I had a lot of problems to write this because somehow, I couldn't form any words. However, thanks to ThroughMySoul44's support and help, I managed. So, here's a longer chapter for you guys and I hope you enjoy.
Please Review!
"My dear child," The priest started, but Camilla cut him off.
"My husband knows," She said, her voice shaking. "He has always been abusive and ever since my affair he has just become worse."
"Tell me about it…" The priest encouraged her. "I won't judge you. Not even God will."
"It started in 1998, a few months after Miranda died. I had always been faithful to Grayson before that. Miranda had been sick for a long time, and even though I tried to save her, it was no use. Grayson had begun to trust me as a member of their family since I really did try to help. Even though my freedom was gone, I had never felt safer. Unlike my husband, neither Grayson nor Miranda ever raised their hands to me."
"I know that I should've been loyal to my husband, and not to them…especially since they were humans," Camilla said sadly, "But I always felt that I'm more human than I am vampire. Maybe it's because my father was initially a human."
The priest said nothing.
"A few months after Miranda died, some old friends of Grayson came over for dinner. They started to make fun of me and humiliate me, but Grayson stepped in. He didn't care, he didn't even care that as a governor he was setting a bad example. After they left, he even apologised on their behalf. He knew that I had done so much for their family."
She wiped her tear away. "You have to understand, Father. I hadn't seen my husband in eight years. I didn't even know if he was alive. I hated him for what he had done to me, for stealing my life, my job, and everything about me. I hated how he used to force himself on me even when I didn't want to. I found comfort in Grayson. He soon started to talk to me more often, showing signs of protectiveness until I started to realise that we were both falling for each other. It wasn't only gratefulness he showed towards me, it was more than that."
"But you did understand that what you were doing was wrong, right?" He asked her.
"Yes. When we were together, I felt guilt bite me like a rabid dog, at first. I felt guilty mostly because of the sin I was committing and I also felt that I was betraying Miranda since it happened not too long after her death. But then I started to realise that I wanted him, and nothing could stop me from having him."
Grayson hurriedly put the material he needed in his bag. He had given Camilla the cure she needed in a powdered form, but he knew that vervain had a lot of effects on vampires. If she were truly in a comatose state, she wouldn't be able to heal unless someone did it for her, and he had made Camilla vow to keep that cure for emergencies only. He had taught her how to use it but he didn't want other vampires to know that there was an antidote, and he doubted that any of the other vampires knew how to save her.
He had to go there. Even though they hadn't departed peacefully, he had always loved her. It had pained him to watch her go all those years ago, but in the end, they had both made their choices. Still, she was his true love. He loved Miranda, but he had never loved her as much as he had loved Camilla, even when she betrayed him and chose her vampire race over what they had.
He hurried to the big, white van that he owned, making sure to get the weapons necessary. He would get in, save Camilla, and then get out. He couldn't let her see him. He just needed to save her. The weapons his brother, Tom, had created were strong enough to put vampires to sleep as he crossed the town border. He knew how to do it…Everything was going to go as planned. After all, according to Elena, Giuseppe wasn't there and Giuseppe was the one that Grayson feared because as a governor, he had a lot of power.
Grayson hopped into the van, without noticing that Elena was safely hidden in one of the corners.
Knowing that his mother took confession very seriously, Damon decided to leave the house to give her the privacy she needed. He ran back to his favourite place, on the hill, and just laid there on the grass thinking about everything that had happened in the past few days. From where he was, he could see that the distant roads were like shallow rivers. Rain had been pouring down on him mercilessly, darkening the environment around him, but he didn't care.
He felt hurt. He knew that Elena wasn't a vampire and that she missed her family, but he never imagined that she had the guts to leave his mother there, broken, and disappear without even saying goodbye. She knew that she was important to him. He had always treated her right. What did she think? That he'd let her live as a slave forever? He could've saved her if she had given him a chance. But no, she had taken matters into her own hands and now he was broken and his mother was on her deathbed.
