Woohoo! Chapter seventeen! So, I skipped ahead a little bit, you guys will see how when you read this chapter. Get your tissues ready, cause it's a bit of tear jerker. I'm also trying really hard to expose Val's flaws and have her developing through them, you'll see that in this chapter, too.
So, as for Val's romantic interest: we're definitely not there yet, but I do want to know who you guys are voting for so I can start laying a foundation when the time comes. I put a link to the poll on my profile, so please vote! There's also a few more questions on there, and it would very helpful if you could answer. Also, quick question, please comment your response: Elijah will be here soon, (yay!) but how should he and Val meet? Should Val get kidnapped, (I just feel like that's kind of over done), or should they meet some other way? Let me know!
The next day, Val was up at four for training; her new routine. She'd train for four hours, head over to the school and help Joe with try-outs since they'd decided to start hosting them in June and not September as they had previously done, and then go around and help un-fuck the situation around them. Her ambulance shifts were getting to be a real pain, and she'd been shot down for the job at the Grill, which sucked. The huntress was aware if she wanted to, she could have just asked Stefan or Damon to compel the manager, but doing just felt, wrong. Like she was being handed something she didn't deserve.
She didn't need help, she'd do it herself.
After she'd taken out all her frustrations on her punching bag, she showered and got ready to meet the gang at the boarding house; their now-official headquarters, it seemed. The Virginia sun was rising in the sky, bringing the spring to them as the heat began to rise and the flowers bloomed. She stopped to smell some cute yellow ones near the door of the boarding house before she knocked; she should start hiking soon, she'd always loved nature.
Her persistent knocking brought the eldest Salvatore to the door, his blue eyes lighting up at the sigh of her. "Oh, look, it's the third musketeer!" He called behind him, and Val raised her eyebrows as she walked by him, nodding to Rick, Elena, and Stefan.
"Rick was just telling us about Isobel's research at Duke; we think it might help explain the Lockwoods." Elena explained, and Val flopped down next to her hunter buddy, taking a deep breath and leaning forward as she clasped her hands together.
"Well, don't let me stop you. What can you tell us, Rick?"
"Well, Isobel wasn't just studying vampires, she also had notes on another creature."
"Which was?"
"A lycanthrope."
The group stared at him surprise, wondering if they had hear the history teacher right. "Wait," Elena said, sitting forward, "like werewolves?"
"No way, impossible. Way too Lon Chaney." Damon butted in, half-joking, but Val's mind suddenly flew back to John's words a few days prior.
The things your ancestors have done, not just to vampires, but to all supernatural creatures, will shock you beyond your wildest dreams.
"Is it?" Stefan asked his brothers, snapping Val out of her thoughts. Damon turned to his brother with a seriously? look on his face.
"I've been on this Earth one-hundred-and-sixty some odd years. If werewolves even exist, where the hell are they?"
"People have spent their whole lives convinced vampires aren't real, too, Damon; are you really going to draw the line at werewolves?" Val asked the eldest Salvatore doubtfully. He turned to her as if to scold her, then seemed to consider her words and grimaced, shrugging slightly.
"Well, why do you suspect the Lockwood's?" Rick jumped in.
"Because vervain didn't affect them at the Founders Day party, but the Gilbert device did." Damon explained. "And it affected his son Tyler."
"And at the school carnival, his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought one of the carnival workers." Stefan added. "It suggested some sort of supernatural entity."
As they continued speaking, Val's cellphone went off. Shooting them an apology, she walked off to answer, glancing at her phone screen in confusion at the unknown number before answering.
"Hello?"
Val practically flew from the bus, racing down the street to her grandmothers house. Tears burned at her eyes, her throat closing up as she ran faster than she ever thought possible. Her eyes raced over the house numbers, heart hammering in her chest so hard it felt like it would burst through.
516, 518, 520, 522!
She skidded to a stop at the familiar house, still small, brown, and just as she remembered. Practically kicking down the gate, she raced to the front door, she knocked frantically.
"¡Tío! ¡Tío, soy yo, Valentina!"
