Alright, season finale! Here we go! And, at the second half of this chapter, the Scooby-Doo Gang has a surprise for Val ;)
Warning: The second part of this chapter deals with some incredibly dark and very serious subject matter, read at your own risk
Val sat in front of the heavy cell door, leg bouncing, as Damon went in and out of consciousness on the other side.
Since Damon was Damon, he hadn't told anyone he'd been bitten by a werewolf, and it had costed them some precious time in finding a cure to save him with. After she and Stefan stopped him from his suicide mission, the youngest Salvatore had decided it was best to ensure his safety. Right after he left to tell the others, Val had called Rick and asked for his help on suicide watch.
"You just gonna sit there?" The vampire's voice alerted her, and she sighed as she stared at the door. "At least, I'm assuming you're there, since you're too short to reach the slot." He snorted derisively, "Even in heels."
In response, the huntress got off her chair, grabbing the small wooden box that sat beside it and setting it down in front of the door. Stepping onto it, she cocked her head at him.
"You were saying?"
Damon snorted again; he was insanely pale and sweating profusely, trembling as he sit up against the wall. "I don't know why you're helping Stefan with this, you wanted me dead for a pretty long time."
"Yeah, I did, but I'm trying to be more…compassionate." She shrugged, "It's a new goal."
"Since I know that's your way of saying 'Damon, I care about your well being', thank you." He quipped, and Val realized he was quoting her from the other day after she'd nearly died, (again).
Footsteps alerted her, and she turned to see Rick coming around the corner, carrying a glass, a can of Pepsi, and a bottle of what seemed to be whiskey. The pair greeted each other warmly; it had been hard without Jenna. Handing her the can of Pepsi, he set the glass on the ledge in the slot and started pouring some whiskey into it. Being closer, Val could smell the alcohol he had consumed already.
"Well, that looks bad." He observed lightly, and Damon groaned.
"It feels worse. My subconscious is haunting me, you guys." He turned his head. "Please tell me you have something for that."
"A double-shot." Rick announced, and Damon stumbled over to the glass, taking it to gulp some of the hard drink down.
"So, my brothers got you both on suicide watch?" He grunted, and Rick shrugged.
"Just trying to help." He responded softly, and Val nodded, watching with some concern as Damon stumbled around the cell, groaning in pain.
"Well, he's just doing what he always does." The dark-haired vamp told them, "Trying to right the wrongs of the past." He suddenly stopped, coughing and gasping in pain. "You should hate me; I'm the reason Jenna was killed."
His words felt like a sucker punch to the gut, and Val didn't need to look over to Rick to know he felt the same. "Neither of us blame you for Jenna, Damon." She told him, her voice soft, but with a warning undertone. She wasn't ready to talk about it, even if he was dying.
"You should. And what about you, Rick? I turned your wife into a vampire, I mean, you must really hate me for that."
"Ok, hand me your glass." The older hunter interrupted, "Neither of us are drunk enough for this conversation."
Val snorted as Damon stumbled back over, holding out the crystal glass, when he suddenly dropped it and his hand was wrapped around Rick's throat, squeezing.
"Kill me." He gasped, his tone begging. Val turned and snatched up the vervain dart she had next to her chair and slammed it into Damon's hand as Rick ground out, "Screw you."
The Salvatore dropped to the ground, moaning. "Sorry, Damon, but you're not dying today." She told him firmly. He mumbled something, and she realized he was saying Elena's name.
"She's not here, Damon." Rick denied, and they both looked at each other in fear, Val biting her lip. How much longer was Stefan going to take?
"I need blood," Damon groaned, "please, I need blood."
She turned and started speed-walking towards the freezer, hearing Rick follow her. As she pulled out a blood bag, a sharp click made her go rigid.
"Where's Damon?" Sheriff Forbes asked, pointing a gun at her. Rick was standing right next to her, hands up. She raised her own slowly, eyes narrowing.
"Look, sheriff, now's not exactly the best time." She warned the older woman sardonically.
"Sheriff, over here!" A man's voice called out, and both hunters eyes widened.
"No, Liz, don't!" Val cried, Rick protesting as well as they both ran towards the sheriff. But she was too quick, locking them both in. The dark-haired huntress cursed as she heard several loud thumps, a groan, and a rush of air that for sure meant Damon had escaped.
