Disclaimers: Elena Gilbert, Stefan Salvatore and friends, along with the Vampire Diaries I - IV belong to L.J. Smith. Everything else belongs to me. No harm intended or money made from this fic.
Notes:
~ Chapter ~
::Thoughts or telepathy::
_emphasis or italics_
~ Sixteen ~
Jerrick Edom hobbled over to the chair the ex-vampire had vacated, facing the Gilbert girl. As before, he moved unhurriedly. The deep blue eyes tracked him wordlessly across the room.
"Good morning," he said, meeting her eyes.
::Is it?:: he heard her think, although she didn't say it. She nodded once to acknowledge the greeting.
An awkward silence ensued. "Is there anything you need?" he asked, eventually. She shook her head.
Something twisted inside him. "Elena," he said harshly. "I am still the lame, scarred man you grudgingly listened to three days ago. You have nothing to fear from me." He looked at her stricken face and said more gently, "The future will sort itself out. For now, we have matters to discuss, things to do and, I'm sure, preparations to make." His tone turned brisk at the end.
She nodded; what choice did she have, after all? She looked about to say something, but hesitated. "I answer to the name Jerrick," he prompted, attempting to lighten the mood.
She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Her sense of humor asserted itself and she cracked a smile. "I don't know where to begin," she admitted, her posture relaxing somewhat.
"Well, then, allow me." He glanced about the bright, airy kitchen. "Perhaps we should move this discussion to a less public location," he suggested delicately.
She followed him past the large dining area and fully equipped recreation room. He chose the library for their discussion, shutting the door with a faint click before hobbling over to one of the chairs set invitingly in a circle.
"You know me, obviously," he began once they were both seated. "I will say that not even Crystal knows my true identity. For the sake of peace around here and the success of our work, I ask that you keep it that way." He paused for her to agree.
"Now, tell me what you already know or remember. I'll fill in the gaps." He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees and set his chin atop his laced fingers in a posture of patient attentiveness.
She began, haltingly, with the events of a year ago. Protecting Fell's Church from the Other Side. How she had bound the spirits that summer's night to hold Klaus in the spirit realm. Her return to the Other Side and the chance she was offered. To return to the human world.
She didn't go into the details or the conditions for her return. She related the year that followed; how she was drawn to the anguish of vampires craving release, how she gave them a choice, how she changed them. "Some… didn't make it. They couldn't accept the limitations of humanity again and I wasn't strong enough to hold on to them." There was no self-recrimination in her tone, merely regret. Dispassionately, he was thankful; having her eaten up with guilt would have been an unwanted complication.
"I didn't remember any of this then. You kidnapped me and brought me here. And last night... it was as if some Power inside me awakened. And I was _allowed_ to remember."
"Oh, yes," he breathed. He got up and began to pace, painstakingly, but with surprising speed.
"When I realized that you didn't remember anything, I was stumped. I watched you for months, waiting for–" he shrugged. "Some sign or indication, something, anything to tell me you knew about our task. But you were oblivious. I could have just snatched you but what good would that do? And then you started – ah – Turning vampires. Watching you was like watching someone with multiple personality disorder; it was as if you were two different people."
He stopped pacing and sat back down abruptly. "I know very little about Turning," he said, steepling his fingers. "Tell me about it. From your earlier comments, the vampire has to consent in order to be Turned? Without their full support, you can't change them?"
She nodded confirmation. "So you can't force a vampire to be human? They'll simply die?" he pressed.
"I haven't tried to change an unwilling vampire. I believe my purpose is to help vampires, particularly those who were changed against their will, who wish to regain their humanity," she said deliberately, sounding as if she was realizing these things as she spoke.
"How interesting. Your ability to Turn vampires was not in the original 'plan', you know?" he said deprecatingly.
"Oh..." she looked nonplussed. Then she seemed to get carried away by some thought. By the expression on her face, he guessed that it was an unpleasant one.
"'The original plan'," she said, returning to their discussion. "What is your part in all this?" She regarded him like a startled deer.
He turned his face away from her, looking out onto the lawn through gaping holes in the wall where once there had been tall French windows. "I am to guide and guard you until the task is completed."
"Why?" she whispered disbelievingly.
"Why do any of us do anything, Ms Gilbert?" he asked rhetorically, still gazing out sightlessly. Fortunately, she took his evasion as a cue to leave the matter alone, and changed the subject.
"The prophecy – where did that come from?"
One side of his mouth quirked. After a moment, he looked back at her. "We made it up. It was a play on words. The references should be obvious now. I needed something to entice Crystal's cooperation so it had to draw vampires. Vampires dying and disappearing was commonplace enough; I had to make it seem like a greater threat.
"I also needed to draw an Old One. I gambled that, confronted with a target, you would rouse to your gift. Keir Achmed was visible and the most aggressive, so he was a logical choice. And so, I set out to catch his attention; I sent people to infiltrate his ranks and spread the prophecy, and let them 'find out' about you and led them to where you were."
