I'll more than likely be taking November off... I might post a few chapters here since I'm already ahead in this story but I plan on taking part in NaNoWriMo again. sooo yeah :D
readers still out there? some love?
Disclaimer: See prologue. some dialogue is taken right from the episodes, cuz it's hard not to ya know?
click on my profile, go check out my original fiction. so cheap and would love feedback PLEASE? 25% sample is free...
thanks
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I make believe
That you are here,
It's the only way
I see clear.
What have I done?
You seem to move uneasy.
And everytime I try to fly
I fall, without my wings
I feel so small
I guess I need you baby.
And everytime I see you in my dreams
I see your face, you're haunting me
I guess I need you baby.
"Hey hunny, want to head to the square for that… illumination thingy or whatever?" Darren called through the door.
Kenzie laughed as she opened the door. "Let me guess, Mrs. Lockwood called and demanded your presence."
"Sounds about right." He replied. "So how about keeping your old Dad company?"
"Well, Caroline called me and demanded my presence already so I'm just going to finish getting ready. I'll meet you there okay?"
"Fine." He grumbled. "I'll go deal with the founding families by myself."
Another laugh from the little redhead. "You'll be fine. Go flirt with the single moms."
Kenzie waited for her dad to leave before going back to her mirror to finish getting ready. She paused in front of her mirror, waiting for anything weird to happen and when it didn't, she went back to her makeup. Sure enough, as she went to reach for her mascara, it rolled towards her. Normally, Kenzie would have thought nothing of it but ever since the night before, weird things had been happening. She swore she could hear Mads calling her at times, hear her giggling. Items were moving on their own and she was getting more than a little wigged out. She had to be losing it, it was the only solution to all this.
Still, she took the mascara and applied it before standing up and running her hands through her straightened hair, making sure she looked perfect in her green pleated skirt and black top before grabbing a sweater to go out. She turned towards her door, only to have it slam shut on her.
"This isn't funny." Kenzie snapped. "If this is Bonnie doing some little witchy thing, I'm gonna be pissed."
Nothing more happened and Kenzie left her house, pulling out her phone to call Caroline.
"Hey, I'm out of the house, just like you asked, where do you want me to meet you?"
"Hey Kenzie, something came up with Bonnie. I just need to do something with her and we'll meet you at the Grill, okay?"
"What kind of something?" Kenzie asked. "Witchy something? Because something weird is-"
"I really gotta go, sorry, talk to you later Kenz." Caroline hung up and Kenzie pouted, contemplating going home before deciding to head to the Grill for a shake. She hadn't had one since she returned and she wanted to make sure those amazing shakes were still amazing to her with her new "diet" and all.
When she entered, she walked up to the bar to order one, smiling at Ric when she got there. "Hey Ric, what's new? How did last night go?"
"No one told you?" He asked in disbelief.
She shook her head. "Didn't stick around for the finale."
"It was a flop. We got him in the car, then my car blew up when a ghost decided to try and kill Elena."
Kenzie shook her head, wondering if she heard correctly. "Did you say ghost? Who?"
"Vicki. Matt's sister. She died before you came into town."
The redhead chewed her lip, pondering if this Vicki thing and her ghostly happenings were related.
"We've got trouble." Damon announced, taking a seat beside Ric.
"No, you've got trouble." Ric shot back. "See, we're not a team,you tried to kill me. All right? We're not friends. I don't like you anymore."
"Ohhh, trouble in paradise?" Kenzie asked with a smirk.
"Remember back when you liked me and we conspired to kill Uncle werewolf Mason Lockwood?" Damon asked, ignoring the redhead.
"Yeah, and?"
"I think he's still a little pissed."
"Wait, another ghost?" Kenzie asked with a frown. "Is everyone having ghost issues?"
"Are you?" Damon asked.
Kenzie shrugged, looking down at the milkshake placed in front of her as she took a sip. She made a small face because they didn't quite taste the same as they used to.
"Mason." Ric said and Kenzie looked up to see Tyler's Uncle stepping up to the bar beside Damon and stealing his glass.