Pulling out his phone, Rick called Jeremy and notified him immediately. Val started shuffling through the room, desperate to find something to get the door open. Right as Rick hung up the phone, she pulled a crowbar out from behind the freezer. "Rick, here!"
It took several attempts, but once the door popped open, they both bolted upstairs as Jeremy called to let them know he had Damon at the Grill, jumping into Rick's car. Val felt like she couldn't breathe the entire way to the Grill, she knew she'd heard something loud when Jeremy had hung up, and it felt like her stomach was turning in knots.
She nearly kicked the doors open as the pair ran into the restaurant, and saw a horrific scene.
Jeremy lay on the ground, bleeding profusely from his chest, and Sheriff Forbes, Caroline, and Bonnie were all knelt around him, crying.
"Bonnie, what's going on?!" Rick demanded as they both knelt beside the younger boy.
"Oh, no," Val's stomach plummeted when she saw the bullet hole. Dead center, right in between the pectoral muscles, right through the sternum…
The sheriff had shot him through the heart.
"I know what to do," Bonnie announced, sounding tearful and frantic, "Rick, Val, grab him and let's go."
"No, you can't, this is a crime scene-" Liz started to order, but Caroline cut her off.
"Mom! Let them go." She shot at her mother, and the older woman paused before standing, nodding at them to take the young boy. Rick bent down, Val helping him gather Jeremy into his arms as they ran out to Rick's car.
"Where to?" Rick asked, jumping in the driver's seat. Val sat in the back, Jeremy's head on her lap as Bonnie sat up front, watching them fearfully.
"The old manor! Hurry!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. Val continued to apply pressure to his chest, unable to properly perform chest compressions in the back of Rick's car.
"It's ok, buddy, you'll be ok," she tried to reassure him, but she knew he couldn't hear her.
Oh, Jenna, I'm so sorry…
When they got to the house, they all ran down to the basement, where Val could see a bunch of candles and other witchcraft objects set up. Rick set Jeremy down on the floor, "Is this even possible?"
"There's a spell for it, if they'll give me the power to use it." Bonnie replied, and grabbed Jeremy's head, chanting.
The flames of the candles around them rose higher and higher, and Val could've sworn she heard whispering around them. She couldn't pinpoint where, though, and she watched from her spot standing behind Rick.
"No," Bonnie whispered tearfully, and both hunters looked at her in panic.
"What?"
"They're angry at me for coming back here," Bonnie told them, voice thick, "they don't want to help."
"Well, they have to!" Rick exclaimed angrily, and Val nodded.
"They said they'll be consequences," Bonnie responded gravely, but Val honestly couldn't think that far ahead, her heart was pounding so fast it hurt.
"He's just a kid, we have to try!" She cried, and it appeared the witch must have agreed, because she continued to chant. The flames around began to climb, and it almost seemed like the room was shaking as the whispering intensified around Bonnie's voice.
Suddenly, Bonnie threw her head back, and Val saw in shock that shew as bleeding profusely from her nose. "Emily!" The young witch cried, "Emily, please! I know you're there!" She began to sob, "I love him! Please!"
And just like that, it stopped. The flames extinguished, the room stopped shaking, and the whispers ceased all together. Val's heart stopped completely as she stared at Jeremy's body in absolute terror, unable to process what had just happened.
"Jeremy, Jeremy, no!" Bonnie sobbed, and Val felt her own eyes begin to sting.
No, no, Jeremy you can't, I promised Jenna, I swore…
Before she could finish her thought, Bonnie gasped and she saw Jeremy's body twitch, then shift, then groan. She nearly collapsed to the ground in relief, rushing forward to see that he was, indeed, alive and well. The bullet hole on his chest wasn't there anymore, and she ran a hand through her hair.
It was ok. He was alive. He was ok.
She helped Rick get Jeremy home, but then headed back over to Damon. Elena had found him at the film festival, and luckily, no one was injured or killed. She ran inside, up to the vampire's bedroom, to see him laid up in bed. Elena sat next to him, clutching a damp rag, and Val realized with a start that this looked just like what happened with Rose.
The thought made her throat close up, and Elena gave her a small, sad smile, softly telling her she'd give them some time, and walked out. Crossing the room, Val sat next to him, pressing her lips together as she watched him shift painfully, bloodshot eyes opening to see her.
