It was warm.
Not unpleasantly warm, or muggy in any way, but the kind of warmth you only got a few days a year in maybe the spring or the fall. The sun feels amazing on your skin, the breeze is even better. She could smell flowers, feel something soft caressing her skin. Finally, her eyes fluttered open.
She was met with a bright, cloudless blue sky. Panic flushed through her veins, and she bolted upright, looking around.
She was in some kind of forest, in a clearing. As she stood, heavy fabric brushed against her legs, and she looked down to see that she was wearing a plain blue dress; and not just any dress, but an older one, medieval maybe? The bottom was faded and stained with dirt, and there was a large tear in the right side of the skirt. She turned, looking around, desperate to get a sense of direction.
Where was she? What had happened?
Suddenly, a sense of urgency overtook her. She wasn't sure how, but she all she knew was that she needed to get somewhere, and fast. Her heart was climbing in her throat as she picked up her skirts and raced into the woods. She didn't know where she was going, but at the same time, she did. It was like she had no control, like she was just observing through her own eyes.
As she ran, she noticed her hair brushing against her elbows and her waist; it was long, curly, and that was when she saw her hands as well.
They were covered in dirt and blood, as well as her sleeves and the front of her dress.
Finally, a small hut came into view. No, not a hut, a house. A much older one, with a chimney and a stable build, plain brown.
Pure terror was suddenly coursing through her body, and she began taking several shaky steps forward, terrified of what she was going to find when she went through the door.
Finally, she reached up a small hand and pushed the front door open.
The house was quiet, too quiet. There didn't seem to be anyone home, and as she entered, she looked over to the right. There was another small door, and this door seemed to absolutely terrify her most of all.
"Padre." Her voice came out a whisper, from her sore throat or from fear, she wasn't sure. It wasn't even a question, because a part of her knew he wasn't going to respond.
She stood at that door, heart pounding so loud it seemed echo off the empty walls around her, and it felt like forever before she finally worked up the courage. Hesitantly, she reached for the door handle, and pushed it open.
And screamed.
A man lay there, also in historical clothing, like a tunic, pants, and boots. He was on the bed, his upper half hanging off. His head lulled to one side, eyes open and glazed over from death, staring with an unfocused gaze back at her. Blood was splattered across the room, painted over the walls, soaking the bed linens, dried puddles of it on the floor. The smell of rotting flesh practically choked her, and she brought a hand up to her mouth, still screaming and crying as she fell back against the doorframe, her legs unable to hold her. Her eyes finally fell upon the gaping hole in his chest, blood coating his once-white tunic.
Movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn, and her eyes widened upon seeing who was standing in the corner of the room, a human heart still clenched tightly in his fist.
A man, dark brown hair and eyes, a serious gaze. He was covered in blood, as well, but she knew it wasn't his own.
"¿¡Qué has hecho!? ¡Papá!" She screamed, her fear and confusion beginning to overwhelm her.
The man, (why did he look so familiar?) only looked at her one last time, the barest shadow of regret flashing over his features.
"Lo siento." She heard him whisper, and then he was gone.
She turned to watch him leave, and that was when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above the wash basin.
Val gasped awake, shooting into a sitting position. For a second, she floundered for a weapon, but then everything started to bleed into focus.
She was in her room. Similar to the last nightmare she'd had, her legs were tangled in her sheets, skin soaked in sweat, her heart pounding like a drum.
She panted, looking around her darkened room before her eyes fell on her clock.
2:34 A.M.
The huntress sighed, falling back onto her pillow. She ran her fingers through her hair, taking several deep breathes before getting up, stumbling into her kitchen.
And there she sat, perched on her counter, a cup of water clutched in one hand as she stared out the window at nothing as she tried to make sense of her nightmare. She'd woke up after seeing herself in the mirror, but that was the thing.
That hadn't been her.
She had looked similar to her, but it wasn't. Whoever that girl was had been very young, no more than thirteen or fourteen, at the very oldest. She thought back to Elijah's words, (they had felt much more like a threat) when he told her of how he'd ripped her ancestor's heart out for threatening him.
Was that my ancestor? Was that him? Why did I see that? How did I see that?
The Rodriguez huntress sat there for almost another hour before her eyelids began to grow heavy again, and she wandered back to bed.
Not noticing how her necklace, which was sitting on the outside of her t-shirt, was shockingly cold to the touch.
She spent her entire day off training and talking to Hector and Alex. Last night's dream had really done a number on her and hearing the sounds of her siblings voices calmed her as they eagerly described upcoming soccer games and tumbling meets to their big sister. As did the repeated hits to the punching bag.
