Hi darlings! I have to go really quickly, so this will be short but if you're reading this, thank you so much! The story had great feedback and it was so lovely to see I had a new follow or review. So thank you all, so much. Y'all are literally my favourite people in the world, and you just light up my day! So thank you - and enjoy!
As if on cue, a small girl danced into the room, blonde curls around her face, framing her pretty blue eyes. "I'm baack!" She sang, waving shopping bags in the air before noticing me.
The bags fell to the floor with a thump, the contents spilling out onto the floor. I stood up shakily as she stared at me with wide eyes.
"Elena?" She whispered and I caught Damon and the other vampire – Stefan, if I remembered correctly – were exchanging glances.
"You two know each other?" Damon asked uneasily. Caroline turned her doe eyes to him. "She's your donor?" She asked faintly and I felt a surge of anger.
"Oh Caroline and I go way back, don't we Care?" I hissed, taking a step towards her. I noticed Stefan tensing slightly, preparing to step in front of her and I glared at him.
"Caroline can fight her own battles, can't you Care?" I growled and Caroline winced. "I had to tell your family that you ran off with a vampire." I snarled, taking another step towards. "Do you know how much that hurt them? Do you understand that your mom didn't leave the house for two weeks, and your dad is half the reason mine's in jail?"
She was flinching at every word, and I was glad. I had spent too much time hurting ain herself. Ne and now it was time for a little pain herself.
"What happened to you?" She whispered, staring at me and I shook my head in disbelief at her sheer ignorance.
"I toughened up Caroline!" I shouted at her, bitterness coursing through my veins. "While I was in the damn Pail, working my ass off to do whatever I could to make sure we had food, you've been strutting around in here, getting new clothes and never having to worry if you would have a next meal! You'd have turned bitter too if you were me! I had to stop caring about everyone but my family Caroline, because you can't let yourself worry about other people because you're so caught up worrying about your family!"
"Elena, I didn't realise things had got so bad." She said tearfully but I was not having any of this bullshit. She could cry all she wanted; I was never going to forgive her. I took a few steps towards her, snarling. "How could you have realised? You never checked, you total –"
"Ok, that's enough of that." Damon interrupted, pulling me away from her. I turned on him, eyes blazing, all ready to start yelling at him too but the look on his face stopped me. "What did you do to her Damon?" I heard Stefan asking and Damon glanced up. "I drank from her, but then she was faint and she needed blood. So I gave her some of mine."
Stefan groaned. "Damon, you know that makes them edgier than normal! No wonder she's angry!"
I turned around, prepared to scream at him too before Damon grabbed me again. I tried to shake him off, but judging by his chuckle and my complete lack of movement, I wasn't going anywhere.
"Calm down princess." He murmured in my ear, causing me to temporarily be distracted from my rage and shiver with how close he was to me.
"I'm sure that you want nothing more than to beat Caroline up right now, but you're not going to. You can fight later, when my blood has gone out of your system, alright darling?"
His voice was soothing but threatening at the same time, letting me know that if I didn't stop, there would be consequences and I relaxed a little in his arms, though not fully.
Caroline was looking at me with a terrified expression, clutching Stefan's arm. Words could not describe how much I wanted to slap her in the face and I was strongly considering my best tactics for this, when I realised there was something…different about her. I squinted to make sure that it wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me, but I was as good as positive. My father had taught us how to tell when someone had been changed.
"You're a vamp…you're one of them?" I whispered, horror coursing through my veins. Leaving her family was one thing, but this…this would just break their hearts. She put a hand to her mouth, a sob escaping as she hurried from the room.
Stefan glanced at me and I was surprised to see that there wasn't any annoyance or irritation at me in his eyes, only a kind of pity.
"She's missed you, you know." He said quietly. "You were her main regret – that she left you behind." I didn't really know how to reply to this – it didn't change the fact that she did leave me behind. So I didn't reply and Stefan sighed and followed after Caroline.