"You really shouldn't be here," he groaned, and that was when she noticed how bad he looked. Pale, sweaty, and even from her spot, she could feel the heat radiating from his skin from the fever.
He looked like he was literally on deaths door.
"You might be right," she sighed, grabbing the rag from the bedside table, "but you also can't tell me what to do, so shut up and save your strength. Stefan is finding a cure as we speak."
Damon scoffed weakly, but it turned into a series of painful sounding coughs. She watched, chewing her bottom lip as his body trembled, and the coughs subsided. Finally, he laid his head back, eyes just barely open. "There's no cure, Val. You and I both know that. Time's finally up for me-"
"Stop it." She interrupted him harshly, "Don't talk like that. All this shit about not laying down and giving up, and yet here you are."
"Oh, please, you're just mad you weren't the one to do the deed." He told her playfully, but his voice was still strained. She bit her lip.
"Yep, I am. So, stay alive. I need to have the satisfaction of being the one to kill you." She told him firmly. The vampire met her gaze.
"Thank you, Val."
"For what?"
"For keeping up with me. For calling me out, for pulling my head out from my ass, for all of it." He sighed, "You really are a mama grizzly. Well, a small one."
She scoffed, but her eyes were burning. "You're such a fucking idiot, Damon. Why didn't you say anything?"
"Everybody was grieving over Jenna, and John, and I just," he swallowed, "Elena already has enough to deal with."
Val nodded and looked down, feeling a lone tear run down her cheek. A cold finger wiped it away, and she looked up to see Damon's hand retreating from her face.
"Don't do that, Thumbelina. Don't cry, not for me. Since I'm dying, I think I deserve one last request."
Val scoffed weakly through her tight throat and blinked some tears away. "Well, you're not dying, but lay it on me, I guess, and I'll see what I can do."
"Go get your brother and sister." He whispered, "Bring them home. Do whatever you have to do; you spent your entire time here worrying about everyone else, you deserve to be a little selfish; or, at least, your version of selfish. Ok?"
Her chest tightened, and the tears started coming faster. But she nodded, sniffling. Unable to handle it anymore, she stood, squeezing his hand one more time. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For forcing me to re-evaluate. For keeping me on my toes, reminding me of my responsibilities as a sibling." She smiled. "Thank you."
And with that, she pulled away, stepping out of the door. Upon seeing Elena, the two girls hugged each other tightly, each of them crying into the others shoulder. After several seconds, Val pulled away, wiping her eyes.
"You should get in there," she told the brunette, "he shouldn't be alone right now, and I- I can't-"
"I know." The brunette reassured her, "It's ok, I've got him."
Val walked down the hall, stopping at the staircase, and sunk down on one.
When had it become this bad? Where had it all gone so wrong?
Lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't hear the footsteps. But the little compass in her head sprang to life, pointing at the landing below her as she shot to her feet and the last person she ever expected to see came into view.
"Katherine?" She breathed, her fingers twitching for her gun. "Why-?"
"Relax," the doppelganger droned out, stopping a few steps below her and holding up a small, clear bottle full of red liquid. "I come bearing gifts."
"Is that…?" Val trailed off, unable to even say it.
"The cure." Katherine smirked at her, and Val narrowed her eyes before turning around.
"He's in here."
They stopped just outside the room as Elena pulled away from Damon, and the huntress realized with a start that they'd just shared a kiss.
"Thank you." Damon murmured, and of course, that's when Katherine spoke up.
"Well, it's me you should be thanking." She announced, holding up the bottle as Elena sprang to her feet. "I mean, I'm the one who brought the cure."
Waltzing over to the couple, she glanced at Elena. "Thought you were dead."
"I was." The younger doppelganger supplied, but Katherine wasn't paying attention anymore. She pulled the cork off the bottle as Damon spoke.
"You got free," he mumbled, exhausted, and she nodded.
"Yep. Finally." She held the bottle to his lips, the liquid sliding down Damon's throat. Val's heart clenched uncharacteristically as she waited to see if it worked.
"And you still came here?" Damon asked, and it seemed like the smallest ounce of strength had seeped back into his voice once he finished swallowing the cure.
