Give Me Faith - chapter 3
Damon sat on his bed with his back against the headboard. He was staring ahead at the blank TV screen.
Something just did not sit well with Faith's story. There was something else there and he couldn't figure it out.
He slid down a bit and closed his eyes, his arm draped over his bare chest.
He could make out the dull thud thud of Faiths heart from down the hall.
He sat up and growled to himself. He reached over and picked up his cell phone, flipped through the address book and pressed send.
One ring, Two rings...
"Whats the matter Damon?" Stefan said on the other end of the call.
"Hello to you too brother." He said and smirked.
"OK Damon. Hello. What's up?"
"Well I got a visit from a pretty little blond girl tonight."
"Oh Faith. OK good she found you."
"Yeah Stefan she found me. Why has she found me? Why did you just assume I would help?"
"Because Damon. You are changed. You are dying for a way for the people closest to us to see you in a different light. Here is your chance."
"Stefan you couldn't have even called me to let me know she was coming."
Stefan was silent.
"And what about this guy Bill?"
"He's an old friend. He has proven to be useful in the past."
"Something is not right here Stefan. I am not buying this story with this girl."
"I have done a little digging into Faith. Damon this girl has been through a lot. Her sister is all she has left."
"And this Patrick vamp. He is old but not an original. Maybe about 100 years older than us. That's all a have." said Stefan.
Damon sighed. "Well thats helpful." He thought for a second. "Thanks"
"So now what?" asked Stefan.
"I have a friend I can call."
"OK well if I find out any more info I will call you."
"OK"
"Damon. Thank you." said Stefan and then he hung up.
Damon thought back to when he and Stefan were young and human. They were the best of friends and then she came between them.
After their deaths they hated one another when they should have embraced each other.
After all they knew was gone they would have had each other, that brotherly bond.
And now they were rebuilding their relationship and Damon was grateful. He understood having nothing else in the world but a sibling.
Damon sat for a minute and tapped the cell phone on his knee. Then he dialed the number.
Faith had not slept so well in it seemed like forever.
She lay in a place between sleep and awake. She felt the warmth of the sun on her face and knew if she opened her eyes the sun would be blinding.
She decided to keep her eyes shut. She pulled the sheet up to her chin and rolled on her side.
Her eyes flew open. She felt Damon's presence in the room.
He sat in the chair next to the small round table. He was not looking at Faith. He was flipping through papers, pictures actually. Faith's pictures.
She sat up quickly.
"What the hell are you doing?" she asked.
"So this is Georgia?" he said flipping the picture around between his fingers. Faith looked and saw the picture of herself and Georgia. Back when things were happier.
Damon flipped the picture back and looked at it again.
Faith flew out of the bed suddenly. She moved towards Damon quickly reaching for the pictures in his hand. Damon grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back causing Faith to stumble and fall chest first into him.
She got her footing back and straightened up. They stood face to face. Damon's jaw was tight, his eyes fixed on hers.
"NOT smart Faith." He growled. He pushed her away and threw the photos on the floor.
Faith fell to her knees and scooped them up. She stood up and looked back towards Damon.
"How dare you go through my things." She said to him through clenched teeth.
"OK relax. They were out on the table when I came in so I looked through them."
"Here." he said and threw a white towel at her.
"In case you wanted to clean up before we got on the road." and he turned on his heels and walked out of the room.
A short while later Faith came downstairs and saw Damon standing by the windows bathed in sunlight. She reached the bottom and placed her backpack on the floor.
"Hey how can you do that?" she asked as he turned around. "I mean stand in the sunlight like that. I thought you would burst into flames."
He walked towards her and her breath caught a bit in her throat. He was incredible. His shoulders were broad and she could almost make out the definition of his muscles under his black shirt.
"Are you ready?" he asked sliding a pair of sunglasses on and walked towards the front door.
Faith hurried behind him grabbing her bag.
"Wait where are we going?"
"I have a friend in Atlanta that I need to see."
"So wait a minute we are going on a stupid road trip to hang out with your friend while my sister is missing."
"My friend has information about your sister and Patrick so I would say it is beneficial that we get going. There is an 8 hour drive ahead of us.
They sat in the car next to each other for a few hours in silence. A couple of time Faith wanted to say something.
"My ring." he said breaking the silence.
"What?" she asked.
"You asked before how I can be in the sunlight and not burst into flame. Because of my ring."
He held his left hand out over his chest. Faith looked a the beautiful silver ring with the large blue stone in the center.
