Note: songs lyrics are Almost lover by Fine Frenzy.
thoughts texts
Her white dress sways inches from the ground. Long blonde hair pulled into a bun. Sweaty palm clutched four carrots. The sun's heat beating down on Gwen Jordan. As she walked past the pigs and hogs. Wrinkling her nose at the foul smell.
Gwen smiled at the brown chickens roaming in their coop. The Rooster strutting around and peaking every once in awhile, pecking the hickory brown earth.
Her hand ran across the chicken wire until the end. Falling as Gwen walked towards her family's barn. Only a few feet away.
The barn is narrow with unpainted gray wood holding up a simple triangle wood roof. Light flooding inside from the open doorway. Inside, stacks of hay against the left wall. Inches from that horseshoes, buckets and other tools to help care for our animals. On the right, four horses waited boxed in with wooden beams with a loft above them near the back.
"Who wants a treat?" Gwen asked them, rubbing the soft forehead of the horses. Taking her hand away Gwen holds out one of the carrots, "Here you go, Ginger, always my good girl"
Ginger takes it by the tip. Gwen moved on to the oldest, Archer. A black Clydesdale with white hair falling around its hooves and a white strip on the nose. Last the brothers, both gray Dales Pony's.
"Gwen." The silky voice of her best friend Damon Salvatore captured Gwen's attention.
She looked sideways to find his lean toned frame standing near the ladder of the loft. He wore a simple black vest over his white collared shirt. His dark brown curls are a nice contrast to his olive skin with his bangs combed to the side. Damon's captivating blue eyes shined with mischief. Eyes that almost looked silver with the hints of grey.
Gwen remembers thier first meeting. When she caught three-year-old Damon wrestling with one of the families pigs. Gwen being two and a curious person. She decided to interrogate the boy. His face caked with mud. Damon simply said, "It's fun."
Tired of boring needlework, Gwen decided to join him. They have been best friends ever since. Becoming the towns trouble makers, much to her mother's grief.
Gwen followed Damon up the ladder of the loft. Both sit on the their feet dangle.
"She is at it again," Gwen announced.
Damon doesn't even need to ask. He already had to endure her complaints about mother many times before.
"You must become women, find someone and do your duty for the family." Gwen, imitate her mother's voice. "Mother wants me to become just like her, married young and stuck here in this little town. She can have little Beth for that."
Damon tugged at a loose blonde strand "I will just have to steal you away." His lips parted revealing his perfect white teeth "Then we can see the world."
Her heart fluttered at the thought. The next year came with his mother passing. Gwen did her best to help him. Sticking by him even as he tried to drink the pain away. Years keep passing by and slowly, Gwen started to realize something.
I'm falling for Damon Salvatore.
His very little touch sending her pulse racing. Her eyes are always falling on his pink full lips. Suppressing the urge to press hers against his. Part of Gwen believes he feels it too. Before she can even ask him, a civil war broke out. Damon enlist and is gone for three years.
Gwen's feelings never changed. She stopped fighting her mother. Instead taking her teachings to heart. Gwen grew into a fine lady, but still refused marriage. Choosing to waitfor Damon.
Then Miss Katherine Pierce showed up. With her oval face, her perfect brown curls, petite frame, and her almond-shaped deep brown eyes. An exotic beauty, one might say. Katherine lost her parents to a fire. Damon's father kindly took her in.
Joy filled Gwen as Damon returned. She didn't care that he deserted his platoon. Just that he was back and safe. However, her joy was shortly lived. Thanks to Katherine sinking her hooks into Damon. Gwen refused to see it, but life is taking them down different paths.
Soon, they were spending less time together. And when they did, it was mostly fighting.
Sitting on a bench in his backyard, surrounded by beautiful flowers. Gwen tried to reason again with him.
"Katherine is not good for you." Her tone is soft.
"Why can't you be happy for me?" Damon challenged Gwen, his anger rising.