"I owed you one." Katherine whispered, patting his cheek softly before sitting up.
"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked, and it was then Val realized that the younger Salvatore was nowhere in sight.
"Paying for this." Katherine responded. "He gave himself over to Klaus for the cure."
"What do you mean 'gave himself over'?" Val jumped in, beginning to fear for her friend.
"He gave it all up to save his brother; including you." The vampire turned back to her doppelganger. "Well, at least you'll have Damon to keep you company. Good-bye, Elena."
She began to walk away, then stopped. "Oh," turning back, she smirked at Elena. "It's ok to love them both." She shrugged. "I did." Throwing the bottle towards the younger girl, a breeze pushed Val's hair back, and then she was gone.
It had been just over a week since Stefan had sold himself to Klaus for the cure. The gang had tried to stop him from leaving, but by the time they got there, the pair was long gone, along with any information that could have been used to track them. Elena and Damon were both worried sick, and Val was, too. Stefan was one of her best friends, and Klaus had either killed him or was using him. Or worse, forcing him to drink human blood.
The thought made her own blood run like ice in her veins.
Damon had wanted to go on a trip upon coming back to life, so he'd been gone for a few days. Val had started working at the Grill, and the tips were amazing. If she kept up with the saving and eating Ramen every night, she could get out of her apartment and into a new one within the next three months. It was almost too long for her, but for Hector and Alex, she would do it.
It was her day off, and she'd gotten a text from Caroline, asking to meet her at the boarding house. Val didn't particularly want to, seeing as she normally worked late nights, now, but the blonde had been incredibly persistent. So, she found herself jogging up the steps to knock on the door, enjoying the warm, April weather. She knocked, but didn't bother to wait for someone to open it. She had lived here for a few days last week, after all, so it had become a sort of temporary home.
Walking inside, she looked around in confusion. "Guys?" Where was everyone? Caroline said they would be discussing something really important. The huntress truly hoped they had found a lead on Stefan.
"In here, Val!" Elena's voice caught her attention, and she followed it to the library. Pausing at the door, she realized in surprise that indeed, everyone was there, but they didn't look somber, like the mood had been the past few weeks. In fact, they all looked incredibly…excited? Rick was leaning against the liquor table, arms folded, while Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie were all standing around the couch, the three girls practically bouncing up and down. Jeremy was a few feet from Rick, and, to her surprise, Damon was also there, holding some sheets of paper.
"Wow, what's going on?" Val asked, walking down the steps with raised eyebrows. No one responded, they all just kind of looked at each and smiled. "Guys, seriously, what's up? You know I hate surprises."
"Oh, I think you're gonna like this one, peanut." Damon disagreed, smirking, and Elena, smiling warmly at the woman in front of her.
"Val," She started softly, "I was there when Jenna asked you to look after us, to protect us. And, that's something you've done for everybody here. You didn't have to stick around once you found out about all these secrets, you didn't have to help us or protect us or make sure nobody died." Elena shook her head, still smiling. "You could have left it all alone, but you didn't. Half of us are here today because of the sacrifices you've made."
Val smiled back at the girl, actually feeling a little emotional, and reached up to squeeze her shoulder. But Elena's smile got bigger, and she grabbed the woman's hand, holding it with joy.
"So, we thought of the perfect way to pay you back." She told the woman, and turned to Damon. "Damon?"
Val looked over in confusion as the dark-haired vampire stepped forward, holding up the stack of papers. Stopping in front of her, he held up a long, official looking one with long paragraphs and a familiar looking signature at the bottom. Her eye's widened, but he spoke before she could.
"So, since that apartment is barely fit for Van Helsing over there, let alone two little ones, we thought we'd help you out by moving you into something a little bit swankier." He told her, and then held up a colorful brochure.
Val's jaw dropped to the floor, and she grabbed the papers, staring at them. "Wait, this- this is…"
"A signed contract for a three-bedroom apartment at Southern Heights. It's got a pool, hot tub, playground, and it's pet friendly." He told her, looking extremely proud of himself. "First six months rent is already taken care of, the manager definitely isn't hip to vevain."
Val floundered for a second, her hands trembling as she tried to think of what to say. "What- guys, this is- this is too much, I can't-"
"Um, no." Damon cut her off, shaking his head. "You can, and you will, cause I haven't met your siblings yet, but if they're anything like you, they're going to need lots of room to expand energy when they come to live with you."