It was dark outside when Damon called her, and not with welcome news. She knew about Rose's unfortunate werewolf bite, but no one was sure how long it was going to take before she finally died. Though she'd only known the woman a short time, and the first impression hadn't been great, she felt sorry for her. Slowly dying of infection with no cure sounded like such an awful way to go. But when he had informed her that Rose had escaped and was having delusions, she grabbed her gun and drove straight to the high school's party. What it was for, she had no idea, it was getting pretty hard to keep track of all the damn celebrations in this town.
But before she got there, Damon called her again.
"She killed one of the garbage men." He told her as she flipped a U-turn to get back to the boarding house, and Val sighed.
"Is she aware again?"
"Yeah, she is." He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice broke slightly. "She's, uh, she's begging for death."
His words almost made her run a stop sign. How much pain was a five-hundred-year-old immortal being in to be begging for death?
When she finally got to the house, she was met with an unwelcome sight. Val had seen death; she'd worked on an ambulance, she knew the smell of death, the sobs of their family members, the look on their faces as they realized how near the end they were. It wasn't something one got used to, per say, but once you'd seen it enough, you got experience at going to a place in your head. A blank, emotionless place that allowed you to do your job and ensure they died as painlessly as possible.
But Rose was something else.
Val approached softly, listening as she spoke to Elena. Damon was facing the door, but with his head turned slightly towards the pair. As she entered, he met her eyes, and nodded sorrowfully.
"…and you need to fight." Rose was saying to Elena, her voice growing thick with tears. "I know you're scared, but you have to do it anyway." Her words died off as she began to cough and gag; the huntress approached softly, putting her hand on the teen's shoulder. She looked up to see Val, and gave a small, sad grimace as they both looked back down at Rose.
"Why are you so nice to me?" The vampire asked, but the words were mostly directed at Elena. Val wasn't nice; she made the hard decisions, and that meant she couldn't afford nice.
"Us humans." Elena scoffed playfully, and Rose gave a small, derisive chuckle.
"You never forget it." She murmured, staring at something in the distance. "What it's like to be human. It haunts me; it's the only thing that's kept me going." She smiled softly, "It doesn't hurt as much anymore." She cleared her throat, shifting on the pillows, then began squirming. Without warning, she threw her head back and let out an agonizing scream.
Val was next to her in an instant, dabbing her face with a cool cloth from the bedside table. Damon joined her, holding the vampire as she cried out in pain.
"Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop!" She begged, and Val felt her heart break at the sight of the vampire.
"Damon-" Elena started, but the vampire shooed her away.
"Go, Elena! I've got this!" He ordered firmly, and the brunette paused before walking out of the room, Val hearing her footsteps go down the stairs.
It took a little while, but she finally calmed down. Val wasn't sure if the pain was coming in waves or if Rose was just coming in and out of delirium, but either way, she was grateful when the vampire was no longer being agonizingly tortured by the poisonous infection. Damon sat against the headboard, holding Rose against his chest, and Val was about to give them some space when Rose spoke.
"You're not like the rest of them, you know."
She turned to see Rose not looking at her, but Damon's face told her that she was speaking to her. Sitting back down on the bed, she reached out, placing a gentle hand on Rose's knee.
"What do you mean?"
The vampire coughed, and for a second Val thought she was going to throw up again, but instead she settled against Damon's chest, opening her eyes to look dead in the huntress's amber ones.
"I've met quite a few of your distant relatives in my lifetime. I won't lie, you all act the same. Impulsive, stubborn, temperamental, quick to jump to violence as an answer."
Val's mind flew back to the conversation with Elijah, but Rose's next words stopped her.
"But you all have one thing in common: you will go to the ends of the Earth, you will endure whatever you have to endure, and you will kill whoever you have to kill to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those you care about." She coughed slightly, the lifted a hand and placed it on Val's. It was cold and clammy, but the huntress reached out and grabbed it with her other one, holding it with both hands.
"And you," Rose murmured, "you're much different. Your ancestors have been hunting the supernatural longer than I think anyone even knows, and over time, they gained reputations for being cruel and heartless to anything that wasn't human." She closed her eyes, settling her head back against Damon's chest before opening them again. "You protect this town, not because of the supernatural, but because of the people in it. You don't hunt because it's your family legacy, you hunt because you believe in every innocent person getting a chance at life." She paused, breathing deeply. "You are the most human Rodriguez I've ever met."
Val's eyes burned with tears, recalling Elijah and John's words. Who the hell were these people, her ancestors? What had they done?
"Just sleep, Rose." Damon hushed, quietly calming her. The female vampire nodded off, her body relaxing, and Val watched as her face turned to one of peace.
"Are you in her head?" She asked, and Damon nodded, his face twisted harshly in sorrow.
"I'm helping her remember the place she loved to go when she was a kid." He choked out, and tears began to roll down his face.
They sat in silence, Val stroking her hand as Damon gave her peace, and allowed her to live painlessly in her last moments. After several seconds, he reached over and picked up a stake.
