If you recognize it, I don't own it! I proudly own Miriam, Baahir, and Philip, and shamefully own the rest of my OCs (Why do we do these disclaimers?)
TW: Vampires do be Vampires. Also talk of the Damon/Caroline compulsion thing.
Miriam's landlord was dead. She watched morosely as the ambulance took him away. The fire had started in his apartment before spreading the neighboring ones.. Luckily the fire department arrived quickly, otherwise the rest of the building would have burned. All the tenants were standing outside, huddled in groups and talking furiously about their respective futures. The building was uninhabitable, at least until the smoke was cleared and the structural damage inspected.
A couple hours later, after night had fallen, a man arrived in a flashy sports car. He looked like a cast-off Elvis Presley, with his big, greased up hair, flashy suit, and ridiculous way of talking. His name was Logan Boggs, and he was the late landlord's business partner.
Mr. Boggs offered the tenants rooms at the apartment building he owned across town. He promised that he would smooth over everything concerning leases, if only they recently homeless people moved into his building. Half of the tenants agreed, half went to a hotel to think about their choices. Those were the lucky ones. They were the people with more money, or who had relatives close by, or friends willing to shelter them until they found a new home. The ones who agreed to Mr. Boggs' admittedly shady dealings were desperate. These people were the ones who were scraping by, the ones living paycheck to paycheck. They were the single mothers with two other mouths to feed. They were the veterans. They were immigrants without support from the community they lived in.
Miriam fit into the second group of people. She knew she could call Baahir, but what then? Mystic Falls was small, and the apartment pool was shallow. She couldn't afford to live in the high-end apartment complex, and her middle-of-the-road apartment building had just been set on fire. Mr. Boggs' building was the only other choice. It was a sucky choice, but her only one if she wanted to stay central to Mystic Falls.
All of Miriam's worldly possessions fit into a large suitcase and one large cardboard box. Both fit easily into Mr. Boggs' car. He talked non-stop on the way to the apartment building. He was weirdly okay with his friend having just died in a horrific fire. If anything, he seemed happy that he had new tenants.
"I don't remember a Sanchez on the tenant list," he commented as they drove. He pronounced Sanchez as 'sand-chez'. She winced, but didn't correct him. He had been kind enough to drive her when she said she had no mode of transportation.
"It's under Abadi. That's my brother's last name."
"Different fathers, eh?" He chuckled.
She smiled weakly. "Something like that."
"Abadi? That sounds Muslim," he said nonchalantly, but with a questioning undertone.
Great, he's an Islamophobe, Miriam thought sourly. "He's from Egypt, but he's currently living in New Orleans."
"Ah. That's a long way away," Mr. Boggs said.
"Yeah, it is."
Mr. Boggs helped her bring her things into the building. The apartment he assigned to her was three floors up, and he was huffing and puffing by the end. He took a moment to breathe before unlocking 3D.
"Home sweet home!" he cackled as he deposited the box inside.
The apartment was small. It was a studio apartment; an apartment with only one room. Along the right wall was a thin desk and desk chair. In the corner of the room on the right was a normal-sized chair with a lamp behind it. To the left, on the wall that had the front door in it was a thin kitchen. It was fully functional, with a stove, sink, and full fridge, but the counter space was practically non-existent. Across from the kitchen was a full bed. There was a beat-up nightstand next to it with another lamp. A small window above the bed was the only source of outdoor light. To the far left there was a utility closet and a bathroom. All in all it was lackluster, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
"The bed also doubles as a couch," Mr. Boggs said, as if that made the miniscule room bigger.
"Thank you for helping me bring my stuff in," Miriam said instead of commenting on what Mr. Boggs had just said.
"Ah, it's no problem, little lady. It'll be nice havin' more people in the place," he dropped a big hand on her shoulder, pinning her in place. His eyes became intense. "I look forward to gettin' to know you better."
Ice cold fear dripped over Miriam's head and down her back like water. She was suddenly all too aware of the fact that this man was in a position of authority over her. She laughed weakly. "Yeah, me too."
