Sorry kids! Later than I expected. I had a whole bunch and was like 'wait, too soon, abort!' so I have like 4,000 words saved up for later on aha! Then, of course, this chapter decided to just keep freakin' going. Welp, let me know how you're liking it so far; always appreciate a pat on the back or some words of wisdom.
Enjoy!
Chapter 17Caroline dived under the water, her newly-improved eyesight showing her every detail that she'd been missing all her life. Her body still wanted to panic every time she took a breath below the surface, logically knowing that it wasn't supposed to be possible.
But it was.
She trembled in excitement.
She could breathe underwater.
Her grin found Jeremy's as the boy laughed, the sound echoing through the water so clearly it sounded like he'd laughed right beside her while above water.
Lia lazily circled the humans before letting herself float to the surface, content to lie on her back and listen to their excitement as she had been all day. They'd started the morning with some combat training; Enzo teaching the pair how to fight while Lia looked on in interest. She'd never had to fight hand-to-hand like that on land. She'd been in plenty of battles on her original planet; battles in which she had to utilise her voice more than her strength. A siren's song had been the ultimate weapon to majority of the planet's population. Everyone, regardless of species, had a soul.
The boosted humans had excelled in their training, Caroline even managing to put Enzo down during one of their bouts. She'd flicked her hair over her shoulder and proclaimed that her perfectionism demanded nothing less.
Lia's smile faded as she sighed, her unfocussed eyes staring up at the ceiling as her thoughts fell back to Enzo. Tomorrow was Sunday, the night of the full moon. She was 100% prepared to follow Enzo's lead. She knew he didn't want to hurt Damon, not really. He wanted him to understand the pain of betrayal. Enzo wasn't cruel enough to wish decades of torture on the man who had been his only solace for 5 years.
The door of the pool house opening drew Lia from her thoughts. She lazily looked over as her fingers trailed through the water on the surface, surprised to see the sun had set. She blinked.
She squealed.
"Slater!"
In an instant she was dressed in her yellow halter sundress, dry and finless, tackling the vampire in a bone crushing hug.
"Lia! Dear God, ease up!" he choked as he tried to free his arms from her own.
Lia let go, offered a sheepish grin before trying her hug again.
"It is so good to see you! Skype just isn't the same," she sighed happily, her cheek resting on his collarbone.
"It's good to be back," the grinned, hugging the mermaid just as tightly. After a while, Slater pulled back, a hand sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "I'm gonna need you to invite someone in."
Lia blinked. "You brought Susie home?"
"I brought Susie home," Slater nodded, a lovesick smile stealing across his face.
Lia was excited and cautious. She had just recently learned what the 'shovel talk' was, and felt it was her duty to take on the role as the older sibling.
Nodding, determination and curiosity dancing in her eyes, Lia turned, grabbing Slater by the hand and marching out the door, ignoring the indignant shouts from the mortals who'd just realised Slater was back.
Lia was rehearsing her speech when she caught sight of the vampire that had captured her Ravenclaw's heart. All threats of brutality and methods of torture left her as she looked into those sparkling whiskey-coloured doe eyes. The woman that stood under the night sky seemed to radiate sunshine; she had a snaggle tooth, dimpled cheeks, light blonde hair and gave Lia the overall impression of a daisy.
Her aura proclaimed her a sweetheart. Loudly.
Lia marched up to the adorable vampire, noticing with a slight pout that she was at least 2 inches smaller than the newcomer, and looked into her eyes.
"Do you love Slater?"
Doe eyes widened as the amber gaze flickered to the awkward vampire that had been dragged behind her. The same lovesick look spreading across her features and a slight blush tinting her cheeks.
"Very much," she twanged in a soft, southern accent.
Lia nodded. "Welcome to the family, Susie."
Not a daisy, Lia thought as she watched the happy smile bloom across the blonde's face. A sunflower would probably be more accurate.
"I'm Caroline," her favourite blonde rolled her eyes, holding out her hand to the new face. "Lia tends to forget social protocols if they're not directed at her."
"I like manners, I just happen to forget to demonstrate them, sometimes," Lia shrugged unapologetically as she waved Jeremy over, introducing him after Caroline released the vampire's hand. She practically dragged everyone to the house, a wave of her hand drying and dressing Care and Mimi, and invited Susie inside. They all went to the living room to get acquainted while Lia went to hunt down Enzo, finding him in his bedroom.
"In 24 hours, I will be standing in front of Damon Salvatore," Enzo muttered as if unable to comprehend it himself.
"You're going to sneer down at him, say 'hurts, don't it?' punch him in the throat, and then give him a hug," Lia responded confidently, earning an eyeroll for her efforts. "I'm just saying!"
