Meredith walked with Alaric out the door. "Okay, hun...should we take my
car, since you don't appear to have one here?" Flashing an impish smile,
she fished her car keys out of her purse. She walked over to the driver's
side door and unlocked it. Sliding in, she reached over and unlocked the
passenger side door.
"Where do you want to eat??"
When she got his answer, she headed out to the restaurant.
They went to a quaint restaurant not far from the hotel. The hostess showed them to their seat and they pulled their chairs in.
"Tell me about England", Meredith asked him once they were settled.
"Well, let's see it's small, everything is old fashioned and the Queen's palace isn't really much to look at. As for why I went, well that was pretty much a flop. I found out nothing regarding why I went and that Professor, he was pretty much useless to me. What I really need to do is talk to Stefan and get some real information from him. And from what you tell me that may just be possible. Anyways, it's wasn't really all that exciting. I found out little tid bits but, nothing concrete on...ummm...the subject."
He turned to her and looked into her eyes. "All I really wanted to do was be here with you. It was so lonely over there and it was literally driving me crazy. I am so glad I am here now though. There is no place in the world where I would rather be, than here with you." He couldn't believe the words that were coming from his mouth. He had never been so blatant with her before. "Uhhhh...I guess I really just missed you. A lot."
He looked at her to see her reaction to his ever flowing emotions.
Damon drove out of Fell's church, returning to nearby Heron, pulling the sleek BLACK car into an empty parking lot. He got out, walked over to Mary's side, and being the chivalrous vampire that he was, opened her door and helped her out. Shutting the door behind her, he pressed a button on his key chain activating the car's state of the art security alarm.
"I thought that maybe you would want to get away from boring Fell's Church, try something a little less...religious." He led her into the exquisite French restaurant, and requested a dark secluded booth, lit only by the candles surrounding it.
When they sat down, and the waiter left them with their menus, Damon couldn't help but marvel at the resemblance Mary bore to Bonnie. 'Of course, Damon, they're sisters, what did you think?' he though to himself.
"So, Mary," he said, rubbing her hand gently, "tell me about yourself."
"Well there isn't much to tell about myself. Lived in Fell's Church all my life, so I'm nothing amazing. I've been an RN for almost a year and thinking about going back to school."
She paused a moment when the waiter brought their wine and took their order. "I know this will sound silly, but I am Druid. Been practicing for several years. My great-grandmother got me started on it."
'I can't believe he took me to such a nice place. Bonnie knows all the gentleman.' She smiled at him, "What about you? Where are you from? I notice an accent. Italy?" His touch was like electricity on her skin. His strong hands were so gentle. For the second time she noticed his eyes. Something about his eyes. 'He's older than he looks, maybe twenty-five or so.' His features were chiseled, like a work of art. 'He's someone important.'
"Yes, Italy." Damon answered, sipping the wine. He had no need for it, and it had no affect on him. He could stomach it however, as he could with food if need be. "I've been everywhere actually. Then I decided to taste the flavors of America, and Fell's Church seemed quite the little town to savor."
Bonnie sat in the restaurant looking around at all the people having a good time. She stared enviously at the couples scattered here and there. 'Wonder where he took her. Somewhere better than here I suppose.' Spearing a tomato from her salad she bit down on it and ate in silence, hearing bits a pieces of conversation. About ten minutes later she pushed her partially eaten salad away and waited for the waiter to bring the check. She stood up as he brought her the check, placed a couple of dollars on the table for a tip and paid for the salad before heading out. It was already dark out when she stepped out into the parking lot. Taking a beep breath of the pleasantly warm summer night air she headed toward her Cherokee.
'I wonder if they've found Elena yet?' she thought to herself as she started the car up and pulled out of the parking lot and away from the restaurant. 'Maybe I'll take another bath when I get home, just to relax. She glanced over at the passenger seat, smirked as she saw the Italian book and thought about the guy back at the bookstore. He was definitely cute. Maybe she would run into him some time in the near future. Pulling into her drive she saw that her parents were home finally. 'Great.' Getting slowly from the car she locked it up and reluctantly made her way to the front door. She could see her parents watching TV as she glanced through the window as she walked up.
'Maybe they're to engrossed in whatever they are watching to bother with me tonight.' Opening the door as quietly as she could she closed it, tip toed her way up stairs to her room and closed the door. Falling down on her bed she stared up at the ceiling. 'This is supposed to be the happiest years of my life right? Yeah ok.' Rolling over on her stomach she looked up at the clock. 'Wonder how long he's going to drag this farce of a date out.' Reaching out she turned the clock around. 'Who cares right? I don't care, do I?' With a frustrated growl she stood up and began to pace her room. 'Pacing. The sport of champion frustrated think too much's. They should seriously make it a sport.' She walked to the window seat and sat down.