Damon huffed and released me. I didn't make any movement to run or anything though – I just kind of stood there, looking at the door.
"You're quite the firecracker princess." Damon told me, sounding half amused and half irritated. I glared at him and he laughed. "I like you Ms. Gilbert." He chuckled, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. "It's like you completely forget that I could rip you to pieces in front of your family."
I stared at him, alarm bells going off in my head, and he smiled sweetly back. He suddenly focused on my neck, and gently touched the wound, causing me to wince. "That looks a bit sore." He murmured and I was a bit freaked out by his mood swing from dangerous to caring. "I'll grab you a plaster." He said seriously, before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving me extremely confused by this man unlike any other I had met before. I hated to say it, but it was pretty…enticing, shall we say, how passionate he was. You just didn't get guys like that in the Pail and I imagined it was pretty unusual to get them anywhere else as well.
He reappeared a minute or two later with a little box, and opened it to produce a little heap of medical stuff. "Sit down." He instructed while shaking a bottle of clear liquid. I did – hesitantly mind – and he poured a little bit of the liquid onto a cotton ball. "This might sting a little." He murmured before gently wiping the cut with it. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from crying out– a sting I could handle, but this was hell. He smirked when he was finally finished and had smoothed a plaster on the bites.
"That'll heal in a few days. In the meantime, I think you should get some rest. It's late for little humans like you." I stared at him blankly. Rest? I had been presuming that I would have stayed up all night or something. Where was I going to rest for God's sake? It wasn't like he was giving me a – "You bedroom's upstairs." He said as though reading my mind. When I didn't move, he rolled his eyes. "I'll show you where it is then.
I looked around the room, a bit…confused. It was nice, with emerald walls, a fluffy carpet and crisp white linen sheets on the single bed. The window showed the black sky, dotted with twinkling stars. It looked comfortable and soothing and I hated the fact that it was nicer than my room at home. I let my fingers skim along the smooth pine drawers, wondering how much they had cost.
"You get some sleep. There are pyjamas in the drawers and Caroline and Stefan are just down the hall if you need anything." Damon turned to go before glancing back at me. "Oh and Elena," He purred but I caught the threatening note in his voice. "Don't do anything stupid."
I gingerly did up the last button on the soft silky pyjamas I had found –they had been beside the brightly coloured underwear, which I realised, since I didn't have any spare, I would have to wear tomorrow. They were incredibly luxurious and felt like heaven against my skin. I inhaled the smell of fresh cotton as I sat down on the bed wearily. This whole thing was too weird. I could have handled being treated badly, but not this. This was a lot harder to get my head around.
I found my eyelids drooping shut and I crawled underneath the sheets. They were warm and comfy and cool against my pounding head and pounding neck. You'll be home tomorrow, I reminded myself. This was the final thing I needed, and I let my eyes shut fully and drifted off into a deep sleep.
The first thing I became aware of was that I was not in my own bed. I sat up quickly, eyes snapping open as I took in my surroundings. Then it all came flooding back to me and I lay back with a sigh. My tatty dress was hung neatly on the back of the chair and my scuffed shoes were side by side opposite the bed. They looked so out of place in this expensive room and I realised I hadn't even remembered to be embarrassed by them yesterday.
I cuddled back down and had nearly fallen back asleep when the door swung open, revealing a rather dishevelled looking Damon. He was only wearing pyjama bottoms – no top. And oh my, did he look good. I had known obviously, that he was muscular but I hadn't known about the perfect but not too grossly defined six pack. He had a hint of five o clock shadow and his hair was tousled. I forced myself to stop staring for long enough to realise he was holding a tray.
"Breakfast time for the human." He smirked, putting the tray on the chair. I glanced at it and saw it contained a home cooked meal of toast, sausages, rashers and a little bowl of fruit salad.
"Thanks." I muttered, dragging my hand through my hair as I sat up.
"There's a bathroom just down the hall if you want a shower or anything. But eat your breakfast first – it'll go cold."
