Disclaimer: I own nothing except my Original Character, Alix. Anything from TVD or Supernatural belongs to their retrospective owners/creators. Additional credit to the writers of 'Rose' for the use of some dialogue from that episode.
"Breathe in, breathe out
Let the human in
Breathe in, breathe out
And let it in
Plants awoke and they slowly grown
Beneath the skin
So breathe in, breathe out
Let the human in"
Of Monsters and Men "Human"
If anyone were to ever say that their time in Mystic Falls was dull and boring, you'd know right off the bat that those people were oblivious to its supernatural nightlife. While some people might find that type of scene either too dangerous or completely exhilarating, for Alix, it was just another day at the office.
Her morning had gotten off to a rather interesting start. The first indication that something was amiss was the fact that Damon had gone out and returned with a large cup of coffee for her. As she eyed the suspicious looking beverage in his hand, Damon rolled his eyes and muttered on about needing to protect his precious bourbon supply. After showering and dressing, Alix had made her way downstairs, inadvertently interrupting the Scooby Gang's emergency meeting.
Baby Vampire, as Alix had affectionately dubbed Caroline, had shown up at the boarding house hard-pressed to deliver Katherine's ominous message. Apparently she was still a little sore over the fact that Damon had disposed of her werewolf lover and stolen some shiny little rock. According to Baby Vampire, the gang was to deliver the stone to her if they wanted to avoid a very public bloodbath at tonight's Masquerade party.
Alix didn't understand why everyone seemed shocked by Katherine's antics; especially the Salvatores. Were they under the assumption that Katherine was above such dramatics? This was Katerina Petrova; a woman who would sell her own mother if it was beneficial to her. Alix knew the kind of person Katherine was from the very first moment they'd met, that the road this woman chose to travel down led straight to death and destruction.
She wasn't quite sure how it exactly happened, Alix would eventually chalk it up to a momentary lapse in judgment, but somehow she agreed to attend the party, even though she thoroughly despised those sort of functions. She hoped that by agreeing to such a thing, an opportunity might arise for her to dole out some of her own frustrations on the little harlot. However, Damon was well-informed of how his best friend felt about Katherine as he quickly dashed her silent hopes by assigning Jeremy and her to back-up, ordering them to only act if strictly necessary.
Alix was so put out by this that she spent the better part of the afternoon glaring daggers and mentally stabbing her friend repeatedly to make herself feel a little better.
The Gilbert girl had managed to actually impress Alix with the use of her stealthy deductive skills. Despite being banned from the party and planning, she still managed to one-up everyone by crashing the party. Damon and Stefan were busy executing their 'Kill Katherine' plan, the same said plan that Alix had repeated informed the group was flawed from its conception.
It floored Alix how no one had bothered to factor into the equation that they weren't dealing with the run-of-the-mill vampire; they were dealing with a vampire that has spent years on the run. Anyone would be delusional to discount that person's ability to survive and counter anything thrown their way. Which is why it didn't come as a surprised to Alix when she learned that Katherine had enlisted a witch to link her to Elena.
It bothered Alix to sit there and watch as Elena screamed and cried out in tremendous pain over the wounds that would appear as a result of the spell. She had never felt more helpless in that moment, knowing there was nothing that could be done to alleviate the girl's suffering until they tracked down the bitch responsible. Thankfully, Bonnie was up o the task, storming the castle like a scorned lover.
When things had finally died down, Damon disappeared to dispose of a comatose Katherine into the underground tomb, while Stefan lingered behind to clean up the mess. However, Alix was assigned to watch over a visibly shaken Elena, given strict orders to not let anything happen to the young girl.
Hoping to distract her thoughts away from the earlier events of the evening, Alix suggested they indulge in a stroll out to the pond that set not too far away from the Lockwood mansion. The silence between the two was awkward and heavy, both of them unsure of what to say, let alone do.
When the silence became too much for Alix to bear, she attempted to make small talk with the teenager.
"How are you feeling...really?" Alix asked, noticing how Elena wrapped her arms around herself like a protective barrier.
Elena's steps halted immediately at the question, quickly turning on her heel to face Alix. Elena's lips were poised, ready to repeat the same 'I'm fine' nonsense Alix had heard her repeatedly feeding to the others as if the more she said those hollow words, her mind would recognize it as the truth, despite looking further from the definition of 'fine'.
Elena's readied words were silenced when Alix gave her a stern, knowing look.
"I'm tired and I feel like hell," Elena admitted after a beat. "There's this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach that something terrible is going to happen to those I care about because of me...because I was selfish."
Alix's face softened at this, knowing all too well how that felt.
Elena returned her attention to the flowing fountain, the slight movement aggravating her sore muscles as she let out a sharp, pained gasp. She tried to wave off the pain when she caught Alix's concerned look.
