Hello readers,
I'm sorry this has taken so long. I really wanted to jump into the story but with me introducing a new species into things I felt obligated to give you all the information I could think of immediately. Next chapter we'll be in season 1 so we'll see where Lia takes us, especially with her monopoly of Caroline.
If you like, leave a review and let me know! I appreciate the faves and follows! Lets me know how many people are interested in me continuing!
Chapter 6
Walking into the sheriff's department and closing the missing person case was the easy part. Caroline, in response to the text Lia had sent off as they were leaving, met up with the brother and sister outside the station, keeping Lia company and gushing about how attractive her brother was while they waited for Enzo to complete his business. Enzo's insides filled with glee as he signed his name one last time before meeting Sheriff Forbes' eyes head on.
"Now, sheriff. I'd like to know what you think was really after my sister," his gaze darkened and his lips were set in a grim line.
Liz was startled, visibly so, by the question. Her heartbeat picked up as she swallowed, her gaze darting to the door before calming herself and raising an eyebrow. "I assure you Mr. Athánatos, as soon as we know, so will you."
"Sheriff Forbes," his tone had her jaw snapping shut, her eyes widening in surprise. "If you're as switched on as you appear, then you know what it is. It is the original reason we left England, why I insisted we pull my sister out of her Scottish boarding school, so I'll ask again; what do you think attacked my sister?"
"You know," Liz breathed, slouching back in her seat. He offered a hard smile, pulling a pocket watch out of his pocket and sliding it across the table. Liz frowned but opened it at his nod, eyes widening at the familiar plant that lay inside. Nodding firmly to herself, she closed it back up and slid it back across her desk.
"Downside of relying on jewellery," he smiled sardonically as he grabbed the chain and slid it back into his pants pocket that secretly held a little leather pouch for extra protection just in case his pants weren't thick enough to prevent a burn. "It can be ripped away if identified."
"Does she-?"
"No," immediately Enzo shook his head, looking out the office window to see Lia rolling her eyes as Caroline giggled, both of them staring at the screen of Lia's phone. "I didn't want this life for her. As soon as you're introduced, it becomes kill or be killed and, well, look at her. She's my little songbird."
Liz smiled sadly at the older brother, wanting to know more but also knowing that now probably wasn't the time. She blinked in surprise when he met her gaze again, determination burning brightly in dark eyes.
"I've already found the bastard. Left a stake in him and burned his grey and veiny corpse to buggery," Enzo leant forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he clasped his hands together. "With your permission, Sheriff, I haven't found a town yet that has any kind of supernatural knowledge. I would feel a lot better if I was able to move my sister and I here permanently. If you ever need my help when it comes to vampires, you let me know. Anything to keep Lia safe."
Liz was amazed. She'd never bagged a vampire, but she knew what happened if you did. Grey and veiny seemed like a pretty accurate description as far as she was aware. Her eyes ran over the man in front of her again. Muscular, fit, early 20's, and apparently experienced in the art of supernatural take down. She'd have to speak to the council immediately, the vervain on his person already bolstering her confidence.
She nodded firmly, reaching out and shaking his hand firmly with a genuine smile on her face.
"On behalf of Mystic Falls, let me be the first to welcome you to town, Mr. Athánatos. Call me Liz."
"Please, Liz," Enzo smiled his charming smile as he released her hand. "My friends call me Enzo."
*TVDM*
Stefan was well on his way to falling in love with Elena Gilbert.
He had decided to attend high school because he had to get to know her, not just watch her from afar. He wanted to experience that kind heart up close, her selflessness drew him in and her warm brown eyes, even in the face of tragedy, were always there and willing to offer what comfort she could. She was trying so hard to be there for her aunt and brother, though she struggled letting her aunt be there for her. He wanted to be there for her, he wanted to be a part of her life.
He wanted her to be a part of his.
Then there was Kaliope Sirena Athánatos.
He had found her.
Lia had the ability to sooth the part of him that he's thought a lost cause; the part of him that was crushed every time his brother hurt him, the part of him that felt the guilt from his ripper phases.
