Mystic Falls 1864
Dear Stefano,
I hope you are settling in well. It has only been a week since you have departed but I dare say I have begun to miss your company. Not your person itself per say, but someone who listens to me recite poetry with a perfected look of awe on their face, someone to beat in horseback racing and of course someone to chastise for taking too long to style their hair. ( Which is utterly ridiculous, seeing as I have more hair yet it never takes me quite as long.)
Don't stay away too long Stefano, father is irritable when you're away. You were always so better at handling him than I. It seems that I can only cause him to sin his good Catholic soul.
Write back with many amusing tales of your journey and if you do not have any; make them up! If they are not humorously entertaining, then upon your return you will find that you no longer have an older sister who loves tolerates you.
Con Affetto,
Damon
Damon re-reads her letter several times before folding it neatly, and sealing it with hot wax.
She watches as the hot liquid cools on the parchment and she presses one finger onto it, hissing as her skin turns tender and pink much like the side of her normally pale face which is marred by an angry looking pink splotch.
She scowls at herself in the mirror of her vanity; certainly an expression her late mother would have scolded her for, "That's not very lady like Diamona, il mio fiore," she most likely would have said.
Damon smooths out her expression and then examines the oncoming bruise. Possibly if she medicated the area and then pinched her other cheek to duplicate the vivid colour, she would appear infected with illness or profusely flushed.
Both would be more preferable than to actually admitting that she had gone to far with her tongue and her father didn't appreciate it.
Giuseppe Salvatore had always been a strict man, his way sure and irrefutable, still there was a perpetual but hidden tenderness to him. Though, he'd never show this around his children. No, not them. For his love, his wife, Adrienne was the sole witness of his oft concealed gentleness.
Diamona, the couple's eldest, would never be permitted an ounce of compassion from the man. She was his disappointment, he'd wanted a boy. He'd dreamed about a son, one who he could nurture to become the heir of the Salvatore empire.
He desired a son, and had no time for the follies of little girls. He'd often brushed her aside, crass and uncaring of how his neglect would affect her. Eventually, when his wish for a son was finally granted in the form of Stefano, at came at a price he'd did not want to pay. Adrienne, the light of his life, never quite recovered from the birth.
Diamona wanted to hate Stefano for existing. She wanted to despise him for how frail he made her mother. She wanted to loathe him for sending her father over the edge, locked in his office and in his consumption of work and to make him forget that his wife was dying. Damon had thought that Stefano's own death would probably right their fragile little world.
This thought continued to haunt her, until one night she decided to finally act on it. She'd quietly crept into her brother's nursery, the moonlight streaming through the closed window, guiding her path and illuminating the toys strung up above his crib swaying gently. Diamona had a pillow clutched in her tiny fingers, gently squeezing it.
Probably if he dies mama would be okay?
She had never really contemplated the meaning of death, a fresh and novel concept for such a young child.
As Diamona stood over her little brother's crib, with the power to end his existence, his gentle cooing enticed her to stop for a moment and then his beautiful green eyes fixed upon on her and he gave her a toothless smile.
It was a simple, innocent motion, still it melted her heart and she dropped the pillow, moving her now empty hands to the railings of his crib. Watching him coo and move his tiny limbs vigorously, she knew then that she could never let any harm come to him.
She had protected him since that day even if it meant a terrible backlash for her. Stefano's relationship with their father was even more precarious than hers. Stefano was everything Giuseppe had wanted and yet everything that he despised. Still, Stefan was always eager for his father's approval.
Damon wanted to believe that she didn't resent Stefan for trying to win their father's favor, but deep down she knew that she did. Each time she protected him at the expense of herself, their father's hatred for the girl's strong will and sharp tongue, increasing daily. Most often the man would forgo the deriding and the verbalizing his disapproval and instead express his anger physically; gripping her wrists so hard until she'd bruise, one time he even fractured it. Or even violently backhanding her leaving, the girl with split lips and bright contusions.
That time it wasn't Stefan that they'd been arguing about. No, it was her 'coming out' as a young lady in society. Honestly, she thought it a bore. She'd known all of Mystic Falls' eligible young bachelors since she was in diapers and none of them appealed to her in the slightest.
