A/N: Warning! This chapter will contain rather saddening and intense content from the middle and on, so proceed to read at your own discretion...
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𝐓ʜᴇ 𝐑ᴇᴛᴜʀɴ 𝐓ᴏ 𝐌ʏsᴛɪᴄ 𝐅ᴀʟʟs 𝐖ᴀsɴ'ᴛ 𝐏ᴇᴄᴜʟɪᴀʀʟʏ 𝐐ᴜɪᴇᴛ 𝐀s 𝐄xᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ.
The sentiment of being watched did not escape Alexandra's advanced senses; although entirely isolated on the highway, she could sense she was being pursued, even from a distance.
As if she had asked for it, she spotted the lights of a car through the rear-view mirror, verifying her suspicion.
Rolling her eyes with an angry sigh, she supported her left elbow against the driver's door and rubbed her forehead, in exhaustion, not wishing to deal with anything right now.
Determined to make her pursuer lose her tracks, the half-Cretan accelerated the car insanely and sped far away from whoever was coming after her.
Reaching the next crossroads, she turned to the opposite turn of her destination and stopped the car behind some trees. She stalled the engine and let the clutch out before the lights turned off.
Exhaling a breath, she anticipated seeing her pursuer's car arriving, hoping to discover who he was or for whom he was following her.
The car appeared once again after a while and the Nephilim fisted the steering wheel in tension when she observed it slowing down until it came to stop right before the crossroads.
She exhaled loudly, in relief when she heard the vehicle's engine on again before it continued forward instead of taking either of the two turns.
Letting some time to pass, the Giannakaki lady turned her own engine on and drove to the other turn, towards Mystic Falls, thinking about how to proceed with the following days; stay in Mystic Falls and have to deal with Jenna being aware of the truth and then assisting Anna in opening the tomb and releasing her mother with the fear that she might wish to release the other vampires as well...? Or going to Crete and spend as much time as she could with her family and children, hoping to ease her pain more easily?
She didn't get to ponder more over either subject as suddenly something great heavy hit her windshield, cracking it instantly and the Nephilim hit on the brakes abruptly, utterly in shock.
Endeavouring to comprehend what had just occurred, Alexandra took her seatbelt off with a click and opened the door to see what the hell was thrown onto her car.
The divulgence was not pleasant.
Her eyes fell on four insect-like breeding parasites, known as 𝐒ʜᴀx 𝐃ᴇᴍᴏɴs, evidently sent by a Higher Demon for a God knows why.
"Seriously?" Mused the brunette, ambushed as she felt her serpent armband jewel slide her wrist and slowly turn into an ᴇʟᴇᴄᴛʀᴜᴍ wʜɪᴘ, that looped her palm.
The four hellish creatures hissed at her and went to attack only for the two in front to face an immediate death by the Shadowhunter's lethal-to-them whip.
With a strong move of Alexandra's hand, her whip turned into a spear, ready to finish off the two remaining four-legged demons.
Making a twirl with her hand, Alexandra cut in half one Shax as it turned to dust before the other one jumped and made a deep cut near her left eye, angering the blood-related-to-Devil girl.
As a growl escaped from her throat, the half-celestial held ever so tightly the spear within her palm and turned around within a close of her eyes and slaughtered the last of the demonic creatures in absolute furiousness, pleading every Angel who heard, to reveal to her the name of the Demon responsible for everything that happened to her lately.
And wishing... with every beat of her heart, not to be the only Demon she despised and was most terrified of...
She sensed a presence behind her and she was certain it wasn't another Shax Demon. She closed her eyes to keep her sangfroid; this situation really started getting on her nerves before she suddenly turned around to deal with whoever was there; presumably the same or another pursuer.
It appeared it was her first assumption.
"No, wait!" Exclaimed the man when she made an effort to defend herself with her once-again-whip. "You're in danger!"
"You think?" Hissed the half-Cretan, in sarcasm as she felt her whip whirling up her hand, returning to its original jewel state.
"Please, listen to me," endeavoured the human. "I was following you because I want to protect you! It is my highest duty to keep you perfectly safe!" He obediently quoted his master's precise words.
Alexandra hadn't any time to even ponder whether she believed him or not when the man unexpectedly fell to the ground with a thud, dead - his heart extracted from behind.
The Nephilim let out a squeak of terror as she didn't foresee this to happen.
Terrified but brave, she slowly raised her head to catch a glimpse of the mundane's assassin and her eyes widened in shock.
Recognizing the person, she dismissed an exhale of absolute relief.
"Nik!" She cried out, in alleviation and run to the vampire's embrace as he waited for her with a proud smirk.
"Perfect timing, I trust?" He humoured as he tried to comfort her by soothing her hair, gently.
"You have no idea," she muttered with a sigh, now certain that the human was dishonest and possessed intentions to harm her.