Enzo pulled the mermaid into his arms, rolling on his back and releasing a tension-filled sigh.
"I want him to say it, to my face, that he's sorry. That he should have tried harder. That he made the wrong call. That he regrets it," Enzo looked at Lia, his eyes showing his vulnerability. "What if he doesn't regret it?"
"He does," Lia was firm, her arms instinctively tightening their hold as if trying to protect her brother from the hurt. "He regrets your loss, Loren. He misses you when he lets himself think about you. He cares."
"But does he care enough?"
Lia, for the first time in her life, felt utterly useless. Damon was the only one that could mend this situation. Her powers could not mend a broken heart, they could not inspire genuine feelings of love and trust. For the first time, she missed the power of her siren song, but even then, she knew she'd never be able to use it guilt-free. She couldn't make Damon feel exactly what it was that Enzo needed. Enzo wouldn't forgive her if she tried. Regardless of what she'd lost, she still had a multitude of power at her disposal and couldn't do anything to help her brother's anxiety and sorrow. She felt panicked, like a failure, like she wasn't enough.
She finally understood what Enzo had gone through when Caroline had left her.
Lia offered a sad smile. "He sounds like your Caroline."
Enzo barked a surprised laugh, finding the comparison between a one-and-a-half-century old vampire with a high schooler ridiculous.
"Same rules apply, then, brother darling," Lia's eyes held dark promises and her smile was all wicked. "I will never be able to forgive him, but I will not stop you from being his friend. I'll simply be waiting in the wings, prepared to rip his heart out if he dares betray you again."
"Love you, angel."
"No more than I love you, my dearest Loren."
It wasn't that long after that the pair went down to join the others in the living room. They heard Susanna telling her story.
"I was turned at the beginnin' of the Great Depression, and not intentionally, either," Susie admitted, sitting next to Slater and holding his hand as she addressed the captivated audience on the couch opposite the couple. "I had just turned 23 and had been married for 4 years by that time. My husband, his name was Anthony, had lost his job not a few months prior. He'd turned abusive, constantly worryin' 'bout money as our futures looked bleaker by the day. I tried to manage the house finances as best I could on what we'd had saved, but as it was, it wouldn't have last us through the winter. Then a man came along, sayin' he had an excellent opportunity for a man of Anthony's talents. Anthony invited the man in while I kept my head down, tryin' my best to make a plentiful meal with what little we had. Anthony wasn't impressed but the man was gracious. I was pulled aside and beaten after I'd excused myself to the bathroom, my husband tellin' me to keep quiet so as not to disturb our guest. He said I needed to be punished for the poor effort in satisfyin' a potential employer and apparently that punishment couldn't wait until the man had left. I stayed away for the rest of the evenin', tendin' to my wounds and hidin' my newly bruised face. Next thing I knew, the man had his bleedin' wrist in my mouth, telling me how he so hated to see a pretty lady in pain. Of course," her gaze snapped back to the present as she looked over at the humans. "I didn't remember that bit until after I turned, compelled away, you see. Anyway, next day, 'bout midday, Anthony comes home in a rage, shoutin' 'bout how they were plannin' of failin' him anyway because I hadn't cooked a good enough meal for the man, how it had nothin' to do with his 'anger issues.' He beat me bad," Susie's eyes watered as she remembered. "Said he was sick o' lookin' at my face, sick of feedin' a worthless piece of ass, and pushed me away, knowin' full well the stairs were at my back." Susie looked down at her hands, a tear falling to join them on her lap. "I died slowly, my ribs havin' pierced my lung. It was awful." Slater had his arm around her, rubbing her back soothingly.
"Did you kill the son of a bitch?" Caroline asked, anger burning in her blue eyes.
"'Course, I did," Susie scoffed before grinning sheepishly. "He's the only man I ever intentionally killed. I struggled, in the beginnin', with my thirst and figurin' out the limits of my new body, but I made do."
"You never saw your Sire again?" Jeremy asked, surprised.
Susie shook her head with a sad smile. "I tried looking around where Anthony had mentioned the work was, askin' 'round, but I couldn't find hair nor hide o' the man after that dinner. I met a woman, her name was Rose-Marie, she made sure I had a firm grasp of the ropes before takin' off again, apparently lookin' for a friend o' hers. She was lovely, very pretty, too," Susie smiled, her delicate features brightening.
"Friend of mine, actually," Slater added. "Rose and Trevor; Trev helped me get mydissertation on sexual deviance in the Baroque period. I was going for my psych PhD."
