Chapter Three
Once again, this is a bit bitty and broken but I PROMISE it's not always like this. I just like gaining everyone's perspective. And thank you for your lovely reviews/follows/favourites!
Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries but I do own Elisaveta Petrova/Lissa Pierce.
Damon POV
She wasn't there! One hundred and forty five years of looking for a way to break into the tomb and save Katherine – and she wasn't there. Rage and heartbreak he would later deny plagued his head as he threw the blood bag violently against the wall, red spattering everywhere like a gruesome murder scene from a bad television show.
"Damon, stop. It's Lissa." Lissa.
That name still made him angry. Where had she been when her sister was carted off, huh? Where had she been when Katherine had been taken by vampire hunters and Stefan had forced him to become a vampire? Those questions were answered when he turned to see just what his brother was on about and a familiar figure lay still beneath Stefan's fingers. The black hair that had previously been luxurious was matted and thin and the dress he supposed had once been beautiful was moth eaten and mouldy. Her skin was grey, but fortunately not the grey of a completely dead vampire, and Damon suddenly felt guilt that he would also later deny.
"God," he breathed before whipping his head around. The blood bag was useless so he gently picked up her body, which wasn't easy considering it was nearly frozen in place and he held her close to his chest. Elena arrived and they were urged out of the tomb just before the Bennett witches' magic gave out.
"Is that her?" Elena asked quietly.
"No. I'll explain later." Damon supposed that the promise of elaboration was more for Bonnie and Sheila than anyone else. "Damon, take her home and get some blood in her. I think we both have questions." That they did.
XXX
Stefan was left to watch over Lissa as Damon probably went to interrogate Pearl and Anna. The girl that both himself and Damon had suspected betrayed Katherine in the most horrendous of ways had actually been put in the tomb – and Katherine was AWOL.
"What happened to you, Lissa?" he questioned her sleeping form. After being fed some blood, the grey had vanished from her skin but she was in desperate need of a shower and clean clothes. She smelled dead and was covered in dirt whilst her hair was tangled around her head. He felt guilt. For years after Katherine's supposed death, he had blamed Lissa for not being there to protect her. Apparently, it was Katherine to blame.
"How is she?" Damon demanded, eyes flashing dangerously as he entered the room. Stefan knew he was broken. The woman he'd loved for a century and a half had been free all along and obviously didn't care at all for him. It wasn't a total loss, though, as Lissa was back and would hopefully keep him steady.
"Asleep. We need to think about what we're going to do." Damon eyed him.
"I have a sort of plan. I stay here and teach her the absolute basics of this new world – like a shower – and you will go out shopping with your girlfriend tomorrow. You also might want to explain everything to said girlfriend." Stefan didn't like being ordered around by Damon but the plan made sense, so he nodded and left the room, hoping Damon wouldn't do anything stupid.
Damon POV
She looked so vulnerable and tiny lying on his large, king sized bed. Lissa had always been the smaller, less curvy of the two siblings but that didn't detract from her natural beauty. She was in serious need of cleaning though.
"Damon?" Glancing up when he heard the croaked sound of her voice, he smiled just a little bit at the sight of her chocolate brown eyes. Her smile then appeared, wider than his own. "You're here." She struggled to sit up then stared around in confusion and fear. "Where are we?" He sat on the bed by her legs, sensing the panic easily.
"Shh, it's ok. There's a lot to explain – first of all starting with the fact that you were locked down there for almost a century and a half." Her eyes widened worryingly and her face was a picture of shock.
"She turned you." It wasn't a question but he nodded in answer anyway and pure anguish crossed her face. "Oh, I am deeply sorry Damon. I warned you!" Tears spilled down her face and he grew really concerned about her future reactions if tears were shed at him becoming a vampire. Sighing, he gripped her hand.
"That's not important, Lissa. How did you get down there?" he asked, dreading the answer more than her reaction to the new century. Rather, the second new century. She had missed the entire twentieth century after all.
"Katherine – she did this to me. Damon, you have to believe me!" she cried and latched her hand fiercely onto his wrist. Despite being stronger than him because of age, her grip was lacking any real substance. He looked into her eyes and guilt he refused to let show ate at him. He had blamed her.
"All these years . . . I blamed you for what happened to Katherine. Then I find out that you were locked up and she's gone. What happened?" So she told him and he felt sicker with every word. Katherine had tricked Lissa? Almost killed her?
"What did she tell you?" she queried and he sighed, running his free hand down his face.
"That you had urgent business to attend elsewhere and you wouldn't be returning." In retrospect, it was a flimsy excuse at best but he had listened because it was Katherine. Worse yet, she hadn't even had to compel him. He once more turned his blue gaze to Lissa and almost crumpled. Her expression portrayed hurt – pure hurt at his confession. Shit.
"Damon, I am dirty. Would you have one of your servants draw me a bath, please?" she asked politely and he held back sarcastic laughter. That was not what she needed at that moment.
"Liss, we don't have servants anymore. Come here, let me show you the shower." She looked completely bewildered but took his offered hand nonetheless. He turned the shower on, moving them out of the way so they wouldn't get wet and watched. He had expected fear or horror but the squeal of delight threw him for a loop.
"Oh Damon, that is wonderful!" The awe was enough to cause a snort to break his composure but she didn't notice through her intrigue.
"OK then. Lissa?" When he had her attention, he told her what bottles to use for which thing and she spent a good few minutes eyeing an exfoliating sponge. "So, I'll leave you to clean up. Just wrap this around you when you're done, right?" He was seriously worried about leaving her alone but she seemed alright, eyeing the towel he'd gestured too with raised eyebrows.
