Thanks for being so patient with me! You guys seriously rule! I have been beyond busy with school and work and I can't thank you guys enough for still supporting me. I love you all so so much! Thanks for all of the amazing love and support for this story and my other ones. I will try to get the next couple of parts out to you within this week, it's not a promise, but I will try my hardest.
Beta: HarleyQuinn88
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD, only Grace, Adam, Diane and my story.
Grace took a deep breath, readying herself before opening the front door of the boarding house. She wasn't even out of danger for a couple hours and she now had to tell Damon that Bonnie would help open the tomb. The last time she saw Damon, he force fed her blood and threatened to turn her so needless to say, she didn't feel too comfortable being in the same room with him. Grace made her way to the library where she saw Damon putting on his leather jacket and the grimoire was close by. The vampire immediately felt her presence and turned over his shoulder, he looked disapprovingly at her and Grace squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.
"I'm gonna have to change the locks." He muttered and Grace's eyes found the carpet on the floor much more appealing than looking at Damon. "You stage a jail break?"
"Yeah, Adam and Stefan." She replied.
"Ah, ever the white knights." He smirked.
"I've convinced Bonnie to help you." She said.
"I doubt that."
"I'm not going to say that I'm sorry we got the grimoire without you last night because I'm not really." Grace growled.
"Well at least you're honest." Damon quipped snidely.
"I was protecting the people I love, Damon." She defended. "And so were you, in your own twisted way and as hard as it is to figure, we're all on the same side and we're after the same thing."
"Not interested." He said, turning to side step Grace but she walked further into the room to meet him.
"Oh please!" She scoffed. "You are because you were willing to work with us yesterday."
"Fool me once, shame on you." Damon smirked.
"Okay, so why didn't you compel me in Atlanta?" She suddenly asked and the vampire placed the grimoire on a little table.
"Who's to say I didn't?" He countered.
"I know you didn't, but you could have." She replied. Her arms were crossed across her chest. "You and I, we have something. An understanding. And I know that my betrayal hurt you and you threatening to turn me hurt me, but I promise that I will help you get Katherine back." She pleaded but Damon didn't seem convinced at all.
"I wish I could believe you." He said and Grace sighed deeply. Her hands traveled up to her neck to unclasp a necklace that Adam had given her. Normally she didn't wear it but because the vervain was out of her system she thought it would be better to use the necklace for now. It was a circular silver pendant with an angel wing charm hanging on the chain. She held up the necklace, the charm swinging in front of Damon's eyes, and she placed it down on the same table as the grimoire.
"Ask me if I'm lying now." She growled. Damon's gaze fluttered between Grace and her necklace as he took a couple steps closer to her.
"I thought you said that you were on vervain?" He asked.
"I was, but the vervain passed out of my system so Adam gave me that." Grace replied and Damon hummed, picking up the necklace in his hands and examining it. He shook his head before undoing the clasp. Grace looked at him curiously and Damon made a motion for her to turn around. She did, hesitantly at first, and then swept the hair off her neck. Damon's arms came around her and she felt the cool metal of the chain on her skin as he clasped the necklace around her neck.
"I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun." He said into her ear. "I wanted it to be real." The vampire murmured and Grace slowly turned to meet his blue eyes. Damon cupped her cheek, his thumb playing over her chin, just under her bottom lip. "I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it." He pleaded and Grace nodded.
"Brother, witches, angel boy." Damon greeted each party as he and Grace walked over to the tomb. "Are we ready?" He asked.
"I just want to get this over with." Elena said.
"Yes, we're ready." Bonnie said and Shelia nodded with her. The group all made their way down into the tomb where Shelia started to light the torches that Stefan had put up.
"Air, Earth, Fire." She murmured as she lit each candle.
"Water." Bonnie finished and she handed Grams a bottle of water. She took it and sprinkled it on the ground.
"That's it? Just water from the tap?" Elena raised an eyebrow.
"As opposed to what?" Shelia quipped.
"I just figured it would have to be blessed or mystical or something." She said.
"Did you really just call water 'mystical'?" Grace giggled and Elena playfully elbowed her. Damon pulled a blood bag out from the inside of his leather jacket and Grace eyed it. "What's that?" She asked warily.
