-Christmas; Freshman Year-
I watched Mariana put marshmallows in her hot chocolate as I crunched up snow in my hands before throwing it at her back. She scoffed lightly and turned around, making me smirk before giving her a shrug. "Sorry, I had to." I stated and she rolled her eyes.
"You know you just declared war, right?" She asked smirking back as she put a lid on her hot chocolate.
"Come on, Caroline and Elena are over there." I replied gesturing away from the beverage stand and she smiled at me and we walked over.
-Bonnie-
"Come on." I said aggravatingly as I drove my mind away from memories of my favorite Christmas. We would drag a Christmas tree in front of the high-school every year and on Christmas Eve, we would have a celebration and decorated the tree with the entire town. I slowly breathed out as I set my tree up straight and nodded at the delicate, little thing. I looked up at the eclipse overhead of me and scoffed in annoyance. "No, I'm not noticing you. Today is not May 10, 1994. It's a day where we decorate Christmas trees and you are not telling me otherwise." I sighed sassily and I crossed my arms over my chest.
-Mariana-
I flipped aimlessly through the textbook pages beneath me before I let my eyes fall on Damon. I smiled a bit and looked away from his as he opened his eyes and looked at me, smirking a bit from where his head was laying. "Are you watching me sleep?" He asked in a sweet tone and I scoffed lightly.
"No. I'm watching you drool all over Ric's textbooks which isn't really a good thing to be doing, considering you're already on his bad side." I answered in amusement, making him roll his eyes and take his head off of the table.
"I don't drool." Damon stated before wiping his mouth and I chuckled knowingly. "What time is it?" He asked and I sighed as I turned to the next page in my book.
"Time for Ric to get a new reference library." I stated annoyingly, not finding anything. "We've been looking all night and I swear I haven't found anything that even remotely resembles an ascendant." I added, shaking my head and running by hand through my hair in frustration.
"Well, we haven't looked hard enough." Damon replied and I rose my eyebrow as he turned to the next page in his book. "Let's get to it." He added in some determination. I turned a few pages again before my eyes wandered and fell in him again. "Find anything yet?" He asked, not looking up from his pages.
"Nope." I replied and swiftly turned the pages some more but kept my eyes on him in some curiosity.
"Still staring." Damon pointed out, letting a small smirk fall on his lips and I rolled my eyes.
"It's just—Everything you've been doing for Bonnie." I admitted, making him look away from the book and towards me. "Thank you." I added with a genuine smile and watched him tilt his head back.
"She'd do it for us." Damon replied, smiling at me reassuringly and I nodded in agreement. We kept our gazes fixated on each other for some time before my phone started ringing. I picked it up from beside me and looked at the Caller I.D before answering.
"Hello, Ric." I stated, looking back down at my book while Damon looked down at us also.
"Have you seen Joe?" Ric asked in a somewhat worried tone and I rose my eyebrow.
"No, not since yesterday." I informed only to hear Alaric sigh loudly in frustration from the phone. Damon looked up from his book curiously and tilted his head.
"Why?" He asked, giving me an all knowing look and I felt some concern wash over me as I knew exactly what he was thinking.
~~~
"So, I got Elena to ask around the hospital.. No one's seen Joe since last night at the E.R." I informed as I paced in front of Damon and Ric who sat on the couch. "A bunch of stabbed victims came in and one of them is missing as well." I added, folding my arms over my chest.
"It was Kai. Joe knew he'd come after her.. And he did." Ric stated in a surprisingly calm voice from where he sat on the arm of the couch.
"Not to give you boyfriend lessons or anything, —but if you knew Joe's whack job of a brother was out and after her.. Don't you think that keeping an eye on her would've been a smart move?" Damon asked sarcastically from where he sat on the opposite side of Alaric.
"And what would you rather have had me do, Damon? Ask you to compel Joe to stay put?" Ric fired back in annoyance and I groaned at the two.
"Guys, if Kai has Joe, we need a plan." I stated in frustration, now standing in front of the two.
"Plans easy. Find Kai, Kill Kai. Mm-hmm." Damon replied with a smile and I looked at Ric with a questioning look. "I'm gonna go call Matt. Maybe him and Lil Gilbert have seen him." He added getting up and leaving the room.
