Morgan House~February 2010
Abigail took the time she had since leaving Damon's car to search her house. And thank goodness she had. In a desk, in what would eventually become her library, she found all the paperwork detailing her inheritance.
Reading through the papers, she felt some stress relief. Her parents had stipulated that, should their daughter's whereabouts become unknown or she become unaccessible, her monetary assets would be relocated into a savings account, to be moved to any local bank that remained open until such a time as she, or her descendents came forward to claim it. So she still had money, she just had to consider how to find identification for retrieving it. The deed for her house was inside, the land she owned, and a set of keys. Perhaps a safe was to be found?
One of the keys, a small one, opened the wooden chest she'd brought back from the location of her former home. Opening it, she found her mother's jewelry, a golden circlet she'd never seen before, and beneath these, a book. Leatherbound and journal-like, she opened it expecting an explanation of what her father had alluded to, perhaps in his hand, about her parents' past. She found herself mistaken. Because the book wasn't a journal, not really, instead it was a grimoire. Filled with pictures of plants and objects that looked interesting if a bit odd, along with detailed instructions for potions and spells. Flipping through the pages, she hoped to find some snippet to explain what this meant. As she flipped, a folded stash of paper fell out. Unfolding it, she finally found her explanation.
Now if only she could make her mind accept it.
Elena knew what she was doing was dangerous. Sneaking into Damon's room, searching his belongings, if she were caught there really was no telling how he'd react. But she had to. Between this new more human suffering Damon, Stefan's rapidly failing attempts to hid his struggle for control, and everything else she was dealing with, knowing what had brought him so low was at least a distraction.
Ric was with Damon, drinking at the Grille, and she wasn't sure where Stefan was, but the drawer in Damon's room called to her. Opening it, she saw the back of the silver frame on top and carefully pulled it out. Turning it over, she half expected to see her own face staring back at her. His obsession with Katherine made the most sense, so she was confused when she saw a completely new face. Was this Abigail Morgan?
She studied this new face. She was so dainty, almost elfin. Her hair was lighter than Elena expected, and so were her eyes. Why was Damon suddenly so fascinated with Abigail? He'd been adamant that she meant nothing to him.
Elena had become just as focused on Abigail's photo as Damon had been. Mesmerized by the young woman who had so much mystery surrounding her. Stefan had been obsessed with her. Damon clearly cared for her.
She didn't hear Stefan approach her until he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Damon will lose his mind if he catches you in here." He whispered in her ear and she felt the familiar pull of her love for him. "What do you have there?"
He'd obviously seen the photo. She handed it to him. He was smiling sadly at the picture in the frame as she turned to face him. "That's Abigail isn't it?" She asked, watching his face.
"Yeah. That's her." He handed it back to her. "Put it back where you found it and tell me what's going on."
Elena did as he requested and took his hand so he could lead her to his room. Sitting on the bed, she explained. "I caught Damon looking at that picture, Stefan. He was so focused he didn't even notice me."
Stefan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He was that fascinated by it?"
"Not fascinated, Stefan." She said, looking up at him. "Tortured by it. Why would he suddenly care?"
And it clicked. His brother had left the house for hours. When he came back and was suddenly so completely aggravated.
"She's awake." He whispered, realization dawning. "That's why, Elena. She's awake and she sent him away."
Elena's face registered the same shock as her boyfriend's. "Why wouldn't he share that with us?"
Stefan smiled at her naivety in regards to Damon's ways. "My brother doesn't show weakness, Elena. He doesn't take rejection well. And he was protecting her from me." He held Elena's hand and explained to her how his obsession with Abigail had caused so much angst and pain. "I forced him to transition, Elena. I used Abi and his hunger from fighting it so long. He abstained and I took advantage to force him to turn." Closing his eyes he remembered the pain in his brother's eyes as he allowed the thirst to take over. The fear, of him and his plans for Abigail, so clear.
"You and Damon have such a complicated relationship." Such an understatement. "He loves her, doesn't he?"
Stefan nodded. "My father may have chosen me for her, but the entire town knew that Damon and Abigail loved each other. To them it was a forgone conclusion. Everyone knew it, but I don't think either of them declared it."
"Why not?" Elena asked, moving to rest against his chest.
He shook his head. "I'm not sure." He had often wonder the same thing. "If you could have seen them together, dancing especially, you would know immediately. Them always moved in tandem, always, but on the dance floor? It was undeniable." It dawned on him that flush with human blood he could show her. "I could show you."
She offered him her hand and closed her eyes when he told her to. As her mind relaxed she was transported to the 1860s. A party, clearly, she watched with Stefan beside her as a slow, deliberate song began. The dance floor had been crowded with dancers, but one by one they slowed, giving up the room to a far superior couple. Damon wore his hair longer, flopping across his forehead. Elena's gaze, first finding Damon, soon settled on the young woman he was stood in front of. They weren't touching, their hands inches apart, and although his partner was barely five foot tall, she stood so proud and straight backed that a crown should have sat on her heavily curled head. Together they were captivating. Stefan was right, anyone watching would assume they were together. The dance changed and his arms encircled her in an embrace. Did she imagine the spark between them?
Stefan released her from his memory. "See, obvious." He chuckled. "I would have assumed a lot about their relationship, but I lived in the same house. They NEVER acted on it."
"Never?" Elena had the strangest feeling that she had been a voyeur to something intimate, even with the crowd of party goers. "That dance was incredibly intimate."
"Trust me, NEVER." He said with another laugh. "I don't think they ever kissed."
"If they felt like that and everyone knew-" She was shocked.
"Then why did my father pick me?" Stefan understood her line of curiosity. "If my relationship with my brother is complicated, then Damon and my father's relationship was Shakespearean tragedy."
"He'd deny them their love?" She felt disgusted.
"He'd deny Damon a great deal."
Elena found the past interesting, but if Stefan was correct and Abigail was awake. And alone, now that she and Damon had their issues.
"Should we check on her?" She asked, finally showing the compassion he she had in abundance.
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "She was terrified of me to the point that she ended up trapped in her own mind, and you look exactly like the person who tried to kill her twice."
"She's alone, Stefan." Elena reminded him. "She doesn't have to let us in, we can just check on her."
He nodded, seeing Abigail free and safe would also give him some peace, too. "Let's go."
