The mother she never got to be
Fandom: Vampire Diaries
Rating: G
Genre: family, drama, AU, alternative endings, friendship.
Characters/Pairings: Pearl, Jonathan/Pearl – one sided, Annabelle, Katherine.
Any warnings: Spoilers for most of season 1. Kind of.
Disclaimer: VD and its characters are not mine. I only write fan fiction!
A/N: Notice the real big AU in here? I know. It is totally different than what the VD series is. Firstly I decided that Pearl wasn't going to be romantically involved with good old Jonathan. And I decided to change the happenings a little. Anyway. I think this turned out good. I first wanted to make an AU with Anna trapped in the tomb and Pearl trying to get her out. But this one-shot is nice too... lol.
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Pearl watched her daughter, Annabelle; play in the garden of her new home. Mystic Falls had been just that for over a year now. They had a big house and she had an apothecary that she worked in. Things couldn't be better.
Her happiness grew with each day.
And to add to her happiness she just received a letter today from an old friend. A friend whose fiendishness and mischief had always amused her to no end. She knew that when Katherine would come to Mystic Falls something entertaining would happen.
-o-
Katherine came as expected with the usual mysterious air. She lived for making herself bigger than life, and enjoyed the 'awe-ing' and 'oh-ing' she got from those around her.
It didn't surprise Pearl that Katherine had chosen the Salvatore estate to temporary live in. The Salvatore brothers had always been known to be the most handsome and well-looking young men that lived in and around town.
Pearl laughed thinking of the competition that must be going on between the brothers to win the favour of Katherine.
Ah what fools those brothers must be making of themselves.
-o-
The number of unexplained deaths, and those inflicted by animal attacks exploded just two weeks after Katherine's arrival. People started talking about a savage-beast that was killing innocent people.
It didn't concern her at first.
Let people talk, and let them search for the animal. They wouldn't find it. Katherine had always been a sneaky little thing. They would never catch her, not when the real monster had taken up residency in the Salvatore estate. And was guarded there from any harm from outside.
-o-
The talk about the beast isn't subduing as she had thought it would. Instead people are now naming the beast. In her shop she over heard today the majors wife talk to the local priest.
Creatures of the night. Monsters. Blood sucking fiends. Vampires.
Had she a beating heart, it would have exploded.
She knew that the people who were talking in her shop thought her ignorant of their conversation. They didn't and couldn't know of her ability to hear even the smallest noise.
She was starting to feel a little uneasy about the situation.
-o-
She comes home to her daughter laughing and playing.
Her little Annabelle is a good girl, thinks Pearl as she strokes her hair. She gives hear an affectionate smile and receives one in return.
The night is spent with Annabelle reading to her. Pearl loves to listen to her daughters beautiful voice as she recites poems or reads stories.
She soon forgets her troubles and the uneasiness.
-o-
They approached her today.
They came and they gave her vervain.
And they want her to slip it into anything she can, so that people are protected.
They know about vervain.
This isn't just a situation anymore. This is danger. This can mean death to her and her daughter.
Had she had a living, beating heart it would have stopped and frozen up in fear.
-o-
She is still undecided of what to do. Should she tell Katherine about the vervain or not. Should she sell it or not. Wouldn't the humans notice it if they continued to die of the attacks, even now that they have a secret weapon.
Questions over questions... and she had no real answers.
-o-
She told Katherine about the secret weapon that those crafty little humans made. And she laughed it off.
It made Pearl rather angry to think that she took all the trouble of going to her and informing her of the possible danger and she dismisses it within a second.
She knows now that what ever will happen to Katherine from now on is not her problem. She'll think of her daughter and herself before anyone.
-o-
Jonathan Gilbert.
She knows that he has some sort of fascination with her. She'll use this knowledge if she has to. And she does. She asks him, flatters him; butters him up. And he swallows everything.
And he spills out information. Vital information.
Jonathan Gilbert is a man who has been to her apothecary more than once. Now he was bragging about his theories and about his inventions.
His theories include that of the beasts, he refuses to name them, but they walk amongst us. He is sure that they can somehow withstand sunlight. And the rest of his theories are rather fantastical.
It's his invention that has her more cautious than she ever was. He showed her a box and a pocket-watch. Said it was a secret weapon. Something to make out the enemy and destroy it. Once and for all.
He doesn't elaborate further. Probably to build up the suspense.
Pearl hates suspense at the moment like nothing else.
-o-
She decides then that she'll pack her things and leave Mystic Falls. She'll take her daughter Annabelle and run as fast and as far as she can.
There is no time for false pride. And such. Katherine be damned, she'll not stick around for the mystery weapon to be launched.
-o-
They pack the same night. Not 24 hours will pass and everything will be good and gone. Harper is good at work.
Pearl is determined that she'll save her daughters' and her own skin.
-o-
She wants to leave in the morning. Leave a letter for the major's wife, her supposed good friend. Tell her that her mother or her aunt is dying and requesting a last visit.
Humans always were so fond of the drama.
-o-
It's morning and for some reason Jonathan Gilbert is standing in front of her home. She has to let him in and they sit down in the living room. She serves him tea and he lazily sips from it.
She'd love to cut his throat and then leave. But it would seem too suspicious if he died in her home. She doesn't want her name connected to anything 'unnatural' because she might came back. Who knows, right?
And death, as bloody as she was imagining right now, was as 'unnatural' as it came.
She smiles. Her perfectly white teeth entice him. She can see it with the way he stares at her. It's a stare of fascination. Maybe even something deeper.
"Mr. Gilbert, how lovely today is. I hope you had a nice walk through the park?" pleasantries have to be exchanged. That's how it works. Even if she'd love to be far far away by now.
"Thank you. Pleasant day indeed. I was hoping to talk to you today Miss Pearl." He smiles and is over enthusiastic.
"Really? I would really love to hear what it is that you have to say," here he smiles. She almost dazzles him with her replying smile. She knows that it will probably fail to affect him, he ingested vervain. For sure.
"I have great news. Today! Miss Pearl. Today we will finally act!"
He smiles and is happy and is waiting for her reply. It takes everything inside of her not to recoil from him. He wants to destroy both her and her daughter. He wants to kill them, and now he sits before her and is all smiles and happy about it.
It takes everything inside of her not to snap and kill him.
"That is great news... indeed." She says this slowly. Tries to smile. Fake her enthusiasm. Then she sighs loudly. "But alas, I will not be there to witness your great success. You see my aunt has taken ill, and she requested for me to come see her one last time. We will departure shortly."
"Ah... well. That is...," she notices that he wants to say something. But it seems to have hit him hard that she won't be here for a while. He looks up at her, hope shimmering in his eyes. "You'll surely return. You must return..."
She smiles again. Is thankful for her face that is made of stone. She could hold this fake smile forever. "Yes, of course. I'll return. But for now I will take my daughter with me to visit my aunt."
This satisfies him and he finally lets her go. He bows before he leaves.
-o-
Jonathan Gilbert is finally gone. The letter to the major's wife is sent. The house and the apothecary are closed down and locked.
Pearl debates if she should tell Katherine about today. She is about to turn for the Salvatore Manor when she sees the smiling and glowing face of her daughter. Annabelle.
Her daughter is sitting in the carriage waiting for her to get her to safety. Trusting her to protect her. Even Harper, who is driving the carriage for them is trusting her to protect him. She has greater priorities than Katherine.
Pearl enters the carriage. She smiles back at her daughter and then the carriage moves.
Let Katherine see how she'll get out of this one alone.
She'll manage. Katherine always manages somehow.
THE END.