Chapter Twenty-Five
The South was losing. This much was very clear. Elena had known it would happen, of course, but the residents of Mystic Falls were becoming angrier by the day, especially those who supported the Confederate Army. At the same time, the Council was still actively trying to find vampires. They had been crafty with vervain, but while that had kept the Mystic Falls deaths to a minimum, they hadn't been able to capture anyone since Demetri, but that would change as soon as Emily and Johnathan finished those inventions.
Fully intent on keeping up pretenses as long as possible, Katherine gladly agreed to take her turn hosting the knitting group as usual, which was why, on April sixth, the Salvatores' sitting room was once again full of gossipy ladies.
"Those Yankees are nothing but a bunch of scoundrels and heathens," Mrs. Fell said. Elena carefully yarned over her left needle and pulled the yarn through. "I fear what might happen if they reach Mystic Falls. They've been so much closer!"
Elena bit the inside of her cheek. God forbid Mrs. Fell or any of these other women would have to clean their own houses and cook their own food!
"Our boys will keep them from getting into Mystic Falls," said Margaret Gilbert calmly.
"I've heard horrible rumors about Union soldiers ransacking plantations and then setting them on fire," said Nancy White, placing a protective hand over her very pregnant stomach.
"I'd like to see them try something," Mrs. Lockwood said. "I'd love to take one of Benjamin's rifles and—"
"Marie!" Mrs. Fell admonished. "Leave the shooting to the men."
Mrs. Lockwood sniffed. "I'm just saying I won't be letting anyone ruin Mystic Falls when the founders have put so much work into making it a wonderful place to live."
Lucy rolled her eyes. She sat close to Katherine and Elena, knitting a blanket out of cotton yarn. "Have you and Mr. Salvatore set a date for your wedding yet?"
Elena started to bind off as she thought of a response to Nancy's question. Katherine watched her in amusement. "Well," she said, "Everything is so uncertain right now with the war, isn't it? We would rather wait until things settle down."
In reality, if it wasn't for the fact that Emily had forbidden Elena from marrying Damon in the past in case it drew too much attention to her presence there, she would've dragged him to the nearest church in a heartbeat. Damon was just as eager, but she had managed to convince him it would be more prudent to wait. She wasn't sure how things would work out once she got home, but she held onto the hope that her Damon in twenty-ten would still be open to the idea of marriage.
"I wouldn't keep a man like Damon waiting for long," said Nancy White slyly.
Mrs. Lockwood clicked her tongue in agreement, and the Fell sisters exchanged smirks. Elena was so glad she wouldn't have to put up with these snobby cows for much longer.
"How long do you plan on being engaged?" Carol Robinson asked. "I can understand caution in times of war, but aren't young people always eager to rush things along?"
"Damon and I haven't set anything in stone yet," Elena said. She wondered how many more times she'd have to say it before they left it alone.
"Yes," Katherine chimed in. "With all these deaths in the area lately and the way Damon has been preoccupied with the town council, I don't blame either one of them for waiting to marry."
Mentioning the Council seemed to have the desired effect. Elena didn't want to talk wedding plans with these women, not even Margaret, no matter how much she adored her.
"They keep saying deaths are because Yankees have been invading civilian homes and killing the residents. They also blame it on animal attacks," Mrs. Lockwood said. "I know they aren't telling the truth."
Katherine and Elena looked at each other again. Vampires in Mystic Falls, especially Frederick, were acting careless in their search for vervain free blood. Pearl kept pressuring Katherine to move, but she was having none of it. Pearl thought she was being outrageously reckless and that it was all because of her weakness for Stefan Salvatore, but Elena knew the truth: barring any encounters with Demetri or some other agent of Klaus, Katherine would not make her move until the Council made theirs.
From the sound of things, that move wouldn't be far off now. Damon had passed on his knowledge of the Council's plans to round up the vampires and burn them in the Fells' old church house once they had the means of finding and capturing them. Elena had spotted the amber pendant around Emily's neck once when little Addy had tugged the chain loose to play with it. And finally, one morning as she helped Katherine dress (Emily had no doubt been hard at work spelling Johnathan's inventions at the time), she had spotted Stefan and Damon's daylight rings inside Katherine's jewelry box. She had allowed herself a moment to caress the lapis in Damon's ring before she had snapped out of it and pulled a decorative comb out to place in Katherine's hair.