She pulled away from the dirty-blonded male and he accidentally touched her bleeding wound, bringing on a wince of hers before she closed her eyes shut, in painful discomfort.
"Oh, forgive me, sweetheart," Nik observed the depth of her wound and brought his brows together, in question. "What caused this?"
Alexandra couldn't say the truth to him, obviously, not fully trusting him with her family's secret. And she couldn't lie and say that the human was responsible for there was a high possibility of Nik having seen that it wasn't his fault because as Alexandra had figured; he'd been following her for long, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to prevent the man from hurting her.
"It happened when I crashed, I'm not sure how..."
The powerful vampire nodded his head, believing her. "Do you wish to have some of my blood?"
She shook her head, negatively.
"No, I'm fine," she stated. "It will heal, shortly. How did you get here?" She raised an enquiry, in sincere curiosity. "How did you know he meant harm to me?"
"Sweetheart," he grinned wickedly. "As I have mentioned in most of my letters to you, since the first time I rescued you, for an unknown reason I find myself more and more eager to protect you. Apparently, you seem to be a rather unique creation of nature, that demands preservation without you even uttering it."
She giggled at his statement and he paid attention to the scent of her heavenly blood but his supernatural hearing detected the sound of a car approaching their direction at high speed and his attention instantly got diverted.
"I don't have much time, someone is coming and I must not be seen," he acknowledged and she knew the reason for his worry as he had spoken to her about it through their letters. "You have my condolences, darling. Daniel did not deserve this and certainly not you."
She pursed her lips but grinned sadly at him, nevertheless. "Thank you, Nik."
The vampire's bluish eyes moved in the direction of an upcoming car as it made its appearance from afar. "I believe it is one of your friends."
Alexandra frowned. "My friends? Who...?" She left her phrase unfinished as she turned askance to see a very well-known to her, blue Chevy Camaro Convertible, which owner was a very certain raven-haired vampire by the name of Damon Salvatore. "You can't be serious..."
When she went to speak to Nik, he was already gone - a small piece of paper on the ground, his phone number written on it...
Damon was not far from her and Alexandra rested herself against her car, pulling out from her pocket the tiny bottle Leah had provided her she squeezed it, not able to control her strength.
Unfurling her palm, she witnessed she had accidentally cracked it. Not caring about its current condition, she emptied the bottle's remaining liquid inside her mouth, the tiny glasses piercing her skin.
Swallowing it down, the Demon Blood was besmeared over her lips and chin as Alexandra felt her entire body shiver as the blood's abilities started to work on her.
The waves of power began empowering both her soul and her body, lowly.
Damon stopped the car a few metres away, using his vampire speed to get to her as her fainted silhouette fell in his arms instead of touching the hard ground.
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The night had thrown its black shades over the forest, rendering it a dark wonder of nature.
The moonlight glowed wonderfully, the breeze made immaculate wavy anomalies over the black river water, its sound ringed amazingly in Alexandra's ears as she breathed in the fresh fragrance of the water, her bare feet making contact with the wet grass underneath - harmony took over her celestial entity and she closed her eyes.
The place felt familiar, yet she couldn't sense it being as such.
Gazing at the river frontward, she found herself unable to move, her entire body felt numb even against the breeze that smoothed her bare shoulders as her attire contained only an off-shoulder dress that was not of her time.
Her heart began racing faster and she knew he was there.
She hadn't spoken a word, sensing him coming upon her apprehensive silhouette, his strides rather long yet peculiarly stoic.
He stood right behind her and she shut her eyes in expectation, her heart beating rapidly inside her chest.
"You will not be unhappy forever," his slightly British accent echoed and she mentally cursed herself for finding it so attractive, when she shouldn't.
"How can you be so certain?" She dared to question him, praying that he felt the exact same attraction she did.
She perceived him leaning forward, whispering in her ear, "Because I'm destined to prevent that from occurring."
She longed to see him. She longed to see the face of the man that was supposed to be her other half, the sole link to her soul and heart, her man, but a part of hers was grateful that she couldn't.
Not having a proper response for him, he decided to act and dared to touch her bare shoulder ever so slightly, sending shivers down her entire being. "Our encounter is not as far as you might presume, darling," he uttered in her ear, lowly. "I will make sure of it."
She woke up with a gasp, giving notice to the person beside her of her unpleasant sleeping process.
"Wow, hey, are you okay?"
Surprised, hearing Damon's voice, she snapped her head to see if it was indeed him and soothed down a bit, in consolation.
"Yes," she spoke out, breathlessly and laid back on the car seat. "I suppose I am."
"Bad dream?"
She didn't respond directly. She wasn't certain what to say to him because she herself wasn't certain what her dream was...
Her mind screamed a nightmare but her heart a dream closer to happiness.
And she didn't know which she had to listen to.
