Mystic Falls 2015
Alasdair sat on a park bench, shoulders slumped, gazing vacantly at the grass. From a distance away, Rhona leaned against a tree, watching him. Caroline stood awkwardly, wondering if she should leave.
"How many people has he killed?" Rhona asked, "Since he's been here I mean."
"Just a bad guy," Caroline replied. What kind of question was that?
Rhona snorted. "You're such a child."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Caroline asked, defensive.
"It means," Rhona explained, her eyes fixed on the back of her lover, "that no one is inherently good or evil." And with that she pushed herself off the tree and walked over to sit next to Alasdair on the bench.
Alasdair looked up when she sat down, then, sighing, resumed his examination of the grass.
"I'm sorry," he finally said after a long pause. Rhona turned to look at him in surprise. Alasdair never apologized for killing one of her lovers. Alasdair noticed her look and gave her a bit of a wry grin, as if to acknowledge the rarity of his apology.
"I should have went to you before acting on Brad. I underestimated his importance to you." he admitted.
Rhona shook her head. "No see that's the thing Al. I think you knew exactly how much I cared for him, and you still did it." She recalled when she found Brad's body, and closed her eyes, trying to get the image out of her brain. "Al, you performed the blood eagle. You've only ever done that to one other person, and whatever Brad said, he was hardly Mehmet."
"Wasn't he?" Alasdair challenged, his jaw clenched.
"No," Rhona said incredulously. What was he talking about? "Al, what did he say?" she demanded. Alasdair looked down at his feet, then let out an explosive sigh.
"You remember that night," he began. "We had been invited to a gala, as was often the case. We were posing as Scottish nobles. What was our fake last name? Gordon I think? Anyways, you had invited Brad too. Oh I knew he was your lover, don't give me that look, I make it my business to know this. But neither of you had broken the rules. Yet."
London 1957
Sir Brad Taylor was in a foul mood. His friend, the vampire Louis, took one look at his furrowed brow and pursed lips before chuckling.
"I know that look well," the 200 year old frenchman said, "woman troubles."
Brad spared his friend a glance, before sighing. "You know that one I've been talking to you about? The immortal?"
"Ah yes," Louis said, "the one you are so desperately in love with you want me to turn you to be with her. Ridiculous." he muttered.
Brad raised his eyebrows. "I thought the French were supposed to be the people of love and romance."
Louis snorted. "I'm a vampire Brad. Consider me a cynic. Anyways, what about this one?"
"Well," Brad said, "she's here."
That got Louis' attention. "Where?" in spite of himself, he was curious. He had never seen his friend so infatuated.
"Over there," Brad gestured to the dance floor, adding on, almost as an afterthought, "with her husband."
Louis smiled. So that was what had Brad in a mood. Following Brad's gaze, he found the Lord and Lady Gordon dancing to the slow dance music. Well, Brad certainly knew how to pick them. Lady Rhona Gordon had been in London for only a few years, and she had acquired a reputation for being the most beautiful woman in the high social circles. Her husband however, was much less well known. A lot of people didn't even realize that she had a husband. That he was here, at a major social event was a shock enough.
"So she's here and you're upset because she brought her husband," Louis clarified for himself.
"The guy is clueless," Brad explained, "but because today is her birthday, he brought her to this dance."
"So?" Louis asked. "He's her husband Brad. You knew what you were signing up for, pursuing a married woman."
"Yeah whatever Louis," Brad muttered. "Can you just eavesdrop on them for me? I want to know what they're saying."
Louis sighed, muttering something about what love does to the brain, before listening with vamp-hearing.
"Thanks for coming out Al," Rhona was saying, "I know how much you hate these type of events."
"It's your birthday sweetheart," Lord Gordon replied, "and if you want to spend your birthday talking with a bunch of empty headed nobles, who am I to prevent you."
"Al," she warned him, "You promised you wouldn't complain."
"Complain?" Alasdair protested, "Who's complaining? Not me that's for sure."
Rhona gave him a look, then laughed. "You're the worst."
Alasdair smiled. "You remember the first time we danced here?"
Rhona frowned. "You've never been here."
Alasdair chuckled. "Not in this house, but on this spot. Remember? Londinium?"
Rhona gasped, remembering the first time they had danced, at a Roman party to celebrate the founding of the provincial capital. "Is this why you chose this party?"
Alasdair smiled. "Happy Birthday my love." And Rhona kissed him lovingly, before resting her head on his chest.
"Well?" Brad prompted. Louis grimaced. "Apparently he just made some big romantic gesture."
Brad's brow became even more furrowed. Louis sighed, "You are going to have stop glaring at them my friend. He's going to become suspicious."
"What the hell's he going to do. It's not like he's a vampire." Brad muttered, before striding off to the couple.
Louis stared after him. Not a vampire? So what? The man was clearly immortal, what did it matter whether he had fangs or not. Louis sighed. He liked his friend, but Brad was brash, and arrogant, and altogether too confident in himself. It was what endeared him to many a woman, but it also could land him in trouble.
Brad had walked over to the couple. He introduced himself to Alasdair, who for his part was friendly and welcoming and surrendered his wife to dance with Brad. Louis was surprised. He had heard Alasdair's voice. Someone that in love with his wife was never not jealous of others. Nevertheless, Alasdair surrendered his wife, then headed with a purpose-right towards Louis. It was just coincidence, the french vampire told himself. Still, he could not help a hint of nervousness as the mysterious immortal in the white suit came to the bar next to Louis and ordered a shot of vodka. Turning to Louis, he extended his hand.