"You have a magic ring?'
"Yes I have had it for a very long time." He said and looked down at it. He rubbed his thumb along the side of the ring.
After several more hours Damon pulled the car off the main road and drove down some secluded backroads.
The scenery was beautiful. Faith rolled down the window. The warm summer air hit her in the face and she was overpowered by the freshness of everything around her.
They drove past sprawling fields of the greenest grass Faith had ever seen.
The trees and flowers so fragrant and colorful.
Damon turned down a dirt and stone driveway lines with weeping willows. Faith felt her eyes start to close. It was peaceful here. She found herself almost drifting off to sleep.
Faith felt the car slowing and then stop. Her eyes fluttered open and noticed that Damon had already gotten out of the car. The sun was setting now throwing an orange glow over everything.
Faith turned towards Damon who was walking up the grand marble steps of an old plantation house. Faith looked up at the tall white columns.
She joined Damon at the front door.
The door opened and a small bald man stood in front of Faith.
He looked to Faith and then to Damon.
"Mr. Salvatore. Lovely to see you again. It has been ages."
"Yes Jeffery it has been ages. How are you?"
"Wonderful sir. Please come in." He said and moved back into the foyer and allowed the guests to come in.
In front of them was a staircase something out of Gone with The Wind. Faith could just see Scarlett O'Hara standing there in one of her oversized gowns. The image made her smile.
"He is in the parlor." said Jeffery.
Jeffery walked to the right of the staircase and opened white french doors.
Damon walked in first and Faith followed after him... floating, almost like she was dreaming. This room was full of old furniture. The wood working on the chairs and sofas were carved and very ornate.
This room was decorated to the hilt in gold and white. Above the huge marble fireplace was an oil painting of a man sitting in a chair.
"Damon hello." she heard a mans voice from behind her. She turned and saw the same man from the painting sitting in the same chair.
Faith was thrust out of her dream like state. He looked the same as he did in the painting. He wore the same beige suit with a red pocket square and a red and white striped shirt.
He stood up and walked towards Damon. He was a robust man.
He embraced Damon and turned to Faith.
"Hello my dear girl I have been looking forward to meeting you." he said in heavy southern drawl.
She stood almost mesmerized. He took her hand and brought it to his lips but gently turned her hand over and pressing his lips again the inside of her wrist.
"Faith this is my old friend Alexander." Damon said emphasizing the word old.
Alexander shot Damon an annoyed look and released Faiths hand.
"Well yes." Alexander walked back over to his chair and sat.
"Please come join me." he said and waved his hand toward the white couch.
Damon sat and motioned with his eyes for Faith to sit next to him.
She did not.
"So Damon says you have information about my sister and Patrick."
Damon sat back, hitting his back against the sofa. He raised his hand and held his head.
"Oh Faith are we in such a rush?" asked Alexander.
"Yes actually I am." she said defiantly.
Alexander straightened up in his chair.
"There are a few more questions I need answers to." He said not looking at either one of them.
Damon was unsettled in his seat. He glared at Faith.
"It looks like Mr. Salvatore is not happy with you right now my dear. But I am sure it will pass. Please sit down Faith."
She slowly walked and sat next to Damon.
"So Faith tell me everything you know about Patrick."
"I am sure Damon has told you everything I told him."
"You see Faith that is where I think you are wrong." Damon said turning his had to face her.
She looked back at him puzzled.
"I don't think you have told me everything you know. In fact Faith I don't think you have told me the truth at all."
Faith took in a shaky breath. Her stomach was in knots and her pulse was racing. She could see how it was affecting Damon by the look in his eyes.
She tried to breath to calm herself but it was not working. She had not noticed that Alexander had moved closer and was now standing beside her.
He raised his hand and held it to Faith forehead. She was paralyzed. Alexander could see the fear in her eyes.
"Shhh Faith. I am not going to hurt you darlin. We are trying to help you. Damon brought you here for me to help you."
Faith was furious.
"Come Damon help me." Alexander asked. Damon slid closer to Faith and gripped her arms. He leaned her back onto his chest.
"Hmm thats interesting." said Alexander.
"What?" asked Damon.
"I am getting very intense vibes... from you Mr. Salvatore."
"Lets get this over with Alexander."
He nodded to Damon and pulled his sleeves up placed both hands on Faith head.
Her eyes closed and her body went limp against Damon.
Alexander closed his eyes and concentrated.
Damon watched as thin threads of blue light passed from Faith to Alexander's hand as he read her mind.