―❅―
𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐂𝐄
[ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғɪғᴛʏ ᴏɴᴇ- 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘤𝘦]
"let the fire burn the ice,
where's the love we once had?"
✧✦✧✦✧
Prom night had finally arrived, and with it came Thea Lockwood's final day in Mystic Falls. The day felt bittersweet for the young wolf; part of her apprehensive and scared to be leaving the only people she'd ever known, the other part of her extremely excited to see what the rest of the world had to offer. She would no longer be tied down by a drama filled town that nobody ever seemed to be able to escape from- instead she'd be free. Finally able to breathe again by herself without being plagued by the suffocating drama that seemed to follow her friends.
The young wolf was currently stood in a dress shop changing room, making sure the dress she'd chosen for prom still fit her whilst Caroline and Bonnie stood outside talking. "What kind of dreams," Caroline asked the young witch, causing Thea to furrow her brows curiously as she smoothed down the material of her red taffeta dress. "Usually I'm at his grave, and... all of a sudden, he appears to me," Bonnie stated, explaining her dreams as Thea walked out of the changing room to stand beside them.
"Well, you never got to say good-bye, Bon. That's normal, I did the same when my Dad and Mason died," the wolf told her with a comforting smile as she turned to look at herself in the three-way mirror in front of them. "When I woke up, the couch was on fire," Bonnie deadpanned, causing the brunette teen's mouth to drop into an 'o' as she turned back around to face her, "yeah, that never happened to me."
The witch sighed as she looked between her two friends with furrowed brows, "I don't know if it's because I was emotional in my dream or if Shane was right. Without is help, I'll lose control of my magic," Bonnie fretted, earning a sigh from the blonde vampire next to her. "No. It's because you need a night off from mourning," Caroline corrected as she looked at the witch with a beaming smile, "and I'm gonna make sure you have that," the blonde teen promised as Thea nodded her head in agreement.
Bonnie smiled gratefully at the two girls, grouping them into a short hug which they both gladly returned. "Um, you look super-hot, by the way," the Bennett witch grinned as the three pulled away, her eyes trailing down Thea's dress. The wolf grinned brightly as she twirled slightly in the three-way mirror, "you think? I'm gonna have to get a size-up though, I can't even fasten the zipper at the back anymore. I knew eating all that Nutella was a bad idea," the brunette scoffed under her breath with a small scowl, earning soft laughs from her two friends as she turned back to face them.
"Me, Matt and Bonnie are gonna have the sexiest date there," Caroline stated as she waggled her eyebrows, causing the three girls to giggle. "You know what? I love friend prom. And it's exactly what prom should be... friends and memories," Thea spoke after a moment with a beaming smile as Bonnie nodded her head in agreement, "yes, it sucks that Tyler can't be here, but the four of us are gonna have the night of our lives," the wolf said with a determined expression on her face. This was one of the last memories she'd ever make wither friends for a long time, and she'd be dead before she let anyone ruin it.
The sound of the door jingling suddenly caught the three friends' attention, causing their heads to snap in that direction- their eyes landing on Elena and Rebekah causing their smiles to drop. "Hey, Bonnie. Heard you got your mind wiped. That sucks," the doppelganger greeted in false sympathy before her gaze landed on the wolf next to her. "T, heard you killed 12 people. Guess you're a lot more like Klaus than we all thought," Elena taunted with a smirk, earning a scowl from the Lockwood teen.
"Lena," Thea greeted with a bitchy smile as she let her eyes trail up and down the doppelganger's outfit with a scrutinising glare, "I hoped that with getting a new personality, your sense of style would get better too. Guess trying to be Katherine isn't working out all that well for you is it," the wolf teased with a mock sympathetic smile. Elena glared at the brunette as Rebekah, Caroline and Bonnie each attempted to stifle their giggles. "Pretty dress, T," the doppelganger gritted through her teeth, ignoring the wolf's previous comment causing Thea to smile.