Exhausted by it all, she snapped "Katherine won't love you!" Pity reflecting in her dark blue eyes "She likes watching Stefan and you fighting over her too much to fall in love with one of you. Damon, your brother is more important, family comes first."
Gwen grabbed his hands, causing him to flinch, nonetheless, she held on to him.
"And Katherine is tearing us apart, Isn't our friendship important too?"
The anger in his voice has Gwen cowering "I love Katherine."
He snatched his hand away as if burned.
Gwen will forever regret coming to the founder's ball. Arriving early before her family, dressed in her best pink silk dress. Pretty ribbons decorating the bottom of it.
Only if she knew what would happen on that day.
Gwen spotted Damon dancing with Katherine, intimacy radiating off of them. It was then, that she realize that he would always love Katherine over me.
It all came crashing down. Gwen felt the room suffocating her, threatening to drown her soul. Tears falling, Gwen turned and ran out of the ball. Towards her home, her remaining source of comfort.
Maybe if Gwen never left to attend the party. Her mother and Elizabeth would still be alive. Instead, Gwen finds them in the parlor chairs, unmoving.
Beth's body laying in mothers lap. Red hair free from pins and green eyes empty. While mothers dark hair is still contained. Large hazel eyes just as empty of life. Two small holes and dried blood decorating their throats. Thier white dresses still pristine.
Not one speck of blood.
"Mother, Beth!" Gwen screamed loudly, Her voice full of pain.
Before she can even move, a hard object slammed into the back of her head. Knocking Gwen to the ground with a hard thud. She turned her head to the source. Blue eyes widen in surprise.
"Father...what are you doing?"
His emerald green eyes are empty "It would have been better if you let Damon go, now our family is dead because of you!"
He leaped on Gwen's lap, hands wrapping around her throat, cutting oft any source of oxygen.
Gwen begged, with the small amount of energy that she had, "Please...father"
He releases her.
"I don't underst-" blinding pain cuts off Gwen's words.
It rolls across her stomach as a sharp metallic knife enters it twice more. Gwen heard a loud cry from someone, it took a moment to realize that in fact, it is her, screaming.
Father stands and she watches him wearily, hand clutching her stomach in pain. Soaked with her own blood.
"Katherine requested your life." He snarled, his voice raging in anger.
"I'm your daughter!" Gwen shouts scared, as her father lights a match."Please, I love you."
The sound of her voice turns into a hoarse whisper as He drops the match.
Igniting the burning hot flames, everywhere destroying her home. Fear claws at Gwen's brain, the flames inching closer to her body. Like a child, Gwen crawled to her dead mother, clinging to her cold hands, as tears fall freely. Flames inches away from her foot, smoke suffocating Gwen as the world turns black.
A groan emerges from Gwen's lips, something warm spreads across her stomach before turning cold "Stop," Hervoice is weak.
"Miss." slowly Gwen's eyes opened at the rough voice, taking a second to adjust. Finding a middle-aged man leaning over her, his blue eyes watching me with unchecked compassion.
His dirty blonde hair tied by a blue ribbon which matches his overcoat. Underneath the coat is a black vest rests upon a white shirt.
Nausea has Gwen hurling, hands clutching her stomach. Finding her dress cut across the middle. Gwen's fingers trace a twisted line of flesh instead of holes. Starting from her belly to left hip where it ends.
Voice still weak, Gwen asked, "Is this hell?"
"No child, this is your second chance."
"I don't understand."
He smiled "I just healed your wounds with magic because I'm a witch. And you are as well but a special kind that is rare.
Come with me, let me teach you and in time you can have back the family you lost, I Michael William promise to protect you."
Memories play through her brain, earning Gwen a sad smile. Playing with her siblings and reading to them. Times when her mother gently combs Gwen's hair. Her father exciting them with wonderful tales of magical adventures.
They all blur into one sense of overwhelming loss mixed with a desire to get them back. Gwen tucjed the memeories away. Finding Michael on his feet and holding out a hand. Placing her hand in his, Gwen winced as she was hauled to her feet.