"Uh huh," Caroline smiled politely at Slater before her sharp gaze returned to the vampire blonde. "So, how did you meet Slater?" Caroline asked, leaning forward in her chair. "Spare no detail."
"Oh, we ran into each other while he was still on the prowl for his werewolves. We shared a table in that lovely Bar an' Grill in Shreveport."
"I'd just finished documenting my findings in New Orleans," Slater turned to Lia. "Marcel Gerard is the King of the city. He was extremely helpful in telling me everything there was to know regarding werewolves and offered me a place in his town. He was interested in my other findings, too, especially about the Originals. He seemed disappointed that I didn't know their locations, but he was interested to know that only two of them were up and walking around and that no one had seen Mikael in 20 years. He has my number."
Lia huffed. "Vampires need to stop thinking of the Originals as enemies. They can hate them all they want, but if they die, their entire bloodline dies. From what I've learned from you pair," her gaze flickered between Slater and Enzo. "You don't know who your bloodline originator is, so, until I can get my hands on one of them and study the bond, the vampire race cannot afford to kill off their anchor to the earth. Perhaps it would be an idea to tell this Marcel that little scrap of information and warn him against telling any witches."
Enzo raised an eyebrow as Slater gaped at the mermaid.
"And you didn't think to tell me that 'little scrap of information' sooner?!" Slater cried, snatching up his bag and reefing out his laptop. "I swear, you live to keep me on my toes."
"Yeah, well, it slipped my mind!" Lia defended, crossing her arms and pouting. "I wouldn't worry too much; the Originals can only be killed by white oak and, as far as I'm aware, no one knows where the last of it is."
"'Last of it,'" Enzo picked up, reaching over to tug on Lia's hair. "And, pray tell, where is the 'last of it,' dear heart?"
"Well, here, of course," Lia rolled her eyes. "Where else would it be? I swear, 'missing something supernatural? Come to Mystic Falls! We're probably hording it!'"
"So, we have a white tree that could wipe out vampires growing in the forest?" Slater asked, quickly setting up his recording while typing out the information he'd missed. Caroline rolled her eyes and grabbed Susie's hand, dragging her somewhere else to continue her story about how the couple came to be.
"No, we have a bridge made of the stuff," Lia smiled. "I actually read that in the Salvatore Ledgers while at the boarding house, funnily enough. They were the family that cut it down to make Wickery bridge in 1912 and, according to the ley lines, there's no other living tree." Lia sighed as she stood, spinning around the couch and dancing to her own rhythm. "To be completely honest, I'm not keen on destroying it. If every piece of white oak was destroyed, Nature would grow another one. Nature's law is really quite simply as there's only one rule, regardless of what the moronic 'servants of nature' have to say; everything must die. It's why the world is trying to correct Qetsiyah's immortality spell with doppelgangers until a time that Silas and Amara kick the bucket. It's also why the supernatural like to hone in on doppelgangers; it's their connection to the planet urging them to right the wrong and kill them," Lia added before continuing on. "I like knowing where the threat to my family is and so I've left it where it's been for a near-century. We can hide some away and destroy the rest, if it makes you feel better. I simply liked the whole 'hidden in plain sight,' schtick, plus, I totally ripped out the page of the Ledger and ate it," Lia offered, smiling as she gazed between the 2 vampires.
Their thoughts were disturbed by a human's outraged cry.
"What do you mean, you don't have a daylight ring?!"
"What, wait, what?" Lia demanded, distracted by the injustice. "No one has offered to make you a daylight ring? No, really? Why?! You look like sunshine! That's just all kinds of wrong."
"Yeah," Slater grinned sheepishly over his MacBook. "I was hoping to talk to you about that."
Lia rolled her eyes before she frowned in concentration, weaving her will with the magic she had access to. Walking in the sun wasn't something that was limited to a spell on a ring; something she was secretly kicking herself for not thinking of doing sooner. She walked toward Susie, setting her hand on her head and letting the spell coat her. She did the same with Enzo and Slater before releasing her hold on the earth's energy.
"You won't need your rings anymore," Lia declared smugly, her eyebrows jumping confidently as a smirk crossed her features. "I'm just that good."
"Really?" Enzo drawled, removing his ring, and tossing it in the air, playing an easy game of catch. There was no doubt in his movements, instantly trusting his sister.
"Yeah, I know. I'm the best thing since sliced bread," Lia extended her hand toward her Ravenclaw. Knowing Slater, he had prepared a pretty piece for this moment. "I can make the ring you picked out for your lady friend a protection talisman, if you want?"
He dug around in the pocket of his usual hoodie, pulling out a ring box and revealing a beautiful white gold three stone bypass ring; two small yellow diamonds on either side of the larger lapis lazuli.
