side doors. I saw her turn around and brush her hair away from her eyes with a sexy smile before Elena yanked me inside.
I might just become a Maroline fan. Hmm…..
Elena pulled me into History, leading me to a seat in the second row, something she knew I hated. I pulled off my bag, sliding it onto the back of my chair and lowering myself down, just as Bonnie rushed in, looking harried and worse for wear. Her head was lowered, and she avoided eye contact with everyone, fidgeting, and continually looking over her shoulder. She had dark circles under her eyes and a sickly complexion. Emily was pushing her over the edge, and I felt terrible for her.
I sat my hands on my desk and closed my eyes, sending her a rush of calming vibes. I could see them wash over her as her shoulders slumped just a bit, making her posture appear less hunchback and more college student with a heavy book bag. I faced forward as the last of the students filed in, followed closely by an attractive man, maybe in his early forties. He was tall and well built, obviously into athletics of some kind.
"Good Morning, everyone," he said,
The man walked to the chalkboard and casually picked up a piece of chalk. I raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, suddenly very taken by the subject of history. Even if I already knew most of it by heart. Something was interesting about this one.
"Alrighty, let's see," he said, writing a name on the board.
ALARIC SALTZMAN.
Such an odd name, I automatically liked him. He had used the word alrighty and had a weird, unique name — therefore, he was cool in Elandra's book.
The cruel things people could make up with a name like that. I cannot count how many times I had to pronounce my name for someone.
E-lan-druh.
While I was watching the sexy new brunette History teacher, Elena was mouthing something to Bonnie from across the room. I turned my head just long enough to see Bonnie shrug before tuning back into the specimen in front of us. He was making my instincts dance exciting little flutters. There was seriously something up with him, nothing bad, but...something.
Mr. Saltzman turned around and clasped his hands together in front of him. His blue button-up dress shirt revealing just a peek at his chest, much more than most teachers would dare show. A bright white-toothed smile appeared on his face. I'll admit my breath caught, and I quietly cleared my throat. What a silly response.
"Alaric Saltzman. It's a mouthful, I know. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue." he glanced around the room, including everyone in his welcome, and I tried to keep my eyes on my hands. "Saltzman is of German origins. My family immigrated here in 1755 from Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston. Now, the name Alaric belongs to a very dead Great-Grandfather. I will never be able to thank him enough."
He smiled sarcastically, and I couldn't help but nod and smile right along with him, I could feel his pain. My name had come from a great grandmother. He grinned at me and turned to the chalkboard again.
"You'll probably want to pronounce it Al-ar-ic, but is actually, A-lar-ic, okay? So, you can call me Rick, and I'm your new History teacher."
After a thoroughly confusing History class (where I actually found myself interested in the History I had already lived) followed by a few standard uninteresting courses, I found myself outside sitting at a table eating lunch with Bonnie and Elena. Bonnie was filling my sister in on our weird ancestor induced dreamsaster. Elena sat in front of a thoroughly freaked out Bonnie, who, no matter what I said, decided to fight Emily off instead of listening to what she wanted her to do. A very, very stupid idea.
"And you always see your ancestor Emily?" Elena asked, her hands folded in front of her bottle of water.
I poked my fingers through the holes of the green metal picnic table where we sat. I tried several times to interrupt and put in my two cents, but apparently, the woman who has lived for over a thousand years doesn't know what she's talking about. Bonnie nodded quickly, her face frightened and exhausted. Elena looked at me next and bit her lip.
"Why did Emily want you there?" she asked me.
I leaned my head toward the sky and sighed. "Like I said before, she wants to remind me what at stake if we do not help her,"
Bonnie took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "What does she want with me?"
I shook my head sadly. I wanted to just spill the beans, but I couldn't. Certain things needed to be handled a certain way.
"Emily is the person who has to tell you that story, not me. It's not mine to tell,"
Bonnie tossed my hand onto the table with a huff. Elena jerked, touching my shoulder.
"So, I'm being haunted then, and all because of this stupid medallion you gave me," she snapped.
I reached my hand out and tried to touch her, but she pulled away quickly.
"Bonnie, have you called your Grams? Maybe she can tell you something about it?" Elena offered.
Bonnie sighed defeatedly. "I can't call her. She will tell me to embrace it. I don't want to embrace it. I want it to stop,"
I slammed my hands on the table and looked at Bonnie in anger.
"Dammit, Bonnie Bennett, you are a fucking witch! You may not want to be, but you are. This is not something you can just brush under the rug, at least not right now. You need to pull your head outta your ass and deal with this," I quietly said.
Elena gasped in shock and slapped me on the arm as hard as she could, but I stood my ground, my eyes never leaving Bonnies. This was something she needed to hear before she got herself killed. Bonnie looked at me in both shock and fury before settling on acceptance.
"That may be how you feel, but this isn't what I want. I am going to do whatever it takes to get my life back," she said, her weak and tired face set firm.
