Twenty-Five | Memory Lane
Autumn 1864
I hung the stethoscope around my neck and zipped my bag shut, "You're going to be just fine, Mrs. Rivers. Your heart rate went up from the shock and the cut on your face is minor. I've put a small bandage on it and it should heal fairly quick."
"Thank you, Dr. Fell." She flashed a smile as best as her sweet old face could. I wasn't yet a qualified doctor by law but I didn't want to correct her.
"My pleasure. If you need anything else, send one of your sons to find me." I picked up my bag and left her small, sweet home.
I walked down the wooden stairs at the front of her house and made my way through the woods. I loved to help people. They didn't deserve to be in pain, especially the innocent ones. I watched my brown boots trudge their way through the leaves and branches.
A blonde girl came from the small house to my left. She wore white, just like me and a small bonnet in her hair. She carried a doctors bag. I smiled as she walked towards me, "Lexi."
"Cassie. I just finished healing a patient." She smiled. She was also a nurse, she taught me a lot of what I know. At this time, I didn't know Lexi was a vampire.
"How do you heal people so quickly?" I asked.
"I guess you could say I have a knack for it." She replied, a small laugh in her tone.
"I just hate seeing people in pain." I replied.
"Me too. Well, I must be going. Better not let another patient wait." Lexi smiled.
I nodded, "I'll see you, Lexi."
"Bye, Cassandra." She walked away.
I carried on walking through the woods. I heard a rustle beside me. I quickly looked up. Nobody was there. My pace quickened. Suddenly someone came out from beside me and I swung my bag, hitting them in the chest. I opened my hands in shock, dropping the bag.
"Ow, Cassie." He rubbed his chest.
I laughed, "Don't sneak up on me like that, Damon."
I picked up my bag and carried on walking, Damon followed, "Sorry. Stefan told me where you were working, I thought I would pay you a visit."
"That's very kind. My job is over for the day." I smiled back.
"Then you can come to fathers and join us for dinner."
"Are you asking me or telling me?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Depends on your answer. So, Miss Fell?" He stopped infront of me and bowed, holding out one hand like he was holding an invitation. I laughed, "Will you come to dinner at my fathers tonight?"
I looked to the side, pretending to think about it, "Hm. That depends. Do I get jewellery?"
He shook his head, "No."
"A tiara?"
"Nope."
"Then no. I shall not attend. A princess always gets a tiara." I joked, keeping a straight face. He stood up, looking confused. I laughed, "I am joking. Of course I am coming."
"You're an idiot, Cassandra." He laughed, shaking his head.
"Come on, Prince Damon." I teased, smiling wide, "And I prefer the term dramatic."
▂▂▂▂
I sat around the table, Damon was to my left, Stefan was opposite. There was a huge feast on the table. I had already eaten most of the food on my plate. Conversations were flowing all around the table. A few guests from the Founding Families were also here.
"How were your patients today, Cassandra?" Stefan asked.
"Good. Nothing major." I told him.
"How long until you are qualified?" Mr. Salvatore asked.
"A few more months. I have to wait for the Mystic Falls Head Office to recieve my letter." I replied. He nodded and carried on a conversation with a woman next to him.
I heard a chair move and turned my head to see Katherine sit in the empty chair next to Stefan. I took in a deep breath, avoiding eye contact. Katherine found out two months ago that I liked Damon as more than just a friend. She tortured me for it, mostly in words.
Ever since she found out, she always kept Damon close, making him fall in love with her. He wanted her and I knew it. I was jealous. Katherine was evil. She disliked me because I discovered her vampire secret when I found her feeding from Stefan.
After eating, I excused myself and went upstairs to the bathroom. I freshened up by splashing some cold water on my face. I dried it with a small towel and left the bathroom. As I turned the corner, I bumped into Katherine in the hallway.
"Watch where you are going, Cassandra. I'm rather hungry." She smirked.
"I could easily expose you to the Founding Families." I frowned, "They'd kill you in an instant."
"You would not dare." She came towards me which made me walk backwards. I had entered another room. I looked around to see I was in Damon's room.
My attention turned back to Katherine, "Oh, I would."
"You want to get rid of me so you can have Damon all to yourself? Poor girl. He doesn't love you, he never has and he never will. It's me he wants." She came closer. I had nowhere else to move to.
"Stay back." I frowned.
"Or what? Are you going to kill me? Please, be my guest. Before you even make a move, I will snap your neck." Katherine replied.
I grabbed a pencil from Damon's desk and stabbed it into Katherine's stomach. I ran but Katherine vamp ran infront of me.
She grabbed me, "Or better yet. I'd rather see you suffer without Damon's love and me there every second of every day for the rest of your immortal life."
"No, no!" I yelled. She smirked and bit her wrist, she forced it into my mouth, her grip tight on me. I squirmed but couldn't move. I felt her blood going down my throat.
"Have a miserable, eternal life, Cassandra." She smiled then broke my neck, making me fall into darkness.
1915
I held either side of my cream dress up as I descended the staircase. My hair was in an updo and I had long flower earrings in. Damon Salvatore was waiting for me at the bottom. I smiled as I linked my arm with his.