"Oh, my stars," Susie was in awe, having crept closer as her curiosity got the best of her. "Slater, it's beautiful."
"You deserve nothing less," Slater mumbled, ducking his head as he quickly passed the ring to a grinning Lia.
Lia tapped the blue stone, watching it swirl slightly before settling. She repeated the process with the diamonds before admiring her work with a nod. She wiggled her fingers impatiently in front of Slater until he got the hint and gave her his ring. The large silver piece was simple in its thick design with engravings along the band and a large lapis lazuli front and centre. With a few flicks of her fingers two diamonds lay on either side of the blue stone and were coated in their own protections.
"OK, we have a projectile deflection spell, a modified object protection spell and a linking spell," Lia explained as she handed Susie's new ring to Slater for him to place on his lady's finger. "Essentially that means that incoming weapons will suddenly find themselves flying off course, any attacks that threaten your life will be thwarted by an invisible barrier of sorts and the intention to harm will notify Slater's ring." She turned her attention to the wide-eyed Slater. "You have the same on yours, removing the daylight spell, however, the extra stones are linking spells to me and Enzo's ring, which I will modify now."
With a snap of her fingers, Enzo's ring flew mid-air-toss straight into her palm. While she was repeating the process, Caroline decided to boast about her own rings.
"Lia totally hooked me and Jer up, too. We also have other pieces that enhance our eyesight, hearing, strength and speed. Bonus earrings are for some protections and water breathing."
Caroline's chatter fell into the background as Lia walked over to Enzo, her eyes downcast as she threw up a silencing spell around them.
"I've added a 'security breech' mode, if you will," she admitted quietly, still looking down at the ring. "If any of the protections become jeopardised, you will be immediately TP'd to me." She met his gaze then, her eyes burning. "I cannot lose you, Loren. I refuse. I'll bring you back if I have to, Nature's will be damned."
"Done," Enzo nodded as he slipped the ring back on his finger, hugging the small woman tightly. "I'm here for good, angel. Nothing can get rid of me; you'll make sure of it."
"Of course," her voice was muffled by his shirt. "We're PB&J."
"Cookies & cream," Enzo agreed, tightening his hold on his guardian angel.
Lia took the privacy spell down and dragged her brother over to the couch, sitting on his lap as soon as he was comfortable and settling in to talk more to the visiting couple.
*TVDM*
"So, you've come seeking my assistance?"
Elijah Mikaelson sipped his earl grey gracefully as he observed the warlock across from him; noticing the sweat on his brow, the stiff shoulders, the taut forearms giving the Original an insight into how tightly the man's fists were clenched.
When he'd been contacted regarding the Martin coven, he hadn't known what to expect. Having no dealings with the family in the past, he'd decided to sate his curiosity, agreeing to the meeting and passing along his choice of location. He had never expected that it would be his assistance in tracking down and stopping his brother that they'd be seeking. But, here and now, sat across from him in the dining room of the Mandarin Oriental, in Washington DC, one Doctor Jonas Martin was seeking his assistance to reclaim his daughter from the clutches of Niklaus.
"We have," the mad admitted through a jaw so tightly clenched, Elijah was almost surprised any words managed to pass through it.
The 'we' had his gaze moving to the young man, still a teenager, sitting beside the warlock. The boy was far worse at hiding his fear; his shoulders hunched and his back curling in, his head bowed so as not to make eye contact, his arms trembling and, by the sound of it, his foot tapping nervously.
He had to admire the bravery, if not the presentation. Family was important, he knew that far too well. He owed it to his family to see to the death of their cursed half-brother. Witches were always difficult to work with, but better a willing witch than a blackmailed one. Besides, they both shared a goal now.
Best to not look a gift horse in the mouth.
"State your terms and we shall see if a deal can be made."
*TVDM*
"Little brother," Damon offered a mocking smirk as the broody vampire entered the parlour. "What can I do for you this fine morning?"
And fine it was. It was, after all, the day.
Katherine was so close he could almost see the mischievous sparkle in her eye, damn-near hear her seductive laugh and feel her hand caress the sharp angle of his jaw.
"We have a problem," Stefan's brows furrowed deeper, vaguely impressing Damon. He didn't think it were possible. "There's another vampire in town."
"Ah, yes; short, Asian, mouthy?" Damon listed, rolling his eyes and returning to the book he was reading as he swirled his bourbon around its glass. "I'm surprised you don't recognise her."
Stefan's eyes snapped up to his brother. "There's more? The vampire I'm talking about is a man. He's stalking Elena."
