Chapter:3
If there could be one thing Elena would name this day, it would be a day spent in Hell, because it was it. She was relieved from the fact that Jeremy was alive, when she had first seen him, covered in blood and bruises-the first thing that came into her mind was that he was dead, there was no way in hell he could be alive with that much bruises on his body, but someone had said between all that wailing and rushing that 'he's breathing'
He was taken to the hospital immediately, Elena didn't know how the last two days had went by, because she didn't eat or sleep-her eyes were wide open and images of Jeremy's body kept flashing in her head, her baby brother who never meant harm to those Salvatores, her teeth would grit at the thought that they were alive and living their best life while causing Jeremy so much torment.
"Elena." Caroline chanted slowly by her side and Elena hadn't even known she was here, in the hospital with Elena till she touched her arm. "Hmm?"
"Jeremy's okay now." she said in a hopeful voice thinking it would give Elena some reassurance that things were going to be fine. They were both outside the hospital, on a bench. Elena sighed, "He almost died Care."
"But he's okay. He'll be okay, things will go back to the way they were." She brushed the side of Elena's face with her hand and smiled, Elena turned to her and nodded, "Yeah they will- we will all go back to being soundless , soulless people who have no self respect whatsoever-who are undeclared slaves."
"Elena you know it's not that way right?" Caroline huffed, "We don't have to live here forever, I always wanted to move with my Dad- to get out of this town, one day we will get out of here."
She shook her head, cold tears ran down her eyes, rolling down her red cheeks, she wiped them with the back of her hand getting up, "I am not getting out of here, I am not going to let Jeremy down, I owe him that much."
"Where are you going?" the blonde stood up worried.
"Relax Care I just am going to see Jeremy." She slowly walked back to the hospital.
When she entered Jeremy's room, she saw her mother stuck by his side, holding his hand. Elena took silent steps to the bed and looked at her brother's bruised face, black and blues all over his skin, scars that were fading but Elena still hissed looking at them. "Jer." She almost whispered. Her mother got up, "I am gonna make a call to your father, can you stay here."
She nodded, ever since Jeremy came back, her parents were giving her the 'silent treatment' after finding out she went to their mansion. She was not looking forward to talking to them as well as their cowardice irritated her.
"Jer."she said a little louder, Jeremy was awake a few hours ago and her mother gave him some fruits, he ate very silently.
"Jer," she said a third time, sitting on the chair by the bed and holding his hand. "Emm." He groaned, opening both his eyes slightly, "I am fine." He sounded tired.
"It's me, Elena." she reached up to cup the side of his face, "You had me so scared there." She bent slightly and dropped a kiss on his bandaged forehead, "Elena." he said after a second.
"Jer- I know what happened, I am not going to let this go." She said in a reassuring voice, he nodded, "It was so dark there- it feels like I am seeing you after a whole life time."
"What did they do to you?" tears started to pool in her eyes seeing how scared Jeremy was, seeing how his eyes were empty of happiness and life.
"I don't know Elena, it was dark- pitch black for many hours and then they came, that's when I first saw after so many hours." He swallowed thick, "it was some sort of warehouse- then he showed up- telling me how disrespectful you had been to them- he ordered the other men to prepare and pack me for home and then they just beat me up, it lasted for an hour but it just-" he started panting, "I felt like I was going to die."
"No- no don't say that." She cupped his face, wiping the tears rolling down his eyes, "He- Giuseppe's son, the eldest Salvatore."
"Damon." She stated.
He nodded.
"Jeremy I will take revenge for this, even if it gets me killed in the process Jeremy, your sister is not going to let those monsters breathe , do you hear me?" she said looking into his eyes, "No one is taking a revenge." A voice emerged at the back of the room, Elena looked back to see her mother standing at the threshold, she walked in, "Don't you see what they did to Jer."
"Because you guys let them!" she exclaimed , "You guys let those bastards walk over us, you were suppose to protect us."
"We were protecting you." Her mother seethed, "No." said harshly, "You were hiding us, if you want to live in the same town as those brutes , by all means- but I refuse to follow suit."
