I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.

Okay all! Big, big, big thank you to Serendipity now, I really appreciated the feedback on the rough draft. It just kinda cemented my feelings on the whole thing, so this is what I've changed it to. Thank you all for your views, and reads.

I wanted to take a second to respond to my last reviewer, thank you for the feedback I'm always greatful for it. I also want to thank you for taking the time to read my story. I'm gonna try and keep it as close to TVD as I can, but par for the course this story does seem to have a few differences from the show, hopefully I'll write it in a way that blends well enough. Thank you again for your review and, your comments. They help keeping the creativity flowing.

BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the previous cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 14: Bringing out the Dead prt 2

"What the hell was that?" Tessa asked as she paced across the living room for the 7th time. Her father and Paige sat on the couch beside one another- even her father hadn't a clue as to what had taken place moments before.

Paige took a breath as she flipped through a big book, she'd grabbed it from her bedroom after Tessa had calmed down from the shock of what had happened. Her family apparently kept a log of the Fae creatures, so as to keep guard over them, from hunters. "I haven't seen one in my lifetime, and that is saying something. The ones we usually come into contact with are the dead ones. However, you are in a limbo so to speak, neither dead or living, so-so with your fairy heritage it makes sense."

"What about this makes sense?" Tessa snapped at her just wanting to know what it was she saw.

"Here it is," Paige said as she moved to lay the book on the coffee table, she turned so that Tessa could see it right side up, there was no picture, just a title across the top of the page in messy handwriting.

The Banshee

"I'm sorry? What the hell is a Banshee? Why would I see one?" Tessa was growing frustrated at her questions piling up.

"You didn't just see a Banshee, Tessa." Paige began as she turned the book back to herself, "I-I think you are one."

Tessa rolled her eyes now.

"I'm serious. I have never heard a scream like that, except for when a Banshee is wailing on the count of someone dying." Paige explained.

"Okay, well what does that mean? I'm gonna be visited by these things whenever a person dies? Because, I hate to break this to you, but people die every day!" She snapped at the blonde woman angrily.

"Tessa. Paige is just trying to help." Charles said to her, his tone clipping. Tessa bit the inside of her mouth at that, she didn't want to bring it up here, but she was beyond shocked her dad was with someone. She was angry about it, her mother had never moved on, not once. Yet here he was, the man that had lied for years about his death, dating a goddamn fairy.

"I'm sorry." Tessa said shortly after taking a stabling breath, "That- that was terrifying, that's all."

Paige nodded her face taking on an expression of sympathy, "I'm sure it was, Banshees are nothing to mess with. Their screams are powerful things." Tessa nodded, her ears itched at just the memory of the screaming.

"So, why-why would you think I was a Banshee?" Tessa asked as she sat across from the couple in an armchair.

"Well, Banshee's are what used to be fairies, they've passed on, and become the wailing women you see them as. They warn of death, to certain families- they are a popular lore in Ireland, but that was because when the Fae people immigrated to Ireland, they were greeted with hunters-and, well dead fairies equal banshees." Tessa nodded her eyes flicking towards the book. "The banshee visits a household and by wailing she warns them that person is about to die." Paige read from her book, Tessa paused her eyes flicking over to her father then back to Paige.

"How am I supposed to figure out who?" Tessa questioned glancing out of the front window.

"I don't know," Paige told her as she slid her hand over Tessa's. Tessa paused as she glanced in Paige's direction. She wasn't used to this motherly thing she was trying to pull, Tessa was used to her mother- her mother would have told her to toughen up, and start forming a plan of action.

"Is there any information on them, can-can they do magic?" Tessa asked with a glance down at the book. Paige's eyes skimmed over the book again quickly.

"I'm- I'm only seeing that their scream is a form of psionic power, it can cause supernatural creatures serious harm by popping blood vessels due to enhanced hearing, as well as causing some humans to go mad from prolonged exposure. They can sometimes get premonitions of impending deaths, they teleport to the deaths they were sent to warn about as well. It says their weakness is iron. Pure, cold-forged iron." Paige finished.