When you've spent nearly all your life immersed in the supernatural, it became quite easy to forget just how fragile the human body truly was, which helped solidify Alix's decision. She knew there was a high probability of steep repercussions tied to what she was about to do, but the overwhelming need to help outweighed everything.
"I could...heal your wounds, if you'd like." Alix offered in a wary tone.
Elena's head snapped towards her, her dark brown eyes widening as her mouth dropped in utter horror. She looked as if Alix had just blatantly offered her blood, causing Alix to mentally smack herself. She needed to remember to pay better attention to how she worded things around here.
"That was in no way an offer for you to drink my blood, Elena. I'm not a fucking vampire." She amended haughtily.
"A-Are you a witch, like Bonnie?" Elena asked nervously.
"Ah, no Elena, I'm not a witch." Alix glowered. "While I do know an impressive amount about magic, I was not blessed with the ability to proficiently perform it; I tend to leave that to the professionals. I guess I'm what you humans would call a 'guardian angel' or something."
It took everything within Alix to suppress the urge to roll her eyes at the term. While the majority of the world was under the delusional impression that angels were made of sugar and spice, Alix had firsthand knowledge that said otherwise.
Elena eyed Alix warily, uncertain if it was wise to trust her. When Damon told Elena that he was bringing someone to help, she got a cliff notes versions of their backstory, hoping to set Elena's mind at ease. While Elena knew that Alix was here to help out where she could and how she could, she still held tightly onto the reservations about blindly trusting someone she hardly knew.
Alix didn't fault her for that; she actually admired Elena for it...so long as it didn't lead to backstabbing or distention.
Alix grew restless waiting for Elena to draw her conclusion, so she acted. Lifting her hand, she gently placed two fingers against the skin of her forehead, feeling the familiar warmth flow through the tips of her fingers into Elena's body. The poor girl's body was so unaccustomed to such a thing that her body began to sway as if she were dizzy or exhausted.
As Alix removed her fingers, Elena blinked, trying to clear the fogginess from inside her head.
"What did you just do?" Elena asked hazily.
"Well that is what I like to call a good ole' fashion healing, Miss Gilbert," Alix laughed with a thick Southern accent. "How are you feeling?"
"Oddly enough, I feel amazing. How did you do that?"
'Apparently no one says 'thank you' anymore.'
"You and Damon are determined to one day drive me bat-shit crazy with that nonsense," Alix muttered under her breath. "Let's just call it one of my many hidden talents, alright?"
Alix hoped that Elena would get the hint that she wasn't interested in further discussing the matter. However, the look on Elena's face plainly said it was going to be a cold day in hell before that happened.
"One day I will explain all this, but right now I can't," Alix sighed. "See, you're not the only one hoping to protect loved ones."
Thankfully, Elena let the subject drop, flashing Alix a sympathetic smile.
From the corner of her eye, Alix caught the movement of someone walking towards them. Upon further inspection, she realized it was Stefan, his worrisome gaze fixated upon Elena. Nudging her shoulder gently, Alix pointed towards his direction before she slinked into the shadows to give the former couple some privacy.
Alix waited off in the distance, occupying her time with irrelevant thoughts as to the two conversed. She tried to keep from staring at them, feeling like a skeevy pervert. The only reason she was lingering about was once the two were done, she was going to see Elena safely home.
Glancing towards the couple, Alix frowned as she watched a somber looking Stefan slowly walk back to the party. His defeated aura made her heart want to shatter into a million pieces. She didn't care if it made her seem like a 'girly-girl', it was no secret that Alix was a sucker for romance. She disliked seeing two people who clearly loved one another put through such hell.
Eventually, Alix crossed the lawn to rejoin Elena, cautiously approaching her so as not to frighten the girl. Alix reached out, gently squeezing her shoulder as a way to offer comfort because words wouldn't be enough. The two silently basked in the serenity of the calming waters.
The loud snapping of a twig behind them drew Alix's attention, causing her to whip her head around to see what caused the noise. She didn't see anything out of place but inhaled sharply at the burning sensation resonating from the back of her neck. Blinking rapidly, Alix began to panic as her vision started to blur while her limbs felt heavy; as if the muscle had turned to lead. Her body began to sway, finding her legs unsteady, threatening to buckle. She turned her head, seeing Elena struggling against the arm that had ensnared her; through the fuzzy haze, she was able to make out a gloved hand molded to Elena's mouth, stopping any cries for help from escaping.
Alix fought vigilantly against whatever was flowing rampantly through her veins, her vision growing darker and darker the more she fought. She was powerless to stop what was coming next, the darkness beckoning her to its cold embrace like a dear old friend.
