Apocalypse
Chapter 2: The Hybrid – Part 1
Salvatore Boarding House
Damon is in his bedroom removing all the notes, maps, and newspaper cuttings from his closet and listening to the TV news. He had just answered Andie's cellphone an hour earlier and gave the news to some relative or another. The woman had burst into hysterics and Damon was quick to end the call.
"Whether suicide, or a tragic accident, WPKW News has lost one of its shining stars. Field reporter and weekend anchor Andie Star was discovered..." The reporter droned on in an obviously sad tone of voice before Elena opened the door and shut off the news.
"Just can't stay away, can you?" Damon asked.
"You've been dodging my calls." Elena accused.
"Yeah, well, busy dating a dead fake girlfriend and all."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Happy Birthday, Elena. Stefan killed Andie. Cake?" He sarcastically responded and continued to take down his maps.
"He called me, Damon." She blurted out.
"What?" He said and froze. Damon turned and actually faced her.
"Stefan called me last night."
"Well, what'd he say?"
"He didn't say anything, but it was him. I asked Sheriff Forbes if she would trace the call's origin. It came from Tennessee."
"Where he's binge drinking on the country folk. We went through this, Elena. Stefan's gone. I don't mean geographically." Then he throws more documents into the fireplace.
"If he was gone, he wouldn't have called." Elena states and leaves his room abruptly. Damon lights a match and throws it into the fireplace which starts burning. He turns on the news once again.
"We will be speaking to Andie's family later today to hopefully get more answers. Visitation for Andie Starr will be from 4-6 PM and the service will be from 6-8 PM. This has been Autumn Parker for your 12 O'clock News here on the WPKW News." Damon shut the TV off then and left for the florist shop to get flowers for the family.
A Police Cruiser
"How did mom say this happened to Andie again?" Bella asked her father as she rubbed the locket that she just received from her now deceased aunt this past week.
"Renee didn't give much in the way of details. She was in hysterics. Phil and I were able to get our Andie and dead between the cries." Charlie told her. Bella looked into his face which has aged so much since the last time that she really looked. She is responsible for the haunted look in his eyes and the bags that lay under them. Bella also feels guilty for the red rim.
"I am sorry dad," she blurts out.
"What for kiddo?" he asks bewildered.
"I haven't exactly been the easiest to be around. I have been caught up in the one that I thought was my one. It was selfish of me and I am so sorry. I promise that I am going to do better and I hate this had to happen for me to wake up."
"Bella, don't feel too bad. Whatever happened to Andie has nothing to do with what you were going through. We are going to get answers and then go back home. We will be able to do it right this time. If you need me to pull away from the station more I will."
"Dad, you don't have to do that. I think I am going to be okay. It isn't the apocalypse." Besides, she thought, I don't know where home really is.
A Mystic Falls Funeral Home
People were coming in and out of the building. They shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Starr next to the shut casket. They didn't want anyone to see their daughter's mangled body. They were haunted enough by the image that no parent should have to see. Just then a woman rushed in the building in hysterics. A younger man following close behind holding what was obviously the woman's purse. The woman in the mean time wasted no time with waiting in line to see Mr. and Mrs. Starr. She rushed right to the front and threw her arms around both of them.
"I am so sorry! Poor Andie! I had just talked to her apparently before her accident. Oh my! I have no idea how you two must be feeling! How are you feeling? Do you need anything? I can have Phil run and get anything! But what could possibly make this better?" The woman, Renee, blubbered.
"Renee, honey. Let's have a seat and get our selves calmed down some until Bella and Charlie get here." Phil said and wrapped his arms around his wife.
"Oh you are right Phil. I am so sorry again!" She wailed and turned in Phil's arms to cry into his chest. Phil looked at the distraught older couple and mouthed sorry before ushering his wife to the very back of the room. He supplied her with two tissue boxes and rubbed her back.
Across the room Damon Salvatore was struggling to keep his amusement at the woman at bay. He had never seen a woman who was so possessed by her emotions than she. Damon turned to look at his place in line. Not bad. He needed to leave as soon as he gave his condolences. He was after all the boyfriend. It would raise suspicion if he didn't.
Damon was two visitors away from Mr. and Mrs. Starr when he froze. The scent that blew in from the doors just took his breath away. He quickly shook hands with Andie's parents and moved to a better vantage point to find the owner of the tantalizing scent. There. A young girl, she looked to be the same age as Elena, Barbie, and Judgey. She was with the emotive woman in the back. Said woman was now grasping onto the girl who was in pain from the grip but was failing at hiding it. The man with the awesome 'stache pulled the older woman off the enticing girl and began a series of questions about Andie. Were these relative and if so why had he never met them before? He decided to listen in for a minute before he left for the Smokey Mountains. He had time.