"God I miss Whiskey." He announced, taking a sip before smashing the glass against Damon's head.
"Ow." Damon cried, steeling himself against the pain. "Told you." He looked to Alaric but his gaze stopped at a spot right behind Kenzie.
"This really can't be good." He muttered.
"What?" Kenzie asked. "Are there more?" She turned to look behind her, gasping at who was standing just behind her, giggling at Damon and Mason.
"I've lost it." Kenzie mumbled. "I've gone and completely lost it."
"Have you?" Mads asked with a grin, striking a similar pose to Kenzie so that with her own short skirt and tank top, it was like looking into a mirror. "You look good Macks, you know, all things considering."
"You have a twin?" Ric asked in confusion.
"Had." Kenzie replied through gritted teeth. "Mads is dead and very much not here. We're all hallucinating."
"You live in a town full of vampires, werewolves and witches, why is me being here so hard to believe?" Mads asked, looking hurt.
"Because you're dead." Kenzie snapped. "You died and took a piece of me with you and you can't just come waltzing back into my life as a ghost of all things when something will probably happen just to make you go away again. How the hell am I supposed to deal with that?"
"The same way you did the first time." Mads softly replied. "I don't know what happened either Macks, but I'm going to be damn sure I enjoy this while I can."
Mads stepped forward, embracing her twin who began to cry against her. "Macks, don't cry, please. Come on, let's go to the bathroom and get you sorted out." With a nod to the three guys who were watching them in awe, Mads led her twin towards the bathroom, opening the door just as Elena came barreling out of it.
"Sorry Kenzie and… Kenzie? What the hell?"
"Hi, I'm Mads and you're Elena."
"How do you two look exactly alike?" Elena whispered, staring between the redhead with the curly hair and the redhead with the straight hair
"I'm not her doppelganger if that's what you're asking." Mads said with a raised eyebrow. "well, technically, she's mine, I was born first."
"Born… your sister…? This is the sister you said died with your mom, you never said you had a twin."
Kenzie nodded, wiping at her tears. "I don't like to talk about it. I don't know how she's here."
"Bonnie did a spell, part of the consequences from when she saved Jeremy."
"Hey Macks, that night Jeremy died, isn't that the night you-"
"Stop talking." Kenzie told her, pushing past Elena and into the bathroom where Jeremy was standing, looking stunned.
"There's two of you."
"This is going to happen the whole time I'm here." Mads said with a sigh. "Jer, how about you go find Ana and leave my sister and I to talk."
Jeremy nodded and left, leaving the twins behind.
"Oh Macks, you've really gotten yourself into it, haven't you?"
"Why are you here? Why isn't mom?"
"Because the only ones who got through the door that wedged open were supernaturals." Mads explained. "Yes, I shouldn't be here but because of what you are now and the fact we shared the same DNA I was able to sneak through undetected somehow, at least that's my theory."
"I never wanted to be one." Kenzie whispered.
"But you are and I've always said you gotta deal the cards you're dealt. I know you want nothing more than to just die. But really, I'm going to be so so mad at you if you do that Macks."
"I don't let anyone call me that anymore."
"Except me." Mads replied. "Look, I want to stay here and talk to you for however long this thing goes on for but before it stops I need a favour."
"Anything."
"I want to see Dad. I want to hug him, just once more, please?"
Kenzie only nodded as she began removing her clothes so she could pull the twin switch they were so good at.
"What about my hair?" Mads asked, looking in the mirror after they had changed clothes.
"Dad won't notice." Kenzie said. "If he comments on it, I'll compel him later."
"compelling Dad, is that really safe?" her sister asked.
"You promise you'll come back?" Kenzie asked in a small voice, ignoring the last question.
"I promise. We can't risk more people seeing us but I'm going to take a quick trip to see Dad, I never got to say goodbye, I will return as soon as possible. I love you forever and always Macks."
"And I love you always and forever, Mads." Kenzie automatically replied, following her sister out and watching her leave the Grill before walking back to the bar.
"Where did Red go?" Damon asked.
"I'm right here." Kenzie dully replied, taking a sip of her milkshake.