Heavy footsteps got louder and louder, then there were several clicks before the door swung open, revealing the familiar face of her grandmothers younger brother, Ernesto. They both surged forward, hugging each other tightly. Pulling back, she saw that he had been crying as well.
"¿Como es ella?" Her voice was small, worried; she felt scared to even ask the question. A part of her on the way there had been hoping, praying that it wasn't serious. But as her great-uncle shook his head, her heart clenched, and tears welled up as he stepped aside and put a hand on her shoulder, gently leading her into the house.
Val hadn't been there in about seven years, and her heart only ached more. She hadn't seen her grandmother in person since right before her father died, and now, this was the last time. As much as she didn't want to think about it, she knew it was true. Practically running down the hall, she stopped at the door to see almost all of her and her grandmothers family in the room; her father had an older brother that died as a child and her grandfathers siblings had died already with no children, meaning her grandmothers two younger brothers and their kids, three to one and two to the other, were all the family she had left. Their own children, who were a few years younger, hung back at the wall of the room, crying softly.
As she entered, members of the family surged forward, tearfully kissing her cheeks and hugging her tightly. She hadn't seen them in so long, and it felt so good to be around them again.
She wished with all her might it was under better circumstances.
Finally, they all respectfully backed away, and she approached the bed slowly, tears streaming down her face.
Maria Rodriguez-Gonzalez laid in her bed, gray hair in a long braid, skin much paler than normal. Her recovery from her stroke was obvious, as the left side of her face was drooping and not as responsive as Val sat at the right side of the bed, reaching for her grandmothers hand.
"Abeula," she whispered tearfully, and the elderly woman's eyes opened, revealing matching amber iris's.
"Ah, mi chiquita," she greeted softly, "Te extrañé, mija." She looked at Val's tearful face, and frowned, "¿Por qué estás llorando?" I've missed you, dear. Why are you crying?
Val shook her head, the tears picking up speed, "Ellos dicen que no te va muy bien, abuela." She choked out, (They say you're not doing well, grandma), but her grandmother, tough as nails even on her deathbed, rolled her eyes.
"¿Qué saben los hombres sobre la vida y la muerte? Nada." What do men know about life and death? Nothing, she responded, as if someone had just told her the sky was bright green. Her eyes fell to the crucifix, dangling just within sight from her flannel, and she tightened her hold on Val's hand. "Lo tienes de vuelta." You got it back, she whispered, excited, and Val nodded.
"Si, abuela." Yes, grandma.
"Nunca debes eliminarlo, ¡prométemelo!" You must never remove it, promise me!
Val's tears lightened just long enough for her face to harden in determination, and she squeezed her grandmother's hand back, reassuring her. "Lo prometon, abuela, lo prometon." I promise, grandma, I promise.
That answer seemed to be the last thing giving Maria energy, and she visibly relaxed, her hold on Val's hand loosening. Val started sobbing, frantically grabbing at her grandmother's hand and arm.
"¡Por favor no te vayas, abuela, no me dejes solo!" Please don't leave me, grandma, don't leave me alone!
"Nunca estas realmente solo, mija." You are never truly alone, my child. Her grandmother replied, patting her hand softly. Her eyes watered as she stared at her only descendant, her only grandchild. "Te amo, mija." I love you, my child.
"Te amo también, abulea." I love you, too, grandma, she responded, now sobbing harder. Maria laid back, sighing, staring at the ceiling.
"No llores, mija." Do not cry, my child, "Veo a tu abuelo. Lo he extrañado tanto..." I see your grandfather. I have missed him so much… she trailed off, and Val laid her head on the bed next to her grandmother's arm, crying.
Suddenly, her breathing stopped and her hold on her granddaughter's hand released completely, and Val looked up, panic in her eyes.
"¿Abuela?" She begged, but there was no response. Maria Rodriguez-Gonzalez lay peacefully at her deathbed, surrounded by her family. Tio Ernesto rushed forward and wrapped his arm around Val's shoulder as she sobbed violently, silently begging anyone who would listen to return her grandmother, to let her say goodbye one last time, to hug her, to hear her laugh, to even hear her lecture the young girl on life.
