✘ ✘ ✘
Allison shot awake, but grunted and squeezed her eyes as the pain laced through her. The brunette couldn't even comprehend what just happened. There was this nauseous feeling in her stomach as she thought about it. Her mind was reeling as she didn't even realize the silent tears going down her cheeks.
The hazel eyed brunette sat up slowly and barely, a hand going to her pounding head, but then she froze when her fingers made contact with something else. A shaky breath left her lips as she brought her hand back, and seeing the blood, a whimper left her lips.
Allison backed up a bit, her back hitting the wall as she stared at the blood. It just making that whole thing become even more real than it had been, and that scared her. Actually, it terrified her. And she wasn't completely sure why, which only added onto the silent panic.
The girl was so out of it and scared that she didn't realize her ears were ringing, as well as the blood soaking through her shirt from her opened shoulder wound. She didn't even realize someone was in front of her until Damon grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look into his worried eyes. "Allison?"
Allison's eyes snapped up to him, her mind still reeling, but for the first time, Damon saw her completely and utterly terrified. Sure, she had been scared and panicked other times, but she was always also angry or defensive, so determined to save someone that the fear kind of got lost.
But right now... it was different.
"Alli?" Damon spoke softly, but when another whimper left her lips, he pulled her into a hug. Allison squeezed her eyes shut, not even realizing how shaky she was, as she let herself fall into the safety and comfort that Damon's embrace tried to give her.
"It- it felt so real..." She barely even whispered, the grief finally settling in.
Everything could've been different. Everything. She couldn't had a normal life. She could've had a child. Allison could've left behind this hell of a life and raised a child. She wouldn't have had to worry about everyone. She wouldn't have to be scared all the time about losing somebody else. She wouldn't have had to worry about if she'd have to add another bird to her tattoo. And she wouldn't have had to worry about this so called cursed blood that has her on a Hitlist.
At the rate her life is going... she'll be dead by graduation.
✘ ✘ ✘
A day had passed and Allison did what she always does. She didn't tell anybody about what happened, and she basically shoved all those feelings down. The brunette was, and after so many agreements with Damon, currently at the Grill trying to get her job back.
After an hour of excuses and reasons as to why she vanished and let everyone believe she was dead, Allison was finally behind the bar and serving drinks. She just wanted to get her life back to what passed for normal, at least. But even she knew it wasn't gonna be that easy.
She worked the morning shift and knew she only had a bit before her shift was over, but Allison was thinking about doing overtime. Scott had already came in, the two barely exchanging looks since they hadn't really talked since the whole punching then lifesaving incident. Allison was still trying to think about what he was, while Scott was also trying to keep himself busy and not think about the fact that he's obviously a supernatural being.
"What can I get for you?" Allison asked as she walked over to a guy, who had sat at the bar. For some reason he actually looked familiar. He looked in his late 30s or so, his hair was a dirty blonde, his eyes were this forest green, but they also were darkened a bit from the obvious bags under his eyes.
The man, on the other hand, looked at her in surprise. "I remember you."
"I'm sorry?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but then he shook his head while the corner of his lip quirked up in amusement. "Right, uh, you wouldn't remember me. You weren't... sober, when we met."
Now Allison's eyes widened as she cringed, "Oh my god, the motel."
"Yeah." He nodded, and she then grimaced at the memory, that basically right after the two spoke, she had sliced her hand on glass. Allison slowly nodded, "Right. So- so, what're you doing here?"
"Just passing through." He shrugged, "What about you? I mean, this town is a while away from where we last ran into each other."
"Oh, uh.." Allison shrugged, trying to think up an excuse. "Yeah, I was just on a road trip with some friends at that time. But, uh, this is my hometown." Then, as an attempt to change the subject, she asked. "So, what brings you to Mystic Falls, anyway?"
"Oh, just... I may have a job in town." He shrugged, and Allison gave him a kind smile. "That's good." He nodded, but after getting sent into a bit of an awkward silence, Allison spoke. "What's your name?"