Pressing her forehead on the windowpane she closed her eyes and thought about happier, non-vampire/werewolf infested days when all she had to worry about was which nail polish went with which out fit. 'I should be out partying. It's the summer for crying out loud but here I am in my room alone. Mary's out on a date with the prince of darkness and Elena's nowhere to be found. Stefan appears to be on a guilt trip of some sort and Caroline's probably hanging out with Matt. Isn't that just weird.' Nothing was the same anymore and it could never be again. Deciding to for-go the bath, she was clean enough.
Walking to the closet she stripped of the 'bad girl' green halter and shrugged into the blue 'bite me' baby t. Looking into the mirror she studied her reflection. Pulling her hair up high on her head she ponytailed it and surveyed her appearance. Feeling in her pocket for the ring she pulled it out and studied it. It was pretty enough and she knew the power it held for just being a piece of jewelry. After stuffing it back in her pocket she then reached around her neck and unclasped the necklace and dropped it in the jewelry box. Sitting at her vanity she looked herself in the face and imagined herself as an old woman with wrinkles. She shook her head to remove the vision. 'I don't want to have wrinkles!' Taking her fingertips she pulled at her cheeks and studied the area around her eyes. 'Still young and beautiful. But for how long? Ten. Twenty years?'
She reached to her left, took a bottle of perfume and dabbed some on the spots just beneath her ears. It was a light floral fragrance and she smiled as she inhaled its aroma. She could see the clock in the reflection of the mirror and grimaced. 'Tick tick. Time ticks away so fast sometimes and slow at other times.'
Katherine was lying on the large stone slab in the crypt with her hands behind her head, one leg propped up, and staring at the ceiling. Lying against the far wall, was a girl with black hair, a short black skirt, a red tube top, and red flip flop sandals. Her head hung at an odd angle and a bone was protruding from her neck. She'd had the misfortune of becoming Katherine's dinner. Katherine, feeling full and having not slept for several days, allowed her eyes to close and her thoughts to drift. Before she knew it, she was asleep.
~*~Dreaming~*~
She stood in a large black room. The walls had silver horned and fanged skulls on them with glowing red eyes and blue flames coming out of the mouths. There was blood on the floor and an orange light coming from the corners of the room. Screaming could be heard all around. It seemed to suffocate her, and she could feel the walls getting smaller. Within seconds she could push on both walls with her hands and she tried with all of her supernatural strength to push them back. Just as the walls were about to crush her, they became liquid and she felt them pass right through her. This was getting very aggravating.
"Don't like the feeling of being Powerless, Katherine?" A dark, familiar, voice said, seemingly out of nowhere.
"No, I don't like it," she replied.
The Devil stepped out of the darkness in the form of a man. He wore black leather pants, a white "wife-beater" undershirt, and a black button down shirt over it with the buttons undone. He had black hair, with reddish tips.
"I'm just here to remind you of why you're alive again. I want to know why you haven't held up your end of the bargain? We're not seeing very many condemned souls Katie-honey. There's only been-- what? --Two or three?"
"I'm doing the best I can for right now. I want to get something out of the way first...You know, that whole little, "revenge" thing? And don't call me Katie. I detest it."
"See that it gets handled quickly..." he paused. "Katerina."
Katherine sat up with a start. "Dammit. I hate it when I'm pressured," she mumbled. She swung her legs over the side of the slab and hopped off. Climbing out of the crypt, she let the night air hit her face and calm her nerves. She walked amongst the headstones and envisioned Stefan and Damon's faces in her mind. Then she sent out a mental message to those in reach...
"Are we feeling any better, boys?"
Even though he was miles away from the town, the cemetery, Katherine, Damon felt her voice in his head, his head snapped up, eyes alert, predatory senses thrown up. 'Couldn't possibly be' he thought to himself. He had his back to the wall, Mary situated off to his side, and his eyes scanned to restaurant. Nothing. 'A hallucination?' his thoughts churned in his mind, trying to find an explanation to the sweet, yet evil voice that still echoed in his head.
"I'm sorry, Mary." He said rising to his feet and offering his hand to her. "But it seems I have forgotten a previous arrangement, and need to return to Fell's Church. Forgive me, as I was looking forward to this evening as much as you."
He paid the matridee for the wine and waited impatiently for Mary to follow him. Even though he still appeared calm, collected, and cool on the outside, inside, the hunter felt the feeling once again of being the hunted.
Mary placed her hand on his arm. The back of her mind itched and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "Is there something wrong?"
She shook her head, "Never mind. Forget I asked, it's not my business. I would like to do this again though. If you have time for me, that is."
Her smile was sincere, but she couldn't shake the feeling as if something were wrong. Somehow she knew this was going to happen. She never had a relationship that lasted so why should this date be any different? She almost wanted to cry on the way home.
'Bon won't want to talk either; they have their own thing. How did I know that? I don't want to know.'
For the first time she realized there were no stars in the sky. 'That's funny should it be a waxing moon tonight?'