I shook my head and stood from my seat, bending to lower myself next to her ear. "Bonnie, you're my friend, and I love you, but this is a bad idea. When you come to your senses, call me."
I walked out into the parking lot and altogether avoided everyone else, not caring to interact in anyone else's storyline. I only made it to the back of the school before someone caught me, despite my 'talk to me and I'll kill you' posture.
"El! Hey!" Jeremy shouted.
I spun around on my heels and saw my brother rushing towards me, his bag slapping him on the back as he ran. His hair poofed out around him, and all I could picture was sneaking upon him with a pair of scissors. He really needed a haircut. I waved him to me with a smile and laughed when he finally stood in front of me, his face beet red, bent over, one hand on his knee, and breathing heavily.
"See, this is why smoking is bad, Jer," I said.
He lifted his hand from his knee long enough to flip me off and then resumed his knees hugging position. I patted him on the back and laughed at his predicament. I took his bag from his back, and he lifted himself up.
"Thanks," he took the bag from my grasp and ran a hand through his hair. "Have you met the new teacher?" he asked.
I tried to keep the blush from my cheeks as I continued in the direction I had been going before he had stopped me. "Oh, um, Alaric?" I asked, trying to appear nonchalant.
Jeremy pulled me to a stop and looked at my face thoroughly with a bright smile, a very bright smile. I looked away quickly, and Jeremy jumped in the air before letting me go. "Oh...oh..no way. You totally think he's hot. What is this? Like your first crush?" Jeremy asked, his voice, baby, like.
He leaned in and patted my cheek. I covered my face in extreme embarrassment and pushed him away from me. He was completely insane. I had plenty of crushes, and this was definitely not a crush. I was intrigued by the new guy. That was all.
"Dammit, Jeremy! You know that's not true. I do not have a crush; he is just...nice to look at," I said, my face heating up.
Jeremy leaned onto my shoulder and started laughing loudly. The people around us began to stare, and my face heated up even more. I pushed him off me and noticed he actually had tears in his eyes.
"Oh, Ellie. You never act like this. I can't wait to tell Jenna and Elena,"
Jeremy stepped backward as I stepped towards him, my face promising murder. He winked at me and started running in the opposite direction before I could even blink.
That ass!
I stood gobsmacked.
What had just happened?
He was right, though. All my relationships had been swift and private, and a cute face usually had little to no effect on me. I had seen many an attractive man in my lifetimes, but there was something different about Alaric. I think that was exactly what intrigued me. He was wrong about one thing, though, I did not have a crush. I just thought my teacher was utterly delicious, and my instinct told me he had quite the story to tell. Something new, and I rarely saw anything new. I would figure him out, and all the fuzzy feelings would swiftly go away.
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Jenna had decided that none of us were up to cooking that night. I had tried to boil water for pasta, and it had foamed over, spilling everywhere. After I hopped around in front of the stove in a frightened panic, Jenna had declared it a Grill night. I wasn't about to object. Elena and Bonnie were sequestered up in her room. Bonnie was still mad at me for my earlier display, and had decided to ask Elena to speak to me about steering clear for a while.
"Listen, Ellie, what you said was out of line. This whole lifestyle might be ok for you," she waved her hand out in front of me, gesturing toward my body as if my magic was apart of my physical appearance, "But she didn't choose this and doesn't want it. For you to just tell her that she should deal with it, well, that was hateful and wrong,"
I ran my hand through my hair and nodded. "Ok, I was only trying to be the person who actually talked some sense into her. Playing this game, running like this, it's dangerous. Be careful," I said firmly.
My eyes looked towards the ceiling where I knew Bonnie to be. I didn't like this feeling, it was like I could feel Emily right below the surface, trying to claw her way out.
I followed Jenna out, waving goodbye to Elena, and left them to whatever trouble they would find.
As we waited for a booth at the Grill, before I had a chance to scan the room, Jeremy tugged on my shoulder with a smirk.
"Oh, well, would you look at that, Ellie?" he said,
He turned his head towards a table in the center of the room. Alaric Saltzman sat at the table entranced in a book. His hand on his head, eyes never straying from the words on the page. I quirked an eyebrow and admired him from afar. He still looked incredible in that tightly fitted blue dress shirt. Dammit, Elara!
"Who? Is? That?" Jenna whispered in my ear.
I turned my head and smiled at her. "That is our sinful new History teacher. He seems really nice, but he is entirely too attractive, don't ya think," I sighed.
Jenna scoffed lightly before laughing. "Well, look at you? You never crush on anyone. I have to meet him now!" she whispered.
Jeremy elbowed me with a triumphant laugh as the waiter led us to our table. We passed the new bane of my sensory existence, and I grumbled when I smelled his enticing cologne. Great, he even smells nice. Stupid teenage hormones, the worst part of living over and over again. I sat down with a huff, and Jenna laughed. Jeremy sat beside me and we all expertly ordered our food and drinks, having been here time and time again.