"Truthfully, I'm not quite certain, Damon," she put her words in and then acknowledged that she and Damon were inside his car (since she hadn't been in it before she recognized it to be his due to the similarity with her own Chevy but ancienter), destination unknown. "Where are we?
The vampire smirked and turned to examine her being, with his brow raised. "Georgia."
Her widened eyes snapped to his indifferent ones. "What!? What are we doing in Georgia?"
"Surprise!" He gifted her a smug grin but she only gave him a doubtful expression.
"Damon, I'm sincerely not in the mood-"
"Oh, come on, Hotness, live a little!" He interrupted her. "Your life totally didn't treat you the way you deserve lately, and to be completely honest, I put my hand in there, too. So, give me a chance to make things better between us and let me give you a day off of your current way of life."
She was stunned but dubious.
His behaviour truly confused her and she didn't know what had caused this. She just wished it wasn't another act of his or because he needed something from her.
It turned out she was right.
"Is this the only reason why you're taking me to Georgia?" She blandly asked him, knowing the retort.
She caught him by surprise and he didn't reply but raised his eyebrows stupidly - now she was certain. "Damon, tell me! I know that look of yours, exceptionally well!"
"Okay, okay!" Admitted Damon, defeated. "That is not the only reason I'm taking you to Georgia." When she went to snap at him he continued, "But... I wasn't lying about wanting you to give me a chance," he turned to look at her, eyes full of truthful emotions. "You might be the only person that I want forgiveness from."
She wasn't sure how, but she believed him...
Now, she believed him.
But she didn't have any time to respond to him in any way when suddenly her stomach felt like it was making one hundred revolutions per second.
With a hand over her stomach, she notified the vampire in a hard voice, "Damon, pull over, I think I'm going to chunder."
"You and your British language," the Salvatore rolled his eyes. "Just say 'vomit' or the truth, that you don't believe me-"
"Hush, you idiot! It's due to my pregnancy-!" She put her hand over her mouth, not able to speak anymore.
"Oh, God," mumbled Damon, in alarm and pulled over instantly, vamp-speeding to her and aiding her to get down the car before bringing her behind a tree, to help her respite a bit from her pregnancy symptoms.
He held her hair in a fist and caressed her back as she finally let herself free and heaved up.
"Hey, it's okay," spoke Damon, gently, smiling down a bit. "You're okay."
"I'm sorry," murmured Alexandra, in difficulty after a while.
The vampire frowned. "Why are you sorry?"
"I have been doing it since I was a little girl," she confessed, not eyeing him. "I don't wish for people catching sight of me being... vulnerable."
"Have you ever thought that you should think about yourself for once and not about what everyone else might think or feel?" He enquired, pointedly, still holding her hair and putting her strands behind her ears.
She just peeked at him edgeways, not retorting and Damon laughed at her lack of response.
"Let's get going, Miss Bloodwood." He picked her up before leading her towards his car, hiding his smile.
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𝐌ʏsᴛɪᴄ 𝐅ᴀʟʟs|𝐀ʟᴀʀɪᴄ's 𝐑ᴇsɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ.
'𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦,' typed Alaric on his computer, the following morning. '𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢'𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳... 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.'
He stood up and looked at Isobel's picture over his desk, smiling at him.
The memory of her didn't bring any good to him since he kept thinking of the vampire responsible for his wife's condition was alive and free in Mystic Falls.
Not for long, thought the vampire hunter and closed his apartment's door, a tad more loudly than usual.
If only he knew his beloved niece was now with Damon Salvatore...
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𝐁ᴀᴄᴋ 𝐓ᴏ 𝐓ʜᴇ 𝐑ᴏᴀᴅ...
"So, where are we headed?"
"A little place right outside Atlanta," said Damon. "You're gonna love it!"
"Really?" Questioned the half-Cretan, impressed. "Am I going to love the place or the reason you're dragging me into it?"
Damon smirked. "Always charming, yet suspicious, huh, Hotness?"
"It's a gift," shrugged the brunette. "Being a Cretan equalizes suspiciousness, you know..." She turned to look at him and he followed her action. "Quite many vendettas..."
The immortal rose his eyebrows in awe. "You don't say..."
"So, tell me," she requested. "I yearn for an explanation of why you brought me with you last night instead of taking me home."
"Well, for starters," he emphasized. "Even if I took you home last night, I would've taken you to my place. There wasn't any chance I'd let you stay at Jenna's in your condition."
"Why not?" Queried Alexandra, bewildered.
"Have you seen you, lady?" He taunted. "Your face might the prettiest I've ever seen in my life," unbeknownst to him, she blushed. "But in case your little pregnant self hasn't noticed, you're besmeared in blood. Jenna would freak out if she saw you like this."
Her eyes snapped at her attire - he was right.
Her wound from the previous night seemed that it had quite the blood loss, regarding the dried blood all over the left side of her face, lips and chin, that continued to her neck and chest, concluding at the middle of her top, as it had apparently soaked up most of her blood.