"I know. You helped me pick it out months ago when we were friends, before you killed my best friend," the Lockwood teen replied with a bitchy smile, her eyes narrowing at the vampire in hatred. She may have told Klaus she had forgiven Elena for what she had done, but the truth is she hadn't. She had only told him that so he didn't kill them or her brother, because whilst she may not like the doppelganger at this moment in time, she didn't exactly want her to die either. Hypocritical, yes- but the wolf couldn't find it within her to excuse Elena for killing Kol, and she didn't truly know whether she had the effort to try to. She was sick of looking for excuses or reasons behind why her friends did what they did, and she had never been so thankful that after today- she'd never have to again.
Elena nodded as she inspected the brunette's dress, "I thought it looked familiar. I don't remember it being that tight the last time you tried it on though, you might be better off with a bigger size. Or two," the vampire smirked, causing Thea to narrow her eyes even more. Ignoring the brunette vampire, the wolf turned to the store clerk with a smile, "can you press this for me? I'll pick it up later," Thea said before turning back to face her friends, "Caroline, Bonnie," she added before the three of them walked back into the fitting rooms, Elena watching after them with a sly look on her face.
✧✦✧✦✧
"Klaus! Klaus! Kl," Thea shouted as she stormed through the Mikaelson mansion, stopping once her eyes landed on the aforementioned hybrid she was searching for. "Hello? Did you not hear me?" the wolf retorted sarcastically, glaring at the back of Klaus' head as he continued to stare into the fireplace. "Of course I heard you, Thea. I think the whole of Mystic Falls heard you. I'm in no mood for company," the hybrid dismissed without turning to face her.
Thea scowled at the original as she let out an exasperated sigh, "well, I'm sorry that you're having personal issues, but I have a real crisis on my hands," the brunette began, "Elena stole my prom dress." At the Lockwood teen's revelation, Klaus finally turned to face her with a small amused smirk on his face, "I went t pick it up, and the tailor said that somebody else already dd. And when I asked who, she said she couldn't remember," the wolf continued her explanation, giving Klaus an expectant look.
When the hybrid refused to respond, Thea threw her arms in the air in a huff, "hello? The vervain is out of the town water supply. She was compelled!" the brunette stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Not being able to compose himself any longer, Klaus began to laugh at the girl who scowled in response, "it's not funny," Thea whined, narrowing her eyes at the original who only continued to laugh at her.
Klaus brought his hand up to his mouth to attempt to calm down his laughter, "I know, I know," he muttered absentmindedly whilst continuing to chuckle. "Then stop laughing!" Thea demanded sternly, her eyes still narrowed and her lips in a pout, and with great difficulty the hybrid eventually managed to calm himself down. Thea sighed in semi-frustration, "look, I know that prom isn't important to you, but it's important to me. Even more so now that I'm leaving," the wolf pouted causing the original to roll his eyes.
"Surely finding another dress is well within your friends substantial vampire capabilities," Klaus remarked disinterestedly, earning another frustrated sigh from the teen wolf. "But I don't want just another dress," Thea retorted with devious smirk, "I want to look hot, like Princess-Grace-of-Monaco hot," the brunette stated defiantly as she stepped closer to the hybrid with a pleading expression.
"So, could you please go back into your creepy trophy case of family collectibles and dig me out something of royal calibre?" Thea smiled up at him innocently with her cunning puppy dog eyes causing Klaus to sigh before smiling back at her, still not able to resist that expression. "Just so we're clear. Princess Grace of Monaco had nothing on you, little wolf," the original smirked, earning a small giggle from the brunette as she pushed his shoulder slightly.
✧✦✧✦✧
After leaving Klaus', Thea made her way back to the Lockwood mansion to get ready, finding Matt already there waiting for her. "T, where have you been? Prom starts in less than 20 minutes, Caroline will kill us both if we're late," the blonde human fretted as Thea rushed into the house, the dress Klaus had found her looped around her arm. "Relax Matty, when have I ever been on time," the brunette remarked with a small smirk as she laid the dress over the bannister on the stairs before turning to the blue-eyed blonde with a smile.