"What?" Jenna asked.
I shook my head and placed my elbow on the table, leaning my cheek onto my open palm.
"He smells good too," I grumbled so only she could hear.
Jenna giggled madly and leaned in close. "I know, I smelt it too. Not fair is it," she agreed.
She sat back and looked over at our quiet History teacher with a thoughtful expression on her face. "I like a man who can dine alone. A quiet strength."
I followed her gaze and watched him read for a second. "I like a man who can read a book in a crowded room without getting distracted. Shows me he really enjoys reading. I love nerds," I said with a smile.
Jeremy gagged, and I kicked him in the shin, letting out a giggle when he groaned in pain. Jenna laughed at our little show and shrugged. "I have to agree. Smarts on a man is a very attractive quality,"
I reached over and gave her a high five. Jeremy leaned back up after rubbing his leg and looked at Jenna with a smile. "I thought you were still in the whole Logan-depression phase," he said.
The waitress brought our order and our conversation paused as she laid everything out on the table. I smiled her away and rolled my eyes deeply. "Logan Fell was an asshole," I said, taking a swig of my Coke.
Jenna tilted her glass to my own, and we shared in a toast to her former lover's title. When our glasses clinked together, Jenna glanced at Alaric again and shared a smirk with me. "I've sworn off men forever, but it doesn't mean we can't observe him from a safe distance,"
Jeremy looked over at his History teacher and sighed. "Poor guy doesn't even realize he's on the menu tonight," he said.
I snorted and giggled madly, leaning against my brother with my hands covering my newly red face. I had not blushed this often in ages.
"So, Jeremy, have you picked a topic for the paper your writing for Mr. Saltzman?" Jenna asked.
I sat up and picked at my food as Jenna and Jeremy discussed his topic for the paper Alaric had been so kind as to grant him. Without it, there could have been no way Jeremy would have been able to pass History.
"That's easy. You have all your dad's stuff," Jenna said.
I dropped my fork, it clattered against my plate loudly. Jeremy's attention snapped to me, and I smiled weakly. "Sorry, it slipped," I mumbled.
He scoffed with a smile and looked back at Jenna, who was watching me closely, her eyes slightly guarded.
"What stuff?" Jeremy asked.
"How the Gilberts came over on the Mayflower, all the family lineage. Your dad loved that stuff. It's all boxed up in the closet," Jenna said and pointed at me. "Ellie looked at it all once," she included.
I swallowed hard, a thick lump in my throat. Jeremy turned towards me and frowned. "You did?" he asked.
I looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, uh, I didn't figure you'd find it very interesting, but it should help you now. You'll find everything you...need," I said.
He would either start to remember, or he would just figure it all out. Either way, Jeremy would know now, and I didn't plan on telling Elena a single thing. I would be getting Jeremy on vervain. Jeremy tilted his head and looked lost in thought as Jenna's attention was caught by something in the distance. Alaric. I looked down at the table and cursed my stupid reddening face.
"Mr. Saltzman," Jeremy exclaimed, giving him a fist bump.
Alaric smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling. "Jeremy, what's up, man?" he asked.
I kept my head down, staring at my lobster-like it was about to jump up and sing me a Disney song. Jeremy kicked me in the ankle, and I gasped loudly, covering it up with a cough. "Mr. Saltzman, this is our Aunt Jenna," I said, my voice pained.
I lifted my ankle and reached down, rubbing it under the table with a wince. Jeremy winked at me and watched Alaric shake Jenna's hand, his face even brighter than before, as was Jenna's. I dropped my ankle and sat up quickly, looking between the two.
Interesting.
Jeremy was watching them as well, his face unreadable.
"Jeremy was telling me about his paper. Thank you for giving him another chance," Jenna said, her eyes twinkling like bloody Dumbledore.
I bit my lip mid-smile, trying not to make it obvious that...well...they were obvious. Jeremy looked at me, his eyes wide, and they darted back and forth towards the flirty duo. I moved my lips into a fake frown and over-exaggerated a shrug, before slipping out of the booth.
"Excuse me, Aunt Jenna, Mr. Saltzman. I'll be right back," I said, motioning to the bar and my empty glass.
Jenna smiled at me, nodded, and motioned at her hair when Alaric looked away. I winked nonchalantly, and she sighed in relief.
"Please, call me Rick," he winced slightly, gently grinding his teeth together. "Mr. Saltzman makes me feel old,"
I shook my head and kept my eyes on his face, even though I wanted to look him over and tell him how very not old he really looked.
"How about Alaric? I love unique names," I said.
Alaric nodded with a grin. "If you must. At least someone likes it," he said with a laugh.
I lifted myself on the heels of my feet and clapped my hands together once. "Ok, that's a deal. Well, I'll see ya later, Alaric," I said, spinning around and walking away, my hair bouncing around me.
"She sure is a different breed," I heard him say.