Alix's last thought before the ground came to meet her;
'Damon's going to fucking kill me.'
*HOURS LATER*
Alix roused from her dreamless slumber, the fog clouding her mind quickly evaporating, unlike the cotton mouth she had developed. As her eyes darted around, taking in the surrounding, she was aware of two irritating facts.
One: At some point during her unconscious state, someone had taken the liberty of binding and gagging them before putting them into the back of what she ascertained to be an SUV of some type.
Two: From what she could see through the heavily tinted windows, they were no longer in Mystic Falls.
It was a no-brainer to Alix that they had been kidnapped, it was just a matter of discovering why. If she wanted to take a wild stab in the dark, she guessed it had something to do with that stupid stone everyone was desperate to get their hands on.
At least, that's what Alix was hoping to be the reason because she didn't want to entertain the idea that they were about to re-enact the terrifying plot from Taken.
The vehicle came to an abrupt halt, the tires skidding against the gravel from the high velocity of the stop, thrusting Alix and a still unconscious Elena back against the rear seats. Elena groaned, beginning to stir as Alix anxiously listened to the engine shutting off, followed by the driver's side door opening and closing. Alix's mind raced with a thousand and one different thoughts as their captor graced them with their presence.
Going off their physical profile, the mysterious stranger appeared to be male; the prominent Adam's apple and heavy five o'clock shadow being pretty strong indicators. His apparel was all black, the baseball cap and sunglasses tying the creeper vibe to his ensemble.
Alix froze, her body tensing as the back hatch door suddenly opened. The man leaned in, grabbing onto the both of them as he effortlessly draped them over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. During their trek to his evil lair, Alix lifted her head to quickly memorize their surroundings. The large condemned looking structure looking as if it could've been a plantation house back in its prime though judging from the way it looked now, it was as if the owners left without so much as a second glance, leaving Mother Nature to claim it.
As they entered the house, the man took a series of winding corridors until he arrived at what appeared to be the grand ballroom. Flying doing the stairs with inhuman speed and grace, he deposited the two onto the red velour covered couch, which looked about as inviting as the house itself. He quickly got down to business, removing the rope from Alix's wrists and ankles before uncovering her mouth.
Being in such close proximity to him, he could no longer obscure his pale complexion from Alix, who quickly put two and two together as a series of alarms sounded inside of her head.
Vampire.
Alix remained silent, leaning back against the couch to make room for him to work on Elena, who did the complete opposite of her companion and began a barrage of questions the moment the gag was removed. It was clear that their captor was unaccustomed to such...verbal hostages, as it didn't take long for him to become agitated with Elena's endless pleas. Alix saw the dark veins beneath his eyes become pronounced as they altered his eyes to a nearly demonic red. She became greatly concerned when he began to inch closer to Elena, motioning for her to shush as he flashed his pearlescent fangs.
Alix could no long play the silent bystander. Just as he was about to strike, she swiftly moved into action, shoving him with enough force that he went flying across the room as if he weight next to nothing. Recovering quickly from his initial shock, he stared at Alix in confusion as a female vampire entered the room. After hearing the commotion, the pixie-haired vampire had apparently come to investigate. Glancing between the vampire on the floor and the two girls, she rolled her eyes as she scolded the man who now had a name, Trevor.
Alix was surprised to see Elena, who just moments prior, was nearly the blue plate special on the vampire menu, up once again asking questions. This time, she was careful to avoid addressing the male, choosing to direct her line of questioning towards the female.
"What do you want with us?" Elena asked, her body involuntarily trembling as she spoke.
"Oh my God," The vampire exclaimed. "You look just like her."
Alix and Elena shared a wide-eyed look as they knew exactly who she was talking about. Alix didn't like where this was going, especially when Katherine was brought into the conversation.
"But I'm not." Elena argued, shaking her head. "Please, whatever you want-"
"Be quiet." The vampire ordered. Ignoring Alix's pleading look, Elena continued with her interrogation undeterred.
"But I'm not Katherine," Elena insisted, much to Alix's dismay. "My name is Elena Gilbert, and this is Alix Winchester. You don't have to do this."
Alix shot Elena a scornful glare, irritated at the fact that Elena had now brought her into this by name. If these people would've asked Alix her name, she would've given them one of her aliases; a handy trick she picked up over the years. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Alix silently prayed that Elena's rational side would soon make a grand appearance and realize the dangerous situation they'd found themselves in; while also hoping she wasn't feeling inclined to divulge any more personal information.
"What do you want?" Elena asked.
Without warning, the vampire drew back her arm, viciously backhanding Elena across the face with such force that she flew harshly onto the couch, landing limply in a state of unconsciousness.