"She says the pains gone." He barely got out, tears coming faster, and raised the stake. Without thinking, Val shot forward and grabbed his wrist. He looked up at her in pure sorrow.
"Val, I have to, she can't take much more-"
"I know." She interrupted softly, then gently pulled it from his grasp. "But I don't want this on you. Let me do it."
She was sure he would've been shocked if the circumstances were any different, but he didn't say anything. She slowly positioned the sharp wooden instrument over the vampires heart, now crying earnestly. Damon looked at her as large tears continued to stream down his face, expression twisted in pain.
"On the count of three." He choked out, and she nodded.
"One…two…"
She shoved the stake down, directly into her chest. Rose gasped slightly, then went limp. Her skin slowly grayed, and the veins began to creep over the surface.
And for a while, they just sat there together. Mourning. Breathing. Existing.
Grieving.
NEXT EPISODE: DADDY ISSUES
Val stumbled out the bathroom, wrapping a towel around her body as she practically lunged for her ringing phone. She cursed as she nearly face-planted with her wet feet, and brought the phone up to her ear. "Stefan? Hello?"
"Hey, Val," The youngest Salvatore greeted, and she knew right away something was up. "So, look, I went looking for Isobel, y'know, like I said I would. And, um, I didn't find her, per say, but I did find someone who could help us."
"Who?"
Val could feel Damon and Elena's worried stares on her back, but she ignored them. Her blood was boiling, and she swore that steam was coming out of her ears. Her vision was going red at the edges, and all she could remember was the way John had thrown her father's own moves at her in the middle of fight, using them against her.
She shouldn't have let Elena talk her out of bringing her gun, Damon could've just compelled everyone there, John would be dead, and life would continue. Without him. The way it should be.
They entered the Grill, and her eyes fell John's nasty, smirking face. A small hand on her shoulder stopped her from walking forward.
"Please, you two, just don't do anything stupid." Elena begged, and Damon turned to her.
"Oh, but stupid is so much more fun."
Val didn't say anything, hanging back as the two approached him. She was afraid if she got within arms reach right now, she'd beat the shit out of him in front of everyone. She paced along the side of the Grill slowly, keeping her eyes on the group at all times. Eventually, John stood and walked over to the memorial table. She and Damon made eye contact, and he nodded. Walking forward, she didn't say anything as she came up behind John, grabbing the back of his head and smacking it hard against the wooden half-wall behind the table.
It wasn't as hard as she wanted to hit him, and it wasn't nearly hard enough to do any damage or disorient him in anyway. But it was hard enough to make him curse, holding a hand up to his head as she walked in front of him, bracing one arm on the table while putting the other hand on her hip.
"You know, I think you've gone right past balls-y and straight into pure stupidity." She told him honestly, cocking her head to the side as he groaned, glaring at her as he dropped his hand. "Oh, I'm sorry, does that hurt?" She took a step closer, lips twisting into a snarl, "It's not even close to how badly I'm planning to fuck you up right now. What hell are you doing here, John?"
"Stefan didn't tell you?" He asked, blinking slightly before the pain started to fade from his expression. "I'm here to help and protect Elena."
"We've got two hunters, a witch, three vampires, and a sorta-deal with an Original vampire, what could you possibly do that we can't?"
At that moment, Damon walked up beside her, glancing at the growing goose egg on John's head before looking down at Val. "Nice one." He praised, looking more than a little impressed and then turned back to the Gilbert. "So, John, rumor has it you know a lot and aren't saying."
"I don't know if you can be trusted, Damon. I know for a fact Val would sooner cut off her own hand than trust me." He nodded to the Rodriguez, and she nodded, agreeing as he continued. "According to Stefan, Originals can compel vampires, that's why Katherine is still in the tomb; because an Original compelled her to stay there."
"Only because there was no vervain in her system." Damon brushed off, lighting one of the candles. "Stefan and I are chock-full. And booster seat over here can't be compelled by anyone, it seems, so we're good on that end."
"You guys are drinking vervain?"
"It's an acquired taste." Damon grimaced, as if the mere thought of it made him feel ill.
"I don't see your ring, John." Val pointed out, stepping forward. Before either of the men could blink, one of her curved silver blades was pressed against his stomach inside of his jacket, hidden from everyone else. "So, maybe you should start talking."
"Is this your way of convincing me that we're on the same side?" John asked, not looking the least bit scared as he looked between the two. "Cause, if so, you're going to have to do better than that. I need to know that I can trust you."
"You tried to barbecue us, and you're asking for our trust?" Val growled. John looked down at the knife, meeting her eyes before backing away quickly, forcing her to slip it away as he walked off. They stared after him, both grinding their teeth.
"Can we please just kill him?" Val asked, and Damon sighed, looking annoyed.
"Not yet. But as soon as we can, I promise to let you have first shot."