"Alasdair Gordon, at your service." Louis took the proffered hand, before introducing himself. "Louis Marchand."
Alasdair smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Louis. You're a ways from home, aren't you? I bet the weather in Aquitaine is better than this." Louis' eyebrows climbed his head. Very few Englishmen would be able his homeland from his accent in French, much less how his accented English sounded.
Suddenly, Louis noticed Alasdair was paying undue attention to his hands. With a shock, Louis realized he was looking for his daylight ring. How had he already figured out Louis was a vampire? Playing it cool, Louis waggled the ring finger on his left hand. Alasdair smiled. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You live long enough, you recognize the signs."
Alasdair then turned his attentions to where Brad and Rhona were dancing. With a frown, Louis noticed that Brad was being very handsy, letting his hands drift as low as propriety would allow. Alasdair surprised Louis again by echoing his thoughts. "Well he's hardly subtle, your friend, is he?" At Louis' cautious look Alasdair snorted. "I've been alive for a long time Louis, I rarely get played for a fool. Not that I needed experience to spot this. Your friend has been about as subtle as a bull in a china shop, what with all the glaring and the handsy-ness."
Louis sighed. Clueless indeed! "I warned him."
"Oh don't worry Louis. He's toeing the line, but he hasn't crossed it yet. You both should know, though. Rhona's had many lovers over the years, yet she always finds her way back to me. She will always choose me." Gone was the easy joviality of before. The look Alasdair was giving Louis could only be described as icy. "Do you understand me Louis?" Louis gulped, then nodded. Alasdair grinned, the jovial mask back. "Good!" he exclaimed, before downing his shot. He motioned to the door to get Rhona's attention. She waved him on, letting him know to go and she would meet him later, he nodded, then left the party, leaving a very stunned and worried Louis.
Later that night, Alasdair stumbled home from the bar, quite drunk. Opening up the door, he threw his coat on the rack, then went over to his favorite chair, only to find it occupied. How dare this unnamed person, he thought. Then he realized who it was, and immediately sobered up.
Brad sat in the chair, determined. Louis had told him about the conversation at the bar. The vampire had tried to tell him to drop the issue, to give some space. He had told Louis to go to hell. He understood the vampire's position, but Louis hadn't heard Rhona when she talked to Brad. Brad knew when someone cared for him, and there was no doubt that Rhona felt what he felt for her, and what he felt was all consuming passion. He had planned on confronting Alasdair here, after the man did his usual bar run. Rhona was waiting at Brad's apartment right now, soon to be very upset, but he would explain it to her later.
Alasdair was now leaning against the bedpost, giving him a piercing blue eyed stare. Those ice chips that seemed so attractive on Rhona were very intimidating on Alasdair. Brad wasn't intimidated though. He felt confident he could handle the man.
"So," Brad began, "you know."
Alasdair raised his eyebrows, "What do I know?"
Brad frowned, "Don't play dumb with me Alasdair. You know about me and Rhona."
"What do you mean?" Alasdair asked, still keeping up the innocence act. "Are you trying to imply something about you and my wife?"
"Alasdair," Brad said, tired of the other man's smug attitude. "You know damn well I've been sleeping with your wife."
Alasdair smiled a predatory smile. "You fool," he said, "I can kill you now."
Brad snorted. "You wouldn't dare. You know Rhona would never forgive you. Because she loves me. You're nothing but a name and a title to her. She's going to turn me into a vampire you know? So we can be together forever."
Alasdair had dropped the cocky swagger he'd worn for the beginning of the conversation. A more careful man would've recognized the dangerous tone that he had in his voice when he said, "If you think I will allow you to live with us, after tonight.."
But Brad was drunk on love and a lifetime of getting what he wanted, and he drove right over ancient threats with youthful determination, "Oh I won't live with you Alasdair. I am taking Rhona with me, and we will leave you behind. See unlike you, I have a set of balls, and I won't share my wife with another man."
Alasdair's eyes glowed blue. Snapping, he seized the man from the chair and hoisted him in the air. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME" he shouted, his eyes continuing to glow with rage and fear.
"You think her love protects you, little man," he hissed, bringing Brad closer. "You could not be more wrong. In fact," he continued, drawing a knife from his waist, "I know exactly what to do with you."
Mystic Falls 2015
"And well, you know the rest," Alasdair finished.
Rhona sat in stunned silence. This was the first she had ever heard the story. She now understood why Alasdair had reacted how he did. He had lost so many loved ones. The thought of losing Rhona would've broken him. Still…
"Al," she said softly, "you had nothing to worry about."
"Didn't I?" Alasdair asked, tears in his eyes, "You said it yourself, he was different from all the rest."
"Yes he was different, but he was still not you Al," she explained, "I would never leave you Al. Ever. You had to know that."
"I don't know what I knew," Alasdair said, despondent, "All I knew is in that moment, there was no way I was letting him take you from me."
"Al," she protested, "there was no way I would've ever gone along with his plan. If you had just talked to me, you would've known that."
"I know," he admitted, "I'm sorry Rhona. Please forgive me. I couldn't live-" his voice broke, and he took a moment to compose himself, "I couldn't live with myself if you hated me forever."
Rhona cupped his face, "Oh Al," she sighed, "I could never hate you." And she leaned in to kiss him.
As the kiss deepened, Caroline decided it was high time she left and gave the two some privacy.