"Look, if you are going anywhere, I'm going with you." Ric stated, standing up quickly and I scoffed back at him.
"No, you're not." I countered, shaking my head back at him.
"Mariana, listen—" He started in protest but I cut him off quickly.
"Alaric, I get that Joe is your girlfriend and that you care very deeply about her, but you have a child to take care of—Freya comes first. Always." I stated, pointing my finger at him in some warning. I watched him open his mouth to say speak but I cut him off again. "Always, Ric." I added emotionlessly and he let out a small sigh of defeat before he put his hands on my shoulders.
"I was going to tell you to be careful.." Ric admitted with a small smile only before he pulled me into a hug.
"Well, Beavis and Butt-head are on the look out." Damon stated as he came back into the room and we turned towards him. "Anyone else brimming with confidence?" He asked sarcastically.
"This doesn't make sense." Ric countered in confusion and I rose my eyebrow at him.
"What could possibly not make sense about magical twins absorbing into one another?" Damon asked sarcastically again and I rolled my eyes.
"Listen, Joe needs her magic to work and she got rid of that back in 1994." Ric clarified as he sat back on the arm of the couch.
"Joe doesn't have magic because she absorbed it into a knife that is being hidden by yours truly." Damon replied with a knowing smirk as he gestured at himself. "Kai won't find it." He added in a hopeful voice.
"Yeah, unless Kai does a locator spell." I countered in a matter of fact tone and crossed my arms over my chest and looked at him knowingly.
"It's impossible." Damon replied with a shrug and I rose my eyebrow at him.
"Why?" Ric asked, looking between Damon and I in confusion before I narrowed my eyes.
"Because Kai was born without the ability to do magic.." I answered, looking back at him. "But what if he gets Liv and Luke to do it for him?" I asked as I looked back at Damon. "I mean if he's really smart, he probably already has, which means that he's going to come for it." I pointed out and Damon shrugged.
"Okay, so Kai finds it. Love it." Damon replied in a careless tone, obviously not bothered by it.
"I'm sorry, why aren't you more concerned?" Ric asked scoffing at him in annoyance.
"Because if Kai comes for the knife, I will kill him. Because the knife is right here, where I hid it." Damon countered, moving towards the wall and grabbing a picture frame off of it to reveal that the frame has a false back. "Ta-da." He added, turning the completely empty frame towards us and I rose and eyebrow. "Huh.." Damon stated awkwardly, looking down at the knife-less frame before looking back towards Alaric and I.
-Christmas; Sophomore Year-
"Who knows, maybe you'll meet a cute surfer." Mariana said jokingly as we stuffed popcorn on a string and I scoffed, putting some in my mouth.
"Doubtful. My dad's conference is two hours away from any beach." I replied, slightly annoyed.
"Cute surfer where?" Caroline asked walking over to us with Elena.
"Nowhere. Bonnie's dad is dragging her on a work trip.. So I'm going to ask our parents if she can spend the holiday with us." Mariana answered, smiling at Elena.
"Are you serious?" I asked in some excitement, shaking my head in disbelief.
"Yeah—The four of us have never spent Christmas apart. I plan to keep it that way." Mariana stated with a smile as she looked at our group.
"Even though Jeremy will absolutely hate it." Elena added in amusement and Mariana shrugged.
"It's always fun to torture him." Mariana replied, smirking as she ate some popcorn too.
"Awe, I love you guys. Almost as much as I love torturing Jeremy." I admitted, laughing with them.
"Heh-he." Caroline giggled from beside me and I smiled widely at her. I took a handful of popcorn before shoving it in my mouth and smiled at the warmth. "Alright, now that Christmas is saved, let's get these garlands on the tree before they end up on your hips." Caroline said throwing popcorn at Mariana and I before her and Elena walked towards the tree. Mariana and I gave each other knowing looks before smirking and shoving our faces with more popcorn. We laughed and grabbed some garlands before following behind the girls.
-Bonnie-
I put popcorn garlands around the tree that wasn't more than a few inches taller than me as I remembered freshman year with the girls.. Remembering moments with the girls and all of the people I love... Those are the moments that keep me alive. The moments that I held onto.. In case that one day, I lose all hope.