Val finally decided to go home, she needed to beat the shit out her punching bag so she didn't cut John's throat or put a bullet in his head, as she'd originally promised. Right as she hit her car, though, a hand grabbed her arm and Damon was suddenly standing by her, face tight with irritation and slight panic.
"Those damn wolves have Caroline." He told her lowly, and Val's stomach dropped.
"You're kidding, there's more than one?"
"Yep, and according to Stefan, they're torturing your little blonde friend." He told her, then nodded at her car, "How fast can you drive?"
She snorted as they both got in, revving the engine. "You're kidding, right?"
The woods were dark, menacing, and as they got out of the car, Damon turned to her.
"I know you can handle yourself, but stay back; I'd like to have an upper hand in case this goes awry." He informed her, and she nodded, showing him her knives.
"I'm all set. I'll wait for a signal, or I'll step in if things go bad." She agreed before slipping off in a different direction. She watched her step, going as lightly as possible so as not to hit any twigs. She began to hear voices, and as she got closer, that's when she saw it.
A ring of men, (she was guessing werewolves) were standing in a circle around Stefan and Damon. Jules and another man stood with Tyler in front of a camper, and Val realized that Caroline was probably locked up inside.
"Which one of you killed Mason?" The sound of the blonde man turned her attention back to them, and she began stalking forward behind one of the men. He probably should have heard her, but Val was moving so quietly, she could barely hear her own footsteps. It was like being water, moving so gracefully and fluidly, no one appeared to notice her.
"Ah, that'd be me!" Damon announced, raising his hand. The blonde man smiled humorlessly and raised a stake in his hand to point it at the vampire.
"Boys? Make sure that one suffers." He said darkly, and that's when Val acted.
She swung a curved silver knife into her hand and launched it forward at the wolf in front of her, the blade slamming into the small of his back as he screamed, dropping to his knees. She ran forward as he did, and grabbed the sides of his head, snapping his neck in one smooth, fluid motion.
"Well, I helped." She told the group as everyone turned to stare at her in shock, and she yanked the blade from the man's back as he fell forward onto the ground with a dull thud. "So," she spun the blades in her hands, "who's next?"
That's when the fight began. Damon rushed at Jules, but she was too fast and flipped out of his way. Val went straight for another man as Stefan attacked the guy with the flame thrower. The man swung a stake at her, but she dodged, grabbing his wrist and twisting it around painfully. He grunted, the stake dropping from his hand as she slammed her knee into his ribs and brought her blade up. "Sorry, not a vampire." She mocked before driving it into his stomach, ripping it out a little harder than necessary. She watched another man load up a crossbow and aim it as Stefan, but the Salvatore caught it before it hit his chest. Without giving him time to react, Val threw her blade again, sinking it deep into the wolf's neck. He choked, gurgling, before he finally dropped as she grabbed the knife handle, aggressively pulling it from his neck as he did. Stefan looked over to thank her, but her eyes widened at the man behind him.
"Stefan-!"
The wolf slammed a stake into Stefan's back, and Jules raised her gun, firing a round into Damon's shoulder from his spot on top of another wolf before turning the gun on her.
The bullet ripped straight through her shoulder, and she screamed, dropping. She grabbed at the wound, grunting as blood began flowing rapidly through her fingers. She cursed, pain searing down her arm and up into her neck. She turned onto her other side just in time to see the blonde man raise a stake to smash it into Damon's heart, and her eyes widened.
But it never happened.
Without any warning, the werewolves all grabbed their heads, screams of pain falling from their lips. Val struggled to push herself onto her non-injured side, still clutching her shoulder as she looked around.
"What…" she murmured, then she saw him.
Jonas walked forward, hands splayed as his sides as he pushed down harshly against an imaginary force. Stefan and Damon stood, Caroline joining them, as he looked at all of them.
"Elijah made a promise to Elena." He announced. "I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to go."
Damon was at her side in an instant, grunting as he scooped her up into his arms. She groaned, her shoulder flaring up in pain as the three vamps walked down the street, eager to get to safety.
They had to dig the bullet out before giving her blood to ensure it didn't get stuck in there, (that would raise some serious suspicion whenever she got X-rays in the future) but eventually, she took some of Damon's blood. The taste was still shit, but she breathed a small sigh of relief as she felt the pain in her shoulder begin to subside, bit by bit, as the wound closed and her muscles and tissue repaired themselves.
That's what she was doing, sitting in her black tank top and cleaning off the blood, when the world's most unwelcome visitor knocked on the door. Damon answered, and she scowled at the face on the other side.
"We didn't get to finish our conversation earlier." He told Damon, eyes still trained on Val.
The vampire stared at him for a second before responding. "I'll bite."
He stepped aside, allowing the Gilbert in, and as John passed Val, his eyes fell to her shoulder. "What hell happened to you?"