"It's for Katherine." He answered simply with a smile. "Gotta have something to get her going. Unless you're offering to tap a vein." Damon smirked and Grace rolled her eyes. Adam growled and slipped a hand around Grace's waist and Damon just wiggled his eyebrows. "Admit it; you can't wait to get rid of me." He said to Stefan.
"I can't wait to get rid of you." Stefan said back to him and Damon just smirked.
"We're ready." Bonnie said and she and her Grams held hands as they started to chant in an unknown language.
"What are they saying?" Damon asked.
"It's Latin." Grace answered.
"How do you know?" The vampire smirked.
"I've taken some Latin in college. I don't know what they're saying but it sounds familiar." She said and the torches suddenly sparked up, the flames burned brightly. Suddenly the two women stopped chanting and the tomb door swung open. Grace was immediately hit with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach along with the smell of decaying flesh. She felt the energies of mummified vampires that lay just inside the tomb. They were weak, but they were able to smell the fresh blood and that made them eager to taste the sweet liquid.
"It worked!" Bonnie said excitedly.
"Of course it worked." Grams agreed.
"Don't you have some fires to build?" Damon asked his brother snidely.
"I'm gonna go get the gasoline, I'll be right back." Stefan said and he climbed the tomb steps. Damon's eyes shifted between Grace and Elena before chuckling to himself.
"You ready?" He said to Elena.
"What?" She eyed him curiously.
"I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" He gripped Elena's arm tightly, pulling her to him and Grace, Bonnie, Shelia and Adam tensed.
"Don't take her in! I'll bring the walls down!" Shelia threatened.
"You'll bring the walls down even if I don't." Damon replied.
"Damon, don't!" Grace sneered. "You said you trusted us!"
"I said I trusted you." He nodded his head towards her. "I'm not too sure about you." The vampire growled at Shelia.
"Typical vampire!" Shelia snapped.
"Enough, both of you!" Elena interrupted them. "Look, he needs leverage. He needs to know that you're not going to shut the door when he gets inside. I get it. I'll go." She said and the group watched Damon take her inside the dark tomb. Grace paced nervously back and forth as someone came down the stairs and she hoped that it was Stefan but she growled seeing that it was Anna.
"You're not going in there!" She hissed.
"You think you can stop me?" The vampire scoffed and Grace tried to pull her back but Anna quickly threw her up against the wall. Anna hissed, her fangs gleaming and ready to bite, but Adam yanked her back by her hair. The two stood eye to eye until Anna blurred inside the tomb.
"Why did you let her go in?" Grace asked Shelia.
"Because she isn't coming out. None of them are." She replied.
Stefan had learned the news of Damon's selfishness and couldn't help but want to kill his brother. All of them waited nervously until Elena's shrill scream pierced the air and Stefan bolted inside after her while Grace made a move to follow him but Adam gripped her arm. Bonnie side stepped the pair to run after Stefan but her Grams stopped her as well.
"You can't go in there, Grace!" He said, pulling her back from the door.
"I have to! She's my friend, Adam!" She wrestled her arm from his grip. "Please, trust me on this," Grace pleaded, taking his hands in hers and letting them glow a warm orange color. Adam squeezed her hands and added his energy to the mix.
"You've been practicing." He smiled and she nodded.
"You never know when you'll run after your best friend into a tomb of vampires." Grace quipped and let her hands slip from Adam's. She turned on her heel to run into the cave and Adam just looked on after her. The inside of the tomb was dark and stuffy, with little whispers running over the cavern walls. Grace looked down and let out a gasp seeing a mummified vampire at her feet. The corpse groaned and tried to move its limbs but the movements were lethargic and heavy. She jumped back from the vampire, stumbling on her feet before shifting to sprint through the dark tunnels.
"Where is she?" Grace heard Damon's gruff growling echo off the walls and she tried to follow the sound. She then heard Damon yelling again before a splattering sound reached her ears. "She's not here!" Grace was able to make out some shadows from the lit torches on the walls and it led her to a little alcove in the caves where Damon and Stefan were arguing. Elena was there as well; clutching her wrist that was bleeding and Grace ripped a piece of the bottom of her shirt off and wrapped it around the wound.