Then, her gaze fell on her arms, which were also full of red stains.
"How deep did it cut me?" She thought she spoke up inside her mind, but she was mistaken.
"The what?"
Alexandra froze in her spot, acknowledging her error. Not wishing to reveal the truth to Damon, she, unfortunately, had to lie, "Um, the... the glass from my windshield. Didn't you notice how badly it cracked from the crash!? It almost penetrated my eye!"
"Yeah, but it didn't," replied Damon, believing her excuse about her car crash. "And the weirdest thing is that it was healed," he turned his head towards her direction. "I checked."
Her umber-coloured eyes narrowed at his ice-blue ones and her fingers immediately sought out her wound, finding it indeed... healed.
"But, I... I didn't heal it," she hastily said, terror lacing her tone. "I mean, I didn't have time to- I mean, it's incomprehensible! I-I recall myself fainting, I-I could not heal- I didn't have the time or strength to do so! I-I..."
She lied again.
She knew that her skin healed due to the connection the Demon Blood had with her relation to the Dark Archangel.
But she wasn't going to reveal that to Damon.
Damon pulled up right outside a pub, turning off the engine quickly before attempting to ease Alexandra down. "Hey, hey, relax! It's not good for your condition to feel any anxiety!" When he noticed her not paying attention to him, he grasped her face, to gain her attention, not wishing to upset her further. "Calm down, damnit! We'll see what healed you, okay? You need to stop worrying, I believe that it wasn't your doing."
She looked at him with watery eyes. "Why are you being so nice to me?" She whispered.
He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Because I owe it to you," he confessed, frankly. "And because you might be the only person who can help me open that tomb, find Katherine and... disappear from your lives, forever."
She felt sorry for him. "Damon, I already told you... Katherine Pierce was never inside that tomb."
"You don't know that!" He shouted in her face and he saw her flinch, he hushed down. "Sorry for yelling at you," he mused and glanced down before finding her eyes once again, almost pleading her to see his way of view. "but, you have to understand me, Alexa. If I lose this single possibility of her being in there, then I have nothing else to live for."
She didn't desire to be a pessimist, but the documents from the Institute's Headquarters had never been erroneous. She was a thousand per cent certain, that Katherine was never inside that tomb, and Damon would find his heart crushed when he'll discover Katherine's treachery.
She found it unpleasant that to Damon, Katherine meant everything, and to her - according to her belief and Stefan's confession - the older Salvatore meant nothing; nothing but a handsome, immortal chew toy.
The Bloodwood just nodded with a smile, not speaking her mind to Damon, who she oddly enough started considering as her friend; not that she was going to admit that.
Damon pursed his lips in gratitude, not wanting to express it with words but deeds.
He had hurt Alexandra way too many times, and after what he had the Demon do, he got convinced that Alexandra will never see him as something more... So, returning to his original plan and yearning for Alexandra's resources to be inaccurate, he figured he might have a chance to live with his very first love... That was all he kept thinking, in an effort to overlook his sin.
"Now, come," he encouraged her and nodded towards the bar. "I need you to meet someone."
When she went to follow his action and emerge the car, she retook acknowledgement of the red stains on her arms and also the fact that they lacked fabric.
"Firstly, Mister, I cannot enter in my current and literal bloody condition and secondly, where is my blazer?"
He smirked before making a move and pulled her blazer out from his jacket, obviously hiding it from her view.
"My friend will help you clean up, I've arranged a private party for us, don't worry."
His wink only brought on a contrasting effect on her.
Stepping out of his car, Alexandra caught a glimpse of the pub's name; Bree's Bar and her lip twitched a bit for an unknown cause.
Damon went to pull the door open and indeed, there was a sign that read; Private Party and Alexandra giggled in amusement. "You brought a pregnant woman to a bar when she can have nothing that contains alcohol? You're mean."
They entered the empty pub, only to find a beautiful chocolate-skinned woman behind the bar, cleaning it over before she raised her head to see her former lover with a tall woman behind him, who she didn't acknowledge yet.
"No," she attempted to convince herself that it was undoubtedly him. "No, it can't be! Damon!?" She jumped over the counter and went straight to Damon, grasping his face. "My honey pie."
She went to kiss him but ceased herself when she felt a peculiarly amazing aura from the woman behind the vampire.
"No, way!" She let Damon's face and moved past him as she saw her favourite Bass Player standing right behind him. "Alexandra Bloodwood, in my bar!? Goodness, I must be dreaming!"
Alexandra chuckled shyly. "So, I take it you're a fan?"
Bree did not get to make a reply.
"I would say groupie," popped up, Damon. "otherwise she would've seen all that blood on you."