He felt like a heroin addict.
He needed another hit.
And so there he was, opening the front door of the boarding house and walking in on what seemed to be a celebration rather than the simple dinner he'd been expecting. Eyebrows high in surprise, he watched as Enzo rolled his eyes and caved to the puppy eyes Lia was sending his way, Zach and the man he assumed to be Slater laughing as they watched Enzo pour her a finger of whiskey.
Lia frowned into her glass. "But you always have way more when you pour for yourself."
The others laughed as Enzo huffed, pouring himself more than double what he'd given his sister. "Yes, yes, tell everyone that your brother is an alcoholic, why don't you. However," he bopped her nose with his index finger, grinning cheekily down at her. "You, little songbird, are underage."
"Underage, he says," Lia muttered, shaking her head in disbelief before painting on her sweetest smile. "Of course, I'd say something! Our friends should know about your drinking habits, it's always best to get the skeletons out early, don't you know? Besides, I might need their help carrying you to bed." Her impish smile led to her loud laughter as Enzo sighed, looking at the ceiling to shake his head.
"Oh, whoa, hey man, you-uh, must be Stefan Salvatore," Stefan turned to the only person he hasn't met yet, internally raising an eyebrow at the exaggeration of his name. "I'm Slater, it's awesome to meet you. I've heard a lot."
"Nothing bad, I hope," Stefan offered a half smile while walking forward to shake the guy's hand, dropping into the seat across from Lia and next to his 'uncle,' serving himself a plate of food from the spread in front of him. "So, how was everyone's day?"
"Omigod, Stefan! We're going to be neighbours!" Lia gushed, taking a large gulp of the whiskey in her excitement before frowning thoughtfully as she stared into the now-empty cup. "Is it supposed to burn when going down? I'm not sure I like that."
Zach choked on his dinner, wide-eyed as he watched Lia take the liquor without so much as a wince. Stefan laughed incredulously as her brother smiled down at her proudly.
"See that right there? That's the Athánatos way. We have gullets of steel and stomachs of iron."
Lia laughed, setting her glass down before daintily collecting her utensils to begin cutting her chicken. "You make it all sound very, 'Arrrg,' as if we usually spend months out at sea with nothing but rum and sea shanties. If we're to sail the seven seas, I refuse to leave without Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?"
"Ugh, I regret showing you Johnny Depp," Slater sighed, drowning his mashed potatoes in gravy before taking another bite.
Lia was horrified. "How dare you! Why would you regret showing me a legend? A star that walks among us? You want to take him away from me?!" Lia dropped her cutlery, gripping the serviette that had lain over her lap and clutching it to her chest in fright.
"Honestly? If I hear you say 'savvy' once more, I might hurl all three movies out the window."
Lia gasped into her napkin; eyes wide and hands dramatically trembling. "How could you?" she whispered before standing so fast (by human standards, of course) her chair flew back. Slamming the material onto the table, she grabbed up her knife and leaned over the wide-eyed college student beside her, ignoring the snickering from Enzo behind her and her shocked Salvatore audience. "If I hear such blasphemous talk again, I won't hesitate in taking your eye," her lips quivered but her fierce expression held firm as she leaned closer. "Savvy?"
And just like that, Slater groaned, snatching the knife from her hand and dropping it to the table. Lia threw her head back and cackled triumphantly, her hands flying to her stomach while Enzo just continued to chuckle from his seat, shaking his head fondly at his little sister.
Zach rolled his eyes as he took a sip of his wine, enjoying the easy atmosphere and saving it to his memory. He had grown very fond of the young girl. Secretly, in his heart of hearts, he saw her as the daughter he could have had but had been too scared to keep. He didn't want her to be dragged into the supernatural life and so he'd done the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life, second only to burying his girlfriend; he gave her up for adoption.
Stefan was both in awe and jealous. He couldn't believe the amount of energy the girl in front of him constantly seemed to exude, jealous of Slater and Enzo that they had such a positive light in their lives and hoping he could be a part of it. Another part of him missed Lexi, his fun-loving, music-junky friend of 145 years.
