He is listening to Robert's heartbeat, the sole noise in his lonely cell. It's the only thing occupying his mind, the only noise on this level. The rats are too smart to room with a vampire, and the bugs aren't dumb enough to want to be anywhere near him. The only life on this level is Robert, and Caroline. His eyes snap open, recognizing her scent. He may not know what the time is, but he does know that the night hasn't dragged on long enough for her to be here. He sits up and leans against the wall perpendicular to the bars, curious to see what this is all about.
Robert must be puzzled as well, if his face and over all demeanor have anything to say as he opens the door for Caroline. Robert quickly closes and locks the door, avoiding talking to Caroline. She may not realize it, but she has the power to take his job away.
Caroline settles in the stool before the cell, letting the bag hanging off her shoulder to fall to the ground beside her. She pulls out a notebook and a copy of Romeo and Juliet.
He doesn't bother to speak, just raises a dark eyebrow. Caroline takes in his subtle movement and smiles shyly. "This may sound crazy, but I focus better down here without all the distractions." she says.
"I don't know gorgeous, I think I'm a pretty big distraction." He says with a cheeky smile.
She turns scarlet, and he chuckles. "What do you need to focus on, other than myself?" He asks, after all the only reason she's here is to take notes about him.
Caroline senses the double meaning, and her blush deepens, but she doesn't reprimand him. "I have a paper due in a few days, about Romeo and Juliet. Our teacher is leaving this assignment open, so I don't know what to write about."
"And that fear of the unknown left you paralyzed?" He insinuates.
Caroline nods, blonde curls bouncing. "I've waited so long, that now I'm thinking the only thing I can write about is the tragedy their love was."
"That's boring." He says bluntly.
Her eyebrows raise in shock, "But that's what the stories about."
He nods, "In a way. But if this paper is open for interpretation, don't do the obvious choice, think outside of the cell." He quips.
She rolls her sky eyes at his lame joke, "Like what."
He shrugs, "I personally think their love is stupid."
Now she looks hurt, like he crushed her dream, "No, their love is beautiful." Caroline defends, as if it was her own love on the line.
"Now this is a subjective opinion, but lets look at some examples. First off, he's in his early twenties and she's around 14. That makes him a pedophile. Secondly, they barely knew each other. Thirdly they had poor communication, which one could argue was due to the time they lived in, but it still resulted in their untimely death. This brings me into my next point, death is not the answer. There are millions of men out there, men that might give you an even better relationship than whatever they had. And lastly, love does not conquer all. But death does." He says.
Caroline look deflated, "That makes sense, but what if they were living now? In the 1950s they may have a chance at finding enduring love."
"Love can be found with multiple people, that's why widows move on after the death of their spouse." He counters.
"Not to mention, they could have had everything going for them, and then discover they don't work well together after the drama is over." Caroline adds.
He smiles, "What are you going to write about?"
"Romeo and Juliet in the modern era." Caroline says.
They spend the next few hours debating certain pieces of her paper; until they either compromise or Caroline does what she wants. Caroline blows a stray piece of hair out of her face and looks up at him, a brilliant smile on her face, "This is only the rough draft, but I think it's great so far." She hands the paper over.
He takes it and reads it over, and then motions for the pen, she says, "Are you sure?"
He rolls his dark eyes, "English is my second language, I may not have a fancy degree but I can make corrections."
Caroline hands him the pen as she asks, "What's your first language?"
"Italian." He says as he scribbles over her need handwriting. His scrawl looks unworthy next to her flawless handwriting. He nods his head, and mutters under his breath. He rereads the paper with his corrections, and once he's satisfied he hands it back.
"Great job, if your teacher doesn't give you an A, I'll eat him." He threatens playfully.
She picks up on his tone and laughs, "Thank you. Now, how are you at history?"
"Seeings though that I lived through most of it, I'm pretty good." He smirks.
Caroline looks like a deer in the headlights, for a moment it was though she forgot that he has lived longer than her, and he finds it marvelous that she treats him normally and with respect.
He tilts his head, hearing the familiar gait of Dr. Whitmore, "Better get your workbook out."
For the first time since he's known her, she doesn't argue, just trusts him and soon has her notebook laid across her lap where she writes her observations of the day thus far.
Dr. Whitmore walks in heartbeats later, glancing at Caroline's notes before looking at him. "He seems lively, more so than normal." Dr. Whitmore states.
Caroline hums in agreement, writing that down before looking up to listen.
Dr. Whitmore nods, "He didn't lose nearly as much blood as he usually does, there was some in his bile, but nothing significant."
His eyes connect with Caroline's while Whitmore speculates, the realization that dawns on her face and guilt settles in her eyes.
"I'll go get Paul and Billy." Whitmore says, effectively ending the conversation.
His boots click as he walks out, and the door shuts firmly behind him.
Caroline opens her mouth but he cuts her off, "What's done is done, there's no use in feeling pity for something outside of your control."
Paul and Billy come in moments later, and they are more generous with the vervain this morning. They restrain him before picking him up by his biceps and drag him toward the table stained with his blood.
Whitmore is already there, with various tools to cut in and take pieces away. What surprises him is the lack of creativity, all Dr. Whitmore does is drain him of some blood before doing the basics. He loses pieces of himself, but they regenerate. Although the pain is excruciating, it's nothing he hasn't experienced before.