I smiled tiredly at him, swinging my legs out of bed and pulling the tray closer to me. "Thanks Damon." I mumbled and he took this as his cue to leave. As soon as the door shut, I sighed, pushing the tray away again. I was still stuffed from last night's meal- I couldn't handle this eating three times a day thing.
I stood up, wandering to the window and peering out. Clearly the grounds of this house were massive – there was lush green grass for as far as the eye could see. I tried to open it but found it was locked – surprise, surprise. Giving up, I grabbed my dress and shoes and quickly pulled a pair of underwear (pink) from the drawer and went to find this bathroom. I could at least cost him money by using all of his money, right?
After I had got over my initial shock of the bathroom and how it was pretty much the size of my entire house, I managed to get the water going on the ridiculously complicated shower. It had about 60 different options to give you your perfect shower – I just went with the basic one. I stripped off my pyjamas and stepped under the hot water, allowing it to calm me down. Even the basic shower felt like magic on my tense muscles. I managed to find soap and shampoo and conditioner and used them carefully, avoiding my bite marks. I realised with irritation that I was going to be covered in bite marks for the next six months.
The shower turned off automatically after five minutes. I had the option to continue but instead just stepped out, wrapping one of the many fluffy towels around myself. I washed my face and brushed my teeth before pulling on my clothes quickly. I didn't like being naked in someone else's house.
I was about to leave, just tying my damp hair into a bun, but I noticed a cupboard half open, and glanced inside. It was a hairdryer, and I realised exactly how rich this family was. In the Pail, hairdryers were only talked about, scoffed at mainly, due to their ludicrous price. We all let our hair dry naturally, and while most had short hair, I had kept mine long. But now I had the option to blow dry it. I touched the smooth plastic lightly. It couldn't hurt, right?
I stared at the new and improved Elena in the mirror. My hair was sleek and straight, falling in a smooth waterfall down my shoulders. I ran my hands through it and found it was soft, soft as a kitten. If this is what all hairdryers did, I understood why they cost so much money! My skin was glowy too – I was guessing they had some special soap, and the dark rings under my eyes were partially gone. This was weird. I shook my head and turned away from the mirror, not liking how I was turning into their version of me. I slipped on my shoes, comforted by their familiar softness. I took a deep breath and left the bathroom, turning a corner and crashing into…Caroline.
"Elena!" She sounded surprised, taking in my new, polished appearance. I rolled my eyes and went to push past her but she grabbed my arm. Bad idea. She realised this and released me quickly but the damage was done. I glared at her.
"What are you going to do Caroline?" I challenged. "Force me to listen to you? I mean, you do have super human strength. So go on. Make me listen to you. Heck, compel me if you feel so inclined." Caroline dragged a hand through her hair, looking desperate.
"How many times do I need to say I'm sorry?" She whispered and I wanted to shake her. I controlled myself however, and spoke in a strained voice. "You can say it until you're blue in the face Caroline. Forgiveness isn't going to happen."
This time, I did push past her and she didn't try to stop me. Before I could start the descent down the grand stairs, I heard her call after me.
"Not everything's as simple as you think Elena." She said softly and I turned to glance at her but she was gone. God, that girl was weird.
Just as I reached the bottom stair, Damon appeared in the massive entrance. "I was wondering where you had gone." He purred, looking me up and down as he took in my appearance. Then he noticed my flushed, angry cheeks and frowned. "Are you ok?"
I ignored this, and went to walk past him. He wasn't having this though – he grabbed both of my arms, much like Caroline, only this time, he didn't let go. He pulled me so I was only a few inches away from him, his minty breath tickling my nose and his piercing eyes bearing into mine so intently, I could swear he was reading my mind.