Bree came to notice that Damon although sarcastic, was being honest. "My God," she run her fingers over Alexandra's complexion, spectating it carefully before her hand cupped the Nephilim's cheek, letting the celestial aura possess her being for a moment as she shut her eyes.
Alexandra sent a look towards Damon - the two of them sharing the bewilderment.
Bree suddenly opened her eyes with a gasp, precautioning the two.
"What's the matter?" Echoed Alexandra's tensed voice.
"You're with a child," voiced the chocolate-skinned female, who certainly possessed the witch's gift; the very same Bonnie and Sheila did...
So, she was of Bennett blood...
That was why Damon wished for Alexandra to meet her. Together they could find a way to open the tomb.
Oh, God... thought the Nephilim in tiredness.
"How did you know?" Raised the half-mundane an enquiry.
Bree beamed warmly. "Although you're one of the most attractive women, ever, you now have a very much different glow that surrounds you like a halo, baby. Apart from your Shadowhunter glow."
Alexandra's lip twitched upwards and crossed her arms. "You perceived my supernatural essence from my glow or did a black crow inform you upon it?" Her eyes flickered towards the vampire, who looked everywhere but her.
"A little bit of both," smirked Bree. "Now, come, sweetie. Let's get you cleaned up and tell me, how did you get all bloody?"
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𝐌ᴀɪɴᴇ 𝐈ɴsᴛɪᴛᴜᴛᴇ|𝐍ᴇw 𝐘ᴏʀᴋ 𝐂ɪᴛʏ.
Vivienne was losing her mind.
Learning about Alexandra having a relationship with Daniel was one thing, but Alexandra expecting his child was something entirely different.
She hadn't felt a single warm feeling towards her daughter, in years and believe it or not, it was no fault of hers.
Her eldest son's declaration could not escape her thinking and perhaps that was what brought Vivienne back.
Ever since the funeral, the matriarch started feeling absolute guilt, pain and loss.
Ceasing her back and forth walking, she halted in front of the looking glass and examined her reflection.
She didn't recognize the woman who stared back at her, because it simply wasn't her.
No one knew who she was anymore...
Or more particularly, who possessed her.
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𝐁ᴀᴄᴋ 𝐓ᴏ 𝐁ʀᴇᴇ's 𝐁ᴀʀ...
"Here's to the man," started up Bree and poured alcohol into three shot glasses. "that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness! Drink up!" She lifted up her glass and drank the alcohol and so did Damon but not Alexandra, who literally wanted to heave up again with Damon's control over Bree's feelings, back in the day.
"Not wishing to be a fun-destroyer, but the little miracle I'm carrying is not quite fond of anything alcoholic." The Nephilim pursed her lips and kindly pushed her shot towards Damon, who gladly devoured it.
"Right," joked Damon. "We have the mini version of the Art Professor to think about, now."
Alexandra cast him an infuriated yet offended look, which shut the vampire up.
"Sorry,"
The Shadowhunter didn't provide him with an answer, which only brought on Bree's smirk.
"Wow, you really got him whipped, girl," remarked the dark-skinned woman.
When Damon went to object because 'Who, me,!? Never!', the half-Cretan spoke up first, "I don't appreciate such insinuations, Bree," she coerced a polite smile. "Please, let's avoid them."
The older woman rose her eyebrows in stupefaction. "I knew I liked you for a reason, sugar pie. Now, what can I get you? What does your miracle baby desire?"
"Strawberry juice," Damon hastened out a reply, knowing what Alexandra would order. "And bring her something to eat. She had a rough night." His gaze shifted to Alexandra's slyly-smiled figure and he couldn't hold back his own.
Bree grinned, seeing Damon's politeness towards the heavenly creature. "You got it."
"You know if you keep up with this attitude, I might start liking you instead of hating you," muttered the Bloodwood heir and dared to lay her head onto Damon's shoulder, surprising the male.
The Salvatore descendant found her gaze and smirked. "Why? Because I brought you breakfast yesterday and I ordered it for you, today?"
Alexandra put her hand over his and Damon's vampiric heart began racing faster as he felt her warm skin stroking his cold one.
"Because for the first time since I first encountered you, Damon Salvatore, you behaved selflessly and literally cared for someone else that wasn't you."
The male version of immortality did not voice a single word due to utter shock. Knowing the risk, he acted nevertheless and leaned forward to kiss her forehead, her eyes closed shut when his lips made contact with her skin, lingering for a second or two.
He might have a chance after all...
Bree cast a look backwards, seeing the duo rather occupied and returned to her task.
Meeting Alexandra was perhaps the best thing that had happened to her in years, and not because of her fame.
The Bennett witch line unbeknownst to many but specifically Alexandra, was destined to be the guardians of the three Bloodwoods' Soulmate Bond with their significant others for aeons.
Bree was very well aware of what was to come in the Nephilim's near future but chose not to say anything to either Alexandra or Damon, of whom she was certain he wouldn't take it so calmly.
