Author's Note: I know that I'm adding yet another WIP to my collection but I couldn't resist. I've been re-watching TVD recently along with the Originals and I had this in my archives for a long time so I decided to post it. I'm planning on updating my Bridgerton fic next(the new chapter's almost done) and then North Star after. I've been re-writing this story little by little after it being in my documents for so long.
It takes place within and after 'History Repeating'. I'm kind of bored of all the fics with the OC loving vampires or being cool with them. My OC really resents them which I think makes everything more ironic with who she eventually ends up with. This story takes place from season one to season four. I'm not a huge fan of TVD post-season four so it'll go a little AU after that.
The story isn't a romance since my OC is only 12/13 right now in the storyline but I have an idea for a sequel that would take place in the distant future and that story will contain a pairing.
Her face claim is also Anya Taylor-Joy.
Natalie had never walked through life as a child.
She came into this world with the quiet resolve of a person who'd already lived in this world. That was something her mother always told her. It was always meant as a compliment.
Her parents were young.
They'd met in college and married soon after discovering that they were going to have a baby. Natalie loved both her parents equally. Her father who was kind, loving, warm, and equipped with a sense of humor. Her mother who was intelligent, fierce, determined, and stubborn. That being said, Natalie might have loved her mother but she never liked her.
Natalie's mother wasn't like other mothers.
There wasn't a maternal bone in her body and she was always distant…cold. Her mother was someone she went to when she needed help with homework. She was never someone Natalie went to when she needed a hug.
That job was reserved for her father.
It was why she was sad when her mother went missing. Natalie felt that she didn't give her mother enough of a chance. She didn't spend enough time or effort in getting to know her better. Maybe if she had, nothing bad would've ever have happened to her mother.
Truth be told, Natalie never thought it was entirely sad that her mother died.
She didn't know why.
Her mother was always a sad person. Natalie always felt deeply within herself that her mother hadn't just died. Her mother had left in search of happiness.
It confused her to see her father so obsessed with finding her mother. So obsessed with her death and disappearance. In all honesty, it made her sad.
Natalie always felt as though her father loved her mother more than she loved him.
Still…it didn't stop her father from pulling her out of school and homeschooling her. Only his lesson plans included everything to do with vampires. A subject her mother was famously obsessed with and something her father was convinced had to do with her mother's death.
Whether it was folklore, myth, or legend. Her father made sure she studied all of it. Paired together with training exercises. He taught her everything she needed to know in order to hold her own against a vampire. Combat techniques, weapons, vervain, and anything that had to do with the rumored weaknesses of a vampire. Her mother's life's work was very thorough so it was easy to separate fact from fiction.
Two and a half years of training and learning all led up to one thing.
Her father's ultimate goal.
The move to Mystic Falls.
"Dad, am I really going back to school?" Natalie Saltzman asked her father as he drove her to her first day of school. It was a small town. A lot different than what she was used to.
"Why do you sound so disappointed?" Alaric Saltzman question as he smirked at his twelve-year-old daughter. "I thought you'd be excited to finally go back to school. Make some friends and hang out with people your own age."
"I've spent two years learning everything about vampires, Dad. Their weaknesses, strengths, and how to kill them," Natalie told her father in a bored tone. "Middle school is going to be dull in comparison."
"Well, you're just going to have to get over yourself," Alaric reminded her. "We're only here to find out what happened your mother. She was obsessed with this place. There has to be answers here."
"And maybe vampires," Natalie said excitedly. Alaric rolled his eyes, shaking his head. During the past two years, Natalie had likened herself to a young Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The tween was practically obsessed with the show. She was also starting to get very handy with his crossbow. "I hope we meet an old one. Really old. Any vampire from this or last century isn't even worth it."
"Stop talking about them like we're hunting them for sport," Alaric scolded and Natalie pouted, looking very much like her mother when she did so. "And don't be talking about them to anyone at school. Not in this town. It isn't a cute or silly subject here."
"I know, Dad. I won't mention the v-word," Natalie assured her father. Alaric gave her a stern look.
"I'm serious, Nat. Not even with friends," Alaric told her and Natalie rolled her eyes. Truth be told, she wasn't really interested in making friends. Her mind was set on vampires. Her goal was to become a true vampire hunter. Just like the movies.
