I will admit to pushing the time through quickly. I want to get to the season start, but I don't want to leave anything out that I want to make sure is there so I don't have to info dump later on. I hope you guys are at least entertained thus far.
Still wouldn't say no to a Beta XP
Also, it's kind of totally my birthday. I've successfully completed another year and levelled up. I'm still waiting for my power boost, though.
Enjoy.
Chapter 3This past month had been a complex mixture of intrigue and paranoia for the immortal 17-year-old boy. Elena Gilbert was her own person, an unknowingly adopted teenage girl in mourning, now living with her younger brother who had turned to substance abuse to cope and a young aunt who didn't know the first thing about raising children, let alone how to deal with the loss of her big sister. Uncle John had been and gone, staying long enough to get any affairs under the Gilbert name in order and collect his brother's ring before taking off. Summer holidays had commenced, giving the vampire time to study the anomaly that was an exact replica of his dead Sire. He had half a mind to go delving into the history of Katherine Pierce, but thought better of it, not wanting to attract any attention that may come from that particular research quest. No, what had the other half of his attention was the river under Wickery bridge.
He stood by the water now, willing it to give him back the feeling of tranquillity that had given him an inner peace he hadn't felt since he was human. No, that's not right.
He'd only been that content when he was human and before Katherine.
He'd swum through the river, a mile either way, coming up empty handed every time. He wasn't sure if he was frustrated with the lack of progress or just genuinely sad that he may never feel so whole again.
With one last glance, Stefan sighed. He'd decided he'd stop by the boarding house before going to look in on Elena again. He hadn't been there all month; finding himself sleeping either under the bridge or on the Gilbert's roof. Blurring to the boarding house, he froze as soon as he opened the door.
A scent he'd never smelt before wafted gently through the house like the dust particles that danced through the wind, slightly sweet, almost cold and very heavy. His mind was torn; half of him hoping this new scent had a connection to the water of Wickery bridge and the other half praying to any God that would listen that it had nothing to do with the fear that still clung to his very soul.
Slowly walking into the kitchen, his breath caught at the sound of bell-like laughter coming from the girl standing at the counter. Her back was to him so it gave him time to assess; hair so black it gleamed colours like a raven's wing, curling and waving its way down her back to settle between her hips, skin as pale as a pearl, roughly 5'3" or 5'4"and wearing a dress that was black in colour and fell to her ankles in the back, the loose-fitting material not hiding her curvy figure in the slightest. Zach turned away from the stove to smile at the young woman but lost his smile as soon as he caught sight of his 'nephew.'
Lia felt him before she heard him, her shoulders stiffening at the proximity. She'd never taken the time to investigate Stefan Salvatore. She found herself clenching her jaw and trying not to curl her hands to fists as the guilt, pain, suffering, longing, unquenchable hunger, practically slammed into her with the strength of a Great White. He wouldn't have lasted a week on the seas if he'd lived on her original planet. She attempted – read failed – to relax her stance before turning.
Stefan just about choked on his tongue. Never had he seen a creature quite so supernatural. Sooty lashes, sharp eyebrows, the cheeks and nose of a Fae, a chin from an Elf, large eyes that would no doubt be the same colour as the leaves of her tree if she were a Dryad. Brilliant emeralds widened before he was gifted with a gentle, if tight, welcoming smile.
"Hello, you must be Stefan," and didn't his name sound like so much more in her soft, lilting accent. "My name is Kaliope. I'll be imposing for the here and now while the Sheriff's department attempts to track down my family."
His gaze quickly flicked to Zach, letting him know they would be speaking about this later, before stepping forward and grasping her hand, his hand practically devouring hers in size. He swallowed back his hormones because he was over 150 years old, damn it, regardless of the age he was turned and offered a smile of his own.
"It's lovely to me-et you."
Zach's jaw dropped. Lia simply nodded and, with one last smile, dropped his hand, her mullet skirt flaring as she turned back to the mortal Salvatore who hastily looked back to the cooking food.
Stefan blinked.
He blinked again.
Had his voice…?
Yes.
His voice just cracked.