Coming upon a Shadowhunter was considered to be a blessing for almost every witch and warlock of the Mundane World.
But Bree could not feel blessed when she had in mind what she had to do.
If the witches discovered what she was about to do, they would have taken her life the instant they unveiled the truth. But, the female was prepared; she had spelt her Bar so that no other witch - dead or not - could perform any spells against her.
Damon was the one who put her into this and he had to pay. She knew what Alexandra meant to him and this was the only way to avenge him and get what she yearned for.
She knew that it was a 'kill or be killed' situation.
With a heavy heart, the woman acquired a spoon and the first pill of the two, that she needed to get the job done.
She couldn't perform any magic for the procedure, otherwise, Alexandra would have sensed it almost immediately, so she had to do it in the mundane way.
Pressing the spoon over the pill, she smashed it and it turned into dust before she poured it inside the glass of strawberry juice and stirred it, letting the medicine melt within the red juice.
"Here you go," came Bree with a forced smile. "For the lovely baby mamma," she set down the strawberry juice and a plate with french fries, eggs, some salad, strawberries and a chocolate brownie before handing to Damon a beer and a plate with french fries and a burger. "And for our hot stuff, something non-bloodied."
"Wow, thank you!" Praised Alexandra, amused, with the view in front of her. "It seems flavoursome."
"Tuck in, sweetie," winked Bree.
"I'm sorry," butted in Damon, sounding offended. "A luxury breakfast for mummy dearest over there and I get just a burger with fries!?" He whined, in humour. "I thought you adored me!"
"Oh, shut up, she's eating for two," dismissed him, Bree, playfully, causing Alexandra to burst into laughter.
Bree observed carefully as Alexandra raised her glass to take a sip from her juice, only for her phone to start ringing, ceasing the lady's action.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she pulled her phone out and frowned when she saw the caller's ID.
"Who is it?" Asked Damon and put a french fry in his mouth.
"Elena," she retorted, honestly before hopping off her chair. "Excuse me, I must take this."
"Take your juice with you!" Called out Bree, confusing somehow the duo. "I mean, you must be really hungry, sweetheart. At least drink your juice until you return and eat."
Alexandra beamed, not a single bad thought crossing her mind. "You're right, thank you."
She took the glass with her and she went out to speak with her friend, sensing Bree's eyes piercing her skull.
"Why was she covered in blood?" Queried Bree as they were out of Alexandra's earshot, successful in making Damon inquire about her persistence with the girl's juice.
Damon took a sip of his beer. "She had an accident with her car. Something hit her windshield hard and she lost control."
"And you had to drag the poor girl here, in her condition, so that you can convince her to help you in opening the tomb?"
Damon tried to hide his true emotions. "We kinda made a deal," he explained, half-honestly. "She helps me find Katherine and I disappear from her life, forever."
"After all these years, it's still only Katherine," she stated, neglecting on purpose, to mention anything that concerned his evident feelings for Alexandra. "How do you even know she's still alive?"
The vampire chose to bypass mentioning Alexandra's warning about the Pierce woman not being in the tomb as well. "Well, you and Hotness help me get into that tomb, and we'll find out."
"I already did," noted Bree. "Twenty years ago, remember? Three easy steps; comet, crystal, spell. Why do you need Alexandra if you have these three?"
"Because there's a little problem with number two," informed Damon. "I don't have the crystal. And even when I did, I wanted her to help me, so I could make sure the spell would work, perfectly."
"That's it, Damon," toned the Bennett witch. "There is no other way. At least, not that I know of. It's Emily's spell, it was never meant to be broken by a Shadowhunter."
"And that's what should convince you that there is another way," spoke up Damon, confidently. "Shadowhunters are way more powerful than any other supernatural creature, and believe me when I say to you; that she," he gestured towards the Nephilim outside, who was still on the phone. "is more than capable to help us break the spell. We won't even need the crystal! She could easily override Emily's spell."
"It doesn't work that way, baby," she dismissed him, softly. "Emily's spell is absolute. You can't get into that tomb unless you're a hundred per cent sure that there is another way. And considering everything our angelic beauty has gone through these last days, she might not be able to help with the spell, either." She checked if Alexandra was approaching and when she detected her still outside and drinking her juice, she closed her eyes, in regret before she leaned over to whisper to Damon, "Especially if she finds out that you were responsible for her boyfriend's death."
Damon shivered; out of anxiety, out of anger? He didn't know. He just didn't want Alexandra to discover the truth. Never.
"Wait here," he instructed the witch and rose from his seat before emerging from the pub.
"Please, Sheila," he heard Alexandra say. "Let me know if there is anything I can help with Bonnie, alright?"
Sheila called her, notifying her that her granddaughter was experiencing a block with her magic, which was probably caused by the latest events and resulted in her being terrified.