"No, the live one."
The redhead spit out her drink at that before coughing and glaring at Damon. "We switched clothes you nimrod. She went to go see Dad but for obvious reasons, we can't go together."
"You guys looked exactly alike." Alaric said, still in shock.
"As most twins do." Kenzie replied with a small smile before nodding towards Mason.
"Why is Uncle Furry still here?"
"Don't call me that." Came Mason's sullen reply.
Damon's phone beeped and he pulled it out, looking at with a groan. "I'm never going to hear the end of that stupid necklace."
"What necklace?" Kenzie asked.
"The one that's causing all this, Bonnie needs it to send them all back."
"No." The redhead cried. "You can't."
"Kenzie," Alaric gently began. "They're not supposed to be here, they need to go back."
She shook her head, covering her face with her hands as she began to softly cry. "I just got my sister back. I can't lose her already, please don't give the necklace back."
No one was more surprised then she was when a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his chest. She could tell right away it was Damon, she knew that smell anywhere, it still haunted her in her sleep sometimes but still she let herself be pulled against him.
"Red." He softly crooned. "Spend time with her, say the goodbyes you never got to say but you know she can't stay here, if there was any way, I'd do it in a heartbeat."
She only shook her head against his chest, not wanting to lose her sister again and not wanting him to stop holding her. If she was honest with herself which she really hadn't been lately, she just wanted Damon back, like this, as they were.
"So, is someone going to pay for this?" Mason asked.
"Let's get to it." Damon announced, looking at the dead werewolf. "I killed you. You want revenge. Get in line."
"Actually I want an apology."
Beside them, Ric began to laugh and Damon could even feel Kenzie laughing against his chest as she turned her face to look at Mason.
"Don't hold your breath." She snorted.
"Don't you have a family to haunt?" Damon snapped. "You know your nephew has turned into a mindless hybrid minion."
"That's why I'm here. To help Tyler."
"Well, sorry to break it to you, buddy but Tyler can't be helped. At least not while Klaus is alive. Which is, like, always."
"Not necessarily. Not if you found a weapon that could kill him."
"Breaking the bond is doable." Kenzie mumbled again Damon's chest.
"What are you both on about?" Damon asked.
"Nothing." Kenzie replied, pulling away and straightening herself out.
"And I know you need to apologize." Mason said with a smirk.
"You got to be kidding me." The vampire groaned.
Kenzie lightly punched him in the stomach with a scowl. "Don't be an asshat, apologize. We need his help."
Damon rolled his eyes. "Fine. I didn't have to kill you. I do a lot of things I don't have to do."
Mason laughed. "Good enough. Meet me at the old Lockwood cellar. Bring a shovel. Come alone."
"What, are you going to bury me alive?"
"Don't tempt me." He replied with another laugh before walking away.
"Well, guess we know what I get to go do now." Damon announced as he looked between the remaining two. His gaze lingered on Kenzie before he looked back at Ric. "Hate me all you want, just, keep an eye on her."
"I don't need a babysitter." She called after him.
"Oh yes you do." He called back leaving the grill and walking into Mads. "Hello Dead Red."
She raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled at how very so like Redbird that was. "We need to talk."
Damon groaned. "If you're going to tell me you plan on killing me for hurting your sister, you have a very long line to wait in."
"It's not that." Mads replied, glancing into the Grill to see her sister turned away from her. "She still loves you, she never stopped."
"Ok, and?"
"What do you mean and? You still love her, it's so obvious."
He rolled his eyes. "Not much I can do until she sees it."
"It's going to take longer than you expect. She is so fully focused on what you did because of what happened to her."
The Vampire's brow furrowed in confusion, unsure what she was on about. Mads only sighed and shook her head, amazed her sister had kept this all secret.
"Damon, Macks will kill me for saying this to you but something happened the night she left town."
"The whole thing with Elena and I? yes I know."
It was Mads turn to roll her eyes. "She died that night. She was shot in the head by the second bullet Sherriff Forbes shot off."
"And she has a nifty little ring that keeps her ticking. She's like the damn energizer buddy."