"Dean."
"Okay, Dean, what can I get for you?" She asked with a kind smile, and he nodded. "I'll have a beer and a burger."
"Day drinking?" She teased with a grin, and he gave her an amused look. "You're one to talk."
Allison chuckled, writing down the order and placing it it, before she moved over and grabbed him a beer. "Your burger will be out in a bit." And with that, she moved over to the other end of the bar, taking more orders.
"You know that guy?" Scott got her attention, and Allison passed over a plate of fries to a girl who'd been waiting, the brunette then waited til the girl was gone before she turned towards Scott and shrugged. "Not really."
"Not really?" He raised an eyebrow, and Allison sighed. "I met him before, over the summer, but we didn't really have a conversation."
Scott nodded. "So, you met him on your little rendezvous with Klaus?"
A bitter scoff left Allison's lips as she shook her head. "It wasn't a rendezvous, and I am not discussing this with you right now."
"Then when?" He stopped her by taking her elbow and turning her back towards him. "Allison, we have to talk about- about everything that's happened."
"Not-" She yanked her arm away from him. "-right now."
And with that, she walked around the counter and over to a table that a couple people had sat at. "What can I get for you?"
"You got your job back?"
Allison looked up at the voice, internally groaning when she saw who it was. Can this day get any worse? The brunette shoved the notepad in her apron, "Yeah. I got my job back."
Jacob glanced at the group they were with, before standing up and carefully taking Allison's elbow. "Can I speak with you?"
"Do I have a choice?" She mumbled bitterly as he led the two over to the side of the room. When he stopped, Jacob turned back to her. "We haven't really talked about what happened the other night."
"I don't know what you mean." She innocently shrugged, but Jacob just gave her a knowing look. "You punched Scott, Alli. That isn't like you."
Not wanting to deal with this, Allison shook her head. "Well, maybe it is me now."
"Wait." He stopped her from leaving, "What the hell happened those months you were gone?"
"It's none of your business." She snapped, her eyes narrowing on him, but he just defended with. "It is. It is my business when my best friend is-" He shook his head, "Why'd you even leave in the first place?"
"You know why." Allison rolled her eyes. "After Jenna-"
"That's a lie, and you know it." He cut her off, completely done with all of this shit. "I know you, Alli. You would've wanted to be there for everyone. For your sister, your brother- everyone. But you weren't. You are not the type of person who'd-"
"You don't know me anymore, Jacob." This time, she spoke harshly as she yanked out of his grip. Jacob looked over her, shaking his head. "No. I guess I don't."
Seeing the look on his face, Allison frowned, but got snapped out of it when her phone buzzed. The brunette pulled her phone out, seeing that it was a text from Alaric, and with a sigh, she shoved it back in her pocket. "I've gotta go."
"You can't just leave." He shook his head, following after her as she headed back to the bar. When he grabbed her arm to stop her again, Allison whirled around and took his arm instead, gripping it tightly as she bent it to the point that he grunted in pain. "Leave me alone, Jacob."
Then she let go and walked away, not realizing the pair of eyes that had been watching her carefully and curiously.
✘ ✘ ✘
"These images tell a story." Alaric sighed out as Allison walked into his apartment, and she raised an eyebrow at the fact Elena and Damon were training, which wasn't really working well since Elena was failing at it. Allison moved over to Ric, looking over the photos that he had taken and gathered up from an old Lockwood tunnel. "How do we learn the story?"
"To learn the story, we have to decipher the images." He states, not even glancing at her, and Allison nodded as her eyes scanned over the images. But then the brunette turned around, watching as Damon takes the stake from Elena easily. "Sloppy."
"Shut up. I'm new at this." She mutters, and Allison raised an eyebrow. "I was new at it-"
"Yes, but you've got the whole banshee instinct, plus over three months without any of us, to figure it out." Elena sent her a glare, and Allison scowled. "I'm not gonna apologize for leaving, if that's what you want." She was not in the mood for this.