"But, now that you're here, I do have something for you," Thea told him as she walked into her father's study, causing Matt to furrow his eyebrows in confusion as he followed her. Opening one of the desk drawers, the Lockwood teen pulled out the stack of paper she needed before handing them over to Matt with a beaming smile, "what's this?" the human boy asked with furrowed eyebrows as he began to flick through the papers. "The deed to the house," Thea replied with a shrug causing Matt's eyes to snap back towards her in shock.
"What? Why are you giving me the deed to your house?" the blonde teen questioned in confusion as his brows furrowed even deeper. "Because it's no longer mine. It's yours now, Matty," Thea responded with a beaming smile as she looked at her oldest friend who simply frowned at her in response. "Wh-what? T, I don't understand," Matt frowned as he looked between the stack of papers in his hand and the brunette in front of him in a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Thea shrugged once again, "I talked to Tyler and seeing as though we're no longer in need of it, we decided that you'd be the best person to take care of it. It'll be a safe space for you, no vampires can enter without your permission. It's completely paid for so you don't have to worry about any bills or-" the wolf trailed with a smile before Matt cut her off. "What do you mean 'no longer in need of it'?" the human boy asked sternly as a frown began to contort on his face, causing Thea's smile to drop, being replaced with a frown of her own.
"I'm leaving, Matty," the Lockwood teen told him with a sad smile, watching as the blonde-teen's face fell in sadness. "Leaving? What do you mean leaving?" Matt fretted as he slammed the stack of papers back on to the desk, causing Thea to wince slightly. "I'm getting out of this town, Matt. For good. Too much shit has happened, and I don't know how much more I can go through before I break completely," the wolf explained sadly as she reached out to lay a comforting hand on the blonde's arm.
Matt looked down at the brunette's hand as tears gathered in his eyes before looking back towards her with a broken expression, "you can't go. I've already lost Ty, I can't lose you too T. I can't," the human pleaded. Tears began to gather in the wolf's own eyes as she pulled the boy into a tight hug, "you're not losing me, Matty. I will always be here with you. Whenever you need me, I will always only be one phone call away," Thea promised as she buried her head into the blonde's shoulder.
The human boy nodded his head before the two broke a part with sad smiles, "where will you go?" Matt inquired curiously causing the Lockwood teen to shrug in response. "I'm not sure, but isn't that the fun of it? I can go wherever I want and not be tied down by anything. I'll finally be free to do what I want," Thea beamed excitedly causing Matt to chuckle as he smiled back at her, happy that at least one of his friends had the opportunity to get out and do what they wanted.
"I'm happy for you, T. I'm glad one of us has managed to escape the clutches of this town," Matt smiled as he looked down at his oldest friends. The human boy had been like an extended triplet to the twins since the day they were born- they had their squabbles over the years but in the end they were as close as family, and Matt's heart broke at the thought of his last remaining family member leaving town. But above all that, he was grateful that Thea would be safe, and happy, away from the town that seemed to drag them all under.
"Thank you, Matty. I promise I'll always come back and visit. You guys are my family, I could never be without you for too long," Thea smiled up at the blonde who smiled back at her just as widely. "Speaking of the others, have you told them that you're leaving yet?" Matt inquired causing Thea to wince as she shook her head, "nope. Just you and Klaus so far, and trust me, after his reaction I'm more than a little reluctant to tell the others," the brunette replied with a wince, the image of Klaus' pained expression flashing through her mind.
"That bad, huh?" Matt asked with a sympathetic smile as he looked down at the brunette who nodded her head repeatedly in response. "About as bad as you can imagine. But can you blame him really? I'm doing the one thing I promised him I'd never do- leave. I's surprised he doesn't hate me," Thea rambled with a guilty expression as she looked at the blonde with a frown. Matt shook his head, "nobody could ever hate you, T. And whilst I may hate the guy, I've never seen anyone look so completely in love like the pair of you in all my life. What you have is pure, and real, and nothing could ever break a love like that. Things will work out in the end, I'm sure of it," the blonde stated firmly causing the wolf to smile at him gratefully.