But there was nothing. She was gone.
Valentina Esperanza Rodriguez-Garcia was the last of her family line.
The funeral was everything she knew her grandmother would have wanted. They buried her next to her husband and her son, with a beautiful ceremony. Val sat in the front with her great uncles, Ernesto and Juan. When it was over, they all went back to the house, where her grandmother's entire family was. Though it was under bleak circumstances, Val could not have been more grateful to be so close to home. She enjoyed the week and a half of no supernatural talk, no hunting, no stress. Simply lots of good food, laughing and crying with her cousins, and reliving her childhood memories.
About three hours before her plane left for Virginia again, she found herself at the cemetery. She stood in front of the families plot, clutching her crucifix as she stared at the graves.
Lucas Rodriguez III
January 30, 1947- December 1, 1992
A father, a husband, a grandfather, a protector
Antonio Ernesto Rodriguez-Gonzalez
April 20, 1970- August 13, 2001
It is my prayer that when I die, all of hell rejoices that I am out of the fight
Maria Isabella Rodriguez-Gonzalez
May 30, 1954-September 11, 2010
Be not afraid
Val didn't know how long she sat there before her tears stopped, but after they did, she stayed for a few more minutes, just breathing and listening to the birds around her, the sounds of Mexico City echoing in the distance.
Suddenly, fire flooded her veins, her chest growing strong, her skin burning with determination. Her fingers tightened around the crucifix as the rubies cut into her skin.
"I will get justice for our family. I swear, I will do right by our name."
PLAN B
Val rolled over, groaning at the loud beeping of her alarm. Reaching out her hand, she slammed it a little harder than necessary onto the snooze button. It was still dark out as she dressed in her shorts and sports bra, wrapping her hands. She began to stretch and warm up in the living room, listening to some Queen through her headphones.
The gang had been nothing but supportive when she got back from Mexico, despite everything that had happened with Mason, Katherine, and the Salvatore brothers nearly being killed. Upon hearing what had happened with Caroline and her mother, she'd stopped at the girl's house on her way home, and listened to her as she cried. She knew the teens heart was breaking at the sight of her mother denying her daughter was even alive anymore, and as much as she liked Liz, she desperately wanted to slap some sense into the woman.
She started on the bag, getting lost in her thoughts, as her fists pounded into the heavy, covered sand. After an hour of that, still dark out, she pulled on a light jacket to ward off the morning chill and started running. Her current path was about five miles, and she couldn't help but feel relieved. There was practically no one out at five in the morning, leaving her with complete privacy. Which was great; Val may have liked running, but running did not like Val.
As she neared her last mile, the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, a flash of movement caught her attention at the corner of her eye. The huntress jumped into a defensive position, but stopped when she saw two little brown eyes, staring at her from under a park bench. Pulling her headphone out, she approached slowly, a smile spreading across her lips.
A tiny brown puppy sat shivering and whimpering under the bench, wining softly as she approached. "Shhh, it's ok, baby." She soothed as she crouched down, the pup growling softly as she reached out a hand. Eventually, he leaned over, sniffing her hand delicately before licking it repeatedly, his whimpering rising. He suddenly clambered clumsily into her lap, jumping to lick her face. She giggled at the wet tongue on her jaw and cradled him closer, seeing that he had no collar.
"Where's you mom, buddy?" She questioned, searching cautiously for the momma dog, but stopped at the sight of a brown lab lying not too far away, completely still.
Standing, Val approached her carefully, but saw in dismay that she lay rigid, no warmth coming off of her. She looked back down at the pup in pity. "Are you all alone, now, bud?"
The puppy whimpered, staring at his dead mother mournfully. She sighed, scratching behind his ears. "Yeah, me too."
When Jenna came knocking at her door later that day to pick her up for the party prep, her eyes immediately fell on the tiny pup that was yipping excitedly at Val's heels when she answered the door. "Awww," the blonde crooned as she crouched down to scratch is head, "You got a dog?"