"Why now though? Why haven't the powers come out before? I-I was with Klaus when he'd killed his father, who was a massively powerful not just vampire, but vampire hunter. I should have heard at least one banshee screaming." Tessa continued trying to put pieces together.

Paige shrugged unsure herself, she only knew what was in her book apparently. "Is there no one else that's a banshee to talk to?"

"Not living; no," Paige replied flipping through the book again. "Forgive me, but your father mentioned that your humanity was off for a while." Tessa sighed irritated that that would come up in conversation with someone she didn't know but nodded all the same.

"I'm thinking that with your humanity off, your connection to your Fae side is weakened so you couldn't hear the scream of the banshee."

"Yeah, I didn't hear a thing other than you, Tess." Her father told her. He placed his knife on the coffee table while they spoke.

"I don't know how… it was loud." Tessa grumbled still recalling the scream. Her mind was racing with trying to figure out what the hell she could do to change it, being a vampire was hard enough. She didn't need random visits from other banshees whenever someone has died.

"I heard it." Paige said, "But, I'm fae, so…"

"You think only Fairies can hear the scream of the banshee?" Tessa asked as her eyes moved over the book and up to meet Paige's stare.

"I think only the Fae and the people she is warning can hear the scream, but you-you aren't like most banshees, most of them are spirits of fae, while you are undead. I think because of that fact, you can be heard by everyone. I don't know how much of this applies to you because the majority of it stems from ghostly beings- which you aren't."

"Great," Tessa muttered sarcastically, she reminisced back to the good old days, when her main problem was just killing vampires. "Well, aside from all of… this, what about the white oak? Where are you keeping it?" She asked wanting to change the subject from something she could do nothing about.

"That's secret," Paige said, her expression suddenly stoic, and closed off.

"Wha-? What?" Tessa asked her anger spiking again. "What the hell do you mean-?"

"Paige," Charles said his voice seemingly tired now. Tessa could tell that the couple has discussed this before.

"No, Charles! You will not tell her the location not while she's living under the roof of that monster, and definitely not until she gets a build up of vervain in her system." Tessa rolled her eyes at that.

"Paige, I've been the one with my ass on the line here." Tessa reasoned.

"I get that, Tessa. I do, but I'm sorry you can't know. Not yet." She said. Tessa looked at her father now, hoping for some help.

"I'm sorry, Tess." He began.

"You're ridiculous." She snapped at him as she grabbed up her sweater she'd thrown on the arm of the chair during her pacing, "I'm trying to help, and you keep putting me on the back burner, I'm not 6 anymore dad. I'm an adult that is fully capable of handling whatever I get thrown, including keeping your secrets." With that, she turned out of the living room and headed through the doorway towards the front hall.

"Tessa wait!" Her father called after her, but she continued out, getting in her car, and driving towards a little place she couldn't stop thinking about since she left it.

Walking up the stairs she turned to face the brass number 9 on a plain wooden door. According to marked mailboxes, Mr. Alaric Saltzman resided in this one, her memory of entering the apartment was hazy but everything that took place within was crystal clear. Moving over to it she felt an unease overcome her, she unwittingly placed her hand on the door leaning against it for support as a sudden pain in her abdomen struck her. It was sharp and felt as though her muscles were burning. It was as if she'd been stabbed, and Tessa cried out in pain. One hand was on the door, while the other gripped the doorway tightly.

The door opened and light filled the dim hallway, "Tessa?" That voice, she recalled the way her name sounded in low groans and the sounds of muttered cursing in ecstasy. Tessa gasped feeling a second strike to her chest this time, it was as though someone stabbed her in the heart. She grunted in pain, and her knees buckled.