Val felt her heart drop, and she shook her head. "Guys, this is amazing, and I'm so beyond grateful, but the custody hearing is still going too slow, I'm not sure when they-"
"Oh, stop torturing her!" Caroline interrupted, bolting forward, her green eyes gleaming with excitement. "That's the second part of your surprise!" She nudged Damon sharply, and the two vampires glared at each other before Damon held up the last few papers.
"So, on my little trip not too long ago, I passed through this awesome town in Texas. San Antonio, have you heard of it? It's a great place," he chuckled, and Val felt her eyes begin to burn and her heart begin to leap as she spied the title at the top of the documents. "There, I met this really nice judge who, after some compelling arguments, agreed that this incredibly strong, slightly annoying girl we know would be the perfect legal guardian for her younger brother and sister." He held the papers out, and she grabbed them, her eyes growing watery as she saw that they were, in fact, what she thought.
Signed custody papers stating that Valentina Esperanza Rodriguez-Garcia was now the sole, legal guardian of Hector Carlos Blanco-Garcia and Alejandra Griselda Garcia.
Her hand flew to her mouth as tears spilled from her eyes, and she looked up to the group in front of her, who were all watching her with joy and excitement. Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline were also tearing up, and Rick stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Let's go get your family, Val."
The group was all piling into the car, course set, snacks purchased, and CD's ready for the road when Val's phone rang. Pulling it out, she saw Liza's name come across the screen and smiled brightly, answering.
"Hey, my friends just told me the great news, we're on our way-!"
"Val! Val, I'm so sorry, we- we didn't realize she would do that, and I just-"
"Woah, woah," Val cut the older woman off, confusion taking over at the panicked tone in her voice. Rick walked closer to her, watching her facial expression. "Liza, calm down, I'm on my way with some close friends to pick the kids up, it's ok-"
"No, Val, she took them! Esperanza took the kids during one of her visits, they can't find her! Val, I'm so sorry-!"
It felt like the world had just dropped out from underneath her feet, and her heart actually stopped. Damon was at her side in half-a-second, taking the phone from her. Through the blood rushing in her ears, she heard him firing off several questions, but he didn't need to.
As absolute rage took over Val, she whirled around, heading for the SUV. "Guy's, let's go! We have to go, right now!"
"What, what's wrong?" Caroline asked, confused, as they all looked at their friend in shock.
"It's my mother, she took Hector and Alex." the woman growled, feeling a haze of fury starting to take over her mind.
"Well, have they called the cops?" Rick demanded, but Val shook her head.
"No, they don't need to. I already know her address, she's not smart enough to hide them anywhere else, and I don't want cops involved."
Rick was driving, his foot on the gas as everyone sat tensely in the car, the good mood evaporating. Val didn't have any known information to call her mother on, and even if she did, she doubted the woman would answer.
So, she sat in the car, watching the scenery fly by as she chewed her nails, heart pounding.
Don't worry, guys, I'm coming.
The tires of the SUV squealed to a stop outside the house. It was small, decrepit, and looked like it should have been foreclosed. Random pieces of trash and hardware junk littered the front yard, but not a single child's toy was in sight. The white pain was covered in dirt, chipped off and peeling in some areas. The fence was falling apart as well, and as she swung it open, the top latch holding the gate to the rest of the fence popped off, causing it to hang crookedly. Damon and Caroline would be with her inside, and she had Rick, Elena, and Bonnie outside in the yard, ready to help the kids into the car once Val sent them out. She had no idea what state her mother was in, and she also had no idea who else she had in there with her.
As she approached the front door, she turned around, her fists clenching and unclenching, knees shaking, stomach turning, heart pounding.
"Ok, no compulsion and no killing, not unless I say so. The kids don't know anything yet, and I'm not sure how to break it to them. Plus, Esperanza, she's…" Val trailed off, her voice dying, but then shook her head. "She's still my mom, and she's still there's. I don't want them to see that."
Damon and Caroline didn't even argue, their faces solemn. They only nodded, and Damon spoke up, his voice strong.
"We got your back, peanut. Nothing's going to happen to you or your siblings."