Mr. Boggs left, and Miriam collapsed on the bed, shaking.
The next day Miriam bought new groceries. She had cleaned every inch of her new apartment and had bought new sheets and pillows for the bed. The new expenses were a blow to her tight budget, but she knew she wouldn't feel comfortable until everything was clean and new. Once everything was cleaned she unpacked her meager belongings. Her clothes went into the small closet that was in the bathroom. The box she had packed contained the pots, pans, and other kitchen stuff she had slowly been buying over the past year. She put it all away.
She had called Baahir to let him know that she had moved. She told him the truth: that her apartment caught fire and that she was now living in another apartment across town. He wanted to get her another place, or at least come visit her, but she convinced him not to. She knew that her living situation was bleak, and she didn't want him trying to talk her out of living in Mystic Falls. She was afraid she would cave.
Night had settled, and so had Miriam. She was just about to make a late dinner when a knock at the door interrupted her. Fear shot through her: Mr. Boggs. She tip-toed to the door and peered through the peephole. Once she saw who it was, raw anger replaced her fear.
She unlocked the door and yanked it open.
"Did you set my apartment building on fire, asshole?!" she demanded.
"'Hello' to you, too," Damon pushed past her, dragging a confused Caroline behind him.
Miriam slammed the door shut behind them. "Answer me, Salvatore!"
"Yes, and I also killed your landlord," he smirked.
"Dick! What are you doing here?" she crossed her arms, and glanced at Caroline. "Why is she here?"
"I need Stefan and Elena to think I'm screwing her, but you told me I couldn't, so you are on babysitting duty tonight while I go get drunk a few towns over," his smile was sharp.
Miriam rolled her eyes. She guessed it was better than nothing. Caroline would be relatively safe. But Miriam didn't know if the good she did for Caroline balanced out all the bad that had happened as a result. Her landlord had been killed. Dozens of people had been displaced. Vulnerable people like Miriam were going to be taken advantage of by Mr. Boggs and people like him. Was one good deed worth a bad outcome for many other people?
Caroline tugged on Damon's jacket. "Hey, I thought we were going to my place to hang out."
"Change of plans, Blondie," he leaned down and locked eyes with the young girl. "You will stay in this apartment until I come and get you. You won't call your mom, or your friends. Got it?"
"Yes," Caroline responded mechanically.
"Good! Now…"
Before Miriam could even register it, Damon had her pinned to the wall. She caught a glimpse of the black veins around his eyes, and the flash of his fangs, before her neck burned. She gasped as fangs sunk into her neck.
Damon tore into her savagely. He was merciless as he drank from her. There was no doubt in her mind that this was her personal punishment for what she had tried to do. Faintly, through the pain, Miriam could hear Caroline screaming and crying. She wished she could soothe the teenager, but she wasn't in any position to help. She was as helpless as a pinned butterfly. Her feet couldn't touch the ground- he was holding her too high. Her weak human limbs didn't do any damage against a vampire. She was completely at his mercy, and he didn't have any.
Finally, after a couple of minutes, Damon let her go. She dropped to the floor, weakly clutching at her bleeding neck.
"You taste weird," he noted. He wiped blood- her blood- off his mouth.
"Fuck you," Miriam was too frail to do anything but shoot him the bird with her free hand.
"Love you, too, Mysterious Miriam. Have fun tonight, ladies!" he breezed out of the apartment, the door closing with a light click.
"Ohmygod, are you okay?!" Caroline grabbed a dish towel and ran to Miriam. She gently placed the towel against Miriam's neck to stop the bleeding.
"I-I'll be okay," Miriam whispered, more a promise than a fact.
"What is he?! He just mind controlled me! What's happening?" Caroline sobbed.
"He's a vampire. They can mind control people. It's a long story. Can you get me a glass of juice from the fridge? I need to get my energy back up."
After Miriam had bandaged her wound, she explained vampires to Caroline. She also explained a little bit of the relevant plot of Stefan and Elena, just so that the girl would be prepared when she was turned. Miriam was going to let Katherine kill and transform Caroline, because she felt that the girl had been happier as a vampire.
