A/N: I don't own anyone but my OC's…though I wished I owned the rest….*sighs*
"Caroline?" Bonnie stood and stared at her best friend. Caroline's face was smeared with fresh blood driving home the cold reality for the witch.
"No….You…No it can't be!" She turned her head and caught the sight of Carter's body. She rushed towards Caroline and grasped her arm. The cold sensation gripped her body and filled every fiber of her being.
"Bonnie?" Caroline sputtered. "Bonnie…."
Bonnie brushed past her best friend and leaned over the trailer and felt sorrow over the innocent blood that had been shed. Grief washed over her as Bonnie felt herself losing control and quietly broke down at the end of innocence. Stefan rushed Caroline towards the bathroom leaving Elena to comfort her distressed friend.
"I can't believe this is happening," Bonnie gritted through her tears.
"Don't pout about it," Damon said callously, "We got a body to bury."
Bonnie glared at the vampire placing the blame entirely on him. Brooklyn and Alaric felt the rage burning like a searing hot flame from the unstable teen and rushed towards Damon before Bonnie lashed out.
"Damon," Brooklyn raced towards him but Bonnie was too fast. The vampire gripped his head and collapsed to his knees as the pain stabbed through him like a thousand daggers.
"Bonnie stop it!" Brooklyn shouted. Bonnie ignored the hunter and turned a part of her rage on Brooklyn. She felt that Brooklyn was partly to blame for after all she had gotten involved with the vampire and should've kept him under control. The hunter wailed in pain and curled up into a tight ball as her body felt as if it had been set ablaze. The heat radiated off her skin and face bringing such suffering Brooklyn surely thought she would die. Alaric raced towards them but Bonnie was ready for the teacher and hurled him to the grass as the hose unwound from its resting place.
"Bonnie what are you doing?" Elena cried out.
"I told you what would happen if anyone else got hurt," she warned them. Alaric couldn't move as he was pinned to the cool damp blades. He could only watch as Bonnie carried out her fury on the vampire and hunter.
"It wasn't his fault!" Brooklyn shouted through the searing pain.
"Everything that happens is his fault! I warned you Brooklyn!"
The water turned on creating a perfect circle around the pair. Damon looked up as flames erupted and fanned towards them.
"Bonnie what are you doing!" Elena watched in horror as the flames licked the vampire's legs and Damon wailed in pain. He rolled and smacked his legs but the flames only grew. Brooklyn snapped from the hold Bonnie had on her and covered her body across the vampire's legs. She cried in unbearable pain as the heat and flames scorched her body and ripped through her clothing. Alaric felt the pressure lifting off his chest and immediately rushed to their aid. Brooklyn continued crying out as Damon fought to kill the flames. Alaric felt his heart pounding as his skin prickled from the physical pain Brooklyn was bearing. His skin turned red though he couldn't see it but the pain was morphing into something bordering on unbearable.
Alaric thought fast and ripped his jacket off hoping it would cease the flames. Brooklyn felt something cover her upper body but it was the last thing she could remember. The agony and suffering was more than her mortal being could withstand and the hunter sensed her world turning black. The last thing she heard was Alaric and Damon calling out for her.
"How's she doing?" Stefan was leaning against the wall.
"She's resting," Alaric nodded and took a seat. Brooklyn had not moved since being brought back to Alaric's home, though no one expected her to wake up right away. After Elena had stopped Bonnie from killing both hunter and vampire, Stefan had fed his friend his blood in an effort to heal the burns that scorched her upper and lower torso. The vile stench of burned skin and flesh was nauseating to everyone close by and luckily didn't attract any unwanted attention.
Damon stayed with the human, watching over her as she healed. What little first aid skills he had acquired from battle turned out to be crucial and possibly even saved Brooklyn's life. The bandages remained clean with no signs of oozing or blood breaking through. Alaric had left to make coffee allowing the vampire to take watch. It had been nearly a day since Bonnie's attempt at judge jury and executioner almost cost the hunter her life and the teen had dared not showed her face.
