Fate-Bound (S2)

by Starletina

Thea Montgomery was happy. She'd found her blood-bonded, the one person tied to her for the rest of eternity; Damon Salvatore. But unfortunately, there is never any rest for the wicked. With the reappearance of Katherine, an impending sacrifice she's somehow involved in, and and Elijah looking at her like she's the pride of his life, it's a wonder she's got her sanity still.

11. By the Light Of the Moon

"The world is made up of four elements: earth, are, fire and water. There's a fifth element, and generally it's called surprise." - Terry Pratchett

11. By the Light Of the Moon;

She wasn't aware what the day was when she woke up. To her, it was just any other day. The bed was empty, Damon having gotten up before her as usual, and as she headed towards the bathroom to wash her face and begin getting ready, she still had no idea.

It was only when she made her way to her kitchen, and found a stack of pancakes with a single candle on top waiting for her, that the realisation sunk in like a boulder dropped into the ocean.

Smiling slightly at the sight, she looked around for hr bounded, as his voice came from behind her, "I'm a little upset I had to find out via Caroline that your birthday's today."

Turning around, she shot him a sad smile, shrugging slightly, "Would you believe me if I told you I'd forgotten? I haven't celebrated it in three years."

His arms wrapped around her hips, and he pulled her into him, hugging her to his chest, "That's gonna change. We're going to celebrate it every year, because now, I'm personally thankful for this day."

"You are?" She mumbled.

"It's the day you were born, also known as the day the best thing that's ever happened to me was brought to life, and therefore, we're gonna celebrate it." He replied, pulling away and grinning at her, before pulling her towards the kitchen table, "Starting with these pancakes that I slaved over."

Grabbing her fork, she shot him a small smirk, "Slaved over huh? They better be good then."

"Why don't you try them and find out."

Smiling, she cut a small piece and ate it, moaning in approval at the taste. Looking back at him, she grinned widely, before gesturing to her plate, "You're gonna have to eat it with me, because there's no way in hell I'm gonna be able to finish all of this."

Damon laughed, before pulling her out of her chair and taking a seat, dragging hr back into his lap. Together, they got through her stack of birthday pancakes, before he stood up and headed behind the counter, placing two packages in front of her, as well as a cup of coffee.

The blood-witch raised her brow at the presents, asking, "I thought birthdays entitled one present per person, also you really didn't have to get me anything."

"Angel, shut up and open your gifts." He replied dryly.

She giggled at him, repeating with a soft smile, "I'm serious, the best gift I've gotten was you, I really don't need anything else."

"Well, too bad, cause I got you something anyway, so open them before you hurt my feelings," he retorted, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her lips, before adding, "And for the record, you're the best gift I've ever gotten too, just in case you were doubting it."

Pulling away, she dragged the smaller package in her direction, opening it with flourish, only to find a necklace with a bright ruby pendant nestled in folds of silk fabric. Taking it out, she stared at it in awe, before whispering, "It's beautiful."

He walked in her direction, taking it out of her hand and placing it around her neck, "it reminded me of your eyes, that deep burning red." He said, laying a small kiss to her skin. She grabbed onto it lovingly, looking back at him and mumbling, "I love you,"

"I know," he replied with a smirk, before pointing to the other package, "Open the other one, I have a feeling you'll like it even more."

Shooting him an excited grin, she drew the second larger package towards her, and slowly opened it. Her mouth dropped in shock, as right in front of her, laid a faded Queen concert t-shirt. It was clearly an original, since the fabric was soft and the writing faded from too many washes. She pulled it out reverently, whispering, "You remembered."

"Of course I did. I've been planning to give it to you since you mentioned it in Bree's bar." He replied, before adding, "It's mine, obviously, since they don't sell them—" his explanation was interrupted when she jumped into his arms, legs wrapping around his waist, and arms hanging onto his neck.

His own surrounded her in return, as he laughed, "That good?"

She simply nodded, sniffling into his neck slightly, and he tightened his hold on her in response. "Are you crying baby?" He questioned softly.

She pulled away, remaining in his hold, but facing him, so he could see the slight tears in her eyes, as she whispered, "It's perfect. You're perfect."

Damon chuckled, replying with a soft, "i love you," before he pulled her lips to his, and sealed the deal with a passionate kiss.