"Found one, technically." Val told her lightly as she took the dog to be locked up in his playpen. "He was on my run this morning, his mom was dead, probably starved to death. I called animal control and brought Freddie home."
"Freddie? Really?" Jenna teased, raising an eyebrow as her friend locked the door behind her, looking sad at the mournful howls of her new pet.
"Yeah, Freddie Mercury; AKA, the lead singer of the greatest band ever?" Val told her in a duh voice as they got into the elevator. Jenna giggled, shaking her head as the doors closed.
The blonde had been the biggest blessing since Val had gotten back. She'd dropped off multiple lasagna's, (or, a more appropriate term would be attempted lasagna's) and had taken the huntress out multiple times to distract her with family stuff that included Jeremy and Elena. It hadn't completely taken away the grief, but it had definitely helped.
At the party hall, Val was impressed. Not only did the food look amazing, (which she may have taken a few samples when no one was looking), but a lot of the decorations were straight from the eighteen-hundred's. Val hadn't exactly been pumped for another party, but then Jenna had dragged her to a nearby mall to pick out her outfit.
Ok, so she was a little excited. As she helped Stefan finish setting out some plates, Jenna approached the teen boy, smiling. Val had been told already of their fake 'break', but she knew it was for everyone's safety to ensure it continued to look real to Katherine.
"So, I'm cooking dinner tonight." She told the vampire lightly, nodding at Val, "Val and Rick will be there, you should come!"
"Oh, um," Stefan fidgeted, and Val had to give him props, he looked incredibly awkward. It was almost like it was real. "You know, Elena and I, we're kind of taking a… a pause." He stuttered, but the huntress was surprised when Jenna didn't even look shocked. She only raised an eyebrow as Val raised her water bottle to her lips. "Really? Cause that's not what it sounded like this morning."
Accidentally inhaling, a gulp of water went straight into her lungs and she spluttered, bringing a hand up as she coughed out a laugh. Stefan stared at his girlfriends aunt like someone who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Light sleeper." Jenna whispered teasingly, and Stefan opened his mouth, unsure how to respond. Finally, she let him off the hook as Val tried to get her quiet laughter under control. "You know what? I heard nothing." She reassured him before giggling a little with Val and walking off. Val set her water bottle down and cocked an eyebrow at Stefan. He threw up his hands, still looking guilty.
"What?"
She got a text from Rick about halfway through decorating telling her to meet he and Damon at the boarding house ASAP, so she managed to sneak away. As she walked in, though, she was unpleasantly surprised to see another familiar face.
"Jeremy, what are you doing here?" She demanded. The teen raised his hands in surrender, genuinely looking afraid as Damon spoke up.
"He's the one who told me about the moon stone, it's fine." He tried to soothe, but Val walked right past him.
"It's not fine," she told them sternly, "Jeremy, I know for a fact that Jenna doesn't know about this, does your sister?"
"No, cause she would never let me be here!" Jeremy protested, "Please, Val, I want to help!"
"Jer, I am not going to lie to your sister! As one myself, I would be furious if I found out someone was endangering Hector." She pointed at the door, "Go home, right now."
At that moment, the door popped open, revealing Rick with a pretty large box. "Rick!" Damon greeted, but Rick's eyes flew straight to Jeremy in surprise. "What are you doing here?" He asked sternly, and Val threw up her hands, letting them slap against her thighs.
"That was my question!"
"I'm the one who told Damon about the moonstone," Jeremy responded, looking a little proud of himself.
"Does Elena know you're here?"
Jeremy looked uncomfortable at the next question as Val gave him a serious look.
"Um, not exactly."
As Damon pulled the lid off the box, she turned back to Jeremy, eyes narrowed. "Hey, I'm watching you, ok?" She warned, and the boys face paled slightly as he nodded. She stared him down for a few more seconds, squinting, before walking over to the box.
"Whatcha got?" Damon asked, and Rick pulled out a few pieces of paper.