"Oh, dear," Damon looked up, staring straight ahead as his eyes widened in faux-concern. "What ever shall your little human girlfriend do? Oh, wait," Damon clucked his tongue, exaggerated sadness directed at Stefan. "That's right. Ex." Damon scoffed as he returned to his book. "Sounds like a you problem, little brother. Better catch him quick, before he grows tired of the cat and mouse routine."
"I'm asking for your help, Damon," Stefan pressed on through gritted teeth. "He doesn't seem to have a daylight ring; I need you to help me catch him when the sun goes down."
Damon sighed forlornly as he set his book aside, pushing up from his armchair and striding over to his brother. "Look, Stefan, I'd love to help; really, I would. Tonight? It just doesn't work for me," Damon offered a sympathetic smile, clasping Stefan's shoulder consolingly. "Tell you what, why don't you ask Elena's witchy friend to work some mojo? Tell her to stay inside for the night," Damon waggled his finger chidingly in Stefan's face. "Unless she's been handing out those invites willy-nilly again. Honestly," the blue-eyed vampire stepped back, his hands on his hips as he shook his head in disappointment. "Tell a girl how to protect herself and what does she do? This is why I leave being the hero to you, Stef. It just sounds exhausting. Not to mention the hair upkeep; must be a nightmare."
"What are you doing tonight, Damon?" Stefan demanded as he watched his brother walk over to collect his drink. Half of him believed his brother to be bluffing, but he also panicked. What if this is what he'd come to town for? Stefan wouldn't be able to stop whatever he had planned if he was trying to protect Elena. Maybe he should go to the Bennett's. They may be able to help Elena, even if they didn't want anything to do with him.
"I'd tell you," Damon replied, raising his glass to his lips. "But, well, you know." Damon shrugged before tossing his drink back in one go, a slight grimace pulling at his cheek at the burn.
"I never thought I'd see the day when Damon Salvatore refused an invitation to kill something," Stefan tried, shaking his head at his brother and crossing his arms. "Will the wonders never cease?"
"Yeah, well, trying to keep a low profile, you know, since the Founder's Council is still in full-swing? Can't exactly go running around out there playing Blade, now, can I?" Damon rolled his eyes.
"That's you're reason?" Stefan was unconvinced. "I'm not telling you to treat the town like your own personal Gas n' Sip, I'm asking you to help me hunt down a vampire who will draw more attention to us by sticking around."
"Yeah, well, maybe I'm not gonna stick around long enough for that to be a problem, little brother," Damon's smirk was accompanied by a cocky eyebrow jump at seeing the surprise on Stefan's face.
"So, tonight? It's the reason you came here?" Stefan questioned, his head tilting as he examined everything about his brother's response.
Damon couldn't hide his brief jaw-clench.
"Or, maybe, I'm just sick of looking at your face," Damon suggested, turning away to pour himself another drink.
"What's with all the alcohol, anyway?" Stefan's eyes narrowed.
Damon scoffed. "Just because I don't care about some new-to-town set of fangs, doesn't mean I want to draw attention to myself. A strict plastic-wrapped diet will drive you to drink, believe me," Damon sipped his fresh pour. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your damsel? Your hero hair looks ready to save another day."
Stefan offered a bland sneer before realising that Elena was probably waiting for him. He sighed heavily, exiting the room with one last look in his brother's direction, his frown in full brood-mode at the sight of Damon's wiggling fingers sending him off.
Damon leaned against the bar, taking a sip of his drink as he listened to the front door slam before the angsty teen vampire. He breathed long and loud through puffed cheeks as he heard a whooshing of air, cracking his neck before turning to the newly entered vampire.
"Anna. How grand. You're here, why?"
"I need you to get in contact with Kaliope," the smaller vampire demanded, tense and glaring as usual.
"And you think I have her contact deets?" Damon deadpanned, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. "Exactly where in our previous encounter did I make it seem like we were besties?"
"Cut the crap, Damon. You at least know where she lives," Anna's glare hardened as her fists clenched.
Damon narrowed his eyes at the tense teen, dread slowly starting to pool in his gut as his phone started ringing. "What did you do?"
Anna only clenched her teeth as she watched him answer the call.
"Damon, Elena's missing."
Damon looked to the ceiling and sighed.
The 'really?' was written all over his expression as he looked back at Anna, wanting to ram his head into the closest wall at the sight of her challenging eyebrow. "And this matters to me, why?"
"Please, Damon, I know, somewhere inside of you, you care for Elena, if only because she looks like Katherine."
"Oh, please," Damon scoffed, he was almost offended. "Don't insult me; we've been over this before, brother. Or did my little nibble of the high school history teacher not teach you anything?"