She'd argued that love was supposed to be more of a instant whirlwind love at first sight-esque occurrence. That it should be more mysterious and compelling. No boy in her town, that she's known all her life, could offer her that. There would be no secrets and no mystery. No love either… he'd be an open book and she'd be didn't have to marry for money either, she could do something so taboo and mundane as marry for love if ever she found it. Her mother had left her an inheritance that rivalled that of Stefano's. Diamona knew she had a choice and was entitled to a say in her own life. Giuseppe didn't appreciate her voicing this opinion or when she would spout her silly notions of spontaneous and fairy tale love. So he would punish her, and she would suffer. Because wasn't love the best thing to suffer for?
Damon sighed at the sealed letter and motioned for her chambermaid to take it to the post for delivery. When, the maid has gone as instructed, and she is once again alone in her room, a tear escapes her eye. Angry at her wayward emotion and proof of her weakness she wipes roughly at her face with the inside of her palm, eager to rid herself of any evidence of tears.
She was a big girl, she hadn't cried since her mother's funeral and she would not start now, especially not over Stefano's absence or her father's aggression.
Diamona, rips the letter to pieces, before tossing it into the fire.
Of course Stefan would keep century old letters lying about, he was pathetically sentimental like that.
A lone tear hovers just inside of her eyelid. The recollection of the memories of mother, her bastard father, and her little brother causing her humanity to make a sudden and unwelcome appearance.
She shuts her eyes tightly, refusing to allow old wounds a chance to reawaken. Yes, she had come back to Mystic Falls, but she would not permit the scars of the past to come back with her.
The pale woman, picks up her abandoned glass tilting it upwards to her lips, relishing the feel of the cool crystal as her favorite brand of Whiskey burns its way slowly down her throat.
"Diamona." Stefan says with a rare coolness to his tone, the front door shutting behind him.
The vampire doesn't turn to greet the voice emerging from behind her, instead choosing to concentrate on the amber liquid swirling around her glass.
"Little brother, if you insist on calling me by the name that Giuseppe forced upon me, then I will insist on snapping your neck each time that you do," she responds in a similar cold tone.
"Fine older sister. Damon it is."
"Great to see that all of that hair gel isn't seeping into your brain and mucking things up."
"I would say that it was great to see you, but…" he trails off.
At his hesitation Damon puts her glass down with a clink, before finally turning towards Stefan, his face contorted with confusion.
"But?" she continues for her brother, moving closer to where he remains rigid near the entryway.
"Why are you here?" Stefan daring to ask the question that lingered heavily between the two.
"My reason for returning to the hellhole that is Mystic Falls, is none of your concern at the moment."
"I am concerned. I..."
"You what?"
"I'm not going to allow you to leave a trail of bodies leading back to this door."
"You won't allow me? As if I needed your permission to have fun," she chuckles
"I'll stop you Damon," Stefan says with a seriousness that makes the corners of Damon's lips quirk upwards briefly . Her little brother was always trying to be a saviour.
"You could try, but I wouldn't recommend it."
"Why is that?"
"Because I'd kill you, and then poor Elena wouldn't have a date to the prom."
"How do you know about Elena?" Stefan questions with a deeply furrowed brow
Damon twirls on the balls of her feet, a completely exaggerated movement, but she feels like being dramatic, "Let's just say that a little birdie told me."
"Stay away from her!"
Stefan wears a fierce expression that almost causes Damon to laugh hysterically.
It's almost sad that her brother actually loves this poor man's version of Katherine.
"Stefan, crash-course on intimidation. Make sure that the person you plan on scaring, is actually afraid of you."
"Damon, tips on staying alive during your little visit, don't underestimate me."
Damon smiled at her little brother, tilting her head to the side and examining him. He really had grown up… but she assumed it was due to the the fact that he'd been forced to since she was no longer there to protect him.
However, she was here now. Ready to torment him for as long as it took. Until she was wholly satisfied. Damon was tempted to say something biting, but she refrained, instead going for light and teasing.
"Very well baby brother," emphasising the baby.