"I want you to be quiet." The vampire stated matter-of-factly.
Something snapped inside of Alix after that unnecessary display; there was something about the way vampires thought they were nothing short of walking gods that really irked her. In a 'blink and you missed it' moment, Alix was toe to toe with the vamp bitch, her eyes not longer green, having changed to a blinding silver.
"What do you day we even the playing field?" Alix ground out, her tone low and daring.
The woman instantly recoiled, mostly due to the shock of being confronted by something she had assumed was merely human. The woman narrowed her gaze, her bright green eyes traveling the length of her opponent, their journey halting as they took notice of Alix's necklace.
"Alixiah?" She gasped, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes widened.
Hearing her full name for the first time blindsided Alix, her eyes full of confusion as they returned to their normal hue. She didn't know how this stranger knew her name, especially when no one aside from her family knew it, not even Damon. She wasn't overly fond of the peculiar name she'd been saddled with, making sure to introduce herself as 'Alix'.
"Alixiah Mikaelson?"
"What did you just say, Rose?" Trevor chimed in, blurring over to see what his partner was blathering on about.
"I don't believe it," Rose whispered, turning to Trevor. "It's Alixiah, Elijah's wife."
Had Alix not been so baffled by the whole situation, she would've laughed at the irony of seeing a vampire whitened even more.
"My name is Alix Winchester." She corrected. "I have no idea who Alixiah Mikaelson is, but I've never been married before, so you definitely have the wrong person."
As Alix carefully watched the pair, the atmosphere surrounding her began to subtly change; to Alix, it felt as though she was being dragged back in time. Rose's modern appearance morphed into one that could only be described as something you'd see at a Renaissance Faire. Her short dark hair now appeared longer and lighter in color, her light blue corset, and gown complimenting her fair features.
It appeared as though they were standing in a deserted corridor. Rose was standing extremely close to Alix as she frantically looked to the left and right; as if she expected someone to pop out of the shadows. Speaking in a hushed but hurried tone, Alix found it difficult to understand what Rose was trying to say, only catching two words; 'Klaus' and 'run'.
"I would know you anywhere." Rose said, her comment dissolving the hallucination Alix was experiencing.
Alix raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Know me anywhere? What the hell are you talking about?"
The longer Alix continued to stare at Rose, the more intense the odd sense of familiarity grew, like a morning glory blossoming under the early morning rays. Sam's ridiculous theory came to mind, making her feel conflicted about the whole thing.
"You might not remember, but the last time we saw each other was 500 years ago," Rose revealed. "I know you're Alixiah Mikaelson, because we were once close as sisters."
Alix was at a loss of how to respond to that, her mouth opening and closing so much she felt like a fish stranded on the beach. For the first time, she didn't know what to think, what to believe. Was it possible that Rose was speaking the truth? If she was, then maybe, just maybe there was a slim chance she held the key to uncovering what happened.
The moment Alix made her decision, Dean's voice bombarded her head; his scolding tone informing her this had to be one of the dumbest things she'd ever considered. There was a very high chance this was the dumbest thing she'd ever done, but she knew she'd regret not taking the opportunity to find out.
"I propose a compromise; I agree to do whatever you need me to, if in return you'll answer a few questions of mine." Alix said, her tone laced with uncertainty. The pair seemed to be caught off guard by her request, both of them slowly turning towards one another to see if they'd heard her correctly.
After a few anxious moments had passed, Rose turned her head towards Alix, accepting the terms of her deal with a gesture towards the door at the top of the stairs. Alix glanced back at Elena's unconscious form before slowly trailing behind the two vampires. As she reached the doorway, the uncomfortable heels she'd been wearing since last night caught on a piece of debris, causing her ankle to buckle unsteadily, making her fumble forward.
Had it not been for her keen reflexes, Alix would've surely graced the floor with her face. She stopped at the doorway to remove the offending contraptions, causing the vampires to turn and eye her suspiciously. Rose's body stiffened, preparing to pounce should Alix show any signs that she planned on reneging on their deal.
Alix picked up on that and spoke quickly to diffuse the situation. "This might should like an odd thing to request, but you wouldn't happen to have something I could change into?"
She picked at the hem of her dress, glaring at the despicable heels dangling from her fingers. "Perhaps something in the area of jeans and a t-shirt, I'd enjoy not feeling quite so naked."
Rose's face remained unchanged, and for a brief moment, Alix thought she was going to actually launch at her until she smiled. The smile on Rose's face unnerved Alix. Rose reached for her arm, hastily dragging her down the narrow hallway until she stopped at the second door on the right. Opening the door, Rose nudged Alix into the dimly lit room.
Alix looked around the room and felt herself beginning to agree with the voice inside her head screaming, 'BAD IDEA'
