Chapter 27 – Battlefield
by Jordin Sparks
Can't swallow our pride,
Neither of us wanna raise that flag
If we can't surrender
Then we both gonna lose what we had, oh no
Both hands tied behind my back with nothing
Oh no, these times when we climb so fast to fall again
I don't wanna fall for it now
I never meant to start a war
You know I never wanna hurt you
Don't even know what we're fighting for
Why does love always feel like.
A battlefield
A battlefield
A battlefield
I guess you better go and get your armour
Get your armour (get your armour)
I guess you better go and get your armour
Get your armour (get your armour)
I guess you better go and get your.
Saturday afternoon
"Mr Saltzman." I said, politely, but slight nervous at the fact he was my teacher and someone that I now knew nothing about.
He led a double life and it scared me to think of all the stuff he had been through, yet he was still able to carry on living a somewhat normal life. It struck me then that if I was to go on with this Dark Flame thing, then I would be exactly like him. Having to shut out people from my life and live a lifestyle that no one could ever know about.
"Please, call me Alaric. I've never been fond of that whole teacher last name thing." He straightened up in the door way, still looking slightly wary.
I shifted awkwardly in my position, not sure what to do.
"I don't mean to sound rude, but what are you doing here?" I tried to make it sound like a normal question, but I knew how it sounded abrupt. But I was curious. Why was he here to help us?
"Well, Damon came to me and gave me an offer of killing some vampires, so I could hardly say no." He glanced up at Damon, an expression a mix of everything making it hard to determine how he was really feeling about this whole situation. Alaric cleared his throat. "So, what's the plan?"
Damon started to pace the room again until he was facing the window. He looked incredibly tense, which I couldn't really blame him for, considering what was going on.
"I saw Anna and Pearl last night, and they are currently living in a ranch a few miles from the tomb. Now my guess is that that is where the vampire's went. It's close, safe and people they already know are there." His tone was dead-panned and emotionless. Definitely not my Damon.
"Wait, who's Anna and Pearl?" I asked, general wondering who they were. I always seemed to be the last person that knew anything around here.
"Daughter and mother, escaped from the tomb last night." There was a little bit of irritation growing in his voice, like I should already know who they were.
I crossed my arms over my chest, thinking. The two people I saw leave the tomb must have been them; it was just strange to me. Although they were vampires, they didn't seem like the type to kidnap another vampire. Something else had happened.
"So, what are we going to do?" I asked.
"We?!" Damon whirled around, staring at me with intense eyes. "There's no 'we', it's just me and Ric. You'll just get in the way. Both of you." He gestured to Elena as well, whose reaction was the same as mine.
My mouth fell open as he looked away from me and I was shocked by his outburst. He must have been joking if he thought I was just going to stay behind while he went on some suicide mission. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alaric slip out of the front door towards his car. I couldn't really blame him for not wanting to stay in here, but at least it gave me an opportunity to talk to Damon about his stupid plan of leaving me and Elena behind.
"Elena, do you mind if I have a quick chat to Damon?" I didn't look at her as I spoke as I watched for any sort of reaction from him. There was none.
"Sure, going on in to the kitchen, I'll go help Alaric with the equipment in the car." Elena half smiled, but I knew that she felt uncomfortable in this situation and I didn't blame her. Damon, as much as I liked him, was acting like complete ass.
Damon nodded, turning on his heels and not giving me even a second glance as he went to the dining table. Elena gave me a confused look and I shrugged my shoulders, wondering in to the kitchen as she went out to the car. Damon was seated at the table, his fingers tapping impatiently but he seemed calm and his face was like stone, unmoving.
I slid into the seat opposite him but he didn't register that I was there.
"Let me come with you." It wasn't a question, it was a demand. I had to go with him.
"No." He replied instantly, not even giving it a second thought.
"Why?!" I was whining like some three year old child, but I needed him to understand that I had to be with him.
"Because I said so, that's why." He said in a controlled voice.
"But I have been training for weeks! I'm ready, you know I am ready."
"Alice, you took down three vampires on three separate occasions." He met my gaze this time as he continued calmly. "There will be absolutely loads in that house. I can't risk it."
"Oh come one Damon! For God sakes, wake up! You know what I can do and you know what I am capable of, so please, stop with this whole hero thing and just accept that I am coming with you." I reminded him, a little sadly. I couldn't believe he was actually considering leaving me behind.
"You're not ready for this Alice!" Damon slammed his fist down on the table, breathing rapidly. "Last night, with that other vampire was just pure and utter luck! He was barely a few months old, that's the only reason you got him."