"Whoa, Tessa?" Alaric's voice asked as he moved to hold her up, "Are-are you alright?" He asked as he helped her into his apartment She was gasping in breaths as she felt her lungs fighting to expand for air, that's when she realized she was holding it, her breathing was shallow like she was building up for something.

"Tessa, what-what happened? Was it Klaus?" He asked as he laid her on the bed, he couldn't see any visible wounds, but that didn't mean anything when it came to vampires, they healed quickly. Alaric assumed it was the work of magic. "What can I do?"

"It hurts." She gritted out between her clenched jaws as she felt the pain redoubling. Tessa could hear distant whispering again and knew this was a banshee thing. She glanced around with her half-lidded eyes looking for the spirit of another banshee but found none.

"Talk to me, Tessa!" Alaric said louder now.

That's when her breathing stopped suddenly and a scream ripped from her throat again. It was different from what it was at her father's. The last scream was almost forced out of her by the banshee spirit she'd come in contact with, but this one had built from within. Tessa felt Alaric pull away flinching to cover his ears. She sat on his bed now, the force of her scream had jerked her body upright, her breathing was labored as a sudden clarity overtook her. In the quiet that followed, she knew that the next death would be soon, by the end of the night.

Alaric sat up from the floor he fell to, he looked over the side of the bed at her, his mouth hung open in shock from what had just happened, but before he could utter a word Tessa spoke, "Someone is going to die tonight." Alaric was taken aback by her words, but stood up from the floor and sat beside her.

"How-? When-? What-?" He began.

"I don't really know much about what just happened. I'm relatively new to these abilities, they kind of strike when they want to. I-I'm a banshee." She told him, her voice soft, and hoarse from the screaming.

Alaric stared at her not knowing what to say, vampires, werewolves, witches, and now banshees? He thought to himself. "I-. I don't-."

"Me neither; I didn't even know what they were until today when I found out I was one." She cut him off, her shock was still there, she'd come here to discuss the chance of her getting a deed to a house put in his name, but it seemed the supernatural had other plans.

"I know what they are, but-but, I thought they were supposed to be ghosts, not vampires," Alaric told her, she felt his shoulder brushing against hers from their proximity.

Tessa nodded at his words, "Ye-yes, they are, but they aren't human spirits, apparently they are the spirits of fairies. Warning people of their impending death."

Alaric stared at her, and Tessa felt her anxiety rise. So she stood quickly pulling away from the dumbstruck man.

"I'm sorry, fairies?" He asked her.

"I know how it sounds, I was literally in your position this morning when my father told me they were real, but I-I met one today. A fairy."

Alaric stood now walking over to the cabinets in his kitchen and pulled out a glass bottle of whiskey. "Okay. Sure. Fairies. Why not?" He asked as he took two glasses out, and poured a drink for himself, and Tessa. "I've already been having a really rough day, so I needed this anyway."

"So does you being a banshee mean that you were a fairy? In life?" He asked as he capped the bottle.

Tessa bit her lower lip, her mind working to think of the only person that death seemed to follow in this town- other than herself, was Klaus. She hadn't wanted to go back to the mansion today, but with the impending warnings of death, it was the only thing she could think of to stop whatever looming death there was. "You alright?" Alaric asked her as he walked over to hand her the glass.

Tessa nodded, "Yeah, I-I guess. My mom was a fairy according to my dad, but she-uh-she's dead."

"I'm sorry," Alaric said sitting beside her.

"So, your father's I town then, huh?" Alaric asked. "The man who holds the only remaining white oak hostage from Klaus."

"And, Elijah." Tessa filled in as she took a drink from the glass now.

"Elijah? Isn't he dag-?" Alaric asked feeling more, and more confused.

"Nope." Tessa cut him off. "Klaus received the coffins from Damon, and Stefan last night, and upon his return home with them Elijah made his presence known. Klaus has yet to dagger, and box him back up."

Alaric nodded as he took a long swig from his glass. There was an air of awkwardness between the two of them, and Tessa didn't like it. "Are you okay?"

