'Till Death Do Us Part
Elena has been a vampire for the past 147 years. She has finally given up waiting for her love, Damon, and his brother, Stefan, to find her after being separated all those years ago. As she returns to her hometown to live with her descendants, what happens when she sees Damon again, along with the person who ruined her entire life? AR, AT, OOC.
A/R: It is recommended that you view the "Character Profile" for a better understanding of the, well, characters before reading. R&R!
Chapter One – Coming Home
Elena felt a lump in her throat as she exited the highway. Her brand new car was blasting out music, and she just had do roll down the window and do a little jiggle. It always seemed to calm her down lately.
Leaving Paris was probably one of the best decisions she had made lately. It was about the fourth time she's visited in the past 15 years, and she was tired of it. Sure, it was beautiful and had deliciously gorgeous men all over the place, but Elena needed substance. It always seemed to be the same thing for her every day: wake up early, have a jog, go to a little café, meet a dashing French man, and spend the rest of the day with him. It was either that or shopping. Hence the huge car she now possessed.
The most ironic song came on the radio about coming home, or something. Elena began to hum to it, thrashing her head around, her hair going everywhere. It was an amazement that she was still able to drive in a straight line. Of course, this was one of the many perks of being a vampire: ultimate perfection.
She didn't feel too perfect when she drove past a sign that read "Welcome to Mystic Falls". She swallowed hard, gripping her steering wheel tightly. It has been 112 years since Elena was in Mystic Falls. It was where everything happened, and where everything ended. She decided to take a quick scope around the town. She was amazed with its improvements, and the old buildings that still stood. She came across what looked like a heavily populated bistro called the Mystic Grill. Catchy name, she thought.
Elena endeavoured into an amount of twisted roads until she arrived at her destination. She parked, admiring the house. It was quaint, and looked like it was built as soon as she left. The garden, she thought, was quite overwhelming, with its vibrant and wild plants that danced around the edges of the house. She admired the gold and glittering letters that spelt out "Gilbert" on the letter box. She rummaged through her bag for her wallet. She pulled out a photograph that looked like it belonged on an ID badge. It was of a young yet middle aged man wearing a doctor's uniform. His brown locks were draped around his face, and Elena couldn't help but compare the man to her own father. At this instance, she shoved the photograph into her bag and got out of the car.
She felt her legs shake as she walked up the drive way, not because she was nervous, but because she was in Mystic Falls. Shaking the feeling out of her body as she reached the front door, she rang the doorbell. She fixed her hair as she waited, and was greeted by the man in the photograph.
It was clear that Grayson Gilbert was taken aback by Elena. She took this as a good thing, smiling up at him. After a few moments of Elena smiling and Grayson looking down at her, he cleared his throat.
"Uh, I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" he asked.
Elena's smile faded quickly, and was replaced with a look of shock. Who she was? He was supposed to already know. It was a Gilbert's duty to know. Hoping that no other supernatural creature reached here before her, she fixed the problem in the best way she knew how.
"I'm sorry; it's just that, you look so much like my father." She smiled again.
"Y-you're father?" he stumbled, looking at her in confusion.
"Yes, my father. My name is Elena Gilbert, sir, and you must be Dr Grayson Gilbert?" She extended her arm for him to shake it, but just far enough that it didn't pass the frame of the door.
He shook her hand, slowly at first, and then his pace began to quicken as all of the information processed in his head.
"Yes that's me. Gilbert, you say? Does this mean we're related? Because I never knew there was an Elena in the family…" He finished his ramble with a chuckle.
"We are related, but quite distant. I don't mean to rush you, but I just have a question to ask you and then I'll be off." Elena was interrupted with the arrival of a woman next to Grayson. Her long, brown curls danced as she moved around.
"Honey your lunch is getting cold, come and eat it before Jeremy steals it." The woman turned towards the doorway and gasped. "Oh my! I am so sorry! I didn't see you there, child!" Elena grimaced at the woman calling her "child", but quickly turned it into a smile.
"Miranda, this is Elena Gilbert; she says that we're distant relatives. Elena, this is my wife Miranda."