-Mariana-
"What the hell happened?" I asked worriedly, looking over Caroline who stood outside of the hospital room her mom was in.
"I-I don't know. She just collapsed—One second we were decorating and then the next she was on the ground. Maybe she forgot to eat.. You know, sometimes she skips breakfast." Caroline stated, rambling on with her words and I slowly nodded and hugged her tightly.
"And when was the last time you ate, Caroline? As in fed?" I asked quietly, furrowing my eyebrows as we pulled away and she rolled her eyes.
"Oh god, now you sound like Stefan." She stated with a sigh and I rose my eyebrow. "He just went to go find something to take the edge off." Care informed, fidgeting from beside me. "They have her sedated.. She's going to be asleep for awhile." She added, sitting in a chair along the wall and I slowly sat next to her. "Can you just—just distract me?" Care asked, raising her eyebrow as she looked away from the room and towards me. I slowly nodded in agreement and grabbing her hand reassuringly. "How's the search for the new ascendant thingy?" She asked and I sighed deeply.
"Not good. Damon and I spent the night researching." I answered in some defeat, making Caroline sigh loudly.
"God.. Poor, Bonnie. Well, do you think she knows it's Christmas?" She asked, shaking her head at the thought. "She never liked being away from us at Christmas." She added and I shrugged lightly.
"I-I don't know." I answered honestly. "It's probably better if she doesn't know, though.." I admitted, leading off and she slowly nodded in agreement.
"So, you and Damon—" Caroline started but I cut her off quickly.
"I know what you're thinking and.. No." I answered in some amusement, making her chuckle back at me.
"Actually, I was going to say that I think it's great.. That he's been there for you through thick and thin. Good times and the bad times.. Maybe I haven't given him enough credit.." Caroline pointed out and I rose my eyebrow at her.
"You've clearly malnourished." I replied jokingly and she laughed, nodding in some agreement.
~~~
I walked up to the widow outside of Liz's hospital room and stood next to Stefan. I looked over at the coffee cup that he held and sighed. "Caroline could really use whatever's in that cup." I stated in defeat as I looked through the hospital window and watched a doctor and three attendees standing over Liz. "Is it just me or does that look really bad for someone who just fainted?" I added, crossing my arms over my chest skeptically.
"The doctor just came over from radiology. I overheard her say... Glioblastoma." Stefan informed and I rose an eyebrow in confusion.
"Glioblastoma? No—But that's a—" I started, only to cut myself off as I saw the serious look in his face. "No." I whispered, shaking my head before looking back at Liz who slept in her bed peacefully. "No, no, no." I repeated, sadly in defeat.
"We brought her in a few weeks ago after Tripp's guys grabbed her." Stefan stated and I ran a hand over my face. "Doctors ran some tests and apparently they found something suspicious." He added and I scoffed lightly.
"No—but that doesn't make sense, Stefan. Caroline would've said something." I pointed out in disbelief and Stefan tilted his head back at me.
"Or maybe her mom hasn't told her yet." He replied and I furrowed my eyebrows. The doctor walked out of the hospital room and I narrowed my eyes at her and quickly cut her off.
"What's going on with Liz Forbes?" I compelled and watched as she furrowed her eyebrows at me.
"Her recent MRI showed a lesion on her brain stem. We think it's metastasized to her spine." The doctor responded and I tilted my head at her.
"Can you operate?" I asked, watching her closely.
"If the tumors already spread, it would be impossible." The doctor replied in some defeat and I let out a heavy breath.
"But that would mean—..Does she know?" I asked in disappointment and the doctor nodded in agreement.
"For a few weeks now." She stated and I slowly nodded. "But news like this takes some time to digest.." She added before walking down the hall again. I stood there completely dumbfounded before looking back at Stefan who stood there staring at me, clearly listening to the conversation. I slowly walked over to him and we both sat down in the hospital chairs outside of Liz's room.
"You okay?" I asked quietly, looking through the window at Liz from where we sat.
"There's a twenty-two year old sociopathic witch running around in Mystic Falls right now.. That, we have a plan for.." Stefan stated, shaking his head in disbelief. "We've dealt with every kind of evil there is.. And we always have a plan.. But this.." He started, leading off and I slowly nodded in agreement. "If Caroline loses her mom, it will destroy her." He warned and I looked away from the window as my eyes glazed over.