He watched her expression alter slightly. She looked faintly as if she tasted something sour. ::And what if you had gambled wrong...!:: he heard her say mentally, but her though ended in shock as a new realization dawned on her. He nodded imperceptibly and let his gaze wander, giving her time to digest this new revelation. He heard her draw a slow breath, finally and ask shakily, "So... what now?"
"I think that covers the background. Now, we plan for the future. The main problem is drawing out the targets; they are very elusive and not readily identifiable. If they could all be found and lined up in a row, that would make our task very simple," he said dryly.
"Not unless you want to bring about the end of the world. And even, it might not work," she said, shaking her head slowly.
"What do you mean?" he demanded, almost angrily.
"There are two problems, Jerrick," she said, slightly stiff and obviously forcing herself to stay calm. "The lesser of which is that I need to train with my new ability – I can't be hugging every target!"
He was only faintly amused by this, pale eyes still glacial. "And the other?"
"The storm," she said cryptically. "That was excess Power with nowhere to go." She paused to let that sink in. "When an Original is unmade, all his Power is released. It needs to be channeled or contained somehow. Last night's storm was cause by only _leakage_; if _all_ the Power is unleashed... I don't know how much destruction it would cause. And I couldn't control it last night."
His eyebrows rose. "Things went very well last night," he pointed out.
She shook her head again, more emphatically this time. "You don't understand. Last night was the Solstice. I was able to open the Veil and release the energy into the spirit realm. I don't think I could do that after today."
He stared at her for a split second, fury stark on his face. He turned his head sharply, releasing her from his gaze. He propped one elbow on the arm of the chair and touched his fingers to his lips thoughtfully, unaware of how Roman he looked in that pose.
After a long moment, he exhaled. "Too well. Last night went almost _too_ perfectly," he murmured tiredly. He fell silent, a faraway look on his face. He seemed to have forgotten that she was there, until she shifted restlessly.
Pale blue eyes caught lapis lazuli ones. "Yes, Elena, it would seem that training is required. I can't give you any answers immediately. We'll talk some more later," he said, in clear dismissal.
She stood uncertainly. His change of mood had thrown her off balance. "Am I still a prisoner?" she asked finally.
Distracted, he glanced at her. "That depends. Do you want to leave?"
She was still less than completely sure of herself and here was security and people who seemed to know something about her. Better to stay than to leave full of questions, to face a vampire army alone. "No," she said in a firm tone.
"Then you're free to come and go as you please."
Bemused by the contrary reply, she nodded and left. Just before she shut the door behind her, however, he called her name. She half-stepped into the room quizzically.
He was looking at her, standing beside a bookshelf with an old leather bound volume open in his hand. "There is one question you might want to think about. Don't answer me, just think about it: What about Stefan Salvatore?"
Author's Note: You like? Review!
Notes:
~ Chapter ~
::Thoughts or telepathy::
_emphasis or italics_
~ Sixteen ~
Jerrick Edom hobbled over to the chair the ex-vampire had vacated, facing the Gilbert girl. As before, he moved unhurriedly. The deep blue eyes tracked him wordlessly across the room.
"Good morning," he said, meeting her eyes.
::Is it?:: he heard her think, although she didn't say it. She nodded once to acknowledge the greeting.
An awkward silence ensued. "Is there anything you need?" he asked, eventually. She shook her head.
Something twisted inside him. "Elena," he said harshly. "I am still the lame, scarred man you grudgingly listened to three days ago. You have nothing to fear from me." He looked at her stricken face and said more gently, "The future will sort itself out. For now, we have matters to discuss, things to do and, I'm sure, preparations to make." His tone turned brisk at the end.
She nodded; what choice did she have, after all? She looked about to say something, but hesitated. "I answer to the name Jerrick," he prompted, attempting to lighten the mood.
She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Her sense of humor asserted itself and she cracked a smile. "I don't know where to begin," she admitted, her posture relaxing somewhat.
"Well, then, allow me." He glanced about the bright, airy kitchen. "Perhaps we should move this discussion to a less public location," he suggested delicately.
She followed him past the large dining area and fully equipped recreation room. He chose the library for their discussion, shutting the door with a faint click before hobbling over to one of the chairs set invitingly in a circle.
"You know me, obviously," he began once they were both seated. "I will say that not even Crystal knows my true identity. For the sake of peace around here and the success of our work, I ask that you keep it that way." He paused for her to agree.
"Now, tell me what you already know or remember. I'll fill in the gaps." He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees and set his chin atop his laced fingers in a posture of patient attentiveness.
She began, haltingly, with the events of a year ago. Protecting Fell's Church from the Other Side. How she had bound the spirits that summer's night to hold Klaus in the spirit realm. Her return to the Other Side and the chance she was offered. To return to the human world.
She didn't go into the details or the conditions for her return. She related the year that followed; how she was drawn to the anguish of vampires craving release, how she gave them a choice, how she changed them. "Some… didn't make it. They couldn't accept the limitations of humanity again and I wasn't strong enough to hold on to them." There was no self-recrimination in her tone, merely regret. Dispassionately, he was thankful; having her eaten up with guilt would have been an unwanted complication.
"I didn't remember any of this then. You kidnapped me and brought me here. And last night... it was as if some Power inside me awakened. And I was _allowed_ to remember."