"I won't tell anyone," Natalie promised and her father nodded, satisfied with her answer.
"Good," Alaric said in response before placing his hand over hers, giving her a fond look. "I know this move hasn't been easy. Hell, neither has the past two years. I just want to give you back whatever childhood you've lost because of all of this."
"I know, Dad. Thank you," Natalie told her father even though she wasn't bothered by any of it. She enjoyed the past two years. All the bonding with her father in the aftermath of her mother's absence was the best time she ever had. All the defensive training against vampires was just an added benefit.
"Just have a good day at school," Alaric requested of her. "Make some friends and learn something new."
"I will," Natalie told him even though she didn't really care about school anymore. Just what she and her dad had trained for. "You have a good day too."
"Yeah, teaching a bunch of teenagers," Her father said sarcastically. "It'll be a blast."
"Give it a chance," Natalie teased him, mimicking what her father had consistently told her since he dropped the bomb that they were moving. He chuckled before shaking his head.
"Just get out of my car," He told her. Natalie giggled before grabbing her backpack and exiting the vehicle. "Have a great day, sweetheart."
"You too, Dad," Natalie said before putting her backpack on and heading for the front doors of the school. Alaric watched her go until she disappeared inside the building. He sighed as he wondered if he was doing the right thing in bringing her to this town. If any of Isobel's research was right, this town had a darkness that cursed it.
It wasn't a place for a kid.
Alaric swallowed hard before driving away as he tried to put his thoughts to rest. He needed to focus on his new job at Mystic Falls High and finding out what happened to Isobel. He owed it to his daughter to get some answers for her.
She deserved to know.
Natalie did her best to do what her dad told her.
To fit in at school and be a normal seventh-grader. However, it was very difficult to do. Especially when everything at school seemed childish and boring compared to the homeschooling she had with her father. The boys were immature and ridiculous, the girls gossiped over Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers, and the school subjects could be so boring and tedious. Just like the rest of middle school.
"You're new, aren't you?" A girl said to Natalie's left. Natalie turned to look at the girl sitting in the desk next to her. It was Mrs. Lindsey's third period English class. The girl was very pretty with dark skin, warm brown eyes, long dark hair in braids, and a welcoming smile. Natalie smiled back at her.
"Yes," She confirmed before introducing herself. "I'm Natalie Saltzman."
"Bianca Bennett," The other girl introduced. "Where did you move from?"
"North Carolina," Natalie informed her, reminding herself to be careful. Her father warned her to not divulge too much information. Especially to classmates. "My dad and I just moved her a few days ago. He's the new history teacher at the high school."
"It's really sad what happened to Mr. Tanner," Bianca told Natalie who nodded. The other girl hesitated a moment before saying something else. "Although my older sister said he was kind of a douche."
Natalie and Bianca both giggled quietly while their teacher seemed too preoccupied with her computer to pay any attention to them.
"Your sister's in high school?" Natalie asked her and Bianca nodded.
"Yeah, she's a junior," Bianca informed her. "She doesn't really like hanging around me. I'm her annoying little sister and all. What about you? Do you have any siblings?"
"No, it's just Dad and I," Natalie explained to her and Bianca nodded. "My mom's gone."
"I get that," Bianca told her in understanding. "My mom left when I was a baby. It's just been my sister, grams, and I ever since I could remember. Our dad works a lot."
"My mom actually died," Natalie said quietly and Bianca's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you just meant she left," Bianca said apologetically, and Natalie wanted to tell her that she thought her mom did leave in her own way. That her mom wasn't dead or missing…she wasn't lost. However, she didn't say anything.
"It's okay. I think she's happier now wherever she is," Natalie said in a small voice and Bianca nodded.
"Well, I'm still sorry," Bianca told her and it was strange. It seemed like that was the response whenever someone came upon the knowledge that you'd been through a great loss. Natalie never really knew how to respond to that.
"It's okay," Natalie said in response before purposefully changing the subject. "Anyways, this town seems nice and quiet."
"You'll get tired of it soon enough," Bianca told Natalie as she rolled her eyes. "It's the most boring town in the history of the world. Nothing ever happens here. You also have to drive an hour to go shopping anywhere decent."