—

She was wrapped up in a soft blanket on her couch, head resting on Damon's naked chest. Her breath was still heaving slightly, but she giggled when he said, "Remind me to get you more gifts, if this is how I'll get rewarded for it every time."

Turning slightly, she placed her chin on him, staring directly into his eyes, "No need to get me anything. Just say the word, and I'm yours. You know that."

His hands slipped down her back, caressing the skin teasingly, before grabbing onto her behind, squeezing. Moaning lightly, she squirmed on top of him and he laughed in response, "I barely do anything, and you're already all hot and bothered Angel."

The girl rolled her eyes, "yes, yes. You breathe and I get turned on, don't abuse the power you have over me, Ace. It's not fair."

"Not fair?" He exclaimed, hands tightening their grip on her as he continued, "You just walk in front of me, and I want to lock you in my bed forever. You've wrecked my self-control."

Thea laughed, dropping small kisses onto chest, lower and lower, until her head disappeared completely under the blanket. Scoring her fingernails lightly over his skin, she grabbed his shaft in her hand, stroking in upward motions, feeling him tense underneath her. She could hear him groaning, could feel the overwhelming desire pour from him and into her, fuelling her own. Inhaling quickly, she drew her lips over his tip, sucking lightly.

His hands dug into her hair, pulls become harsher as she dragged her lips over his length, pulling him into her mouth, and then deeper into her throat. It was moments like these she was grateful she had a practically non-existent gag-reflex, for it made deep-throating him a pleasurable experience for the both of them.

She swallowed over him, feeling his grip tighten over her scalp, nails raking through it roughly, as she began bobbing up and down, using her hand to compensate for whatever she couldn't fit into her mouth. Faster and faster, squeezing him, and fondling his balls, driving him to the edge of insanity.

A naughty idea slipped into her mind, and very slowly, her hand slipped beneath his sack, finger pressing softly onto the sensitive skin there. She was cautious with her movements, ready to stop her current track the moment she felt anything negative form his direction, after all, not all men were willing to experiment that way, and while her Ace was arguably more adventurous than most, she still didn't want to push him beyond his limits.

But none of that happened, instead, a loud animalistic moan left his mouth, and the blanket was thrown from on top of her. His breathing was erratic as he gasped, "Fuck, Thea!"

She pulled him out of her mouth with a loud 'pop', licking her lips enticingly as she pressed on that piece of skin more firmly, watching as he gasped out her name like a prayer. "You like that, then." She murmured enticingly, raising a brow at his state. Damon didn't verbally respond, only groaning loudly. Taking her cue, she pulled his cock into her mouth again, and restarted her ministrations. Swallowing and sucking, all while her finger rubbed and pressed into him, taking him to new heights.

His hands were sliding over her skin, leaving bruises as they held onto her tighter. He tensed beneath her, and she accelerated, concentrating her efforts on his sensitive tip, running her tongue teasingly over the vein that ran beneath it, pressing harder onto his perineum.

And he exploded. Her name leaving his lips in a shout, curses flowing from him like honey, as she swallowed every drop. His hands raised her once he was done, and she found their positions flipped, with her on her back, his body grinding into hers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck coquettishly, raising a smug brow, "What?" She questioned at the ferocious gleam in his eyes.

Damon didn't answer verbally, simply laying his lips over hers aggressively, as though he wanted to absorb her essence into him through their kiss. Moaning at the suddenness of his actions, she barely noticed as his hand slipped down her thigh, before he raised it over his shoulder, and slipped directly into her.

Throwing her head back against the cushion, she moaned his name loudly, breath gasping out of her as he began pumping into her at an unbelievable speed. One of his hands had a bruising grip on her hips, and his lips were slotted over the sensitive skin of her neck. The other hand had slipped between them, and was roughly rubbing her clit, sending her soaring, sky-high.

As she felt herself climbing higher and higher, he pulled out of her, and flipped her onto her stomach, raising her hips up, and thrusting back into her. Her arms dropped beneath her, face resting against the couch directly, eyes squeezed shut in ecstasy, as he kept pumping into her.

Suddenly, one of his palms made contact with her cheek, slapping it loudly, and she moaned at the sharp sting of pleasure she received in return. Her noises only seemed to spur him on, as his speed increased, and without minutes, she was screaming his name, cumming around his cock, which was still buried in her.