Stefan's hand came up to press the back of his palm against his lips. His eyes narrowing and avoiding hers. She knew he wanted to say 'I'm not a baby' in his most incredulous voice. It would be a fallacy though, because he was a baby. At least to her. She'd taken care of him even after his birth lead to the death of their mother, even though he so willingly let her take the brunt of their father's anger all the time.
She was happy to do it because he was her flesh and blood. Her baby brother. Her only family.
" I should be going. Much to do and whatnot. How about dinner later? If I seem to remember correctly you always had a thing for feisty redheads and I know one that promises to be absolutely delicious," she says eyeing Stefan menacingly.
"No. You will not feed in this town. You are welcomed to the blood bags in the freezer, and you are more than welcomed to travel to the nearest city to satiate your appetite. But you will not feed in this town. This is my home," glaring at the vampire with a something a little less than hatred.
"Baby bro, you forget that this was my home before it was yours. Seniority rules," and with that she is out of the door.
Bonnie Bennett has holed herself up inside of her bedroom, her windows open, sending in a breeze that caused her curtains to flutter and dance. Her school books and her grimoire are placed in front of her as she sits with her legs crossed Indian style, distractedly worrying the top of her pen between her teeth. Homework and magic are the furthest things from her mind.
Something hasn't been right ever since Stefan's older sibling strolled into town.
Though, Bonnie has yet to catch sight of the elusive Salvatore, Elena has been increasingly antsy and Stefan has been donning his brooding face way too often.
And Caroline, God dammit what was the girl doing wearing scarves during a southern September?
It was still practically summer in Mystic Falls, and the early fall chill wasn't even close to being in the forecast.
"I'm going to be ahead of the trend this year," Caroline told her with a gleam, when Bonnie had inquired about the peculiar accessory.
The witch's eyes had narrowed at her blonde friend's response. The girl scoffed at the absurdity of the statement, but instead of inquiring further she just brushed it aside. Passing it off as Caroline reading one too many of those dumb magazines that she has to pre-order online just to receive in the podunk town that was Mystic Falls.
Back in reality and out of her myriad of thoughts, Bonnie comes to the realization that she isn't going to any kind of work done. She slams her books shut with thud, before grabbing her car keys and storming from the room with purpose.
"Do you know what's going on with Caro?" Bonnie asks forgoing a proper greeting and getting down to brass tacks, as she enters Elena's living room using the spare key hidden under the ancient angel statue on their front porch.
She should really lecture the Gilberts on keeping it somewhere so predictable ,but with her friends' strange behaviours weighing heavily on her mind and soul, she can't even muster the strength to give a good tongue lashing.
The brunette tilts her head to the side, her long hair cascading down her back, frowning at Bonnie.
"What do you mean?"
An exasperated look crosses Bonnie face as she sits down next to her friend on the living room couch, "I mean with all the scarves… haven't you noticed? I mean... is it Stefan? Are you guys fighting? Is that why you've been so distracted?"
Bonnie's question causes the girl to unconsciously tighten the grip on the phone she holds in her hand.
Suddenly aware of her action, she places the object quietly on the coffee table before making easy work of piling her hair high on her head in a messy bun.
"We're not fighting," Elena says finally, causing Bonnie to frown once more.
"Really? You've been fidgeting since I got here, not to mention the migraines Stefan must be giving himself with all the brooding he's been doing,"
Realizing that Bonnie is way too perceptive to accept her lies as gospel, Elena sighs in defeat, casting her whiskey coloured doe eyes in the direction of her petit best friend "It's just Stefan's older sister is in town and it's hard on him...they've never exactly been on the best of terms."
"Oh," Bonnie eventually manages, but before she could probe further about the mysterious older Salvatore, Elena exits the room in a hurry.
Moments later, she returns firmly clutching something in her right hand.
"I made this for you," Elena says offering Bonnie a brief glance at a braided bracelet, before she attaches it securely to the girl's delicate wrist.
"I didn't know you were still into arts and craft," Bonnie quips,smiling down at the handmade gift. "If I remember correctly, you abandoned the art scene after our elementary school teacher told you your project was 'Pretty but she didn't understand it.'"
