Chapter Fourteen: 'Get Out of Our House'

Hey there, guys! So we've met Damon, Alaric, Stefan, and Elena at this point. So what say you that we let Sabrina meet the vampire who actually murdered Caroline? Hmm? Maybe? Look out for it in the next few chapters.

I'm going to try to hit all of the relevant episode drama, but this is still going to be an AU because of the introduction of new characters. Lol, I feel like we have been in episode three forever!

Songs for this chapter:

"Paths" by Sea Oleena

"There's Something About Matthew" by Rob Lane, The Chamber Orchestra of London

"Instinctive Magic" by Rob Lane, Klara Ketelaars, The Chamber Orchestra of London

-O-

Reyna convinced Sabrina to text Caroline that they were going to run back to Miriam's house for bracelet recharge 101 again. Caroline texted back to the affirmative and begged Sabrina not to pick her up until she called. Sabrina correctly assumed that there would be no call. But with the older Salvator gone for who-knows-why and she-didn't-care-why, she allowed Caroline privacy for at least a little while. She figured the only fights she could pick were with the squirrels.

She let Reyna drive back to the Weinburg house. She was grateful when Miriam let her speak first.

She joked, "Are kid drop-offs always so dramatic?"

Miriam offered a half-smile, "Only the first couple of times,"

"That's good to know,"

Miriam stroked Sabrina's cheek. "You're a good girl, Sabrina Forbes." She offered gently, even as Sabrina's trepidation of the voice within her grew. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Hmm, ok. How about some lunch?"

"You get my love language, mom," Reyna leaned against the foyer wall nearest the entryway table.

Miriam laughed, swatting her daughter's butt as she walked past her toward the kitchen. " 'course I do,"

Sabrina's eyes darted to Reyna's, trying to direct her friend to the living room. A dark brow arched. "What's happening right now?"

Sabrina's eyes become more frantic as she threw in a head tilt for good measure.

Reyna asked again, "What? What are you doing with your eyes? Stop. Stop it."

Sabrina shook her head. "You're not getting it,"

"I get that it's freaking me out."

Sabrina huffed. "No, this is my discreet 'I-have-to-talk-to-you' face,"

"Yeah, your discreet needs some work," Reyna said before allowing herself to be dragged into the living room.

"So," Sabrina said, rubbing her temples, "are we just going to pretend nothing happened?"

"Wow, I've had this conversation before, but usually a lot more fun was had," Reyna said wryly, crossing her arms, leaning against the TV credenza. Sabrina stared at her in askance and desperation. Her lip trembled, and Reyna held up her hands, her face calm, but her voice held a tinge of panic. "Hey, woah. Kidding. I'm kidding. About earlier?"

Sabrina tucked her chin. "Yeah. I killed that guy, Reyna,"

"That part of the day did stand out to me. Everyone knew he was a douche-carrot, Sabrina. If you didn't, I'm sure an angry mob would have eventually,"

A tear slipped down her cheek as she ran her hands up and down her arms. Her face crumpled, "He was hurting her, Rey. I could feel it," she whispered. "Then she started again. Sometimes, she just talks, and I—,"

Reyna's brow drew together. "Hold up. Who is she?" She said, heavy on the air quotes.

She tapped her fingers against her forehead. "Her!" She hissed. "She's— it's— always there. Telling me things, telling me what to do. I can see people's hearts. I wish you could have seen his," Sabrina said, her eyes sharpening to a deep black. "He was evil. I couldn't leave the little girl with him," her fangs sharpened to a point.

I'll never leave you, the voice murmured. You know I won't.

"Hmm. Ok. Ok. And this-," she made finger quotes. "voice? Does it tell you to set things on fire? Because I remember having that voice in about the 8th grade, and I.."

Sabrina shook the intentions away, forcing away the burning in her eyes and mouth, scrubbing her hands down her face. "I'm serious, Reyna! It's seriously freaking me out! It's not telling me to set fires, but it is telling me to rip men's hearts out. Which definitely feels slightly more significant in our situation,"

"It could be worse," Reyna rolled her eyes.

"Please, enlighten me. I cannot live with this thing in my head all the time," Her breath quickened. She struggled to get a full breath. "I can't…I can't," Fat tears rolled down her cheeks now.

Reyna sprung away from the credenza, wrapping her arms around Sabrina. "No, not this again. Look, we are fine. No one is going to find anything about this. I made sure of it. You did what needed to be done,"

"What about Caroline?" She dug her fingers into Reyna's back. "How am I supposed to take care of her like this?"