"She's not worth spending all of eternity down here! She's not worth it!" Stefan protested.
"No!" Damon shoved his brother roughly.
"Damon!" Grace called and the blue eyed vampire glared at her, his gaze was hard and filled with anger. "Please…" She begged and Damon eyed her before taking one last look in the empty room that would have housed Katherine before growling loudly and following Grace back through the system of tunnels. Stefan pulled Elena along while Grace and Damon were holding up the rear. They all saw the light at the end of tunnel when they heard Bonnie calling for them to hurry because she and Grams didn't have enough power to keep the tomb open. Grace saw Adam and pushed her legs to run faster but she suddenly tripped over something and fell to the ground. She heard a crack in her chest and so did the other vampires in the tomb, including Damon and Stefan.
"Grace!" Elena called, seeing her friend hurt and Grace groaned, getting up on her knees, bracing herself on one hand while the other hand held her aching ribs. Grace struggled to stand and then she felt someone gently pull her up.
"Damon, get out of here." Grace pushed him for the door, but Damon's hands held her upper arms tightly.
"And hear your boyfriend curse me for the rest of eternity? No thanks." Damon growled and hoisted her up to stand. Stefan and Elena took this as an opportunity to run for the door, hearing Bonnie's and Adam's pleas grow more frantic. Damon pulled Grace for the entrance and she shuddered in pain, each step she took sent a twinge to her bruised or broken ribs. Stefan and Elena got through and turned to see Damon and Grace struggling to move. Grace pushed harder, the pain becoming stronger but she pushed it to the back of her mind since she had to get out of this tomb before she and Damon were locked in there forever. The pair was finally closing in on the exit and Grace reached for Adam but her hopes were crushed when the door on the tomb scratched against the dirt ground as it was sealed shut.
"No!" Grace screamed, her little hands pounding on the stone door and Damon was doing the same. "Help us! Open the door!" She screeched. It was so dark, they only had a single flashlight to illuminate things and it was currently in Grace's shaking hands.
"Grace! Grace!" Adam's voice reached her ears and she banged on the door of the tomb even harder.
"Adam! We're stuck in here! We can't open the door!" She cried hopelessly.
"Okay, listen to me. Just calm down. I'm gonna get you out." He consoled her and placed both hands on the door. "Grace, I need you to place your hands on the door." He instructed and with shaking hands, Grace handed the flashlight to Damon and rested her hands on the tomb door. Sensing her energy, Adam praised her. "Good, now I need you to concentrate on moving the door. I'll help you." He said and Grace closed her eyes. She focused on the door but the pain in her ribs was now overwhelming. The vampire heard screams and groans coming from further inside the dark tomb and he knew that they smelled Grace's fear.
"What is that?" She asked as she turned over her shoulder to stare into the darkness.
"The tomb vampires. They can smell you." Damon replied and Grace shivered. "What does it matter?" The vampire spat. "You'll get out but I'll still be stuck in here because of the spell."
"I won't leave without you." Grace said firmly. "We're getting out of this together." She added, looking Damon straight in the eye. He held her stare and Grace closed her eyes once more. He held the light on the door while Grace concentrated and he heard the screams get louder. They were getting closer. Grace's mind kept hitting a wall, literally, as she tried to link with Adam's energy but she came up empty handed. "C'mon, c'mon." She huffed, her hands pushing harder into the door.
"Keep trying, Grace!" Adam begged.
"I can't do this." Grace sobbed, covering her ears as the screams continued. She'd always been scared of the dark ever since she was little. She couldn't go into a haunted house just because of the mere fact that it would be dark. Her ribs throbbed and so did her head from the adrenaline rush.
"Yes, you can! I need you to focus, Grace! I know you're scared right now but we'll get you out." Adam pleaded and he tried to use his own energy but it wasn't enough. He needed another Guardian's help to open the door.
Grace's nails bit into her scalp as she pressed harder against her ears. She was trying to do something, anything to block out the noise. Grace felt someone take her hands away from her ears and she looked up to see Damon holding her wrists.
