*Thanks to CrashnBurn212, Damon's Luv Bunny and Galaktis for their
comments. I'm so glad to see that people are actually enjoying what I've
written. At least someone does (evil glare towards those pesky publishers)
What? Me bitter? No!*
Chapter VII
Damon was starting to remember exactly why he avoided getting involved in human drama. He struggled with his natural instinct to grab Alaric and shut him up permanently. The man hadn't stopped babbling for the last twenty minutes. He had slunk to the ground next to the car, curled up in a ball with his arms around his knees.
Bonnie's two friends remained a discreet distance away from the two vampires but close enough to intervene if one of them decided to harm the doctor. Although they weren't pleased with the part Alaric had played in removing Bonnie from their lives, they still had that damned human instinct to preserve life. Even if it belonged to someone who had done wrong.
Giovanna stared off into the darkened night, lost in thought. She leaned against the side of Alaric's car, arms crossed across her chest. "This feels wrong."
Damon raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure why he had involved his children in this predicament. At least with their help, he could find the red head and pay his debt.
"In what way?" he asked, acting only slightly interested.
"Why couldn't we sense any lingering powers from whatever took your friend? The strength it would need to accomplish that is unsettling. It is easy to mask the mind when you're powerful enough, but not the lingering signature of releasing power. Not even an original has that ability. You can vouch for that with Klaus."
Damon shook his head, unsure how to answer. Before considering the implications of her remark, he wanted to find a nice hotel where they could stay the night. There was no way in hell that he would stay at Alaric's house. He simply couldn't handle seeing Meredith or anyone from Fell's Church, mainly because they would probably blame him for Bonnie's disappearance. And he had had enough accusations for one century.
And the thought of seeing Stefan again…… He was surprised at the instant flutter of unease at the thought.
The pulsations of the other vampires were nearing them. Everyone but Heloise was accounted for. They changed form and approached Damon and Giovanna.
Damon flickered an amused glance at the two human girls. The appearance of three more vampires on top of the two already present was wearing down their courage. Jolan moved closer to Mina, grabbing her hand.
Alaric whimpered as the new vampires eyed him with dislike.
Damon threw him a phone. "Call your wife and tell her your working late."
Alaric barely caught it. His fingers shook as he dialled the phone number.
Everyone watched the doctor make the phone call. Alaric's eyes never left Damon's face.
Meredith voice was obviously worried and Alaric tried to calm her. She was explaining something to Alaric and he nodded imperceptivity. Soon after, he hung up the phone.
"What's new with my old friend?" Damon asked, politely.
"Nothing. She was simply concerned about where I was."
"Are you sure she wasn't in contact with anyone that might prove interesting?"
"What do you mean?" Alaric shifted uncomfortably.
"It seems that the good doctor has forgotten that vampires have a certain acute sense of hearing. Perhaps you'd like to wave your hands at me to make me disappear?"
Leopold snickered at the remark.
Alaric's eyes flashed with anger.
"When do they arrive?" Damon asked coldly.
Alaric lowered his gaze in defeat. "Tomorrow."
Leopold eyed the two human girls with interest and bowed to them. "Such fine, lovely women. Perhaps-"
"Leave them alone." Giovanna pointed a finger at him.
"I was simply going to offer my services in protecting them from the evils of the world," he replied innocently.
"Sure you were," she said. She motioned for Jolan and Mina to move behind her.
They were obviously more at ease to with a familiar vampire. The two girls remained a little offset from the group, but close enough to hear what was being discussed
Damon waited until they relaxed before turning to look at his vampires. "Anything of importance?"
"The police know nothing. They are as useless now as they've ever been," Leopold replied. "But it appears that a young Brent Whitsman died at the incident in question. Perhaps some answers lie there."
Evaline shook her head. "After being granted access to the girls apartment, I searched it but found nothing but the smell of magic and herbs. As for a lingering trail of the girl's scent, it is as if she simply disappeared."
Searle was watching Evaline with interest. "I sensed another vampire presence entering city. It was weak but-"
Damon's lips curled in disgust. "He is of no importance. Leave him alone."
Searle smiled with good humour. "Obviously the doctor misjudged the arrival time of your sibling. Do we finally get to meet this paragon of virtue? I've never met a vegetarian vampire before."
Damon couldn't help but return the smile. "Only if were terribly unlucky. We will wait for Heloise to return then decide on a course of action."
"And what of these human girls?" Searle asked innocently.
Damon's smile grew wider. "Perhaps-"
"Perhaps you should remember that one of them can call on fire while the other is a powerful telepath." Giovanna said quietly, obvious appointing herself their protector. "We might need them in the end and I don't think Mina will put up with much."
Mina smiled at the comment, already finding a place within the horde.
"It seems you have developed a taste for witch." Searle said, wrapping an arm around Giovanna's waist.
"I'm not the only one," she said, looking oddly at Damon.
Ignoring her, Damon turned to stare at the building. Giovanna's observation of events was beginning to bother him. For safety, they would all remain together, human or vampire.
He pulled Alaric to his feet, paying no attention to the yelp of pain from grabbing his arm too tightly. Mina and Jolan stared, obviously stunned by the ease of which Damon lifted Alaric. Jolan swallowed and turned to look elsewhere.