"Oh, this is Isobel's research from Duke. Her assistant sent it to me." The hunter told him, and Damon hummed.
"Vanessa, the hottie."
Val rolled her eyes, half-scoffing, half-chuckling as Rick interrupted him. "Yes, Vanessa. Now, do you guys remember the old Aztec curse she told us about?"
"The Sun and Moon Curse, right?" Val asked, and Rick nodded.
"The Aztec Curse? Sounds cool!" Jeremy interjected excitedly, and Val couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.
"Yeah, vampires and werewolves used to roam freely until a shaman put a curse on them to limit their power. Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun." Rick explained, and Val and Jeremy smirked at each other.
Once a teacher, always a teacher.
Damon wiggled his fingers, showing off his ring. "Most of them anyway," he stated proudly as Rick continued with his explanation.
"The werewolf part of the curse? It's sealed with the moonstone." He told them, handing Val a piece of paper that held some ancient drawings. She studied them closely, still listening as Jeremy looked over her shoulder.
"What do you mean, 'sealed'?"
"It's a witch thing," Damon explained, "whatever seals the spell, you need to unseal it. I don't know, guys, if we're going to start believing in a witchy-woo curse from a picture book, we're idiots." He told them impatiently, but Val was a little distracted.
As they talked about getting the moonstone from Tyler, she ran her fingers over the drawings. Something wasn't right here; the huntress had seen many ancient drawings, she'd visited a lot of historical sights in Mexico and Argentina when she was a child, visiting family with her father. But those were definitely legit, these just looked like drawings. As her eyes roamed over them, something caught her eye.
She brought the drawing closer to her face as she tried to make out something that was smudged at the bottom right corner of the page. It was so faded it was nearly impossible to really decipher, but Val could have sworn she made out two letters.
What's N.M.?
"Let's go." Damon finished setting his glass down, and Val snapped out of her thoughts as she folded up the paper, placing it back in the box and following them out of the house.
Once at the mansion again, she walked into the room right as she heard Jeremy talking to Elena. "You know, Elena, it's because of you that I'm in this mess in the first place. So, I'm sorry you don't really get to tell me what I'm gonna do." He stalked off, leaving a very hurt look on his older sisters face.
Val wanted to stay out of it, she did. Whenever people tried to give her advice on what to do with Hector and Alex, she just got irritated. Attempting to fill in for absentee/dead/shitty parents was never easy, but it did always seemed to fall on the shoulders of the older sibling. Maybe it was the loss of her family member, but Val found herself walking after Jeremy, stopping him just outside.
"A little harsh, don't you think?" She asked, folding her arms on the steps. Jeremy looked up at her and rolled his eyes.
"Look, Val, the whole parental thing is great and all, but why don't you just save it for your own family?" Val's temper flared like a flame that just been doused in alcohol, and as the boy turned to walk away, she reached out, snatching his arm and turning him back around forcefully. The boys stumbled, staring at her with shocked eyes as she spoke lowly and angrily.
"I'm not Elena, Jeremy, I don't do the gentle authority. When I was ten, I told my dad grandma to shut up, and she ripped off her sandal and smacked with in the head with it so hard, I saw stars. And more importantly, I don't let anyone talk to me that way. So, listen up: what Elena did to you was very wrong, and I refuse to attempt to defend that. But you are her brother, and one of the last few family members she has left, not to mention she's one of the last ones you have left too, and you are the one who tried to turn yourself into a vampire. She may have introduced this world to you, but you chose to stay. You want to be in this business? Take accountability for your choices, and stop. Pouting." She let go of his arm, giving him one last glare before walking off, breathing deeply.
That was wrong, her mind whispered, and she sighed. It was wrong, Jeremy wasn't her responsibility and it wasn't her place to lecture him, but to see the kid simply throw away his relationship with his sister really pissed her off for some reason, and she knew why; she hadn't seen Hector and Alex in months, and she missed them so much it was physically painful. There was a small smidge of jealousy in her, getting to see the brother and sister together every day, not having to worry about someone ripping them apart in the name of 'safety and security'.