"It's a lot different than home," Natalie explained to her new friend who nodded. "It wasn't the biggest city but I like how different Mystic Falls is. My dad's a history buff so he was really interested in moving here."
"Well, it'll get boring after a while. Take it from someone who was born and raised here," Bianca informed the new girl. "I can't wait to get out. I'm going to move to New York someday."
"And do what?" Natalie asked curiously but Bianca just shrugged and grinned at her.
"Anything I want," Bianca stated and Natalie giggled. Natalie thought she might like to travel the world someday. Presumably killing vampires if she could. An odd dream for a twelve-year-old girl but a dream nonetheless.
"Okay, class. Now if you could just turn to page eighty-seven," Mrs. Lindsey announced to the class as she left her desk. Bianca and Natalie became quiet as they returned their attention to their school work although it didn't stop them from sharing sly smiles.
It was clear that Natalie had already made a friend.
By lunchtime, Bianca introduced Natalie to the rest of her friends which included Lydia Fell and Madison Cartwright. Lydia was the bubbly and outgoing one in the group while Madison was the shier but creative one in the group. Bianca was witty with a keen eye for fashion. It was the first time Natalie had hung around girls her own age in years. She didn't know what to expect or who she fit in as in the group but she was just happy that she was welcomed into the group of life-long friends.
The only thing Natalie identified herself as was an ambitious girl with vampire killing aspirations.
Natalie wasn't sure if that was a quality the group of friends were currently looking for.
Probably not.
"How was school?" Her father asked her.
They were having dinner at the Mystic Grill. One of the very few restaurants in town. He picked her up from school earlier and they stayed at the loft for a while as they unpacked more stuff. Her dad eventually decided that it was dinner time and decided to treat them both to dinner.
"It was better than I thought, actually," Natalie told her father honestly as they ate dinner. Her father had ordered a burger and fries while Natalie was attempting to eat a little healthier with grilled chicken and a side of broccoli. Despite her mother's distance, her mom had been the better cook in the family and always made sure Natalie ate healthy. Her father wasn't really aware of the same choices for her.
Natalie didn't blame him.
He had a lot on his mind.
She just had to do the thinking for the both of them.
"That's good. Did you make any friends?" He asked her and Natalie nodded with a smile.
"This girl named Bianca in my English class. She's really nice and she's in my history, gym, and art class too," Natalie informed him, causing her dad to smile. "She kind of welcomed me into her group of friends. Lydia and Madison. They're all really nice. I think, at least, one of them is in every single class I have."
"I'm glad your first day went well," Her dad told her and Natalie nodded. "Maybe you could even have your friends over some time."
"We'd have to put away the you-know-what," Natalie told her father jokingly. The reason she didn't mention the word 'stake' aloud was because her father had forbidden her to talk about anything vampire related outside home or the car. She didn't understand what he meant but he mentioned how it wasn't safe to talk about those things in public like it was back home in North Carolina.
"It's manageable," Her dad told her and Natalie nodded. "So what are you reading at school? Judy Blume?"
"Dad, I'm almost thirteen. Not seven," Natalie reminded him as she rolled her eyes. Alaric sighed heavily.
"Yes, that's right. We're almost in the teenage years now," He remarked, not looking entirely pleased with this news. "What a blast for me."
"I'm not going to be like other teenagers," The seventh-grader stated as though she were confident in this. He snorted.
"Yeah, right. Pretty soon all you'll be interested in is makeup, clothes, Justin Bieber, and boys," He said teasingly. "You won't want to hang around me anymore."
"That's ridiculous," Natalie told him with a small smirk on her face. "I don't even like Justin Bieber. I'm way more into Drake. You know that."
"Whatever you say, Nat," Her dad muttered, not finding her funny. He glanced away and Natalie furrowed her eyebrows as something that seemed to catch his interest. She followed his line of sight and noticed a boy only a few years older than herself sitting at a booth across from a very pretty but slightly older woman.
"Who's that?" Natalie asked her dad and he tore his gaze away from the booth to look at her.
"That's Jeremy Gilbert," Her dad answered. "He's a sophomore in one of my classes."