Elena once again extended her arm, and Miranda shook it.
"As I was saying," Elena continued as if they weren't interrupted, "I just have one thing to ask of you. As you should know, the history of the Gilbert family is quite an interesting one, and my father just loves reading our ancestor's journals. He just needs the last box, and apparently it's in your possession. So if you've finished with them, I would like to borrow them. I will return them as soon as my father has finished with them."
Grayson began to laugh, and Miranda raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry Elena," said Grayson, "but I wouldn't have a single clue about the Gilbert family history, let alone if we had any journals."
Elena frowned at this. How dare he call himself a Gilbert!
"Actually, I think we do have this box," Miranda said, making Elena stop wanting to hurt something. "Honey, could you go down to the basement and get a box named "Gilbert", I'm sure that would've set off some alarm bells." Miranda laughed as Grayson trudged away from the front door. "As for you Elena," Miranda said, turning to her, "would you like to come inside whilst he gets it? I could make you some tea."
Elena gasped. The woman just invited her inside. This was a good thing though, Elena thought. There wouldn't be such a public commotion when they found out what she was.
"I would love to come in, and have some tea," Elena said charmingly, entering the house.
Elena scoped the room, closing the door behind her. In front of the door was the flight of stairs, and when she turned to her right, she saw Miranda pour water into a mug and welcomed Elena into the spacious living room at the same time. The fire roared as Elena sat down on one of the sofas.
"Kids!" Miranda yelled, placing the tea down on the coffee table. "You have to meet them, Elena, since we're family." She gave Elena a warm smile, which she returned.
When Elena turned to see the brother and sister arrive in the living room, she couldn't help think about her own brother. They both had the same coloured hair; a light chocolate brown, and shared many distinguishing features.
"Elena, these are the twins: Evelyn and Jeremy. Kids, this is your distant relative, Elena."
Elena smiled up at them, and both smiled back cautiously. "Related? How?" Jeremy asked.
"Distant cousins, I suppose," Elena replied, sipping her tea and relaxing on the couch.
"Can distant cousins date?" he asked, a smile spreading across his face.
"You're disgusting," Evelyn answered, falling into the couch across from Elena. Jeremy sighed and joined his twin.
Sounds of grunting emerged from the back of the house, and soon Grayson appeared, pushing a large box in front of him.
"Here, let me," Elena said, placing her tea down and walking over to Grayson. She was sick of playing human.
"No, no! I can't carry it, so no offence, I don't th-"
He stopped halfway, his mouth hanging open, along with the rest of the family. Amazement crept into their eyes as Elena simply picked up the box with no effort at all, and placed it down near the fireplace. Sitting down, she noticed the looks they were all giving her. Grayson slowly placed himself between his children, Miranda following suite.
"It will be explained later," Elena said simply. "Open the box; let's see if it's the right one."
Rubbing his eyes, Grayson pulled off the tape on the box, and opened it. A dust cloud formed, with Evelyn blowing it away with her hands. Grayson pulled out a book, which was particularly placed so that it would the first book chosen out of the 50 others. It was leather bound, and locked with a buckle.
"That's the one," Elena said, trying to rush things. "Open it, and read it." Grayson opened his mouth, but Elena silenced him. "Believe me, you need to read it."
Unwillingly, Grayson carefully unbuckled the book open. He slowly turned the parchment, arriving at the first page. He read it aloud:
"Dear Gilbert descendant,
You are about to divulge yourself into the journals I created for about twenty years. I hope that you don't find them a bore, but as an interesting form to learn about your family history.
I started these journals in 1863 in Mystic Falls. After much observation, I had come to the conclusion that vampires, or "demons of the night", were real. Yes, vampires. Please do not think that I am some crazy person, but try to keep an open mind about what I am writing.
A year after starting these observations and researching, I was visited by two young men. These two were vampires. This confirmed my belief that they were real. The eldest begged me to keep someone safe for him. He knew that she was going to die, so he made sure that she would turn into a vampire so that they could meet once more."
Elena snorted very loudly at this point, which made all eyes focus on her.
"Sorry, go on."
