I was on a road trip with Damon, Stefan, and Alaric. Damon had called and woken me up extra early for this trip. He said I should be there if they found anything. Let me tell you, hours in a car with these three guys is enough to drive anyone insane. Alaric stopped the car at a gas station to refill on gas.
Damon and I were the only ones in the car, seeing as how Stefan went inside with Alaric. "Please tell me we're almost there," I say. "We got an hour left to go," Damon says. "Yay. More time stuck in a car," I say, sarcastically. He turns around from the front seat and looks at me, "I know this isn't the day you had in mind, but this also might help you. We could find out more about that whole 'being leaders with Kai' thing."
"I know and I'm grateful you're trying to help me. It's just I thought this day would be different. More empowering, I guess," I explain. "At least you get to spend it with your family or at least part of it," he says, trying to make me feel better. "Yeah," I say quietly. "I know you wish today was a bit better, but Happy Birthday, Faye," Damon says, giving me a small smile. "Thanks," I smile back.
"Yes, Happy Birthday, dear Freya," a distinct British accent fills my ears as the car door opens then closes. I see the familiar dirty blonde haired, blue eyed vampire sitting right next to me. "Tia?" my voice is filled with surprise. "The one and only," she says with a smirk. She reminds me of her brother so much sometimes.
I guess she would seeing as how she's Klaus' twin sister. "What are you doing here?" I ask her. "Well, apart from the birthday wish, Elijah sent me," she answers. "Why'd Elijah send you?" Damon asks. "Because Freya won't answer his phone calls," she replied.
"I don't want to talk to him," I say. "You have to at some point," she argues. "Not right now I don't." "He's worried about you," she says. "Well, you can tell him not to because I'm fine," I say.
"I just tracked you across the country and you won't see reason?" she asks. I can tell she's getting frustrated. You can hear it in her voice. She has a short temper. Another thing she shares with her brother.
"Nope." She sighs, then reaches into her bag and pulls out an old looking book. "Elijah wanted me to give this to you," she says, handing it to me. I hesitantly take it and look at it. "Don Quixote. My favorite," a small smile making its way onto my face. "He also wanted me to give you this," she says, giving me a small box.
I open it and see a locket sitting inside. (Picture on the side) "He's had it for centuries. He never wanted to give it to someone until now," Tia says. I look up at her and I don't know what to say. "I understand why you don't want to speak with him, but promise me you'll think about it." I give her a small nod and before I know it she opens the door and she's gone.
A/N: Tia will be coming back and staying for a bit longer, but I just wanted to go ahead and introduce her character.
"Hey. Were you invited to Friends-giving?" Stefan asks Damon. We were finally in Portland. Damon was getting his backpack with Ms. Cuddles inside out of the trunk. "Of course," Damon answers. "Caroline demanded he bring string beans," I add.
"Why? Were you not invited?" Damon asks Stefan. "Nope," Stefan replies. "Ooh, boy. You messed with the wrong girl's feelings," Damon says. "You should really do something about that," I tell Stefan. "Why wouldn't I consult you in a decision that might permanently change your life? Hmm. I wonder," Damon says in the direction of Alaric who's on the phone with Elena.
I kind of tune out the rest of the conversation. My thoughts drifting to Elijah and the locket he sent me, which was currently residing inside my bag in the car, along with the book. I'm pulled out of my thoughts when the guys start walking. "Is that the reason Caroline assigned me the turkey and the cranberries? Stefan wasn't invited," Alaric asks. "See what you did? Now we're pulling your weight. I really hope you figure this out before Christmas," Damon teases.
"Yeah. Well, I'm glad you're both finding amusement in this," Stefan says to Alaric and Damon. "Why don't you just date her, put us all out of our misery?" I ask. "Because I don't think about her that way. She's my friend." "Who would make a good girlfriend. Look. One, she's hot - objectively," Damon says. "Two, she puts up with you," Alaric adds.