Bonnie felt the power the moment it was sent out. Images of the graveyard and the crypt flashed through her mind and she fell to the floor from the sheer intensity of the power that exploded from there. She couldn't tell what exactly it's purpose was as she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling from the flat of her back. 'Oh no. I'm able to remember this stuff now. This can't be good.' The feeling had been of complete evil and full of blood lust. Getting slowly up she winced grabbing the back of her head. 'This can't be happening.' It didn't have the feel of Damon or Stefan. Not even of Klaus but it was oddly familiar.
Opening her door she ran down the stairs and out the front door into the night looking around. 'Where is Mary.' she thought worriedly. 'Where's everyone.' She felt cold for it to be a warm summer night and she looked up at the sky. The moon hung low in the horizon. 'Bring her home now Damon.' she thought with all her strength trying to send out the message. 'Please let him hear me or at least sense my worry and even my fear.'
Stefan watched the stunned rabbit hop away as he licked his lips. At least he hadn't killed this time. He watched as it disappeared into the woods seemingly unhurt and then started to walk. He had needed to be outside.... alone. His thoughts and feelings had been so much for him that he thought he were literally going to lose his mind.
He came across a dead tree stump in the clearing and took a seat on it. He tried sorting through what had happened that day, from his behavior in front of Elena, to the dizziness and passing out, to Caroline stating she dreamed of Klaus, to Damon harassing Bonnie and Mary, to...he became overwhelmed as he thought of everything.
But there was something else, something he didn't want to have to think about.... the hallucinations he had been having of HER. Her, that once sweet girl whom he had loved so dearly. That girl whom he had killed his brother over. That girl whom he had grieved over for nearly 500 years. That girl who had tortured and killed the one his heart truly belonged to. He couldn't even bring himself to say her name, not even mentally.
Suddenly he felt the waves of pain and dizziness come back again only this time with much greater speed and intensity. He threw his hands to his head and then he heard it.... her voice.
"Are we feeling any better, boys?", she said.
The pain in his head grew greater and greater until he screamed and was plunged into darkness once again.
Bonnie sighed with relief as she saw Damon's sleek black car pull up. She suppressed the urge to run to the driver's side and open the door. Straighten her shoulders she calmly walked over to the car as they got out. She gave her sister a small smile and nodded to Damon. "I need to talk to you. If you would excuse us Mary." She waited as her sister stepped away from the car before going up to Damon. Taking his hand she led him a little ways away from the car, controlling her breathing she stopped and looked at him. "What's going on? You felt it didn't you. You had to." She searched his face and noticed it was tight with control. 'Something's gone completely wrong.' She stole a look at her sister and saw her watching them curiously.
"I felt something in my room a few minutes ago. It knocked me flat on my back. It's evil, there's no mistake about that and it's obviously not coming from you." She suddenly realized that she still held his hand, she released his hand and letting go of it she stepped back. She rubbed her arms to try to make the chill go away but it wasn't working. 'Something or someone's out there.'
"So nice of you to rule me out as a possible suspect." Damon snapped at her. He looked around noticing that Bonnie and Mary were the only ones here. "But you're right, it wasn't me. And Stefan isn't strong enough to reach me all the way in Heron." He stood there for a moment, listening, looking, as if he expected whatever it was to jump out in the open at any second.
"You're not safe out here." He told her, taking her by the arm and pulling her into the house. "You too." He said as they walked past Mary, and Damon grabbed her with his other hand. He pulled the sisters into their house and kicked the door shut behind him. He let go of Mary's arm in the entrance area and pulled Bonnie into the adjoining living room. "Granted I wasn't expecting the mental message, but from what I can gather, it was a girl." Damon first thought of Katherine. But she was dead, gone, pffttt. Then Elena. There was no way she could have done it. After all Stefan himself had confirmed that she was human.
Damon needed to leave. He hadn't taken any blood since the girl the night before. Her blood was still rushing through him, but he wasn't at his 'peak'. A little more and his powers would be at their highest, and he had the distinct feeling that he was going to need them that way. He had fully intended to ignore Bonnie's threat and use Mary, but that idea had been cut short. "I have to go." He told Bonnie quickly. "But I will be back after I..." He trailed off noticing Mary watching them from the hall. "...Look for something. Don't you dare leave this house, and don't invite anyone that can't walk through that door by themselves in." His eyes left Bonnie's face as he spoke and trailed down to her neck.
Bonnie noticed where Damon's gaze had led to and suddenly realized his intentions. Looking quickly at her sister she gave her a small 'I'm sorry' smile and took Damon's hand. "Um I just bought a book from the college. I'm taking Beginner's Italian there this fall and I was wondering if by chance you could um... go over something with me before you leave." She led him up the stairs and into the room. Locking the door behind her she leaned against. "If it's not safe for us to go out then it's definitely not safe for you to go out and feed. You'll be completely vulnerable while you're in the uh. Act." She looked up at him shyly. 'Why the hell am I doing this?!' she questioned herself but she already knew the answer. If there was something out that that even Damon was worried about then he'd need all the strength he could get and she was worried about him.