"Right, you want to get us killed right, Jeremy being like this isn't enough for you?" Miranda questioned. Elena pursed her lips at her mother's statement, she shook her head, "This is not right and you know it, you know you're being a coward, you know that what I did isn't wrong and you sure as hell know Jeremy doesn't deserve this."
"Let Jer decide if he wants revenge or not." Miranda looked over her son. Elena pressed Jeremy's hand, "You don't need to be scared Jeremy, if you let this scare you, you'll never be able to overcome any problem in your life anymore, bastards like Salvatore are on every corner of the street, you cant give up."
"I cant live this way Mom." Jeremy swallowed thick, "I cant live in the same town as the Salvatore family, I cant pretend they didn't try to kill me."
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…
"What are you doing up here?" Stefan's voice broke the silence on the rooftop, Damon looked back from the sky towards the staircase from where Stefan was coming, "Nothing I needed a bit quiet."
"Is it your way of telling me to fuck off?" Stefan chuckled, Damon shook his head, "No I can easily tell you to fuck off whenever I feel like it."
Stefan sat by his side, "So why are you all alone up here."
"I am not alone- I am thinking okay." He chuckled, "You make me sound like some rejected in love creep."
"Are you?"
Damon rolled his eyes, "I am a little surprised you can even look me in the eye after getting hit by a girl."
"R-right." Stefan huffed, "I don't care about that anymore." He looked up at the sky, "Ever since I came back, you seem different."
"Me?" Damon asked. Stefan nodded, "Yeah you look upset."
"Well I am not a bit upset." Damon got up from the ground, "I was busy but if you want we can drive out of town to-"
"Party?" Stefan asked getting up. "Yeah whatever, i was going to say get some booze- Enzo can tag along, he's been on work mode too much."
"Yeah you both look like zombies." He said following him downstairs. "It just means we're being influenced by Giuseppe Salvatore which is an absolute no-no." Damon grinned getting his keys. Stefan texted Enzo as they approached the outside of the house.
"Where are you both going?" Giuseppe's loud voice boomed in the doorway, Stefan huffed turning to him, "What? Don't tell me we have a curfew."
"Stefan go to your room." Giuseppe ordered, "Damon , you look so calm in this crazy situation, it occurs to me you haven't seen the news."
"Why , what's wrong?"
"The Gilberts, that's what-"
"Not here." Damon gestured towards Stefan, "Go get Enzo , I'll talk to father."
"He cant go out." His father repeated.
"Trust me there is no issue." Damon said in a assuring voice following his father to his office. Stefan stood there dumbfounded- then went to get Enzo.
Damon closed the door to the office behind him and stood with his arms across his chest, "I've told you a million times to not discuss this in front of Stefan."
"Damon, do you know what that little bitch is doing?"
"Who?" he frowned. "That girl that showed up here is riling up people against us, she says she will hold a procession tomorrow for us to evacuate us from this town."
"Is that all?" he looked unbothered, "Trust me father, she wont be able to gather people for her little party and even if she does, they cant harm us, you have my word."
"I want you to make sure she shuts up, if there is one thing that can cause a problem it is people standing together and protesting against our power."
"I understand, you have nothing to worry about, I'll have it handled." He nodded and left the room.
…
…
"Come on Jer." The brunette whined as she served him soup, "You're going to starve yourself." She said forcing the spoonful into his mouth, he scrunched up his face, "Elena please!"
"What? You can't stay frozen Jer, we have to be strong." She said in a soft tone, "I know it's hard to get over it."
"I cant get over it Elena." he stated, "Whenever I close my eyes I feel like my wrists are tied like they were- like I am in that warehouse."
"But you're home with us now Jer."she smiled, he shook his head, "I am home but I am far from safe Elena. I don't feel safe anymore."
"I understand." She sighed, "And I promise it wont last forever."
The door got slightly knocked at, Elena turned half way and saw her father come in, "Elena you need to apologize."
"To whom?"
"To Giuseppe Salvatore for whatever you said." He said a bit harshly, "Why did you have to go there anyway, didn't I tell you not to."
"Dad I am not going to apologize." She spat, "He is wrong for doing this to us and you are wrong for putting up with this, look at Jeremy! They almost killed him and they might hurt him again because they just have the cards to blackmail you."
