Thea101: Thank you, I try my best to make the chapters brilliant. But…they might not come out that way. Awwwwww, I take it you go to school with Jez101? Thanks for reviewing Thierry's Secret by the way, and now there has been one other person to review it as well as you. Hope you like this chapter, and sorry it took so long to update. ;)
RoseWood1: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pass the flu on, it just sorta happened. Hope you feel better? Thanks for the review, hope you like this chapter? Ooh Birmingham? Never been there…come to think of it, I've never once left Northern Ireland. Oh well. ;)
Leiska: Well you can wait no more, because here is the next chapter. Hmm, you make my fic sound like a drug, LOL. It's easy to get addicted to huh? When are you going to put up your HP fic? Let me know when you do so I can give you a proper review. ;)
Sorry for the long wait, but I just haven't been in the mood to update. Although I have been typing my fic out, just not putting it up. Until now. I decided to update for the Christmas holidays. MERRY CHRISTMAS, SEASON GREETINGS, AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU CELEBRATE. Some people don't celebrate Christmas, HAPPY/MERRY WHATEVER HOLIDAY THIS IS FOR YOU! ;) AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
WARNING: THERE WILL BE SOME KISSING GOING ON BETWEEN TO GIRLS, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THAT KIND OF THING DO NOT READ! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Don't worry; there is a fic in here…somewhere! LOL!!!
Chapter 5: Memories Part IV: Isabelle.
The year is now 1763; it has been over a century since I last saw Stefan. I have not heard anything about what he has been doing for that length of time, nor do I know anything about what Damon has been doing either.
Daniel and I have been living in Florence, I had decided to go back there because I know that both of my brothers are not there, repeatedly throughout the years, I have sent probing thought after probing thought to see where they are. But they are not anywhere near here.
I am walking around the Salvatore Estate where I grew up; the house is still standing which is a surprise. I would have thought that it would have been torn down. I walk to the house and look into one of the many dirty windows; this room was the family room all the furniture is still in the room.
In the far left corner is an overstuffed black velvet chair. A memory comes to mind, of me sitting in this very chair on Damon's knee, listening to his stories. The dress I was wearing was one that Damon himself had bought for me; it was made from blood red silk and the skirt was covered in black lace. A belt was wrapped around my waist, made from hundreds of garnets in different shapes and sizes. Garnets also inhabited my ears and fingers, there was also a garnet around my neck.
In the middle of the room, pushed up into the wall, is a couch made from the same black velvet as the overstuffed armchair. It was here that Stefan taught me how to read and write, and learn about different cultures around the world. The dress that I was wearing that day was midnight blue on the bottom, and then went lighter as it got to the top; the very top of the dress was white, Stefan had bought me that dress. I had sapphires around my waist and in my ears and fingers, but the necklace that I had been wearing that day was the one Damon had given me, he told me that it had belonged to our mother. It was a huge gold locket, with the letter 'M' in the middle, hanging from the bottom of the locket was a huge pearl drop. The locket had been strung on two pearl chains. I am wearing the necklace now.
I move to near the back of the house; this was the enormous kitchen; pans and other kitchen utensils are scattered around the place, as well as some rags for cleaning. The whole place is thick with layers of dust, and cobwebs hang from the ceiling and the utensils.
I move to the back door and try the handle, to my surprise it opens. I walk through the door and into the kitchen. I slowly walk through it and some more memories spring from the deep recesses of my mind; coming into the kitchen and Cook giving me an apple, running through the kitchen to get away from Damon, giggling as I got to the back door, Damon close to my heels, out in the back garden near the white marble fountain, lying on my back gazing at the stars with Damon on one side and Stefan on the other.
I shake my head, and fight off the tears that are threatening to over flow. I walk out of the kitchen and into one of the enormous rooms that was empty of furniture, Damon used to practice his fighting skills with the sword here. Another scene unfolds in front of me, as I gaze at the dust filled room. Me at age ten watching my fourteen year old brother expertly swishing his sword in graceful movements, going up to him and asking if he would teach me how to fight with a sword. Damon laughing at my request, but giving in and teaching me some simple movements.
