I know I know, already two chapters but personally i think it is hard to gage a story on one chapter
She stepped out of the airport to the bright day, sliding her red sunglasses over her adjusting eyes. "Hello Virginia" she sighed and she walked to the rented cars lot, finding space 62 and the black BMW sitting and waiting. Pushing the engine button she sped out of the parking lot and toward the source of her problem. She opened the windows and turned the radio on loud enough to drown out her thoughts. She was here to help a friend, he reached out for business purposes and there was no need to look at it as anything more than that. Get in, fix the problem, and get out. Then she can go back to exchanging letters with a ghost of her past.
Her GPS lead her to the destination she had never been to. He told her the original property was taken over by the elements and the family built a new mansion, which was used as a boarding house for some time. This she knew and much more, she never went into a job without doing some digging.
She pulled into her destination, a large property with a cottage type exterior and many chimneys; it was anything but a cottage. She left her car and just stared at the monstrosity, they never did do subtle, she thought with a small smile. Leaving the car and her bags in the driveway she made her way to the front door of the seemingly empty house. She knocked first and stood for a second, waiting for an answer that never came. Then trying the knob and finding it locked, what vampire locks their door? She shrugged and pulled out two small tools from her right boot and proceeded to unlock the door. After a second the door swung open, she returned the tools to their home and walked in.
Looking around she noticed that wood was clearly the theme, "Ironic" she muttered. And thought the whole place needed to be reviewed by the historic society and cleaned out. She approached a drink cart near a set of couches and ran her finger over the crystal smiling at the cool touch. Pouring herself a splash of the amber colored liquid she kept inspecting the living room, trying to keep herself busy.
She read the titles of the books, fingered the dust on the mantel, and may have opened a few drawers. She was on her second glass of scotch when she heard the gravel move outside. Her heart started moving faster until she took a deep breath and put on her stone face muttering another quiet "Fuck".
"Whose car is that?" A girl's voice asked as the gravel stopped moving, most likely inspecting the foreign car.
"I'm not sure" A male's voice answered, one she knew well. "Stay out here with Caroline while I check it out."
"Who breaks into a vampire's home?" Another, higher pitched voice asked, making the young woman inside smirk and take another sip of the burning liquid.
The sound of moving gravel was getting louder, till it turned into the thump of steps, which paused at the door. The knob slowly turned and the door was pushed open. The young woman put her glass down and hid behind a column as the steps came closer. The man's instincts took over; someone was trespassing in his home. He used his vampire speed to grab the flesh that belonged to the calm heartbeat. A slender hand grabbed his wrist, twisted him around and pushed his face into the column, arm locked behind his back. "Is that any way to greet an old friend Stefan?" A soft voice whispered.
Stefan relaxed, he hadn't heard that voice in years, but he would recognize it anywhere. "Kate?" He whispered back, craning his neck to try and see her.
"You're rusty" Was her short answer as she let go and took a step back. The man that turned to face her had familiar green eyes laced worry and stress. His hair was the same sandy blond and he carried more tension in his shoulders. Far from the man he was in the 20s and further from the boy she first met.
He was silent as he took her in, a tall strong women wearing modern clothes he would have never pictured her in. Her brown eyes were bright but hard and her hair was different, a holding a bit of red in the rays of the sun,with bangs that framed her eyes. Without a word he enveloped her in a hug, lifting her feet off the ground and earning a laugh. "Kate!" he said louder.
She could hear two more sets of feet approaching the living room as he put her down. "You look great! This era suits you, not that any era didn't" He continued, hands on her shoulders. She brought him in for another hug with a huge smile on her face.
"You look great too! I've missed you Sef." She said honestly, tears in her eyes.
"Stefan, who's this?" a girl asked. Kate looked up and saw the dark face of a beautiful girl, with styled brown hair and a bohemian type outfit. Kate could sense the girl was not human, witch maybe?
Stefan stepped back from Kate, allowing her to face the two girls fully, "Kate this is Bonnie; Bonnie this is Kate, a very old friend" He introduced with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Bonnie" She repeated. Kate cocked her head and look at the girl's outstretched hand. She wasn't human, that much Kate could tell, and witches had a big thing with shaking hands to get a read on someone 'not today witchy" Kate thought and returned the smile, ignoring the girl's hand.
Kate laughed lightly, got over herself and wrapped the girl in a small hug, taking Bonnie by surprise. "Its nice to meet Stef's friends!" She said lightly as she let go. "And such pretty ones too, you being a player Stef?" Stefan shook his head while wearing a huge grin, "Who is your other friend?" She asked turning toward the perfectly put together blond.
"Caroline, one of Bonnie's best friends and will rip your heart out if you even look at her wrong." Caroline sternly said hands crossed and wearing, what Kate assumed to be, an intimidating face. Kate could tell she was a young vampire, very young.