Stefan's silence was irritating and somehow making it harder for Damon to think. He finally growled, running an agitated hand through his hair as he threw a glare at Anna once more.
"Fine, Stefan, fine. I'll see what I can come up with." The phone snapped shut as he whirled on the female vamp. "Start talking, Anna Banana. What did you do?"
"I wanted leverage."
*TVDM*
Lia sighed as she read the text again. A Sunday morning was supposed to be a family morning, according to a lot of the TV shows she'd been into recently. Anna was a bitch.
"Mimi, how attached are you to your sister?" Lia pouted, pushing her empty milkshake glass away and laying her head down on her crossed arms while looking at the boy in question.
"Uh, as much as any brother is attached to his sister?" he blinked before rolling his eyes. "What has she gotten herself into now?"
"She and Bonnie have been nabbed by Annabelle, taken to a motel room in town and held there by a baby vamp while Annagoes and has a chat with Damon about how to foil me tonight. Apparently, she's quite keen on ripping my heart out and feeding it to her mother." Lia grinned wickedly. "Should I let her try?"
"You wouldn't mind your heart being removed from your body?" Caroline asked, slightly disturbed at the thought.
"Oh, please, it wouldn't kill me," Lia rolled her eyes as she stood from her seat. "Besides, I doubt she's strong enough to even scratch me. This body was built to easily transition between the ocean floor and the surface, you know. It's made of sturdy stuff."
Lia was gone and back in a flash, her PJs swapped for a white dress with lace overlay, a cropped leather jacket and some short combat boots. As always, Emily's talisman hung around her neck.
"I'll be back, I suppose," she turned to Jeremy. "Where should I drop her off?"
"I'll head home now," Jeremy sighed, knowing his sister would ask all kinds of questions when she saw Lia in action. "Thanks, Lia."
Lia shrugged. "No big, Mimi. I'll see you guys soon," and with that, she was gone.
"So," Caroline clapped her hands, looking around at the three vampires she was left with. "Who's up for a game of Uno?"
*TVDM*
Anna caught Elena just as the human girl attempted to leave the room.
"Seriously? She dates a vampire, Ben. Did you forget your lesson in vervain already?"
She ignored whatever excuses he threw her way as she tossed the Katherine look-alike into the bathroom to join the still-unconscious witch. Slamming the door shut she huffed before turning to yell at the idiot some more.
She froze, the colour draining from her face at the sight of Lia smiling at her, casually holding Ben's heart in her hand.
"Annabelle, I can't say it's a pleasure," the unknown creature stepped over the grey, desiccated carcass with a hole in its chest, thoroughly amused at both the situation and the cheekiness of the human girls in the bathroom; turning the tap on in an attempt to drown out their voices as each confessed what they knew about the supernatural and their cluelessness as to why they were here. "Now, I believe you have people in your possession that don't belong to you."
Anna watched as Lia dropped the heart on the bed, not caring that her hand and jacket sleeve were coated in blood. Her white dress remaining pristine was oddly intimidating.
"I just wanted to make sure everything worked out tonight," Anna tried to defend, walking backwards toward the bathroom door. "I can't afford for anything to go wrong."
"You should have thought about that before you tried to blackmail me," Lia's smile turned slightly chiding. "Now, I'm here for the girls. Return them, now."
"Wait, what does that mean?" Anna demanded, unable to fully cover her panic. "What are you going to do? I'm sorry, I won't interfere again, please."
Lia's friendly smile finally left her face. "Girls, Anna. Now."
Anna swallowed nervously as she turned to face the door, her instincts immediately yelling at her to turn around, to not let the threat out of her sight, to stop leaving herself vulnerable. Taking a bracing breath, she reefed the door open, rolling her eyes and walking in to turn off the tap.
"What do you want with us?" Elena demanded.
"What ever it is, I won't help you," Bonnie declared coldly, the slight tremor barely noticeable.
Anna sneered, throwing the girls their phones that she'd confiscated upon their arrival. "It's your lucky day. Someone's here to collect you."
"Stefan," Elena breathed, her shoulder slumping in relief as she stood, clutching her phone tightly while holding her other hand out to the Bennett. They said nothing as they walked past the vampire, ready to be away from her and the room they were in. Both girls came to an abrupt halt at the sight of their rescuer, though for different reasons.
"Lia?" Elena sounded stumped as she looked at the smaller girl, barely noticing the tightness of Bonnie's grip, or her shaking. "What are you doing here? It's dangerous!"
"Oh, Elena," Lia sighed, offering an almost condescending smile. "Your concern is appreciated, but so unnecessary."
"You're still going to open the tomb, right?" Anna all but begged, her eyes firmly focussed on any trace of deception on the raven-haired woman's face.