"There is no 'I' here. There was never a question of 'I'. So if there's no I, what is there?"

"We,"

"This is just a moment. Moments pass. Maybe with a little blood, but y'know. Nuance,"

Sabrina gave a watery laugh. "I'm still gonna cry if that's ok,"

Reyna groaned. "I was afraid you were going to say that," she said, guiding Sabrina to the couch, flopping back onto the soft leather. "Look, I'm not going to say I'm not freaked out. I definitely am. But nothing is going to happen to you. We'll just have to put in some mild lockdown procedures maybe,"

She sniffled, propping herself up. "Like 8th grade?"

"It's not my fault you decided you were like sadistic in love with Randy Johnson. God, who even names their kid Randy anymore without setting them up for failure,"

She wrapped herself around Reyna, crying into her shoulder, "He looks like such a pedophile now," she hiccuped.

Reyna patted her head. "Yeah, I know he does, babe,"

"What was I thinking?"

"Nothing logical,"

Reyna let her cry in silent dignity for a little while longer before she couldn't stand it. She flipped on the TV. "Wanna watch the Nanny re-runs?"

"Obviously. I'm in emotional turmoil,"

"Figures,"

Sabrina wiped her nose on her sleeve before humming along to the theme song. Niles was insulting Cece when Sabrina asked quietly, "Am I gonna be ok?"

"Yeah, you're going to be fine." Reyna squeezed her hand. "We'll make sure of it, ok?"

When Sabrina didn't answer, Reyna repeated herself, "Ok?"

Sabrina nodded with a heavy breath, the tightness in her chest lessening. "Yeah, ok,"

"Girls! Lunch is ready!" Miriam shouted from the next room. She poked her head through the door. She smiled.

Reyna sniffed the air. "Ma, is that fish?" She pushed Sabrina to the side. "That's culturally insensitive,"

-O-

Reyna drove Sabrina back to her house, threatening her with death if she went anywhere else. She took the car keys for good measure. Sabrina stumbled through the front door, saying hello to the stray cat on the porch as she went past. The cat weaved past her legs, winding into her house.

"Ok," she sighed. "This is happening." She propped her hands on her hips after tossing her keys onto the table. "Don't throw up anywhere. And don't eat any of the boxes,"

The cat met her gaze before lifting a dainty paw, licking.

"Alrighty. Make yourself at home," she said, peeling off her hoodie, tossing it to the floor. Caroline had been here, her jasmine perfume lingered and various trinkets lay arranged on the white cast iron shelves. "Is the cat/ milk thing a stereotype or—?" She met the feline gaze as she walked into the kitchen. "I was genuinely expecting you to answer." She yanked the refrigerator door open. "Well, I guess we'll find out," she grabbed a carton. "I hope you like whole milk,"

Later, she sat on the kitchen floor, with a nearly empty milk carton in one hand with a purring cat hijacking her other hand. Peanut moved back and forth using her hand like an automated petting bridge.

"You understand, don't you?" Sabrina asked. "I feel like you get it." She took a swig from the milk carton before emptying the remainder into a blue willow china bowl. "I really hope whatever this is has also cured my lactose intolerance."

Peanut lapped the bowl, regaining a white mustache. "Be honest with me, kitty? Am I doing the right thing? Like," she whispered, running her hand down its bony spine. "Should we just leave? It'd be easier. Well, maybe. It might be easier. I mean, I left her with her abuser's brother. What does that make me, an enabler? I should've taken advantage of the school's free counseling services. Granted, I didn't know that murder was potentially hanging over my head. It was my murder, but still. What would I even tell a therapist now?"

Peanut's purrs warmed her chest, lessened the burgeoning anxiety tingling down her limbs.

"I can't leave because she wouldn't come with me. She's not a runner, not a coward, like me,"

The cat looked up with a piercing stare. Sabrina nodded. "I know. I know you don't believe me. The whole temper thing covers it pretty well." She gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "I'm a coward. Running is more tempting than fighting these days."

The voice in her chest lessened its fight for control, settling comfortably into her hulled chest. She asked herself, "Nothing to say about that? Hmm. Thought you would appreciate the extra ammunition to use against me,"

Why? I have no need. I already have you.

A burning fat tear rolled down her cheek. She choked, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you do,"

Sabrina opened her eyes again when four paws landed against the softness of her belly. A mass of black fur curled against her chest, a pleasant weight keeping her anchored against the earth. Peanut purred. Sabrina wrapped her arms around the animal, burying her face in its neck. Maybe cats didn't mind the water so much after all.