"Here," Alaric placed a cup on the stand and sat down beside the vampire.
"She almost died," Damon sounded shocked. "She almost died saving me."
"Brook sees something good in you Damon," Alaric tilted his head sideways to look at the vampire.
"But I snapped her neck."
"And she forgave you," Alaric sharply interrupted. "Look Damon you may not want to admit it to yourself but deep down beneath that snarky arrogant mask you wear there's that part of you that screams to love and be loved."
"So what you're Dr. Phil now?"
Alaric chuckled and shook his head. "See there you go. You lash out with sarcasm and don a mask of stone whenever someone says something good about you."
Damon merely snorted and kept his attention on the still form beneath the comforter and sheets. He left her shirt off to allow for the injuries to heal without obstruction. Vivid memories of gangrene and scorched flesh spilled into his mind as the heavy pungent odor of death and burned skin overpowered his senses. The vampire leaned over to brush aside a few loose strands of copper and glided his fingers across her soft cheek.
"I'm sorry," he whispered with sorrow in his voice.
"You shouldn't be," Alaric responded. He twisted around and caught Damon's face in his hands. The vampire was caught off guard as the cool blue pools were locked in surprise from the sudden gesture.
"We are going to get through this together- all three of us! Brooklyn loves you Damon and nothing will change that! Not Katherine, not Mason or even Stefan will change the way she feels about you. If her actions didn't tell you that then you're blind."
Damon wasn't sure where this iron will of Alaric's was coming from but he was finding it rather alluring coming off of him. The weight of the human's stare shot directly though his soul exposing more of the vulnerable side he had succeeded in keeping concealed for so long. Alaric watched the struggle within the two perfect sapphires and knew Damon was gripping with the reality that there were people who genuinely cared for and loved him.
Katherine really fucked with his head…
The words echoed sadly in Alaric's mind. Damon was so damned stubborn sometimes!
"Damon…." Brooklyn quietly stirred. "Ric…."
"We're here," Alaric leapt up then eased on the edge of the bed. Damon remained in the chair but pushed closer to sweep her hand in his.
"Flames…." She slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath as Alaric and Damon stayed patiently by her side.
"No," Alaric whispered, "They're out. Damon's alright."
"Bonnie….so angry…."
"Elena stopped her," Alaric stroked the side of her face as the hunter continued to come around.
"Not your fault," she peered through half groggy eyes at Damon. "Katherine….."
"Shhhh," Alaric gently pressed his finger upon her lips. "You need to rest."
"No," she shook her head, "Need to hunt her down."
"Brook," Damon spoke up with a stern but even tone, "You were badly burned trying to save me and your body is weak. You're lucky you don't have an infection."
"Hurts…" her face contorted to reflect the pain that lingered in her being. Damon looked to Alaric who simply nodded in silence and bit down on his wrist creating a small flow of thick lifesaving crimson.
"Here Brook," she gently gripped the back of his wrist and guided the open wound towards her parted lips. Damon found it slightly erotic the way her tongue probed the puncture wound to seek the richness within. Her eyes were closed as tiny groans slipped between her lips, a subtle sign of the hunter's secret craving. Brooklyn remained latched to Damon's wrist for several moments, knowing both men were a little turned on by what they witnessed.
"Enough," Damon gently pulled away. Brooklyn yawned and slid deeper beneath the blankets as a heavy feeling overcame her and lulled back to a gentle slumber.
"How much longer will it be until Brook's healed?"
"Not sure," Damon shook his head.
Alaric merely nodded and kissed the hunter lightly on the lips. Damon followed Alaric's actions and together they left Brooklyn alone to heal.
"Why did Bonnie do that?"
"Because according to Bonnie everything that's happened is my fault," Damon didn't hold back the sarcasm.
"But Katherine turned Caroline," Alaric shook his head in disbelief.