I was taken back, flinching at his harshness. I could feel tears brimming in my eyes as one slipped from my eye, trailing all the way down my cheek.
I wasn't upset about what he had said, hell, I practically expected some sort of speech from him. But the fact he had stated that my skills were just accidents just went too far. I had been training for weeks and for him to turn around and say that was completely out of order.
Damon sighed, running his one hand through his hair as the other rested on my arm. I pulled out of his touch, letting his hand fall flat on the table.
"Look, I'm sorry. I just couldn't live with myself if you got hurt." He muttered, just above a whisper.
I shook my head and stood up from my seat, intent on leaving the room, until a thought occurred to me. I needed to show him how ready I really was.
I grabbed the knife I kept in my boot, turning back with quick reflexives, throwing it down of the table, settling itself between Damon's fingers and just missing his skin. His eyes widened as he looked down at the knife then back up at me. He raised his eyebrows, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Well, that was a pretty impressive shot. Right on target." He sounded downright amused.
"What are you talking about?" I leant forward, gripping the blade in my hand and pressing my face against his ear. "I missed." I whispered, making him particularly shudder.
I yanked the knife out of the wood, making my way to the door when Damon rushed over to me, grabbing my body and tugging me tightly against his against his chest.
I struggled against his grasp and while my new found skills from training helped, Damon was still much older and much stronger and a vampire. Plus, he was my teacher, so anticipated my every move.
"Let me go, now." I demanded, slightly pissed that he was using my lust for him as leverage. All I wanted to do was knot my hands in his beautiful hair and snog him senseless.
"No." Damon eyes were now glaring directly into mine and studying me.
The way he looked at sent shivers over my spine, his cool breath blowing across my face as in leant in and the heat radiating off his body. His fingers trailed up my arms until he was cupping my cheek and stroking his thumb over it. His gentle touch almost felt good. I couldn't help the way that he made me feel in just the way that he touched me…wait...no! NO! No, I was mad at him!
I cursed myself and pushed him with every ounce of my strength before slapping him across the face as hard as I could. It was either that or shoving him against the wall, ripping open his shirt and ranking my nails down his beautiful toned chest. No, I was meant to be mad at him.
My palm was burning and I had no time to react as Damon grabbed both of my wrists in one fluid movement, pinning them both to his chest and holding me tightly against him. He cocked his head, smirking at me.
"There's your fire. That rage that you try so hard to keep under-control." He chuckled, looking directly into me. "Do you remember what I told you when we met at the park? Sometimes you need to let it all go, let the madness take hold. You never know, you might surprise yourself by discovering a new side to yourself that you never knew existed."
"What do you mean?" I was puzzled and hated this little game he was playing with me.
"I mean, that this is the side that you need to release. It's the side of you I have grown very attracted to you and I love it when you lash out like that. It's hot." His voice was low, husky and extremely seductive that I finally gave in.
"Damon, just shut up and kiss me." I whispered, all my rage now gone and a smile playing on my lips.
He gladly obliged as he wrapped his arm around my waist and buried his other hand in my hair. I held on to his firm biceps and latched on to his lips, tasting him and letting all my anger slip away. I don't think that anything in my life could compare to this but I surrender to the consuming feeling of his lips on mine. He was mine.
"Alice?!"
I was snapped out if my trance, pulling away from Damon to see Elena stood in the door way, mouth hanging open and arms hanging lifelessly by her sides. Shit.
Damon didn't bother looking up at her as he pulled a few pieces of hair behind my ear, his other arm still wrapped around my waist.
"I'm gonna get some stuff from the car." He spoke quietly into my ear before planting a small kiss on my cheek. "I'll be back in few minutes."
Within seconds he was gone, using his supernatural speed. The skin in which he had kissed me felt like it was on fire, making me blush even more at the sensation. How was it that this one man could have such an effect on me?
"Alice, what the hell is going on?" Elena finally broke the silence and had the guts to speak in such a way that wiped the smile off my face.
I saw the serious look in her eyes and I sighed, knowing that I was in for a lot from her. It almost made me laugh about how ridiculous this all was.
"It's really none of your business." I replied matter-of-factly.
"Yes it is! You kissed him! No, scratch that; you had your tongue down his throat and he was practically groping at your ass!" She scoffed, throwing her arms up in the air and pacing the room towards me.
"Elena, just leave it! It's no concern of yours what I do or who I do it with." I spoke these words through gritted teeth, closing my eyes in a bid to slow the burning anger rising through my body.
"Oh my God…you slept with him?!" Elena raised her voice up again, really starting to grind on me.