"I'll take care of the vampires if they come. You work on the door." He said and Grace was speechless that he was trying to help her. "We're getting out of this together, right?" He nodded and Grace gave him a determined look before placing her hands back on the door. Adam felt Grace's energy stir up once more and he focused. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath and she suddenly felt a rush of power run through her body. Adam's hands glowed brightly and Grace was able to see the light through her closed lashes.
Bonnie and Shelia were trying to recover their energy outside the tomb while Stefan held a hysterical Elena in his strong arms. The torches outside were suddenly aflame and the group stood motionless. Shelia eyed the flames growing along with Adam's and Grace's energies.
"She's pulling on our energy to get them both out." Shelia murmured. Adam felt the tomb door shifting under his hands and he pushed harder.
"Keep going, Grace. Just a little more." He said.
Grace nodded, hearing him and feeling the strength she was now possessing. She was still in her deep trance and Damon watched in awe as a golden light illuminated over the door, but a scream over his shoulder made him anxious.
"Grace, I know you're working but they're coming." He said and suddenly the door flung open, and they both fell over the threshold. Once they both crossed over, the door swung shut with a strong slam. Grace stumbled into Adam's arms and he hugged her tightly. She didn't care that her rib were in pain anymore since she was happy to be out of that tomb.
"You did it!" Adam chanted in her ear and Grace nodded into his chest. Damon watched the two of them embrace and he felt the urge to vomit at the sickly sweet scene before him. Adam heard a groan from Grace and he pulled back and she nearly collapsed in his hold. "What happened to you?" He asked worriedly.
"My…my ribs." She gasped out, holding her chest.
"We have to get you out of here." Adam said while winding an arm around her waist and propped her arm over his shoulder. The entire group made their way out of the tomb, finding the air around them crisp and cool. They all started to leave but one person caught her eye. Damon was standing alone, looking at nothing in particular as he stared off into the night. He just looked so heartbroken. The person he had been fighting for, the person he loved wasn't in that tomb. Even though Katherine was portrayed as a selfish bitch, Grace still felt her heart break for Damon. She untangled herself from Adam and slowly made her way over to the broken vampire, all the while still clutching her ribs. He saw her but didn't make any movements towards her. She was standing in front of him now; she could practically see that he was shaking with anger and sadness. Grace laced her arms around his shoulders, embracing him tightly even though her ribs twitched in pain.
"I'm so sorry, Damon." She whispered against his chest, but he remained stone still in her grip. He didn't hug her back, he was tense and so wound up that he thought he might snap. She heard him whimper in her ear and she shushed him quietly as she rubbed her hand comfortingly over his back. Grace wished she could take his pain away and place it on herself.
Grace was lying in bed that night, trying to fight the unbearable pain in her shoulder blades. Adam had healed her ribs and gone home, except now the pain was coming through her back. She was sleeping on her stomach, not even the comfy mattress beneath her could alleviate the pain. Her bottom lip was trapped tightly between her teeth in an effort to hold in her screams. The pain in her shoulder blades had become so bad that she considered crawling to the car and driving herself to the hospital. Grace tossed around the idea of calling Adam to help heal her but it was late at night and it would be ridiculous to call him now. Although, Grace was positive that he'd come over. It was amazing how close they'd become over the time they spent together training. And then there was that kiss. She felt safe with him and she liked that comforting feeling whenever he was around her. She made the decision to try and get out of bed and refill her glass of water on her night table, thinking that if she was to move the pain would be less concentrated. She could also take some aspirin and she'd hopefully be able to get some sleep.
It took her twenty minutes alone to get out of bed and she was sure to grab onto any piece of furniture, including the banister, to steady herself. Finally reaching the ground floor, Grace shuffled quietly across the kitchen floor and made her way to the cabinet to grab a glass. She cautiously lifted her arm and was able to grip the glass, but a sudden sharp pain shot through her and the glass shattered to the floor. Grace winced when the glass broke on the floor and she held her breath, trying to hear if the noise had woken up her mother but she was met with a deafening silence. Grace then felt a substance dripping down her back so she lifted her hand to touch her shoulder and she felt a warm liquid engulf her hand. Not to mention she also felt something hard sticking out of her skin.