"Of course, I am," Lia smiled pleasantly. "Whether you get to see your mother again depends entirely on your actions over the next 11 hours."
Accepting that, Anna nodded and watched as the three girls headed for the exit, flinching as the humans suddenly shrieked.
"Oh, my God! Ben?!"
"Is that his heart?!"
"Oh, ew!" Lia exclaimed, as if just realising her hand was coated in the recently departed's lifeblood.
The girls turned to watch in horrified fascination as Lia examined her hand briefly before clicking her wet, red fingers together. Instantly, her sleeve was gore-free and her hand once again clean and dry.
Smiling, Lia turned to Anna once more. "Sorry about your protégé, by the way."
Lia pushed the pale girls through the door, leaving Anna to the silence as she once again looked down at the dead baby vampire.
"What are you?" Elena demanded in a shaky voice, pulling herself violently away from Lia's hand and rounding on her angrily. "How could you just rip someone's heart out?!"
Lia scoffed, raising an eyebrow and cocking her hip as she crossed her arms and stared the dramatic teen down. "Uh, rude. I literally just saved you and Bonnie from an idiot and, what, I don't even get a thank you? You know what, Elena? What I am, is done with you and your stupid face. Find your own way home."
Lia vanished.
"What?" Elena was both shocked and outraged. "How did she-"
"Don't, Elena."
Elena's head whipped around at the harsh voice of her friend.
"Bonnie, don't you think we-"
"NO!" the wind seemed to pick up briefly at the witch's angry shout. "No, Elena. Don't involve yourself with that girl. Not with her, or that vampire, or anything to do with whatever tomb they're talking about! You don't know, Elena! You haven't seen what she's capable of and you don't want to know. She's powerful and vengeful. Now, I'm going home. I am done with today."
Bonnie turned on her heel, her shoulders hunched, and she marched away, leaving a bewildered Elena in her wake.
*TVDM*
Stefan came to a standstill in the middle of the forest, on his way back to the boarding house after searching the cemetery for any sign of Elena, at the sound of his phone. He answered before the first ring could finish, relief coursing through his veins at the name displayed on the caller ID.
"Elena," he breathed.
"Stefan, I'm fine. I have so much to tell you."
Stefan's eyes widened as Elena told her tale. He knew Lia was something else, but to rip a vampire's heart out of its chest? To intimidate Anna; a 500-year-old vampire? What was Anna doing here, anyway? He hadn't seen her in 145 years. Stefan was suspicious; a vampire that had a connection to Katherine shows up the same time as Damon? It can't be coincidental. Not to mention the necklace he'd seen around Lia's neck. He knew he'd recognised it; it had been Katherine's, too. Emily's before her. What was going on?
And then Elena gave him the answer.
"Anna seemed desperate to make sure Lia was still going to open a tomb? Lia said she'd only be able to see her mother again if she behaved for the rest of the day. What tomb, Stefan?"
"My God," Stefan breathed, eyes wide, his hand rubbing his lips. "They're alive."
"Who?"
"The 27 people that burned in the church, they were vampires," Stefan mumbled, his mind still reeling. "Damon must have done something, convinced Emily somehow to save them."
"Wait, you're telling me there's 27 vampires under Mystic Falls?"
"I'm telling you there's 27 starving vampires in Mystic Falls that have every reason to want revenge on the Founding families," Stefan corrected. "Where are you? Are you safe? I need to stop Damon. He can't let them out."
"I walked home. I'm just coming on my street now. I'll be fine; I'll stay inside and I won't invite anyone in. I have to talk to Jer, Stefan. He's friends with Lia. She's dangerous."
"Be safe, please, and don't confront her. If she scared off Anna, I won't be a match for her."
"What do you mean?"
"Vampires get stronger with age. Anna is close to 500 years old. Even if I was on a normal diet, I'd still be no match for her," Stefan admitted.
Elena was silent.
"You'll be fine, Elena, I promise. Just, stay away from her. I have to find Damon," he paused, contemplating whether to continue before giving in. "I'm sorry that you've been put in the middle of this. I'll do my best to protect you. I love you, Elena."
"Stefan," she sounded breathless. "I- Please, be safe, Stefan."
Stefan closed his eyes, expecting it but feeling the sting all the same. "I will."
He hung up, blurring back to the boarding house. He had a brother to stop.
*TVDM*
Damon was waiting, sitting in his favourite armchair, reading the book he hoped to finish before the moon rose. He knew she would come, if only to make sure that he hadn't had anything to do with Anna's attempt at manipulating the powerful mystery creature.
It still didn't stop him from almost dropping his book when she was suddenly in front of him.
