Title: Valiant: Chapter 1, The Rose (1/3)
Author: sablize
Character/Pairing: Damon/Rose, Doctor/Rose (Tyler)
Rating: T
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a rose, a memory, and a wolf. Damon has a chance meeting with someone who might just change everything.
Spoilers: TVD: 2x11, 2x12; DW: Journey's End, The End of Time
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Notes: Enjoy the strangest crossover ever, and one I've wanted to do for ages. Set sometime after The Descent and after Journey's End. Includes immortal-Bad-Wolf!Rose. Don't be daunted by the crossover, it's told in the POV of Damon so it doesn't make much sense to him either(;
It's three in the afternoon, and Damon needs to get out of the house.
The boarding house is suffocating these days. Even with frequent visitors, it feels empty, like all the air's been sucked out. He blames it on the loss of Rose's presence. Then he berates himself for feeling again, and pours himself another drink.
Today, he goes to the Grill.
It's almost empty at this time in the day; a few people eating a late lunch are scattered around, and even fewer people have taken seats at the bar, which Damon sits at the far end of and orders a drink.
Then, an unfamiliar woman enters. And sits down right beside him.
The bartender walks over. "I'll have whatever he's having," she says in a thick British accent, pointing to his drink.
"Can I see some ID?" the bartender asks with a raised eyebrow. The girl is young.
The woman fishes out a bright pink wallet from her pocket and opens it in front of the bartender, who then says quickly, "Of course, of course. On the house, in fact."
Damon can't help it. "What did you show him?"
The woman glances at the wallet. All he can see from beside her is a blank piece of paper inside.
"Apparently, I'm a famous pop star touring in America." She pockets it with a frown, and takes a sip of the drink the bartender has just placed in front of her.
Damon studies the woman. Her hair is bright blonde, though he can tell it's dyed because her roots are dark. Her eyes are hazel and surrounded by a halo of mascara, and her lips are wide and full. She's wearing a black leather jacket, a blue t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of white Converse. An unremarkable person, really, but something about her doesn't feel right.
"So, what are you doing in Mystic Falls?" His voice carries a hint of warning.
"Oh, is that where I am?" she replies, sounding genuinely surprised. The feeling of wrongness about her gets stronger.
He sets his drink down, turns to face her. "Who the hell are you?"
She studies him for a moment, lips parted, before finally saying, "Rose."
Damon winces and turns back to his drink.
"You alright?"
"I had a…" he pauses, searching for a word good enough. He finds none, so he finishes, "friend. Her name was Rose."
Rose throws on a sympathetic smile immediately, as if she's already guessed what happened, and says in a quiet voice, "I'm sorry."
"You don't know the half of it."
Rose takes a sip of her drink, thoughtful. But the look she casts him under her long lashes seems to say I know both halves, and it scares him. He wonders if she's a vampire. He drains his drink and decides he doesn't care.
He stands. "You should get out of this town."
"Why?" she asks, mirroring his movements.
"Why are you even here, anyways?" he counters.
Rose shrugs nonchalantly, but Damon doesn't miss the sadness that suddenly clouds her eyes. "I'm trying to get back to the man I love. Again. I just stumbled here."
"Then why don't you stumble back?" His voice is low, dangerous; hopefully it's enough to scare her off. He doesn't need any more Roses dying on him. He walks away, leaving her hazel eyes downcast, fingering something in her pocket.
He's halfway across the parking lot before her voice reaches him, calling, desperate.
"I could help you save your friend."
Damon whips around to face her, and she strides over. He's already made up his mind before she's standing in front of him.
"I appreciate it," he says, voice tight, "but nothing can save Rose. Trust me, I tried."
He walks away, but stops when she says, "This thing," (he turns around to see her holding the object that was in her pocket, a large yellow button) "it isn't just a teleport. Hell, it isn't even confined to Earth. It can travel in time."
She says the last few words with such heavy significance, Damon wonders if she's lost, crazy, or both.
Rose steps forward again, places her hands on his shoulders. Hazel eyes meet icy blue.
"I could help you."
"Why?" he asks, eyes not daring to leave her young face.
She gives him a small half-smile. "Because I can."
His eyes search her face, trying to gouge exactly how much he should trust this strange woman. He has no idea who she really is or what she really is—not human, surely—and she could be an absolute nut for all he knew. But there was just something about her, through all her wrongness, that felt right.
A Child of Time, says a voice in his head. It's not his; in fact, it sounds like the woman's, only deeper, laced with power and a million voices. You can trust my Child.
Oh, screw it all. He makes his decision.
"Come with me."