I smiled to myself as Jenna and Jeremy agreed with him, laughing joyfully. How very right they all were. As I approached the bar, my steps started to slow. Dammit, were there always vampires everywhere?
Damon and Stefan sat at the end having, what appeared to be a friendly conversation, which could only mean it wasn't.
I took an annoyed breath and turned the tip on my shoes in their direction, making my strides slow and steady. Maybe if I was lucky, I could catch a bit of their discussion, and gage if an intervention was necessary before actually making my presence known.
"So, Stefan...you know, I've been thinking. I think we should start over, give this whole brother thing another chance. We used to do it oh-so-well, once upon a time," Stefan said, his voice playful.
I stopped in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. What the hell were they doing? Damon turned his head and looked at his brother with a sincere, silly, brooding expression, brows furrowed.
"I don't, Damon. I can't trust you to be a nice guy. You kill everybody, and your so mean. You're so mean, and…"
Damon's expression changed abruptly, and he smirked with a shrug.
"You're really hard to imitate, and then I have to go to that lesser place…" he said.
Stefan tried to keep his face steady, but his eyebrows rose and fell as he tried to keep a straight face. I started silently laughing behind them, my chest shaking with the effort to not make a sound. What was this? It was so similar to...before.
"Uh, huh. Can I get a coffee, please?" Stefan asked, his face still alight.
"And a Coke," I said from behind them.
Both boys turned to face me, and I smiled brightly. "Loved the voice, Damon. It was a charming reminder of a past life," I said, sitting down in between them.
Damon watched me for a moment before looking down at his glass. "I live to please," he said.
Stefan leaned across me and looked at the bottle beside Damon. "What's with the bottle?" he asked.
Damon blew air through clenched teeth, his face returning to a semi-cheerful smirk. "I'm on edge. Crash diet. I'm trying to keep a low profile," he said.
Stefan frowned and shrugged as if he didn't have a care in the world. What was up?
"You could always just leave, find another town to turn into your own personal Gas 'n' Sip," Stefan said.
Damon looked at him closely, and poured himself another drink, looking around us before he poured another, pushing it towards me. I sighed deeply and glanced around as I picked it up and drained it quickly. I looked up into his blue eyes and gave him a half-smile as thanks. He frowned and looked at Stefan.
"I'll manage. You don't have to keep an eye on me," he said.
Stefan shrugged and looked at me briefly. "I'm not here to keep an eye on you," he said.
I narrowed my eyes at him, and he avoided my gaze.
"So, why are you here," Damon asked, rolling his eyes.
Stefan snagged the bottle of liquor from the bar in one swift motion and started off. "Why not?" he said.
Damon turned around on his stool, slightly disarmed by Stefan's change in attitude. "What is he doing, Ellie?" he asked.
I stood from my stool and crossed my arms, thrumming my fingers against my arm. "I don't know. But whatever it is, don't you think you probably deserve it?" I asked, following after Stefan.
As I passed the other end of the bar, Jenna took my arm quickly, pulling me to the side. "Listen, Jeremy took off. And I need you to do the same, please," she said, eyeing Alaric, who sat on a stool a ways away.
I smiled excitedly and then pulled it back a bit. "Sure, Aunt Jenna, You get him, girl," I whispered.
When Damon walked past, I joined him, briefly turning around and giving Jenna a thumbs up. Damon eyed me weirdly, and I just smiled knowingly.
"What was that?" he asked.
I watched Jenna join Alaric and sighed lightly. "My Aunt Jenna and the insanely gorgeous new History teacher are sorta on a date," I said.
Damon turned around slowly and looked at Alaric, his eyes hard. "Insanely hot?" he asked scoffing.
I looked at Alaric and sighed again, this time dragging it out just to irritate Damon. "Yes. He is enjoyable to look at," I said, my eyes raking him over.
Damon pulled me to the pool tables and took a handful of darts from Stefan. "Stop ogling your old History teacher and play some darts," he said, handing me a few.
I took the darts and looked at him like he had grown an extra head. "What makes you think I can play darts? I died once because I tripped over my own feet and broke my neck!" I whisper yelled.
Stefan laughed loudly as he threw a dart, hitting the middle on the first try. "Just try it," he sighed.
I scrunched up my nose and huffed, turning towards the board that looked itty bitty and twenty miles away. I lined up my shot and tried not to watch Stefan, who was laughing silently and eyeing my shot with a wince from the corner of my eye. I pulled back and let go, my dart flying beside the board and hitting the brick wall, falling towards the ground. I followed it with my head, watching it land on the floor.
"Whelp, that blew," I slowly said.
Stefan laughed loudly again, and I imagined making him eat the remainder of the darts that I held in my hands. I walked in front of him, slapping him hard in the stomach as I passed. He leaned over with a groan, and I smiled. Damon watched me with an appreciative smirk, and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Well, Stefan thinks he will beat me," Damon said.
I grinned at him and shrugged lightly.