"Big plus. Three, very, very well organized." "Organizational skills?" Stefan asks. "There are no drawbacks to this woman, Stefan," Damon says. "Eh, she did sleep with you," I say. "See? Another plus."
We continue walking and make it to an empty field. "Oh! Look. We're here. Behold the Gemini Coven exactly how it looked four months ago," Stefan says.
"Like I said, uh, three thousand miles ago, it's not here. Can we, uh, go home now, please?" Stefan asks. "Such a downer on such a lovely day, Stefan," I say. "I'm sorry. I know it's your birthday and it's really important, but I told Damon there was nothing here," he says. "You know what? Check the GPS again. Just because we don't see anything doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Alaric says. "Not unlike Caroline's feelings for Stefan," I say.
"Hilarious. Keep them coming." Damon takes Ms. Cuddles out of his bag and holds her up to his face. "Oh, no. Is Stefan feeling sensitive about ruining his friendship with Caroline? She really liked him, and he broke her heart," he says in a high-pitched voice. I can't help but laugh at the playful Damon standing before me. "See, Stefan? Even the bear knew," Alaric says.
"I saw that from a mile away and my brain's made of cotton," Damon says in Ms. Cuddles voice. "Give me this," Stefan grabs Ms. Cuddles and kicks her into the field. It hits something and it makes the sky look like it's rippling. Like water. Suddenly, a large house appears in front of us.
Damon walks up onto the porch and picks up Ms, Cuddles, "Ms. Cuddles, one. Invisible creepy mansion, zero."
Damon rings the doorbell as we all wait on the porch; Alaric is holding Ms. Cuddles. "Anybody want to take a stab at how Bonnie's Teddy bear undid whatever was cloaking this place?" Stefan asks. "He said without laughing," I comment. "Jo told me she got rid of her magic by putting it away for safekeeping. Maybe Bonnie put her magic away in this," Alaric says, looking from Ms. Cuddles to us. "Why would Bonnie put her magic in Ms. Cuddles?" Stefan asks.
"To keep Kai from using her to get out," Damon answers. He sighs and opens the door. He goes to enter the house but can't because he hasn't been invited in. "Can't say I miss that," Alaric says. "It's all yours, brother," Damon tells him. Alaric hands me Ms. Cuddles before going inside and walking upstairs.
We stood outside the house, in the front yard, looking at a handful of pictures Alaric brought down. "Jo lived here. There's a drawer inside full of stuff, newspaper articles about Jo's medical clamp, pictures of her as a kid, pictures of her as a teenager," he says. "She looked so normal. I wish I had that," I say, quietly. "I guess that's the price of being the savior's daughter," Stefan says. "Wait a minute," I say, grabbing a picture out the stack.
"That's Kai from planet 1994," Damon says, looking over my shoulder at the picture of Jo and Kai. "Wait. Jo is his sister?" Stefan asks, confused. "Either that, or they both have a thing for Cosby sweaters," Damon says. "I didn't know I had guests," a voice sounds from behind us. We all turn around to see an older man with gray, almost white, hair.
"You've met Kai?" he asks. "Met him? Watched him die, watched him come back to life. Why? You know him?" Damon asks, walking closer to the man. I walked over with Damon and held onto his arm. Something about this man gave me a bad feeling. "Yeah. He's my son. I'm Joshua Parker," the man, Joshua, says.
"Damon Salvatore and this is my sister, Freya," Damon says sticking out his free hand. "Invisique," Joshua says, shaking Damon's hand. "What the hell just happened?" I hear Stefan ask behind us and I turn to look at him. "I don't know," Alaric answers. "What's wrong with you guys?" Damon asks them but they don't answer.
"They can't see you anymore, Damon, which means they also can't see this," Joshua says. He holds up his hand toward Damon's head, and Damon groans in pain, clutching his head and sinking to the ground. "Stop!" I yell at Joshua, but seconds later Damon is passed out. "What did you--" I was cut off by Joshua's hands on both sides of my head. He starts chanting words and soon enough I lose consciousness.