"Uhm. No? I was made aware of a rather disturbing fact today. I have reason to believe a friend of mine is a serial killer, I tried to look for anything proving a shred of innocence, but I-I'm not finding anything that clears the guilt." Alaric stood and moved back to the bar like table he had. He was filling his glass again.

Tessa wasn't sure what was going on, but if there was a serial killer on the loose than that would explain why her feeling of dread was still twisting in her gut. Seems like she was feeling her banshee powers because the killer was striking more frequent, twice in one day?"

"Did you go to the police?" Tessa asked softly. Alaric turned to look at her from leaning on the lifted table.

"Yeah." He nodded. "It was hard but necessary."

"I don't think that's stopped them." She told him seriously. "Not with what just took place moments ago."

"We'll know more tomorrow."

"No, Alaric. Someone is going to die tonight. That's why I screamed the way I did. It-It comes with being a banshee. It serves as a warning of death. Although, it- it could be Klaus too…" Tessa trailed off. "Were the other murders-?"

"No, they weren't done by any vampire. Whoever the serial killer is, they're staking the victims as if they were vampires." Alaric explained.

"Sounds human, or- a hunter?" Tessa said as she finished her glass and put it on the tabletop. Alaric offered her another glass, but she refused it not wanting to end up a tangled mess in the bedsheets with him again. She had work to do tonight if she intended on preventing a death from Klaus.

"Look," Tessa sighed as she turned to face Alaric fully now. "I didn't- I didn't come over to talk about anything supernatural with you, I know you want to help, so I came to ask if I'd be able to get a house, and put your name on the deed, that way-."

"You'd be safe from Klaus."

"But, it would be dangerous. He-he could just compel the paperwork to find out whose name is on the deed, and he'd come after you." Tessa explained quickly. Alaric paused throwing back his second glass before moving closer to Tessa.

"I said I wanted to help you, didn't I?" He asked, his hands touching her arms as he pulled her close, almost protectively. She smiled now looking up at him, she could feel her body relaxing with him, in ways she had never felt before. She felt her guard dropping, she was unquestioningly comfortable with Alaric. It was new territory for her, and as much as she enjoyed it she didn't want to risk his life.

"I'd ask someone else, but the vast majority of people around here are ones I don't know, and I-I- well I don't know you very well, but given that we-."

"Slept together." Alaric cut in, she felt his hands on her arms tighten slightly. She was unsure if she'd wanted to bring it up, but he had for her. Bluntly. She glanced up to find him with a slight smirk on his face.

Tessa chuckled uncomfortably, "Well, yes." Alaric pulled away suddenly as he moved back to pour himself a drink. "You know, you never told me your-."

"I'm 21." She told him. She remembered his hesitation, how he'd rebuffed her advances at first, but in the end, his last-ditch effort was when he'd told her he was 33. She saw his shoulders visibly relax at that. It was still a significant age gap, but at least she wasn't under 18.

"I'm not nearly as young as I look. Before I was dragged out here, I was going to college in Chicago." Alaric turned with his eyebrows raised.

"A college student by day, and a hunter at night? How very Buffy of you." He told her with a laugh.

"Yeah, well Buffy did it better, clearly. I was turned." She replied to him moving to grab the bottle of whiskey and pour herself a second glass. There was a lull in the conversation as Alaric watched her throw her drink back quickly, "You drink like, you're older than 21." He acknowledged.

Tessa laughed at that, "Yeah well, if I could kill a vampire by myself at 16, then I thought I could handle alcohol." Alaric eyed her up and down, he could see how relaxed she was in comparison to when she'd first entered his apartment. He didn't know what it was, but something about this girl made him want to be around her more. He hadn't felt like this since Jenna passed, he didn't think he'd feel like this ever again, but he she was. He knew he probably shouldn't have, but without convincing himself out of it he leaned and pressed his mouth to hers.