"Jeremy needs to move on , we all need to move on Elena, to live a happy life , we have to stay away from them and whatever doom they bring along with themselves." He tried to touch her shoulders but she moved back, "That's not a happy life."
"Elena you will apologize and you will stop this petition or whatever that you are doing." He said in a loud voice, Elena shook from the high voice but swallowed thick, "I won't, I wont let this go and be a coward, I cant ignore this." She put the bowl of soup on the table rushing out of the room.
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…
Stefan was hungover from partying all night almost- he showed up to school in late hours, the few people standing in the hallway were giving him weird looks, he shrugged picking up a trigonometry book from his locker and went to class, he bumped into Tyler and he pulled back, "Stefan, hey we wanted to talk about something."
"What?"
"Find me after school." He said when the bell rung. Stefan went to his seat, he could clearly feel something was up, something was going on and he knew like everyone that his family was not completely right, he knew that Damon and his father were involved in shady business but as long as they kept him out he was fine about it, why should he even be against his own family. After the last class, he was all set to go home, he didn't feel like taking Tyler's moral rant and went on to his car when he felt like something hard hit him, all consciousness left him that instant and he found himself approaching the ground.
Maybe a life time later, he felt like someone was talking way too loud , his head pounded with pain, he was groaning from the sting at the top of his head, "He's getting up."
When he tried to move, he felt his arms and legs tied up so close to the thing he was sitting on that it might take every thing in him to move a muscle.
"Where am I?" he asked in a hurt voice. He felt a finger propping up his face, he could see with a blurry vision. "Caroline?" he coughed. Now focusing he could clearly see what was going on, he was tied up and Caroline, Matt and Tyler were watching over him. The room was cold and red lights were lighting up the other wise windowless , lightless room.
"What's going on?" he tried to move but he couldn't from the restraints. "Why did you guys- what the fuck is this place?"
"Stefan just calm down." Caroline squealed suddenly, the door to the room opened and Stefan saw Elena coming in, her hair straight down, wearing a red shirt with some skinny jeans, "Care! What is all this?"
Stefan could hear the wide crowd behind the door Elena closed, he swallowed thick, Elena shook her head, "This is not how we do this? Tyler, whose idea was this?"
Tyler got ahead and held her back when she was approaching to free Stefan from his restraints , "We were going to ask him for help but he wasn't interested Elena, this is the only way we make them agree."
"No it isn't." she said loudly and pushed Tyler pointing at Stefan, "This is the exact opposite of what we should be doing- you guys freaking kidnapped him."
"Yes this is not right." Stefan growled, "You have no idea how dead you all are."
"Shut up." Tyler turned to him then Elena, "This will let them know-"
Caroline sat against the deep freezer on the side, "I already called."
"They will kill us all in cold blood." She spat.
"Damn right they will." Stefan agreed with Elena, then looked at Caroline, "My Father will squish you all like bugs."
"Just let him go." Elena huffed.
"Elena we gathered all these people outside- everyone is here, nothing will go wrong." Matt said with confidence in his statement, "Besides who'll ever check the back of the grill."
Stefan looked around the storage room of the restaurant trying to look for some way out but all he could see was freezers and huge boxes, some opened some not.
"I don't want this." She shook her head , "The people demanding an out from all this bullshit is fine, but kidnapping Stefan is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing, it's wrong- it's what they did to Jeremy."
"They did far worse than that." Matt seethed , "Jer is even scared to look out the window, they beat him to pulp- that too for no reason."
"So your point is that I torment someone the same way my brother has been, that's not revenge-at least not what I had in mind." She pushed Tyler aside to go towards the chair Stefan was tied to.
The door opened again, this time Bonnie rushed inside, "Care! Ty! They are calling."
They all exchanged looks , Tyler grabbed the phone from Bonnie, "Hello."
"Where is Stefan?" They heard a grim voice that ran chill down everyone's spine.
"He's here." Tyler said clutching the phone tightly in his sweaty hand- he signaled Caroline and she nodded tearing off some tape and put it against Stefan's mouth, he moved around but couldn't protest much with his bounded situation.