"How did Anna try to persuade you?" Lia asked lightly, hands behind her back as she balanced on one leg, the other innocently swinging backwards and forwards. She looked entirely too cute for someone who could kill him before he realised his life was in danger.
"Tried to use my trust issues against me, wondering how I could simply take your word for it," Damon rolled his eyes as he exchanged the book for his bourbon. This town had really driven him to drink. "As if Stefan hasn't tried that before."
It was Lia's turn to roll her eyes as she sighed. "Of course, she did. Well, she's been warned. Her Childe is dead and the girls have been set free." Lia sniffed delicately as she took a seat on the couch beside him. "They were so rude they didn't deserve an escort home. Honestly, is a 'thank you,' too much to ask for? No, it's all 'what are you?' and 'ripping hearts out?! Squee!' Honestly, why did I even bother? I should have just made Mimi a 'sorry for your loss' card and sent Jenna flowers," the mermaid huffed, sending her bangs flying as she crossed her arms.
"Don't forget the basket of sympathy squirrels you would have had to send Stefan," Damon smirked, taking a sip of his drink. His eyes flashed to hers, his expression turning serious. "Anna hasn't fucked this arrangement up, has she?"
Lia scoffed. "Of course, not. I told you; I have my own reasons for wanting the tomb open. I'm not going to spoil my own fun because of a spoilsport like Anna. I'll deal with her," her grin was all sin. "Though, I've told her she won't be seeing her mother if she tries anything again."
Damon nodded his agreement, silently offering the green-eyed beauty a drink. She shook her head with a smile, gracefully coming to her feet.
"I just stopped by to make sure you didn't decide to band together with the town idiot. I'm going home to have a relaxing swim before I have to meet you guys at the tomb. See you later!" and she was gone.
Damon sighed as he heard the front door slam, letting his head flop against the chair. She must have heard the rabbit muncher coming.
"I can't let you do it, Damon," Stefan declared, coming to a stop in front of him and striking what Damon was sure he thought was a valiant pose. "I can't let you get Katherine out of the tomb."
Damon's glass paused on its way to his lips before he breathed a single laugh, tossing his drink back. He shook his head as he enjoyed the burn in his throat, chuckling as he set the glass down on the side table.
"You won't be letting me do anything, little brother," Damon eyed the weaker vampire. "You have no say in anything I do. You ensured that many years ago."
"Those vampires will want vengeance, Damon. They'll take their revenge on this town, on people who had nothing to do with their suffering," Stefan begged, trying to get his brother to see reason.
Damon's icy blue met his brother's sullen green; his smirk growing and his eyes darkening. "Good."
Stefan tried to pin the older vampire to the wall, only for their positions to be reversed. Damon immediately gripped his brother by the throat.
"Just stop, Stefan," Damon rolled his eyes, ignoring the harsh choking sounds. "It's embarrassing hat you think you can one-up me."
Damon dropped his brother, relishing in the rough coughing he immediately fell to.
Calming down, Stefan came to his feet, piercing Damon with his stare. "What do I have to do to get you to leave the tomb alone?"
Damon scoffed, chuckling as he returned to his glass. "Oh, brother. I'm just along for the ride on this one. Someone else holds all my pieces."
"Kaliope," Stefan closed his eyes in despair, realising just how futile what he was trying to do was.
"Yup," Damon chirped, popping his 'p' and throwing Stefan a cheeky smirk over his shoulder. "The beautiful little Snow White holds all the cards. I'll admit, I usually work alone, but it's been nice; not having to worry about any attempts at foiling the plot. She's just too good at the game." Damon looked back at his brother with his freshly topped-up glass of bourbon. "I'd probably suggest a movie night for you and your human copy; wouldn't want Katherine thinking you've replaced her. You know how she gets. There might not be much of a girlfriend left if she's found."
Damon walked over to his chair, snatching up his book and resting its spine on his shoulder as he strolled away to his bedroom, whistling as he went.
He took great pleasure in seeing Stefan's mien of despair one last time before he hit the stairs.
"It's about time to go, gorgeous."
Lia smirked, slapping Enzo's chest. "Time to put your big-boy pants on and buckle them boots! It's time for a showdown!"
"I'm dressed and laced, trust me," Enzo grinned ferally. "I'm wearing my lucky steel-caps."
Lia cackled as she took down the spell, turning to the rest of their friends.
"Stay here and don't let anyone in. There be vampires about tonight, mates!" Enzo decreed.
"I've made you all such pretty jewellery. It would be a shame if you had to put it to use already," Lia sighed before both her and Enzo vanished.
"So," Caroline broke the silence. "Who's up for Monopoly?"