Once the shock had worn off for both girls, Miriam made them dinner. It was a simple meal of spaghetti and garlic bread. The bread had been on sale, which had delighted Miriam. She knew the meal wasn't the most creative or high-end, but it was the most filling meal she could think of. Meat was surprisingly expensive, so she only bought it when it was on sale. Anything besides the basics seemed frivioulus, now. She tried to eat as healthy as she could, but healthy food was costly.
Caroline ate without complaint. She was obviously still shaken up from seeing Damon attack Miriam. Miriam was also shaken up, but she had to prioritize. She could cry and break down later. Now, though… now someone else needed her to be strong for them.
"How do you fit into everything?" Caroline asked as they were washing the dinner dishes.
"I have a lot of knowledge about the past, present, and future. I'm a Knower. I'm not going to get involved until this coming March, but I couldn't just sit back and watch Damon use you as a toy."
"Use me?"
Miriam sighed. "His plan was to feed on you and have sex with you, then compel you to forget it all."
Caroline visibly shuddered. "There's no way I'll ever have sex with him! I don't want to see him ever again! When I get out of here I'm going straight to my mom; she'll get rid of him."
Miriam put down the clean dishes and dried her hands before facing Caroline. "He's going to compel you again, Caroline. You don't have any vervain to protect you. He's probably going to feed from you, though I was able to convince him to leave you alone sexually. You saw how fast he moved and how strong he was. If he really wanted to do something, there would be nothing you could do to stop him. There was nothing I could do to stop him from feeding on me."
Tears welled up in Caroline's blue-green eyes. "It's not far! I'm just some, some pawn to him! You said Damon and Stefan are interested in Elena? Do either of them use her for sex and blood?"
Miriam shook her head, but added, "She doesn't have an easy life, either."
"I don't care! Why can't I be the strong one, the important one, the one boys fight over? It's always Elena. She's cherished, and I'm just used," Caroline dropped heavily on the bed, her face in her hands, crying.
Unsure how to comfort the girl, but unwilling to let her suffer alone, Miriam sat down next to her on the bed.
"Can I tell you a story?"
Caroline shrugged.
"Someday soon there will be a woman walking the earth who is strong. She will be able to protect herself from men who want to use her. She will be able to walk confidently through the town, knowing that she's one of the strongest creatures in existence. She won't compare herself to her friends. And one day, if she's brave enough to let it, she will find an epic love."
Miriam continued to talk about future Caroline in general terms. She didn't want to freak her out when she became a vampire and remembered everything, but she also didn't want the girl to live without some hope for the future.
Slowly Caroline began to get tired. Miriam encouraged her to lay down on the bed, but the girl surprised her by placing her blond head into Miriam's lap. Shocked over the physical touch, Miriam nevertheless let it continue. Hesitantly, she ran her fingers through Caroline's fine hair. At the encouraging noise the teen made, Miriam kept doing it. As the night got older and Caroline started to fall asleep, Miriam began to sing lowly:
This is a lullaby, lullaby
For all the weary souls
Who have their eyes wide, eyes wide
Open at night fall.
When you can't answer why
No one hears your heart cries.
This is a lullaby, lullaby
For you.
Sleep now, angel;
Don't be afraid.
Dry your eyes, angel;
It's all gonna be okay.
Darkness will become like morning light;
Hope will still shine in a moonrise.
So sleep now angel;
Don't be afraid
Of the dark.
The girls got up early the next morning. Miriam knew that Caroline would arrive at school late today, but she didn't know what Damon's plan was. She made a simple breakfast for them, then had Caroline help her clean her bite marks. The wounds were red and irritated. Miriam hoped that vampire saliva killed blood disease; she couldn't even imagine all the people Damon had bitten, surely one of them had some type of spreadable disease. It would just be her luck to become infected and have to go to the hospital.
They had finished breakfast and Caroline had taken a shower before Damon showed up. His knock was as loud and obnoxious as he was. Miriam frowned at him when she opened the door. He looked smug, as if leaving Caroline with Miriam was another punishment. Miriam supposed that to him it was.