We walked into a room full of people dancing. Damon led me to the dancefloor and held my waist. I placed my left hand on his shoulder and my right in his hand. We danced to the music. I suddenly laughed at the seriousness of the situation.
"What?" Damon smiled.
"You know I don't like this kind of formal dancing." I said.
He spun me around then dipped me making me giggle. He lifted me up our faces inches apart, "Is that better?"
"You'll get us into trouble, Mr. Salvatore." I smirked, looking round at everyone at the ball, dancing around us.
"As long as you're happy, I don't care." He smiled.
I smiled back. My eyes flickered diwn to his lips, wanting to kiss him, but I stopped myself, pulling away from him, "I think that's enough dancing, I'm going to get a drink."
I walked away from the dance floor and towards the drinks table. I took an empty glass, filling it with champagne. I took a sip of it just as Stefan stood beside me.
"How are your cravings?" I asked him.
"Getting better." Stefan replied.
Three years ago Stefan had gone through a full blown Ripper stage, killing villages of people. Lexi had helped him. She had discovered that I was turned in 1864 along with Stefan and Damon, she helped us to control our blood lust and feelings. It took a while but we got there.
"Keep trying, just like Lexi taught you." I said, facing him, "You control it, it doesn't control you."
"I know. I know. I'll get there." Stefan replied.
"You better, Stefan, because you blindly killed innocent people. And this isn't who we are." I put the champagne on the table, "If you hurt anyone again, you'll lose me."
"I will make it stop, Cassie." Stefan replied. He scanned around the room, "Where's Damon?"
I sighed, "No idea. I'll go find him."
I walked away, looking in the crowded downstair rooms, full of people dancing and laughing. I couldn't see him. I figured he must have gone upstairs so I made my way towards the staircase and up it.
"Damon?" I called out, standing at the top of the stairs.
There were two directions I could go. I chose right. I walked down the hallway, looking at the paintings that hung on the walls. I stopped at a door with a noise coming from behind it.
"Damon?" I said, opening it.
I gasped as soon as I saw blood on the floor and chair that a female was sat in. Someone stood infront of her. It was vampire. They quickly disappeared, making my vision blur.
I moved forward towards the victim but stopped when I felt a huge pain in my chest, I screamed in pain. I heard a wisp and looked down to see a stake stuck in my chest. I dropped to the floor, weak. The wood slightly scratching my heart.
"Cassie? Oh my God. What happened?" I heard Damon behind me, he quickly pulled the stake out. I groaned in pain, "Hey. You're okay. Come on, lets get you out of here."
He picked me up and began leaving the room. I saw Stefan standing in the hallway and he quickly ran to us, "What happened?"
"It was a vampire." I told them.
"What? Did you see who?" He asked. I shook my head.
"We need to get home before I rip someones head off." Damon spat, incredibly pissed off.
▂▂▂▂
I laid in bed, throwing the bloodbag I had just finished onto the bedside table. I looked down to the bloodstain on my dress before my attention turned towards Damon.
"Feeling better?" Damon asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Yes. Thank you." I smiled, staring into his beautiful ocean blue eyes.
I had been in love with Damon for fifty-one whole years. We shared moments but never kissed. I felt like he was still hung up on losing Katherine in a fire that apparently happened somewhere after she killed me. I didn't ask questions, I was just glad she was gone.
Damon sighed, "I'm sorry you got hurt."
I shook my head, "It wasn't your fault, Damon. You don't need to apologise."
"I shouldn't have left your side. I won't let anyone hurt you, ever again. I promise I'll protect you. I will always protect you, Cassie." Damon said, never breaking his focus off of me.
I smiled, gently holding the side of his face with one hand, "Thank you."
"I know you didn't want this life but we are immortal, so I will do everything to protect you from harm. I want you to be happy." He smiled, taking my hand off his face and holding it in his, rubbing his thumb against the back.
"I am happy, Damon. Being here, with you." My eyes flickered down to his soft, rose pink lips. I suddenly felt them connect with mine. My eyes shut and Damon's hand held my face.
My stomach filled with a feeling I'd only properly felt when I first fell in love with him, but this was magnified. His thumb rubbed on my cheek making me smile into the kiss. My hand found it's way to his hair, tangling in it. I ran my hand down the side of his face. We pulled apart, my forehead resting on his. I smiled. He smiled back.
March, 1950
"Cass, I'm going out... to meet Stefan." Damon said, walking into the kitchen. He pressed a sweet kiss to my lips, "I'll see you later."
I smiled, "Okay. I'm going shopping for some new dresses, most seem to be stained from blood bags."
"Hmm." He looked at the clock, "Have fun."
He walked out the door. I picked up the empty mug he had drank from and put it in the sink along with mine. After washing up for a few minutes, I put a thin cardigan on over my dress and grabbed my bag before making my way out of the house.
▂▂▂▂
I was walking in the centre of Mystic Falls town towards a small boutique full of patterened dresses. I looked at the people surrounding me, all happy and getting on with their day. I stopped when I spotted Damon across the road. I went to call his name but a woman came up to him, they were smiling.