"Renee. Do they know how she died yet?" Charlie asked.
"Everyone I have talked to says that it is an animal attack of some sort." Renee managed to inform her ex and daughter. Bella froze at the words animal attack. Damon found this very interesting.
"They have to have more information than that." Charlie insisted.
"They do but they won't release it to me because I am not a relative technically." She pouted. "I will say this again. She felt like more of my relative than yours."
"Renee I don't think that helps anything." Phil reminded.
"Oh you are right. What would I do without you?" She leaned into him and kissed the underside of his jaw.
"Mom, please. Not here. This is a funeral. We need to have respect for Aunt Andie. Dad. I don't think we are going to get answers today without causing hurt feelings or distress." Bella said.
"You are right Bella," What a fitting name, Damon thought. "I can check all of us in at the hotel." Charlie said.
"Thank you Charlie." Phil said.
"Anytime," Charlie said and rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed. "I better get on that before the hotel runs out of rooms. Then he quickly ducked out.
"I will be back in a moment mom," Bella said and got in the visitors line. She spotted Damon by the flower table. Tall, check, dark, check, and handsome, check. I bet this was Andie's boyfriend. What was his name? Damien, Darren? Damon! He met her eyes and began to walk past her towards the door. She felt compelled to speak to him, if only for a minute. She turned to duck out of line when her feet twisted and she began to fall towards the floor. Of course! She closed her eyes and waited. But only a soft but firm pressure was on her arms.
"I do love a good damsel but isn't it a bit distasteful to do so at a funeral," Damon teased. Bella turned red immediately.
"I wasn't… I didn't… I…" Bella stuttered.
"It's alright. I know I am a knockout. Now where were you running off to in such a rush?" Bella shook off her nerves.
"Thank you for catching me, gravity and I do not have an amicable relationship." She said and took a step back and away from his arms. "But I was coming to talk to you."
"How delicious. Why little ol' me?"
"I was going to offer you my condolences before you left."
"Why would you offer me any?"
"Well aren't you Damon Salvatore?" At this statement, the man in question narrowed his eyes. Bella took a step back out of surprise. He was quick to follow.
"How would you know?"
"Andie. She told me all about you." This seemed to assuage his fears and his suave demeanor returned.
"Aw, well I thank you for that, but I must be going. Last minute road trip and all. My brother loves to inconvenience me like this all the time."
"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping to ask you some questions about Andie before I have to leave." Bella was disappointed.
"I wouldn't want to leave this little cat without getting satisfaction from her curious wondering. Why don't you meet me tomorrow at The Mystic Grill around 1PM and I will answer all of your questions?" Damon suggested. He did not like seeing this delicate little flower upset, at all.
"I would love that," she admitted.
"Great. But don't be late or else you are buying." He warned and kissed the back of her hand quickly. He left her looking like a fish out of water with her jaw hanging open as he left the funeral quickly and hoped he wasn't walking into another, more specifically his courtesy of his deranged younger brother.
Smokey Mountains
Alaric and Elena were making decent headway. Currently they were walking uphill along a river.
"In a couple hours, the full moon's gonna rise just above that ridge. If Tyler's right, that's where the pack'll be." Alaric informed.
"You were a boy scout, weren't you? A boy scout, slash vampire slayer?" Elena teased.
"Slash whiskey-drinking all-around lost cause." Alaric states and they come to a stop. He opens his bag of weapons.
"Wow. You came stocked." Elena said.
"Well, we aren't exactly bird-watching. Here. Put that in your bag." He retorted and handed her a grenade.
"Vervain grenade? Elena asked.
"Wolfsbane." Alaric corrected.
"Well, since we're exchanging gifts…" She then pulls out John Gilbert's magical ring.
"That's John Gilbert's ring." Alaric stated.
"It was yours once. Go ahead. Take it. I'll protect you from whatever supernatural danger we're about to get ourselves into."
"He gave it to you."
"Yeah, but I'm a doppelgänger. It's not gonna work on me. He left it for if I ever have kids."
"Yeah, well, then why don't you save it for future generations of stubborn, relentless baby Gilberts?"
"Okay, and how 'bout you borrow it until after we survive this? I'd feel bad if I got you killed before happy hour." Elena convinces him. Alaric slides the ring on and she gets closer to the water's edge.
"I don't know why you think that you're a lost cause." She states as Damon sneaks up behind her and pushes her in. He ended up making it in time despite his little distraction at the Funeral Home.
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Twilight Our The Vampire Diaries.
I own the plot twists and shifts.
I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. More will be coming soon.
Forever And For Always,
LHNT