While Katherine and Elena were busy entertaining the influential ladies of Mystic Falls, Emily sat on a hay bale in the barn as she patiently waited for Johnathan Gilbert to arrive. After a few minutes, she heard a soft knock on the barn door and his voice calling, "Mrs. Bennett?"
He stuck his head inside, and one of the rowdier stallions neighed loudly from his stall. Emily stood and walked outside, clutching a wooden box tightly in her hands.
"I was starting to think you would not come," Emily said.
"Well, I had to be careful, didn't I? My sister-in-law is here and I couldn't let anyone see my horse."
"It's better to meet in daylight than at night." Emily opened the box and pulled out the first device, a pocket watch. She opened it and took out the little clock face, demonstrating how to reassemble it. "I've spelled this one to act as a compass that points to vampires," Emily said. "It still works as a watch until you switch these pieces. No one will know the difference." She had covertly tested it on Katherine that morning, and it had worked perfectly.
"Brilliant," Johnathan said appreciatively.
"It also combines with this music box," Emily added, lifting out the larger piece. "You remove the clockwork inside it and fit it in place like this," she said, showing him, "and when you twist the key, it will release a shrill noise only vampires can hear. Any vampire for a mile will be incapacitated. It only works once, however, so don't waste it."
Johnathan nodded. "And what's this?" he said, pointing to the last piece.
"This is a compass," Emily said. "It's your decoy in case any vampires find out about the watch and want to take it from you. If a vampire touches it, he will be brought to you." No matter where they are in space and time, she thought. Elena was proof of that.
"Thank you very much," Johnathan said. Emily handed him the box, which he closed and tucked under his arm. He turned to go, but she seized him by the arm.
"I have your word you will tell no one of my involvement?" she said sharply.
"Of course," said Johnathan.
Emily took a breath, held it for a moment, and let her hand fall back to her side and withdrew two small objects from the pocket of her apron. "Even with these devices, your task will not be easy. You and the people you love will be the vampires' first targets if they know you possess the tools to destroy them." She held out the objects in her hand. "I had my brother make these for you, and I spelled them. Any human who wears one will be protected from supernatural death."
Johnathan took the ornate rings and examined them, looking awed.
"Be warned, though, Mr. Gilbert. The rings may give you an advantage, but they will not make you invincible. Cheating death is not to be done lightly, and there may be consequences if you make a habit of it."
"I understand," said Johnathan. "Thank you, again, for everything you've done for this town. I only wish there was more I could do for you."
Damon's eyes shot wide open at the sound of the bang. He sat up so fast he nearly knocked Elena from the bed, and she shrieked and grabbed his arm.
"Damon?"
He stared at nothing and everything at once. Elena took his head in her hands and forced him to look at her.
"Damon, are you with me?"
He cleared his throat and had to remind himself he was not out there right now on the battlefield, but at home safe in his bed with his fiancée. Damon forced himself to take a breath and reached up to hold one of Elena's hands.
"You've been crying."
Elena sniffed and let go of his face to wipe her eyes.
"It's okay. I'm right here," Damon said, pulling her into his arms. "What's wrong?"
Elena sucked in some breath. "I'm fine. Don't worry, Damon."
"No, you aren't fine…" He wiped away fresh tears from the corners of her eyes. Her lip was trembling. "You're terrified. Don't worry; I don't think the fighting will come here."
"Are you okay?" Elena asked. "You can't be doing—" another series of shots rang out and both of them jumped, "—with that."
Damon pulled Elena closer to him and kissed her softly. "I'm okay. You're here with me, and I need to keep reminding myself of that."
Elena nodded. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back. "I'm afraid of what the Council might do. You should have—"
"Oh, Elena," Damon sighed. "Is that what you're afraid of? Don't worry," he pushed some of her hair from her face, "nothing will happen to you."
Elena sniffed. "Promise me you'll drink more of Katherine's blood today?"