"The only way is forward." Michael informs Gwen.
And placed a beautiful ring with a sapphire surrounded by small silver leaves in her hand. Together without a glance back, they vanish into the woods.
Entering the world she believed were stories meant to scare.
145 years later
Years later after getting her wish and seeing the world, Gwen is back in Mystic Falls, with a plan. Step one is to find out why Zach Salvatore been ignoring her calls.
He usually is quick on mailing the vervain to Gwen's current location. Maybe a new person stepped in his role, always best to meet in person. It is not a major concern, after all, she came back for more then vervain.
With a determined face, Gwen pounds on the front door to the Salvatore boarding house. Minutes drag by, with no answer.
Screw this.
Quickly, Gwen scans for anybody who might be watching. Finding no one, she reaches into her back pocket, pulling out a lock picking tool. In four tries until Gwen gets the clicking noise of success and heads inside.
"Zach!" She steps into the parlor "Hello, is anyone here? I'm going to break something!" Grabbing a lamp ready to smash it into pieces.
"Wait!"Gwen freezes at that voice, a voice that once brought comfort "Please put that down." Slowly she sets the lamp down"Why are you looking for Zach?"
"Just forget about it."
Gwen walk four steps before a hand grabs her upper arm. Spinning her around to Stefan Salvatore's wide eyes, green as a forest. Both taking in each other's unchanged facial features. His brown hair now spiked. Hers flowing down in waves. Above all the mirror that neither has not aged. Leads both to the same conclusion.
Both blurting out "You're a vampire."
Gwen doesn't correct Stefan as he speaks one word.
"Katherine." Hate blooms in her soul at the monster who compelled Gwen's father to murder his family. While she danced away laughing "She fed us her blood."
"Us?" But Gwen already knew from the moment she saw Stefan "Damon."
He nods, hand still gripping her arm "Gwen ho-"
"Doesn't matter, not staying in town long."
"You can't just show up alive and leave."
Stefan was focusing on getting answers which resulted in him failing to notice Her arm slipping free from his grasp.
"Watch me."
Hurt flashes in his eyes as Gwen step back. At one point in life, she was drowning in pain and anger. Gwen lost a brother and Stefan a best friend. Everyone mourned him for a day. With a sigh, she drops her cold demure and sits on the couch. Stefan follows her lead as Gwen informs him "It's a long story."
At that moment Stefan goes rigid.
Her mouth opens ready to question him. When a smooth voice interrupts behind me "And what do we have hear?"
Stefan looks over her shoulder "Damon, you look pleased."
"But Elena won't be." Gwen clenches her jaw as Damon leans in, his breath tickling her ear "Who is your lovely guest?"
Damon Takes a strand of blonde hair, twisting it around his finger. Her heart used to flutter and swell at his touch, instead, Gwen is annoyed. Gwen pulls away, stands and turns.
Keeping her face passive "Hi."
Damon's body goes rigid. Confusion shines in his blue eyes.
"I'm going to leave now." Gwen states bluntly.
Air is knocked out of her lungs. As Damon slams Gwen's back into the wall, his face intense with anger.
"What the hell are you doing!" Stefan shouts while wrestling Damon off "It's Gwen...Gwen Jordan your friend."
Damon gets free "No!" Anger radiating off him in waves "We buried her body."
"Yeah, a body that was burned beyond requisition it could have been someone else." Damon shakes his head at Stefan.
Gwen takes a few steps forward "Damon, it's me." Again, she is slammed into the wall, Damon's hands on her shoulders.
"Lier." He spits out.
Her eyes narrow in anger, hand latching around Damon's arms.
Stefan's tone is full of surprise. Watching as her eyes go Completely black "Gwen your eyes."
Ignoring him, Gwen focus on finding her mother and Elizabeth's bodies, father stabbing her, dropping the match igniting a fire. Every detail burned vividly into Gwen's brain. Damon gasps dropping to his knees as she curses him. Whispering "Enjoy my memory."