"I know." I replied, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in.
"She doesn't deserve this, Mariana.. She's happy, she's kind—" Stefan started in defense of Caroline and I turned to look at him again.
"Stefan, I know." I countered, cutting him off and heading my voice break.. "I—I should tell her.. It's only a matter of time before she compels a doctor a—and I don't want her finding out from a stranger, you know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him as I thought of the words to even say.
"Let me do it." Stefan replied with a heavy sigh before he stood up and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"N—no, Stefan you don't have to." I stated, looking up at him as I shook my head but he held a wavering hand down at me.
"Let Damon know.. I should tell Caroline." Stefan replies reassuringly and I slowly nodded and stood up. "I haven't been there for her. Caroline needed me and I—ran away.. So, yeah, I have to do it." He added in some defeat before walking away and I silently watched him as he did.
-Bonnie-
I dragged a very, very long extension cord towards my tree and smiled at it. "Okay, tree.. Let's do this." I nodded approvingly towards it and sighed before I plugged it in and the lights shimmered from in front of me. I stared at it wanderingly, feeling my eyes glaze over as I did..
-Christmas; Junior Year-
"Now that's what I call a Christmas tree." Sheriff Forbes said over the microphone before everyone applauded in agreement after the Christmas tree was lit up. "The holidays are all about being with loved ones and I think that's what makes Christmas tradition our town so special.. It's a reminder—" The Sheriff's voice droned on as Mariana and I giggled about something that I don't even remember anymore.
"Sh—" I started, only to laugh as she cut me off with her laughter and put her finger to her mouth.
"—That no matter where you turn, you have a friend." The sheriff finished and I smiled, hearing the last words of her speech.
"Awe." I stated, hugging Elena while everyone gathered around us cheered.
"Biggest mistake of junior year—including the boys in secret Santa." Caroline stated in disappointment as she came from behind, making us laugh and turn to her. "Stefan is officially the worst gift giver." She added, taking out what he got her and Mariana chuckled loudly.
"He got you a snow globe?" Mariana asked in high sarcasm and amusement, making Caroline scoff in agreement.
"Yeah, of Mystic Falls." She replied in disbelief and we all laughed loudly. "As if I don't see enough of this town as it is." Caroline added in annoyance, making Mariana smirk bigger.
"Well, I love my bracelet." I butted in, looking down at it from where it sat on my wrist.
"Of course you do.. Because I am good at secret Santa and I didn't purchase it from a Quik Stop." Caroline replied sarcastically and Mariana sighed.
"Looks like someone is missing the true meaning of Christmas." Mariana stated as she rose an eyebrow at Caroline who sighed in defeat. "Come on, we're happy and healthy... And we're together." She added with a smile before we all hugged.
"Where's Elena?" I asked, raising my eyebrow and noticing she wasn't anywhere around us.
"Probably receiving her Christmas present from Stefan." Mariana replied in a serious tone. The three of us exchanged an uneasy glance before we burst out laughing.
"God knows that Damon's going to be receiving his soon." Caroline added, raising her eyebrow at Mariana who rolled her eyes back.
"Not a chance. Tyler and I are over with so I don't expect to be getting into bed with someone with just about the same mentality." Mariana countered with a sigh before looking away from us.
-Mariana-
"Wait, Damon, what do you mean you're home? Home—home?" I asked into the phone, referring to the Boarding House.
"Just walked through the front door.. Which I should probably start locking now that Kai's supercharged and on the prowl." Damon replied and I rose my eyebrow in confusion.
"Let's just celebrate the fact that we can go home.. I for one could really use some happy news right now." I stated, shaking my head at the news of it all. "Today sucks." I added in defeat as I walked around the hospital.
"I'm listening." Damon replied in an intrigued voice from the other side and I bit my lip nervously.
"So.. Look, I don't know what we were or are or used to be—All I know is that today was pretty horrible.. And I just wanna see you. I have something to tell you." I admitted, not knowing what I was going to tell him or how I was going to start off.
"Come over.. I'll cook you dinner and we can talk about our crappy days." Damon replied in a reassuring tone and I sighed in some relief.
"See you in a bit." I agreed with a small smile before hanging up.