"I've been drinking it every day for the past two weeks."
"Please just promise me, Damon. I won't take any chances with this."
It was just barely light outside, but Damon saw the way Elena looked at him fiercely. Even though she had calmed down, her eyes were still wet from her tears.
Damon nodded, pulling her into his lap. "Of course I will," he said. "It hasn't been a problem ever since she condescended to put it in a glass for me."
Elena giggled softly. She had heard about Katherine's little display when Damon asked her to start giving him vampire blood, and he was certain she gave her sister a what-for that very day. When Damon asked again two weeks ago, certain he was ready this time, Katherine had given it to him in a glass without hesitation, no more dramatic displays of slicing her neck open.
"I love you…," Elena said. "So much."
Damon kissed her. "I love you too. I'm marrying you as soon as all of this is over."
Elena suddenly broke down sobbing and buried her head into his neck, crushing him in a hug.
"Those don't sound like tears of joy," he said, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "Are you sure you're okay?"
He never got his answer because Elena pulled back just far enough to attack his lips with a kiss. Within moments, her nightdress was on the floor, quickly followed by his own clothing.
Katherine was already awake when she heard the gunshots. Stefan jumped a few times next to her as he heard them too. Was it too much to ask for quiet time to watch a sunrise with her lover?
"Are you still awake?" Stefan asked.
Katherine nodded. "How could I possibly sleep with the battle raging so near?"
"You've been too quiet," Stefan said, stroking her cheek with a finger.
Katherine turned around in the bed. "I have a bad feeling."
"You do?" Stefan asked. "There is nothing to worry about."
"That's a lie and you know it, Stefan. I can't shake it. The shots keep drawing closer. Elena and I could hear them last night, and we know the Council considers the battle an opportunity to make their move against the vampires."
Stefan smoothed some of her hair from her face. "They don't know you're one of them. You'll be safe."
She shook her head in disbelief, not meeting his eyes.
"What can I do to make you feel better? Should I talk to my father?"
"No!" said Katherine, her eyes snapping back to his at once. "You can't tell anyone that we're vampires. But…you can drink my blood."
"I—"
"I want to know you'll be safe if something happens," Katherine said. "You will be if you have my blood in your system."
"But…."
Katherine sighed as she sat up. "I would not wish you to become a vampire before you are ready for all that entails, but surely you don't see it as a fate worse than death."
Stefan looked at her for a long moment. "Very well," he said at last.
Katherine didn't hesitate for a second, raising her wrist to her mouth and slitting it open on her fangs. She slowly held it out to Stefan, who grasped it with slightly unsteady fingers and brought it up to his mouth. Before his doubts could get the best of him, he sealed his lips over the wound and drank.
The Salvatore household was just sitting down to lunch when the footman stepped into the dining room, his eyes on Giuseppe. "Sheriff Forbes and Mr. Johnathan Gilbert are here, sir," he said. "They're asking to speak with you and Master Salvatore. I showed them into the study."
"Thank you," said Giuseppe, getting up to follow him out of the room. Damon shot Elena and Stefan a glance over his shoulder on the way out before turning his attention back to his father.
"I believe I may know what this is about," said Giuseppe. There was an eagerness in his voice that made Damon very uneasy. He and Giuseppe had met with some of the other men on the Council the previous night, and Johnathan had shown them the pocket watch he had designed to act as a compass that would lead them to any nearby vampires.
When they entered the study, Johnathan and the Sheriff were standing near the desk, both holding their hats in their hands. They stood up straighter at the sight of the Salvatores, and Johnathan pulled a glass vial out of his pocket. "Giuseppe, Damon," he said. "I brought the fresh supply of vervain you requested." He set the vial down on the desk.
"Thank you," said Giuseppe. "We were just starting to run low."
"What news?" Damon asked.
"We have everything we need," said the Sheriff. "Tonight, we will finally rid this town of the vampiric infestation. We're meeting at the courthouse just before sundown to organize."
"Damon and I will both be there," said Giuseppe. "And Stefan. He may be too young to serve on the Council, but he's strong and able."