Clearing his throat unnecessarily, Stefan voiced the question that had been running through his mind since he sat down. "You say we're going to be neighbours?"
"Yeah, mate," Enzo smirked, taking a bite of greens smothered in gravy before continuing. "Bought a house not far from here. Technically, I believe we're neighbours with the Gilberts, we're across the road about 4 houses down according to Liz, but," he threw out a careless shrug before his fork dove back to his plate. "Semantics."
"We inspected the house today," Lia added, smiling excitedly at her brother. "It was so nice. It's got room in the backyard for a pool and the bathtubs are huge!"
"When will you be moving in?" Zach questioned, pushing his empty plate away and bringing his drink closer.
"Not for another two weeks, waiting for the finance to settle or something," Lia rolled her eyes at the 'adult stuff.' "Then we'll have two weeks to get comfortable before school starts!" Lia turned to Stefan, a teasing smile on her face. "You excited for the start of term?"
"I think I am," Stefan smiled, his thoughts showing him an image of Elena's gentle smile before he could stop them. "You'll be a junior too, right?"
Lia nodded, a smile still pulling at her lips. "I wonder how many classes we'll share? I hope music is fun!"
The odd collection of people continued to chat for another hour, eventually taking their party into the parlour where the adults topped up their glasses. Zach was the first one to turn in, bidding all a good night before heading up the stairs.
Enzo grinned into his glass, draining the last of its contents and jumping up from his seat next to his sister. It wasn't his fault that he used a bit too much force, sending his pocket watch tumbling onto the floor in front of the Salvatore.
Honest.
"Oh, hey," Stefan carelessly grabbed the silver unit, hissing as his skin burnt.
His eyes widened as he realised what it was.
Jumping to his feet unnaturally fast, he looked around the room. Enzo was smirking at him, Slater was staring with his eyes wide and Lia…
Lia had an unimpressed eyebrow raised in her brother's direction.
"Loren," she chided, grabbing the watch and opening it to reveal the purple flower inside. "You're just as devious as your warning label described."
"What can I say, gorgeous. I was bored," he threw her a cheeky grin before automatically catching the watch as she sent it speeding at him. He barely caught it in time, even with his vampiric senses, and of course dropped it as soon as it touched his hand with a cluck of his tongue. He'd experienced worse – so much worse – but that still didn't mean he'd subject himself to that particular burn willingly.
"All's fair and all that," Lia rose from her seat, grabbing Stefan's hand and flipping it over to see how slow it was healing. She frowned. "Why aren't you healing faster? When was the last time you fed?"
Stefan's mind was reeling. His gaze flickering between the three occupants in the room, unable to process that they knew. Not only did they know, but Enzo was a vampire too.
"What?" was all that he could say, his face advertising how lost he felt. Lia took pity on him and pulled him with her to the couch, pushing him down until he lay with his head in her lap.
"Just ignore him, little duck. I'll fix it," Lia smiled, her eyes already starting to glow an unnatural hue of green before she opened her mouth and sang.
Stefan couldn't look away. He couldn't move, not even to wipe the tears from his face.
Finally.
Finally.
*TVDM*
"Was it only boredom, brother?" Lia asked calmly, still stroking Stefan's hair as he snoozed on, his face pressed tightly into her stomach like a small child.
"He was starting to piss me off," Enzo admitted, cracking open a new – or, should he say, old – bottle of bourbon and pouring himself a glass, hoping it was something Damon was saving. He relished in the burn as he fought to squash his jealousy at the sight of a Salvatore cuddled into his angelic sister. "He's drowning in denial. He's not only repressing his vampire, he's suppressing it. He fights himself every minute, actively squashing his vampire. I'd bet you my highly coveted role as your brother that when that boy loses control, he will go feral."
"It's true," Slater admitted, recalling what he knew about the youngest Salvatore. "He's a ripper, known as the Ripper of Monterey. He feeds so hard that he rips his victims apart, then puts them back together when he's done. I don't know why, but it's his MO when he falls off the wildlife safari."