Stepping up to him she held her head high and looked into his dark eyes. "Drink from me." she said softly and tilted her face up to his. Her pulse had begun to race the moment she had started to lead him up here and now she thought her heart would explode in her chest. She was scared of course but her fear didn't matter right this minute... he did. 'At least one of them should be strong enough, there's no telling what animal Stefan had for dinner.' Reaching up she touched his cheek. "Take as much as you need." she stated bravely her voice a bit strained.
Damon wasn't Stefan they were nothing alike. The only thing they had in common was their taste in blondes. But that apparently seemed to be changing for one of the Salvatore brothers. Bonnie had once offered the same thing to Stefan unbeknownst to Damon. And Stefan the gentleman, guilt racking his body over the time he attacked Caroline and Tyler, had refused. Refused Bonnie, Meredith, and Matt.
But again, Damon wasn't Stefan, far from him. A pretty girl offering her neck, her blood. Who could resist.
Damon stepped towards her, fire in his eyes. "As you wish." He whispered as he lowered his mouth to her already pale neck. She was shaking he could feel her fear. But there was something else inside Bonnie. Damon felt it even before his teeth elongated into sharp points and pierced her fragile skin.
Pride and Strength. Bonnie wasn't doing this because she was a pushover. She was transfixed as Damon's usual consorts were. She was willing, they all were, but Damon knew that this was different.
He didn't need that much. Not so much that Bonnie was in any danger of dying. Damon usually didn't kill his victims anyways, contrary to what Stefan might believe. He drank slowly, savoring her blood. The taste like fire inside him.
Bonnie's head fell back and she allowed him to support her. The feelings she was experiencing were amazing. She felt like she was giving something that he needed and she knew he appreciated. Maybe even enjoyed it. Almost by instinct her hands came up and her fingers threaded through his hair. There had been a minor sting of pain when he first sank in his teeth but it had been quickly replaced by a pleasant feeling. 'Now I know why Elena gave her blood so freely to both brothers.' her mind began to cloud and she gave into the feelings she was experiencing all coherent thought flew out the window. All there was at the moment was Bonnie and Damon.
After sending out her message, Katherine continued to walk amongst the headstones. She began to hum an ancient tune, her silvery voice the only sound in the night air. "I know they heard me...now I'll let them come to me, and then the real fun'll begin," she thought. She began to visualize the ways she would torture them this time. Slowly beheading them would always work, starting at the base of the neck and slowly working her way around, cutting only a little bit deeper each time she went around. As would disemboweling them, removing the unnecessary organs first and then moving to the vital ones. Dismemberment was always at the top of her list though, and starving them to death in the process made it even better. Allowing them to bleed to death, however, had already been tried, and seemed almost boring, now. She smiled at the memory of their screams and then scowled at how careless she had been to let them get away. "Not this time..." she thought. She sat down on a large headstone and in a slightly insane, almost childlike voice sang quietly: "Come out, come out, where ever you are..."
Her car slinked up and down the streets. Caroline and matt looked out every window they could hoping to catch site of either a pale blonde or a somber Italian guy. They had finished dinner a little earlier. Caroline eating a sirloin steak cooked just enough to be brown on the outside, a loaded baked potato, soup, salad, and a banana split. Piggy piggy! Matt ate a cheeseburger and fries. Then treated himself to a vanilla milkshake and stolen bites of the banana split. But now their mission was to find Elena or Stefan or preferably both.
"We aren't accomplishing crap matt. I still vote we go to the cemetery. Stefan is probably prowling there and I can't get that smell out of my head." she tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked at matt for a decision.
Matt nodded in reply, he hadn't seen sign of Elena or Stefan, there was no telling where Damon had taken Mary and Bonnie was off driving around completely mad at the world. Matt took of his seat belt as Caroline rolled to a stop near the graveyard. 'Please be here Elena.' Getting out of the car he shut the door. The sound echoed through the still night. "Funny I don't hear anything out here. Not even an owl." he said to Caroline as the met at the front of the car. "You don't happen to have a flash light in your car do you?"
Caroline went to her trunk and popped the lid. She rummaged through her stuff and pulled out the heavy flashlight. She clicked it on.
"Come on" she nodded at matt and moved forward walking briskly. She moved the beam steadily in front of her. She could hear matt crunching behind her. She saw the Gilbert monument up ahead and hit a light jog. She moved the beam over the site. She looked at matt to make sure he was still there.... then it happened.
She could smell that sweet perfume smell again. Like lilacs. Her nostrils flared." do you smell that." matt looked at her like she was insane for moment. "You don't smell that?? It's all over...and it trails off. That way." she began sniffing the air and walking in one direction. Why was she the only one smelling it and why was matt's pulse speeding up? She looked back at him. "Are you ok?" she continued sniffing the air. like a dog. she continued following the scent. Until she realized it trailed right into the old cemetery. She stopped. Her ears perked and she began stepping back. Repelled. She turned to matt and started hurrying away. "I have to get out of here. Something's not right. Not right here and not right with me." she dropped the flashlight and bolted away. She didn't even look back at matt. But when she got into her car slumped against it and covered her face with hands. She crumbled to side of her car.