"Ever so wise, Matty blue-eyes," Thea beamed causing the human teen to chuckle lightly, the corners of his eyes creasing as he looked at her in joy, the nickname recalling some of the fond memories the two had shared over the years. "Always. But you have to tell the others Thea, you can't hide from it," Matt retorted after a moment with a stern expression, causing the wolf's joyful expression to fall into a mocking scowl, "you're a pain in my ass Matt Donovan," Thea scoffed under her breath as she glared up at the human boy.
Matt smirked at her in response, "always a pleasure, little T. Now go get dressed before Caroline sends out a search party," the blonde told her, nodding in the direction of the stairs with a small chuckle. Thea beamed at him, nodding her head in confirmation, "yes, Sheriff Donovan sir," the brunette mocked as she saluted at the blonde teasingly before running away from him in a fit of giggles. Matt shook his head as he chuckled, watching after her with a sad, yet joyful smile as he thought about how much he would miss her when she was gone. Mystic Falls would never be the same without Thea Lockwood.
✧✦✧✦✧
Thea walked up to Mystic Falls high with a smile on her face, her arm looped around Matt's as the pair made their way across the red carpet laid outside. The brunette was wearing a beautiful black ball gown with a sweeping train; the dress was backless with a high neckline and a low cut 'v' front, exposing just enough cleavage to make her look hot, yet still sophisticated. Her hair was curled and fell effortlessly over her left shoulder, whilst a large golden-flower clip pinned the right side back.
The brunette went for a golden glittery eye to match, with winged liner and her lashes full. She looked breath-taking, and had all eyes on her the second she stepped on the carpet- much to Elena's dismay as the doppelganger caught sight of her from her place beside the Salvatore brothers. "Hey, wasn't that from the first day of freshman year?" Matt asked as he and Thea came to a stop in front of one of the screens on the carpet, the picture on it of her, Tyler, Matt, Caroline, Elena and Bonnie all stood in front of the high school with beaming smiles on their faces, ready for their first day of school.
"Yeah. I remember Miranda taking it after she dropped you and Elena off. Can you remember how nervous we all were?" Thea laughed as the pair reminisced about their first day of school, a wave of sadness hitting them along with the nostalgia. The wolf chuckled once again as the picture on the screen changed, this one showing a picture of the gang at the lake, all smiling and all wet head-to-toe from pushing each other in. Tyler had his arm wrapped securely over Thea's shoulder as Matt held Elena in his arms beside them, bridal style with Bonnie and Caroline posing funnily in front of them.
"God, we were so happy that day. All Caroline wanted was a nice picnic and you and Ty just had to ruin it," Matt joked causing Thea to smirk, "hey, we brought the fun. Can you imagine how organised and strict that picnic would've been without us? I mean, I love Care but the girl sure knows how to take the fun out of picnic," the brunette mocked laughing with a nostalgic smile as she thought back to that day. "Speaking of Caroline, she'd gonna have a seizure if we don't go find her soon," the wolf said as she looked back towards Matt with a smile causing the human to chuckle before nodding his head in agreement, looping his arm with hers once again before they continued to walk into the school.
Having seen the photos on the screen outside, Thea was overcome with a sense of sadness. Those pictures reminded her of happier times- before she found out she was a werewolf, before her friends became vampires, before she lost everybody she ever cared about. It made her not want to leave, if she was being honest- a part of her wishing she could rewind time and go back to when the supernatural was just a tv show and not her reality. But it also gave her the final push she needed to leave, knowing that was impossible and that she could never be truly happy in this town ever again.
Making their way inside, the pair quickly found Bonnie stood in the middle of the dancefloor, "why do I feel like we're at a practice run for Caroline's wedding?" Matt joked as he and Thea came to a stop in front of the witch. "Because I think we are," Bonnie replied with a smile, causing them to all laugh together before they were interrupted by Elena stumbling into them. "Uh-oh. Friend patrol," the doppelganger muttered as she stopped in front of them with a scowl on her face causing Thea to roll her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm not dealing with this. You guys have fun trying to talk some sense into the dopple-bitch, I'm gonna go look for Bekah," the wolf smiled at Bonnie and Matt before walking away from them, leaving them to speak to Elena while she did literally anything else. Elena had already stolen her prom dress, she wasn't going to let her ruin anymore of her prom. Especially when it was her last night here with her friends.