"You are making a mistake if you think you have me weak and agreeable on whatever." He said in a tough voice continuing, "I am Giuseppe Salvatore God damn it, I ran this town through out my life, I will not lose it to some teenagers. This wont affect me – but this will affect you, if you know your good you'll clear the grill in the next half hour."
"How about you try to move us." Tyler turned to face Stefan, "If you know what's good for you- you'll apologize to Jeremy Gilbert, you'll return the Gilbert's their property, you'll want to move out of town maybe."
"That's not happening, Let my son go and clear this crowd up and I wont take action against you." He warned.
"Sure right after you negotiate with us Mr. Salvatore." Tyler huffed when he heard the bell on the other side, he had hung up. "See your dad doesn't care about you Stefan."
"Damn it Ty, we cant do this." Elena protested. "Yes we can and we will, you think going door to door , begging people to help stand with us is going to help, no way in hell Elena, stay here- Care , Bon we need to go see if the forces stay back or not, no one should know Stefan is back here."
They all rushed leaving Stefan, Matt and Elena in the storage room. Elena shook her head and turned to Stefan, taking off the tape from his mouth, Matt ran across the room holding Elena's arm, "What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?"
"Matt I don't want to fight them this way, we are not criminals, we are people." She reasoned but he shook his head, "But we all did this Elena, one of us stepping back can mean the end for all of us. Just do me a favor and don't let your morals in the way of getting the power that was taken from the people a centuary ago."
"Matt, I cant believe you are saying this, you and Bonnie are so against violence, how can you support this?"
"Because of Jeremy, because of how he was half dead Elena and for what reason? Nothing- he didn't deserve it." Matt shouted.
"And Stefan doesn't deserve this either Matt, he doesn't deserve being locked up, he did nothing." She fought back trying to get out of his iron grip. "This is not the right way Matt."
"Elena-"
They got interrupted when Bonnie opened the door partially, "Matt Sheriff and the cops are all here- lock this door and get Elena out." She closed the door. Matt turned to Elena , dragging her, "Lets go."
"I will but only because I will tell sheriff that Stefan is locked inside."
"Elena are you serious?" He asked frowning. "Do I look like I am kidding?" she seethed.
"Fine- then you don't get to go either." His eyes darkened as he pulled her back to the other side of the storage, ripped a rope from a box , shoving her to the corner and tied her wrists to a pipe, she glared at him, "Matt stop it."
"Elena I cant let you spill this- we will all get convicted for kidnapping, the sheriff doesn't know that Stefan is kidnapped, the Salvatores haven't reported yet, they don't know the students by name Elena."
"Matt untie me right now." she shouted.
He pat her face, "Look you need a time out, soon you'll realize , it's the only way." She groaned as he left her there going outside and locking the door behind himself. She started pulling at the restraints harshly, while shouting, Stefan was looking at her struggle from a far- some what guilty for her situation, he judged her wrongly, his father and his brother were hurting people. People as innocent as her. Caroline, Bonnie , Tyler and Matt were just frustrated people, did his father really pushed them to that extend? He was ashamed of himself for no reason. He didn't hate his family, he could never hate it, his father and his brother was all he had right now.
…..
…..
"The whole town's kids are up there holding slogans, getting mad over that sixteen year old kid." Enzo ranted as he drove speaking to Damon on the phone, "I don't know how this is occurring so much , it was never a problem before"
"It's all because of that one girl." Damon seethed on the other end, finding his keys in his room to get to the grill, "I told that good for nothing Sheriff that there should be no such procession-yet there is."
"Not like they booked it, the grill is at all times filled with occasionally enthusiastic brats." Enzo huffed, "Look you find Stefan okay, I'll handle the Grill situation."
"What do you think I've been doing? Stefan's car is parked in school, some random chick called father saying they have him." Damon spoke into the phone finally seeing his keys on the table alongside a lamp, he picked them up, "I am coming there , just clear the damn crowd."
"That's not possible for now, it's filled with teens." Enzo said in an annoyed voice, "I don't know Enzo- do what you do best, I don't have to say it, when you spot that girl coming out of there, grab her, get her, I don't care what happens, I want her with you when I get there , she knows where the hell Stefan might be so."