A flush crept up his neck as he quickly excused himself and hurried up the stairs. He rushed into his bedroom and shut the door firmly, leaning back against it. He made the mistake of scrubbing his hands over his face while breathing in, receiving a strong dose of the possible fairy's scent that sent a shudder rolling down his spine. He groaned in frustration, planning on going to see Elena as soon as he'd finished his journaling.
Damn teenage hormones.
*TVDM*
"So, Mr. Salvatore, would it be possible for me to visit Whitmore College?"
The man looked startled by the odd question, but he nodded anyway. He was a lot more comfortable around the attractive teen than he'd been nearly 3 weeks ago when she'd first arrived. "To be honest, I was waiting for you to ask about colleges. Your placement tests suggest you're more than ready for it. If you don't mind hitching a ride with Sheila Bennett, she teaches an Occult class there a few times a week. I can give her a call after breakfast and see when she's going next; I'm pretty sure the semester's finished so you might have to wait."
"That would be perfect, thanks," the ancient being smiled. "I don't remember having any friends, so I'm hoping high school will at least introduce me to people the same age, but it's never too early to look around, right?"
She returned to the food in front of her, barely hiding her reluctance. She couldn't deny it was delicious, but it was entirely unnecessary and often left her with a heavy feeling she didn't enjoy.
Lia skipped straight to her favourite place in the house once she was done. The way her eyes had glazed over when she'd seen the shelves of books played again in an amused Zach's mind as he watched her go before he went to make the promised phone call, getting a suspicious affirmative that Sheila would be by at 8 tomorrow morning to collect the girl before abruptly hanging up. Shaking his head, Zach went to find the little nymph to tell her the news.
He chuckled as he found her bent in half over the old, thick tome that looked to be Grimm's Fairy Tales; the original telling judging by the German on the front cover.
"So, you read German?"
"Of course," Lia replied absent-mindedly. "I may not remember much, but I do know I'm very intelligent and I learn things easily, well, most of the time."
Zach could do nothing but blink at the information.
As if reading his thoughts, she added, "I get bored easily," with a shrug.
"I see," he started, eloquent as ever. "Sheila said yes. She'll pick you up at 8 tomorrow."
Lia smiled brilliantly in his direction and he was genuinely concerned his heart would give out before the end of her stay. She thanked him before returning back to her book.
Shaking his head, Zach went to check to see if Stefan was still in his room. He'd have to harvest vervain tonight to make some more tea and he really didn't want the vampire anywhere near him when he pulled out the pungent plant.
Sighing, Zach knocked and waited, frowning when he received no response.
"Uncle Stefan?" he tried again, knocking while turning the handle and taking a peek inside. Seeing and hearing no one, Zach sighed silently in relief before hurrying to close the door and trot downstairs so he could get started. He checked on his ward once more, seeing her still engrossed, before doing what he needed to do, glad that she'd drunk the herbal tea this morning with her breakfast, regardless of the 3 teaspoons of sugar she'd added. At least, while she was under his roof, he could protect her in the only way he knew how.
*TVDM*
"You must be Miss Bennett. Thank you so much for your help today. My name is Kaliope."
Lia immediately did not like this woman. Her aura screamed judgement, her spine screamed superiority and her eyes shouted suspicions and insults in her direction. Lia had smelt her coming a mile away, the strong stench of stiff magics that would rather break than bend coming off the woman in waves.
It had taken a couple weeks for Zach to relax around her fully, the suspicious man unconsciously fighting her melodies the way only a man who had looked over his shoulder all his life could. She'd given it an extra week just to be sure, but she needed him to either trust her word or overlook any odd outings she'd take. Caroline was unfortunately busy for the next month and a half with her cheering camp and community things and Stefan couldn't be in the same room as her without blushing which, honestly, was getting a little ridiculous. So, left with no other choice, she'd had to wait for Zach to trust her, wait a little longer just to be safe, then ask him for the trip.