The scene shimmers and shows both Damon and I concentrating on fighting each other, I am sixteen nearing seventeen in this scene and Damon at twenty, and both of us are handling our sword expertly. The scene shows me slashing that huge cut in Damon's right arm, the blood trickling down his sleeve; I drop my sword and run to him. He looks at me and then laughs after I apologise, telling me that he is fine. The surgeon bandaging his arm, saying that the laceration was not deep.
I shake my head vigorously, and turn away from the room wiping tears from my face. I go to the staircase and go up. At the very top I turn left and go into the room Damon and I shared, there is still the same bed, and furniture there. I go to the bed and lay down on it, burrowing my head into the pillows and cry, soon I fall asleep.
* * * *
I wake up to hear some strange noises rustling in the hallway, right outside the door. I quietly get up off the bed, I start towards the door when suddenly it springs open, and I come face to face with a beautiful redheaded female. She is about the same height is me, and has long wavy red hair; she has pretty honey coloured eyes, and is stunningly beautiful.
"What are you doing in my home?" she demands, she has a mixed accent of Italian and English. Her honey coloured eyes blaze at me. "Who are you?"
"Your home?" I ask. "I will have you know that this home used to be mine."
"Do not be stupid!" The red head sputters. "This house has been empty for two centuries."
"Yes, I know." I murmur. "Who are you?"
"I asked you first." The red head says in child like tones.
"Alright. My name is Marie Salvatore." I reply, saying my name slowly. "Now please tell me who the hell you are, and what you are doing in my home?"
"My name is Isabelle Armand. And what do you mean Marie Salvatore? You cannot be Marie Salvatore!" Isabelle insists.
"And why not?" I demand.
"Marie Salvatore died over two hundred years ago. This is the Salvatore Estate, none of them are alive." She protests.
"You know about the Salvatores?" I ask.
"Yes, I know quite a bit on them." She answers.
"What about the Conte di Salvatore? His name was Guiseppe, whatever became of him?" I ask.
"He died of a broken heart. First his wife dies giving birth to twins, a son Stefan, and a daughter Marie. Then Marie dies at seventeen with a very bad illness, and then both his sons Damon and Stefan die within a week of their sister, apparently they killed each other over some blond ditz of a girl that they both were in love with. It was just too much for the old man, he died a month later from being broken hearted." Isabelle says.
I sit back down on the bed, taking in what happened to my father. A wave of guilt hits me, and I break down in tears again. Isabelle comes over to me, and pulls me into her arms.
"Why are you crying? You never knew them." She says, rocking me from side to side.
"But I did know them!" I protest. "Damon was my older brother, and Stefan was my twin. Guiseppe was my father. How can I not cry when my father died because of me? Damon killed Stefan not only because he was in love with Katherine, but also because he was angry at the universe that took me from him. Stefan killed Damon because he was jealous, and Stefan blamed Damon for killing Katherine."
"You know about Katherine?" Isabelle asks.
"Yes I know about Katherine. She was the daughter of Baron von Schwartzchild. She came to stay with us because she was recovering from the same illness that I had, only mine was worse." I reply in between sobs.
"Did you know that Katherine was a vampire?" she asks, looking at me.
"Yes, she made me a vampire to save my life." I reply, momentarily forgetting that I am talking to a human.
"You are a vampire?" she asks, not letting go of me.
"Yes." I reply. "Go ahead, scream, and run. I do not care what people think of me any more." I reply, crying even harder. I used to be called the Black Death by the Romani gypsy camp a decade ago. If only they could see me now. Some Black Death I turned out to be.
"I will not run away." Isabelle says, holding me tighter.
"You are not afraid?" I ask, looking up into her honey coloured eyes. She gazes down into my eyes, which are most likely to be a sad green colour, on the verge of going black. The colour they go when I have been crying.
I must look like a fool, here I am the Scourge of Europe and the Black Death, and what am I doing? I am breaking my heart over something that has happened over two centuries ago.
"No am I not afraid." She replies.