"We left Stefan in the dining room all by himself," said Elena with a slight frown. The second Giuseppe and Damon had left, Katherine had jumped up and pulled Elena out the opposite door, telling Stefan they'd be back in a moment.
"This isn't meant for his eyes," said Katherine. "Hurry up, will you?"
Elena moved faster, and Katherine led her all the way out to the far end of the back garden and into the woods beyond it. She was just about to ask what on earth they were doing out there when Emily came into view.
"What is this?" Elena asked as they stopped in front of Emily.
"We know how attached you've become to this time," said Katherine. "So Emily and I made this for you." She pointed at something on the ground at the base of a tree—the same tree beneath which Damon had proposed to her, in fact. There was a hole there that went down a couple of feet, and at the bottom was what looked like a large, empty wooden crate. The lid sat nearby on top of a pile of earth.
"I've spelled it so that once the lid goes on, it will be sealed against the elements and impossible for anyone but you to find," said Emily. "When you return to your time tomorrow night, you will be able to retrieve it."
"So I can keep my journal and anything else that fits in there?" said Elena.
"Yes," said Emily. "Your belongings will be safe there."
Elena's lip trembled and her throat constricted. After a few seconds, the dam burst, and she flung her arms around Emily. "Thank you so much!" she said, tears of gratitude streaming down her cheeks. Now she would be able to have more than just memories to represent the time she'd spent in the past, and it meant more to her than she could say. "You didn't have to do this for me. I don't think I've ever had a better surprise."
When she'd finished hugging Emily, she moved on to Katherine, who returned the embrace fiercely. "Promise me you'll get in touch with me the first chance you get when you're back in twenty-ten," said Katherine, her voice uncharacteristically emotional.
"I promise," said Elena, hugging even tighter. It was amazing how close they had become. She never would've expected to develop such a warm, sisterly bond with Katherine Pierce, but she didn't regret it. She looked at Emily over Katherine's shoulder. "And I'll give Abby and Bonnie your best," she said.
Emily smiled. "Thank you."
Elena and Katherine broke apart, the latter looking back towards the mansion. "We should return," she said.
"Not just yet, said Emily. Katherine and Elena both turned back to face her. "Everything is in place now," she said. "I went to Fell's church last night."
"That's where the Council means to burn all the vampires," said Katherine.
"Yes," said Emily. "But no one's going to burn. I discovered an old tomb beneath the church house. The spirits told me it was built by my ancestors not long after they came here from Salem. It is a place of power and protection. Any vampires who are captured must make their way to the cellar of the church, and from there into the tomb. When the comet passes, I will be able to seal it so that nothing can get in after them."
"Thank you, Emily," said Katherine. "We all owe you our lives."
"I could do no less after what you did for Samuel and me," said Emily. "But if you'll excuse me, I must see to my children."
Once she was out of earshot, Elena turned to Katherine. "She doesn't know you won't be going into that tomb, does she?"
"No," said Katherine. "By tomorrow night, you will be back in your own time, and I will have disappeared. Emily's plan will suffice for the rest of the vampires. I've arranged for my own escape with George Lockwood. He will let me out of the church, and I will leave town alone. As long as you stay close to Emily until she's ready to send you home, you should be fine."
"But what about Stefan?" said Elena. "Will you let him believe that you perished in the fire? Or that you're in the tomb?"
"I will return for Stefan once I'm certain word of my death has reached Klaus."
Elena nodded. She wondered if that had always been Katherine's motive in not telling the Salvatores she was alive and free—to protect them from Klaus. Still, she knew everything wasn't going to go exactly as planned. The Battle of Willow Creek was already raging within walking distance of the town. If things played out the same way as Damon and Stefan had told her in the present, then tonight they would both be shot dead by their own father. It had been thoughts like this that had caused Elena's emotional meltdown that morning when she had awoken to the sound of gunfire.
"Did you give Damon some of your blood today?"
"Yes," said Katherine. "Less than an hour ago."
"And Stefan?"
Katherine nodded, looking preoccupied.
"Good."
"Father wants us to help kill all of the vampires tonight," said Stefan.