She kept breathing deeply for a few more minutes, counting to fifty, before she finally felt calm enough. Her eyes searched for a familiar head of brown hair so she could attempt to apologize when Damon was suddenly by her side, softly gripping her arm and bending down to whisper in her ear.
"Ok, since you have to be involved on everything that even slightly involves the minors of this town, thought I should let you know that we're using Bonnie to lure in Mason Lockwood."
Val reeled back, her carefully calmed-down temper flaring to life again at his words, "You're what?!"
"Look, she can use this little witchy mojo on him-"
"I don't care if she can rip his head off without using her hands, Damon, she's not doing that!" She hissed. The vampire stared at her thoughtfully.
"What if she needed a helping hand?"
Val stood across from Bonnie, the two of them holding onto the edge of a table in the moving van. "You sure you're ok with this?" She asked softly, but the witch nodded, determined.
"If it means helping take down Katherine after what she did to Caroline and Elena, yes."
Val threw the girl a reassuring smile before she caught sight of Mason leaving the front door. "Ok, there he is!" She whispered, and they both pulled the table out halfway, pretending to struggle. Honestly, it wasn't that heavy to Val, but she needed to make it look good. "Um, excuse me!" She called, giggling girlishly as Mason jogged over to them.
"How'd you guys get stuck doing that all by yourself?" He chuckled, and Bonnie shrugged, stumbling a little.
"Uh, all the guys bailed. Something about draft picks; I don't know, I don't speak that language." She laughed a little as Mason approached them, Val stepping out of the way so he could help lower it.
Suddenly, he reached up, grabbing his head and groaning in pain. Val turned in shock to Bonnie, who was staring at the werewolf in deep concentration. Damon was at their sides in an instant as Mason dropped to his knees, bringing his own knee up and driving it into Mason's face. The man dropped, out cold, to the pavement.
"I'm sorry," Bonnie whispered, and Val squeezed her shoulder as the brothers loaded a now-unconscious Mason into the back of his own truck. Hopping in, the group sped down the dirt road out of the property, completely out of sight.
Once at the house, Val spread the old sheet under the chair as Damon dumped the Lockwood uncle into the chair, raising her eyebrows at the chains he pulled from the bag.
"Wow, looks like this guys used to being tied up," he commented, and Val watched Mason doubtfully.
"Guys, I don't think he's gonna be out much longer." She told them, concerned, as Bonnie grabbed his head with both hands.
"I know," she muttered, closing her eyes. Damon watched her in confusion.
"And what are you doing?" He asked as he and Val continued to set up.
"You're looking for a moonstone, I'm trying to help you find it." Bonnie told him matter-of-factly. Val sighed in annoyance as Damon spoke up again.
"Oh, good, yeah; find out if he gave it to Katherine, find out where she is, and find out what they're going to do with it, and find out what they're going to do with it once they get it."
"What Damon meant to say is whatever you can find, we deeply appreciate it, Bon." She reassured the girl, glaring at Damon as she continued to help tie the wolf down.
"Somewhere small, and dark." Bonnie muttered quietly as she worked her magic, (no pun intended). "There's water…"
"Sewer?" Val guessed, but Bonnie shook her head.
"No. Well? That can't be right." She sounded frustrated, but then went back on her statement. "Yeah, that's it. A well."
"Why would it be in a well?" Damon questioned, but Bonnie turned to him, annoyed. "I told you-"
She gasped in panic when Mason's wrist enclosed around her wrist, both Val and Damon leaping forward to yank him off. Bonnie backed up, looking more than a little freaked as she gathered herself.
"That's it, that's all I got!" She told them before starting up the steps.
"Hey, judgey!" Damon called her, and Val rolled her eyes. Bonnie turned back to them, and Val shot her a soft smile.
"He wants to say thank you. Don't worry, we've got this part." She reassured the girl, and Bonnie gave Damon one final look as she left.
"Come on, wake up, wolf boy!" He slammed his fist harshly into Mason's face, and Val sighed.
Well, this wasn't going to be pleasant.