"Do not disrespect me, do you understand?" He murmured and I nodded faintly. He held onto me for a few more seconds, just looking at me before finally letting me go and turning abruptly into the kitchen. "Did you eat your breakfast?" He asked over his shoulder. When I didn't answer, he sighed and handed me a bowl of something. "It's a special broth, full of extra vitamins." He explained as I swirled the watery liquid. "I figured that you wouldn't want to eat anything heavy."
I stared at his back, surprised he had thought to consider this. "Thanks." I muttered, hesitantly lifting the spoon to my lips and found it was easy to swallow, considering how sick I felt, He nodded approvingly as I slowly made my way through it, smirking once it was fully gone.
"You slept ok, I presume?" He purred as he took the bowl from me and I shrugged. He rolled his eyes as a maid scurried out and took the bowl from him. I stared after her, startled by her small frame.
"She's…she's not one of you." I said quietly, more to myself but of course he heard. He snorted. "Of course she's a human. You think vampires are willing to clean up for other vampires?" I couldn't take my eyes off her retreating back. She had olive skin, with warm blue eyes – not a combination you got in the Pail. But then where could she be from? All of the humans lived in the Pail, which meant I knew pretty much every one. So who was this girl?
Damon noticed my intense stare and raised an eyebrow. "It's just…she's not from the Pail, so where could she be from?" He stared at me.
"Elena, you do know that there are plenty of humans in the Shire too." He said and I turned to glare at him. He was so irritating sometimes. Humans living in the Shire, what nonsense!
"You ran all of us out of the Pail." I snapped. His brow furrowed as he looked at me, and I saw something flash across his face.
"That's what her father's been telling them." He murmured to himself. His eyes flicked to me and I crossed my arms definitely. This snapped him out of his trance and he laughed.
"Well, that solves one mystery, doesn't it?" He chuckled, taking a step towards me. "What else has your father been saying about us, hm?" I stared at him, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. All of the stuff Dad had said was true…it was true, right?
He saw the hesitation on my face and smirked triumphantly. "Look at you. Even the daughter of a rebel can't trust her own father." This caused me to forget my doubts and I glared at him.
"Of course I trust my father! He's a good man – the complete opposite of you!" I snarled, stepping towards him. Damon laughed but there was an angry glint in his piercing eyes.
"What's the use of being a good man if all it does is get you put in prison?" He growled and his words felt like a slap across the face.
"Your governor was the one who put him there!" I hissed and I saw…was that amusement on his face? He had lost the predator stance and was now smiling lazily.
"The governor didn't just toss him in jail for nothing princess. He committed a crime."
"Well, what about all the crimes you've all committed?" I cried, feeling all of the anger I had repressed for so long bubbling to the surface. "What about the times when vampires have killed children, mothers, fathers, humans? Where was the governor then?"
His expression hardened. "They were dealt with, Ms. Gilbert." He snapped and I scoffed. This only seemed to enrage him more, because he laughed furiously, running a hand through his raven black hair. "He's brainwashed you." He muttered furiously and I had to stop myself from slapping him.
"Take me home." I demanded and he rolled his eyes, turning away from me. Fine. Fine. I stormed out of the kitchen to go back to my room. Just as I passed through the hallway however, I realised the front door was slightly ajar. Not much – just a little, but enough allow me to sneak out without making any noise. I glanced behind me – the coast was clear. This was it. My chance. I needed to take it.
I tiptoed out into the fresh air, inhaling deeply. I knew that I didn't have the time to hang around – I needed to get moving. I hurried lightly down the steps and quickly onto the grass, so I wouldn't make noise crunching down the stone driveway.
I ran, sprinting faster than I ever had. The huge gates came into view, and thankfully they were open. I kept glancing back over my shoulder to make sure Damon wasn't coming after me but nobody did. And then…finally I was out, running down the path lined with other houses. And then suddenly…I hit a bustling street. It was lined with boutique shops, and vampires strolled past me casually. The odd one turned to glance at me curiously but I was mainly ignored. Nobody came and tried to rip my neck out anyway. This was it. I was in the centre of the Shire. And now I had to find a way back home.
