Disclaimers: Elena Gilbert, Stefan Salvatore and friends, along with the Vampire Diaries I - IV belong to L.J. Smith. Everything else is mine. No harm intended or money made from this fic.
Notes:
~ Chapter ~
::Thoughts or telepathy::
_emphasis or italics_
~ Ten ~
When Elena came to, she was propped up in an armchair. The room they had put her in was a modest size, with a double bed, a heavy wooden dresser, built-in wardrobe and the comfortable armchair beside a small table in front of the window. The door was, unsurprisingly, locked. There was no telephone, although she found the telephone jack behind the nightstand.
With nothing else to do, she wandered into the attached bathroom. The usual hotel-type supplies were laid out; shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, towels.
The view from the window offered no clues to where she was. Night had fallen and all she could see was a broad expanse of green lawn and a thick copse of trees on its fringes.
::Stefan must be worried. I wonder what he's doing.:: She hugged herself, feeling momentarily chilled. The window reflected her image; dressed in the rumpled jeans and turtleneck she had worn to work, hair messed from her resistance, eyes dark and wide with fear, face pale.
She moved away from the window and sat on the bed. Unbidden, the memory of the incident began replaying in her mind. That _boy_ had come up to her and kidnapped her. What had he said? She was in danger? People were watching her? Elena snorted.
But, if all he was doing was kidnap or mug her, why not just hit her over the head? Why try and talk to her?
Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Elena jumped off the bed and took a defensive stance. The man who limped through the door was, however, disconcertingly unthreatening.
His light blue eyes came to rest on her. "Ah," he said. "I was told that there was movement in this room." The door had closed behind him and Elena doubted that she would be permitted to leave. "Welcome, Elena Gilbert. Oh yes, we know who you are."
The man took his time hobbling to the chair. His 'guest' got the impression that his slow movements were so that he didn't startle her. Seating himself, he fixed his gaze on her.
"You're angry and scared. I can understand that. I'm sure you also have many questions. Please. Sit." He gestured to the bed. "And I will explain."
Elena did not budge. "Why should I listen to you, much less believe anything you tell me?" she demanded.
"I thought you might feel that way. That's why I brought in someone to vouch for me." On cue, the door opened again and familiar figure entered the room.
"_Alaric?_" she breathed. The paranormal researcher stared at her penetratingly. "Hello, Elena. Meredith told me you came back," he said. This was the first time he had seen her since her death.
"As I'm sure you know, Mr. Saltzman has some connections with individuals who hunt vampires. He'll be able to tell you that we – the organization here – are one of the largest groups of hunters around," the nameless man interrupted before Alaric could start asking her questions with pen and paper in hand, as he seemed about to do.
Meredith's ex-boyfriend nodded in agreement. "They're some of the best. They keep very tight tabs on the going-ons in the vampire world. They probably know more than Stefan does. If they say something is happening, it's likely true; they know their stuff," he rambled, never looking away from her.
The first man cleared his throat loudly. The door opened and Alaric was ushered out. He threw a last, intent look at Elena before the door shut, leaving her alone with the stranger.
"Will you sit now, and hear what I have to tell you?" he asked mildly, not seeming the least offended at her skepticism.
Warily keeping him in her sight, Elena backed and sat gingerly.
He paused for a beat before speaking. "So. What is this all about? Quite bluntly, there's a price on your head."
Shock ran through her. "What?"
"Every – well, nearly every – vampire in the world is hunting you. Why?" he held up a hand to forestall her next question. He studied her as if searching for words.
"There is a prophecy about a 'promised one' who will destroy the undead and reverse the evil done'. In the past year, some vampires have been found dead without any signs of struggle and others have disappeared mysteriously. They were apparently random but they started from Atlanta and moved west to San Francisco, then criss-crossed back to the Eastern Seaboard then cut across the continent again. Most recently, the occurrences have been found in Seattle."
Elena followed the trail and paled. The man nodded. "The occurrences match your movements," he confirmed. "Timing and location are identical."
Elena tried to wrap her mind around the information. "This is crazy! Why would they think that I'm responsible for any of this? I _live_ with a vampire! And _how_ do they think I'm doing it? I'm just an untrained, normal human girl. Not some vampire hunter. I can't kill or kidnap vampires," she protested.
The man only shrugged as if to say 'who knows what they think?'
"And why are you going through all this trouble to protect me?" Elena asked suspiciously. Something in all this rang false.
"Maybe we want to use you as a weapon against the vampires," he said, somehow managing to sound sarcastic and mild at the same time. "But – maybe – you _have_ no power against the vampires," he put in when she opened her mouth to protest. "Whatever the case," his tone became ultra-bland. "You _are_ the focus of a large-scale vampiric effort. That makes you... perfect… bait."