"Where do you want to eat??"
When she got his answer, she headed out to the restaurant.
They went to a quaint restaurant not far from the hotel. The hostess showed them to their seat and they pulled their chairs in.
"Tell me about England", Meredith asked him once they were settled.
"Well, let's see it's small, everything is old fashioned and the Queen's palace isn't really much to look at. As for why I went, well that was pretty much a flop. I found out nothing regarding why I went and that Professor, he was pretty much useless to me. What I really need to do is talk to Stefan and get some real information from him. And from what you tell me that may just be possible. Anyways, it's wasn't really all that exciting. I found out little tid bits but, nothing concrete on...ummm...the subject."
He turned to her and looked into her eyes. "All I really wanted to do was be here with you. It was so lonely over there and it was literally driving me crazy. I am so glad I am here now though. There is no place in the world where I would rather be, than here with you." He couldn't believe the words that were coming from his mouth. He had never been so blatant with her before. "Uhhhh...I guess I really just missed you. A lot."
He looked at her to see her reaction to his ever flowing emotions.
Damon drove out of Fell's church, returning to nearby Heron, pulling the sleek BLACK car into an empty parking lot. He got out, walked over to Mary's side, and being the chivalrous vampire that he was, opened her door and helped her out. Shutting the door behind her, he pressed a button on his key chain activating the car's state of the art security alarm.
"I thought that maybe you would want to get away from boring Fell's Church, try something a little less...religious." He led her into the exquisite French restaurant, and requested a dark secluded booth, lit only by the candles surrounding it.
When they sat down, and the waiter left them with their menus, Damon couldn't help but marvel at the resemblance Mary bore to Bonnie. 'Of course, Damon, they're sisters, what did you think?' he though to himself.
"So, Mary," he said, rubbing her hand gently, "tell me about yourself."
"Well there isn't much to tell about myself. Lived in Fell's Church all my life, so I'm nothing amazing. I've been an RN for almost a year and thinking about going back to school."
She paused a moment when the waiter brought their wine and took their order. "I know this will sound silly, but I am Druid. Been practicing for several years. My great-grandmother got me started on it."
'I can't believe he took me to such a nice place. Bonnie knows all the gentleman.' She smiled at him, "What about you? Where are you from? I notice an accent. Italy?" His touch was like electricity on her skin. His strong hands were so gentle. For the second time she noticed his eyes. Something about his eyes. 'He's older than he looks, maybe twenty-five or so.' His features were chiseled, like a work of art. 'He's someone important.'
"Yes, Italy." Damon answered, sipping the wine. He had no need for it, and it had no affect on him. He could stomach it however, as he could with food if need be. "I've been everywhere actually. Then I decided to taste the flavors of America, and Fell's Church seemed quite the little town to savor."
Bonnie sat in the restaurant looking around at all the people having a good time. She stared enviously at the couples scattered here and there. 'Wonder where he took her. Somewhere better than here I suppose.' Spearing a tomato from her salad she bit down on it and ate in silence, hearing bits a pieces of conversation. About ten minutes later she pushed her partially eaten salad away and waited for the waiter to bring the check. She stood up as he brought her the check, placed a couple of dollars on the table for a tip and paid for the salad before heading out. It was already dark out when she stepped out into the parking lot. Taking a beep breath of the pleasantly warm summer night air she headed toward her Cherokee.
'I wonder if they've found Elena yet?' she thought to herself as she started the car up and pulled out of the parking lot and away from the restaurant. 'Maybe I'll take another bath when I get home, just to relax. She glanced over at the passenger seat, smirked as she saw the Italian book and thought about the guy back at the bookstore. He was definitely cute. Maybe she would run into him some time in the near future. Pulling into her drive she saw that her parents were home finally. 'Great.' Getting slowly from the car she locked it up and reluctantly made her way to the front door. She could see her parents watching TV as she glanced through the window as she walked up.
'Maybe they're to engrossed in whatever they are watching to bother with me tonight.' Opening the door as quietly as she could she closed it, tip toed her way up stairs to her room and closed the door. Falling down on her bed she stared up at the ceiling. 'This is supposed to be the happiest years of my life right? Yeah ok.' Rolling over on her stomach she looked up at the clock. 'Wonder how long he's going to drag this farce of a date out.' Reaching out she turned the clock around. 'Who cares right? I don't care, do I?' With a frustrated growl she stood up and began to pace her room. 'Pacing. The sport of champion frustrated think too much's. They should seriously make it a sport.' She walked to the window seat and sat down.
Pressing her forehead on the windowpane she closed her eyes and thought about happier, non-vampire/werewolf infested days when all she had to worry about was which nail polish went with which out fit. 'I should be out partying. It's the summer for crying out loud but here I am in my room alone. Mary's out on a date with the prince of darkness and Elena's nowhere to be found. Stefan appears to be on a guilt trip of some sort and Caroline's probably hanging out with Matt. Isn't that just weird.' Nothing was the same anymore and it could never be again. Deciding to for-go the bath, she was clean enough.