No.
Sure enough her own blood was dripping off her fingers. The protruding bone was moving on its own as it tried to push out of her skin. Oh, no, it was happening. Right now! It felt beyond odd that she had an extra appendage sticking out of her back and not to mention, it hurt! The bone wiggled, pushing out her back and Grace squirmed, among other things. Panic and pain ran through her and she did the first thing that came to mind.
"MOM!" She screamed. Her mother ran upstairs seeing her daughter's fingers covered in blood. Her eyes fell to the shattered glass on the floor as well.
"What happened?" She gasped.
"Mom, my back is bleeding!" She stuttered out quickly through her tears.
"Oh my god…it's happening." Diane hushed.
"What? Now?" Grace sobbed before another wave of pain crashed down on her.
"Yes, now!" Her mom said and gripped her phone, dialing Adam's number. Grace's legs collapsed underneath her and Diane crouched next to her, trying to ease her pain.
"Mommy…mommy, please help me!" She whimpered as a tearing sound ripped through the house accompanied by a scream passed through her lips. Her skin tore open over her other shoulder blade and the bone started to emerge as well.
"I know, sweetheart." Diane cooed. She was trying the best she could to help her daughter but she had never seen a transformation before. She didn't even go through it herself so what kind of help could she be for her suffering daughter.
"Please…make it stop…" Grace whimpered as Adam gently stroked her hair. She was lying on her back on the couch in the living room with several bloody towels around them. Her bare breasts pushed into the couch since her shirt was in shreds on the floor. The worst of it was over, her wings had broken through the muscle and skin of her back and now they were just waiting for the bone to sprout feathers. Adam assured Diane that he'd take care of her little girl and that's what he did. He didn't leave her side for a moment.
"I know it hurts, Grace, but it's almost over." He consoled her. She was now sporting two holes where her shoulder blades were and he could see the bones of her wings trying to emerge. Grace bit her lip and squeezed his hand as she felt the bones coming out of the skin a little further. "It's okay. Easy, Grace. I'm right here." He shushed her and she nodded silently. Adam saw little white feathers start to materialize over the bone and he smiled.
"How much longer?" She whispered.
"Almost, your feathers are coming in." Adam said.
"Really?" Grace asked excitedly. "How do they look?"
"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful." He smiled brightly as the soft white feathers were sprouting, nearly covering the whole bone. The new Guardian even felt the tips of them tickling her bare skin. She was able to see a mass of white when she looked over her shoulder.
"The pain is gone." She murmured.
"I'm glad." Adam combed his fingers through her curls and he felt her relax even further. "I know you're tired, so sleep."
"But, what about…?"
"It's done. Your transformation is over." He said as he watched her wings press against her back. Grace gasped, feeling it too. It was like they had a mind of their own. Adam watched the mesh of feathers and bone seep back underneath the skin and Grace's back no longer had those grotesque holes. He took a warm washcloth and cleaned the dried blood on her skin, making sure it was clean. Adam then gripped a blanket, wrapping it around her back and propping her gently to sit up. Grace pulled the fleece around her cold skin, and snuggled in tightly. Adam picked her up in his arms and brought her upstairs to her room. Her bed was still unmade so he set her onto the comfy mattress. He was just about ready to leave but Grace gripped the sleeve of his shirt.
"Can you stay with me, please?" She whispered quietly and wanted to curse herself for doing this but she didn't want to be alone right now. Adam looked back at her bloodshot red eyes and her tear stained cheeks and eased himself into her bed with her. He kicked off his shoes and pulled the blankets over the two of them. Grace sighed, her body snuggled tightly against his and she immediately felt warmed by his body. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He kissed her forehead and Grace snuggled her face in the crook of his neck. She sighed deeply, her body relaxing into his. Adam stroked her hair calmly and knew that Grace's new life was just beginning. He didn't doubt that she was ready; he knew she could handle it and he was more than happy to stand by her side and help her.
So it seems like Adam and Grace are definitely getting closer. What will Grace's friends have to say about her new transformation and what new responsibilities are ahead for our new Guardian?
Please review and let me know what you would like to see in future chapters!