Stefan took a swig from his beer and raised a hand in the air. "Yeah, because I'm better than you," Stefan said.
Damon paced in front of the board for a moment, a dart in one hand, before lifting it and pointing it at Stefan. "I'm onto you. Reverse Phycology. It's a little transparent, but I admire the effort. Getting little Ellie here to help, now that was where you really went wrong, thinking she is my weakness," he said.
I sat down my drink, my eyebrows furrowed and blinked several times. "What?" I asked.
Stefan stepped beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Ellie being here is purely coincidental, Damon. Do you honestly think she would pick sides?" he asked.
I pushed his hand from me and stood up.
"Would you prefer the brooding forehead?" Stefan asked.
I looked between the two, and it finally clicked. This had all been a game. Stefan had been buttering him up for information. Most likely for Elena. I placed a hand on my head and shook it. I had gotten sucked in yet again.
Dammit.
It had been so nice to see them treating each other like brothers again.
"Seriously, what game do you think you're playing?" Damon asked, his eyes hard.
I walked away from them and stood, back turned, as my eyes welled up in frustration.
"That's a funny question because I've been asking you that for months. Frustrating, isn't it?" Stefan said with a very Damon-Esque smirk.
Damon smiled and tossed a dart at the board. "Touche," he said.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and turned, walking away from the familiarity that now made me uncomfortable. The differences in their behavior were planer to see now that I no longer wore my rose-colored glasses, and it made me sick. I stepped outside and took a deep breath of the fresh night air. I let it soothe me. I wiped my face a few more times, bouncing on the heels of my feet.
"Wanna go play some ball?" Stefan said from behind me.
I jumped, slapping him on the chest with force. "Would you stupid fucking vampires stop sneaking up on me," I whispered with each slap.
He lifted his hands in the air, and I laughed in annoyance. "Fine, I still can't go home yet. So I might as well." I leaned against the cold stone of the Grill and looked into Stefan's eyes. "You realize this is mean and will bite you in the ass, right?" I asked, unable to help myself.
Stefan looked away and ran a hand through his ruffled hair. "I will do whatever it takes to protect the people I have left," he said, voice firm.
I leaned my head against his shoulder and sighed. "I understand that. Just...don't forget he is your brother," I said, pulling away.
Damon met us outside with a bottle of Bourbon and a smirk. "Let's go," he said.
I shook my head and took the bottle from him, waving them forward.
—-
I sat in the grass, the cold ground seeping into my jeans, as the boys tossed a football back and forth. Stefan had driven us to Mystic Falls High, where he had insisted Damon and he play a little football, to bond. This was such a bad idea, and it was cruel. Damon's face had been almost hopeful a few times, and that had been enough for me to finally accept the truth, he was still in there.
My Damon.
All this death, mayhem and pain, was an act. He was pissed off and sad, and it was shit like this that didn't exactly help matters. What could I do, though? If I pulled him to the side and warned him, then things would only get worse. So I had to sit here, in the cold grass, and watch Stefan toy with his brother for information. Yes, to an extent, Damon deserved this. And no, I didn't trust him, nor did I forgave him, but now that I had seen the chink in his armor, I would save him. At least I would try. While I still drew breath, I would try. Suddenly, there was a bit of a commotion on the field. The boys were standing apart, speaking lowly, eyes hard, then Damon vamp sped into Stefan's face speaking with spite. I stood quickly, dusting my jeans off, just as Damon walked away, turning around once, saying something while backing away with a smile. I ran onto the field and came up behind him. He spun around, and vamp sped right in front of me, his eyes morose.
"What happened?" I asked.
Stefan sped towards us, face ashen. "How can you bring Katherine back?"
I closed my eyes and sighed. Seriously? Did none of them listen to my story at all? Did they not hear me mention knowing Katherine? Damon walked past us towards the parking lot, and Stefan and I followed behind him.
"Before Katherine and the others were killed in the church, do you remember what it was like in this town?" Damon asked, turning towards Stefan, his hands in his jean pockets.
Stefan stopped and shrugged lightly. "I remember the fear and the hysteria. It's what got Elandra killed," he said, looking at me. I nodded and shivered lightly.
Damon narrowed his eyes at Stefan and shrugged off his jacket. Townspeople were killing vampires and witches one by one." he stepped beside me. He pulled his jacket over my shoulders, still looking at Stefan. "When they came for Katherine, I went straight to Emily, said I'd do anything. Name your price. Just protect her. She did," he said, his eyes never finding my own, yet his hands still on my shoulders. I stepped away from him, his century-old betrayal too fresh at this moment to allow for his touch.
"How?" Stefan asked.
He stepped closer to me, and I smiled when he looked at me for reassurance. "Emily performed a spell that locked every vampire who had been in the church at the time, in a tomb below it," I said.
Damon looked at me in shock, and I rolled my eyes. "Although, as both of you should know, I have mentioned Katherine many times before. But as I told Damon I will help him get in there, so he can see for himself," I said.