Kate smirked and let out a bit of a laugh "I will take note of that Caroline, nice to meet you too. It's good to be protective of your friends. But don't be so eager to run into a fight with someone you know nothing about, it will get you killed." She said more seriously.
"So," Stefan intercepted the conversation "I see you already have a drink, why don't we all sit-down and we can talk?" He offered and led them to the living room. Kate took a chair and Caroline took another, looking at the new girl through the corner of her eye.
"How do you two know each other? Sorry, but Stefan has never mentioned you." Bonnie asked awkwardly.
"No? Thanks Stef!" Kate said sarcastically, this did not really surprise her.
Stefan waved her off "Kate and I knew each other back when I was still human. She was a nurse during the Civil War and spent some time in town on her leave, my father put her up once." Stefan answered shortly.
"Yup, I got Stefan into all sorts of trouble during my time here, one time I got him to steal his father's horse. Breaking the rule was not to be done" Kate said in a ladylike tone.
"I only borrowed father's horse because you took mine and were racing Damon in the middle of the night." Stefan defended
"Sure, sure, borrowed. No one made you follow us on your father's stallion."
"Well, I wasn't going to stick around when he found that we finished the last of his port." Stefan laughed "And that stallion wasn't tamed yet, I was almost killed!"
Kate threw her head back with laughter "I forgot about that! You fell ass first in a huge mud puddle" She exclaimed through gasping breaths "You fell face first trying to get up!" A pillow hitting her face shut her up.
"Again, your fault," Stefan said shooting a giggling Caroline and Bonnie a nasty look.
"So you were human with Stefan?" Caroline asked
"Nope," Kate answered, popping the P. Her eyes shot to the direction of the door as she heard tires coming up the gravel. Her slightly wide eyes glanced at Stefan, while he quickly excused himself. "I was not human at the same time Stefan was." Kate offered again looking at Caroline.
"So you're a vampire?" Bonnie asked, to which Kate shrugged and made an 'eh' sound. Noticing Kate's uncomfortable posture she asked for another funny story from Stefan's human days, to which Kate went off about how she got Stefan and Damon to run out of their house in nothing but their long johns during one of their father's parties, and made a note to get a read from her later.
Stefan exited the house; leaving the three girls to chat and regretting allowing her the ability to embarrass him, he closed the door behind him. He watched as his brother got out of his blue Camaro placing his Oakley sunglasses on his head. Damon gave the BMW a curious look, "do we have company?" He asked making his way to the front door and his waiting brother.
Stefan walked towards him, away from the house. "I am sorry, I should have warned you, but we really need the help." He rambled not meeting Damon's eyes.
"As much as I love seeing you uncomfortable, what the hell are you talking about?" Before Stefan could answer his vampire hearing picked up on the musical laugh from his past. He watched as his brother's face became blank, eyes wide and nose flare, ice blue flicked to him for a second before Damon pushed passed him into the house.
"Sorry…" Stefan muttered and followed his brother into their home. He stopped behind Damon as he stared at the woman in the chair, his chair. He scanned her up, starting from her hard knee high combat boots, to the legs that had leggings painted on them, and the white shirt that sat on her frame perfectly. Freshly red painted nails circled a crystal, almost empty, glass. Her hair was neat and messy, framing honey brown eyes sitting above berry colored lips that offered a small smile.
"Kate…" Damon whispered and almost growled, standing like an arrow that had been sitting on its string for too long. Bonnie and Caroline turned to see the new comer, both not knowing what Damon would do to the visitor.
"Damon" She answered back, almost cold, as she finished the last of her glass. Without another word, Damon turned on his heels and walked out of the house. The wheels of his Camaro could be heard kicking up gravel as it left the property. "That went better than expected" She assessed, leaning back in her chair, massaging the back of her neck.
"What the hell was that?" Caroline asked
"We didn't depart our last meeting on good terms" Kate offered. She stood up quickly, "Stefan can you help me with my bags in the car?" When all of her things were in one of the spare rooms she closed the door and put her forehead against it "you didn't tell him?" When there was no answer she whipped around "You didn't tell him!"
"I didn't know how." Stefan offered, shrugging his shoulders.
"Damn it Stefan! You don't exactly tell me in any of your letters, even though I assumed and you ask me to come help you and don't tell your brother I was coming? Damn it!" Kate seethed
"Sorry, I know it was poor planning."
"Right, I have so much I want to yell at you for, but your friends are downstairs. I gotta unpack anyway and need to clear my head."
"I was gonna take them home, I do need to speak with you and let you meet everyone, they should come by tomorrow afternoon. Till then relax, make yourself at home." Stefan kissed Kate on the cheek, squeezed her arm gently "I'll be back to take you to dinner" and walked out of the room. Kate flopped down on the bed with a groan and closed her eyes.
everyone is reacquainted! How do you all feel about the meeting between Kate and her boys? What's with Damon?
Review if you would like, I would appreciate it!