Not to say she hadn't been busy over the last 19 days; she'd discovered with her own hands the power of the internet, found a witch that was willing to meet with her last week to exchange 2 of her crystalised tears for 2 daylight rings, not that the witch knew what they were. While Lia's tears could do nothing to her, there had been stories of humans on her planet gaining the ability to breath under water or manipulate water with the help of a single tear from a mermaid. So, she'd shrugged, told the witch she had two crystals with properties she'd never seen before and if she wanted them, she'd want something in return. The witch had done something to look into them and nearly choked on whatever she found. She'd immediately spelled the rings Lia had produced (sorry, not sorry Stefan's collection) and had left, cradling the tears as one would a newborn. Shaking her head, Lia had immediately gone back to the library and gotten into contact with the guy named Slater she'd found on Craigslist. A daylight ring for two identities was the deal. If all went according to plan, Lorenzo St. John would be the one to exchange payment for documentation before coming to collect his 'little sister' after being led to her by the New Jersey police.
Ugh, she hadn't had to work this hard in centuries and it was mounting to the frustration that Zach had inconsiderately heaped onto her shoulders but it was all so fun! She normally wouldn't try so hard, but she didn't want any questions as to why. Why go anywhere alone when she didn't remember anything? She wasn't a vampire with their nifty compelling abilities, though after all her plans came to fruition it was something that she would work on. She may not have been the one to invent the soul sucking technique, but she wasn't a stranger to the concept of learning skills. She was the first mermaid to be able to be able to manipulate wind, after all; a talent she was still, even after over 1000 years, ridiculously proud of. She'd led the way into steam and ice manipulation.
Regardless, her current abilities of manipulation were limit to her siren's song, and she in no way needed thralls that would toss themselves off their ships, chasing after sweetly sung promises of love and serenity. She needed people who wouldn't blow her fun-uh, cover so soon. And so, she found herself facing off with the crabby old woman who looked like she believed herself wise beyond her pitifully short time on earth with two daylight rings hidden in the pocket of the white-collared, knee-length black dress she wore with a black belt with silver buckle cinching her waist, long white socks and black, 3-inch MaryJane heels with her hair half pinned back with a silver clip, her fringe perfectly framing her face.
"Indeed," and with that, the old crone turned on her heel and hopped back in the car. "Well? We don't have all day."
Kaliope was appalled at the lack of manners but nevertheless, she ventured around the other side of the car and delicately settled into the seat, not forgetting to strap herself in, smoothing down her dress so the delicate fabric lay flat to her knees.
It was an awkward drive.
Complete silence on Sheila's side; Lia's attempts at conversation killed by a pitiful glare that she was sure looked fierce to her granddaughter. Lia sighed as she picked invisible lint off her three-quarter-length sleeves before whipping out her phone to check in with Caroline to see how her whatever-it-was-she-was-doing was going.
As soon as they pulled up, Lia jumped out, rushed out a thank you and navigated the way she'd memorised from Grayson. She skipped through the halls, not stopping for anyone or anything until she came to the door.
The door.
With a very happy grin, Lia turned the handle, only to frown when it did nothing. Shrugging to herself, she kicked out with all the grace of a ballerina and the power of an Orca.
The door and frame were obliterated.
"Heeeeere's Johnny!"
Giggling to herself, Lia hopped through the lab and down into the bowels where cells lined the walls. Coming to a stop at the only inhabited cell, she grinned a smile bright enough to make the sun look dim as she looked at the sleeping vampire. Oh, he was perfect.
And probably oh, so, very hungry.
Lady Luck was smiling down on her today, it seemed, as three humans came piling into the room, no doubt attracted by the noise.
"Hello," Lia smiled sweetly, moving to block their view of her new friend as they aimed their guns at her.
"Who are you? What are you?" a blonde man demanded, his hands shaking as he looked between the door that had been not only crumpled like paper, but hit by a force so hard it buried into the wall!
"My, that's a very rude thing to ask a lady, don't you think? But I'll comply." Lia straightened her spine, smoothing her hands down the skirt of her dress before folding them delicately in front of her. "My name is Kaliope and I am the new friend of Lorenzo St. John. If he'll have me, that is," she covered her mouth to stifle the embarrassed giggle that spilled from her lips. "I sound awfully presumptuous, don't I?"