Stefan's eyes narrowed, and he frowned at me. I shook my head and looked away.
"But, I saw her go inside…" Stefan said.
I stepped in front of Stefan and looked in his eyes. "The tomb is under the church, the spell sealed everyone inside it," I explained.
Stefan froze, and he looked at Damon in shock. "Are you telling me Katherine is alive?" he asked.
Damon shrugged and looked away. "Well, if that's what you wanna call it. She's been trapped in a mystical holding cell for the last century and a half, but you're an expert on a starving vampire, so how do you think she is doing, Stef?"
I sighed and tapped my foot on the pavement. "I'd say she is fine, seeing as she is well fed and doing her own thing, has been since that night," I mumbled.
They both ignored me, and Damon continued his useless ramblings. "Did you know that witches can use celestial events to draw energy into their magic?"
Stefan looked at me, and I nodded, looking at the sky. Damon watched me for a moment before continuing. "Me either. But to give the crystal its power, Emily used the comet that was passing overhead. And, for the crystal to work again…" Damon said, trailing off.
Stefan looked at me again, and I nodded. "The comet had to return," I said.
Damon folded his fist and clicked his tongue. "Downside? Long-time in between comets. And, a couple of hiccups along the way with the crystal, but the comet passed, and I got the crystal. Then Caroline got the crystal, and now Bonnie has the crystal, and here we are," he said.
I narrowed my eyes and watched him smile with fake ease. Stefan looked at me in confusion. "Why would Emily do this for him?" he asked.
I smiled weakly and looked at my feet. "Because she was a witch, and everyone suspected it. She knew they would come for her too. She wanted her lineage protected," I looked at Damon and ran a hand through his hair briefly. "And she knew, despite it all, despite Katherine, I trusted him," I said, pulling away quickly.
Damon's eyes widened, and I looked back to Stefan and shrugged. "Emily trusted my instincts, they are never wrong,"
Stefan looked at Damon and nodded. "I remember, you saved her children," he said.
Damon tore his eyes from me and shrugged. "It's the only thing keeping me from ripping that little Bonnie girl's throat out to get my crystal back. Oh well, a deal's a deal. So...wanna throw some more?" Damon asked with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes and rubbed my temples. My head was beginning to throb. I felt a chill sweep over me, and the air stiffened. I could feel magic pulsing around us. I heard Stefan and Damon bickering, but it was as if they were miles away. Someone was using magic in town, powerful and unintentional, and as far as I knew, the only witches in town were the Bennetts, and this wasn't Grams.
I closed my eyes and pushed deeper, I felt the warmth within the user, but there was also doubt, so much doubt and fear. As I drove further, I could see more, it was definitely Bonnie, and she was trying to contact Emily. I could feel blood dripping down my lip, but I ignored it in favor of trying to block Bonnie. I could feel her magical signature pushing through the veil, and I knew Emily wasn't far. What was Bonnie thinking? I tried to push her back, but she was too far, and I wasn't close enough, I decided to reach her mind instead-but Emily was there, and she was blocking me. I tried one more time and felt a snap like a rubber band pushed too far. I felt myself fall backward and felt arms wrap around me.
"What the hell was that?" Damon fearfully asked.
My eyes shot open, and I found fearful blue eyes scanning my face rapidly. His pale features were screwed up in a mixture between freight and amazement. I stood up and found Stefan stood beside him, his forehead wet, eyes wide. He handed me a handkerchief, and I looked at it in mild shock for a moment (I mean, who still carries those?) before taking it and wiping the rest of the blood from my face.
"What happened?" I asked.
Damon stepped in front of me and held my face in his hands.
"Your nose started bleeding, and your eyes went white. Before we could do anything, some weird magical force field popped up and knocked Stefan on his ass when he tried to touch you. We couldn't get near it without getting zapped," he moved my head up into the light of the streetlamp above us.
"Your eyes are green again, but you looked dead El," he said, his voice shaky.
I moved his hands from my face and nodded. "It's ok. I was in the in-between following the signature of another witch, so the eye change can happen. She was calling out to a witch who is dead. It was Bonnie. I think she may be in trouble," I said, turning to Stefan.
He froze for a moment before snapping into action with a shake of his head. He vamp sped away, obviously heading to find Elena. I stuffed the handkerchief in my pocket and ran my hands through my hair, lifting it into a bun, and snapping it into place with the red elastic band I always keep on my wrist, a permanent faux bracelet. I turned on my heels and placed my hands on my hips.
"Sooooo…" I said, my voice lilting.
He narrowed his eyes and leaned in with a smirk. "So? What?" he asked.
I rolled my eyes with a scoff. "Yeah, ok, Damon. So, are we just gonna head to the church now? Or act like we don't know where she is heading?" I said, my hands waving around in the air.
Damon laughed lightly and took my hand. "As always, you are one step ahead, My lady," he said.