✧✦✧✦✧
"So, you finally made it to your first dance. How does it feel?" Thea mocked as she found Rebekah in front of the punchbowl. The blonde original turned at the sound of her friend's voice, a happy smile on her face as her green-eyes locked with the wolf's molten chocolate, "a little underwhelming, to be honest. Nobody's asked me to dance yet," the blonde pouted, earning a chuckle from the brunette in response.
"Well, Miss Mikaelson, may I have this dance?" Thea asked in a false posh tone as she held her hand out towards the blonde vampire with a smile. Rebekah chuckled but took her hand nonetheless, "why of course Miss Lockwood," the original smiled as the two made their way to the middle of the dancefloor, a fast song playing. "You know, I'm still not a fan of the music in this era," Rebekah told her with a look of disgust on her face as the two danced around, making absolute fools of themselves in the middle of the dancefloor.
"Hey! This is N-SYNC, watch your tone!" Thea scolded the vampire as she scowled at her, earning an eye roll from the original in response. "I don't care who it is. It sounds like a car accident," Rebekah retorted causing Thea to huff in annoyance, ignoring the blonde as she continued to dance. "So, Nik tells me you're leaving town," the blonde spoke up after a minute causing the wolf to stop dancing and look up at the original as a hesitant smile washed over her face, "you're not mad are you?"
Rebekah laughed, "mad? That you're finally doing something for yourself? Tia, I've never been more proud of you. Though I do wish you'd have told me earlier," the blonde told her, a semi-annoyed look on her face causing the brunette to wince slightly. "You were next on my list, I swear! It's after Nik, I wasn't sure how you'd react," the wolf defended herself causing Rebekah to chuckle softly, "well, Nik has always been the drama queen. Besides, we're originals darling, I can come and see you whenever I want to," the blonde smirked.
"Not for much longer. A little birdy told me you were still thinking about taking the cure," Thea smiled causing Rebekah to sigh. "Elijah, I'm guessing?" the blonde questioned earning a nod from the brunette in confirmation before she continued, "yeah, trouble is, my brother's won't let me take it unless I can prove to them that I can go a day without using my vampire abilities and trust me T, it's a lot harder than it sounds," the vampire frowned.
Thea smiled up at her friend, "there's no doubt in my mind that you can do it Beks. You've wanted this for far too long to let it slip through your grasp now. You deserve to live the life you want, happy and free and no longer burdened by immortality. And, if they don't give you it then I'll find a way to give you it myself. Who made them the dictators of the cure?" the brunette scoffed causing Rebekah to chuckle in response, smiling down at her gratefully.
Never in her life had she met anyone quite like Thea Lockwood, but she was thankful every day that she got to be in her life. The blonde didn't know what she'd do without the brunette- Thea had been her only friend in over a thousand years, and she wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet; even if it was for just a short while. "I'm gonna miss you, Tia," Rebekah smiled warmly at the wolf causing Thea to smile back at her with the same expression.
"I'll miss you too, Beks. But it isn't like we're never going to see each other, you're my family and you're stuck with me no matter what," Thea replied with a happy grin, earning a nod from the original in response. "Family," Rebekah agreed with a grin of her own, "always and forever," the blonde stated causing tears to well in the wolf's eyes. "Always and forever," Thea repeated, pulling the vampire into a tight hug as a stray tear fell from her eye.