He kept going, undeterred, and as she felt her nerves firing up once more, her second orgasm crashing on the waves of the first, he stilled above her, releasing into her in warm spurts, before dropping on top of her, exhausted and panting.

Rolling them over softly, he kissed her forehead, and she giggled in reply, looking up at him and smiling, "I think this is the most action this couch has seen since that one time you fingered me on it."

Damon laughed in response, kissing her lightly, before replying, "I'm gonna show you just how versatile a couch can be Angel."

—

They'd headed back to the tomb once they'd showered. As per usual, Thea was limping slightly. Frankly, it wasn't all that noticeable, especially since Damon had given her some of his blood during their shower, but even vampire blood couldn't fully heal a broken vagina, it seemed.

Regardless, she was now standing next to him, as he conversed with Stefan, explaining to the younger vampire that they'd spelled Elena into her own home.

"You trapped her in the house?" He questioned.

Thea nodded, raising her brows as she explained, "hey, I'll do anything at this point to keep her from getting the both of us killed. Plus, I get to avoid her all-day. It's a win-win as far as I'm concerned."

At Stefan's still reluctant expression, Damon squeezed her hip in warning, mumbling, "We're meant to convince him Angel. Stating our personal vendettas against the human isn't exactly the way to go." The girl shrugged in response, and he sighed, before turning to his brother and elaborating, "It's for the best. Trust me. Elena is on a martyr tear that rivals your greatest hits. You should be glad Thea made the witch and I even get along." Gesturing towards ht bag at his feet, he continued, "I brought you this."

"Care package: candles, lanterns and…lunch." He finished, jiggling a small bottle of blood.

The younger man shook his head, motioning towards the figure hidden in the shadows behind him, "Give that to me and I'm just gonna have to share it with her."

The three directed their attention that way, as the blue-eyed man breathed out an aggravated, "yeah,"

Kat stepped out of the shadows, saying calmly, "You two are surprisingly calm, considering Klaus will hunt you down and kill you if you mess with his little plan. As for you, little witch," she turned her attention to Thea, before giving her a bight smile, "Happy Birthday, here's to you living to se your 19th one."

Th blood-witch smiled at her kindly, as Stefan turned his incredulous eyes to her, "it's your birthday! How come Katherine knew but I didn't?"

"I haven't really celebrated it over the past couple of years Stef. Kat only knows because she's a stalker and had her informant gather details about me."

"But, I'm your pseudo-brother," he whined, "I'm supposed to know so I can get you a gift."

She chuckled, pointing to his current living situation as she said, "How about we get you out of here first, and then you can get me whatever gift your brooding heart desires, alright?"

The man nodded with a laugh, before sobering once his eyes returned to his brother who said, "Once we deal with this moonstone, we'll figure a way to get you out."

"Don't worry about me. Just make sure Thea and Elena are safe."

Damon nodded decisively, tightening his hold on his bonded, and they turned towards the exist, however, Kat's voice stopped them, "Slanchitse! Expect your birthday gift to arrive in a couple of hours. Hopefully you'll like it."

The girl turned to the brunette vampire, a soft appreciative grin on her face as she said, "blagodarya, Kitkat."

And with that, they existed the tomb, and began walking to Damon's car. As she entered the vehicle, he snorted out a laugh, explaining, "Katherine got you a birthday gift. You sure you two aren't secret best-friends behind my back?"

Thea giggled slightly, shaking her head, "I told you we were on much better terms now. We understand and respect each other. Besides, she'd be a good friend and ally to have, she's wily and probably the only one who understands my chess-board war strategies."

He shook his head in slight disbelief, he chuckled as he looked at her, "Whatever you say Angel. That being said, I definitely won't be surprised if you manage to charm your way into Klaus' graces. That's both Elijah and Katherine you've managed to befriend now."

"I didn't befriend Elijah, I just said that he knew me somehow." She interjected, but before he could answer her phone rang.

The name on her screen brought a sobering realisation she'd forgotten. She was eighteen now, the sole heir to the entire Montgomery fortune, and her family's lawyer was now calling to confirm it.

Gulping slightly, she closed her eyes before answering with a polite, "hello, Mr. Benedict."

"Ms. Montgomery, how are you?" He responded with a jovial tone.

The girl swallowed harshly, before replying in feigned happiness, "I'm alright sir, how are you? How're Dorothea and the twins? Doing well I hope?"