Damon didn't bother hearing Sheila's response, he just appeared behind the brunette without her acknowledging him.
Turning around, Alexandra bumped into him and didn't seem frightened. "Why am I not impressed to find you here?"
He ignored her statement. "I thought you were speaking with Elena."
The Nephilim rolled her eyes. "Not that it is your concern, but I was before Sheila's call," she muttered, sincerely. "But something else came up."
"I'm all ears," smiled the vampire, fake-innocently and crossed his arms across himself.
Exhaling loudly, Alexandra knew that unfortunately, he had to learn the truth. "Elena found out about Katherine."
The smile faded from his face.
"How?" He sternly requested.
"Well, long story short," began the half-Cretan. "Elena was returning home and she hit someone with her car - probably a vampire. Stefan appeared miraculously and the man vanished like nothing had hit him and crushed every bone in his body. Then, one thing brought the other and they... intimated," Damon smirked proudly. "And after that, Elena accidentally found a picture of Katherine in Stefan's room and... she enquired him of it. He told her the truth and now she called me in absolute shock, telling me that she was adopted and... that she ceased her relationship with Stefan, permanently."
So, her suspicion along with Daniel and Nathaniel's was accurate; her Cupcake was indeed adopted.
"Wow, this is a long short story," sighed the raven-haired male. "Now, what are we supposed to do? Feel sorry that she found out the truth or that they broke up, again?"
Alexandra gave him an unpleasant look before she felt a strange sensation in her core, making her grunt in pain.
"Are you okay? You wanna throw up again?" Questioned Damon, in worry.
Alexandra shook her head, negatively. "No, I... My stomach just feels... weird."
"Weird how?"
"I don't know," replied the Bloodwood. "Anyhoo, I'll feel better in a minute. What should concern us more than their break-up, is the fact that someone was coming after her, Damon. And they certainly were not human."
Damon was wary, not only of the vampire who followed Elena but of Alexandra's condition as well.
As for Alexandra, she was thinking exclusively about Elena's problem and hoped that the vampire who was after her was not from Anna's circle...
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𝐀 𝐅ᴇw 𝐇ᴏᴜʀs 𝐋ᴀᴛᴇʀ,
𝐌ᴀɪɴᴇ 𝐈ɴsᴛɪᴛᴜᴛᴇ|𝐍ᴇw 𝐘ᴏʀᴋ 𝐂ɪᴛʏ.
Lydia run like crazy in the corridors of the Institute, looking for her cousins or her aunt even, her eyes blurry from the tears that wouldn't stop running down her cheeks.
Reaching Vivienne's office, she didn't bother to knock as she pushed the door open with her magic, startling the matriarch and her sons.
"Lydia, what's the matter?" Requested the Saltzman woman. "That is not a way to-"
"ΠΟΥ ΕΙΝΑΙ Η ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑ!;" The girl ignored her aunt and shouted at her cousins. [WHERE IS ALEXANDRA!?]
"Eϊ, χαλάρωσε! Γύρισε πίσω, γιατί;" Attempted Nathaniel, to ease her being. [Hey, calm down! She has returned (to Mystic Falls), why?].
"Sh-she didn't return!" Told them, the raven-haired witch. "She's wi-with a vampire somewhere in Atlanta uh, what was his name? Damien?"
Realization dawned on almost everyone (considering Vivienne didn't know of whom Lydia was speaking about).
"Damon Salvatore!?" Roared Gabriel. "What the hell is she doing with him!? She was supposed to go straight to Jenna's place!"
"Son, mind your language," instructed the matriarch, her second child.
"Μάνα, εσύ σιωπή!" Yelled the brown-haired son, not caring that he used his mother tongue in front of Vivienne before turning to Lydia once again. "Είχες όραμα;" [Mum, you keep silent! Did you have a vision?]
The seer witch nodded her head, in haste.
"Guys, we don't have time for chit-chatting, this is life or death!" Warned Lydia. "We must find her! Alexandra is in danger!"
"Wait, what do you mean?" Queried Nathaniel, coming to face his little cousin. "What kind of danger? Could she die?"
Lydia didn't respond immediately. "If it didn't already happen..."
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𝐁ᴀᴄᴋ 𝐓ᴏ 𝐁ʀᴇᴇ's 𝐁ᴀʀ...
"You have to accept it, Damon," taunted Alexandra, breathlessly as her laughter slowly fainted. "You were beaten by a girl!"
"It was clearly beginner's luck," proposed Damon and set down his pool stick. "No one can beat me in billiards, let alone a girl."
"She's not just any girl, Damon," remarked Bree with a wink.
The vampire rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever, just give her some water or something, she's capable of drowning if she continues to laugh like that."
"Why can't I have another juice?"
"Because you should eat, it's been hours since we ate," explained Damon and turned to Bree, pointedly. "And you lady, stop giving her drink juice all the time, she already had two glasses and huge."