"The beginning of a vampire life is the hardest, and since I had such knowledge of vampires, they knew that I could help her survive, and not harm another. Little did I know, this girl was actually my niece.
You see, my mother and father gave me up as I was their child out of wedlock. They both went on to marry and have two other children. It was out of pure coincidence that we both lived in the same English settlement in America.
This journal not only talks of my extended research on vampires, but my life with my niece, and how I helped her to attain her humanity, willingness to live and control her blood thirst. And who may you ask is my niece? Turn over.
Sincerely, Jack Gilbert."
Grayson looked up at Elena. "Vampires, really? That's the Gilbert history your father is so fond of?"
"Ugh, just turn the page already, thanks to your lack of interest of the matter I have to sit through this, I have other things to do. So, please turn the page," Elena said hastily, shaking her leg.
Grayson breathed deeply in and out. He then looked back at the journal and turned the page.
"What the-"
To his and his families, great astonishment, they were staring down at an old photo of Elena Gilbert. Her curly hair was placed into a neat bun, and she was looking quite radiant, even though it was a black and white photo.
"Don't forget to look at the other side," said Elena, not even looking up from her nails.
The other side of the parchment showed Elena standing with a man a few years older than her, and two others that looked a lot like her parents.
"I told you you looked like him Grayson, didn't I?" Elena said smugly.
"You have got to be kidding me," said Evelyn, turning on Elena. "This is a really great trick you pulled on us. Well done, I applaud you." She tried to squeeze herself out of the Gilbert sandwich.
"Sit down!" Elena said grimly, and Evelyn stopped moving. "I know how this seems, but just let me explain, I promise you it will all make sense soon."
None of the Gilbert's made a word, which gave Elena the indication that they were listening.
"What the journal said is true. I am a vampire." They all went to say something, but Elena spoke before they could. "And, like all families I visit, I will prove it to you all. Exhibit a: I could pick up that box and you couldn't, Grayson."
After a moment of awkward silence, Elena sighed. "Not good enough. Okay, I'll show you what my favourite food is." Elena opened her bag and pulled out a blood bag.
"Oh dear, please tell me you didn't steal that," Grayson said, throwing the journal back into the box.
"Of course not, I asked them nicely and they gave it to me," Elena replied sarcastically. She opened it, and passed it to Grayson. He flinched when she got close to him, which made her roll her eyes. "Smell it," she said.
Grayson slowly hovered his nose over the opening, and took a few sniffs. "That's blood alright. But how-"
Elena once again cut him off by drinking the blood bag dry. Her eyes began to change; she felt her veins moving rapidly and her fangs seep out of her teeth. She titled her head back as she licked her lips. When she felt her face go back to normal, she faced her descendants.
"Okay, what just happened to your face?" Jeremy blurted out first.
A wicked smile danced across Elena's face. "This face?" She let the thirst over take her senses once more, faced her family and showed off her fangs with an opened mouth. She enjoyed their flinches, and the little scream that escaped Evelyn's mouth. Elena closed her mouth as her fangs disappeared, and sat down again, throwing the blood bag on the coffee table.
They sat for a while; their heavy breathing was the only thing that kept the silence from coming.
"So you're a…" Grayson began, trying to formulate the word 'vampire'.
Elena nodded as she started to play with the rings on her finger. She looked down at her hands to see the diamond ring perched on her pointer finger on her left hand. She sighed, rubbing it delicately. It was something she always did when she felt like her vampire-self was overtaking who she really was. This ring symbolised her mortal life, and her desire to remain the same person she once was.
Elena sighed once more. "Look, I'm sorry if I scared you guys. It's just that, usually whenever I arrive at one of my descendants homes, they've already read the journals and they welcome me straight away. I was just a bit annoyed that you had no interest in the matter whatsoever. But I need to make it clear right now that my family is the most important thing to me. I will never hurt you all in any way that I can, and I will not let anyone else hurt you. Okay?"
Throughout her speech, Elena heard all of their heart rates slow down, along with their breathing. They all began to nod at different times, but in the same slow speed. She could see in their eyes that they didn't fully believe her, and she made it her first personal mission to prove it to them.