I covered my heart and acted affronted by his statement, my eyes broad. "But of course. I am the hero of this story," I said, leaning into him and slapping him on the ass. "Getty up," I said.
He looked down at me and sighed. "You'll be the death of me, kid," he said.
I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. "Kid? I am so far from a kid, Salvatore. Now let's go get your girl," I whispered.
Even if I knew the truth, I didn't want to hurt him, so I would play along for now. "Yeah...my girl...lets go," he said, wrapping his arms around me.
I closed my eyes as the newly familiar feeling of flying rushed past me. Cold air spilling over my sensitive skin, the rush of adrenaline, and the feel of falling in the pit of my stomach. It was an addictive thrill, and it really gets the blood pumping. Damon stopped suddenly, and if he hadn't been holding me against his leather-clad chest, I would have fallen backward immediately. He let me go, and I looked around us. The atmosphere was so different from what I had seen in Bonnie's dream. The trees around us were dead and bare, the sky dreary and dark, it was perfect for a scary vampire and witch face off.
How very dramatic.
I stepped away from him and saw Bonnie round the corner, well...Emily. I could see it in her eyes. Bonnie never held herself the way Emily had. It wasn't her posture, it was the confidence in her eyes. Emily was secure in her powers, in what she could do. She was a mature and powerful witch who believed in herself. Bonnie was not. This woman, her eyes were powerful, full of emotion, strength, and knowledge.
"Hello, Emily. You look different," Damon cockily said.
I rolled my eyes and sent him a glare that said 'shut up and stop antagonizing the powerful witch.'
Emily looked at him in annoyance and shook her head. "I won't let you do it," she said.
Damon leaned his head forward and glared at her in anger. "We had a deal!" he yelled.
I stepped closer to him and watched Emily closely. Her eyes clouded, and she frowned. "Things are different now. I need to protect my family," she said, her voice thick with power.
Damon looked away in disbelief, and I closed my fists in anger. She had no right to go back on her deal this way, especially since she knew when she made it, Katherine never really loved him.
"I protected your family. You owe me," he snarled.
Emily lowered her head and nodded. "I know. I'm sorry," she said.
Damon growled, and I stepped forward, knowing he was about to make a mistake.
"You're about to be a lot more than that," he said, rushing forward at vamp speed.
"Damon, NO!" I said, too late.
As soon as Damon was close enough, Emily pushed her hand out and thrust it towards him, knocking him forcefully forward with her magic. Damon went crashing into a tree, one of the limbs impaling him in the side of his stomach. He groaned in pain, blood pooling around him. His face was pulled up in pain. He wasn't able to heal fast enough and could feel every second of the pain she had inflicted. He had been feeding on animals since he had killed Lexi. Yes, he could be an evil jackass, but he was my evil jackass. He was family. Something in me snapped, and every single instinct to protect took over. I was a Mikaelson for a reason, after all. I growled loudly, my hands tingling, glowing brightly. I spun around and faced Emily down my teeth bared in anger.
"Emily!" I shouted, my voice a rumble of uncontrolled anger.
Emily stood a few feet away from me, her hands outstretched beside her, palms out. "Elandra, my fight is not with you. I cannot let him hurt my family. Is Bonnie not your friend, your family, as well?"
I flicked a spell at her and watched her avoid it with precision. I wasn't trying to hurt her, I was just pissed off. She knew better than to injure Damon when I was right here to protect her. That was unnecessary, and she knew that.
"Do not patronize me, Emily Bennett. I would not have allowed any harm to come to your family, but now you have pissed me off. You do not harm what is mine for no reason, Em, and you know that." I sneered, tossing another spell, one I didn't intend to allow her to miss. As I planned, this one hit her square in the chest, throwing her back.
She landed on her back, her breath leaving her in a startled gasp. It wasn't enough to hurt Bonnie, but it was enough to get my point across. I stood, watching her lay where the spell had left her, breathing heavily and smirked. "Remember, Emily, I don't play nice when you mess with my family. That's something you should understand." I stepped closer to her and bent down. "The Bennetts are under my protection now, as long as I'm living. Do what you must with the crystal. But Damon Salvatore is off-limits, and you will not lay another finger on him," I said.
I stood up and snapped my fingers, lifting her to her feet. I ran over to Damon, who Stefan was helping out of the tree. He fell to his knees, blood still pouring from his wound. "It hurts. This is why I drink from humans," he said.
I scoffed and pulled him to his feet, handing him a wrist. "Well?" I asked with a shrug.
He looked at me, his eyes shining with doubt and pain, and shook his head quickly. "No, not now. I'll hurt you," he whispered.
"Ok," I said, pulling his arm over my shoulder.
"Stefan." Emily greeted with a nod of her head.
Stefan stepped forward and noticed the black scorch marks on the grass from our semi battle.
"Emily. I see you and Elandra have become reacquainted," he said, looking at a nearby patch of black grass.