"How was your night, ladies?" he asked. Caroline rolled her eyes at him.
"Can your blood transfer diseases from human to human?" Miriam demanded.
Damon blinked. "Uh, no."
Miriam was relieved. "Good. Your fangs have been in a lot of people lately, ya know. Kinda slutty, Damon."
His mouth dropped open, obviously not expecting her sass.
She rolled her eyes. She wasn't all doom and gloom. She could be carefree and fun, she just hadn't had a lot of reasons to just let loose recently. Being shoved into an alternate dimension with vampires and werewolves and witches would do that to a person.
"Time to go," Damon snapped his fingers at Caroline. She huffed, but got up.
Miriam snagged her arm before she reached Damon. "Hey. Remember what I said."
Caroline's eyes became watery. "I will."
"No, you won't," Damon said, and then compelled her to forget her night with Miriam. As he left, he shot a victorious smirk at Miriam, as if he'd won.
Keep fooling yourself, Miriam thought. She would win. She might not be physically strong, but if last night had proved anything it was that she could change the timeline. She could affect outcomes. She could interact with characters and change their decisions. Miriam would continue fighting for the future she envisioned, and she wouldn't let people like Damon Salvatore get in her way.
Mr. Boggs showed his true colors the following week. He told her that he had sold the furniture in her old apartment to pay for repairs to the building. While she was still sputtering in shock and outrage, he informed Miriam that her rent was double the rent she had paid in her old apartment. When she protested, he played his trump card. He must have guessed that she was an immigrant, because he threatened to inform the police that she was living in his building if she didn't comply with his wishes.
Cowed but angry, Miriam agreed. She might not be an immigrant in the sense that racist Mr. Boggs was, but she was living in the United States without any documents proving that she lived there.
She began to work more to try to make ends meet. In December she had to choose between groceries or rent. She chose rent.
She cried on Christmas Eve as her stomach moaned for food. Mr. Boggs charged extra for heat, and when she couldn't pay he turned it off. She hadn't felt warm in weeks. In desperate need of cash, she returned to the Williamson household and baby preteen vamp Ashley.
"You really do taste weird," Ashley commented once she was done feeding on Miriam.
"I've been getting that a lot," Miriam admitted from her place slumped in a chair. Ashley wasn't as forceful as Damon when it came to biting, but it still hurt. "What does that mean?"
"I don't really know how to, like, describe it," Ashley gracefully jumped onto her bed. Her pretty pink bedroom hadn't changed much since Miriam last visited. "It's kinda like… eating food you know belongs to someone else, and feeling guilty about it. It's hard to swallow, because I keep thinking that I'm eating someone else's food, or wearing someone else's clothes without permission. Oh! It's like going to a friend's house and they leave you alone with their parents, or alone in their room. You just know you don't belong. If I found you on the street, I probably would pass you up for someone else to feed on."
"Huh," Miriam wondered why she tasted weird to vampires. Maybe it was because she wasn't from their world? Just be glad you're not vampire crack, she thought to herself. She knew it was too much to hope for her blood repelling vampires, but tasting 'weird' was the next best thing.
She made several more trips to feed Ashley in order to pay her bills. She was constantly tired. She was keeping track of the plot, making sure that nothing big had changed. Damon had become busy with Elena and the tomb business, as he was supposed to. He seemed to have forgotten Miriam, or at the very least thought she wasn't important enough to drag into the plot. She was thankful for him ignoring her either way she split it.
As 2009 melted into 2010, Miriam's stress increased. The Originals were coming, and she was prepared to make a bigger impact on the storyline.
AN: Hi, all! Your awesome reviews and the impending doom of grad school starting next week has motivated me to crank out another chapter.
Hopefully I'm doing the characters justice. There's a fine line between OOC and an AU. I'm still looking for that line, lol
Lullaby Miriam sings to Caroline is "Don't be Afraid of the Dark", by Veridia. One of my favorite songs, and also Miriam's (too bad for her it won't be released until 2015!)
Thanks for reading, folks! - Whitney