"Yes, of course! They send their greetings, and well-wishes. Benny also wanted me to thank you for the guitar you sent him for his birthday, he's been practising non-stop since he received it."

"Of course. Let him know that he'll be better than me soon enough."

"Will do, my dear. Now, I assume you know why I'm calling today?"

"Yes. The collection of the estate and access to my trust fund, right?"

"Precisely my dear. Now, your parents, may they rest in peace, detailed that all access to both of your trust-funds be given upon your eighteenth birthday, as well as a cache of documents regarding your adoption."

"Both funds? I thought it was only the one, Andromeda gave me access to hers as soon as she died."

"Oh no, there is another trust-fund established for you. Money has been transferred into it every birthday and Christmas for the past eighteen years. It was opened by one Mr. Elijah Mikaelson, and entrusted to your parents."

At his words, the girl grew quiet. She noticed that Damon had parked the car on the side of the road, and pulled his entire attention to her. He'd been concerned about her mental state before, but now he was equally as confused. This simply solidified their previous theory that Elijah had something to do with her adoption, but why would he be giving her money every year?

"Alright Mr. Benedict. I assume you have my current address to send me everything?"

"yes. All the papers and cards have been sent to your current residence in Mystic Falls, as well as my own present. The papers regarding your adoption are fully digitised, so I shall send them to you via email, then."

She nodded slowly, before realising that he couldn't see her and verbalising her answer with a hesitant, "okay, sir. Thank you."

"Of course, my dear. And Althea," his voice became softer, Moore sympathetic as he continued, "happy birthday. They would have been very proud of you."

Thanking him one last time, she hung up the phone, before staring at it with unseeing eyes. Her and was whirring with this new information, but she was snapped out of it when Damon's hand softly covered her own. Looking up at him, he smiled softly, "Before you jump to conclusions and theories, let's go through the documents he'll send you first. Then we'll have a better understanding of the situation."

Thea breather nervously, biting her lip, before she nodded, "But it's weird, right? Like, why would he be giving me money every year on my birthday and Christmas. I don't understand."

Her bonded nodded softly, reiterating, "We'll figure it out baby, I promise. But for now, we need to head to Elena's. Mocking her current situation is going to make you feel better I'm sure. Then, I've been ordered by witchy and blondie to take you to the grill, apparently they've got some surprise for you."

She groaned loudly, pouting at him like a puppy, "Can we skip that and head straight home? I promise I'll make it worth your while."

He laughed, starting the car again and shaking his head, "Can't seduce your way out of this one, Angel. Besides, you've drained me, anymore sex and I may just die."

She crossed her arms, pouting more intensely as she muttered, "You're immortal Ace, you can't die."

—

He was right, of course. Staring at Elena's pouting figure made her giggle slightly, and at the human's affronted stare, she raised her brows, "You cannot be surprised at your current predicament. Maybe locking you in your own house will keep you from making every wrong decision ever."

The human huffed in exasperation, "Do you think this is funny?"

Damon snorted in reply, rolling his eyes as he wrapped his arms around Thea from behind, pulling her back into his chest, "Yes Elena. I find hilarity in the lengths that I have to go to repeatedly save my bonded from your suicidal tendencies."

"What does Stefan say about this?"

"We had a good laugh."

She raised a single skeptical brow, before continuing, "And what did he say about Elijah still being alive?"

The blood-witch placed her hands over her bonded's lovingly, before replying, "Yeah, we didn't tell him about that."

"Why?"

Thea tilted her head incredulously, "Seriously, did someone drop you on your head as a baby, because one human cannot be this stupid." At the girl's glare, she sighed and elaborated, "Alright, let me spell it out for you slowly, so your brain has time to comprehend my English words. A: There isn't much he can do about it from his current location, and B: Stef isn't known for handling stress well, so he doesn't need this added on top of his worry over your life."

The sound of footsteps drew their attention to the doorway, as the youngest Gilbert walked into the living room and joined his sister on the couch. Looking at him, Damon questioned, "Where's Bonnie?"

The young boy shrugged his shoulders, "I thought she was meeting the both of you."

"No, she's on moonstone duty and I'm on Thea's birthday patrol."

"And who's on Tyler Lockwood and the full moon?"