He must have spoken to soon as Whitmore severs his right ring and pinky finger, causing him to cry out in pain. His fingers won't come back, that much he knows. It takes Whitmore sometime to come to that conclusion, but soon he reattaches the dead flesh to the hand and watches as his body brings life back to the appendages.
"Now that's fascinating." Whitmore says.
Whitmore then asks Paul to go get a saw, and Caroline pales. He can only imagine what he's going to lose next as he braces himself for the pain. It is pain that brings stars to his eyes and rips a roar out of his throat, his features become the monster within, ready to fight for it's life. Unfortunately, the restraints coupled with Paul and Billy's tight grips keeps him at bay while the saw moves in a steady motion back and forth at a downward angle. It feels like days have passed, but soon his right leg under the knee is no longer attached. The pain of the lost outweighs the pain of losing it; he thrashes against the restraints.
He begs inwardly as he screams in pain, he begs for unconsciousness to take him. But it never does.
Dr. Whitmore leans back, leaving the saw on his subject's torso to rest while he wipes the sweat from his brow. "Caroline, please write the process the lower leg is going through." Whitmore instructs.
He hears Caroline gulp, and the scribble of her pen, but he has no energy to turn to her. Not that looking at her will help.
Whitmore attaches the leg, and waits for it to heal before letting Billy and Paul move him back to the cell.
He closes his eyes, and focus on the feelings of his right leg, reacquainting himself with the appendage. He wiggles his toes, moves his heel to the ceiling to stretch the calf, and points his toes. It hurts, and feels awkward, but by tomorrow morning he should be fine. Paul and Billy quickly free him of his restraints, and move him to his feet. He takes one step, feeling the strength return to his leg, but his new weakness makes him to slow to keep up with Paul and Billy, and he is dragged back to his cell. The boys drop him in his cell and the lock it behind them, before leaving to clean up the mess.
He stands, favoring his right leg, when he is left alone with Caroline. Caroline watches, notebook shut on her lap. It takes him moments to walk, and after a few minutes he is able to run as fast as he can in his weakened state. He stops in front of the cell, resting his forearms on the bars and leaning on them.
She writes some stuff down, and once she's done she says, "It's unfair, and I wish I could take your pain away."
"It's not your fault. Just go home, and hug your loved ones a little tighter." He instructs.
Caroline nods and moves to leave, "Good night." She says before knocking on the door to alert whoever sits on the other side she's ready to go. She turns the lights off, bathing him in darkness, as she leaves.
In the darkness he allows himself to break a little, to let the hopelessness fill him. He searched for the switch, the one that will make him emotionless, finding it with ease. He toys with the idea, as he breaths in the faint sent Caroline left.
The weeks go by in a similar fashion, Dr. Whitmore tests the extent to which of his body parts he can lose.
Caroline comes in early one morning with a bright smile painted on her face. She has wonderful news, he can see it in her eyes. There's a paper in her hands and she stops in front of his cell, to close for his comfort, and holds the paper out.
He takes it, slightly confused by her attitude. "Congratulations gorgeous." Seeing the A and reading the comments on her paper.
She then talks for a while about some other writing assignments she's working on, and how his advice is helpful. He doesn't pay attention, to busy basking in her passion. She clearly loves writing, especially reports, something she may lose after she gets married.
"Take off your necklace." He suddenly instructs.
Caroline's hand goes to her necklace, "Why? It's a gift from my parents."
"I'll explain in a moment." He says.
She looks skeptical, but does as asked, resting the necklace on her bag. "Please hold out your wrist." He says.
He can see the questions in her eyes, but she voices none of them. He moves toward her wrist, nose almost touching the tender flesh, and he retreats with a smile. "Your necklace holds vervain, meaning I can't compel you. And your blood is free of it, meaning your haven't digested it."
Caroline nods, and he sighs, she has to much trust in him. "Will you let me compel you?" He asks, not wanting to ruin her trust.
"To do what?" She asks.
"To be happy." He answers.
His honesty must shine through, because she becomes the first human he knows of to agree to mind control by a creature that can easily take whatever he wants. "Yes." She says.
He contracts his pupils, and her blue ones become memorized, in this moment he can take whatever he wants from her. Instead, he gives her something, "Tell your fiancé about your ambitions." He then sets her mind free.
She blinks and their conversation goes back to her paper after he reminds her to put the necklace on.
A/N Unfortunately, I do not speak Italian and I don't completely trust google translate. That being said, if anyone out there does speak Italian and wouldn't mind helping me include it, please let me know!
I haven't read Romeo and Juliet recently, it's been 6ish years. Also, the opinions expressed in this are completely subjective, I don't mean to offend any one.
I took some liberties with the healing ability of Vampires, since the show leaves it vague in some areas.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if there's anything you would like to see please leave a comment or send a PM.
Thank you for reading!
Loveklarolin: As always, thank you so much for your kind reviews! You always make my day with your wonderful reviews! I can't really comment on the rest of your review without spoiling anything, but I can promise this, the identity of the vampire will be revealed in four chapters. I also wanted to thank you for your review on Kai Salvatore?! That story is mostly about Kai, and his relationships with the core character's of TVD. As for Damon and Caroline, I can't tell you, yet ;) Until next time!