Luckily, Damon spoke up, taking the attention off her. "Ghost of Christmas past, Mason Lockwood, said that the cave would lead us to a weapon to kill Klaus."
"Yeah, but doesn't Mikael have a weapon?" Elena added as they tried training again, Damon nodding. "Yes, which probably means the wall will lead us to Mikael, who we have already found... and lost." The blue eyed vampire then disarms the eldest Gilbert sibling effortlessly, pulling her closer as he acted like he was gonna stab her. "Bang. You're dead."
"This is getting sad." Allison laughed as she shook her head, earning another glare from Elena, who then shoves Damon away.
But then Damon moved towards Allison before she had time to react. He grabbed her arm and twirled her around, then pulled the girl to his chest. Knowing what he was doing, though, Allison quickly blocked the stake and twisted his arm before kicking him away.
Damon smirked at her with a nod, then glanced towards Elena. "You should've at least gotten some of your sister's talent."
Elena ignores him and moves over to Alaric as he spoke. "These images, at the very least, might tell us what that weapon is."
Damon took Allison hand and pulled her into a kiss. Allison closed her eyes and smiled as she kissed him back, but then she remembered what happened when Naila was able to get in her head and toss her into that world that didn't really exist. Allison pulled away, quickly avoiding his eyes as she stepped away, only looking up when Elena spoke. "Then all we have to do is find out what they mean."
"Fine, fine." Damon rolls his eyes, gesturing towards Elena and Alaric as he spoke. "If I am being irritatingly optimistic like you two, how do you suppose we do that?"
"Well, if that story is about the Original family living here, then we go straight to the source." Elena shrugs, and Allison groaned as she leaned against the wall. "Great. The bitchy blonde princess. I'll be on the other side of town while you deal with her."
"Or you'll be staying by my side." Damon gave the banshee a look. "Because, literally every single time you aren't, bad things happen because of bad decisions."
✘ ✘ ✘
"She's going to tell me. She's scared of him. I saw her face, I just have to engage in a little mean girl power struggle first." Elena spoke through the phone, causing Allison to sigh. "Please make sure she doesn't power struggle you into a wheelchair."
"I've got this." Elena defends, while Allison and Damon walked down the abandoned old city jail stairs. "If we can figure out a way to kill Klaus, Stefan will be free of his compulsion. So... how does he look?"
Allison looked through the barred window on the door, and grimaced before stepping back as Damon looked through, then answered Elena. "Hmm... pasty and pouty."
"He'll have to get over it. Call me later." Then Elena hung up.
Allison glanced up at Damon as she shoved her phone in her back pocket, but when he begins unlocking the door, the vampire glanced at her. "Stay out here."
"No way are you sidelining me on this." She shook her head stubbornly, but he just gives her a look. "Allison... please."
Looking him in the eyes, Allison clenched her jaw as she rolled her eyes, but nodded. The brunette moved back over to the stairs as he goes into the room with Stefan.
Allison barely had to wait a minute before her phone began ringing, and after seeing that it was an unknown number, the girl answered, knowing the boys were too focused on their conversation to eavesdrop. "Hello?"
"So you're alive." Sebastian's voice caused the girl's mood to immediately sour. "And so are you."
"Thanks to whatever you did. So, where are you?"
Allison glanced over at the door Damon had gone into, before she lowered her voice and began going up the steps again. "You know, I've been wracking my brain as to why Rosetta would have sent you here and I came up blank. Then I thought about the witches, and every time they were able to get to me, was when I was with you. And whatever that book had shown me to let you stay, allowed them to almost kill me. So, I hope for your sake, you are far away from Mystic Falls. Because the next time I see you, you won't be alive for much longer."
And with that, she hung up.
"Little banshee." Damon called up to her, and Allison looked down the metal steps as she shoved her phone in her pocket once again. She then raised an eyebrow when she saw Stefan standing next to him, smirking. "I think it's time to get a drink."