Mason struggled aggressively against the binds in his chair, rattling the wood. Val watched him carefully from her spot by the window, her gun in her hand. In light of what was going on, she'd loaded it with silver bullets, with another magazine stashed away with wooden ones.
She really hoped no more supernatural species came to town, ammunition was expensive.
"Someone's feisty." Damon commented from his spot at the fireplace; he was holding an iron poker over the flames, the tip growing so hot it was glowing.
Mason struggled so hard he sent his chair falling back, his back hitting the ground harshly. Val winced as Damon stepped forward, his face hard.
"What?!" Mason shouted angrily, but Val could tell he was scared. The vampire said nothing, simply stabbing the poker into his shirted chest. The huntress bit her lip, looking away at the sound of his screams of pain.
"You can hurt, good to know." Damon told him, "I was afraid you were going to be some beast mass with no affinity for pain." He crouched down, exposing the burn wound that was quickly beginning to heal. "Oh, but you heal quickly." He pouted, "Guess I'll have to keep applying pain." Grabbing the chair, he aggressively hoisted the man back into a sitting position, pacing away as Mason caught his breath.
"So, Katherine," Damon started casually as if he wasn't holding the iron poker over the flames to torture him again, "how'd you meet her, what's she up to?"
Mason stayed stubbornly quiet aside from his struggles and heavy breathing, and Val sighed, holstering her gun. "The sooner you talk, the sooner this ends." She supplied, but Mason only glared harshly at her.
"Did she seduce you? Tell you she loved you?" Damon asked aggressively, and Val raised her eyebrows.
Was that jealousy she heard in his voice?
"You're supernatural, so she can't compel you; I'm sure she used her other charms. Katherine's good that way." Damon told him bitterly, and soft footsteps alerted Val.
She met Jeremy's eyes regretfully and a little panicked; she really didn't think he should be watching a torture session.
"I thought I told you to leave." Damon said, annoyed, but Jeremy showed them a box.
"I found something in the box of Rick's stuff."
"Oooo, good." Damon said eagerly, he and Val stepping forward as Jeremy showed them.
"It's a plant; I did a google search on my phone and got a name: aconium vulparia. Grows in the mountains of the norther hemisphere, commonly known as aconite, blue rocket, and wolfsbane."
Val's eyes shot up to Jeremy's at the familiar name, and then she looked over at Mason. The man was looking more and more panicked.
"What else did you read?" Damon asked curiously, and the teen showed them his phone.
"Well, some claim it can cause lycanthropy, which sounds bogus, some say that it protects people, and another one says it's, well, toxic."
At the whimper that left Mason's throat, Damon turned to them. "I'm guessing toxic."
He slowly, tauntingly, approached Mason again, circling to stand in front of him while holding some wolfsbane. "What's Katherine doing in Mystic Falls?"
Silence.
Shrugging, the eldest Salvatore extended his hand and slowly dragged the plant down Mason's face. The werewolf groaned loudly in pain as a loud hissing noise erupted, smoke rising from his skin. Val turned her head to see Jeremy looking down at the ground, wincing.
"Why is Katherine here?" She questioned firmly, coming around to stand next to Damon. Mason scoffed at her.
"She's here with me!" Turning to Damon, he spat, "Why do you ask? You jealous?"
Damon's face went from annoyed to furious so fast, it gave Val whiplash. She closed her eyes and sighed through her nose as the vampire grabbed a fist full of wolfsbane, clenching it.
"How rude of me, I haven't even offered you anything to eat!" With that, he lunged forward, shoving the plant into Damon's mouth. The man gurgled and choked in pain, blood beginning to pour from his mouth. Jeremy winced again, looking at the ground.
"What do you want with the moonstone?" Damon asked again, but Mason wasn't done yet.
"Screw you!" He cried angrily, and Val folded her arms across her chest, face impassive.
"Wrong answer!" Damon cried sarcastically, starting forward. "Think I'll put it in your eye this time.."
Mason panicked at the sight of the wolfsbane, and broke.