Elena rolls her eyes at the memory,biting back a smile.
She exaggeratedly throws her head back and braces her hand on her chest, before conjuring the haughtiest voice she can manage "Oh please, my artistic drive was not crushed just by some woman's lack of vision."
The girls enjoy a brief reprieve from all the drama, with some light-hearted laughter.
That is until Bonnie flicks her wrist and catches a whiff of a familiar scent in the air. Bringing the bracelet to her nose, it dawns on her; It smells like vervain.
"What is this?" she asks, inhaling the herb once more to ensure that her olfactory system was still fully operational.
"Uhh," Elena hesitates, unaware that Bonnie catches her lie before she even begins "I'm not sure really. It's just a herb that Stefan's uncle grows."
Bonnie is unsure whether to call her friend on the lie, or to let it go. Obviously Elena wasn't being forthcoming for a reason. She definitely didn't want to push the girl in the corner by confronting her with the truth. She also didn't want leave the topic and move onto something else, especially not if Elena's knowledge of vervain had some sort of connection to Caroline's odd behavior.
Before Bonnie can make a definitive decision on how to best proceed, there is a knock at the girl's front door.
She throws a curious glance in the direction of her best friend, but the girl simply shrugs her shoulders before getting up to attend to the uninvited guest.
The witch follows Elena to the foyer, curious about who lingered on the other side of the door.
Both girls are shocked to see an older woman, with eyes the color of ice and long tresses the color of ink. Her pale skin, and slender figure, immediately leads Bonnie to the conclusion that the woman must be a model of some sort. That is until she notices a faint resemblance to Stefan in the woman's features.
Elena goes rigid and her words become lost, as she stares into the unyielding glare of Stefan's older sister.
"Great you're both here. Now I won't have to go through the trouble of tearing up Mystic Falls to hunt you down," the woman says in a velvet tone coated by indifference.
"What do you want Damon?"
"Honestly? I just want for us to be friends Elena. Maybe without the sleepovers and the incessant girl talk, but friends none the less. And do you know what friends do for one another?"
"She's not doing anything for you," Bonnie says harshly, coming up to stand adjacent to Elena and across from the woman at the door. She can sense Elena's fear and it's making causing the witch to tense.
"Ah I guess we haven't been properly introduced. Elena will you do the honors or shall I?"
"Bonnie this is Diamona, Stefan's older sister, who was just leaving."
The woman scowls at Elena's use of her first name and Bonnie reaches to grip Elena's free hand because the look that the brunette is currently on the receiving end of can only be considered as feral.
Elena tries to close the door on the woman, but decades of practice has made the vampire's reflexes too strong to let a thing such as this occur. She blocks Elena's rather pathetic attempt to shut the door with practiced ease.
"Now, now, now Elena. Don't be rude. Afterall, I did go through a lot of trouble, coming here to offer friendship. And Ms. Bennett lovely to finally make your acquaintance. If I didn't know better I'd say your friend Elena here and my little brother have been deliberately trying to hide you from me,"
Elena's head turns to the side and her pleading eyes meeting Bonnie's briefly. Her scowl imploring for Bonnie to just trust her.
The witch manages a slight nod before retorting to the blue eyed beauty's remark"I can't say the same,"
"Feisty. I like that." The vampire says slowly, taking a moment to cock her hip and twirl her hair like a teenage girl speaking to her crush and the thought almost causes Bonnie to blush.
"Damon does Stefan know that you're here?" Elena questions
"I didn't think it was wise to alert my brother to my intentions of paying you a little visit. It might upset him you see, and he's already brooding so much. I just didn't have the heart to add to his," Damon admits with something akin to sincerity.
"I think you should leave then. Thanks for your offer, but I'm going to have to decline," the brunette says with finality.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You thought that you had a choice in the matter. Surprise! You don't."
":Leave or I'll call Stefan," Elena threatens
"I'm shaking in my very expensive boots," Damon teases making a very dismissive gesture with the hand that is not perched on her hip.