"I got shot, what does it look like?" She growled, and he sighed, moving to set something wrapped in a cloth on the table that she hadn't noticed before. Standing, she let the washcloth drop into the pink-tinted water as she joined the two men at the table.
"So, I've been thinking. You and Stefan will do whatever you can to protect Elena." He told Damon, then looked at Val. "And I'm ok with you, too, I trust your bloodline."
"Well, thank God." She muttered sarcastically as Damon spoke up.
"I agree with that statement."
"So, I come bearing gifts." He unwrapped the objects, and Val looked down to see a very old-fashioned dagger and a bottle of what looked like pale-colored ash.
"What the hell is that?" Damon asked, unimpressed.
"This is ash from a white oak tree that dates back to the genesis of the Originals." John explained, "The dagger must be dipped into the ash, and then plunged into their heart." He made a not-so-subtle gesture at stabbing the blade into Damon's own chest, and the Salvatore grabbed it, glaring at the man.
"How do you know all this, John?" Damon asked, more than a little suspicious as he passed the dagger to Val. She took it, running her fingers along the blade as John spoke.
"Isobel. She's very good at finding things, as I'm sure you know." He told them, and Val looked up at him, face like stone.
"What's your ulterior motive, here, John? You always have one."
"Yeah, and where is Isobel?" Damon chimed in, folding his arms.
"Let's just say that if she accomplishes what she's attempting, Klaus will never set foot in Mystic Falls."
CRYING WOLF
Val pressed her lips together in concentration, finishing the last loose curl in her hair. Turning off the curling wand, she fluffed her hair a little and walked back into her room, grabbing her black strappy heels and black blazer as she stopped in front of the mirror. She was in a little blue cocktail dress with a loose, flare type skirt that complimented her darker skin tone. The blazer was annoying, and itchy, but Jenna had been extremely descriptive about how aggressive Carol Lockwood was going to be about the dress code.
And because the universe despised her, Elijah was going to be there. She really didn't want to see him, especially after her dream, but she knew that it was always best to keep an eye on your enemy, and Damon and Rick needed her there. Not to mention there was no way she would allow Jenna to be alone with him ever again.
As she walked into the party, she saw Jenna, Damon and Damon's new girlfriend Andie standing right at the entrance.
"Hey, guys." She greeted, looking around. Her eyes fell on Elijah, who was speaking with Carol, and he gave a small smile while raising his cup to her. Frowning, she turned away to Damon.
"You haven't officially met him, yet, have you?"
"I haven't had the pleasure." He muttered as they started walking towards him, and she smirked.
"Well, I think you two are gonna be best friends."
Stopping in front of the pair, Carol turned around to smile at them.
"Damon!" She greeted, giving him a hug, "And Valentina! Always good to see you, how have you been?"
"Wonderful, Mrs. Mayor, thank you." The huntress returned graciously, feeling Elijah's eyes burning holes into she and Damon the whole time.
"Elijah, I'd like to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is one of Mystic Fall's founding families. And Valentina Rodriguez, she coaches soccer at the high school and works with the ambulance company here." She introduced, and the two men reached out to shake hands. It didn't take a supernatural creature to sense the tension in the way they squeezed each other's hands tighter than necessary and never broke eye contact.
"It's a pleasure." Elijah told the eldest Salvatore pleasantly, and then turned to Val. "And it's wonderful to see you again, Valentina."
"Great to see you again, as well, Mr. Smith." She shot back. His eyebrows narrowed, and she smiled brightly.
Yeah, this was going to be fun.
As the party continued, she did everything in her power to stay away from the Original until she knew it was time to talk to him with Damon. Walking the perimeter of the room and greeting the parents of some of the team members, she watched as Damon escorted Elijah into the office, nodding at her and Rick. Returning it, she started for the office as well, stake slipped neatly into her thigh holster, when an even bigger problem caught her eye.
John talking with Rick. Great.
"I don't think you should sleep over anymore." John was saying as she silently approached, (despite her heels, which she was very proud of). "It's inappropriate with children in the house."
"But of course we all know you'd be fine with if you were the one still sleeping with her, right John?" She taunted as she approached, stopping next to them and folding her arms in front of her. John turned to her, gaze burning in fury.
"What are you talking about?"
"Jenna is one of my closest friends, you didn't think she was going to spare any dirty details, did you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "And, boy, did she give me details. No wonder you're threatened, John, who would go back to you after being with…well, literally anyone else."
John's face had morphed into one of quiet fury, and he stepped forward. "Listen to me, you little b-"
Her hand snapped up and grabbed onto his, bending and twisting it way beyond normal mobility. He groaned quietly as there were several threatening, popping noises that came from the joint. She continued to glare, her own jaw setting in anger.
