Forever Fortune's Fool
Chapter Three- A Homecoming of Sorts
Playlist- Too Close by Alex Clare
There is a moment that lasts no longer than it takes for her to breathe but in that moment she has forgotten what has just happened and takes him in. Ice blue eyes, against an ivory landscape beneath velvet locks all pulled together by the slight upturn of his lips. His eyes are staring her down and she can see that a year away hasn't changed him much. He still looks the same as though no time has passed at all and for a moment she is surprised. She wasn't sure what she expected when she first saw him but this wasn't it… not like this at all.
He leans in and offers his hand to help her and she flinches at his movement. His eyebrows knit together and he frowns. "Bennett…" He says her name and suddenly it's as if time begins to catch up with itself and she becomes very aware of what is going on. She can feel the splintering of wood from where the banister broke cutting into her back and piercing the flesh of her palms and she can hear crying… someone is crying.
Elena… Elena is crying
"What the hell happened?" Stefan is standing at the door an oversized cake box in his hands. He takes in the scene, immediately going to Elena helping her stand dropping the stuff in his hands at the threshold. "Are you alright?" He asks smoothing her hair from her face with his palms. She nods shakily as a response the tears still on her cheeks.
"You know if you guys wanted to throw me a welcome home party, I could think of about a million gifts better than turning Caroline into a vampire." Damon quips meeting his brother's stare.
Bonnie takes the opportunity to get to her feet ignoring the burning in her palms. She is sure that she has splinters but doesn't take the time to look.
"Caroline is a vampire; how is that possible?" Elena questions looking down at her unmoving friend with wide eyes.
"She would have had to die with vampire blood in her system." Stefan points out needlessly and Damon struggles not to roll his eyes.
"Yes but whose blood…" Damon began when he reads the guilt on his brother's face. "Really; you fed Barbie your blood? Why in the hell would you do that?"
"She was dying!" Elena is quick to come to Stefan's defense. "It was the only way to save her."
"Yeah because that worked out so well! Whose bright idea was it to give her vampire blood?"
"Mine." Bonnie doesn't even realize it's her own voice for a moment. She can't take her eyes off the blond that has yet to move. "Did you kill her?" She asks quietly.
"Technically she's already dead." He jokes darkly but the humor is lost on her as she finally looks up at him. "Snapping her neck will keep her down for a little while but she'll be back up in no time." He remarks.
She nods and the movement is jerky and disconnected.
"How did this happen?"
"Katherine." Stefan answers. "This has her name written all over it. She must have gone after Caroline sometime last night at the hospital." His eyes find Bonnie's. She shakes her head slightly the message very clear. It goes unnoticed by Elena who is still very much in shock but Damon is not so blind. There is something going on and he plans on finding out.
"Why? Why would she do this?"
"It's Katherine… she doesn't need a reason."
"Look the time for questions will come but right now we need to do damage control." Taking a deep breath he removes his leather jacket and throws it onto the armchair in the corner. "We've got a newbie vamp that can't control her blood lust, a wounded doppelganger and a sheriff that we need to take care of."
"What do you mean?"
"Well if I know Mrs. Forbes she's not going to be too keen on her baby girl turning into one of the enemy. So we need to compel her to forget what just happened and in order to do that… we're going to have to detox her of all the vervain she has in her system." Placing his hands on his hips his eyes land on Bonnie who is still staring at her friend. "Bennett!" His voice is sharper than he intends but it gets her attention. "You and Elena need to get this place cleaned up and get Elena patched up; Stefan you're going to have to take care of Caroline. When she wakes up she's going to need you to do that sympathy thing that you always do… And I'll take the sheriff back to the boarding house… and start operation Detox."
She doesn't question his orders as she moves to Elena taking her into the kitchen.
Once alone Damon immediately gets to work. Crossing the room to Caroline's mother he exhales deeply placing his hands on his lips staring down at the blond. Her body is slouched in the corner of the room. There is a gash on her frontal lobe and he's not sure how it happened. It could have been Caroline or perhaps Bonnie. He really wasn't sure. Not that it mattered now he supposed. "Alight Liz… it's time you and I spend some quality time together." He mutters hauling her over his shoulder with ease. He looks up to see Stefan staring at him. "What?"