"I want to help you, I'm in danger because I'm taking care of Elena, and her brother Jeremy, I'm in danger just by being around Damon, I'm in danger simply for being a resident of Mystic Falls, I'm already in danger, so let me make it be for something worthwhile." He told her softly once he pulled back.

Tessa stared up at him, her body still, and unmoving. Alaric thought that maybe he'd crossed a line at the shock on her face, but within second her arms were around his neck and pulling him in closer to her, she knew she shouldn't. Her mind was screaming not to get close to him. She'd already threatened his life by having his name go on the deed to whatever house she picks, but to be with him in a romantic way was laughable. Anyone close to her gets killed, her mother, her sister, and Robbie. Tessa's arms tightened their hold on him as she thought of Robbie.

Alaric's arms went around her waist as he pulled her body flush against his. Tessa groaned into the kiss knowing she couldn't stay, she got her answer from him, she should have left by now. "Alar-."

"Just Ric. Please." He muttered as his mouth moved down to her neck.

"Alright, Ric. I-I have to-." She moaned softly as his hands the hand at her lower back trailed up slowly and slid into the underside of her red hair. Ric moved his mouth back up to her own as she crushed her lips in his.

"Ric, please. I have to go." She told him pulling her head back from him.

"You're going to go do something dangerous, aren't you?" He asked her. She nodded with a shrug.

"I guess Buffy and, I are similar like that." He chuckled shaking his head, "I'm going to go see if I can prevent a murder- with you having gone to the police, I'm sure your friend will be a bit preoccupied, and if it isn't Klaus, well… then we'll have to figure it out."

"Why don't you-,"

"No. Ric. Just no." She told him as she turned towards the door. "Thank you for agreeing to help, but I'm not going to parade you in front of Klaus who already wants an excuse to kill you."

"Not with this," Ric told her holding up his ring.

"What-?"

"It brings me back. If I'm killed as a result of something, or someone supernatural, it will bring me back in a few hours tops." Tessa nodded her eyes staring at the ring hard.

"Every time?" She asked him. The dread feeling was back, and almost painful.

Alaric nodded, "It's from Elena's ancestors, bewitched or something from centuries ago."

"Elena? How is she-?"

"Alive? She's a doppelganger, the girl you saw the night of Klaus's party was Katherine- her vampire doppelganger." Tessa nodded still not really getting it, but nodded and moved towards the door.

"I better get to Klaus-." She had turned to say goodbye only to find her mouth covered once again.

"Be careful. Stay safe. Otherwise, I may not have to put my name on any deed." Tessa smirked as she moved out of the apparent, her twisting dread seeming to redouble once she left Alaric. Within the hour she stood outside Klaus's mansion.

She walked in and heard voices talking in the other room, following the sounds she was surprised to see Klaus, and Stefan, not at each other's throats for once. Klaus stood in front of the lit fireplace, he had been talking to Stefan, Tessa watched as Klaus called over one of the help he'd compelled, and began to drink from her. Taunting Stefan's ripper tendencies. Before she knew it the woman was dropped, hard

"Good evening, Tessa." Klaus greeted coolly wiping up some of the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He sucked the blood off his thumb quickly.

"Klaus." She greeted, she wasn't sure which person here would die, but she had a safe bet it wasn't the two originals. She eyed the now dead woman on the floor.

"Oh, sorry, love. Did you want some, we still have the girl in the other room. Stefan turned in his chair to look at her, she saw his dark eyes widen slightly. Tessa fixed him in his chair with a glare, she was growing to fear him less, and less the more she saw him, he killed her and yet here she was in the house potentially attempting to save his life. Holding her head up high she entered the room ignoring Stefan entirely.

"Did you find a house today, love?"

Tessa shook her head as she moved towards the alcohol, she had wanted to keep a level head, but she knew it would be impossible with Stefan staring at her, her fear was manageable, but not in his presence. "I could just as easily compel you one-."