-Bonnie-
I walked up to the tree, staring silently at the bright yellow lights on its green branches, remembering all of the past Christmases I've had... "I miss you guys." I whispered, my vision being blurred by the tears weeping up in my eyes.. I brought the candle that I had been holding, up to the tree and watched it catch fire in front of me. I watched in pain and sadness as I saw the flames feeding off of the branches more and more and I weakly nodded, walking away from it.
-Mariana-
I walked up the Boarding House steps and looked up at the door to see a mistletoe sticking above the doorway. I rolled my eyes and chuckled to myself a bit before knocking three times. I went to put my hand in the door knob and walk in but it opened up and I smiled as I saw Damon standing in front of me now. "Mistletoe? Clever." I pointed out in amusement as I crossed my arms over my chest and watched him raise an eyebrow back at me.
"Hello?" Damon asked in some amusement as he stood in front of me and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "Anybody there?" He added, looking as if he was seeing right through me.
"Damon, what are you doing?" I countered, tilting my head at him in. Damon didn't respond, making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion even more. "Are you going to let me in or.." I added, shaking my head in some annoyance while he looked around the doorway curiously. Damon slowly sighed and shut the door, making me lightly scoff.
"So.. I may have put a cloaking spell on us." A voice stated from behind me and I quickly turned around to see Kai holding a wrench in hand. "How genius is that?" He asked, laughing a bit before hitting me in the face and I groaned, falling backwards.
~~~
"I always had this fascination with chef's and fine dinning. My dad actually loves to cook, he's old school of course, he taught me how to measure my eye, season by taste, all that stuff—I mean, it's different now in the restaurant world. I mean, everything's on timers—" Kai's voice rambled as I weakly opened my eyes and saw a bright light over head of me. "It's like, fires go in, you push a button, ding, you take them out." Kai stated with a sigh while I sat up and looked at him to see him sitting across the table from me as a fire lightly blazed from behind him and I realized we were in the Mystic Grill.. "Technology. Literally, no guess work." He added and I could tell I was sweating by how hot and wet my palms felt. I tried to move my hands that were behind my back as I sat in a chair but quickly felt the burning sensation of vervain ropes that were tied around them.
"Why am I here?" I asked groggily towards him, feeling sweat drop down my forehead.
"Well, I spent eighteen years in abandoned restaurants.. Now, I'm showing off the fruits of my labor." He answered with a shrug as he cut his steak that day in front of him.
"I don't mean like Mystic Grill." I pointed out in annoyance and narrowed my eyes.
"Oh, you mean like 'here' here, in Mystic Falls.. Sorry, I'm nervous.. You're really pretty." Kai said awkwardly chuckling and I scoffed back.
"You should see Elena. Or you know, my birth mom.. Wait..—I killed her." I pointed out with a scratchy voice and watched Kai raise his eyebrow in amusement. "Why am I here, Kai?" I added, tilting my head at him drowsily.
"Well, I took the spell that was keeping supernaturals out of Mystic Falls, and I... Like absorbed it, like ate it, I guess—" He answered, shrugging and putting a piece of stake in his mouth. "It's cool huh? First I eat magic and then eventually I lose it.. But a big spell like that, I mean, come on—Magic's oozing out of me. I didn't realize I was out of control until I met the manager a few hours ago." He stated with a sigh and I furrowed my eyebrows at him as I looked around, trying to listen for any sign of movement. "He was all like, 'yeah, you can't come in here, we're closed and you have an unconscious girl over your shoulder', So then I said 'don't judge me', and I gave him a heart attack—or tried to.. But all I did was make him vomit uncontrollably and so I was like, oh okay, let's stop that." He admitted, making me raise an eyebrow at him in disbelief while he rambled on. "So I tried again and I think I broke his spine?.. I'm not really sure because the third time I tried the spell, he kind of exploded in blood." Kai finished, sighing in defeat and I slowly felt my jaw clench.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked in disbelief and watched him furrow his eyebrows.