Apparently, they truly were lacking manners of any kind. Lia was entirely unimpressed as they fired shots at her, darts of vervain by the look of it. The mortals fired a few more times, their confidence bolstered by her lack of movement. Their confusion grew, however, when she didn't drop to the floor.
Their fear tasted acrid on her tongue as they watched her extend her arms, as casual as you please, and dropped every dart they'd fired on the ground, crushing them under her black heels.
"Truly, the youth of today," she sighed forlornly, glancing back at the still-unconscious vampire, before turning back to the humans in front of her, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Tell me, do any of you consume vervain?"
Not waiting for a response, she knocked the scientists out cold, searching their bodies for the plant that would harm, singing all the while so as to get as much information out of them as possible. She didn't bother leaving anything behind, leaving squeaky clean souls in their vessels and taking a minute to process the influx of information. She genuinely could not believe Wes Maxfield; a true monster in the making, all in the name of science. It's like they didn't understand the vital role vampires had been given in the bionetwork. If not for vampires, no doubt Mother Nature would have had to create some form of virus or disease to help with population control, not to mention the poor planet would have died a lot sooner without the near-endless energy that vampires provided. Witches, honestly. For all their talk about maintaining balance, they're shit at it. Really, someone should have noticed sooner that the Other Side was a plague that was sucking up all the magic the witches were using instead of returning it to the earth. How else did they think their ancestors were able to still practise while dead?
Ugh, stupid people sucked.
Sighing once more, she stretched out of her squat and proceeded to throw the unconscious humans in the cell next to Lorenzo, casually throwing their vervain jewellery in the cell across from them. She sealed the prison door behind her by freezing it solid before eagerly bouncing to her vampire and ripping the gate off his cell.
Gently kneeling, Lia lifted Lorenzo St. John's head off the dirty cement floor and lay it in her lap, brushing strands of hair from his handsome face as she began to sing a lullaby just for him.
*TVDM*
Warm.
That was the only way to describe how Enzo was feeling as he stirred back into consciousness. He would have panicked, thinking it to be surgical lighting so soon after his late-night surgery, but he couldn't muster up any negative emotion at all. Even his dreams of slaughtering those who had cut him open, tortured him, left him, seemed so far away.
A voice, he realised. A voice was singing to him. An angel? Had he actually died? Did his time on earth constitute as a test? Was this Heaven?
A hand. He startled a bit at that. He hadn't had a gentle touch laid on his person since Maggie. It had been decades since he'd felt such tenderness. He felt a set of fingers run through his hair and another stroke his cheekbone and jaw. Too small, too soft to be Maggie's.
Without conscious thought, he reached up and grabbed the hand on his face, holding the silken skin against his cheek. He breathed in, taking in the scent of his personal emissary from above with a rumbling purr. He'd never smelt anything quite as sweet.
Now that he had a grip on his angel, he felt confident enough that she wouldn't leave if he were to open his eyes. Slowly peeling his lids back, he was not ready for what awaited him.
A true creation of the Gods.
The kindness shining in her eyes almost had him closing his again. It was overwhelming. He wanted to shove it away and pull it closer at the same time. He'd trusted once and it almost got him burned alive, but he'd also loved once and he had sent her away. He wanted so badly to trust that kindness because at the moment, in this place, he had no one.
Unbidden to him, tears pooled in his eyes as his grip tightened so much that it would have broken a human hand. Lia simply smiled and continued singing, her other hand never stopping in its calming strokes through his hair.
He couldn't look away, not even when her song had finished and she looked toward the cell next to his. He didn't want to let her out of his sight.
Wouldn't stop him from opening his mouth, though.
"Hello, gorgeous. I'm 12144, Lorenzo St. John, at your service. My friends call me Enzo," his smirk widened into a genuine smile at how positively gleeful she looked.
"Oh, Lorenzo St. John, I would love nothing more than to be your friend," her English accent with Scottish curls surprised him. "My name is Kaliope, but please, call me Lia.I've brought what I hope is an appropriate introduction gift. It's only proper manners when dropping in uninvited, after all."