"I'm fine, thank you, Klaus." She told him. Her demeanor was cold, and she could see that it had pissed him off. His emotions were so easily swayed, it was annoying to have to keep up with him, and his mood swings. She thought about Alaric and how laid back he was, about his willingness to help her while asking for nothing in return.

"Tessa, sweetheart, I've been rather gracious with you today-." Klaus began, but Tessa heard the whispering again. It was louder than it had been the past two times she'd heard it. Tessa jumped looking around, maybe it was Elijah? She asked herself. He didn't seem the type to murder without reason, but he and Damon were missing when she'd entered.

"You-You okay?" Stefan asked as he saw a dazed look on Tessa's pretty features. Klaus paused in his rant to turn and look at her, his eyes took in the unfocused eyes and tilted head. It was as if she was listening to something only she could hear.

"Tessa?" Klaus asked sharply. At her lack of a response he reached for her, that's when the lights flickered and she opened her mouth in a blood-curdling scream, Klaus moved closer but when his hand made a grab for her arm Tessa had vanished on the spot. Tessa opened her eyes to find Matt standing before her.

He looked terrified, "Whoa." He said his eyes taking her in. "Tessa?" He asked flashing the light upon her face. Her eyes were focused on the sight beyond him, her heart hurt from the sight of it, and her hands shook with rage. Alaric laid up against a doorframe, and Elena knelt beside him, in her hands was a knife plunged into his heart. There was so much blood, on the floor, on Elena, all over him. She'd been so busy searching for the cause of her banshee screams, that she'd ignored the biggest clue was that it happened at Alaric's. She could've stopped this, but she convinced herself it was Klaus that would cause the death, so she'd raced over only to be teleported back to Alaric's side.

Tessa simply reacted, she snapped and made a move to attack Elena. Her fangs were bared, and her eyes changed, and she growled moving forwards to attack only to have Matt leap between the women. Elena screamed as Tessa leaped in her direction, but Matt tackled her to the floor.

"You killed him!" Tessa screamed, her glare moved from Matt to Elena.

"He will come back!" She shouted back. "Who are you anyway?"

"It's Tessa. That vampire-vampire hunter, remember-?"

"Klaus's minion?" Elena cried out immediately on the defensive.

"She's not a hybrid, she's not sired to him. She was trying to save us that night, remember?"

"I'm working to get out from under him, with Alaric's help. Seeing as how you killed him that might be difficult." She growled out the last part with a glare in Elena's direction.

"He's not dead!" Elena shouted standing up and hovering over where she and Matt were. "He has his ring." It clicked in Tessa's mind. She remembered Alaric holding up his ring as she left him at his apartment, but she'd been so distracted by the ominous feelings, whispering and the banshee business that she'd only been half paying attention when he'd explained it. She didn't think she could handle being a banshee with all the cryptic messages. It was only causing frustration on top of everything else.

"How-How long until he wakes up?" Tessa asked pushing Matt away from her as she moved in closer to Alaric.

"I don't know." Elena said before walking off. "How-How are you in my house? You didn't get an invitation, did you?" Elena asked as she returned with a washcloth, Tessa took it from her and began wiping off what blood she could get to.

"I-I'm not sure exactly." Tessa admitted, "I'm not just a vampire, apparently I'm a banshee. Hence why I just appeared upon the death of Alaric. Maybe it's that part of me."

"A banshee?" Elena asked with her eyebrows raised. Matt exchanged a look with her. "You mean like the wailing woman, and all that?"

Tessa nodded her eyes not leaving Alaric as she finished cleaning the blood from his face. "I guess," She answered absently. Elena watched the way the girl looking, not much older than her, stared down at Alaric. She remembered her from senior prank night- which felt like forever ago now. It was like witnessing a totally different person, the tender way she helped Alaric reminded Elena of what Stefan and, her had been months ago.

Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.

XXTigerXEyesXX