Spotting Matt over the blonde's shoulder, Thea pulled away before nodding in his direction, "Matt's over there- why don't you see if he wants to dance?" she asked causing Rebekah's eyes to snap in his direction before a scowl took over her expression. "Please, he hates me. And he has every right to, I've not exactly given him any reason to like me," the blonde scoffed, earning a sad smile from the wolf. "Just be yourself, believe me- he can see the good in you, he's just trying persuade himself not to like you. Show him who you are and he'll be falling at your feet," Thea smiled at her encouragingly, earning a small thank you from the blonde before she walked away to talk to the human boy.
✧✦✧✦✧
"So, how do I look?" Elena asked as she approached the brunette with a smirk causing Thea to scowl at her in annoyance. "Are you kidding me? You look like a back-stabbing bi-" the wolf began before her eyes spotted Stefan and Caroline approaching them over Elena's shoulder. Replacing the scowl on her face with a sickly sweet smile, Thea looked back towards the doppelganger, "the dress is beautiful. It brings out your eyes," the brunette wolf complimented with fake sincerity causing Elena to smile.
"Thanks. I thought I'd do it a favour," Elena retorted causing Thea to narrow her eyes once again, about to snap at her before Stefan interrupted them, "Thea, we're going to get some punch, why don't you come with us, hm?" the younger Salvatore asked, holding his arm out for Thea with an expectant look on his face. The wolf huffed in annoyance before looping her arm with Stefan's as the vampire led her and Caroline over to the punch table. Elena watched the three of them leave with a smug smile before walking away herself.
"I know you said to kill her with kindness, but can't I just kill her?" Thea hissed in anger as the three of them came to a stop in front of the punch table earning a laugh from Stefan in response. "I see you found a new dress," the vampire smiled as he looked at the brunette, handing her and Caroline a glass of punch, earning a small thank you from the wolf in reply. "Yeah, it's from Klaus," the Lockwood teen said before taking a sip from her drink, earning a humour filled look from the Salvatore vampire in response.
"You know you have him wrapped around your little finger, right?" Stefan remarked with a laugh causing Thea to chuckle, "believe me, he's got me just as whipped," the wolf replied sincerely earning a scoff from Caroline next to her. "Is that why you're leaving town? To be with him?" the blonde vampire snapped, unable to keep her mouth shut any longer, earning a subtle glare from Stefan in response. Caroline shook her head as she looked between Thea and Stefan, "I'm sorry. No, you know what? I'm not. You were gonna leave town without saying goodbye. How could you do that to us, Thea? To me," the blonde cried.
"I was going to say goodbye Care, I just didn't know how. Its hard okay, I don't wanna leave you. You're my best friend," Thea defended with a sad smile as she looked between her two friends. "Then don't say goodbye. Let's just say see you later. After all we're vampires, we've got all the time in the world to come and visit you," Stefan spoke up as he smiled encouragingly towards the wolf, causing her chuckle softly whilst nodding her head in agreement.
"See you later. Yeah, I like that. But don't leave it too long before y'all come and see me, you guys may all be vampires but I'm still only a werewolf and I don't know if you've noticed but there's no doppelganger blood left to turn me into a hybrid," Thea joked with a small smile, earning a chuckle from both her friends in response. "I couldn't go a day without seeing your smiling face, Thea Lockwood. You'll be lucky if you're able to ever get rid of me," Caroline retorted with a sad grin.
The three of them all smiled at each other before Thea pulled them into a group embrace, "look after each other, and promise me you'll get Elena back to being herself. Whilst I'm glad she's not acting as whiny, I have to say I'm not a big fan of her whole 'trying to be badder than Katherine' attitude," the wolf scoffed. Caroline snorted in response, "if I don't end up wringing her pretty neck before then, then yes, I promise," the blonde vampire joked, earning a chuckle from the Lockwood teen.
"Thank you guys for being so understanding. It really makes things so much easier," Thea smiled as the three of them pulled away. Stefan nodded his head, "I'm just happy you get to live your life away from this mess. Though, something tells me Damon won't be as understanding," the younger Salvatore muttered causing the brunette to wince, knowing he was right. Telling Damon she was leaving would be just as hard as telling Klaus, and she wasn't prepared for it in the slightest.