"Blondie asked me if she could handle it, and I figured if I told her no, she'd complain to my bonded, and I'd have an angry Thea on my hands."

The mentioned blood-witch elbowed him softly, before shrugging with a smile, nodding at Jeremy in agreement, "I've spelled her with a barrier spell that should go into effect once the moon is out, it'll keep her away from him and his snapping jaw."

"Hold on a second. Tonight's the full moon?" Questioned the brunette in surprise.

The blood-witch nodded, as Damon's phone rang, answering, "yep, but you were too absorbed in your murder-suicide mission to notice."

She could fairly hear Rick's voice through Damon's phone, as he bonded said, "What?"

"What? Why?"

"What girl?"

"That's not good. Where are you?"

"We're on our way." He declared, before snapping his phone shut and turning to Jeremy, stating, "Change of plans, you babysit your sister."

Grabbing Thea's hand, he began pulling her out the door, but she couldn't resist throwing one final jab at the brunette before they left, saying snarkily, "Hey, you should go out you know. Enjoy the sunshine," before stopping and smirking wide, "oops, you can't."

Damon intercepted the pillow that got lobbed at her, raising a warning brow at the girl who lowered her gaze to her brother's head on her lap. Throwing it back towards them, he turned on his heels, and walked them out of the house, headed towards wherever Alaric was, and Thea guessed it was the grill.

—

They'd found Rick sitting at the bar, grading papers. The girl peeked over his shoulder, growing excited when se noticed her name at the top of the page, before asking him, "So? What did you think?"

The teacher put her essay down, before staring at her with unimpressed eyes. Thea whined out slowly, "What? What are you staring at me like that? I know I couldn't have scored lower than an A."

"Tee, you need to stop handing in college-level essays. I'm enjoying them too much and its affecting the other kids' grades." He retorted, pinching his nose slightly.

The blood-witch shrugged casually, taking a seat on the stool to his right as she said ,"it's not my fault the rest of them are idiots who wouldn't know the difference between the renaissance and the golden age if it smacked them in the face."

Her bonded's voice came from her right, as he slid an amber glass sin front of her, "My girl's a genius. Don't take it out on her if your class is filled with dumbasses."

Thanking him with a smile, she took a small sip of the liquid, finding it to be some decent scotch, and sighed in relief. It had been a while since she'd had some good scotch, or some scotch of any kind really. Seemed all they served in the Mystic Grill was bourbon and beer. Truly, a Virginian bar through and through.

It was only a couple pop minutes later that a mysterious woman made her way into the bar, and therefore, the two men's plan went into action. Thea rolled her eyes as she watched Rick play drunk, before whispering lowly to her minded, "She's gonna smell the wolfsbane, I guarantee it."

"Ah, but if she doesn't, that's enough confirmation that she's a werewolf, Angel." He replied.

"An angry werewolf on a full moon. I'm gonna need to place the same spell on you that I did Care, aren't I?"

Turning to her, he threw her a small wink, before mumbling, "Show-time." And heading in the mystery woman's direction.

Thea watched him from her seat, as he seemingly flirted with her. It irked her slightly, and she let him know of her frustration, before standing up and heading towards the bathroom. The full moon was quickly approaching, and she needed to spell her bonded if she wanted him to avoid getting bitten anytime soon.

Locking herself into a stall, she pulled her small blade out of her pocket and ran it over her wrist, needing a lot more blood to power the spell than a simple nick to her palm would do. Watching as the crimson drops flowed into the toilet, she closed her eyes and envisioned a crimson wall surrounding Damon once the full moon rose, one that would protect him from any and all harm headed his way, and would only dissipate once the moon did. Feeling the barrier solidify around him, she opened her eyes and watched as her skin stitched back together, before walking out of the stall and heading to the sink, washing her hands. As she raised her head, she found herself staring at Elijah's reflection.

Although surprised at his appearance, she ignored him for now, drying her hands, before she turned to face him and leaned her back against the sink, raising a questioning brow, "if that was supposed to scare me," she said in a casual tone, "I'm afraid to tell you that you've failed."

The man chuckled lightly, replied, "I did not intend to scare you little one. I know you are not so easily frightened."

"Then what do you want?"

He didn't reply, simply walking towards her and raising her wrist to his eyes, frowning slightly at the number of scars that marred her skin. "To have such power, but must endure such pain in order to access it. I'm sorry you have to go through this, little one. Truly. This was not the future I'd wished for you."