"You're a necromancer." Her eyes, now blue again, fell on Stefan.
She gives him a small smile "Yes but its Wiccan now." The smile falls "I need to go, Damon will be good in an hour or two."
Damon's grunts distracts Stefan long enough for Gwen to make it to the door.
"Wait," She turns back to Stefan "I still don't understand how you are here alive."
"Right, I will be back tomorrow when Damon isn't around and have some vervain ready."
Gwen leaves behind a smiling Stefan. At the grave yard Gwen stares at four grey chipped tones markers. The bakes now faded. A family forgotten and invisible to everyone. Except for Gwen.
"I promise, I'm getting us a second chance," Her voice a whisper as I lay down my yellow flowers on each grave.
Even father, after all his actions were not his own, they belonged to Katherine. In the hotel room, Gwen finds sleep easy.
Next day
Gwen fills her plain oval locket with vervain. While giving a brief history of her life after the fire to Stefan. It helps cool her anger at Damon for killing Zach, he was decent guy. Didn't deserve to be killed.
"After that night I started training with Michael. He also taught me about all this supernatural stuff."
"I don't understand. How you have not aged?"
Snapping the locket shut, Gwen answers "Got myself an enchanted ring," raising her right hand showing off the sapphire ring on her index finger "Good for two hundred years then I'm back aging."
"If that exist, how did you know I'm a vampire?"
"Wiccan and witches can be sensitive to each others presence, it's like a warm welcoming vibe that radiates of us. Takes some practice to automatically detect, but becomes like second nature. Anyway, you weren't sending out anything and clearly haven't aged, simple elimination."
"Huh," A moment of silence "Hey Gwen, why did you come back to mystic falls?"
"By the time I could raise the dead my family was bones, I became depressed until Michael told me I could still get Them back. Thanks to a crystal that could restore someone's bodies, but it's lost. The spell to find it could be in my families journal."
"Thought the Jordan's were ordinary people and your father was just some farmer your mother fell for."
Gwen snorts "Yeah me too, but apparently, my mother's side are keepers of the crystal, they guard its location... I'm not sure yet if my mom was part of it directly, or just as unaware as I was," she leans on the table "What about you? Why come back?"
"One night while visiting Zach, I came across a car that drove off the bridge. I could only save the girl, her parents already had drowned. Her name is Elena," His lips smile wide "And the opposite of Katherine in every way."
Gwen sends him a knowing smile "You are falling for her," Stefan nods "Well, I'm going to have to meet this Elena."
His smile falls "Okay, but you have to promise to be nice."
"Like I'm not nice."
Stefan steps closer "I'm serious Gwen... Elena,she looks exactly like Katherine."
"What!?" Gwen snaps "Stefan if she looks like Katherine then-"
He cuts her off "Elena is not Katherine I checked, please trust me."
"Okay, but are you with this girl because of her looking like Katherine?"
"No, you will understand when you meet Elena at the school carnival."
Minutes of Stefan's hopeful face and Gwen gives in, promising to be nice. They arrive at some school fair. Full of laughter and smiling faces under a dark sky.
It takes a little bit but Gwen convinces Stefan to let her find Elena on her own. For the first time in years, Gwen isn't sneaking out to a event like this. There is no guilt or worry about her teacher finding out. She let's herself get lost in games and cotton candy, savoring each bite.
Inside her eyes land Elena Gilbert counting cash. Looking exactly like Katherine from her bone structure, height, brown eyes to dark brown hair.
In fact, the only difference is Elena's hair style. Katherine always had curls. Elena's is straight. Gwen pushes the anger bubbling up back down, it's not Katherine.
With a friendly smile on Gwen walks over "Hi," Elena's brown eyes look at her in confusion "Don't know if Stefan told you but I'm Gwen."
Elena's confusion disappears, a smile taking its place "Oh yeah he did hold on," Elena hands the cash to another worker "You can take the next shift."