"Y'know, I'm pretty sure that I threatened to put a bullet in between your eyes the last time you showed up here; make no mistake, the second I find out you're working against us, I will follow through. So how about instead of trying to do a dick measuring contest every five seconds, you start actually doing what you claim you came here to do? Yeah?"
John didn't respond, continuing to glower at her. If looks could kill, Val would be six feet under and then some. But she wasn't scared of John, she knew men like him. And being afraid of them was a waste of her own energy, something she didn't have a lot of lately.
With a final (and slightly unnecessary) twist to his hand, she released him, delicately brushing her hair out of her face and straightening her jacket as he stood to his full height again as he adjusted his clothes. Turning to Rick, he rumbled, "That ring that Isobel gave you? I'm going to want that back." With one last glare in Val's direction, he stalked off, the pair watching him leave.
"I hate him."
"Me too." Rick looked down at her. "I didn't really need you to save me, but thanks anyway."
"Oh, don't worry, Rick. I know you can handle yourself, I just like to make sure he remembers what he did to me, and that I haven't forgotten." Patting her friend's arm, she headed for the office, raising a hand to knock on the doors after glancing around discreetly. A loud thump and muffled, angry voices made her hand freeze, though, and she grabbed the office door, slipping in as quickly as she could.
It wasn't a welcoming sight. Elijah had Damon pinned to the wall behind a large, ornate desk. She could tell by the look on Damon's face that it clearly hurt, and without bothering to think it through, she grabbed the stake from her holster and flung it. It flew straight towards Elijah, heading for his back.
Or at least it would have, had he not stepped out of the way and shot his arm back, snatching it in midair without even looking.
Well, shit.
"Like I said before; impulsive." Elijah spoke, turning to her with a sarcastic smile. Val's eyes widened, and she rushed forward, but the Originals hand shot out and shoved her back, sending her harshly into the desk. She yelped as her lower back hit the wooden edge, a sharp wave of pain almost causing her lunge at him in a fury, but the look on the Salvatore's face told her to stay put.
"You young vampires, so arrogant." He taunted lowly, turning back around as his brown eyes burned holes into Damon's, squeezing his throat tighter. "How dare you come in here and challenge me?"
"You can't kill me, man, it's not part of the deal." Damon choked out, but Elijah shushed him.
And without hesitation, slammed the stake into Damon's neck. The blue-eyed vampire shouted, grabbing at his neck as he tried to pull out the wooden assailant. Turning around, Elijah pulled out a handkerchief as he stopped directly in front of Val, too close for comfort and blocking her from moving. "I'm an Original. Show a little respect." He informed. His tone was casual, but the hidden tone told them they were treading on very dangerous territory. He held out the white fabric to Damon, who had now managed to rip the stake from his neck, and grabbed the back of Val's neck roughly. The huntress reached up, grabbing his wrist, but it was no use. He gripped it tightly as he spoke to Damon again.
"The minute you cease to be of use to me, you're dead. So, you should do what I say. Keep Elena safe." He turned to Val, pulling her close. "And you, stop getting in over your head. You're an amateur, Valentina." He leaned closer, voice dropping to a mocking whisper. "Try to remember that."
He let go, and she yanked her head harshly away as he walked out of the room, not bothering to look back.
Needless to say, the two hunters and vampire were eager to leave the party as soon as possible. The second it looked alright to leave, they all convoyed back to the boarding house. Damon and Rick definitely needed bourbon, and Val never passed up an excuse to use the Salvatore's espresso machine. After acquiring their poisons of choice, the trio sat in the living room. Val had taken off her jacket and kicked off her heels, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the silence of the house as she folder her legs underneath her.
"Today was a bust." Damon finally announced, and Rick and Val both nodded, raising their glasses slightly.
"How's the throat?" Rick asked his friend, and Damon scowled.
"Sore."
"Yeah, that Elijah's one scary dude." Rick commented, looking over at Val as she took a strong sip of her coffee. "Great hair, though."
The huntress raised her eyebrows at her friend in disbelief. "Ew, you think that's good hair?" She asked, sounding disgusted, and he merely raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. With a soft groan, he looked over at Damon. "Hey, you want another one?"
The vampire wordlessly passed his glass to the history teacher, staring into the fire, deep in thought. "He's going to be hard to kill."
"Yeah, and I'm not so sure I trust John's little urban legend method." Val commented, glancing between the two of them. "I mean, do we have any history, facts, or proof at all that it's worked before?"
"I'm with you on this one, Val." Rick nodded at her as he poured the drinks. "You're gonna need more info." He told Damon.
"I'm out of sources!" Damon protested incredulously, and Val grimaced into her mug. Yeah, that was a slight hiccup.
"So, what's up with you and this news chick?" Their friend asked, handing the glass to Damon and sitting down himself.
"Ooo, she's got spunk, huh?" Damon asked rhetorically, and Val looked at him with a pleading gaze.