"Before I leave to meet my witch (yes, I have a witch), I need to tell you the basic fundamentals that come with the knowledge of vampires."
"Wait, you guys don't sparkle, right? Because that is so lame," said Evelyn, crossing her arms and clearly feeling more comfortable.
"That's a fairy. I'm a real vampire that burns in the sun. The only thing that stops me from turning into a pile of dust is this." Elena held up her right hand and showed the ring that was sitting on her middle finger. It was a large, blue gem that was being cradled in a vine of gold, which continued into the band. "This is a lapis luzili gem. This is the only kind of gem that can be used as a sun protector. My first witch did this for me, and I've had it ever since."
"Ever since, as in … since 1864?" Miranda asked, her hands quivering.
"Yes. I was born in 1847, and was killed in 1864, which makes me about 164 years old."
The Gilbert's eyes averted away from Elena, trying to avoid her gaze. She cleared her throat, and they all looked back at her.
"So just in case you see me looking like this…" Elena said, slowly pulling off the ring. It was just her luck that she sat in the sofa right next to the window. The light began to sear her skin, and torch her senses to her very core. Just as she felt her temperature rise, she shoved the ring back on. As she healed rapidly, she heard many gasps. "You would know that I don't have my ring on," she continued, flipping her hair back. "Get me away from the sun and get me some blood if it gets bad. Following me so far?"
As they all nodded once more, Jeremy opened his mouth. "What about killing a vampire? Is that the same like legend; stake to the heart, holy water, garlic?"
"Sort of," Elena answered, finishing her tea. "I love garlic and holy water is drinkable. But, a stake to the heart can, only if it's wood. Wood bullets, wooden stakes, even a wooden spoon can harm me so much worse than a knife. One stake to the heart and poof, bye bye vampire. But as you can see, I heal. So you could stab me right now in the stomach with anything, but it won't make a difference because I will heal."
"So that's it? Just the sun and wood can kill a vampire?" Jeremy asked, clearly becoming more interested by the minute.
"Well, there's something else." Elena opened her bag once more and pulled out a paper bag. She handed it to Jeremy. "In that bag is an herb, called vervain. If I touch it, consume it, or anything like that, I will die. Not immediately though; it sort of works like the sun. Slow death. But I am able to consume a small amount and only get winded. Go on, take it out and brush it along my skin."
Jeremy looked up at Elena, as if he needed to look into her eyes in order to be fully certain that he can do it. "But you've harmed yourself enough today."
"That's sweet and everything Jeremy but I'm already dead. I have gone through days so much worse than a little sunlight and vervain."
Still looking at Elena, Jeremy slowly pulled the vervain plant out of the bag. Hand trembling slightly, he let it touch Elena's palm. She let out a groan as the herb scratched her hand, making it burn. It didn't hurt as much as it usually did, which made Elena smile. She went to sit down again, Jeremy still sitting forward, holding the vervain out.
"It can also protect humans," Elena continued. "You can either wear it or drink it, but I think wearing it is more stylish. I already have some necklaces, bracelets and others that already have vervain in it. That small supply there is yours; plant it somewhere hidden, so you will always have enough supply. Believe me when I say that it's a rapidly growing plant. "
"How can this … plant protect us? Is it just in case a vampire touches us, they'll shrivel up?" Evelyn said sarcastically, laughing at her own joke.
Elena raised her eyebrows. "No. If you wear it, you're protected from compulsion. If you drink it, you're protected from both compulsion and loss of blood."
"Compulsion?" Miranda questioned.
"Compulsion is when a vampire looks deep into a human's eyes and tells them what to do. We 'compel' them as our pupils get smaller. We can also plague your dreams and alter your memory. But like I said, I would never do that or let anyone do that to you; you're my family. Now, other ways a vampire can be killed is by fire, removal of the heart, decapitation of the head and a werewolf bite. Yes, I just said werewolf."
Grayson shook his head. "This is so much information to take in."
"I know it's a lot," Elena replied sympathetically, and she meant it. "But there are only three more things: we're really fast, have amazing hearing and we can only be invited in by the owner of a household. So don't invite anyone in. Use phrases such as 'would you like some tea?' instead of 'please come in and have some tea'." She looked at Miranda and smiled, who blushed.