Their steps are slow "Stefan said you two were old friends and that you lost your family," pity flashes in her eyes "Because of Katherine."
"Yeah, we have known each other since a young age."
"So you are like him, a vampire I mean."
Stopping ear lockers and Gwen leans on one "No I'm a witch, well a Wiccan to be more exact."
"I don't understand."
"It's the new term for Necromancer, pretty much we have the ability to bring the dead back, talk to the dead plus got some nice curses up our sleeves but compared to normal witches, we have more limits. As for not being six feet underground," Gwen shows Elena her ring "Enchanted to give me an extra 200 years."
"Where can I get one?" Elena's tone is playful.
"Sorry, the ring only works for witches."
"Hmm I will have to let my friend Bonnie know, she's a witch too," They fall into a brief moment of silence "We should hang out sometime, give me the dirt on Stefan."
"Yeah sounds like fun."
Conversation is interrupted by none other than Damon Salvatore "Girls."
Elena snaps "Whatever you want, not interested."
"Look, I know I'm the last person," his eyes briefly look at Gwen "either of you want to see but I need to talk to you both, right now."
It's the urgency in his tone that has them reluctantly following. To an empty classroom to where Stefan already waits. Gwen beings to wonder why Damon even needed to include her. As he informs Elena her friend is now a vampire.
Pacing Stefan questions Damon First "How did this happen?"
"I fed her blood Katherine obviously killed her A plus B equals."
Gwen is floored "Wait! Katherine is alive not ashes in the old church."
"Yup," Damon replies"Wait, How did you know about that?"
"What does it mat-"
Stefan interrupts "And she said game on what does that even mean?"
"Katherine is a nasty manipulative person who gets a kick out of this stuff," Gwen's voice drips with hate "She is playing dirty and wants you to know."
Elena stands, voice shaky "But why Caroline?"
Sighing, Damon throws his head back "I don't know."
"Caroline she must be scared out of her mind," Stefan's hands land in his hair "She has no idea what is happening to he-"
"Oh I think she does all my compulsion started wearing off the minute she was in transition," Gwen yet eyes narrow at Damon "what?"
"I don't appreciate vampires using humans as toys." Her tone is cold.
Stefan arms wrap around Elena "We have to find her."
"Yup," Damon agrees "and kill her," Damon brings up some girl named Vicki and her tragic ending, being staked. Because she couldn't control her hunger "You know I'm right."
Stefan stands to get in his brother's face "We're not going to kill her."
He walks away with Elena leaving no room for argument.
Gwen heads for the door as Damon mutters "There is no other way."
Maybe he is right, Gwen thinks.
Vampires in her experience only harm others. Tearing apart lives, playing twisted games because it was fun. Except Stefan genuinely seemed different. After all, he didn't have to protect this girl Caroline but Elena wouldn't forgive him.
Obviously, Stefan truly cares about her. Which meant Gwen couldn't kill Caroline either because she wasn't ready to lose him. Sighing Gwen begins searching any potential hiding place.
After what feels like hours She spots Elena speaking to a blonde, tall girl. They are a good distance away from the carnival near trash cans.
"Maybe but it's not going to happen tonight," Stefan reminds Demon as Gwen joins them offering Elena her help.
"Inside," She informs Gwen.
Damon protests "Oh yes it is."
Seeing him in the corner of her eye. Pick up some kind of stake charging at Caroline. Gwen without stopping to think. Gwen runs and throws herself in front of Caroline. Damon stops, the stakes tip resting above her heart. Surprise flickers across his eyes before quickly turning cold.
Gwen matches his stare not wanting to back down. Her breath comes out heavy heart beating fast. She let Damon believe for years she died in a fire.
He could get payback right now. Push the stake down or tear into her throat. It leaves Gwen wondering how much the Damon she knew is in there.
Minutes stretch before he breaks it "Whatever happens is on you."