A small, grateful smile tugged at her lips, but as she turned back around, the sight of the house pulled it off her face.
Once at the door, she raised a fist and pounded hard on the wood. "Esperanza!" She yelled, pausing before pounding again three more times. "Esperanza, you either open this door, or I'll kick it down!"
After that, there was a set of uneven, frantic steps, and then the door swung open.
Esperanza Garcia had once been an incredibly gorgeous woman. She had been tall, with long, thick dark hair and a set of beautiful hazel eyes, contrasting greatly with her dark skin. A heart-shaped face and long lashes with full lips had given her a very intense and almost exotic look, attracting lots of men, and even some women.
But after years of heavy drug and alcohol abuse, that beauty was long gone. Her skin was pale and sallow, seeming to hang off her bones from how thin she was. Her skin, especially her face, was covered in open sores and scabs from where she'd picked at it. Her arms and legs were covered in track marks, and Val's blood boiled when she saw several fresh needle marks on her forearm and both her feet.
She was shooting up with the kids in the fucking house.
Her upper lips was red, and her nostrils irritated, from all cocaine use. It was clear she was still coming down from a high, judging from how small her pupils were. She opened her mouth to speak, and one could see her teeth rotting in her mouth.
"Who are you?" She asked, sneering, "Cops don't have no reason to be here."
"Wow, madre." Val sneered back, and both of her friends were thrown by how much it looked like the decrepit woman in front of them. "All those drugs, and you can't even remember your eldest child?"
As Val neared the end of her sentence, Esperanza's eyes widened, and she stared at the girl in front of her in horror.
"Valentina…" She whispered, then shook her head. "There's nothing for you here, you need to go-"
"Don't you dare fucking lie to me, I'm here to get Alex and Hector." Val snarled, "Liza called me, and the judge already granted me custody." She pulled the paper out of her back pocket, slamming it into her mother's chest a little harder than necessary. "Let me in."
Esperanza unfolded the paper and stared at it, her eyes beginning to water. "No, no, they aren't yours, they're my children! I don't-" she cut herself off, then looked back up at her daughter. "Please, Valentina, don't take them from me, they're all I have-"
Val didn't bother to listen anymore; her mother would cry and beg and manipulate all she liked, but the huntress was not leaving without the kids. She pushed the door open, practically shoving her mother to the side. "Where the fuck are they, Esperanza?"
"You can't come in here, you're trespassing!" The woman's shock had worn off, and her tears had evaporated as she shouted. "Get out of my house!"
"You call this shithole a house?!" Val screamed back as Damon and Caroline entered, both looking tense. "Where are they?"
"Tina?" A small voice interrupted the adults, and they all looked over to see a little boy, about six years old, standing at the beginning of the hallway, rubbing his eye with a fist.
Val smiled in joy and relief, moving to kneel in front of the little boy. There he was, her little brother, right in front of her. Clad in some Spiderman pajama's and clutching his blue and green blanket, with his curly black hair sticking every which way.
"Hey, mijo," she greeted him softly, running a hand through his thick, wild curls. "How are you?"
"'M good," he mumbled tiredly, but his face still broke out into a smile. "Are you here to visit again?"
She shook her head, her own grin of joy coming across her face, "No, buddy, I'm here to take you home. You and Alex are coming back to Virginia with me, tonight."
"Really?" He asked, his brown eyes now wide awake, looking excited. She nodded, smiling tearfully.
"Yeah, yeah, you are. But we have to go now, ok? Can you show my friend Caroline where your stuff is so she can help you pack?" She motioned the blonde forward, and Caroline nodded, stepping closer and smiling kindly at the boy. Hector looked cautious, and Val wished she had the time to make proper introductions and allay her brother's fears, but they needed to get out, right then. Finally, he nodded, and took the older girl's hand, leading her into his room. Val shut the door as her mother began her protests again, furious that her child was willing to leave.
"You can't do this!" She was screaming, along with a mix of Spanish curse words and phrases Val hadn't heard in a pretty long time, and this time, a new voice joined her.
"Essie, who is that?" It was deep, a male voice, and Val around the corner from what seemed to be the kitchen. He was covered in tattoos, and despite the tattoos, she could see track marks on his arms, too. But unlike Esperanza, his didn't appear fresh.