"You could have said no," said Damon. "The favorite son and not yet eighteen. He'd see no shame in your desertion." He and Stefan were watching Giuseppe play croquet against Katherine and Elena on the lawn. Giuseppe had pulled Stefan aside after lunch to have a word with him about the Council's plans.
"You know Father no longer begrudges you for leaving the war," said Stefan.
"If he doesn't, then it is only because I've played my part as loyal Council member well," said Damon. Before Stefan could say anything else about their father, Damon pressed his earlier point. "Will you join us in the fight, then?" he said.
"Aren't they all Katherine and Elena's friends?" said Stefan.
"It doesn't matter," said Damon. "Father and the Council will only continue to overlook Katherine and Elena as long as those closest to them do not appear sympathetic towards the rest of the vampires. Johnathan Gilbert has a device that helps him track them, but I will do whatever I must to ensure he doesn't bring it anywhere near this property tonight."
They watched the croquet match in silence for a moment. Katherine appeared to be winning. Sure enough, Giuseppe lamented loudly that he was losing (again), to which Elena suggested that they team up against her sister for the next game. Katherine laughed.
"She's good," Damon observed. "I almost believe she and Elena genuinely like him."
"Perhaps they do," said Stefan.
Damon scoffed. "They know Father would have them killed if he knew the truth."
"Not if we talk to him," said Stefan, turning to face Damon, "explain how we feel. He could help us keep them safe."
"Have you gone mad?" said Damon. "No, father would drive stakes in them himself!"
"That's not true," said Stefan imploringly. "We can trust him."
"Not with this," Damon insisted. He put a hand on Stefan's shoulder. "Please, promise me you won't tell him, Stefan."
Stefan looked down. Damon could see the reluctance in him at the idea of hiding something like this from the man he admired so much, but he was just going to have to deal with it. He glanced over at Katherine, who was watching him as well and shot him a smile, then back at Damon. "I promise."
With hours still to go before sundown, Damon left the mansion, wanting to get to the courthouse with plenty of time to make sure the hunting party stayed well clear of where Elena and Katherine were. As soon as he was gone, Stefan made his way to his father's study. He had a plan. He would not break his promise and tell his father specifically about the girls, he would simply test the waters to see if he might be more understanding than Damon thought. Though things had been far better between Damon and Giuseppe in the past few months than they had since before Damon left for university, Stefan still felt that he was the one who knew Giuseppe best, and he was sure he'd be able to get him on their side in this.
Giuseppe was writing in his journal when Stefan reached the door to the study, and it took him a few seconds to notice his son standing there. "Stefan," he said, smiling and setting his journal aside. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" He took off his reading glasses and sat forward in his chair.
"Did I interrupt your writing?" said Stefan.
"These are the dull musings of my troubled mind," said Giuseppe indulgently.
"A great mind," said Stefan.
"Still," said Giuseppe, "I will carry the real secrets with me—"
"—To your grave," Stefan finished for him, smiling too. Surely Damon was wrong. This man could not possibly go from laughing with Katherine and Elena while he played a game with them to wanting them dead. He would understand.
"And a full grave it will be," said Giuseppe. He gestured to the open seat near his own. Stefan walked forward and sat down. "Now, speaking of troubled minds…what's on yours?"
Stefan loved moments like this, just him and his father. He'd always felt he could be completely honest with him, and that his father was genuinely interested in everything he had to say. "I have concerns about your plan for the vampires," he said.
Giuseppe's brow furrowed. "And why is that?" he asked.
"We are making the assumption that all vampires are as evil as they have been characterized," said Stefan, choosing his words carefully, "but what if that's not true?"
"Do you have any evidence to the contrary?" said Giuseppe. A hint of something like alarm touched his features. "Do you know of any vampires?"
"No!" said Stefan quickly. "No, of course not. But are we to take what others say at face value? You always taught us so differently."
Giuseppe frowned, looking thoughtful. He picked up the empty glass off the table between their chairs and got to his feet. "Stefan," he said as he walked over to the bar. "These creatures are of the darkest parts of hell. They have the ability to control your mind, seduce your spirit. They are deadly, and they must be destroyed." He poured a fresh brandy for himself in his glass, as well as another for Stefan, which he then handed him. "Those who stand with them—those who bring shame to their families—will be destroyed as well," he concluded.