"I just told you, I have too much magic." Kai shrugged in reply, drinking his coffee, completely unfazed. "You know, it wasn't until my test run with the manager that I realized.. If I start to merge with Joe and my gushing fountains of magic turn her into that guy... Then I'm not gonna have a twin for the merge." He stated with a shrug and I looked away from him in disappointment. "So, Mariana. That is why you are here." He informed and I looked back at him expectantly. "Because I need to get my magic under control by practicing with you—Or rather by practicing on you." Kai admitted and I felt my eyes narrow on him. "Oh and P.S silver lining.. After the manager finally stopped thrashing around.. I managed a cloaking spell. Thank you." He stated, cheering to an invisible being in front of him and I furrowed my eyebrows a bit. "It's easy to do and.. Undo." He added with a small smirk as he narrowed his eyes at me. "Phesmatos Auculitz." He chanted and I watched as a man appeared in front of me, laying on the table with burns from the inside out. I gasped and quickly pushed my chair back from the table in disbelief and disgust. "Table for three." Kai stated with a laugh of amusement and I felt my fists clenched from within my ropes.
~~~
I groaned, waking up to feel my hands in chains and I looked up to see Kai standing in front of me. "We're in my old high school?" I asked raising my eyebrow as I looked down the hall we were in.
"Yeah, plenty of restrooms, no flammable surfaces and everyone's on winter break.. Still." He nodded in agreement as he looked at trophies in the wall beside him. I looked up at the ceiling to see the chains that were around my wrists, were mounted from there. "You know, it's no wonder America got dumb while I was in the prison world. They're never in school." Kai stated in annoyance as he looked over the trophies and I rolled my eyes. "Is that you?" He added, looking at an old cheerleading picture. "Oh, and there's Bonnie!! Looking like nothing bad could ever happen to you." He whispered, tilting his head at the frame in some amusement. "Anyway, do you mind if I try to turn your blood into acid again?" He asked, turning back towards me with a raised eyebrow.
"Again?" I countered, weakly trying to free myself but the chains didn't budge.
"Yeah, uh, that's kinda how you got here in the first place." Kai answered as he took his jacket off with a shrug. "I was trying the whole blood-acid thing and I think I burst a few capillaries in your brain.. Because you blacked out." Kai pointed out and I furrowed my eyebrows in defeat.
"Kai, you don't have to do this." I countered, sighing as he put his hand up towards me and I shook my head. "Listen to me, you don't have—" I started but he already started muttering words and in a matter of seconds I was whimpering and groaning in pain and agony, feeling like my whole body was being stabbed into with knives. "My necklace." I whispered looking at it. "Kai, your melting my daylight necklace!?" I yelled as I watched the metal drip off of my neck and I shook my head. "Kai, stop it!" I yelled again before I grabbed the chains one last time and pulled as hard as I could. I sighed in relief as the chains fell and I quickly took them off of my wrist before I sped away. I vamped into a science classroom and shook my head as I put my hand under the sink before splashing it around my neck. "No, no-" I said but it was already gone. I groaned turning the water off and holding my hand before I heard steps come in from behind me and I spun around to see Kai.
"I take it that necklace meant something to you? I never understood sentimental attachments to things. Because then it's so upsetting when you lose them.." Kai said smirking at me and I clenched my jaw.
"Phesmatos Incendia?!" I yelled raising my hand at him before fire engulfed him and I quickly ran out of the door connected to another classroom. I ran to a telephone before dialing into it.
"Magic camp, how may I help you?" Damon answered sarcastically and I breathed heavily into the phone.
"Damon, Kai has me at the school, I need your help!?" I said frantically.
"Whoa, Mariana?" Damon asked concerned before I heard a pounding sound deeper into the hall and I jumped hanging up the phone before I ran down the hall, into the cafeteria, only to see Kai. I gasped falling back onto the floor and he gestured his hand towards me and a table flew over me as did everything on it.
"Really?" Kai asked walking towards me as he flung his wrist again but knocked over a cabinet. "Damn it." He said in annoyance as I got up and tried to run before he flung his wrist a final time and I felt a pain in my neck before I blacked out.
~~~
I groaned waking up again and I looked around me. My neck felt sore as my hands were tied with vervain rope once again, this time behind my back.. "Oh, hello." Kai said smirking down at me and I rolled my eyes.
"Nice shirt." I stated looking at the School shirt he wore.