Walking to the closet she stripped of the 'bad girl' green halter and shrugged into the blue 'bite me' baby t. Looking into the mirror she studied her reflection. Pulling her hair up high on her head she ponytailed it and surveyed her appearance. Feeling in her pocket for the ring she pulled it out and studied it. It was pretty enough and she knew the power it held for just being a piece of jewelry. After stuffing it back in her pocket she then reached around her neck and unclasped the necklace and dropped it in the jewelry box. Sitting at her vanity she looked herself in the face and imagined herself as an old woman with wrinkles. She shook her head to remove the vision. 'I don't want to have wrinkles!' Taking her fingertips she pulled at her cheeks and studied the area around her eyes. 'Still young and beautiful. But for how long? Ten. Twenty years?'
She reached to her left, took a bottle of perfume and dabbed some on the spots just beneath her ears. It was a light floral fragrance and she smiled as she inhaled its aroma. She could see the clock in the reflection of the mirror and grimaced. 'Tick tick. Time ticks away so fast sometimes and slow at other times.'
Katherine was lying on the large stone slab in the crypt with her hands behind her head, one leg propped up, and staring at the ceiling. Lying against the far wall, was a girl with black hair, a short black skirt, a red tube top, and red flip flop sandals. Her head hung at an odd angle and a bone was protruding from her neck. She'd had the misfortune of becoming Katherine's dinner. Katherine, feeling full and having not slept for several days, allowed her eyes to close and her thoughts to drift. Before she knew it, she was asleep.
~*~Dreaming~*~
She stood in a large black room. The walls had silver horned and fanged skulls on them with glowing red eyes and blue flames coming out of the mouths. There was blood on the floor and an orange light coming from the corners of the room. Screaming could be heard all around. It seemed to suffocate her, and she could feel the walls getting smaller. Within seconds she could push on both walls with her hands and she tried with all of her supernatural strength to push them back. Just as the walls were about to crush her, they became liquid and she felt them pass right through her. This was getting very aggravating.
"Don't like the feeling of being Powerless, Katherine?" A dark, familiar, voice said, seemingly out of nowhere.
"No, I don't like it," she replied.
The Devil stepped out of the darkness in the form of a man. He wore black leather pants, a white "wife-beater" undershirt, and a black button down shirt over it with the buttons undone. He had black hair, with reddish tips.
"I'm just here to remind you of why you're alive again. I want to know why you haven't held up your end of the bargain? We're not seeing very many condemned souls Katie-honey. There's only been-- what? --Two or three?"
"I'm doing the best I can for right now. I want to get something out of the way first...You know, that whole little, "revenge" thing? And don't call me Katie. I detest it."
"See that it gets handled quickly..." he paused. "Katerina."
Katherine sat up with a start. "Dammit. I hate it when I'm pressured," she mumbled. She swung her legs over the side of the slab and hopped off. Climbing out of the crypt, she let the night air hit her face and calm her nerves. She walked amongst the headstones and envisioned Stefan and Damon's faces in her mind. Then she sent out a mental message to those in reach...
"Are we feeling any better, boys?"
Even though he was miles away from the town, the cemetery, Katherine, Damon felt her voice in his head, his head snapped up, eyes alert, predatory senses thrown up. 'Couldn't possibly be' he thought to himself. He had his back to the wall, Mary situated off to his side, and his eyes scanned to restaurant. Nothing. 'A hallucination?' his thoughts churned in his mind, trying to find an explanation to the sweet, yet evil voice that still echoed in his head.
"I'm sorry, Mary." He said rising to his feet and offering his hand to her. "But it seems I have forgotten a previous arrangement, and need to return to Fell's Church. Forgive me, as I was looking forward to this evening as much as you."
He paid the matridee for the wine and waited impatiently for Mary to follow him. Even though he still appeared calm, collected, and cool on the outside, inside, the hunter felt the feeling once again of being the hunted.
Mary placed her hand on his arm. The back of her mind itched and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "Is there something wrong?"
She shook her head, "Never mind. Forget I asked, it's not my business. I would like to do this again though. If you have time for me, that is."
Her smile was sincere, but she couldn't shake the feeling as if something were wrong. Somehow she knew this was going to happen. She never had a relationship that lasted so why should this date be any different? She almost wanted to cry on the way home.
'Bon won't want to talk either; they have their own thing. How did I know that? I don't want to know.'
For the first time she realized there were no stars in the sky. 'That's funny should it be a waxing moon tonight?'
Bonnie felt the power the moment it was sent out. Images of the graveyard and the crypt flashed through her mind and she fell to the floor from the sheer intensity of the power that exploded from there. She couldn't tell what exactly it's purpose was as she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling from the flat of her back. 'Oh no. I'm able to remember this stuff now. This can't be good.' The feeling had been of complete evil and full of blood lust. Getting slowly up she winced grabbing the back of her head. 'This can't be happening.' It didn't have the feel of Damon or Stefan. Not even of Klaus but it was oddly familiar.