Mads let out a frustrated noise, glancing again into the Grill to see Kenzie turning and noticing her there. Mads waved and held up a finger, signalling to give her a moment. Kenzie only rolled her eyes and got off the stool, making her way to the entrance. Mads stepped towards Damon and began to whisper
"I have two seconds before she's in hearing range but you need to know this and you have to keep your mouth shut while she deals with this. You have to, I don't want her doing anything stupid."
Damon looked even more confused.
"That Ring protects from supernatural deaths. Macks death wasn't supernatural." Kenzie came closer and Mads raised her voice enough because she knew her sister could hear her now. "And if you ever think of hurting my sister again, I'll find another way to come back from the dead and kill you… again." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and walked inside to meet her sister as Damon walked away, trying to figure out what Dead Red was blabbering on about.
Obviously she did die a supernatural death if she was still here so who knows what Mads was on about. The only way she could have come back then was if she died a nonsupernatural death with vampire blood in her and as far as he knew he was the only one who ever gave her blood and he didn't that day, he was a little busy almost dying and whatnot. And the last time he had given her blood was-
Damon stopped in his tracks as he looked back at the Grill as it suddenly hit him.
He had bitten Kenzie, then fed her his blood. Then she died maybe 30 minutes later.
Was it possible she was... no, no way no how, if she was a vampire he would have known, someone would have known, right?
But if what her sister said was the truth could his Little Red really be a vampire?
And if she was, was it all his fault?
… … …
"Look, let's go to the square." Mads suggested as her and her sister left the Grill. "If Dad sees us, just compel him."
"I love how you're being so non chalant about the whole thing." Was Kenzie's dry reply.
"Don't act like you haven't done it before." The ghost shot back. "I've seen some stuff. Come on, let's just go, pretend everything was like how it was before."
"And you're not dead and I'm not a vampire?"
Always the more sensitive and compassionate one, Mads put an arm around her little sister. Sure they were only nine minutes apart but that nine minutes definitely made her the older, bigger, and wiser sister. "I know you never wanted this Macks but you make one hell of a vampire."
"Because I'm missing my switch?" Kenzie asked.
"Oh no, it's there but you've made sure never to go near it and that is pretty amazing. Your control-"
"Mads? I don't need to hear it from you too, okay?"
"I'm just trying to help." She softly said as they neared the square in time to see paramedics wheeling a body away.
"Where's Dad?" Mads asked, slightly panicked.
Kenzie went up on her toes, her eyes and ears waiting to pick up any sound of her father. Through the din of the crowd, she heard him talking to Carol lockwood and let out an audible sigh. "He's fine, talking to the mayor is all. Look, Elena and Jeremy are over there, they can tell us what happened.
The twins hurried over to them, interrupting Elena asking Jeremy where Anna was.
"I don't know, ok?" Jeremy replied. "I don't even know for sure if she took the necklace."
"What necklace?" Mads asked. "I can help."
"Don't worry about it." The younger Gilbert dismissed her.
Kenzie rushed forward and grabbed Jeremy's shirt, pulling him down to her level. "Don't talk to my sister like that, ever. Now tell her what necklace because she's has ghosty powers just like your ex girlfriend, who is dead and I'm guessing you need said necklace to fix this so more dead bodies don't appear."
Elena sighed, placing a hand on Kenzie's arm. "Look, we don't know for certain and Jeremy's just being careful now, how do we know your sister doesn't want the same thing?"
"Why not ask me that?" Mads asked, sounding offended. "Look, I know none of you know me but I will not let any more dead bodies happen if I can help it. I love my sister and yes, I would love to be with her dealing with all the crap she has to go through-"
"Madison." Kenzie groaned.
"Shush now, I'm talking. I would love to help her but I also know that I'm just a ghost. I can't do anything really as much as I want to and Macks- Kenzie needs to learn to move on. She can't love a ghost for the rest of her life and truthfully, neither can the two of you."
Both Gilbert's started at this as Kenzie did her best nto to burst into tears. A part of her wanted to be selfish and hide that necklace for all eternity just to have her sister with her but Mads would never forgive her for doing that.