"Why did you give me money?" She whispered suddenly, eyes on his face.

A flicker of pain flashed across his own brown eyes, before it was hidden swiftly as he smiled. Leaning closer, he pressed a small kiss to her forehead as he said, "Read through your adoption documents Althea, you'll understand everything." Pulling away, he headed towards the exist, before turning back and saying with a soft smile, "Happy birthday, little one."

The girl remained frozen in place, blinking out of confusion, before Damon stepped into the small space in a worry, speeding to her, and grabbing her by the shoulders, asking urgently, "Are you okay Angel? Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head, before looking up at him, "I'm alright. But I really need to read through those documents. He told me to, told me that they'd give me answers."

He nodded at her softly, before pulling her into his arms and speeding them out of the grill and towards the boarding house.

The two stepped into the living room, Thea's laptop in her hands. There was no one else in the building, and as she opened up her email, Damon asked, "Do you want me—"

"Yes," she interrupted, looking up at him and repeating in a pleading tone, "Yes, please stay. I can't…I don't want to do this alone."

"Okay," he whispered slowly, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, watching the screen as it booted up.

The girl's eyes ran over the documents. It was all fairly procedural. Apparently her brith mother's name was Amelia Asteria Avery, and se had been born in New York City. Mercy Commons hospital, in soho.

It was all fairly procedural information, until she reached her adoption records. They detailed her parents' names, as well as the person who'd given up custody of her, her uncle, one Elijah Michaels Smith.

She felt her heart drop the instant she read the name, not comprehending the information. How could he be her uncle, he was a vampire. So was the rest of his family. Amelia had died during childbirth, so she had clearly been mortal, and that left one other option, but it was impossible.

She hadn't realised she'd begun shaking, until Damon's hand began rubbing her shoulder softly. "There's another attachment to the email Angel," he whispered softly, before continuing, "Do you want to open it, or is that enough for today?"

She gulped loudly, whispering in a shaking voice, "No, I need to open it. I don't understand Ace. I don't understand anything." She mumbled, and her shaking hands clicked on the final attachment, and a scanned letter appeared on her screen.

The writing was cursive, old-fashioned, and as her eyes scanned across it quickly, she felt in her gut that Elijah had written it. Breathing in deeply, she began reading;

Little one, it began.

I understand the abject confusion you must be feeling upon reading this letter, but I promise you, what is about to follow is nothing but the truth.

If you are indeed reading this letter, as opposed to hearing these words from me, then some unknown tragedy has struck your family, and for that I cannot apologise enough. I am sorry I could not protect you from heartbreak my dear. I am sorry it has been following you since your birth. I should know, for I was there.

You should know that I am currently watching you as I write these words. You are sleeping soundly, as all three months old ought to, but I cannot keep you with me any longer, without risking your safety. My world is one that is fraught with danger and enemies, enemies you will no doubt inherit once you understand your origins, and perhaps I should begin with that.

My name is Elijah Mikaelson, and I am your uncle.

Your mother, Amelia, had an affair with my brother Niklaus, and because vampires cannot procreate, when she fled for her life from the Pura-Sanguinis, we held no worries.

That all changed, however, when she contacted me privately nine months ago, informing that she was with child, and that the father happened to miraculously be my own brother. I did not believe her, for nature would have never allowed such a thing to occur, but she cast a bloodline spell, using my own blood and yours, and it proved, beyond any doubt, that you were my family.

I have taken care of your mother until her last heartbeat, have promised to care for you as though you were my own, and right now, it feels as though you are. You've truly wormed your way into the heart I once thought dead, and nothing pains me as much as the prospect of never seeing you again.

My brother remains ignorant of your existence, and until you are ready, we shall keep it that way. Though he may seem monstrous, he would never reject you, and the gift you are.

These past three months have been the most treasured times of my long life. I have been alive for a millennia, and yet, nothing has brought me more joy than watching you walking for the first time, or even speak, (note: I believe you may be the most gifted babe I've encountered, for apparently speaking your first word at the tender age of two months is highly unusual.)

For now, I must entrust your safety and love to two of may most trusted allies and friends. I believe they will offer you the safety and stability I cannot, and ensure that you grow to be the bright light I know you will.

I love you, my littlest one, and hopefully, we shall meet again when circumstances allow it, for now, this is goodbye.