"Promise me you won't kill her." Val nearly begged, gaze hard. Damon only shrugged.
"If I did, who would report her death?"
The huntress scowled, setting her mug down and getting up, muttering about needing to pee. As she walked down the hall, though, that little compass in her mind came to life.
Danger, danger, danger…
Whirling, she slammed her right foot out, going right for her stalkers stomach, but he was too quick. Grabbing it, he swung her into the wall, and she grunted as her back hit it painfully. She opened her mouth to warn the boys, but the man lunged forward, wrapping one hand around her neck, and the other clamping over her mouth. She struggled harshly, but it didn't take long to realize he was supernatural. Werewolf, actually, she remembered him from the fight. He had the upper hand, and his tightening hold on her throat was causing her to grow weaker and weaker as she fought to breathe normally.
"Sorry, sweetheart." He smirked, and a loud crash made her eyes go wide. Rick, Damon…
"Oh, your boyfriends are fine, don't' worry," he taunted, "I'd be more worried about yourself, if I'm being honestly."
He pulled away, retrieving a pistol from his jacket. Grabbing her arm, he pulled back the hammer and pressed the muzzle into her stomach, leading her back down the hall. Soon, she was being forced in front of the same group of wolves, Jules at the lead. Damon lay on the ground, an empty syringe next to him, groaning. Rick was perfectly still, bleeding profusely from his abdomen, but the sight of the ring on his finger made her heart calm slightly.
It's ok, they're ok for now…
"Tie them both up." Jules ordered, looking over at Val. "And make sure that one doesn't have any weapons on her, hunters are tricky."
They dragged both her and Damon into the parlor. While the weird guy in the hat started tying Damon to a chair, the wolf holding her grabbed some rope and duct tape, making quick work as he tied her hands over her head and duct taped her mouth shut. She glowered at him as he worked, and when he was finished, she was tied up slightly behind Damon, just to the right of the fireplace, hands tied so high above her head she was standing on the balls of her feet.
"Guess I should check for weapons." He drawled, giving her a lecherous smile. Her breathing picked up as he not-so-subtly patted her down, hands going near her breasts and waist. When he started to take a hand up her skirt, though, she grabbed the rope she was tied to and jumped, slamming both feet into his chest. He let out a surprised shout as he crashed backwards over the couch, and Jules scowled at the two of them.
"She's just a human, James, now quit dicking around!" She growled, (literally). The werewolf stood, straightening his clothes and if looks could kill, Val would be burning alive.
A soft groan interrupted their staring contest and she looked over to see Damon coming to, the strange wooden torture device strapped around his neck. He looked down at the floor where Rick lay temporarily dead, eyes flickering to his ring before he relaxed every-so-slightly. Val let out a muffled shout and struggled, trying to get his attention, and he turned his head, eyes widening at the sight of the huntress. He then followed the chains around his neck, grunting in pain as the wooden nails brushed against his skin. His eyes fell on the freak wolf that was holding them, smiling wickedly.
"Morning sunshine."
Damon groaned, rolling his eyes, but Val couldn't help but feel nervous. Even if they did manage to escape, they were hilariously outnumbered, and it wouldn't take long for the wolves to realize Rick wasn't actually dead and neither he nor Val would stay that way with certain large pieces of jewelry on. They were running pretty low on options.
"I saw this movie once, some torture porn flick…"
Val's face screwed up in disgust as he winked at her, looking her up and down before moving back to Damon.
"Anyway, they had this collar device that was really cool, so I just modified it with some wooden nails, and when I pull…" he harshly tugged at the chains, and Val winced as the small stakes dug into Damon's neck, blood gushing from the puncture wounds.
"So, I hear you have the moonstone." Jules spoke up, stepping forward. If Val could have spat at the woman, she would have.
The man relaxed the chains for Damon to speak, but the vampire only laughed, glancing over at Val.
"Oh, man, if you only knew the irony of this moment right now." He groaned, then his eyes narrowed as his face went hard. "Let me tell you how this is gonna go: I don't talk, someone loses a heart. Last time, it was your boy Mason."
Jules didn't even flinch at the taunt, and bent down, bracing her hands on her knees. "And this time, it'll be you."
The man pulled at the chains again, and Damon grunted louder at the sound of his ripping flesh. Jules gaze moved, landing on Val. The huntress glared back, but the blonde only straightened, smiling.
"Or maybe, it'll be your little human pet." She said lightly, nodding at the wolf. "Stevie."
The wolf, Stevie, let go of the chains, and Damon coughed, looking over as he grabbed a poker from the fireplace. Val's eyes widened and she started kicking violently, but the wolf she'd fought before grabbed her legs, wrapping his arms around them and holding them firmly.