Emily smiled and winked at me. "She never did share her toys well," she said.
Damon scoffed and pulled his arms off my shoulder. "We're here for a reason, Emily," he said.
"These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil," she said.
I stood next to Stefan and looked at him. "To save Katherine, she would have to unleash all of them," I explained when I saw his confused expression.
I had guessed he hadn't understood Katherine wasn't the only one who had been saved. Stefan's face fell into shock and disgust. "You saved everyone in the church?" he asked in fear.
Emily nodded. I placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort.
"With one comes all," Emily said.
Stefan stepped away from me and pushed Damon against a tree. "I knew I shouldn't have believed a single word that came outta your mouth. This isn't about love, is it? It's about revenge," Stefan spat, his hands fisted in the neck of Damon's shirt.
Damon pushed him away and straightened his shirt. "The two aren't mutually exclusive," he said.
Stefan ran into him again, pushing him back into the tree, away from Emily, who had picked up a large stick and started to make a pentagram in the dirt. Stefan breathed heavily, his face centimeters from his brothers. "Damon, you can't do this," he said.
I watched Emily work, knowing full well that this entire debacle was unnecessary. This wasn't the only way to open the tomb. I stood just outside of the pentagram, my head tilted, and watched Emily finish. "This won't matter in the end, Em," I said.
She stood in the middle and looked at my face. "We shall see," she said.
Damon rushed forward and stood beside me, his eyes deadly. "Don't do this," he hissed.
Emily looked at him one last time. "I can't free them. I won't," she lifted her hands in the air as she shouted. "Incendia."
Fire circled the pentagram, and Emily took the chain from her neck. As she did, her real features finally flicked into view, her dark eyes glaring at Damon. When she held the necklace in her cupped hands, she was once again Bonnie, she tossed it into the air with a jump, the crystal bursting into sparks.
I heard a commotion behind us and turned around to see Elena. How had she known where to go?
"NO, please!" Damon shouted beside me, drawing my attention.
His eyes were full of pain, and such hate. I was scared for Bonnie. I wasn't sure how well my Bennett protection program was going to fare after this. I had an idea, but it was utterly insane. I knew he would flip when Bonnie returned to her body, but I couldn't just let him kill her. Not after I had told Emily I would take over for Damon. The final spark of the now-destroyed, necklace fell to the earth, and the magic of the circle ended, leaving Bonnie dispossessed and defenseless. She looked around her in horror and confusion her eyes wide. I ran forward just as Damon did, using my magic to match his speed, and pushed Bonnie to the ground, spinning into his arms as she fell. I felt his fangs enter my neck and scrunched my eyes closed in pain. My head jerked as he fed on me roughly, weeks of no human feeding and anger making him vicious and ravenous. He hadn't even realized what had happened or that he wasn't actually feeding on Bonnie. Elena yelled loudly, and I could feel Stefan pull Damon from me. I fell to the ground and looked up at the night sky, it was dark and black. Breathing heavily, I listened to the slow beating of my own heart.
"No...No...No," Bonnie said, crawling next to me.
Stefan rushed over and looked at my savaged neck. "She's alive, but barely," he said, biting into his wrist.
I opened my mouth, and he helped me drink from him. Elena fell down beside me and cried into my hair. "What the hell, Ellie?" she asked.
Stefan rubbed the side of my neck and looked at Elena in relief. "Her neck is healing," he sighed.
He lifted me up and looked at me in anger. "Don't do that again," he said.
I wobbled slightly and smiled. "Well, the Bennetts are under my protection now, so I sorta had to," I said.
I looked over Stefan's shoulder and saw Damon standing behind him, my blood covering his mouth, eyes dark and hard. His mask was gone, and shock and disbelief replaced it. He looked so lost and alone. Bonnie pulled me away and took my arms, wrapping me in a hug. "You are the most incredible witch and friend. Thank you," she said.
I squeezed her tightly and kissed her head. "It's all in a day's work, Bennett," I said.
Bonnie looked up at me and frowned. "I don't understand what happened…" she stuttered.
I looked at Elena, and she nodded. She would handle the explanation better, and they were so much closer. She took Bonnie by the wrist and pulled her towards the car. I gave her a reassuring smile when she looked back at me. I scanned my surroundings and found Stefan standing by a stone structure a ways away. Damon sat on the large rock, his hands on his knees, eyes lost in another world. I slowly stepped in front of him.
"I could have killed you," he whispered.
I touched his face and kept my eyes on him. "Yes, but I couldn't let you hurt Bonnie," I said.
He looked at his hands. "Katherine never compelled me." he looked up and met my eyes. "I knew everything. Every step of the way. It was real for me," he said, his voice breaking, tears in his blue eye. I bent down and placed my hands on his knees. "I'll leave now," he rasped.
I laid my head on his lap and just sat there in silence, even after Stefan left, even after I heard Damon cry. Tears that were for someone else.
Someone who would never deserve them.