Always and forever,

Your Unca ja.

Silence and disbelief. Those were the only two words that could describe the current atmosphere of the boarding house's living room. Thea was truly in a state of abject disbelief. It wasn't possible. Vampires couldn't procreate, that was a known fact. For the love of christ, their sperm was dead!

Soft hands shut her screen, before she was pulled into Damon's lap. He held her tightly, as he exhaled a small breath, "I guess that would explain the protectiveness and caring attitude he had towards you."

"Unca Ja," she mumbled slowly, "I had a brown eyed teddy bear when I was young. That was his name, Never really understood why I called him that, just that when my mom asked me, I told her that he reminded me of Unca Ja, this strange person I could remember, but couldn't at the same time."

"So you think he's telling the truth?"

Breathing slowly, she nodded her head, "As strange as it is, yeah, I do. He's really familiar to me, Ace. And I told you, something feels right about him, like he's important to me, and I'll love and respect him later on in my life."

Raising her eyes at him, she murmured, "God, just when I thought I couldn't get any weirder, apparently the guy who wants to sacrifice me is my biological father. I'm half vampire-half witch." A crazed giggled left her lips, before it turned into soft sobs. It was too much, the sacrifice, Elena's betrayal, the video from her mother, the chaos magic, her true origins. All of it was too much.

It was finally too much for her to bare.

—

He'd held her in his arms until her sobs has quieted down, until she was no longer shaking and her breathing had gone back to normal. Damon hadn't tried speaking, he's simply held her in his arms, ran his hands through her hair, and sent her floods of love and reassurance through their bond, reminding her that her was there, that he loved her, and that nothing would ever draw him away.

Raising her head slightly, she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, and pressed a soft kiss to the skin there, murmuring a soft, "thank you,".

His tightened his hold on her, replying in a soft tone, "just doing my job baby."

Hooking his finger under her chin, he raised her head slowly, before lovingly wiping the remaining wetness from her cheeks. Cupping them in his hands, he leaned his forehead against hers, whispering, "Whoever you are, whatever your origins may be, it doesn't change a thing. I love you, and you'll always have me, whether you're a blood-witch, the chaos-wielder or the universe's first half-witch-half-vampire. You're my blood-bonded, the love of my life, and that's the only thing that will ever matter to me."

"It's too much Damon," she whispered slowly, feeling a new round of tears filling her eyes, "I don't know how many more surprises I can take, how much more I can handle. It's too much. I feel like I'm falling apart, but I have to keep going because every other day there's something new happening, and I can't afford to lose it, or people get hurt. But I'm so tired." She shook her head slowly, feeling her tears fall onto her cheeks, before she inhaled sharply and roughly began rubbing them away, "God, I hate crying," she exclaimed, pressing onto her eyes, as though the force of her hands alone could stop more tears from escaping.

"Then fall," he said, grabbing her hands, pulling them away from her face. Once he was sure he held her gaze, he repeated himself more firmly, "Fall apart, and know that I'll catch you, and put you back together. No one expects you to keep it in forever Thea. You've gone through more than any us lately, you're allowed to fall apart, and you're allowed to cry and scream and break things."

"I hate it," she whispered, "it makes me feel weak."

"I know, but you're not. And if you are, then I'm strong enough for the both of us. Fall apart if you need to love, I won't let you break."

She nodded slowly, pressing a soft kiss onto his lips, before pulling away and chuckling wetly, "I'll be alright. I'll be okay, it was just too overwhelming for a moment."

"I know," he nodded, a soft smile making its way to his lips, "You're the strongest person I know, but even strong people get to fall apart every once in a while. It makes you human, baby."

Pulling her closer, he pressed a kiss to her lips, soft and loving, allowing all of his love to flow between them, and she closed her eyes, taking it all in, and giving him all of hers back.

It was around an hour later, when Rose made her entrance into the house. They'd been in the same position as before, with the blood-witch huddled into Damon's lap, head tucked tightly into his neck, one of his arms caressing the skin of her back beneath her shirt, the other softly running through her hair.

Without stopping his ministrations, he said, "You just can't stay away, can you?"

The woman shrugged, replying, "You don't answer your phone."

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologise."

"Just admit it, you don't have anywhere else to go."