Tears streamed down his cheek as he looked at the empty space beside him. He was with Elena the last time he was there. It hadn't ended well, but at least they had enjoyed a night out together. He had enjoyed waking up with her lying so close to him, and feeling her warm breath on his face. But all of that was gone now. He wasn't going to see her again.
Damon left the place without looking back, and headed to the central part of the town to try and ease his nerves. He couldn't wait to go back home, but he had to respect his mother's privacy. He took a deep breath and headed towards the supermarket, a few miles away from the town's border, to try and figure out how humans had managed to enter their quiet town and destroy their happiness.
Camilla continued to breathe with difficulty, and the priest was growing worried.
"Camilla, you need to rest," He told her.
"No," She said, her voice full of determination. "I have to continue. Please, Father."
The priest hesitated, but then nodded his head.
"I loved him, and he loved me," She said. "Our relationship got more intense. Things were going wonderfully until I learnt that Giuseppe was still alive and was being held captive by a member of authority. He wasn't lucky as I was-He was used for experiments and brutally tortured. No matter how much I hated him, when I heard the news, I was horrified. I was horrified that Grayson let his authority members do such horrible things to people…He said that he wanted to create a cure for all the diseases in the world, using vampire blood. I couldn't believe it." She shuddered. "Then my husband somehow escaped and created a rebellion. There was an intense battle in the city and he found me soon enough. I didn't want to go back to Giuseppe, because I still trusted Grayson. I knew that unlike Giuseppe, he'd never hurt me."
A tear streamed down Camilla's cheek. "Giuseppe and Grayson got into a horrifying fight, to the point where they both had weapons against each other's bodies. I begged them to stop, to talk this through, but all they cared about was death. During all of this, Giuseppe made me choose. He told me that it was either my humanity or my vampirism. One of them was going to die for sure. I chose Giuseppe…not because I loved him, but because I knew that he'd come back for me and Grayson and kill us both. Grayson didn't think of it like that. He thought that I had betrayed him, that he never meant anything to me. He said that by choosing Giuseppe, I was choosing vampirism. I begged him for my freedom and he granted it without complaint-he was so hurt…But I had to. I had to choose Giuseppe. After the brutal tortures, I realised that maybe relationships between vampires and humans never work out. He still chose his humanity by hurting those vampires and he had tried to change me into a human on many occasions, and even though he loved me, he never fully accepted the fact that I'm a vampire—and therefore he never fully accepted me."
Grayson drove faster, and Elena tried to hold on for dear life. She had never seen her father this eager and suddenly the thought began to frighten her. From where she was, she couldn't see anything except darkness and at times, her father's reckless driving was forcing her to lose balance. She could hear her father talking on the phone with someone, but she couldn't quite make out what he was saying. All she could hear was the sound of the engine running.
A few more minutes passed and when the car finally stopped, Elena felt a wave of nausea rushing over her, but tried to remain calm. She saw her father get out, carrying something in his hands, and saw two figures hurrying towards him. She recognised one as her grandfather.
"We've cleaned the area from the guards, but we don't have many weapons left," He informed him. "You get in the house, and you get out.I hope, however, you do realise that you are risking a bloodbath here, right?"
"I have to do this…" Grayson said.
"Then you must be careful and you must hurry," His father almost snapped, "The vervain won't last long and there could be other guards. You have to take the underground tunnels, okay? They will lead you straight to the Salvatore house."
Back in the van, Elena didn't know how her grandfather was standing so casually in a vampire town without flinching. He seemed to be talking about Mystic Falls as if it were a place he frequented often, and this confused her. She knew that humans wouldn't just risk their lives in a vampire town like that, and besides, what kind of weapons did her grandfather have to be able to put vampires to sleep?
Grayson nodded his head and Elena hissed when she realised that she couldn't follow him any longer. She would have to sit there and wait, because now even her grandfather was standing there by the van, weapons in hand. His eyes were locked with his son, who was quietly walking in the direction he had pointed at.