That didn't mean the sight of him didn't piss her off, though.
Val turned to her mother and the stranger, feeling Damon step closer to her.
"Who the fuck is this? And where's Ally?" She snarled, but her mother appeared to have gained some bravery with the appearance of her friend.
"They are my children, Valentina, you cannot do this!" She shrieked, but her eldest wasn't listening. Val stormed down the hall, throwing open doors. The rooms were random, and filled with rotting trash and other junk. The smell was rancid, and one of the rooms had a floor that was covered in used needles, bent spoons, lighters, and white powder littering the carpet. Finally, the last door opened, and she was greeted with a small form snoring quietly on a mattress laying on the floor, stained sheets pulled up to her chin. She had always joked about how Ally could have slept through the actual apocalypse.
"Ally, hey, wake up baby." She whispered softly, gently shaking Alejandra's shoulder. As the girl's eyes opened, Val turned back to Damon.
"Find a backpack or something, and start filling it with clothes, ok?" She instructed, and the vampire nodded, snatching up a small purple backpack from the corner and opening the chipped, broken dresser. The room was obviously not meant for a child, as there was only a mattress, the dresser, and a rug that smelled like cat piss.
"Who the hell are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house?" Her mother and who Val was guessing was her current boyfriend had appeared in the room, but Val didn't even turn around to look at them as she pulled a half-asleep Ally into a sitting position and pulled a small jacket that was by the bed onto her form.
"Bitch, I'm talking to you!" The man's voice got closer, but as she turned around, Damon had stepped forward and grabbed the man's hand, that had been reaching for her hair, and gave a sharp squeeze of his wrist. His eyes were blazing, face like stone.
"I wouldn't." His voice was mocking, but his face was clearly warning him to keep his distance. He squeezed the man's wrist one more time, hearing him grunt in pain, before he let go.
"Valentina, you can't do this! You cannot take them, they're my children! They said I could have them!" Esperanza was half-yelling, half-sobbing from the doorway, but they did little to pierce Val's heart. She'd seen her mother cry hundreds of times, and now it all seemed like an act, and even if it wasn't, it didn't matter. Maybe that was heartless, but she didn't particularly care.
"Ok, baby, let's go." She cooed softly at Ally, pulling the girl into her arms. Ally was waking up more now, staring at everyone in the room in fear. When Val pulled her into her arms, the girl wrapped around her like a koala bear, burying her head in her shoulder and shaking like a leaf.
"Where we going, Tina?" She asked smally.
"We're leaving, baby, Hector's coming with us." She tried to sound soothing, but the sound of the man cussing Damon out and her mother's screams and sobs were throwing it off. Damon had finished shoving most of the young girls clothes into a bag, and had grabbed the little pink and blue blanket Ally had been sleeping with as well. He was now standing directly between Esperanza and her boyfriend and Val at all times, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder.
"We need to go, now." He told her firmly, and she knew he was having a hard time keeping a lid on his temper as well. She nodded, and they went into the hallway, the sound of the two adults behind them shrieking, cursing, begging, and crying reverberating off the walls; Val wouldn't be surprised if they ended up with the cops being called for a noise complaint.
As they walked down the hall, Caroline stepped out with Hector, who was holding a large backpack that appeared to be overflowing and holding several books in his arms. She beckoned him with a hand, firmly telling him to go outside with the blonde and assuring him she was following. She, Caroline, and Damon walked out with the children, meeting Rick, Elena, and Bonnie, who were standing on the walkway, looking extremely concerned.
"¡Puta!" She heard the man scream behind her, as her mother was sobbing behind him, still shrieking incoherent pleas. "Who the fuck do you think you are, you little bitch?!"
Val felt her temper flare to a dangerously high level, and she walked up to Elena, who was watching the scene in fear and shock, handing Ally to her and firmly instructing her friends to place the kids in the car. As they did, she heard her mother came running down the sidewalk, wailing.
"Wait, please, Valentina! Don't take them, we can work it out, I'll-"
"You'll what?" Val snarled, whirling back around as Rick and the girls loaded the kids into the car and Damon came to stand behind her. "You'll 'get better'? You'll 'try harder'? You've had six fucking years to clean up your act, Esperanza, and you're still screwing it all up! But this time, you're not going to ruin it for Hector and Ally!" Her voice had climbed to an angry shout, and she threw a hand behind her to point at the SUV.