Reluctantly tearing his eyes away from a shade of green he never thought he'd see again, he looked to where she had pointed and had to laugh. Staring at him in horror was none other than Wes Maxfield, Aaron Whitmore and a way behind them was an unconscious Dianne Freeman.
"Lorenzo, please, I was cutting funding for the Augustine program. Please," Whitmore begged, ignoring the looks of betrayal sent his way by Maxfield. "I'm the last Whitmore left. You'll be free, I'll make sure of it."
Enzo ignored them entirely, instead tightening his hold on his angel's hand and coming to his feet. It was slow going, not having had his daily ration of blood yet. As if knowing his thoughts, Lia let go of his hand to wrap her arm around his waist and leaned gently against him, ignoring the way Maxfield scrambled to the door of their cell, trying to crack the ice that had impossibly sealed them in.
"So interesting. I've taken all memories that were imprinted on their souls but apparently their fear of you and what you are is strong enough to produce an instant emotional attachment. That they can immediately be this fearful of you…" Lia shrugged with a dispassionate hum before looking up at him with a cute tilt to her head. "They've not been ingesting vervain and have none left on them, if you're hungry."
"Why, gorgeous, I don't think I've ever received such a thoughtful gift. I think you've more than earned the right to call me Enzo," he smiled down at the brilliant smile on the little Fae, already ridiculously fond of the woman and planning to ask more on how she'd 'taken soul memories' later.
The pair walked through the gateless exit, Enzo watching in fascination as Lia, with a slow swipe of her hand, turned ice to steam and then nothing at all in seconds. Maxfield was stupid enough to try to charge them, earning himself a lift from Enzo, who blurred him to a steel table, strapping him in nice and tight before taking quite the large nibble, relishing in the first pint of fresh blood he'd had in decades. He reluctantly pulled back with more control than he thought he'd have, feeling better than ever but not wanting the doctor to go out quite so easily.
Strolling back, he smirked widely at the sounds of a woman groaning. It would seem that Dr Freeman was awake and ready to accept her punishment as well.
Hearing a sad sigh, however, had his attention immediately honed in on his angel.
"Unfortunately, it's very close to the time at which I have to go find my ride," Lia pouted. "Something tells me that she would happily leave me here. I'm staying at-"
A loud wail cut Lia off, earning the newly awoken Dianne a glare so fierce, both caged mortals squeaking in fear, unable to look away from glowing emeralds. Puffing out a breath through her cheeks, Lia pulled Enzo into a hug, resting her chin on his chest so as to meet his eyes.
"It's 9:37 in the morning. I believe you have a daylight ring floating around here somewhere. I'm sure if you ask very nicely, someone will be willing to tell you where," Lia's accompanying grin meant anything but nice. "When you're done, however, I would absolutely love it if you came to Mystic Falls." Suddenly shy, Lia took a step back and looked down at her feet before peeking up through her lashes and clasping her hands under her chin. "I was hoping you'd want to stick around, perhaps see a vampire that's creating us documentation so that we have identification and a backstory. I kind of rushed in as soon as the opportunity arose before even thinking of asking your opinion, and for that I'msorry."
Enzo stared at the raven-haired beauty. This woman had planned his escape and a way for him to easily live his life before she even knew him? As suspicious as that was, he was also grateful. He was an orphan who had compelled his love to leave and his only friend had left him for dead. He thought he'd have no one but himself to rely on in order to break free. As much as Damon had scarred him, made him wary of trusting another, hadn't Kaliope already proved that she was nothing like the backstabbing asshole? Already, she'd done something that Damon hadn't.
She'd opened his door.
"I'll follow your game plan for now, gorgeous," he smirked as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Tell me what I need to do."