Stefan's heart sank, but he tried to keep it out of his expression as he clinked his glass against his father's and drank. Perhaps Damon had been right after all. At least now he knew for certain, and no harm was done.
"Would you send for Miss Elena?" Giuseppe said, the seriousness gone from his voice, replaced with a much warmer tone. "I'd like a word with my future daughter-in-law."
"Of course," said Stefan. He drained the rest of the contents of his glass, gave his father one last respectful nod and smile, and left the study.
He found Elena sitting in Katherine's room, writing in her own journal while Katherine examined an amber crystal over at the vanity table.
"What is it, Stefan," said Katherine.
"My father wishes to speak with Elena in his study," he said.
"Of course," said Elena. She marked her place in the journal, stood, and left the room. Stefan moved farther inside to allow her to pass, then shut the door behind her. "Will you and Elena be hunting tonight?" he asked Katherine, walking closer to her until he could wrap his arms around her waist from behind. She leaned back against him and covered his hands with hers.
"No," she said. "It wouldn't be worth the risk."
"What's wrong?" he said. He didn't know anyone as skilled at concealing their emotions as Katherine, but he thought he could see a glimmer of sadness in her expression as he watched their reflections.
"Nothing," she said. She turned around in his arms and pulled him into a kiss. "I love you so much, Stefan," she said breathlessly. The sadness was still there, but he knew she wouldn't tell him why just now, so he did the only thing he could think of and resumed the kiss.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Salvatore?" said Elena. She was smiling, but it felt very forced. It was one thing to be polite and friendly to Giuseppe when he was mere hours away from killing his sons if there were other people around, but she was less confident in her ability keep her anger in check when she was alone with him.
"Come, sit," he said, smiling affectionately at her and gesturing at the chair beside him. Elena sat down in the indicated chair. "It occurred to me that for someone who's about to become a Salvatore, I haven't taken much time to get to know you."
"I think we can blame Damon for that," said Elena. "He likes to keep me to himself as much as possible."
"Did he ever tell you the story of the ring he gave you?" Giuseppe asked.
"He said it was his mother's," said Elena, running the fingers of her right hand over the large sapphire ring on her left. "He has spoken very fondly of her. I wish I could have met her."
Giuseppe's smile was bittersweet. Despite her ire towards him, Elena couldn't help feeling sympathetic. She knew what it was like to lose family, and here was a man who had lost his wife and his daughter. She wondered what he'd been like when they were alive. Before she could think better of it, she was reaching out to place a hand on top of his. "I know it's been quite a few years now since she died—and since your daughter died—, but I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, my dear," said Giuseppe gruffly. He stood up and walked over to the bar. "Let us talk of happier things." He poured two drinks and offered her one. "Like my future grandchildren."
Elena managed a laugh that was even more forced than that first smile, though for an entirely different reason. "To your future grandchildren," she said, clinking her glass against Giuseppe's. If only.
She didn't register the fact that he was watching her with bated breath until she was already swallowing the first mouthful of her drink, but then her throat was on fire, the poison of the vervain at least ten times stronger than what she'd ever had with Katherine sweeping instantly through her body, and she collapsed to the floor, choking and gasping for breath.
Taaroko: Holy crap you guys, I'm less than twelve hours away from teaching my first classes as an English Graduate Instructor. I don't have butterflies yet, but I expect they're just lying in wait and will start swarming at the worst possible moment.
AnglcDmn1986: I do not enjoy update beggars. I love and deeply appreciate feedback, but one review per chapter is enough if you are a guest reviewer. I'm writing a novel (reposted it/wrote a lot and it is on the site as Cheap Guitars), another Au/Ah that is yet to be posted, and this story. We're both busy with our real lives and even though I write a lot, Taaroko's schedule does not allow her the same luxury.
Anyway! I'm turning twenty-seven in a couple days, we've got a new dog, and my hands hurt since I've written at least fifty thousand words this month. If you follow me on twitter, anglcdmn1986, you'll be able to see what I'm up to, and I love to talk to readers.