"Please, Tina, I know you're angry at me, and I know I hurt you! But I was sick, and I'm trying to fix it-!"
"This isn't about you!" Val thundered, amber eyes almost shooting fire. "I know this may be hard to get through that twisted, manipulative brain of yours, but everything that happens isn't about you! When you have kids, it's about them!"
"I know you're upset at me, Tina, but please…" Esperanza was crying hard now, but Val's chest was empty of anything but fury. She'd lost count of how many times her mother had cried and begged and lied her way out of every consequence that ever came her way, and the eldest Garcia child was done with it.
"You've got open needles in that house, shooting up in front of Hector and Ally! What in God's name is wrong with you?!" She screamed at her mother. "You've got strange fucking men coming in and out of the house; remember the last boyfriend you had around your kids, huh?!"
"Carlos wasn't a bad man, he just had some demons! He loved me, Tina, and he loved you and Hector, he had his struggles!"
"With what? Not being able to go a day without beating the shit out of us?!"
Esperanza was crying now, too. Tears were coursing down her face, sniffling loudly, as she listened to her eldest daughter. She was rubbing her arms, shaking her head.
"Tina, you're not remembering correctly! I know I messed up, I know I wasn't a good mother to you, but-but," she sniffled, clasping her hands as Val stared at the woman in front of her with pure disgust and absolute shock at what she'd just said, "but Hector and Alex, there's still time, I can fix it-"
"Not remembering correctly?" Val interrupted her mother, her voice now quiet. Tears were still pouring from her eyes, and she shook her head. The fury had dropped, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. She felt a dangerous sense of calm roll over her as she stared at her mother. "What part am I misremembering, hmm? That Carlos poured a whole bottle of liquor on me while holding a lit cigarette and threatening to light me on fire? That I had to eat raw eggs for a week because we had no money for groceries and our gas had been shut off? That I had to shower at the school gym because you and Carlos spent the money for the water bill on crystal meth? That I had to act more physical in soccer and get myself kicked out of games so I could use that as an excuse for the bruises he left me?" She stepped closer now, glaring at her mother through her tears as the woman sniffled and sobbed pathetically in front of her. "Or that my first kiss was from the father of the family I was passed to after they took me from you? That I had to be tested for HIV because I accidentally pricked myself with one of Carlos' needles?" She scoffed, shaking her head as she reached up to wipe a few tears away off her cheeks. "You know, less than one year of living with you fucked me up so much more than six years in the foster system ever did."
Esperanza was begging her to stop through her tears, but it was like all the emotion in Val's body had evaporated. Staring at her mother, she didn't feel anything. No fury, no sadness, no remorse. This was hatred, in its purest form.
Looking at someone and realizing that they could die right in front of you, and you simply would not care.
It was silent for a few minutes, or maybe it was shorter, she couldn't tell. She could feel her friend's eyes burning into her back and head, but she didn't turn around. Her mother finally sunk to her knees, still sobbing. Val stepped closer to her, sinking to a crouch in front of her.
"You don't love us, Esperanza." She whispered flatly. "You just don't want to be alone."
Her mother looked up at her, truly a mess on the ground. "Please, Tina, please don't take them, I'll have nothing…"
Val stared at her for a few more seconds before rising to her feet.
"Then die with nothing."
And with that, she turned back to the car, face like stone. Damon followed her back to the car, where Rick was sitting in the front seat. She slipped into the back, where Ally and Hector clambered onto her lap. She held them there, ignoring the tension in the air.
"Drive, please." She whispered, and Rick did, pulling away from the house, leaving Esperanza alone and sobbing on the front lawn.
"Are we really going with you, Tina?" Hector asked, still sniffling quietly. She nodded, pulling him close and kissing his head.
"Yeah, mijo, you are." She tightened her hold on them, ignoring the looks the gang was giving her.
"We're going home."
So, Val's confrontation with her mother was heavily influenced by Fiona's fight with Monica on Shameless, which you may have noticed if you've watched that scene. I swear, it gets my every time. Anyway, this story is going to take a long pause before we get into season three, but I promise, I have not abandoned it! I hope you're all staying safe and doing well, and I'll see ya next time!