And so, the next 4 minutes were spent memorising the plot of their family history; they were siblings, Lorenzo St. John Athánatos just-turned-23 and Kaliope Sirena Athánatos soon-to-be-17. Their parents had been murdered by a vampire that wanted Lia for his own and had compelled her from the town they had moved to only a few months ago, they had moved to be closer to Enzo, where he was studying history at Princeton. Enzo's semester at college had finished and he'd come home to find a murder scene that was weeks old and hadn't been discovered yet thanks to the amount of land they lived on and the fact that their mother was an artist and their father a mechanic that owned his own restoration business that sold restored cars. Lia then went on to explain that a vampire named Slater had created not only their identification, but also a whole background. He'd created a police record that had Enzo caught speeding twice, had compelled the police to create the report as soon as he made the phone call and had even set up a crime scene for them to find that included an art room and a large 6-bay shed full of car parts and waiting projects. The vampire was paranoid and thus a very thorough worker. Add to that the motivation to get his very own daylight ring and boom, instant guarantee of a job well done.
Enzo was blown away by the amount of thought that had been put into their fabricated lives and the minimal work that he had to make is happen; get his photo taken, accept the papers once they were done, report the murder of their parents and his missing sister before 'finding' her in Mystic Falls.
He was still an orphan, but this story, this plan… he wasn't alone.
"Sounds like one hell of a plan, gorgeous," Enzo laughed slightly, running his hand through his hair incredulously. He frowned as a thought came to mind, immediately turning to her in concern. "You aren't really being tracked down by a vampire that wants to make you his bride, are you?"
Tinkling bells filled the hall before Enzo was gifted with a fond smile, a small hand grasping his own.
"No, darling brother. I needed a story of my own. Can't exactly say 'Hi! I'm a 2,722-year-old mermaid that can literally steal the memories from your soul, but don't worry! You won't lose your memories or your soul! You simply won't feel any emotional attachment to anything anymore so you may feel a little sociopathic. No sweat, though! New memories will fix that feeling right up! I'm not so monstrous as to steal your ability to feel, after all. I know, it sucks, I know how much you used to love your family. At least I'm the only one you have to worry about with the ability. How do I know? Well, I'm not exactly native,'" Lia grinned sardonically, pulling her phone from her pocket. "Maybe I'll use that as an ice breaker in my next introduction." She checked the time with a grimace, quickly sending off a text to Slater. "I really have to go, but I've messaged Slater. He'll meet you at this address," she quickly ran out to the lab table, snatching a piece of paper and jotting down the location before ripping it off and handing it to her new brother, moving faster than any vampire he'd ever seen. She nodded toward the scientists. "If you take their cash, you'll be able to hail a cab to take you straight there. I added my phone number to the bottom, just in case you get a little lost or have any questions. Oh, and here." Pulling the two rings from her pocket, she holds them out in the palm of her hand. "It was just a safety precaution, but I had two made just in case you couldn't find yours. The other is for Slater once he fulfills his side of the deal. I'd highly suggest compelling a human to teach you how to work modern technology before coming to find me. I'm staying at the Salvatore Boarding House."
Enzo froze mid-inspection, his hand tightening around the rings as his gaze slowly met Lia's, his dark orbs boring into hers.
"Salvatore, you say? Wouldn't happen to know a Damon, would you, gorgeous?"
"Damon?" Lia cocked her head to the side, trying to recall anyone mentioning the man. "No, I can't say that I do. I've only met Zach and Stefan, though Stefan is a vampire."
"Oh, darling girl," Enzo's grin was too sharp to be nice. "You truly do give the best gifts."
Confused but happy her friend was happy, Lia smiled before giving the vampire one last hug and taking off back through the destroyed doorway.
He smiled gently after her, gripping the rings firmly in one hand and the address on the other. Compelling the two humans in front of him to stay, he wondered around the lab quickly, finding some spare clothes the scientists kept down here for when things got too bloody. The locker room also provided showers, so for the first time in years, Enzo stepped under the hot water and just relaxed.
Freshly showered, a smile so wide it felt foreign because, really, it had been too long, Enzo casually strolled back to the cell, dressed in a black button-down shirt, black slacks and freshly polished shoes. He blurred to Dianne, strapping her down on the table beside the wriggling Maxfield before coming to a stop in front of Aaron. His pupils blew wide as he locked onto the last Whitmore.
"Now, while I'm playing my own game of doctor, why don't you catch me up on the technology of today, hm?"