"He's cute," Natalie observed and her dad frowned, giving her a stern look. In all honesty, he really was cute with disheveled, floppy brown hair and brown eyes.
"He's much too old for you," Her dad warned her even though Natalie wasn't actually interested in boys or anything. All she cared about was finding a real-life vampire to stake. She didn't really have time to fawn over cute high school boys.
"I was just observing," Natalie said defensively. "Don't worry, Dad. I know. No boys until college. Boys are the furthest thing from my mind. Believe me."
"Especially no high school boys," Her dad told her seriously. "Jeremy seems like a nice kid but he's had some problems…not something kids your age should worry themselves with."
"Oh, you mean he's a stoner?" Natalie said casually and her father looked at her in shock.
"How do you know what that is?" He asked demandingly and Natalie shrugged.
"I'm twelve. I was raised by the internet and television," Natalie told him and Alaric sighed heavily. "I've also seen Clueless twenty-seven times. This Jeremy guy sounds like a total Travis."
"Well, you might be a little bit right about that. He just needs to work on his grades a little bit," Her dad said, calming down a bit but he still gave her a stern look. "I'm going to need to take another look at the parental controls at home."
"Have it your way, Dad," Natalie said, not sounding bothered by her father doing that. He wasn't very technologically gifted just like most parents. He'd probably end up resetting the entire tv if he tried to mess with the parental controls again. "Why don't you go over there and say hello?"
"I don't know if I should. Wouldn't that be a little strange?" Her dad asked her and Natalie rolled her eyes again.
"No, it's weirder if you've seen him and he's seen you but you both act like the other one's not there. That's weird," Natalie explained to her father before smirking again as she noticed the glance he threw in the direction of the woman Jeremy was with. "Besides…it looks like you have a thing for Jeremy's mom. She's really pretty, Dad, and she's been looking over here too."
"I wasn't looking at her," Her dad said defensively as he blushed. "I'm also guessing she must be a relative of Jeremy and his older sister. His parents passed away last spring according to his student file."
"Well, there you go," Natalie said as she tried encourage her father. Her mother had been dead for two years now and he still hadn't dated anyone since. Natalie wanted her father to move on and be happy instead of loving a ghost that didn't know how to love anyone or anything. "You have a dead wife and she has dead relatives. That's a conversation starter."
"Are you really trying to set me up?" Alaric asked his daughter who gave him an innocent look. "Do you not realize how pathetic that is? I'm a grown man and you're my twelve-year-old daughter."
"I'll be thirteen in March," Natalie reminded him as she smiled at him. He just shook his head in disbelief. Natalie glanced back over at Jeremy Gilbert and his relative. "Oh, no. They noticed us looking at them. Now we have to go see them."
"You're a pain in my ass," Alaric told the brown eyed girl. He still remarked about how much she looked like his missing wife. Natalie had the same big brown doe eyes, dark brunette hair, and pale skin. She was lean in figure, mostly due to the training she and himself had been doing for the past two years, and 5'4 in height but still growing. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Natalie was going to be a beautiful young woman in a couple years' time.
Just like her mother.
"I know but you still love me," Natalie informed him and Alaric nodded before standing up from the table. He was going to embarrass himself. He just knew it.
"Let's get this over with," Alaric mumbled as Natalie excitedly followed after him. This was the first time her father had really showed any amount of interest in a woman other than her mother and she so badly wanted to see how his flirting skills faired. Probably not well. Natalie wasn't sure she had ever seen her father flirt before.
Either way, at least, it would make for a funny story to tease him about later.
Something for Natalie to look forward to.
"Mr. Saltzman!" Jeremy Gilbert said excitedly as Natalie and her dad approached the booth. She tried to hide her smirk at the nervous look on her dad's face. This was going to be hilarious.
"Jeremy, what's up, man?" Her dad said casually as he fist-bumped Jeremy. Jeremy glanced over at the woman sitting across from him. She was pretty with light brunette hair, green eyes, and pale porcelain skin. The woman only looked to be a few years younger than her father.
"This is my Aunt Jenna," Jeremy introduced and she smiled politely at both Alaric and Natalie.