"Oh, thanks. Someone burned my other one.. Which was pretty awesome by the way. I am starting to see why Damon digs you.. You are crazy-pants." Kai said crossing his arms over his chest and I rolled my eyes. "Oh, it sucks about that shirt though." He said sighing.
"So you can care about an inanimate object, but not about the people you kill?" I asked looking up at him.
"Ah, is this gonna be an episode on Ricky Lake.. Where I come face to face with my demons and change for the better?" He countered, crouching next to me.
"Have you really not cared about anyone?" I asked tilting my head at him and he looked down.
"I guess I liked my brother Joey.. We played 'Dr. Mario' together and he'd always win.. Actually, one of my favorite memories is when I finally beat him.. Of course, my favorite memory is when I finally beat him to death." Kai stated and I clenched my jaw at him. "You don't have to waste your energy trying to change me. If Ricky taught me anything, it's that the most important thing is liking yourself." He nodded and I looked away from him. "And I like me." He added in amusement before I looked back at him glaring.
-Time Skip-
"If the spell that you're going for is to creep me out.. It's working." I stated looking at Kai as he sat in front of me before he pointed a finger at me and moved it through the air. I gasped and bit my lip as I felt my cheek start to burn as he traced something into my cheek. "Ah, what the hell are you doing?" I asked angrily before he put his hand down and the wound healed.
"Oh, nothing." Kai said sitting back on his hands before he stood up and walked towards me, wiping blood off my cheek slowly and I watched him.. He sighed standing up before walking out of the room and I rolled my eyes. I winced in pain as I tugged a bit on the rope and the vervain seeped into my skin. I gasped as I felt the rope suddenly break and my hands were free. I rose my eyebrow before I felt a hand on my arm and I looked up to see Damon who grabbed my hand and I sighed in relief at him.
"Hey." Damon reassured and I tightened my grip on his hand.
"How are you here right now?" I asked shaking my head at him in complete shock.
"Joe's invisibility spell." He replied and I laughed. "If you can see us that means you joined the party." He stated smirking.
"Come on, we need to get out of here." Joe warned and I could tell she was weak.
"My necklace-it's gone." I said shaking my head. "Kai melted it into nothing." I warned worriedly, shaking my head.
"Wait, what?" Damon said looking at my neck in confusion and I sighed.
"Not to cut this reunion short but meters running low on this spell." Joe stated worriedly at us.
"There's the tunnels under the school." I stated and Damon nodded in agreement at me.
"Good call, Boiler room, stat." Damon stated helping me up as we ran towards the door but Joe stood there, not moving. "You good?" Damon asked back at her and she slowly nodded.
"I'm good." She reassured before running after us.
~~~
Joe started coughing as soon as we got to the entrance of the boiler room and we turned towards her. "Joe?" I asked in concern as I saw her weak and that her nose was bleeding.
"I-I'm fine." Joe said stumbling a bit. "Three people is a lot harder to cloak than two." She added weakly before she stumbled and almost hit the floor but Damon caught her quickly.
"You're not fine. Why's your nose bleeding?" Damon asked furrowing his eyebrows at her.
"I have a guess. Magic's hard to do, isn't it, Joe?" Kai asked at the end of the hall and we all froze and looked towards him.
"I-I'm so sorry." Joe whispered looking at Damon and I.
"Don't sweat it. I want him to see me while I kick his ass." Damon warned angrily at Kia. "Now, get out of here." He stated and she weakly nodded before walking into the boiler room and I guarded it as Damon stood in front of me also. Before I knew it Damon was looking around for me and he glared angrily at Kai. "Where's Mariana?" Damon asked warningly towards him.
"Oh.. Are we not Cloaking people anymore? I thought that's what this was." Kai answered tilting his head at Damon.
-Damon-
I vamped towards Kai before he disappeared and I furrowed my eyebrows. I heard a whistle from behind me and I turned to see Kai waving at me in amusement and I clenched my jaw. I growled in annoyance and vamped towards a mop that stood in the hall beside me before I broke it in half and threw the other half towards Kai, watching as it plunged into his chest and he gasped, down at it. "Oh, that's got to hurt." Kai said appearing beside the version of himself with the piece of wood sticking out from him and I furrowed my eyebrows. "I'm definitely getting the hang of this." Kai added smirking at me and I looked between both versions of him in complete confusion. "Cloaking spells, illusions, you know it's all the same wheelhouse." Kai stated before he gestured towards the version of him with the piece of wood sticking out from his chest, uncloaking it to show Mariana gasping as she tried to pull the wood out from her and I slowly shook my head.