Notes:
~ Chapter ~
::Thoughts or telepathy::
_emphasis or italics_
~ Ten ~
When Elena came to, she was propped up in an armchair. The room they had put her in was a modest size, with a double bed, a heavy wooden dresser, built-in wardrobe and the comfortable armchair beside a small table in front of the window. The door was, unsurprisingly, locked. There was no telephone, although she found the telephone jack behind the nightstand.
With nothing else to do, she wandered into the attached bathroom. The usual hotel-type supplies were laid out; shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, towels.
The view from the window offered no clues to where she was. Night had fallen and all she could see was a broad expanse of green lawn and a thick copse of trees on its fringes.
::Stefan must be worried. I wonder what he's doing.:: She hugged herself, feeling momentarily chilled. The window reflected her image; dressed in the rumpled jeans and turtleneck she had worn to work, hair messed from her resistance, eyes dark and wide with fear, face pale.
She moved away from the window and sat on the bed. Unbidden, the memory of the incident began replaying in her mind. That _boy_ had come up to her and kidnapped her. What had he said? She was in danger? People were watching her? Elena snorted.
But, if all he was doing was kidnap or mug her, why not just hit her over the head? Why try and talk to her?
Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Elena jumped off the bed and took a defensive stance. The man who limped through the door was, however, disconcertingly unthreatening.
His light blue eyes came to rest on her. "Ah," he said. "I was told that there was movement in this room." The door had closed behind him and Elena doubted that she would be permitted to leave. "Welcome, Elena Gilbert. Oh yes, we know who you are."
The man took his time hobbling to the chair. His 'guest' got the impression that his slow movements were so that he didn't startle her. Seating himself, he fixed his gaze on her.
"You're angry and scared. I can understand that. I'm sure you also have many questions. Please. Sit." He gestured to the bed. "And I will explain."
Elena did not budge. "Why should I listen to you, much less believe anything you tell me?" she demanded.
"I thought you might feel that way. That's why I brought in someone to vouch for me." On cue, the door opened again and familiar figure entered the room.
"_Alaric?_" she breathed. The paranormal researcher stared at her penetratingly. "Hello, Elena. Meredith told me you came back," he said. This was the first time he had seen her since her death.
"As I'm sure you know, Mr. Saltzman has some connections with individuals who hunt vampires. He'll be able to tell you that we – the organization here – are one of the largest groups of hunters around," the nameless man interrupted before Alaric could start asking her questions with pen and paper in hand, as he seemed about to do.
Meredith's ex-boyfriend nodded in agreement. "They're some of the best. They keep very tight tabs on the going-ons in the vampire world. They probably know more than Stefan does. If they say something is happening, it's likely true; they know their stuff," he rambled, never looking away from her.
The first man cleared his throat loudly. The door opened and Alaric was ushered out. He threw a last, intent look at Elena before the door shut, leaving her alone with the stranger.
"Will you sit now, and hear what I have to tell you?" he asked mildly, not seeming the least offended at her skepticism.
Warily keeping him in her sight, Elena backed and sat gingerly.
He paused for a beat before speaking. "So. What is this all about? Quite bluntly, there's a price on your head."
Shock ran through her. "What?"
"Every – well, nearly every – vampire in the world is hunting you. Why?" he held up a hand to forestall her next question. He studied her as if searching for words.
"There is a prophecy about a 'promised one' who will destroy the undead and reverse the evil done'. In the past year, some vampires have been found dead without any signs of struggle and others have disappeared mysteriously. They were apparently random but they started from Atlanta and moved west to San Francisco, then criss-crossed back to the Eastern Seaboard then cut across the continent again. Most recently, the occurrences have been found in Seattle."
Elena followed the trail and paled. The man nodded. "The occurrences match your movements," he confirmed. "Timing and location are identical."
Elena tried to wrap her mind around the information. "This is crazy! Why would they think that I'm responsible for any of this? I _live_ with a vampire! And _how_ do they think I'm doing it? I'm just an untrained, normal human girl. Not some vampire hunter. I can't kill or kidnap vampires," she protested.
The man only shrugged as if to say 'who knows what they think?'
"And why are you going through all this trouble to protect me?" Elena asked suspiciously. Something in all this rang false.
"Maybe we want to use you as a weapon against the vampires," he said, somehow managing to sound sarcastic and mild at the same time. "But – maybe – you _have_ no power against the vampires," he put in when she opened her mouth to protest. "Whatever the case," his tone became ultra-bland. "You _are_ the focus of a large-scale vampiric effort. That makes you... perfect… bait."