"Such a broken boy," Lia sighs sadly, for once sounding her age. "So many years denying his nature, what he is, when he should have been learning to control and accept it. Would you mind putting him to bed, Slater?"
The vampire's face flickered in surprise before nodding and quickly scooping the sleeping immortal teen up before blurring away.
Lia beckoned Enzo over with a hand, the man wasting no time in taking Stefan's place. His arms wrapped around her midsection as he breathed in her scent, wriggling as discreetly as he could to try and replace Stefan's scent with his own.
"No need to be jealous, brother darling. You will always be my first and only brother," Lia cooed before humming Loren's song.
Enzo sighed happily, tightening his hold as the soothing notes surrounded him. To think, he'd once been jealous of the Stefan Salvatore Damon used to talk about, envious of the fact that he seemingly had everything that Enzo had ever wanted, especially a brother like Damon, even if he'd promised him an eternity of misery. He used to wonder what Stefan could have done that was so bad that someone like Damon had made it his immortal mission to wreak havoc on his life. Now, though? Enzo couldn't care less. Damon and Stefan could have each other.
He wouldn't trade his Lia for the world, not even to travel back in time with a Damon that would break him free. That, to Enzo, just wasn't worth the loss of his little songbird.
*TVDM*
Zach was happily frying up some bacon when the phone rang. He flinched, shaking off his surprise before jogging for the handset.
"Salvatore Boarding House."
"Zach, its Carol," came the tinny voice of the mayor's wife. Zach frowned, wondering why she hadn't called his mobile instead. "We're holding an emergency council meeting in an hour. Can you please bring-"
"Of course," Zach hurriedly cleared his throat, looking at the ceiling and hoping that Stefan was still sleeping. "I'll be there with- yeah. I'm assuming it's at Lockwood manor?"
"Of course. See you soon, Zach."
Zach hung up the phone and waited, counting to 10 before his shoulders relaxed. He released the breath he'd been unconsciously holding before quickly returning to the kitchen.
"Everything alright?"
Zach almost swallowed his tongue.
Enzo laughed at the face the man pulled before clapping him on the back, walking toward the coffee machine and pouring himself a freshly-brewed cup. Leaning against the counter to face the mortal Salvatore, Enzo smirked. "Sorry about that, mate."
Zach rolled his eyes as Enzo raised his mug in his direction before taking his first sip. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just have to head into town after breakfast."
Enzo nodded along, having heard the conversation and knowing that they were talking about vervain thanks to his guardian angel's findings.
It didn't take long for Lia to glide into the room, dressed in another flowing dress of pastel green. Slater followed not long after and the four quickly tucked in, Zach finishing quicker than the others in his haste to harvest some vervain before Stefan woke up. He trusted his few-times-great uncle, but he was still a vampire, and vervain was a threat, especially in the hands of those who know.
The three boarders were happy to just lounge around while they waited for Stefan to wake up, ignoring Zach as he 'stealthily' collected the anti-vampire herb and stuffed it in his carrier bag. They shouted goodbye as he practically jogged out the door.
It was as Zach's car disappeared down the drive that the last of the inhabitants began to stir.
Stefan woke up that morning refreshed, so very refreshed. He was confused as he stared at his bedroom ceiling before his eyes blew wide.
Not bothering to change his sleep-rumpled clothes, Stefan blurred through the house, coming to a stop in front of the three beings lounging across the couches; Slater sitting cross-legged in an armchair with his MacBook on his lap and Enzo laying with his head in Lia's lap, a position that sent jealousy coursing through Stefan, hot and heavy, before it disappeared in the knowledge of yesterday.
Lia was in danger.
Blurring to Enzo, Stefan grabbed the vampire and slammed him into the wall on the opposite side of the room, ignoring the squeak from Slater and the sound of protest that came from the back of Lia's throat.
"What are you doing to her?" Stefan demanded, slamming Enzo for effect into the wall again. "Are you compelling her?"
Enzo was entirely unimpressed with the vampire and, loosing a sigh, quickly flipped their positions.