"Alaric Saltzman. It's nice to meet you," Her father told her and both Natalie and Jeremy smirked at the pair. They were clearly so smitten with each other. Even at first sight. He clearly his throat awkwardly as he remembered that Natalie was standing next to him. "This is my daughter Natalie."
"Hi," Natalie said both to Jeremy and Jenna. She didn't miss the way Jenna frowned a bit.
"Oh…so dinner without the wife? A father-daughter night out? That's cute." Jenna said, clearly trying to find out whether or not Natalie's dad was single. Natalie forced herself not to laugh. The woman was clearly into her dad.
"My mom's dead, actually," Natalie said bluntly and her father gave her a look for being so brutally honest. Jenna looked surprised and nodded.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Jenna told the both of them but Natalie shook her head.
"It's okay. It was a long time ago," Natalie said, interjecting before her father could say anything. "Dad's totally over it."
"Okay…" Jenna trailed off before glancing up at Alaric. Natalie didn't miss the way her dad shot her a warning glance but she didn't care. This was good for him. Moving on was good. He needed to see that. "Jeremy was just telling me about his paper. Thanks for giving him another chance."
"Oh, you know, it was my first day," Alaric said dismissively, trying to downplay it although Natalie could tell he didn't mind her gratefulness. "I wanted to make a good impression."
"Well, I still want to say thank you," Jenna told him and Alaric just smiled back at her. It seemed like they couldn't stop smiling at each other much to both Natalie and Jeremy's amusement. The teenage boy shared a look with Natalie. It seemed like both their parental figures were pretty hopeless in the love department.
That much Natalie could tell.
"Hey, Dad, look…my new friends," Natalie told her father as she nodded in the direction of the entrance of the Mystic Grill. Three seventhgrade girls excited waved and smiled at Natalie. Jeremy recognized one of them as Bonnie Bennett's little sister. "They just texted me that they want to see a movie. Can I go?"
Natalie had actually texted her new friends from the moment her dad started staring at the Jenna woman. She really wanted him to put himself out there without her in the way. Besides…new town and new friends. Natalie was supposed to do her part and fit in here. This was her doing that. Her new friends seemed nice too and it had been a while since Natalie had seen a movie.
"I don't know…" Her dad said, sounding unsure. Natalie pouted, giving him a pleading look.
"It's right next door, Dad, and didn't you bring some papers to grade?" Natalie asked him and he still looked hesitant. "Please. They're going to see the new Twilight movie. You know…the one with the cute vampires."
"Right…vampires," Her dad said, giving her an unimpressed look at her coyness. "Cute."
"The movie theater is literally right next to door," Jenna reminded him, smiling at his concern for his tween daughter. "There's probably going to be crowds of other teenaged girls there. Robert Pattison and all. Besides…nothing ever happens in Mystic Falls. It'll be fine."
"I guess it would be okay," Her father finally relented and Natalie smiled in relief. "I'm picking you up right after it's over. I want you to text me the second it's over. You're not to leave the theater."
"Okay, thanks," Natalie said excitedly. She was just happy that her father might be able to finally think about a woman other than her mother. There was nothing she wished for more than for her father to move on from her mother.
"Here," Her dad said as he pulled out his wallet. He handed her a twenty. "Have fun."
"Thanks, Dad," Natalie told him before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek.
She was gone a moment later when she happily trotted off to her new group of friends. Alaric shook his head in amusement as he watched her go. He had a feeling that he knew what she was up to. Alaric turned to Jenna and Jeremy.
"She'll be thirteen soon," Alaric said as he chuckled nervously. "A teenager. I don't what I'm going to do."
"It definitely doesn't get any easier," Jenna said, looking pointedly at Jeremy who looked slightly offended. "I wish I could tell you otherwise."
Alaric laughed.
"I'll have to take your word for it."
He watched as his daughter happily left the grill with her three new friends. It was the first time in a while he had seen her for who she was.
A normal kid.
A part of him felt guilty for the past two years. For keeping her home and training to her on how to hold her own against vampires. It was selfish and inconsiderate.
However, he also knew he didn't have a choice.
His wife had disappeared, most likely murdered, at the hands of a vampire. Danger was more present in their lives than ever before. Natalie had to know how to fight that danger and protect herself.
Alaric could only hope that she never had to use her training.