"Leave or I'll make you leave," Bonnie now threatens
"As much as I would like to witness how you would accomplish such a feat, I'm pretty sure that you don't want to do that."
"Why not? You show up here, uninvited and refusing to leave."
"Well little witch, oh that's right I know all about your lineage Bennett, I have compelled your little buddy Caroline to walk in the middle of the oncoming traffic on Main Street, if she doesn't hear from me by 5. It's 4:56 now."
"Why would you do that? What do you want?!" Elena demands
"You could start by inviting me in."
"No!"
"Elena. Caroline could die," Bonnie almost screams.
"Listen to your friend Elena."
"How do we know she's not bluffing?"
"You could call her, and ask her where she's at and what's she's doing, but that would waste time that you don't have at the moment. So you have two options. Invite me in, or see your friend's tragic death on the 6 o'clock news. Tick tock."
After a moment of hesitation, Elena surprises no one, especially not Bonnie, when she finally says,"Damon," Elena's voice harsh around the woman's name, squeezing out the letters unforgivingly, "Come in,"
"Of course Elena. I'd be delighted," Damon says with sarcasm dripping from her tone.
Walking into the foyer, the older vampire appraises the Gilbert's decor with obvious distaste and an upturned nose.
"You got what you wanted. Call Caroline. Now," Bonnie demands
"Don't forget who is in charge here witch, but fine, a deal is a deal," Damon responds looking at Bonnie with an expression that almost reads admiration. It quickly passes as she dials the blonde's number.
Caroline answers on the first ring, "Barbie, go home to the dreamhouse. I'll be by later," with that she ends the call without a proper farewell."Now that I've done what you wanted. I think we should speak about what it is that I want."
"And when I say we, I mean me so shut up and listen," All Damon's movements are calculated, she carries herself with the sort of grace that one envies. It's almost unnatural but then again she is unnatural.
She's arrogant and self absorbed but the two girls can't help but give her all the attention her performance demands. Because this is basically what it is; a play. And Damon is the sole star of the production.
The vampire delights in scare tactics. She thrives off the fear that she knows is coursing through the veins of the two naive teenage girls. She was enjoying herself. And why shouldn't she have a little fun? After years of waiting, she deserves a bit of amusement at least until she's able to get what she wants.
Who she wants.
More than anything.
"You're going to use your hocus pocus and undo a spell for me," She points a perfectly manicured finger at Bonnie
"Me?" Bonnie manages to yelp in surprise "Wha-tt?"
'Pretty but annoying,' Damon thinks to herself, "There is a small room underneath Fell's Church. I need to get into that room, but I am currently hindered by the fact that it was sealed with a spell. Which means that I need a witch to get me inside of the room. And lucky day Bennett, you're going to be that witch."
"I'm not helping you!" Bonnie yells in defiance
"Teenage girls and their insufferable angst," Damon says, rolling her eyes to the heavens before continuing, "Two question. They're rhetorical so please keep your thoughts to yourself. Firstly, do you know what I hate Bonnie? I hate being denied access to something that I want. Secondly, do you know what I love? I love torturing innocent, but stupid little girls until they cave and give me what I want."
"You don't scare me."
"Bonnie please!" Elena begs
"Elena. I won't do it. Not until she releases Caroline from whatever hold she has on her."
"Oh little witch, you are pathetically confused about the power dynamics of this little conclave. I make the demands, and you adhere to them like a good little girl."
"And if I don't."
"If you don't? Well then I would just have to use the resources at my disposal to force your hand. You see Mystic Falls is a very small town, so I'm willing to bet that you Bonnie Bennett are close with most of the residents. You might even have a few relatives roaming about. Vervain can stop me from draining a person dry, but I can always just rip their beating heart from their chest."
"And I can set fires with my mind. Fires that kill vampires."
"Don't brag. I'm already very aware of your capabilities, which is the obvious reason that I am here with you now."
"I'm not boasting. I'm warning. If you do something to hurt anyone that I care about. Anyone in this town then I'll..."
"You'll what?" the vampire says, almost daring the witch to finish the statement
"I'll kill you."