And just like that Damon has come in and taken control of the situation. In any other circumstance this should not be okay and on some level it really isn't but at the same time he can't help but be slightly relieved that his brother is home. "Uh…nothing; I was just thinking maybe we should take both of the Forbes back to the boarding house. It will be easier to deal with them both under the same roof. We should ride there together."
Damon nods. "Fine…but if Barbie wakes up on the way there I reserve the right to snap her neck again!" He remarks shifting the weight that is Elizabeth Forbes in his arms. His eyes briefly cut to the kitchen. "You think they'll be alright?" He asked.
"Yeah… Bonnie will take care of her." He answers immediately and Damon is slightly surprised by his answer because he wasn't just asking about Elena's welfare. However he doesn't dwell on it.
There will be time for questions later indeed.
Meanwhile…
Her movements are methodical as she tends to her friend; taking a fresh unused dishtowel from the rack she passes it under warm water from the sink. Elena's sniffling is muffled to her ears as if the volume is turned on low.
"How could this happen?"
She doesn't answer her as she comes to stand in front of her pressing the cloth to her wound clearing remnants of clotted blood from her neck. "Am I pressing too hard?" The words sound weird inside her mouth. She's not even sure what she is asking. She is on auto-pilot.
Caroline is a vampire.
Caroline is a vampire.
Care-Bear is a vampire.
The words make her dizzy as they circle her mind. Over and over like some sick mantra that just won't stop.
"Bonnie…how could we do this?" Elena's question jars her from her thoughts and forces her to focus.
Elena is sitting there before her, breaking apart at the seams with guilt. She is drowning in it and needs someone to pull her back, to save her.
Placing her still burning palms on her shoulders she swallows hard. "We didn't do this. Katherine did. We saved her. The only way we knew how. Elena we protecedt her… without Stefan's blood she would be dead."
"But what have we done? We…"
"We saved her Elena. I would rather have her this way than not at all." Licking chapped lips she desperately tries to make Elena believe what she still isn't quite certain of. The time to fall apart is not now, not for her. She can do it later, in the privacy of her bedroom but right now she has to make Elena believe in her words. Make her take them to heart and hold onto them for dear life. "Say it… say it Elena."
And she can see her hesitation, still teetering between wanting to believe and falling into her own abyss of guilt. "We…saved her." She replies and when she nods in agreement she can sense that this crisis has been averted. At least for the moment. Pulling the rag from her neck she checks the wound. It's not that deep, just two small puncture wounds at the base of the neck not even that deep. It seems that the chaos of the moment perhaps sensationalized how severe the damage actually was. Grabbing the first-aide kit from beneath the sink she makes quick work of patching her up. A little ointment and a band-aide and she's all patched up.
If only all their wounds could be so easily fixed.
Meanwhile…
He can hear Mrs. Forbes screaming from the cellar demanding her release as he comes into the library. Damon is already there making quick work of dark liquid in a tumbler.
"It sounds like Elizabeth isn't too happy to be here."
Damon shrugs. "The cellar takes time getting used to…luckily for her she's going to be there for the next 18 to 24 hours!" He finishes off his first glass and immediately pours another pulling another glass for Stefan. "How's our newbie vamp doing?"
"She's dealing with it better than I expected. I'm not sure it's really hit her yet. " There had been tears and questions and then more tears… and finally… finally she just asked to be alone.
"Does she remember what happened?"
Taking a shallow sip he ignores the burn that hits the back of his throat. "Yeah… she thought Elena had killed her…pushed her down a flight of steps. I explained about Katherine."
Damon shakes his head grabbing a seat on the oversized sofa, Stefan follows suit. "Apparently Katherine had a message for me."
"Just for you huh? Should I feel slighted?"
Stefan ignores the question. "She told Caroline to tell me; 'Game On'."
"Game on?" And there is no mistaking the incredulous tone in his voice. "What are we in high school?" He asks without thinking and then groans. "Never mind." He waves his hand dismissing his words. "Well did she say why she was back or what she wants?"
"No…just that. I thought maybe it might mean something to you."
"To me; why me? The message was for you."
Stefan sighs. "Yeah it was for me… but you have a history with Katherine."
"If memory serves me correctly we both have history with Katherine… which is currently why we now have a present." He mocks.
"I'm just saying that you knew her in a way that I didn't."