Her voice is solid "Fine by me."
Damon scowling steps away. Elena's mouths thank you before taking her friend inside. With a nod of my head, Stefan joins them.
Exhausted Gwen leaves back to her hotel room, falling on the bed. Hours pass before Damon's muffled voice disturbs her falling eyelids.
Rolling over Gwen shouts "Go away!"
"Open the door before I break it!"
"Go ahead, still need my permission to enter."
"I have something for you, a family relic," Interested Gwen opens the door to Damon wearing a cocky grin "Knew you would find that interesting."
"Where is it?"
"Invite me in first."
Gwen sighs "Fine Damon please come in."
"Stefan mentioned you were looking for some crystal," She turns as something thick is shoved into her chest "I believe this could help."
Rough leather holds ten old wrinkled pages. Gold letters engraved into the cover spelling Jordan "A family journal."
Damon takes it back quickly flipping through pages "Not just any family journal."
Stopping halfway to the end he hands it back. Rapidly Gwen scans the page. Excitement building with each word. laid out in her lap is a way to track where the crystal has been. Maybe it could lead to its current location.
Quickly scanning the rest. Gwen realizes its a whole journal relating to the crystal "Damon thi-"
"You're welcome."
Excitement melts to confusion "But where did you find it?"
"Three days after your funeral relatives of your mother's came claimed the farm, planned on rebuilding but first they sold everything... that," Damon points at the journal "Was the only interesting thing so I stole it just to be rebellious," he winked, tone playful "They tried and failed to get the farm running again, for some reason the crops would never grow again."
"Huh, Well Thank you."
"Now time to answer my question," Gwen raises an eyebrow "How did you know Katherine was going to be burned in the old church?"
Jaw clenched, eyes flickering every possible emotion, Damon waits. Face inches from hers. Gwen is torn between wanting to slap or yell until she is blue in the face.
Longing to go back in time, back to them against everyone. To heal every wound they inflicted on each other. But you can't erase the past. So Gwen tells him part of the truth.
"After a month of training, I believed I could end Katherine. Convinced my teacher to let me try, we were still in the area. He went to bring her to me but instead found council members rounding up people. My teacher, who is a witch, did some spell that connected his mind with a council member and learned about their plan."
"Nothing else?"
"No," Disappointment flashes in his eyes. Almost too quick for her to catch "Damon I'm sorry for letting you believe I was."
"Save it," He stands eyes narrowing "If you really cared you would have told us right away."
Damon makes it outside the door before Gwen is up questioning his actions "If you're so mad about it why help me?"
He answers over his shoulder "I'm just trying to help speed up your plan. You don't belong in this town anymore."
She watches him leave surprised at the tiny flicker of hurt in her heart He was your friend once, that's why.
"Still chasing him?" Her head snaps to the right at Elena's voice.
Who's hair curled, but it's the dangerous gleam in her brown eyes. That gives the female vampire away.
"Katherine."
Katherine walks closer smiling "Miss me?" Her voice is sickly sweet "No?"
"What do you want?"
"Making sure a friend of mine wasn't lying." She laughs "Want to hear how your mother begged for life while your sister just cried in a corner." Her face inches closer "No, what about how your weak father on his knees weeping, begging for me to not kill them or you, promising to leave town. You know my favorite part the horror on his face while compelling him to kill you and set the house on fire."
Ragging Gwen snaps, grabbing Katherine's throat squeezing. As her power wraps around Katherine's heart. Katherine's eyes widen as red veins appear on her chest.
Gwen's voice is full of venom "Take this as a warning, I Changed and I'm coming after you." Gwen release Katherine, pleased as she stumbles to the ground "Game on."
With a smirk, Gwen steps back into her room slamming the door shut.
Note:
Well I hope everyone enjoyed it also feedback always appreciated.
Thank you to lozlol for the review/follow and to cotychan for the follow.
Keeps me motivated.
Gwen is 24 years old. One year younger then Damon who I believe is 25