Beside her, Mads stepped around Jeremy to speak to Anna who had appeared behind him. "Anna, they have to live and if we stay here we'll only hold them back. Is that what you want?"
Anna's lip trembled as she held up the necklace before dropping it into Jeremy's hand.
Elena gave her an approving look before turning to her brother. "Call Bonnie. Tell her that you have the necklace. Get her to send the ghosts away." She spun on her heel and left and Jeremy glance at Anna and the twins before pulling his phone out and walking away.
"Your sister is what I was." Anna whispered. "You wouldn't have held her back."
"I'm doing the right thing." Mads softly said.
"Have you told Jeremy about me?" Kenzie asked, looking worried.
Anna shook her head. "You weren't a threat to him so no, I didn't. I- I need to talk to him before- before we go. Thank you Madison."
The twins were left alone and Kenzie stared at her sister, not sure where to start.
"Come, let's go for a walk." Mads said and the two began walking away from the square. Kenzie had no idea where they were going, letting her sister lead the way as she tried to keep the tears at bay.
"Hey Kenzie, don't cry, you have to keep moving forward."
She only shook her head. "Don't stop calling me Macks, please. You're my sister, my twin, you're one half of me. The day you died, a piece was violently ripped away from me and I've done everything in my power to get it back and it's just- it's empty Mads and you don't understand how hard it is trying to live day after day with only half of me there."
"But you've been doing it and you will keep doing it." Mads replied as a tear trickled down her cheek. "I have been by your side every minute, so I don't know how hard it is, I do know what it feels like to only have half of you there. Even in death, there is only half of me there and it hurts me too. But you kept going, you've done amazing things and you will continue to do amazing things."
"I'm a vampire. I'm a blood sucking fiend. I'm not meant for amazing things."
"You are. And you will accomplish that. I know that, cause you're my sister, my other half and you will be amazing whether you're human, vampire or- or a 3 eyed purple unicorn. You just need to accept yourself as you are in order to move forward."
"I can't." She hoarsely whispered. "I can't accept myself like this."
"Then why are you still here?" Mads asked. "Why haven't you taken off the ring and stepped into the sun. Iyou're that miserable than do it."
"I can't leave Dad, I can't leave Dam- Dad." The younger twin finished lamely.
"You have to learn to forgive Damon. You think you're in complete control of your emotions but your anger has intensified towards him a hundred fold since you were turned. He loves you. Whatever he has, or thinks he has, or wanted to have at one point with Elena isn't real. His love for you is. I've seen the way he looks at you, like you're the only person in the world and he tries to hide it but I see it because I'm stuck just watching and when no one is looking, you look at him the same way."
"I don't want to let go of my anger."
"Why?" Mads asked. "Because you're afraid of just how much you love him? Of how much that is intensified?" She grabbed her sisters shoulders looking into her eyes. "Stop being angry, stop trying to tell yourself how much you hate the world and what you've become. Live. You have to. Because now you're living for both of us and you damn well better make the most of it, for both of us."
"Maddie." Kenzie sobbed, throwing her arms around her sister and holding her with all her might. Mads held her just as tight as the twins sobbed together.
"Talk to him." Mads whispered. "Go to him."
"Not until you're gone." Kenzie sobbed, barely able to get the words out.
"If you need me, just…talk to Jeremy. I love you always and forever Macks."
"I love you forever and always Mads."
The older twin pulled away to stare into her sisters eyes. "So prove it and live for both of us. Promise me."
Kenzie nodded, hugging her twin hard again as a fresh wave of tears hit her.
"I love you." Mads whispered.
A split second later she was gone, leaving Kenzie alone and sobbing. The new Vampire looked around, seeing her sister had deviously led her to the Salvatore house and Kenzie stared at the house, wondering if she should stay and look at it or turn and leave. She don't know how long she looked at the house but when she heard a car coming, she took off. She knew what her sister wanted her to do but she wasn't ready yet. Right now she wanted to deal with the feeling she had that she had lost her sister all over again.
Alone.
… … …