"Doesn't matter with her," Damon answered, "She holds me accountable for her Grams' death as I did want the tomb open to which she helped open and in the process drained her internal battery."
"Nice way of putting it," Stefan quipped.
"What? Did you want me to say she keeled over or dropped dead?"
"Never mind," Stefan shook his head, "You made your point Damon. Now let's focus on what Katherine is plotting and find out what's going on with the Lockwoods."
"Ah finally," Damon clapped his hands together, "We move on to something bigger and better!"
"But we go back to the big question: What is it they're hiding?"
"Ric," Stefan looked in his direction, "You once said Isobel researched the history of Mystic Falls. Did she have any books or journals that she may have left behind?"
Alaric sat and thought for a moment before answering. He had forgotten about Isobel's office back at Duke and since she was considered missing by the university perhaps her collection of research had been left untouched.
"I would have to check into it but I believer her research is still there."
"I'm sure Elena would want to go with you considering Isobel…."
Alaric shook his head and gently waved a hand dismissing Stefan's reservations.
"I'm over her," he announced without hesitation, "You don't have to tip toe around me when it comes to her."
"Well in that case I say we take a little trip down memory lane then hmmm?" Damon stood up and rubbed his hands together.
"What about Brook?" Alaric cast his eyes down the hall towards the bedroom.
"I'll keep an eye on her," Stefan assured him.
"Little brother the babysitter," Damon snickered. Stefan fired a cold look but it didn't dampen Damon's sense of humor.
"Damon," Alaric gently warned him.
"Oh Ric relax," the vampire slid a hand across the back of his shoulders. Alaric felt a chill run down his spine in response to Damon's touch. The vampire smiled at the human's reaction but knew there was a time and place to act upon those feelings.
"I can't," Alaric sighed, "Not until Katherine's fucking head is on a silver platter and her body is burning like the flames of Hell!"
"Wow," Damon paused behind him, "Tell us how you really feel."
"No he's right," Stefan added, "With Katherine back she will come after Brook and Elena and you know that is just the beginning. She already turned Caroline and who knows what else she's plotting?"
"Which means she stays here," Damon looked pointedly at his brother, "Katherine can't come in because she hasn't been invited….Got it?"
"I think Stefan got the message," Alaric interrupted before the two started fighting. "So before you two start another round of sibling rivalry…."
"Alright alright," Damon rolled his eyes.
"Thank you," Alaric softened his tone.
"Why don't you go make the call Ric? Damon can stay here with you."
"But what about you? Katherine made it rather clear she was after you," Alaric expressed concern for the younger Salvatore for he had come to see Stefan as a friend.
"I'll be fine," Stefan dismissed his concerns.
"Ah yes my brave little brother," Damon chuckled.
"Damon," Alaric warned the vampire again and shot a glance towards his undead lover.
"Such a buzzkill," the vampire grumbled and started back down the hall.
Damon drew back the sheets and gently pulled aside the bandages from his hunter's skin. Where deep angry crimson was once swept over her skin was gone and replaced by a deep rose hue. A few blisters were still remaining but the vampire knew they would subside with time. His blood continued to work through her body and heal the damaged flesh. The fire had penetrated through Brooklyn's upper torso leaving no layer or inch of skin unaffected by its searing touch.
He quickly replaced the tape and gauze then peeled away his clothing before crawling in beside her. His sharp hearing picked up the soft treading of Alaric's footsteps as he approached to join them both. Through the darkness Damon caught the soulful expression that was captured in Alaric's eyes. He had slowly begun to come around through allowing the subtle touches and looks Damon would cast in his direction. The vampire could hear Alaric's heartbeat pick up the closer he drew towards the pair though Alaric did his best to display a cool calm exterior.
Damon masked his sly grin as he watched Alaric strip down to his boxers before climbing in the other side.
As the trio slept in a comfortable silence, Brooklyn was visited by images of the blue eyed platinum blonde vampire…..
Many many many apologies for this overdue update! I had company in town and work and martial arts kept me busy