"Damon, I'm sorry to ask, but could you help with strings on my dress and corset?" He rolled his eyes but knew she wasn't used to acting 'improperly' and quickly assisted her out of the items before departing.
Lissa POV
Oh, the shower was marvellous! Whoever had invented it deserved some kind of award. Sighing contentedly, Lissa moved from underneath the spray and wrapped the fluffy towel around her. It was awfully revealing but she supposed it was not clothing, so there wouldn't be much of a problem. She felt much better after cleaning herself, so she wondered around the bed chambers curiously. Nothing seemed much different but, having been around for five hundred years, she knew times could change.
"Lissa, you done?" Damon was missing out words in his sentences. Lissa almost wept at the turn of the English language.
"Yes!" she called back, moving behind the bed so Damon wouldn't see her exposed body. He entered.
"You don't have to hide over there. Girls in this time wear dresses that length," he told her, a smirk on his mouth. Damon had changed. She guessed it was expected and he had probably spent most of his time traipsing after a way to save his beloved Katerina. Then his words settled in her head and she felt scandalised.
"I will not be doing that!" she said indignantly. He raised his hands in a sign of surrender and she calmed down.
"That's why I did some emergency shopping and found you these. Elena is coming over with more stuff soon." Her interest in just who Elena was became trivial when Damon produced various items.
"Uh, what are those?" she questioned, unfamiliar with the fashion. He began giving her directions. The small, lacy things were panties and she was to wear them under the black trousers – apparently called 'leggings' – on her legs. Another item to hold her breasts was called a bra and it was strange, but like a smaller, more breathable corset. It was to be worn underneath the flowing white 'shirt'. Once he'd explained, he departed once more. She looked at the items in slight fear but decided to give it a go.
XXX
It took twenty minutes but Lissa eventually got everything in the right place (after some humiliating help from Damon). The shirt, like men had used to wear but with straps to hold it up, flowed almost to her knees. The leggings were tight but flexible and moved easily. Although it was very different to attire in 1864, she found herself liking the clothing. It was much easier to move and breathe without a large hoop skirt and a suffocating corset.
"Oh!" she exclaimed quietly as ringing sounded. She had made her way down the stairs, admiring the beauty of the interior. It was quite a large house, she noticed, with high beams and old fashioned windows.
The ringing occurred as she walked past the large wooden front door. Clearing her throat, she approached it and tossed her damp hair over her shoulder. Her hand gripped the metal handle and she tugged, smiling to welcome whoever was waiting. The smile froze in place then fell as betrayal flared deep within her. The tears sprung up and she was gasping as anger joined the betrayal. She felt her face take on her vampire features and she almost launched herself at the form of her sister. Someone held her back though.
"Oh no you don't," Damon's voice said in her ear. "She has always been more sensitive. It came from her intense emotions as a human," he added over her head to Katherine. Why was he explaining it to her – she knew almost as well as Lissa herself!
"She thinks I'm Katherine." Surprise washed over Lissa and she looked up at her evil sibling. Her vampire features retreated in confusion.
"Are you not?" she asked in a high pitched voice. The girl who looked exactly like Katerina but denied being her looked scared but concerned.
"Lissa, this is Elena; Katherine's doppelganger," Stefan informed her and she stared openly. Tears of pain and not anger filler her eyes then spilled over.
"I'm very sorry. Maybe I should go," she hurriedly said then made to move. Damon's grip tightened on her waist, unyielding and she was struck by how the simple word reminded her of Elijah.
"No, it's not your fault. Damon told me what happened, what she did to you and I understand." Happily appeased once more, Lissa smiled at Elena apologetically.
"All the same, I am sorry. What are those?" She was anxious to change the subject and the bags that Elena was holding provided the distraction. The doppelganger handed over a shiny, flat and rectangular object to Damon, who then put it in his pocket. Knowing it was something else she would have to learn about for the future, she let it be.
"Clothes for you. Damon told me your approximate sizes and I got stuff for you," Elena answered, looking disoriented from the mood swings. Lissa herself was touched that Elena had taken time to get things for her.
"Thank you," She said with real gratitude as they all moved further into the house. A shrill noise pierced the air and Lissa jumped, looking around fearfully. Damon tugged her onto the sofa and held her there as Elena produced a square that lit up. Lissa's bewilderment increased as the other girl spoke to it.
"Easy there, Liss. I'll explain in a minute," Damon soothed before Elena hurriedly told them she had to leave.
"What was that?" Lissa demanded. Damon looked contemplative before pulling out a similar object and he held it up for her to see.
"This is called a cell phone. You can talk to people far, far away through it or send, uh, letters quicker than normal written post."
"How?" she asked eagerly, snatching the 'cell phone'. She liked the developments so far – much better than other time periods. She poked a green button and a list of names popped up. Intrigued, she pressed it again. Much to her confusion, more ringing filled the room and Stefan pulled his own 'cell phone' out with a small grin.
"There isn't much point in calling me, Lissa." She smiled sheepishly as Damon began leading her through the basics of the creative box. As someone who had lived as long as her, she was good at adapting. Of course, it would be harder for her to grasp as she had been underground for a century and a half but she had Damon and Stefan and she hopefully hadn't scared Elena off.
"OK, survival one-oh-one," Damon began and she listened intently as he began filling her in on the new century after finishing the cell phone instructions. Granted, she still had no idea how it worked but at least she was starting to learn. The new century was fun.
There you have it. It felt more like a filler but it kind of was. Anyway, next chapter is the Miss Mystic Falls event and there is further insight into how close Lissa and Damon are. See you in anytime from three days to a week. Love Bianca :) x