Meanwhile, Grayson carefully walked through the tunnel, trying not to make a noise. He knew that there was a long way because his father had informed him, but somehow he knew that he was going to make it. The only fear he had was that of Camilla staying in a hospital, because he knew that he wouldn't be able to survive should he even consider walking next to those hungry vampires. Sighing, he kept the cure safely tucked in one hand, hoping that he could make it through without any problems.
"Camilla," The priest said as the woman stopped for breath, "You are ready to make peace with yourself and with God. He will forgive you for your sins."
"Not yet, Father," Camilla cried. "I haven't told you my worst sin yet." Tears continued to stream down her cheek. Sweat began to form on her forehead, goosebumps prickling all over her body when she made the huge effort to face the priest directly. Her hands started to shake and her breath caught in her throat, but she had to be free of that one last sin.
"I lied, Father," Camilla finally choked out. "I'm an adulteress and I'm a liar. I don't deserve to be forgiven."
"Don't say that, Camilla. God doesn't judge," The priest hushed her.
"You don't understand! I lied to Giuseppe. Damon's not his!" Camilla cried out, the little bit of strength she had draining as she raised her voice." He thinks he is, because at that time, the first cure for infertility had been created and he knew that I could have children. But Damon is not his, and I asked my friend to switch the DNA test results when Giuseppe demanded them. Can't you see, Father? I lied!"
At that, tears flowed down her cheek at a prompt pace, stunning the priest at that information, but he knew that God would have mercy on her soul. He put his hands together and prayed deeply for her and her family, wanting to assure her that she was going to find peace. He grabbed her hand tightly and encouraged her to pray for forgiveness.
By the time the priest had finished praying, Camilla was a mess, but at least she knew that she would die in a pure form and that if there was a Heaven, she had a chance to experience it. The Priest gave her hands a comforting pat on the shoulder and asked her if she wanted him to stay with her, but she just asked for her son instead. He nodded his head and left the room, saying another prayer for her, his heart aching.
Camilla's head rested against the pillow and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, guilt infesting itself inside her heart. She couldn't tell Giuseppe-He would surely abandon Damon. That boy needed him, as much as she hated to admit it, Damon still had to live under the same roof.
She found her locket, with the Gilbert Coat of Arms, and studied it delicately, her heart filling with remorse. Grayson was a sweet, beautiful dream…but he was just that. A dream. There could not have been a future, even if she had stayed. She took it off and placed it on the nightstand, and cried even harder when she realised why Elena meant so much to Damon. She was his half-sister. That was the only explanation. She had to tell him that. She had to tell Damon the truth. What was taking him so long?
Camilla looked at the surroundings one last time. She had always hated that bedroom. It made her feel like a foreigner in her own house. Maybe it was because of the countless times Giuseppe had forced her to his bed. Looking at the old, chunky furniture which used to crack whenever young Damon would run and jump by made her realise how much she had to go through. Giuseppe had always considered her to be a lesser species, and she didn't even know why she had agreed to marry him. When she was caught by the humans and she lost her fangs, a part of her was pleased that Giuseppe hadn't won-that Camilla could survive in her human form, unlike him, whose pride would've definitely prevented him from surviving.
She looked up, suddenly appreciating the small things: The simple paintings, the toys, and the ornaments Damon used to create for her, the rusty smell of the furniture… She had never really appreciated the beauty in life, with the sin she hid making it impossible to appreciate anything.
She closed her eyes again, but soon opened them when she heard the door opening. A smile formed on her lips, but quickly disappeared when she realised that it wasn't Damon.
"Hello, Camilla…"
It was Giuseppe. His voice was hoarse, his face angry. Fear settled into Camilla's features as she backed up against the headboard, watching Giuseppe walk towards her like a beast. She didn't even have the chance to scream. She felt pressure and pain on her heart, and the life slowly drained from her.