✧✦✧✦✧
Walking outside, Thea's eyes landed on the raven haired Salvatore sat on the wall with his flask held to his lips. "Aren't you in 'Save Elena' duty?" the wolf mocked as she walked over to the vampire, jumping up on the wall beside him. "I'm taking a little breather," Damon muttered as he continued to stare in front of him blankly causing Thea to take a deep breath, gathering her wits as she stared in the same direction as the vampire. "So..." the brunette trailed hesitantly, trying to find the best way to tell Damon what she had to say.
"You're leaving town?" Damon finished blankly causing Thea's gaze to snap towards him in shock, her mouth hanging open before a scowl settled over her face. "God, does anyone in this town know how to keep their mouths shut," the wolf scoffed under her breath before looking back towards the vampire with a guilty expression, "look, Dames. I was gonna tell you-" she began before she was cut off once again.
"It's alright, Lockwolf. You don't have to apologise for not wanting to say goodbye to me. It isn't like I've done much to deserve it lately. You're the only friend, other than Ric, that I've ever had and I treated you like crap all because you fell in love when you've done nothing but stand by me. God, I'm so sorry Thea," Damon apologised with a remorseful look as he turned his gaze to face her.
Thea sat stunned for a second before a small smile broke out on her face, "thank you, Damon," she stated gratefully before her grin turned teasing, "who knew you were such a softy," the wolf joked, nudging the vampires shoulder slightly. Damon scoffed in reply before taking a sip from his flask. "I don't know what I'm gonna do without you, Lockwolf," the elder Salvatore spoke after a moment, a frown decorating his features as he turned to stare back out towards the field.
"You're gonna live your life and be happy," Thea responded, as she followed his eye-line towards the field, a smile taking over her features as she recalled the first time they met. "Hey, you realise that's where we met right?" the brunette stated with a joyous smile causing Damon to snort in response, "yeah, you were parading around in your little cheerleaders outfit searching for your asshole brother and looking utterly delectable, I must admit," the elder Salvatore smirked, earning another nudge from the wolf.
"Yeah, I put you in your place though. I've not made many men cower in fear, but your face that day will be one I'll never forget," Thea laughed mockingly, causing Damon to scowl at her. "I was confused okay! I couldn't compel you and then when I tried to flirt with you, you snapped my neck!" the vampire defended, earning a chuckle from the brunette as she reminisced with a smirk on her face, "I've always been good at first impressions," the wolf joked.
Damon smiled at the Lockwood teen in adoration, his heart swelling with both pride and love. Thea was like the little sister he had always wanted, and he would do anything and everything to ensure she was happy. Even if that meant letting her go, he knew they'd see each other again soon. What was left of his sanity wouldn't last very long without seeing her smile every once in a while. "I love you, Lockwolf," the vampire grinned causing Thea to grin back at him.
"And I love you, Edward," the wolf responded as tears began to pool in her eyes. "Don't stay away too long, I don't think I'll be able to cope," Damon joked with a smirk causing Thea to chuckle lightly, "never," she promised as she jumped down from the wall, Damon following. "Promise me you'll be safe, and happy. You deserve far much more than this world has to offer," the Salvatore stated as he looked at the brunette, a small smile on his face.
With tears streaming down her face, Thea nodded her head in confirmation, "I promise," she stated as the vampire pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'll be seeing you, Thea," Damon whispered, placing a kiss on the wolf's head before speeding away from her causing her to sigh before she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "You still heading to New Orleans?" the wolf messaged, earning a fast "yes" from the recipient in response. Letting out a deep breath, Thea nodded to herself before replying, "great. Pick me up on the way- you owe me."
The brunettes phone buzzed as the reply came through, "fine," causing her to sigh, tears continuing to spill from her eyes as she began to walk back down the red carpet, away from the dance, her heart breaking into small pieces as she did so. This was it- she was officially leaving town and everyone she'd ever known behind with it. And whilst it broke her heart to do so, she knew it was something she had to do. Nothing good would become of her if she stayed any longer.