"The well!" He yelled, pressing his head as far away from the plant as he could.
"We know where it is," Val told him flatly, "we want to know why you want it."
"I'm getting it for Katherine. She's going to break the curse." Mason told them, panting.
"The sun and the moon?" Damon asked disbelievingly. "Now, why would a vampire help a werewolf break a curse that keeps them from turning whenever they want?"
"So I would've have to turn anymore." Mason answered, straightening slightly.
"Why?"
"Because she loves me!"
Val actually felt kind of bad for the guy as Damon bent further down to his level. Katherine was so good at getting in peoples heads, she'd convinced this guy to lie and steal from his family.
Damon started laughing, sounding a little crazed, and the huntress watched him carefully, a little concerned for his mental state. He seemed… unstable at the moment.
"Now I get it!" Damon chuckled, "You're just stupid!" His face dropped again, eyebrows pinching, "Katherine doesn't love you, you moron, she's using you."
"I'm done talking." Mason told him with finality, and Val knew it was true. You can't talk a man out of a delusion of his own making, it was impossible.
"Yes, you are." Damon agreed quietly, then spoke to Jeremy without taking his eyes off the werewolf in front of him. "Take a walk, Jeremy."
"I'm staying…" the teen started, but Damon cut him off.
"No, you're not. Leave, now."
Mason turned his head to the boy, face streaked with sweat and blood. "Just help Tyler," he pleaded, "don't let this happen to him."
Val looked over to the vampire as Jeremy spoke again, "Damon…"
Suddenly, the vamp had Jeremy pinned against the couch, his hand enclosed around his throat. Val rushed forward, yanking out her gun as he spoke.
"You want to be apart of this? Well here it is! It's kill or be killed, the dude's a vampire, he'd kill me the first chance he got!" Val leveled the muzzle with his head, eyes blazing.
"Let him go, now."
The vampire stared at Jeremy, eyes wide, bright, and almost hysterical before glaring harshly at Val, letting of the boy. Val returned it as she pulled the teen to his feet, quickly running her eyes over his throat and making sure it was uninjured.
"He wants me to kill him, anyway." Damon told them, voice turning eerily calm. Val's little spidey sense seemed to know exactly what was coming next, and she grabbed Jeremy's arm, pulling him out of the room as fast as she could.
"I thought you said I needed to take accountability for my choices." He spat at her as they left the house. Stopping, she turned him around and looked directly into his eyes.
"No one needs to see death, Jeremy. Occupational hazard? Sure. But you're a kid, and-" she stopped, sighing. "And you don't have to follow your ancestors footsteps. Don't be the emotionless, cruel hunter." Her gaze softened. "You, of all people, are capable of being even better."
Back at her apartment, Val unlatched the playpen gate, Freddie running out in excitement. She giggled as he tugged at her jeans with his little puppy teeth, growling adorably. Bending down to clamp his leash, she had only just gotten to the door when she got the call.
"Val! It's Jenna, Katherine made her stab herself!"
The huntress busted into the ER, out of breath and near a heart attack; she'd gotten stuck in some traffic and had parked her car, abandoning and running all the way to the hospital. She couldn't wait any longer to know what was happening. As she ran into the waiting room, she slowed down seeing Jeremy hugging a crying Elena, the two siblings comforting each other. She jogged up to them, lungs burning.
"What happened? What did the doctors say? Is she okay?" She fired off so rapidly she wasn't sure they understood her, but luckily they did. Elena nodded tearfully.
"The doctors told Alaric she got lucky, but that she's gonna be ok." She told the huntress, and Val released the breath she'd been holding all night. Stepping forward, she pulled the siblings into a hug. She knew Jenna would want to ensure someone was watching after them, and she sat them down on the chair, looking around for some vending machines.
All the while, one thought was running through her mind.
It's time for Katherine Pierce to die.
So, I'm really sorry if this chapter feels rushed, I rewrote it like three times but I can't seem to fix that. I'm SUPER pumped about the future, please take my poll so I can take your opinions into account! Thanks, see you later!