"It's been weeks. She won't talk to anyone, if she's not in class she's hiding out in her dorm." Caroline spoke from where she paced around Alaric's office. It had been three weeks since they indecent in the woods, and everyone was worried for Jade. Once Damon had coaxed Jade back to her dorm, he had attempted to talk to her. She was distraught, and her powers were out of control.
Lights were flickering, electronics were not working and every few minutes something would fly off a shelf. Jade screamed for Damon and everyone to just leave her alone, and against their better judgement they did just that.
Jade did not trust herself anymore, she had killed someone, she did not mean too, but it happened. Her lack of control was something she could not burden her new friends with. If something happened to one of them she would never forgive herself, she knew she would never mentally survive that.
So here she stood outside of Professor Saltzman's class room. She had taken to calling him that in a vain attempt to trick herself into thinking that she could lead a normal life. Everyday she had to pause and prepare herself before entering his room, the first few days back he had attempted to talk to her, to get her to open up to how she was feeling but she could not, and it always left her with tears in her eyes.
Entering the room Jade walked swiftly with her head down, avoiding the gaze of Elena, Liz, and Professor Saltzman. Taking her normal seat at the back of the room she opened her books, and prepared herself for the stares she would receive from Alaric for the next hour.
Alaric had watched her enter, and his heart ached as she refused to look at him and just walk to the back of the room. Every time he saw her, in class or in passing in the hall, it took everything in him to not shake her demand she go back to her normal self. Since that day in the woods she just was not the same, and with that he began to struggle again with his vamperism, she had been making it easier for him, and with her gone...he was not sure he would be able to survive this life.
His blood-lust was becoming worse and worse with each passing day. Damon had been trying to help him with his control, but he was easily sidetracked with what was going on with Jade.
Class had begun and Alaric found himself constantly looking in Jade's direction, hoping to catch her line of sight, hoping that if he could just make eye contact with her, that it would fix everything. As if it was some magic cure to the situation they were in right now.
An hour seemed to fly by and before Alaric even had a chance to watch her leave the room, Jade had vanished. Bolting out the door as soon as she was allowed to. Sighing Alaric watched as Elena and Liv left, Elena giving him a small wave before she exited the classroom.
Jade had to get back to her dorm, she could feel the magic in side of her boiling, trying to seep out of her. It took everything she had to not run out during Professor Saltzman's lecture. With her door shut and locked she fell down in front of the fire place, groaning in pain she placed her head in her hands.
"Ahh..." Jade screamed as quietly as she could. The pain becoming overwhelming.
"Jade?" Alaric's voice sounded from the other side of the door. Jade quickly whipped around, her head screaming in pain.
"Leave me alo...ahh!" Another wave of pain hit her causing her to buckle over.
"Jade I'm coming in!" Alaric spoke as he twisted the nob to the door hard enough to bust the lock. Entering the room quickly and shutting the door behind him he rushed to Jade's side. "Jade?" Alaric placed a hand on Jade's shoulder but pulled it back quickly when it burned.
Alaric looked between his hand and Jade. "You need to leave." Jade whispered.
"I'm not leaving. Let me help you." Alaric against the pain he felt, fell to his knees and placed his hands on Jade's shoulders. Jade reached up to grip Alaric's forearms, and looking up to stare him in the eyes. Suddenly Alaric felt as though he had been hit with ice cold water. Breaking eye contact with Jade he looked around to see the fire place, and every candle in the room lit, the flame rising high in the air. Then as quick as it had happened, it was over.
Jade collapsed slightly, Alaric moving to take her in his arms as she began to cry. Alaric held Jade rocking her gently, and pushing his hand into her hair.
After a few minutes Jade's cries died down and she slowly pulled herself from Alaric arms, however Alaric did not let go. Instead he moved Jade slightly so that he could still hold her, but so that she was facing him.
Her eyes were puffy and red, and her cheeks moist from her tears. Jade sniffled and averted her gaze, trying to look anywhere but at Alaric. Alaric however did not like this, and reached up and took her chin in his hands, forcing her to look at him.
"I'm sorry." Jade sniffled. Alaric just shook his head and looked at Jade with sadness in his eyes.
"Jade, what is going on?" Jade began to tear up again.
"I...I killed that man." Alaric frowned, and he felt his heart break at the sound of those words leaving Jade's lips.
"Jade, you are not a killer. You saved Damon, you saved us."
"But I had no control, I never meant to hurt anyone."
"I know Jade, I know." Alaric whispered pulling Jade into him for a hug. Once he pulled away however, instinct took over and Alaric leaned forward, stopping however with his face just inches from hers. Quickly realizing what he was doing, he quickly pulled up, and placed a gentle, slow kiss on Jade's forehead.
What felt like minutes, Jade was sure was only seconds, but the awkwardness of the situation created a heaviness in the air. She pulled away slowly, not completely breaking contact with Alaric. "Thank you."
"Jade, please don't ever do anything like this again." Alaric whispered. Jade just nodded her head in response, a small smile appearing on her lips.
"I promise." Alaric went to lean in again, the need to kiss her growing inside him. He was so close, and he could hear Jade's heart beating in excitement, signalling to him that she wanted this just as bad as he did. But with impeccable timing the door opened, and in walked a fuming Damon. Alaric who had heard the door start to move, used his vampire speed to move away, leaving a respectable distance between himself and Jade as they sat on the floor.
"Jade I've had enough of this...hello Ric?" Damon eyed his best friend suspiciously.
"Damon!" Jade smiled standing quickly and making her way over him. "I am so sorry for how I have been acting." Damon said nothing, instead he just wrapped his arms around Jade in a hug.