Opening her door she ran down the stairs and out the front door into the night looking around. 'Where is Mary.' she thought worriedly. 'Where's everyone.' She felt cold for it to be a warm summer night and she looked up at the sky. The moon hung low in the horizon. 'Bring her home now Damon.' she thought with all her strength trying to send out the message. 'Please let him hear me or at least sense my worry and even my fear.'
Stefan watched the stunned rabbit hop away as he licked his lips. At least he hadn't killed this time. He watched as it disappeared into the woods seemingly unhurt and then started to walk. He had needed to be outside.... alone. His thoughts and feelings had been so much for him that he thought he were literally going to lose his mind.
He came across a dead tree stump in the clearing and took a seat on it. He tried sorting through what had happened that day, from his behavior in front of Elena, to the dizziness and passing out, to Caroline stating she dreamed of Klaus, to Damon harassing Bonnie and Mary, to...he became overwhelmed as he thought of everything.
But there was something else, something he didn't want to have to think about.... the hallucinations he had been having of HER. Her, that once sweet girl whom he had loved so dearly. That girl whom he had killed his brother over. That girl whom he had grieved over for nearly 500 years. That girl who had tortured and killed the one his heart truly belonged to. He couldn't even bring himself to say her name, not even mentally.
Suddenly he felt the waves of pain and dizziness come back again only this time with much greater speed and intensity. He threw his hands to his head and then he heard it.... her voice.
"Are we feeling any better, boys?", she said.
The pain in his head grew greater and greater until he screamed and was plunged into darkness once again.
Bonnie sighed with relief as she saw Damon's sleek black car pull up. She suppressed the urge to run to the driver's side and open the door. Straighten her shoulders she calmly walked over to the car as they got out. She gave her sister a small smile and nodded to Damon. "I need to talk to you. If you would excuse us Mary." She waited as her sister stepped away from the car before going up to Damon. Taking his hand she led him a little ways away from the car, controlling her breathing she stopped and looked at him. "What's going on? You felt it didn't you. You had to." She searched his face and noticed it was tight with control. 'Something's gone completely wrong.' She stole a look at her sister and saw her watching them curiously.
"I felt something in my room a few minutes ago. It knocked me flat on my back. It's evil, there's no mistake about that and it's obviously not coming from you." She suddenly realized that she still held his hand, she released his hand and letting go of it she stepped back. She rubbed her arms to try to make the chill go away but it wasn't working. 'Something or someone's out there.'
"So nice of you to rule me out as a possible suspect." Damon snapped at her. He looked around noticing that Bonnie and Mary were the only ones here. "But you're right, it wasn't me. And Stefan isn't strong enough to reach me all the way in Heron." He stood there for a moment, listening, looking, as if he expected whatever it was to jump out in the open at any second.
"You're not safe out here." He told her, taking her by the arm and pulling her into the house. "You too." He said as they walked past Mary, and Damon grabbed her with his other hand. He pulled the sisters into their house and kicked the door shut behind him. He let go of Mary's arm in the entrance area and pulled Bonnie into the adjoining living room. "Granted I wasn't expecting the mental message, but from what I can gather, it was a girl." Damon first thought of Katherine. But she was dead, gone, pffttt. Then Elena. There was no way she could have done it. After all Stefan himself had confirmed that she was human.
Damon needed to leave. He hadn't taken any blood since the girl the night before. Her blood was still rushing through him, but he wasn't at his 'peak'. A little more and his powers would be at their highest, and he had the distinct feeling that he was going to need them that way. He had fully intended to ignore Bonnie's threat and use Mary, but that idea had been cut short. "I have to go." He told Bonnie quickly. "But I will be back after I..." He trailed off noticing Mary watching them from the hall. "...Look for something. Don't you dare leave this house, and don't invite anyone that can't walk through that door by themselves in." His eyes left Bonnie's face as he spoke and trailed down to her neck.
Bonnie noticed where Damon's gaze had led to and suddenly realized his intentions. Looking quickly at her sister she gave her a small 'I'm sorry' smile and took Damon's hand. "Um I just bought a book from the college. I'm taking Beginner's Italian there this fall and I was wondering if by chance you could um... go over something with me before you leave." She led him up the stairs and into the room. Locking the door behind her she leaned against. "If it's not safe for us to go out then it's definitely not safe for you to go out and feed. You'll be completely vulnerable while you're in the uh. Act." She looked up at him shyly. 'Why the hell am I doing this?!' she questioned herself but she already knew the answer. If there was something out that that even Damon was worried about then he'd need all the strength he could get and she was worried about him.