"First of all; rude. You could have asked nicely. Secondly, do not manhandle me. I've been touched way too much in my un-lifetime, thank you very much. I've become not-so-fond of grabby hands. Thirdly, you idiot, no one can make Lia do something she doesn't want to do." Enzo released the Salvatore, stepping back and straightening his shirt before turning to Lia, who had come to stand by his side at some point. Stefan went to grab Enzo once more but was stopped.
By a wrecking ball.
Trying to bury him into the wall.
His ribs cracked, his lungs collapsed, expelling more air than they held, blood and spit dribbled down his chin with every cough, and his eyes rolled back into his head as the brick wall shuddered and cracked, dust falling from the ceiling. Dazed, his vision blurred, struggling to breathe, he looked down at the hand on his chest.
The small, pale, delicate hand.
"Stefan," Lia scolded, a disappointed frown settling on her face as he struggled to stay conscious. "You're putting your nose where it doesn't belong. I understand you're concerned and I appreciate that, however, this all could have been avoided if you'd only taken a seat and participated in an adult conversation. You've decided that you have some kind of claim on me because you stumbled upon my song. You need to stop. You are not entitled to have anything to do with me and I would appreciate it if you didn't rush in without thinking again. Not only did you disregard me but you also could have hurt my brother, and I don't take very kindly to that."
He couldn't respond. He couldn't even nod. He hurt too damn much.
As if realising the amount of damage she'd inflicted on the pitiful creature that was currently Stefan, Lia bit her lip as she gently pulled him from the wall and into her arms and wasn't that a ridiculous sight to behold.
Sitting on the couch, she arranged him so that his head was in her lap, a mockery of the tranquil scene of the night before. "I won't apologise for what I said," she murmured, running a gentle hand through his hair. She wasn't bothered by the blood he coughed up and splattered all over her sundress. "But I am sorry you're so hurt. I tend to overcompensate when I'm not sure and I haven't had to face off with a vampire yet." Whether it was the disbelief that she was stronger than that or the incredulousness at the what-can-you-do shrug she casually offered, it was all a bit too much for the forever teen.
For the second time in 12 hours, Stefan passed out.
Lia sighed forlornly as she started a quiet ballad to ease the vampire's suffering while he healed. Slater was still looking at the wall where the bricks had cracked and Enzo cackled gleefully as he eyed the blood still dribbling from the idiot's mouth.
"'Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are,'" Slater quoted absently, his gaze finally turning away from the wall to look at the innocent face he was starting to comprehend as being the strongest being on the planet.
Enzo wiped the tears from his eyes, his chuckling finally dying down. "I don't think this is what Machiavelli had in mind, but I'm so glad you've given new life to the old saying, gorgeous."
Lia didn't pause in her song as she offered the pair a deadpanned look.
"Oh, come on, angel," Enzo whined. "Look at the bright side; at least he won't question whether you're compromised again. Plus, he won't do anything to piss you off in a hurry."
"'If an injury has to be done to a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared,'" Lia quoted back in a mumble before sighing, a pout plumping her lips and a frown marring her forehead as she looked down at the unconscious vampire. "I feel bad, but I'm still cranky at him."
Slater frowned in thought as he looked at the mending vampire. "What do we tell him?"
"Simple," Enzo cried, throwing back his newly-poured glass of bourbon; his aim, of course, to open every bottle of expensive liquor there was. "'Lia is older than you, don't ask questions or she'll rip out your kidneys and stuff them in your ears.' You owe him nothing. Besides, we'll be out of here in less than 2 weeks and the less he knows, the less he can tell his brother." Enzo sneered, forgoing his glass entirely as he spotted an expensive bottle on the bottom shelf.
Slater shrugged. "Fair."
"I could just make him forget… maybe." Lia thoughtfully pondered, elaborating at the surprise on the two vampire's faces. "It's not something I can do to everyone. I can only affect those that have a brand of me. It's-well, never mind the logistics of it, but it gives me a little more control than normal."
"'A little more control,' she says," Enzo shook his head, drinking deeply from his glass. He's need to feed soon, he decided, looking into the amber liquid. "So, what do you need to do."