"I didn't know her at all. She lied to me and she lied to you."
"Damon you loved her… you spent years looking for her, wanting her."
"I loved the girl I thought she was… we both did. The only difference is I wasted years of my undead life on her and you went off and found the girl she should have been..." There is a moment of silence. Stefan hears the indication of what Damon is saying. Yes he found Elena… found her and made her his. Clearing his throat he continues. "And all the while Katherine was running around the world never once thinking of me or you. Trust me Stefan there is nothing about Katherine that was genuine. She is all about self-preservation. And I bet that the reason she is here has something to do with those bastards she handed me and Bonnie over to last year." And he can't keep the bitterness out of his tone even if he tried.
Looking down at Damon's hand he notices the ring no his finger. "I see you got your ring back… and Trevor?" He asks
"Let's just say he won't be making his way back to Mystic Falls."
"How did you manage to kill him?"
"I didn't… someone else did it for me." Reaching into his pocket he pulls the slip of paper that he has kept with him since Nevada and hands it over.
"A gift from 'K'; Katherine?" He assumes.
"Not unless she can be in two places at once. Because while Trevor was getting his heart ripped out of his chest, Katherine was here apparently taking a bite out of Blondie."
"So then who?"
He shrugs. "I'm sure we'll find out." He smiles.
"So basically we have a psychopathic, vampire ex-girlfriend on the loose, a newbie vamp upstairs, a sheriff in detox downstairs, and a brand new mysterious player able to kill an Original that is keeping tabs on you…" Raising his glass in a toast he smiles. "Welcome home."
A few moments later Elena enters. It is obvious she is still visibly shaken. "Hey… how is Caroline?" She asks taking a seat beside Stefan. Her hand automatically wraps around his seeking comfort from his touch. Damon looks away. There are still some unresolved things that he knows he must deal with but now is not the time.
"Better… much better."
"Where is Bonnie?" He asks looking at the door when there is no sign of her.
"She stayed to finish up at the Forbes. She thought I should check on Caroline see if there was anything that I can do for her."
And somehow Damon knows that perhaps what Bonnie really wanted was a moment alone. Time with her thoughts and having Elena around tends to lead to distraction. He doesn't blame the witch he just wishes she hadn't pawned her off on them.
Elena continues to play absently with Stefan's fingers circling the band around his middle digit. "She's going to need a DayWalker ring before morning."
"Yeah… I'll call Bonnie. I mean even with this weird thing with her powers she should be able to do this." Elena states softly.
"What weird thing?" Damon's interest is piqued.
Elena looks to him and shrugs slightly. "They have been a little all over the place lately. It's as if they're growing, getting stronger but it's really hard for her to control them. Stefan has been helping her channel them and it seems to be helping."
Damon looks to his brother but his expression is masked… it's obvious that there are things that Stefan hasn't shared with Elena. Things that Bonnie and him are hiding. He gives him a smile to let him know he's on to him.
"I should go check on Caroline." Stefan remarks and makes a quick exit… yes something is definitely going on.
Damon takes a stand. "I'll be back."
"Where are you going?" Elena is already on her feet and her tone is soft and empathetic.
"As much as I love the sound of Sheriff Forbes voice I need a break from the screaming or I'm likely to shut her up!" He smiles but it never touches his eyes.
"Oh… it's just… you just got back… you haven't told us where you were or what you were doing… You were gone for a whole year Damon."
"Yes… but I can see much you missed me. What; is my brother not holding your interests?" His words are empty and come off as a bad joke but some habits are really hard to break. This is one of them. And it doesn't help that although just a second ago she was holding onto Stefan, she is now looking at him as if his absence has broken her heart. It's confusing… she's confusing. How can Stefan not see how messed up this all is? He can't be that blind.
She shakes her head rolling her eyes at his lame come on. "You haven't changed a bit." She reaches out brushing her hand down his arm in what is meant to be a friendly gesture and coming from anyone else it might be… but this is Elena so he's not sure what to make of it. Her actions like her words keep him tied up in knots and confused as hell.
"I've changed a little." He replies honestly.
"Because of Katherine?" She asks and he realizes she misses the meaning of his words completely. "I'm worried about Stefan… about what her being back will do to him."
"More like you're worried about what it's going to do to your relationship with Stefan." He points out.