"Don't," Damon growled, "don't you dare, I swear to God…"
"You'll do what?" Jules taunted. "Not sure if you noticed, Damon, but you don't exactly have the high ground right now." She nodded at Stevie again, and Val felt her blood run cold in horror as he pulled the poker from the fire, the tip glowing red and angry from the heat. The wolf holding her leg hiked her dress up, exposing her thighs, and she shouted angrily at them through the duct tape.
"When I get out of this chair, you are all going to die very slowly." The vampire snarled, but none of them heeded the warning. Stevie approached Val, and she struggled harder, desperation rising in her body like a flooding building.
"I'm sorry about this, gorgeous." He told her, smiling, before plunging the tip of the poker into her thigh.
Even with duct tape, her scream ripped through the air. The pain was worse than vampire bites, that time she got shot, all of it. It was excruciating and awful and the smell of her own burning flesh made her want to vomit. She'd smelled charred skin before, but smelling your own was something else entirely. He only held it there for a few seconds, but it felt like hours before he finally pulled away. Involuntary tears rolled down her cheeks as she panted, gagging from the smell and trying to catch her breath.
"Look, she doesn't even know where it is, she's just human! Stop it!" Damon growled, fighting against his bonds, but it was no use. Jules turned to him again.
"You can stop her pain right now, Damon. Where is it?" She demanded, but Val shook her head frantically at Damon through the pain. They were going to kill them if they told them, anyway, she wasn't stupid.
Damon hesitated, glancing between Jules and Val helplessly, and the she-wolf sighed, motioning with her hand at Stevie again. He stabbed the poker back into her thigh again, in a different spot this time, and she screamed again, the tears of pain falling faster now.
It's good if you still feel it, it's good if you still feel it, she chanted in her head, remembering her training for burn treatment. It was still only second degree if she could still feel the pain, and that was the only comfort for her right now. Finally, Stevie removed it, only to stick it back in the fire again.
"Well, I can see this isn't getting to you like it should." Jules shook her head, looking disappointed. "So, let's try another body part."
Another wolf stepped forward, yanking her dress up to expose her stomach and black spandex shorts she always wore under dresses. Her heart dropped when she realized what they were about to do, and she thrashed violently, trying to aim a kick at any of them, but it was no use. Val was strong, but she was still human, and she couldn't win in a wrestling match with a fucking werewolf.
"Ok, let's try this one more time." Jules spoke again, and Val was getting very tired of the sound of her voice. "Where's the stone, Damon?"
"Don't you dare, don't you fucking dare, I will rip you apart…" Damon was growling at Stevie, but the werewolf was smiling like this was the best part of his day. Jules took Damon's threats as an answer and nodded at Stevie.
Val's eyes widened in horror as he advanced on her, unable to move from the tight hold on her body as the glowing iron poker got closer and closer to her abdomen-
"Looking for this?"
Everyone stopped what they were doing and immediately looked over to see Elijah, leaning casually against a pillar, holding the moonstone. The stress and danger left her system like someone had flipped a switch, and the pain was becoming too much for her to bear. If she wasn't fighting unconsciousness right now, she would've been pissed at how casual he looked in such a painful and awful scenario.
The wolves dropped her, and if it wasn't for the ropes tied to her hands, she would've collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Her vision was fading at the edges, and she fought to stay awake, head lulling from side to side as the muffled sounds of the confrontation reached her ears. The distinct sound of flesh ripping, quick footsteps, Damon and Elijah's voices, and then a loud snapping sound, followed by the unmistakable sound of a body dropping to the ground. Chains snapping, Elijah's voice again…
The world was getting darker, harder to hear, when the ropes holding her were gone. Her body went limp, heading for the ground, but arms caught her, swinging her gently to a bridal style hold. Soft fabric was suddenly under her, and her eyes fought open to see Elijah above her, biting his wrist.
"Alright, drink up." He told her softly, but stubbornness and pride rose to life, and she was unable to stop it in her state. She brought up a weak hand and pushed his wrist away, muttering a weak but angry, "No."
"Now's not the time for your pride, Valentina, take the blood now." Elijah berated her, sounding irritated. He pushed his wrist at her again, but she shoved it away, harder this time, growling softly. Her vision started to fade again as she heard him sigh. A sharp tug at the back of her hair made her eyes and mouth open as she yelped, and then skin was pressed against her lips. The disgusting taste of blood was the last thing she remembered before it all went dark.
If y'all thought I was dragging Elijah's hair when we first saw him, you are absolutely right lmao. His hair from S2 is horrible. I hope you guys liked this chapter, cause as strong as Val is, she is still human, and that means she needs more training and has to learn from her mistakes. I also really hoped Val's dream caught your attention, as it is very important to the future storyline. I am so freaking excited for Val's interactions with the Mikeaelsons, for real. Anyway, leave a review, favorite and follow, and I'll see you guys next time!