Grayson practically ran the last few yards and was relieved when he finally found himself in the backyard of the Salvatore plantation. He hurriedly walked into the house with ease, and ran straight upstairs, opening and closing the bedroom doors in desperation. Only when he opened one of the doors, he fell to his knees at the sight in front of him.
Camilla was gone. Dead, ashen.
"Such a beautiful sight, isn't it?"
Grayson turned around, a lump forming in his throat and tears falling down his cheek. He was about to ask what happened when suddenly he saw the blood covering Giuseppe's fingertips and the stake in his hands. Realization settled in.
"You did this to her!" Grayson roared, running towards him, head first, like a savage beast, "You did this!"
Giuseppe just stepped aside, watching in delight as Grayson fell to the floor with a loud thump. The latter quickly stood back up and started to throw vervain at him, but horror filled his features when he realised that nothing was working on him. Giuseppe just casually walked towards him, grabbed the darts, twisted Grayson's arms at an odd angle and laughed.
"I'm the governor, you're going to need something stronger than that!" He roared, snapping his bones easily. Grayson let out a scream as he kept trying to fight back, but Giuseppe's strength was conquering his. Without weapons and science, Grayson knew that he was nothing.
"She had a child with you!" Grayson roared, "A child I used to call my son!"
At that, he grabbed Grayson's face and twisted it 360 degrees, watching in delight as his wife's lover fell to the floor, lifeless.
Elena was growing impatient, and to make matters worse, it was getting colder and darker. Her grandfather had left and so had his companion, and she knew that she wasn't safe in a vampire town. The small girl crawled her way to the front seat and tried to look out the window. There, in the moonlight, a blue-eyed boy caught her attention. He was out there, sobbing at the same spot Camilla was taken, the spot covered by police tape. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Damon!" She started to yell without thinking twice. "Damon!"
At first, Damon thought he was dreaming. But as her voice grew more intense and he caught a glimpse of her in the van, his legs automatically carrying him to her. All anger towards her was gone. She had chosen him. She was back!
"Elena!" He cried, "You're here!"
"Help me get out," Elena begged him, referring to the locked door, "I could use your vampire strength."
Smiling, Damon used the right amount of force and the door swung open, and he immediately picked Elena up and held her closer to him.
"I thought you left…I thought…"
"I came back," Elena said, squeezing his hands. "We have to talk about this, Damon. I think we can be together…we can find a way. My father knows your mot-"
Before she could finish, however, there was a loud scream, and a couple of vampire howls were heard. Damon's head snapped around in fright as Elena whimpered, "What was that?"
"Humans! Humans in town! The Governor's wife is dead!" A voice roared, and Damon realised that it was the town's audio system, used in cases of emergency.
"Seal the borders!" The voice continued to roar, and panic took over Elena. Her father was in there, and so was her grandfather. She couldn't just leave them there!
In all that chaos, Damon barely realised that Elena was turning an alarming shade of white. His mind was still processing. His mother…No, it couldn't be! He didn't even have the chance to say goodbye!
It was Elena's scream that snapped him back to reality. As soon as he turned, he saw Elena being seized by at least a dozen vampires, who were baring their fangs at her and putting chains on her like a caged animal.
"Dear child, are you alright?" A woman asked Damon, "Has she hurt you?"
"No! Let her go!" Damon roared, making his way through the crowd.
"The poor child just lost his mother. He's not being reasonable," one said.
"His father would want to see this slave in prison. Seize her!" Another continued.
"Don't you think he should be the one to punish her?"
"Stop it!
All of you!" Damon roared, "Let her go! I don't want you to hurt her!"
"You don't want them to hurt her?" A familiar voice hissed, and Damon's blood ran cold when he saw his father standing in front of him. "You imbecile!"