"No." I whispered looking at as I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Mariana stumbled into the lockers next to her and looked down at her chest as her hand was wrapped around the piece of wood. I walked forward towards her before Kai started giving me an aneurysm and I started clutching my head as I groaned in pain.
Kai smirked at me before dropping his hand and walking towards the entrance that Joe took. I groaned as I now laid on the floor and looked up to see Mariana slide down the lockers, onto the floor across from me.
-Mariana-
I gasped, trying to breathe as I looked down at the piece of wood sticking out of my chest as Damon crawled towards me. "Mariana-" Damon whispered and I shook my head, grabbing his hands and wrapping them around the wooden object.
"Take it out, Damon." I warned weakly as I winced, feeling pieces of the wood shift and go deeper into my skin and he slowly nodded.
"On the count of three." He reassured and I nodded in agreement. "One-" Damon started and I groaned cutting him off.
"Three." I countered and in an instant I gasped as he pulled it out. I groaned shaking my head and his eyes widened down at me.
"What?" Damon asked fully concerned, looking down at me.
"There must be a piece still stuck." I warned, shaking my head as I started to feel my breath lessen from within my chest.
"N-no, I'll get it." Damon reassured me aggressively and I shook my head up at him.
"If there's anything you need to say-" I started, cutting myself off. "Say it now." I whispered closing my eyes at the pain.
"I'll find it, Mariana." Damon countered, arguing as he dig his fingers into where the wood was and I started laughing at him a bit. He looked down at me as I laid on the floor laughing hard before he finally rolled his eyes. "Really?" He asked smirking a bit, probably in relief and I nodded.
"Yeah." I said sighing up at him in amusement. "Oldest trick in the book." I added looking up at the ceiling as I laughed breathlessly. Damon smiled down at me and I reached out towards him, sitting up as we sat face to face. I heard footsteps come in and Damon rolled his eyes looking behind him to see Ric and Joe staring down at us with relief washing over their features.
"Perfect timing." Damon stated sarcastically in annoyance.
"Mariana, are you okay?" Alaric asked worriedly towards me and I looked up at him and sighed, nodding reassuringly.
"Never felt better." I smiled as Damon and I looked at each other again.
~~~
"So, um.. Assuming I don't get kidnapped before tomorrow—" I said laughing as I tried cleaning some of the blood off my shirt as Damon sat in front of me. "Maybe we can, Try for that dinner.. Again?" I asked raising my eyebrow at him.
"Oh, I don't know, I mean every time we try to go on a date, you get kidnapped, I get sent to a prison world or you think I have feelings for your sister.." Damon shrugged, leading off and I rolled my eyes smirking.
"Are you gonna keep sulking or are you going to take me to dinner?" I pointed out, raising my eyebrow and he smirked at me.
"I guess we'll find out tomorrow." Damon countered and I nodded in agreement.
"I can help you clean that out if you want. One part ammonia, two parts meat tenderizer." Joe said looking down at my shirt and I laughed at her.
"You invented a stain remover?" I asked shaking my head at her in disbelief.
"I am not afraid of a little blood." She replied in amusement and I laughed getting up and following her to her room. "You can wear this for the meantime." She added handing me a dark blue tank top and I nodded in thanks, taking it before I heard crying. I smiled as I walked over to the crib and saw Freya laying there.
"Hey, baby girl." I said in a high pitched voice, grabbing her and holding her in my arms before walking into the living room again. "Look who's awake." I stated laughing before both Ric and Damon's eyes fell gently onto Freya and they smiled. Freya laughed as I tickled her nose and kissed her forehead gently. I slowly sighed as I walked over towards the window and looked up at the moon that was shinning down on us. "Your mommy is watching over us, Freya Lune.. She loves you very much." I whispered running my pointer finger down Freya's bridge of her nose gently as I kissed her forehead. I looked back at Damon who averted my gaze and I rose my eyebrow at him before I walked Freya back into the bedroom.