"Stefan doesn't love Katherine. He never loved her." She defends instantly and he can't help but hear how rehearsed her words sound almost as if she's been saying them over and over to convince herself.
"Is that what my brother told you?"
"She compelled him to love her. The second he realized what she was he stopped."
"Unlike me who spent over a century looking for her." Offering up a sardonic laugh he shakes his head. "I guess I'm the only fool in the room then huh?" He asks.
"That's not what I meant." Running her fingers through her hair she exhales deeply. "Look I don't want to fight with you Damon… with everything going on the last thing I want to do is fight with you. In fact I'm really glad that you're home." In the next moment she is wrapping her arms around him and he stands there allowing himself to be hugged. He is slow to react to her but ever so slowly he allows his hand to run down the back of her head feeling the smooth tendrils slip between his fingers. She still smells the same, feels the same. Yes old habits are very hard to break. When she pulls back she looks up into his blue eyes and smiles before she steps away. "I'm going to check on Caroline."
"You do that." He watches her go… no sooner she is out of sight he is out the door.
Meanwhile…
Standing in the midst of the tornado that hit the Forbes living room she tries to focus on the job at hand. It is easier for her to think when she is alone. Sending Elena back to the Salvatore Boarding house had been the right move.
The 'welcome home' banner has been torn, half of it hanging from the ceiling. She concentrates and it is back to normal, hanging upright. The bannister seems to be beyond repair, the wood is broken and splintered. With a wave of her hand it is fixed. The varnish shines as if it were brand new. She catches sight of her palm at the last moment stained a dark red where her blood has dried. She can see she has several splinters and for some reason she doesn't know what to do… with all her power and she can't figure out how to stop her own pain.
The thought is crippling and forces her to take a seat on the corner of the coffee table, her vision blurs with unshed tears.
'What have we done?'
Elena's question finally hits home. Her chin trembles and she is so close to losing it… so very close when she hears footsteps. Looking up she meets his eyes.
He has been there for about a minute before she notices him. It allows him the opportunity to look her over, take her all in. Her dark locks are wavy and thick pulled away from her face. Smooth caramel skin that looks completely unmarred by time. An entire year has gone by and the only thing that seems to have changed is she's even more pretty than he remembers. Her eyes are even more green and bright than before.
Was she always this beautiful?
"Is Caroline okay?" She asks taking a stand her tears blinked away.
Damon cocks his head to the side. "Caroline is Caroline." He remarks as he closes the door softly behind him. He stands at the threshold the space between them like a mutual understanding.
She nods. "Good. I'm almost… I'm almost done here. What about Sheriff Forbes?"
"It's going to take quite a few hours… she's got a lot of Vervain in her system." He sighs taking a step in her direction. "And Caroline is going to need a Daywalker ring."
Swallowing hard she nods. "Right… I'll take care of it when I'm done here." Reaching for the broken dishes on the floor she turns to go into the kitchen when suddenly he is in her path. She backs up instantly needing to keep some space between them. "I hate it when you do that."
He shrugs and offers her a smile. "I'm not here to talk about Caroline or her mother." He states never one to beat around the bush. "Don't think for a second I didn't catch that look you and Stefan shared. Keeping secrets again?" He asks.
She doesn't realize how close they are until she looks up and is staring into his face. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You know the problem isn't just that you're lying to me… but that you're also really bad at it when you do!" He challenges. "What happened to the honest girl I used to know?"
"Don't preach to me about honesty or keeping secrets." She warns.
"Why not; you have obviously become so good at it! So answer me this…does Elena know that you and my brother are keeping things from her?"
She smiles sarcastically stepping up and getting in his face. "You answer me…Does Stefan know that you confessed your love to Elena before you skipped town?" She throws back at him and can see the surprise etched all over his façade. And she would be lying if she says she's not hurt. She had always hoped that her vision had been wrong… that just maybe her mind had created something that really wasn't true but his lack of response speaks volumes. "Yeah…didn't think so." Stepping around him she leaves him standing in the living room.
"Yeah… welcome home to me." He mutters.
Preview of chapter Four:
"Hey Benedict Arnold… who the hell is Blake and why is he messing with my witch?"
"I'm never going to be normal again am I?"
"Oh come on now… you can't say you didn't think I was Elena."
"Katherine…"