Reaching the end of the carpet, Thea's eyes landed on a picture displayed on one of the screens causing a sad smile to stretch across her face. The picture was of the entire Scooby Gang at the Salvatore's, each laughing at the other and looking genuinely happy. Stefan, Damon, Alaric and Matt all sat on the Salvatore's sofa pulling funny faces as Thea laid across them with a toothy smile; Jeremy and Tyler stood at the back, holding Bonnie and Caroline in their arms whilst Elena posed in the middle of them.
It had been Thea's idea to take the picture, insisting she needed a picture of the most important people in her life. And at this moment in time, she had never been so thankful of her past self. Because this was something she'd treasure forever- their happiness, their love for each other, their friendship. They were her family, and nothing could ever change that- not the mistakes they all had made, nor the ones they were bound to make in the future. Because they were family, and family meant unconditional love- no matter the circumstances. And even through it all, the wolf was thankful she had been blessed with such amazing people in her life- and she knew if she had to do it all again, she would in a heartbeat.
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After hurriedly making her way back to the Lockwood mansion and getting everything she needed, Thea made her way back outside- spotting the familiar car parked outside her door. With a sigh, the brunette opened the door before climbing into the passenger's seat, "mini Lockwood, who knew you'd be needing my help?" Hayley taunted with a smirk as Thea shut the car door. Throwing her bags in the back seat, Thea turned to face the elder wolf with a glare, "shut up and drive, Marshall before I hijack your car and leave you here," the wolf threatened causing the elder brunette to chuckle in amusement before doing as she was told.
As they passed the 'you're now leaving the town of Mystic Falls' sign, a stray tear ran down the Lockwood teen's face as she thought back to the one person she hadn't said goodbye to. Sure she had told him she was leaving, and the two had talked as if they were saying goodbye- but she hadn't outright said it. In person, at least. Instead, she left him a note when she went to ask for a dress earlier- partly because it was too hard for her to say it to his face, and partly because she knew if he'd have asked her to stay one last time she would've done. Because she was a sucker for every little thing that he did. She was completely whipped and in love with him, but she needed to do this for herself before she could give herself to him completely.
As the two wolves drove away from town, Klaus was stood at his fireplace in the mansion- a glass of whiskey in his hand as he read the note Thea had left, a stray tear rolling down his face.
"Dear Nik,
I'm not really sure how to start this, or what to say really- I knew writing a letter wasn't the best idea. Anyway, I think I just wanted to say thank you; thank you for loving me, and showing me adventure. Thank you for showing me what it truly means to be alive. I think, before I met you, I was just surviving. Surviving in a world that wanted to drag me under- but you showed me how to swim to the surface. You kept me afloat and showed me how to breathe once again. But it's about time I learned how to breathe on my own. I can no longer be dependent on you, on Tyler, on my friends. I need to learn how to depend on myself. How to trust in my own heart and be selfish. Only then will I be able to truly give you the love you deserve.
I don't believe this is the end of us, Nik. A love like ours doesn't just wilt away- and even though the bond is no longer there, I can still feel the pull of our hearts that tells me we're meant to be. We'll find our way back to each other, whether we have to fight through wars of people or walk for miles across a dry desert- we'll find each other again. I wish I could explain your eyes, and how the sound of your voice gives me butterflies. How your smile makes my heart skip a beat. I truly believe that you're the greatest thing to ever happen to me. And I will continue to love you, every single day of my life.
I will love you as long as the sun burns in the sky, as long as the moon shine's its light into the dark night, until the raging blue oceans become calm and run dry. I will love you until the end of time. And that's how I know it will never be truly over for us. Because you're it for me, Nik. Always.
Forever yours,
Thea."
The note was short and sweet and it communicated everything the two soulmates wanted to say to each other perfectly. There was nothing left for them to say, nothing left for them to do- the note did it all. It was simple in its efforts, and may have been a coward's way out but it did the job- it held the promises the two spoke to each other. Because this wasn't the end of them. No. It was only the beginning.
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Book Two: War of Hearts
Book Three: Always & Forever