"I would be worried, except for that fact that A. you've never killed anyone so I doubt that you have the backbone to actually go through with it. And B. Caroline is still very much under my control. What do you think will happen to her if you kill me?"
"She'll be free of you and back to normal?"
"Or she could be stuck under my compulsion for the rest of her life, seeing as I will be dead and unable to release her."
"It doesn't work like that. You're lying."
"Maybe, but since you're not well-versed on vampires, you have no way of knowing that."
"I'll call Stefan." Elena chimes, joining Bonnie in her verbal battle against the vampire.
"How would you do that?"
"By picking up my phone and dialing."
"Oh silly me, I forgot to tell you. You two are my hostages. And from the last bank robbery film I saw, I don't think hostages are allowed phone calls." Damon taps a finger on her chin, eyes cast heavenward; contemplating "I'd have to run to RedBox to be certain though."
"We're not your hostages," Bonnie retorts
"Well to be fair no, you are not. But she is. You see she invited me into her home, and now I can come and go as I please. Maybe I'll stop by and give aunt Jenna a goodnight kiss. Or tuck little Jeremy into his bed. Unlike my brother, bless his heart, my concern for human life is nonexistent. So I could murder Elena's entire family without batting an eyelash. And then of course I'd murder her. I'm the one with all the power here. You can make your empty threats, but when I say I'm going to kill someone I always follow through."
"I don't know how to break an enchantment like the one you described," Bonnie finally says after a long silence
"Bonnie don't help her."
"Elena I have to."
"If this touching moment is over, there's a spell in your grimoire that will help you to break the seal."
"How do you know about my grimoire?"
"Sorry to disappoint, but you're not my first witch."
"I didn't mean 'how do you know about grimoires?' I meant ' how do you know what's in my grimoire?'"
"Let's just say I knew a Bennett witch a very long time ago. She wasn't as fun to look at as you, but she did possess other useful abilities, such as spell writing."
"You knew one of my ancestors?"
"We don't have the time to take a scenic walk down memory lane. You need to get your grimoire and then you need to get the tomb opened."
"First you release Caroline."
"No. You open the tomb and maybe, maybe I will consider giving barbie back her free will."
"I can't trust you."
"Well looks like you don't have a choice. I think we should get moving, don't want to accidentally run into my little brother now do we."
"We're not going anywhere with you,Stefan will stop you" Elena declares decisively
At the mention of Stefan's name Damon's expression turns stormy, unyielding and Elena cowers slightly but seems to realise what she's done and gives her best defiant expression. Frankly it looks better on the witch who actually has the bite to match her bark.
"You seem to think really highly of my little brother Elena." She grits out "But he's not a hero or saviour for that matter. He's a person with flaws and I've always protected him and gave him all I had but when I've wanted something for myself…" Damon's voice drops to a whisper and her eyes gets a far away look "I couldn't even have that,"
The room is quiet after Damon's confession. Possibly the only truthful thing she's said since she's arrived at the Gilbert residence. Her eyes refocus after a few minutes and she looks barely composed.
"Elena let's just do what she wants, so she can get out of town and out of our lives." Bonnie whispers, noting the woman's thinly veiled anger before her friend.
"No. I won't go anywhere with you, and you can't compel me either."
"You know Elena, I'm starting to think that you are more trouble than you are worth," once she concludes her sentence, Damon does a very unladylike, but still surprisingly graceful, headbutt which renders Elena unconscious and slumped to the floor.
"What did you do!" Bonnie screams racing over to examine her seemingly comatose friend.
"Trust me. I did us both a favor. Now we can have a little girl time on the road," Damon says with a wink and a grin
Instead of responding, Bonnie looks up from where Elena lies on the floor, to glare coldly at the vampire with an expression that mirrors utter contempt.
"God, I knew it was a reason I hated teenagers. The silent treatment, really mature witch. Let's go."
"What about Elena? We can't just leave her here."
"Of course we're not leaving her! She's my hostage," Damon says, eyeing the brunette as though she is measuring her, "It might be a tight fit, but I think I can get her into the truck."
A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. This should be a 4 to 5 chapter fic, so hopefully you'll stuck with us! Please review and let us know what you think of our spin on the story!