Bree cast a glance backwards, seeing the second pill's packaging vacant, her guilt reflecting upon its shining surface.
It's almost time...
She feigned naughtiness. "Oh, come on! What could two glasses of strawberry juice do to her?"
He joined the brunette's side while she supported herself against one of the tables behind. "I don't know, a redhead maybe."
Alexandra's head rapidly whipped around and glared at him. "I detest myself with red hair!"
"Why?" Teased the Salvatore heir, with a smug grin. "I think you would look extra hot as a redhead."
The Nephilim didn't bring herself to provide him with an answer as she suddenly grasped her stomach in pain. "Ah!"
"What's the matter?" Wondered Damon and let his smile drop.
"I don't know, I'm in pain- Ah!" She fell to her knees, grasping her stomach more tightly. "Damon, something's not right! I do not feel well!"
The vampire knelt beside her, not comprehending her current situation. "What do you mean? What is happening?"
"My baby..." Groaned Alexandra, in agony and looked at him with watery eyes. "Something is wrong with my baby."
Damon's eyes flashed red in anger as he turned to see Bree, standing there with tears of her own - Azazel's request coming to his mind...
"Now, onto my payment... there is something very important that I want you to do."
Damon wanted to object about everything but he knew he couldn't. "Which is?"
Azazel's eyes turned black.
"I want you to kill Daniel and Alexandra's baby."
The Salvatore sped towards the witch, lifting her by the neck and letting her entire body fall onto the bar before hitting her head, strongly. "What did you do to her!?"
Due to the rather tight hold, he had on her neck, Bree couldn't utter any words except for sounds of discomfort.
"Tell me," bellowed Damon and squeezed her throat more.
The witch unable to speak turned her head and showed him, the cause of Alexandra's condition.
The vampire followed her hand and sped to the other side of the bar, changing hands on Bree's neck as he inspected the two vacant medicine packagings in his grasp, the one read; Mifepristone and the other; Misoprostol.
"What are these?" He asked his former lover, hot anger lacing his tone. "WHAT ARE THESE!?"
"A-abortion pills," managed the Bennett witch to mumble, urging Damon's eyes to widen and loosen his grip on her - the woman fell to the floor, coughing heavily.
"Damon!" Cried Alexandra, achingly, gaining the vampire's attention.
"Will my blood fix it?" He addressed Bree. "WILL MY BLOOD PREVENT THE ABORTION!?" He whisper-yelled at the witch who was still massaging her neck.
"It wouldn't change anything," said the chocolate-skinned woman, hoarsely. "She's taken both pills. The procedure is almost done, considering her cramping has begun. Your blood would only-"
A breathy gasp echoed throughout the bar and Damon's eyes along with Bree's snapped to Alexandra's figure, seeing her frozen in her spot.
The Nephilim let her head descend downwardly, her eyes dropping between her legs - the white fabric of her trousers started soaking in red.
Damon and Bree observed horrified.
"My baby..." She whispered, ever so lowly, with her trembling hands over her stomach - her eyes locating Bree's. "W-why...?"
"I had no other choice, baby," replied the older woman, with her own tears appearing in her eyes. "If I didn't do it, he would kill me, right there and then."
"W-who!? Who would have wished for such a monstrosity!?"
"Azazel! He- Ah-"
Alexandra's eyes widened upon hearing the Demon's name.
The name she didn't wish to hear ever again in her entire life. The name that brought dread and the worst of the worst remembrances she endeavoured to bury behind the Black Door all these years. The name of the man that deceived her family and took advantage of her for three years in a row.
She was so thunderstruck and aghast from the divulgence that she didn't perceive Damon thrusting his hand in Bree's chest and tearing her heart out.
"He's alive," he gave attention to Alexandra murmuring, to no one in particular. "He's alive!"
He sped to her and wound his arm around her trembling silhouette. "Hey, hey, look at me, it's okay. I got you." He put his hand under her chin, moving her head to look at him - his supernatural hearing detecting her heartbeats increasing rapidly.
His efforts in putting her at ease turned out to be rather pointless.
Alexandra not only didn't soothe down but she ultimately lost consciousness in Damon's arms after muttering to him, "He will never leave me alone."
A slight earthquake resulted in the raven-haired vampire looking up from the bloodshed over Alexandra's trousers and noticing a metaphysical portal appear out of nowhere before Nathaniel, Gabriel and Vivienne emerged from it.
Their first glance fell onto Alexandra's bloody silhouette, instantly being convinced that she was no longer alive.
Their first thought; annihilate the vampire responsible...
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𝐍ᴇw 𝐂ʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ 𝐈ɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.
𝐁ʀᴇᴇ performed by: 𝐆ɪɴᴀ 𝐓ᴏʀʀᴇs
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A/N: And we reached 300 pages, you guys!!!
• Comment to express your opinion! •
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