"Oh, that's easy," she shrugged, picking up the vampire and taking him to his room. "I just have to sing."
Slater blinked, following along as he held his recording laptop close to his subject. "That's it?"
"Of course, what did you think I was going to do? Perform a lobotomy?" Lia snorted at her own joke, easily holding the vampire with one arm as she opened his door. "I told you, he's branded me into his being. If he were a human, I could play him like a fiddle, make him dance naked on the roof, profess his love for human blood through town. I'm obviously not going to, but I'm going to make sure he wipes his memory clean. As I said, though," Lia frowned down at the now-laying immortal. "It's a maybe. With him being a vampire and all… This technique isn't taking anything away, though, it's encouraging him to remove it himself. Huh," Lia blinked. "Like your compulsion, I suppose; tell someone to jump and they say 'how high.' I wonder if I could somehow deconstruct the ability to create my own compulsion…" Lia slapped her cheeks, startling Slater, before shaking her head. "Not the time! Anyway, back up a tad. I don't want you to accidentally get caught in the crossfire, so to speak, when I really don't know how all my vocal abilities affect the average vampire."
Slater quickly made himself scarce, not wanting to risk it.
Lia started her song gently with eyes shut, her glowing hand coming to rest on Stefan's chest. She sang him her suggestion, feeling her voice wiggling deeper and deeper, her eyes snapping open in surprise as she came across a locked box, for lack of a better term. Memories, hidden away, wrapped in a command. She shook off her surprise, studying the way the compulsion worked, more confident than before that her technique would work. She moved on, her voice swimming through the Salvatore until she found where he'd impressed her being in him. It was a beautiful thing, swirling lights of aqua and pink that resembled barbed wire, clinging to the deepest part of his being. The vampire, unknowingly, was quick to comply to her command once the brand was sated, erasing the entire night from his mind and, though he would not lose the peace he had gained, he would not remember the song, the singer or what he'd learned in the last 24 hours about the brother-sister due.
"Perfect," she whispered, patting Stefan's cheek before leaving the room. "Good bye, Stefan."
*TVDM*
Stefan stood back as he watched Zach hug the raven-haired woman goodbye, feeling bad for not taking the time to get to know her or the others properly, but knowing that he'd get the chance once school started up. He'd been so preoccupied with watching Elena these last few weeks, especially now that he stopped feeling the need to walk along the river, he'd nearly forgotten the boarding house had boarders.
"It was nice to meet you, mate," Enzo shook Zach's hand firmly, sharing a nod. After that emergency council meeting, Zach had pulled the Englishman aside and asked him about his knowledge on vampires. Enzo had told him he'd had to learn about the supernatural world fast after discovering what had Lia in its sights after his last trip home. In his panic, he'd convinced and rushed his family to move across the pond.
"Obviously not my smartest move," Enzo had said, looking years older as the weight of his family's death rested heavily on his shoulders. "Vampire prick must have panicked at the thought of losing Lia so easily and decided to kill off those that could take her away again. As awful as it sounds, though, I'd do it again if I had to. Anything to keep Lia safe."
"You, too," Zach replied, an honest smile painting his face.
After a final hug here, a wave there, the three boarders all hopped into Enzo's Dodge Ram, Slater having 'taken the offer of moving in with his new friends to save him looking for a new apartment and roommate when term starts back.'
"So," Zach turned to Stefan as the truck disappeared down the drive. "You're staying?"
"Yes." The vampire turned and started walking back inside, leaving Zach to trail after him with a frown.
"Is this girl really worth it, uncle Stefan?"
Stefan's eyes pinched, his frown deepening as he thought about never seeing Elena again. The idea weighed heavily in his stomach.
"I have to know her," was all he said, the sound of the front door closing echoing in the silence that had descended.
Zach prayed a certain Salvatore monster stayed far away from Mystic Falls, the silent plea feeling rather hollow in its hopelessness.
He desolately settled for praying that there weren't too many bodies left in his wake.
"I hope you know what you're doing," was all Zach said before he retreated to his room, leaving Stefan standing in the foyer.