He felt the combined force of the vampire horde he had created when Heloise had finally joined them.
She smiled sharply and said, "I've found something."
Chapter VII
Damon was starting to remember exactly why he avoided getting involved in human drama. He struggled with his natural instinct to grab Alaric and shut him up permanently. The man hadn't stopped babbling for the last twenty minutes. He had slunk to the ground next to the car, curled up in a ball with his arms around his knees.
Bonnie's two friends remained a discreet distance away from the two vampires but close enough to intervene if one of them decided to harm the doctor. Although they weren't pleased with the part Alaric had played in removing Bonnie from their lives, they still had that damned human instinct to preserve life. Even if it belonged to someone who had done wrong.
Giovanna stared off into the darkened night, lost in thought. She leaned against the side of Alaric's car, arms crossed across her chest. "This feels wrong."
Damon raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure why he had involved his children in this predicament. At least with their help, he could find the red head and pay his debt.
"In what way?" he asked, acting only slightly interested.
"Why couldn't we sense any lingering powers from whatever took your friend? The strength it would need to accomplish that is unsettling. It is easy to mask the mind when you're powerful enough, but not the lingering signature of releasing power. Not even an original has that ability. You can vouch for that with Klaus."
Damon shook his head, unsure how to answer. Before considering the implications of her remark, he wanted to find a nice hotel where they could stay the night. There was no way in hell that he would stay at Alaric's house. He simply couldn't handle seeing Meredith or anyone from Fell's Church, mainly because they would probably blame him for Bonnie's disappearance. And he had had enough accusations for one century.
And the thought of seeing Stefan again…… He was surprised at the instant flutter of unease at the thought.
The pulsations of the other vampires were nearing them. Everyone but Heloise was accounted for. They changed form and approached Damon and Giovanna.
Damon flickered an amused glance at the two human girls. The appearance of three more vampires on top of the two already present was wearing down their courage. Jolan moved closer to Mina, grabbing her hand.
Alaric whimpered as the new vampires eyed him with dislike.
Damon threw him a phone. "Call your wife and tell her your working late."
Alaric barely caught it. His fingers shook as he dialled the phone number.
Everyone watched the doctor make the phone call. Alaric's eyes never left Damon's face.
Meredith voice was obviously worried and Alaric tried to calm her. She was explaining something to Alaric and he nodded imperceptivity. Soon after, he hung up the phone.
"What's new with my old friend?" Damon asked, politely.
"Nothing. She was simply concerned about where I was."
"Are you sure she wasn't in contact with anyone that might prove interesting?"
"What do you mean?" Alaric shifted uncomfortably.
"It seems that the good doctor has forgotten that vampires have a certain acute sense of hearing. Perhaps you'd like to wave your hands at me to make me disappear?"
Leopold snickered at the remark.
Alaric's eyes flashed with anger.
"When do they arrive?" Damon asked coldly.
Alaric lowered his gaze in defeat. "Tomorrow."
Leopold eyed the two human girls with interest and bowed to them. "Such fine, lovely women. Perhaps-"
"Leave them alone." Giovanna pointed a finger at him.
"I was simply going to offer my services in protecting them from the evils of the world," he replied innocently.
"Sure you were," she said. She motioned for Jolan and Mina to move behind her.
They were obviously more at ease to with a familiar vampire. The two girls remained a little offset from the group, but close enough to hear what was being discussed
Damon waited until they relaxed before turning to look at his vampires. "Anything of importance?"
"The police know nothing. They are as useless now as they've ever been," Leopold replied. "But it appears that a young Brent Whitsman died at the incident in question. Perhaps some answers lie there."
Evaline shook her head. "After being granted access to the girls apartment, I searched it but found nothing but the smell of magic and herbs. As for a lingering trail of the girl's scent, it is as if she simply disappeared."
Searle was watching Evaline with interest. "I sensed another vampire presence entering city. It was weak but-"
Damon's lips curled in disgust. "He is of no importance. Leave him alone."
Searle smiled with good humour. "Obviously the doctor misjudged the arrival time of your sibling. Do we finally get to meet this paragon of virtue? I've never met a vegetarian vampire before."
Damon couldn't help but return the smile. "Only if were terribly unlucky. We will wait for Heloise to return then decide on a course of action."
"And what of these human girls?" Searle asked innocently.
Damon's smile grew wider. "Perhaps-"
"Perhaps you should remember that one of them can call on fire while the other is a powerful telepath." Giovanna said quietly, obvious appointing herself their protector. "We might need them in the end and I don't think Mina will put up with much."
Mina smiled at the comment, already finding a place within the horde.
"It seems you have developed a taste for witch." Searle said, wrapping an arm around Giovanna's waist.
"I'm not the only one," she said, looking oddly at Damon.
Ignoring her, Damon turned to stare at the building. Giovanna's observation of events was beginning to bother him. For safety, they would all remain together, human or vampire.
He pulled Alaric to his feet, paying no attention to the yelp of pain from grabbing his arm too tightly. Mina and Jolan stared, obviously stunned by the ease of which Damon lifted Alaric. Jolan swallowed and turned to look elsewhere.
He felt the combined force of the vampire horde he had created when Heloise had finally joined them.
She smiled sharply and said, "I've found something."