"I get it."
"Good." He hung up heading outside.
…
…
Enzo and Sam reached the grill, Enzo stopped the car a little far from the Sheriff's car, "The cops are still here- probably negotiating with those brats, now you go from the back, this place should go up in flames so it's evacuated from people, I'll stand in the front and get that bitch." He handed him a bag with kerosene bottles and a square silver lighter, "Go ahead."
"How do you know the girl is here?"
"The girl is here." Enzo nodded with confidence gesturing for him to go out.
Enzo got out of the car and slowly made his way to the general public watching the cops talk to the teens for negotiation. In about ten minutes he could himself hear the fire at the back of the building. Soon enough a cry broke "Fire! Fire!" and hell broke loose , this was concentration time, everyone was running , the cops were now helping people escape , Enzo's eyes were on every person running away from the havoc, no sign of the brunette girl he had seen the other day.
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…..
She huffed when she was tired from pulling at her restraints , they were loose to a point but she couldn't get herself free, a pair of green eyes was on her which bothered her every two minutes , she glared at him, "Just because I don't support this, doesn't mean I am okay with you- because I am not, your family is nauseating."
He blinked once and Elena could see some remorse in the way he looked down at the ground, she sat back against the wall, "I really thought you were a nice guy when I first met you. I even liked you when I first met you, but you don't know what I saw back home, it hurts when someone hurts the people you love."
He nodded, she pursed her lips, "I judged you on the bases of your family, chances are you're not like your father or your brother, but you still stand by them , don't you?" he nodded slightly to which she sighed, "That's what I thought."
She leaned back resting her head against the wall, when a certain smell got her attention , she sat up straight looking here and there, "You smell that, it smells like-" the exact moment a shelf from the side fell horizontally in front of her getting a shriek out of her, at the back of it, flames, which had burned the lower portion of the shelf and like poison, seeped into the storage, everything soon started catching fire- she looked over at Stefan , who was looking around with wide eyes, "Oh my God , NO! HELP ! SOMEONE HELP US! WE'RE STUCK, SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
….
….
Damon got out of the car rushing towards Enzo, "Where is she?"
Enzo scratched his head looking at the half in flames Grill, "No idea- she's not here." Damon clutched his fist, "That bitch!"
"Relax Damon, we can still go over to the Gilberts, her brother is still a card we can play."
Damon grabbed Enzo's arm, turning him to face him, "She's smart not to be here, she has her brother protected you airhead."
Enzo shook his head, "Maybe she is here."
"Why?" Damon said annoyed. Enzo gestured at the back, a blond haired boy talking to the sheriff, "You don't understand she's in there."
"We evacuated every last one in there." Liz Forbes said ignoring the boy dialing a number on her phone, "No-no sheriff she's in-"
Enzo walked over to the boy held his elbow dragging him from the sheriff, who already had him ignored because she was calling the fire brigades, "He came with the Gilbert girl the other day."
Damon grabbed him by the collar, seething, "Where is my frickin brother? Where is he?"
Matt shook from the cold icy eyes of the man in front of him, he swallowed thick, "He's with Elena."
"And where is she?" Enzo asked doing the math in his head as well.
Damon looked at Enzo then the boy.
"The storage in the grill." Matt choked on his words. Damon shook his head, "You better pray he's alright or you're fucking dead." He pushed the boy to aside, running towards the place in flames, followed by Enzo. When one of the cops tried to stop him , he ripped his from his arm, "My brother is inside and I need to get him." He pushed the man and since everyone knew it was better dead then argue with a ruling family member , they stayed away. The whole place was hell, everything was falling down , orange , red flames everywhere. Enzo broke the back door of the kitchen which was previously jammed and when they entered the storage , Damon could see his brother on the ground, bound to a chair, looking like he struggled with his restraints, if anything that broke his heart was seeing his little brother in pain or hurting. He rushed to him, picking him up, tearing off his hot restraints and tapped his face, "Stef! Stef look at me!"
Stefan coughed into his chest – "Help someone help."