I awake to see I'm in some woods. I see Kai and Jo, but she looked like she did in the photo I saw earlier. The one from 1994. "What the hell?" I ask out loud but it seems like no one heard me. They're standing in the center of a large circle of people. "The power of the eclipse will merge us as one. You know what to say?" the younger version of Jo asks Kai.
"Been practicing my whole life," Kai answers. They take each other's hand, close their eyes and begin to chant. "Sanguinem desimilus. Sanguinem generis fiantus," they chanted together, but nothing happened. "I don't feel anything," Kai says. He looks at Jo, puzzled before trying again by himself, "Sanguinem desimilus. Sanguinem generis fiantus." Again, nothing happens.
Jo doesn't look surprised that it's not working. "Josette, what did you do? Why can't I feel your magic?" Kai asks her, then looks around at the people surrounding them. "And why aren't they saying anything? They should be saying something. They should be saying something, right? We're merging. This should all be a bigger deal," he says with what sounds like worry and fear in his voice. Suddenly, Joshua appears, holding the Ascendant and stepping forward from the circle of the coven around them. Kai shouts in pain and drops to his knees, clutching his head.
I run to Joshua and try to stop him, but I just end up running through him. It's as if I'm not there at all. "Sanguinem filio, sanguinem effurgarex perpetuum. Sanguinem filio, sanguinem effurgarex perpetum," Joshua chants. Wind is whipping around everyone, but I can't feel it. Kai lies on the ground, as though pinned down. He looks so scared.
No one should have to go through this, no matter what they did. I quickly run over to him and try to help him, but my actions are futile. He soon disappears and then I'm unconscious on the ground beside where he used to lay.
I wake up in the back of the car as it stops. "Thank God. I thought that he-witch put you in a coma. You were passed out the entire ride home," I hear Damon say. I sit up kind of fast and immediately regret it because I'm slammed with a raging head ache. "We're home?" I ask.
"Well, just outside of home. Alaric was gonna take you to the boarding house," he says. "No, it's okay. I can walk home. I think I need the fresh air," I say, getting out the car. Damon gets out the car and comes over to my side. "You sure?" I nod my head. He sighs and reaches into his backpack, then brings out a box.
"This is for you," he says, giving it to me. I open the box and see a professional camera inside. Damon knows how much I love taking pictures. I look at him with a smile, then hug him, "Thank you." "You're welcome," he says, hugging me back.
I let go of him a few moments later and close the box. "Stefan got you something too. It actually goes with what I got you," he says, reaching into his bag and pulling out a new photo album. "They're perfect. Really. I couldn't have asked for a better gift," I say with a smile. "Goodnight, Faye. Happy Birthday," he says before I cross the border and start on my way home.
After what seemed like forever, I finally made it home. I passed Jeremy on the way to my room and he told me 'Happy Birthday'. I thanked him then went to my room. I put all my stuff on my desk before reaching into my bag and pulling out my gifts from Elijah. I'll admit, they're very thoughtful gifts. I couldn't imagine them from anyone else.
I set the locket down on my nightstand as I sat on my bed. I looked at the book in my hands. Don Quixote was always my favorite and the fact that Elijah remembered that made it all the more special. I opened it and saw there was a little note written on the first page.
Freya,
I undersatnd why you don't wish to speak with me and I understand you're hurting. I never meant for that to happen. I was simply trying to do what you asked of me. I know it may take some time for you to agree, but I would very much like to see you so we may talk in person.
Tia promised she would give the gifts to you and I hope you like them. I remember you telling me Don Quixote was your favorite around the time we first met. As for the locket, I acquired it some time ago. I was drawn to it the moment I saw it. I never gave to another. I never wanted to, until now. I hope to hear from you soon. Happy Birthday, Freya.
Elijah
I closed the book and put it beside the locket on the nightstand. I will talk to him soon. First, I want to find out why I saw that thing with Kai.