With a roar, Giuseppe ordered a vampire to bring Elena forward as he started to use his vampire speed, pulling Damon behind him. The other dragged Elena as well and both of the two children started to scream at the force done on them. Their screams were the only sounds to fill the void night and as their legs repetitively slipped because of the wet soil, the two older vampires simply increased their paces until blood covered both Damon and Elena's legs. The road was uneven, and at one point Elena even felt pieces of glass and gravel just beneath her shoes.
As soon as they reached the Salvatore Plantation within minutes, and both vampires sped into the bedroom.
Giuseppe moved towards Elena and grabbed her from her hair, smiling in delight when he pushed her down on the floor. Then, he savagely forced her head up and she screamed in horror when she saw her father hanging from the ceiling fan, a rope around his neck.
Damon started to sob, and at that, Giuseppe laughed. "You're weak! There, son! There's your mother!" He roared, forcing him down on his knees next to Elena so that he could see his dead mother and Grayson. "That's what a human does! That's what Elena's going to become!" He roared, kicking Elena with all his might. "These are the savages you want to protect!"
"N-No…N-No…"
"He killed her!" Giuseppe screamed, "Her father killed your mother! That's the kind of beings humans are, you fucking imbecile! Can you see it now? Can you?"
"This is why we must kill!" Giuseppe roared, "Because it's kill or be killed. And you wanted to protect her!"
"N-No," Damon whimpered.
"Yes! I bet she was in the van to distract you! You're so soft, Damon…See? See why I warned you?"
Giuseppe turned to the other vampire. "Take the girl away. I'll deal with her later!"
"Damon, no!" Elena begged him, reaching out to touch his arm, "I didn't know this was going to happen, Damon, please!"
"No! Don't you touch me!" Damon roared. "This is your fault!"
"Please, Damon! I didn't know!" She begged, but was silenced by a harsh kick to her stomach before being dragged away, the darkness enveloping her. She couldn't believe it. It had to be some kind of strange dream. She didn't think that it would end up like this.
And it was then that Elena realised how stupid she had been. Much like a grieving parent or a mourning and loyal dog who still waited for his owner to come back even after death, Elena had let false hope take over her to the point that she actually believed that someday, vampires and humans could walk in the same town without any fear or conflict. She hated herself for even thinking that she could have both Damon and her family at the same time.
When she saw Damon's back towards her, standing by the vampires' side like a soldier, she knew that he had chosen his destiny...and it wasn't as her ally.
Summary: (Please Read)
*Camilla revealed that she was in love with Grayson, however she knew that it was impossible for them to have a successful relationship even though he loved her too. Giuseppe knew about the affair, and since he hated humans (he was tortured by them) when Camilla returned to him he just became more violent to keep punishing her.
*Grayson had given the powdered cure to Camilla to protect herself from vervain, which is and still was the thing that makes humans powerful. In this story, Vampires have no idea how vervain is created and therefore it is a major weakness. Camilla had promised Grayson not to tell anyone about this cure, and out of her love for him, she kept the promise. As stated, Camilla embraced her human side more than her vampire one at times, however she still cured vampires in hospitals whenever she could
*When Camilla found out that she was pregnant, a 'cure' for infertility in vampires had been discovered. Therefore, it was easy for Camilla to get a nurse's help in faking the DNA test results after being involved with both Giuseppe and Grayson, convincing Giuseppe that Damon was his son. This therefore makes Damon and Elena half-siblings (MORE to come on this!)
*Giuseppe heard Camilla revealing the truth, and killed her himself out of rage, then put the blame on Grayson. He managed to convince Damon that humans are dangerous-let's face it, he is a twelve year old boy whose mother just died. He is vulnerable and easily manipulated. Elena is taken away, but we still do not know what happened to her grandfather and his companion.
There will be a time jump next chapter, and I will be using flashbacks when needed.
BEWARE: The story is going to be DARK from this point on. It is Rated M and whilst I tried not to include a lot of violence as they were still children and I hate writing about that, it is now the time to experiment with other aspects of the story. So yes, it is Rated M, and there will be violence, sexual elements, and language.
Thank You for Reading, Please Review!