Damon was holding a small red box which I could only think held jewellery inside. He was also carrying some books and paper under his right arm. I never saw him leave the house with them.
They were laughing and smiling for a while before they walked away down the next street. He told me he was meeting Stefan? I didn't really think much of it and continued to the shop.
The next day, Damon left saying he had something to take care of in town. I noticed he had left his keys and even though we were vampires, I liked the idea of acting human because I never got a chance to experience it. I was going to meet a friend of mine at a coffee shop in town so I grabbed Damon's keys and left the house.
I was walking towards the coffee shop when I noticed a woman standing outside the bakery where Damon and I regularly bought cakes and bread. She was cleaning a table. She stood upright when she noticed me.
"Hello, Cassie. Do you want your regulars?" She asked.
"Actually, Lara, I came to ask if you had seen Damon?" I asked her.
"As a matter of fact, I have. He came in here about five minutes ago to get some taster cakes." Lara replied.
"Taster cakes? What for?" I asked.
She furrowed her eyebrows, her face turning into confusion, "He told me not to tell you. But he went that way."
Lara pointed towards the street that I saw Damon at yesterday.
"Okay. Thank you, Lara." I smiled.
I walked away and towards a tree in the middle of the town centre. I leant against it as I saw Damon with the same girl as yesterday, talking and smiling. He was holding a cake box and some flowers. I felt a pain in my chest, jealousy mixed with anger.
Was Damon cheating on me?
The next few days I came to the same spot, same time as the last few days and watched as Damon met this girl. He was always bringing her books, flowers, jewellery and cakes.
There was no other explanation than he was cheating on me with her. They were always happy and smiling. At home, he wasn't as talkative, like he was hiding something. Hiding this. I realised she made him happier than I ever could and I couldn't bare it.
When I got home I packed all my clothes and some small belongings into a suitcase. I couldn't live in a town where the love of my life was in love with somebody else. I didn't want to argue with Damon, he had obviously made his choice.
I wiped the tears that were streaming down my face. He didn't deserve a proper goodbye so I grabbed a small scrap of paper and a pen. I sat for a few minutes wondering what to write. I didn't want to pour my heart out and I assumed he'd understand the reasoning so I went with a simple;
Goodbye Damon.
I placed it on his pillow and grabbed my suitcase. I stood at the front door, looking around my small, sweet, human home and wiped away another tear. I shut the front door as I left.
March, 2006
"Close your eyes."
"Okay." I giggled, squeezing my eyes shut. I felt hands on my waist, guiding me. After a few seconds we came to a halt.
The hands lifted from my waist, "You can open them."
I slowly opened my eyes and my face instantly lit up at the sight infront of me. A large room containing a kitchen, queen-size bed, sofa and other small furnishings were infront of me. I trailed my fingers over the sofa and looked at the beautiful artwork on the walls. I stopped near the glass window which was from the floor to the roof, staring out into New Orleans. I smiled wide and turned to Elijah.
"Do you like it?" He asked, smiling.
"Elijah, I love it." I replied, in awe at the place.
Elijah smirked, walking closer, "Do you want to break in the new bed?"
"And here I thought you were the innocent Mikaelson sibling." I grinned.
We weren't in a relationship and he left for business a lot of the time but every time we reunited, there were some feelings there. There had been since we met.
"Well, you thought wrong." He smiled.
I giggled before he kissed me hard and I did the same in return. I slightly opened my mouth and he instantly inserted his tongue. After a good few minutes of making out, we broke apart.
I pulled back from him and looked around the small apartment, "This is beautiful. I feel so human."
"Just how you've always wanted." He smiled.
"Thank you. For this. For everything."
"The first night we met, I saw the way you looked at New Orleans. I knew that this is a place you would be happy. A place you could finally call home." He placed his hand on my face and stroked my cheek with his thumb, "We'll be happy here. I'll make sure of it."
"I hope so." I smiled wide. I leant forward, pressing my lips hard against his. He kissed back hard, slowly pushing me backwards onto the bed.
Late February, 2008 - (Refer to chapter 20 for previous flashback)
I stood in my apartment, staring at the furniture. I had had this apartment for a couple of months. I liked it in New Orleans but it didn't feel like home. I had no friends, no boyfriend, nobody. I held the small necklace that always hung on my neck inbetween my finger and thumb.
Damon was the only love of my life and I still wanted him but maybe he was still with the woman I had seen him with in 1950.
Although she would be about eighty now unless he'd turned her.
I also missed Stefan. I talked about everything with Stefan and although I disliked him through his Ripper stages where he would tear villages of people apart, he was like family. I never thought to contact him.
Maybe the Salvatore's weren't living in Mystic Falls anymore, maybe they had moved on. I felt a strong need to go back to my home town, maybe for Damon, maybe for Stefan or just maybe for myself. I just didn't want to be alone anymore so I started packing my clothes.
2010
It was 2010 and although I had wanted to go back to Mystic Falls. I couldn't. Not yet. I had to see if there was anything else out there for me. So I travelled and found nothing. So, here I was, sat in a taxi sixty years later on my way back to Mystic Falls. Back to my home.