"Yes and why do I get the feeling you disapprove?" I shook my head, knitting my eyebrows together at the tone and the way she was acting like it was the crime of the century. "You're not my mother, Elena. You don't get to tell me what to do."
"No, but I'm your friend and I want to look out for you! How could you let him take advantage of you like that, after everything he has done to you?" Elena lashed out, coming close to emphasize the words that stung. She had no idea how the words had affected me and I couldn't look at her from fear of losing it.
"Why do you also thinking the worst of him! He is a good person and has been there for me when others have not. He has helped me through so much and he didn't take advantage of me." I practically spat the words out, wanting to be done with this conversation.
I felt my muscles tense and I clenched my jaw. I could feel my body physically shake at how pissed I now was. I couldn't even have one day to be happy? Out of all the time I had spent in this town, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. And then incomes Elena, with her massive hammer, determined to ruin everything and knock down my wall. I didn't even want to listen to her anymore because I didn't want to even think about what anyone else thought about me and Damon.
Elena was frozen in her place and was speechless, literally. It really pissed me off, not only that she accused Damon of taking advantage of me, but also for the simple fact that she didn't know anything about him.
I let out a ragged breath, trying to control myself. It wasn't helping at all, but I had to try to stop myself from exploding. I didn't understand why she was so upset about all of this. It wasn't like she was Damon's ex-girlfriend, so why did it matter to her what we did together.
I was hurt by this all and I couldn't do this, at least not now, so I turned back to her and shoved passed her and back into the hallway, waiting for Damon. She didn't call my name or even try to stop me as I leant my head against the wall, taking deep breaths. I had to keep it under control.
I hadn't felt this bad in weeks, that feeling that this darkness was just going to erupt inside of me and that I would just lash out. I wanted to kill something! No…no…calm…I had to keep calm. I would have plenty of time for ripping monsters to pieces later. Right now I had to keep myself balanced.
A touch on my shoulder brought me back from the images in my mind to the tense atmosphere of the Gilbert house. I looked to my side to see Damon stood behind me, his eyes darting between Elena and me. Alaric stood at the front door, stakes in one hand and a large bag in the other. It just felt a little awkward seeing as Alaric was my teacher, but I didn't really care that much. I had to prove a point to Elena.
I gripped Damon's other hand, feeling suddenly warm and reassured when he was close by. He looked confident and determined with his typical snarky half-smile of his, but oddly enough it made me feel safer. It Damon was convinced that this was going to go to plan, then I believed him.
Damon handed me my hunting belt, equipped with my favourite stake and vervain darts. I smiled at the fact he knew exactly what my style was. I twirled the stake around in my hands before looking up at the group.
"Let's do this shit." I beamed, excited about how this was going to play out.
Sure, Stefan's life was on the line, but that wouldn't stop me from taking down all these monsters and finally putting my skills into good use.
We all made our way to the car in silence, no one wanting to start something that they couldn't finish. I was going to kill anything that stood in my way and I was going to enjoy.
I was going to relish in the fact I was going to end so many miserable lives tonight and make it safer from these creatures. I could feel the darkness taking over, making me shake. Normally I would have tried to repress the feeling, but right now I didn't want to.
Just like Damon had said, the darkness allowed me to explore a new side to myself that I never knew. It was time to let the beast out. It was time to embrace the darkest side of myself.
Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update! I know I said Friday but then I got snowed in at home and my internet went down! But I'm here with another part to the story.
I hope you liked this chapter because I had a lot of difficultly writing it. I didn't want to write about the fight and Stefan's rescue just yet because I want to explore what the characters were going through. There are a few things that happened in this chapter that will have an effect on Alice and how she wants to handle the situation.
I also wanted to explore the tension between Dalice (thank you to everyone who suggested the name!)and how Damon wants to let her in to help, but is scared that something would happen to her. It shows his more human side. I liked playing around, as well, with Elena's reaction and how this will have an effect on the friendship that Alice and Elena have. And finally, there is Alaric. I didn't want to write a lot about him on this chapter, but give him of an introduction because I wanted the main focus to be on Alice's conflicting emotions.
Anyway, that wraps it up for this chapter! I will try and upload as soon as possible, so hopefully by Tuesday. Thanks to everyone for the name suggestions and reviews! I do have a question for you guys: Do you want to see more on Alice's dark side or Damon's dark side? I like writing both, but wanted to know if there is something that you wanted to see happen. I kinda felt like Damon has been too nice and Alice hasn't explored her darkness enough, so please let me know :)
P.S. Sorry for the ridiculously long authors notes! I just like to keep you guys updated XD
Next chapter: Madness, darkness and losing control. Stay tuned ;)