"Oh, yes," he breathed. He got up and began to pace, painstakingly, but with surprising speed.
"When I realized that you didn't remember anything, I was stumped. I watched you for months, waiting for–" he shrugged. "Some sign or indication, something, anything to tell me you knew about our task. But you were oblivious. I could have just snatched you but what good would that do? And then you started – ah – Turning vampires. Watching you was like watching someone with multiple personality disorder; it was as if you were two different people."
He stopped pacing and sat back down abruptly. "I know very little about Turning," he said, steepling his fingers. "Tell me about it. From your earlier comments, the vampire has to consent in order to be Turned? Without their full support, you can't change them?"
She nodded confirmation. "So you can't force a vampire to be human? They'll simply die?" he pressed.
"I haven't tried to change an unwilling vampire. I believe my purpose is to help vampires, particularly those who were changed against their will, who wish to regain their humanity," she said deliberately, sounding as if she was realizing these things as she spoke.
"How interesting. Your ability to Turn vampires was not in the original 'plan', you know?" he said deprecatingly.
"Oh..." she looked nonplussed. Then she seemed to get carried away by some thought. By the expression on her face, he guessed that it was an unpleasant one.
"'The original plan'," she said, returning to their discussion. "What is your part in all this?" She regarded him like a startled deer.
He turned his face away from her, looking out onto the lawn through gaping holes in the wall where once there had been tall French windows. "I am to guide and guard you until the task is completed."
"Why?" she whispered disbelievingly.
"Why do any of us do anything, Ms Gilbert?" he asked rhetorically, still gazing out sightlessly. Fortunately, she took his evasion as a cue to leave the matter alone, and changed the subject.
"The prophecy – where did that come from?"
One side of his mouth quirked. After a moment, he looked back at her. "We made it up. It was a play on words. The references should be obvious now. I needed something to entice Crystal's cooperation so it had to draw vampires. Vampires dying and disappearing was commonplace enough; I had to make it seem like a greater threat.
"I also needed to draw an Old One. I gambled that, confronted with a target, you would rouse to your gift. Keir Achmed was visible and the most aggressive, so he was a logical choice. And so, I set out to catch his attention; I sent people to infiltrate his ranks and spread the prophecy, and let them 'find out' about you and led them to where you were."
He watched her expression alter slightly. She looked faintly as if she tasted something sour. ::And what if you had gambled wrong...!:: he heard her say mentally, but her though ended in shock as a new realization dawned on her. He nodded imperceptibly and let his gaze wander, giving her time to digest this new revelation. He heard her draw a slow breath, finally and ask shakily, "So... what now?"
"I think that covers the background. Now, we plan for the future. The main problem is drawing out the targets; they are very elusive and not readily identifiable. If they could all be found and lined up in a row, that would make our task very simple," he said dryly.
"Not unless you want to bring about the end of the world. And even, it might not work," she said, shaking her head slowly.
"What do you mean?" he demanded, almost angrily.
"There are two problems, Jerrick," she said, slightly stiff and obviously forcing herself to stay calm. "The lesser of which is that I need to train with my new ability – I can't be hugging every target!"
He was only faintly amused by this, pale eyes still glacial. "And the other?"
"The storm," she said cryptically. "That was excess Power with nowhere to go." She paused to let that sink in. "When an Original is unmade, all his Power is released. It needs to be channeled or contained somehow. Last night's storm was cause by only _leakage_; if _all_ the Power is unleashed... I don't know how much destruction it would cause. And I couldn't control it last night."
His eyebrows rose. "Things went very well last night," he pointed out.
She shook her head again, more emphatically this time. "You don't understand. Last night was the Solstice. I was able to open the Veil and release the energy into the spirit realm. I don't think I could do that after today."
He stared at her for a split second, fury stark on his face. He turned his head sharply, releasing her from his gaze. He propped one elbow on the arm of the chair and touched his fingers to his lips thoughtfully, unaware of how Roman he looked in that pose.
After a long moment, he exhaled. "Too well. Last night went almost _too_ perfectly," he murmured tiredly. He fell silent, a faraway look on his face. He seemed to have forgotten that she was there, until she shifted restlessly.
Pale blue eyes caught lapis lazuli ones. "Yes, Elena, it would seem that training is required. I can't give you any answers immediately. We'll talk some more later," he said, in clear dismissal.
She stood uncertainly. His change of mood had thrown her off balance. "Am I still a prisoner?" she asked finally.
Distracted, he glanced at her. "That depends. Do you want to leave?"
She was still less than completely sure of herself and here was security and people who seemed to know something about her. Better to stay than to leave full of questions, to face a vampire army alone. "No," she said in a firm tone.
"Then you're free to come and go as you please."
Bemused by the contrary reply, she nodded and left. Just before she shut the door behind her, however, he called her name. She half-stepped into the room quizzically.
He was looking at her, standing beside a bookshelf with an old leather bound volume open in his hand. "There is one question you might want to think about. Don't answer me, just think about it: What about Stefan Salvatore?"
Author's Note: You like? Review!