"Why not?" I ask, completely bewildered and intrigued by this…human woman. She is not afraid of me, and yet all of the other humans, men and women alike, run screaming from the very mention of my name, Liona.
"I do not know why, but I am unafraid." Isabelle says, shrugging slightly.
"Strange. Most people run away screaming." I reply. Isabelle laughs at this.
"I am not most people. I believe in things like this." She answers. I look outside the window and gasp.
"I am sorry, but I must go." I say to her.
"Why?" Isabelle asks, letting me go.
"I should not have stayed out this long. It is near dawn, and I told my lover that I would not be gone long." I say, getting up off the bed, and put on my jacket. I head out of the door, but Isabelle calls me back.
"Marie?" she says. "Where can I find you?"
"There is a cottage not far from here, go into the woods and head north until you come to a huge clearing. My cottage is right in the middle of it." I reply, heading out the door, and running down the stairs, my boots making clicking noises on the old wood.
I run out the front door and to the stables where my black horse -Shadow- has been tied. I untie him, and mount him; we go galloping off down the road.
After riding on the dirt road for ten minutes, I pull on the reins and Shadow turns left into the woods, we head north until we come to the clearing, and Shadow slows down to a walk. I dismount him and walk him into the stables. I walk out and onto the path stopping in front of the front door of the cottage.
I open the front door and step in, closing the door behind me. I send out a short burst of power to Daniel, his reply tells me that he is upstairs taking a bath. I warily climb up the stairs in immediately turn right and into the huge opulent bathroom. Daniel is busy leaning back in the ceramic bathtub, arms stretched out on either side of him, eyes closed.
"How was your trip down memory lane?" he asks, not opening his eyes.
"Awful. I never thought that I would break down like I did." I reply getting undressed, and climbing into the warm water beside my lover. I slide over and he wraps his arm around me, kissing the top of my head. I close my eyes and lean into his embrace.
"Are you alright?" Daniel asks, moving me so that I am sitting in between his legs. He starts to massage my shoulders.
"I will survive." I reply. Suddenly there is a faint knock on the front door. "Who would be calling at this time in the morning?"
"Maybe you had better go answer it?" Daniel suggests after the knocking refuses to stop.
"Alright." I sigh, getting out of the tub and putting on my black silk bathrobe. I walk downstairs and answer the front door.
* * * * *
"Isabelle?" I say as I figure out whom the person on my doorstep is. "What are you doing here at this time?"
"I just came by…to…to…" she says, before she leans in and kisses me.
"What was that all about?" I ask, as soon as she pulls back.
"I…came to tell you that I am in love with you." She replies. "I have no idea why, I just am."
"Uh…come on in." I say, stepping back and letting Isabelle in. I close the door behind her. I lead her into the family room where she sits down.
"I will be right back." I say to her, turning around and almost bolt it out of the room. I run upstairs and storm into the bathroom, where Daniel is wrapping his own midnight blue bathrobe around himself.
"Who was it?" he asks.
"A girl that I met living in my home. Her name is Isabelle, and…well…she kissed me, then she said that she's in love with me." I explain.
"Do you love her?" he asks. At first I think that he is being funny, but the look on his face says otherwise.
"I…I…have some kind of feeling for her, but I do not know if I am in love with her." I say, choosing my words carefully.
Daniel just nods. "Can I see her?" he asks.
"All right." I say, leading him down to the family room where Isabelle is waiting.
"Daniel, this is Isabelle Armand." I say, looking from one to the other. "Isabelle, this is Daniel Channahon, my…partner."
They shake hands.
After talking for about an hour, I do not know how, but all three of us are in the Master bedroom, doing something other than talking.
* * * * *
Later on in the day, after the sun has come up, Isabelle asks me if I would make her a vampire. After analysing my feelings for the human, I agree.
She wakes up three days later, and all three of us go out hunting. We live in Florence for another decade, but then we move back to the New World, which is now called America. It is there that something terrible happens…
* * * * *
A/N: Ooh, I wonder what happens? Only one way to find out…tune in next time for another chapter of Marie. Please review and let me know what you think. Another long chapter by the way.