"Yeah I am here, we'll get you out, Enzo!" he called for him and passed his brother to support his other shoulder, Stefan coughed, "Help us, she-" he coughed, "Damon help her." He was able to form a sentence pointing in the other corner of the room, Damon could see a girl surrounded by flames, the sleeve of her shirt on fire. "Take him." Damon passed him to Enzo as he went closer to the other corner checking on the girl and he was damn sure who it was as he slapped the flame away from the sleeve and unhooked her hands from her burned restraints , he pulled her to the center , pushing away the hair from her face, if she was with the people who kidnapped Stefan, why was she tied up? That's the only reason he could give himself as he picked her up the ground , and rushed out of the back door that was broken and burned to ashes, he dropped her body on the ground and didn't give a second look before starting to walk away, she started coughing loudly which got his attention and he turned back to see her fisting her hands , her half burnt jeans exposed her curled up legs, "Water! Give me- someone , water please." She pleaded with closed eyes.
He looked around hoping someone would come and pick her up as well, but as it was the back of the place, it was half dark, no one was showing up, he pursed his lips walking back to the discarded body and slipped his arms underneath her picking her up, she clutched her hands in his shirt coughing and asking for water. When he got to his car , he put her in the front seat and checked outside, Enzo's car was gone, he probably rushed Stefan to the hospital. He reached for the bottle in the backseat and opened it up , he sprinkled a few drops on her face , before making her drink water slowly. She pulled away after some moments , resting against the car seat, "Thank you."
Now what? he looked around to see almost everyone running and doing something to put the fire down, after a while of silence he asked in the lowest voice possible, "Are you okay?"
She didn't respond for a while which got him a little tensed , but she moved a little, he slowly held her chin up , turning on the light of the car looking for injuries, "I am- I hurt here." She held up her burnt hand , the sleeve completely burned and her hand did look very bruised and injured, "Please take me home, please." She pleaded. He held up her hand , looking at how bad it looked right now, then towards her face, he could drop her in the hospital and when she gets better , she could get home by herself. He thought. He got into the car and started it, driving in the direction of the hospital, every now and then his eyes would fall on her, beautiful was an understatement. Long lashed eyes, clear olive skin, the reddest lips he had ever seen, probably due to the pervious fire situation, her lower lip plump and inviting, her hair long and down on both shoulders , a little messed up, every single detail of her body, from her long slender legs to her sharp curves, everything was- he shook his head realizing what he was doing, this wretched girl almost cost him his brother, he shouldn't be 'kind' enough to take her to the hospital, he applied brakes to the car at the thought, and instantly she landed on his side as he had forgot to put a seatbelt around her, her forehead bumped against his shoulder and she moaned in pain, "My body aches so much-, Please help me." she pleaded. He put her back in her seat and put the seat belt around her , her face was suddenly so close to his , that he felt her skin brush up against his, he moved back and started the car again and drove almost mindlessly to the hospital, the sooner this girl leaves the better, she was way too attractive to be around and still be repulsed from.
He took her to the emergency room and called a nurse, "I found her outside the grill , she needs immediate help."
"Do you know any relatives we can call sir?" they asked after a few basic questions, he shook his head, "I don't know- I'll get going." He could feel this wasn't the last time he'd be seeing her, he thought giving her one final look and going outside.
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SO that's it. My writer's block is huge and this was what I could manage to write through it, I don't know I just feel a little down, but I am trying.
What do you guys want? A slow burn because I want the full hate-hate thing going on before we start the romantic ish (That is if I feel like it lol) and yes you can hate someone and be attracted to them right? I mean it happened to me, you don't like someone but you're like, God that's a snack.
I appreciate all the reviews, actually I love the reviews. As always amazing Aisha ( I started reading her stories and the way to a woman's heart is my fav for now- I hope I got the name right) check it out, guys.
Jennagilbert(number) your review always motivate me to write more, thankyou May for the shout out , guys check out her story (In love with the enemy 1 and 2) and fatal attraction, that is my kind of inspo for night and day. Scarlett2112 I absolutely adore her stories and I've read like 3 since I am in law school and sooooo busy but I do read it whenever I am on the road, at night or just when I wanna chillax so thank you everyone, love ya'll
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