The woman sighed, before retorting, "I'm sorry about Elena. I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't know that she had a death wish, and I certainly didn't know she would drag Thea into it as well. But I called you, I tried to make it right, okay? I'm sorry, Damon. And I have nowhere else to go."

Damon didn't budge, anger still thrumming through him wildly as he stated, "There's nothing here for you, Rose." Thea slipped her hand under his shirt, rubbing her fingers soothingly over his abdomen, trying to send him her own reassurance and love, to calm him down before he blew up at the woman. Neither of them were big fans of Rose, but her latest stunt had definitely placed her in their 'strongly dislike and might kill on sight' lists.

The woman began speaking, but the sound of something hurtling through the glass window interrupted her. The couple jumped into action quickly, heading towards the broken window to investigate, when a large grey wolf came running towards them, snarling dangerously.

The blood-which threw herself in front of her bonded, holding her hands out, red smoke flowing between her fingers dangerously. She knew that a bite would only be painful for her, but she would heal. It would however, be deadly to her counterpart, and she would not risk him for anything.

However, as the wolf came running towards them, it bounced off a red boundary and was thrown at Rose, biting her on the shoulder before escaping quickly.

Thea turned to her urgently, asking, "How bad is it?"

The woman winced painfully, muttering, "it hurts," as she pulled her shirt down, revealing her bitten shoulder. However, the wound began healing right before their eyes, and the blue-eyed vampire informed her in confusion, "it's healing."

Rose glanced down at her shoulder, before she began sobbing softly, "Oh my God, I thought a werewolf bite was fatal! I thought…"

Feeling a strange sort of pity fill her for the woman, Thea embraced her in a small hug, murmuring "You're gonna be okay," as the vampire hung on to her tightly, wrapping her own arms around her in gratitude.

—

She'd just showered, and was currently staring at her own reflection in the mirror, trying to see if she could spot any differences, notice anything that would link her to Elijah in any way.

She had definitely calmed down, but her world still felt highly unstable, as though something significant had shifted on its axis. It was too large, and too overwhelming, but there was no where for her to escape. Closing her eyes, she took a shaky breath, before a hard chest was pressed against her back, and a soft brush began running through her hair.

"You okay baby?" He asked softly.

Thea opened her eyes, chuckling lightly, "I feel like that's the fiftieth time you've asked me that question over the past week. But yeah, just a little overwhelmed still."

"Understandable," he nodded, before smiling lightly, "Looks like your wolf boundary spell worked, though seems like it was for nothing, since the bite healed and all."

"I still think that's strange. All the legends said that a werewolf's bite was lethal to vampires."

"Maybe they were wrong. You know what legends are like, its a historical game of telephone."

She chuckled in response, closing her eyes in bliss at him brushing her hair. "It's gotten longer," he whispered, running his fingers through the wet locks softly.

"Yes, well, hair does have a tendency to that." She joked, giggling when she felt a soft pull on it in response.

"Blondie said Tyler was in the Lockwood cellar all night, so it wasn't him." He stated suddenly, sobering up.

"Then it must have been Jules. And now she's landed herself on my shit-list by trying to attack you, which means that I'm gonna have to kill her."

Placing a soft kiss on her bare shoulder, he began running his hand sensually over her skin, collecting the water drops still clinging to it on his way, as he mumbled, "Rose said she'd stick around. Help us out with the whole Klaus thing."

Closing her eyes as she felt his fingers gliding up her thigh, disappearing under her towel, she leaned her head back against him, breathing out a soft, "Yeah?"

"Uh huh." His finger had reached the junction of her thighs, running through the folds teasingly, as he continued, "She's completely healed, and feels like she owes us for putting the moves on me so aggressively, and helping Katherine's lookalike out."

"Of course," she mumbled in response, her entire being focused on his fingers, and the wicked, wicked things they were doing to her.

"Are you listening to me Angel?" He questioned.

"I believe you," she murmured, eyes closing in bliss, as she felt a long finger tracing over her nub.

A loud screech of pain brought them out of their moment though, and snapping her eyes open, she found Damon pulling a robe over her shoulders, before pulling her towards the source of the noise, Rose's room.

Entering quickly, the found the woman staring at her own back in the mirror, and where the bite had previously healed, now laid an open and infected-looking wound.

The three made eye-contact, as Thea closed her eyes tightly.

Guess werewolf bites don't heal after all.