"Wait, Elena," said Grayson, holding up a hand as Elena started to gather her things. "Why are you telling us this?"
Elena began to laugh, throwing her head back. "Ugh, I can't believe I forgot! It says in those books that I stay where my family is. Which means, I would love it if you let me live in your home."
An explosion of words emitted into the room. Luckily, Elena was able to make out Grayson say 'absolutely', Evelyn say 'no way', Jeremy say 'hell yeah!' and Miranda simply gasping.
"Evelyn, I get why you don't want me here. I wouldn't want me here."
"So why are you here?"
The sides of Elena's mouth formed a small smile. "Because I need a life. I have been floating for so long, and now I just need a place to land. Don't get mad at her, Grayson."
Grayson looked at her in horror, obviously wondering if she could read minds too.
"Now I really must be going. I have a witch to meet." Elena stood. "Thank you so much for everything. For what you did just then and what you're all about to do. It means the world to me."
Elena began to walk towards the door. "Elena!" Grayson called out once more. She turned.
"I don't mean to be rude, but how did you …" he cocked his head to the side. She knew he meant her death.
"I'll keep it simple, since it's in the journals and I recommend you read them still. I fell in love and someone got in the way."
Grayson nodded, knowing that although it wasn't what he wanted to hear, it was enough for him at that moment. Elena nodded back, and left the house. As she walked down the driveway, she could hear the yelling. Shaking her head, she got into her car.
If Elena thought that her drive to the Gilbert house was hard, she was wrong. Driving to the Bennett's was like a mission, with its many hills and twists and turns.
She released a sigh of relief as she parked in front of the house. She didn't even bother thinking before exiting her car. She walked down the driveway of a very small and modern home that possessed such a bright colour for its exterior walls and violently bright coloured flowers. Elena wondered if it was just a Mystic Falls thing, as she knocked on the door. As she fixed her hair and tried to clean her teeth with her tongue, she looked through the large window next to the door. She saw a young girl looking through it, her eyes bulging. Elena smiled and pointed at the door. The girl immediately jumped and ran to the door, thrusting it open.
"You must be Elena!" she said a bit too loud. She was quite fashion savvy, and her long black hair fell around her sweater.
"Oh thank goodness you know who I am," Elena said, walking inside. Elena was shocked at first when an invisible barrier stopped her from moving forward, but then she felt incredibly stupid for forgetting.
"Would you like to come in Elena?" the girl asked smiling, stepping aside to let her in.
Elena smiled back, stepping inside. As she did, a woman walked into the living room, smiling as she did so.
"Elena Gilbert, welcome to the Bennett household!" the woman said, stretching out her arms. She went to hug Elena, which she responded with wholeheartedly.
"This is my mother, Bonita," the girl explained as Bonita let go, "and I am Bonnie. I am your witch." The last part of the sentence was said with a large smile, which was quite contagious.
"You seem quite excited," Elena said.
"She has been waiting and training for this day for a while. She's read the journals twice over already," Bonita said, leading the two girls into the living room to sit.
"I am so glad you read Emily's journals," Elena said, relaxing into the couch. "The Gilberts had no clue who and what I was; it was such a tedious thing to explain it all to them."
Both women scoffed at this. Bonnie laid a hand on Elena's, and looked up at her sympathetically. "I am so sorry for your tragedy. I cannot begin to think what kind of horror you had to go through." Elena smiled.
"And out of all of that pain," Bonita said in an epic sort of way, "she was still courageous enough to save our own Emily Bennett. Now our family is in your eternal debt."
Elena sighed. "About that, are you sure? I mean, you know who may still be out there and is after me, it could be such a task to help me out…"
"Elena, shut up," Bonnie said, and her mother laughed. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have existed. You are the reason we are all alive. This is the only way we know how to thank you."
Elena laughed herself, sinking into the couch more. "It is so good to be home."
A/R: Thank you for reading! Please review and I will have an update (hopefully) every week. Thank you again!