Stepping up to him she held her head high and looked into his dark eyes. "Drink from me." she said softly and tilted her face up to his. Her pulse had begun to race the moment she had started to lead him up here and now she thought her heart would explode in her chest. She was scared of course but her fear didn't matter right this minute... he did. 'At least one of them should be strong enough, there's no telling what animal Stefan had for dinner.' Reaching up she touched his cheek. "Take as much as you need." she stated bravely her voice a bit strained.
Damon wasn't Stefan they were nothing alike. The only thing they had in common was their taste in blondes. But that apparently seemed to be changing for one of the Salvatore brothers. Bonnie had once offered the same thing to Stefan unbeknownst to Damon. And Stefan the gentleman, guilt racking his body over the time he attacked Caroline and Tyler, had refused. Refused Bonnie, Meredith, and Matt.
But again, Damon wasn't Stefan, far from him. A pretty girl offering her neck, her blood. Who could resist.
Damon stepped towards her, fire in his eyes. "As you wish." He whispered as he lowered his mouth to her already pale neck. She was shaking he could feel her fear. But there was something else inside Bonnie. Damon felt it even before his teeth elongated into sharp points and pierced her fragile skin.
Pride and Strength. Bonnie wasn't doing this because she was a pushover. She was transfixed as Damon's usual consorts were. She was willing, they all were, but Damon knew that this was different.
He didn't need that much. Not so much that Bonnie was in any danger of dying. Damon usually didn't kill his victims anyways, contrary to what Stefan might believe. He drank slowly, savoring her blood. The taste like fire inside him.
Bonnie's head fell back and she allowed him to support her. The feelings she was experiencing were amazing. She felt like she was giving something that he needed and she knew he appreciated. Maybe even enjoyed it. Almost by instinct her hands came up and her fingers threaded through his hair. There had been a minor sting of pain when he first sank in his teeth but it had been quickly replaced by a pleasant feeling. 'Now I know why Elena gave her blood so freely to both brothers.' her mind began to cloud and she gave into the feelings she was experiencing all coherent thought flew out the window. All there was at the moment was Bonnie and Damon.
After sending out her message, Katherine continued to walk amongst the headstones. She began to hum an ancient tune, her silvery voice the only sound in the night air. "I know they heard me...now I'll let them come to me, and then the real fun'll begin," she thought. She began to visualize the ways she would torture them this time. Slowly beheading them would always work, starting at the base of the neck and slowly working her way around, cutting only a little bit deeper each time she went around. As would disemboweling them, removing the unnecessary organs first and then moving to the vital ones. Dismemberment was always at the top of her list though, and starving them to death in the process made it even better. Allowing them to bleed to death, however, had already been tried, and seemed almost boring, now. She smiled at the memory of their screams and then scowled at how careless she had been to let them get away. "Not this time..." she thought. She sat down on a large headstone and in a slightly insane, almost childlike voice sang quietly: "Come out, come out, where ever you are..."
Her car slinked up and down the streets. Caroline and matt looked out every window they could hoping to catch site of either a pale blonde or a somber Italian guy. They had finished dinner a little earlier. Caroline eating a sirloin steak cooked just enough to be brown on the outside, a loaded baked potato, soup, salad, and a banana split. Piggy piggy! Matt ate a cheeseburger and fries. Then treated himself to a vanilla milkshake and stolen bites of the banana split. But now their mission was to find Elena or Stefan or preferably both.
"We aren't accomplishing crap matt. I still vote we go to the cemetery. Stefan is probably prowling there and I can't get that smell out of my head." she tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked at matt for a decision.
Matt nodded in reply, he hadn't seen sign of Elena or Stefan, there was no telling where Damon had taken Mary and Bonnie was off driving around completely mad at the world. Matt took of his seat belt as Caroline rolled to a stop near the graveyard. 'Please be here Elena.' Getting out of the car he shut the door. The sound echoed through the still night. "Funny I don't hear anything out here. Not even an owl." he said to Caroline as the met at the front of the car. "You don't happen to have a flash light in your car do you?"
Caroline went to her trunk and popped the lid. She rummaged through her stuff and pulled out the heavy flashlight. She clicked it on.
"Come on" she nodded at matt and moved forward walking briskly. She moved the beam steadily in front of her. She could hear matt crunching behind her. She saw the Gilbert monument up ahead and hit a light jog. She moved the beam over the site. She looked at matt to make sure he was still there.... then it happened.
She could smell that sweet perfume smell again. Like lilacs. Her nostrils flared." do you smell that." matt looked at her like she was insane for moment. "You don't smell that?? It's all over...and it trails off. That way." she began sniffing the air and walking in one direction. Why was she the only one smelling it and why was matt's pulse speeding up? She looked back at him. "Are you ok?" she continued sniffing the air. like a dog. she continued following the scent. Until she realized it trailed right into the old cemetery. She stopped. Her ears perked and she began stepping back. Repelled. She turned to matt and started hurrying away. "I have to get out of here. Something's not right. Not right here and not right with me." she dropped the flashlight and bolted away. She didn't even look back at matt. But when she got into her car slumped against it and covered her face with hands. She crumbled to side of her car.
