Ava stretched wincing only a little with the movement, her body was healing well. She laid in Caroline's bed for another moment, just listening to the quiet. The sheriff and Caroline had both left a while ago. Ava had been woken up for a few moments when Caroline's alarm on her phone, but she had rolled over and gone back to sleep while Care had gotten up to get ready and go to school. Since she didn't hear Jer she assumed he was either still asleep of just up in the spare room drawing and listening to music. She got up and pulled the laptop out of her bag, might as well take the time, and get some things started. She found an outlet near the bed to plug in the laptop's power cable and brought the computer to the bed climbing in and setting it up on her lap.
She started small looking up some small jewelry pieces for both men and women that had small spaces for herbs and scents. Ava took note of the prices of the ones she liked and bookmarked the page to return to later. Next she searched for vervain she knew it was a real plant in her original life, she had gotten curious one time watching the show and looked it up. She also knew that Damon had supposedly gotten rid of all the free growing plant that would be around, so she would need to try and order some in. She was worried that it would be the wrong kind but hoped that one type of the plant would work as well as the rest.
Ava made an anonymous email address and started the note she wanted to send to Shelia about Bonnie, she had thought about it and decided she didn't want to give her anything physical to try and trace back to her, magically or otherwise. She didn't want it to come off as threatening but she did want to put some urgency into it, she wanted to get her to act now. To start teaching Bonnie all that she would need to know. Ava also wanted to try and save her if she could, but she wasn't sure if Shelia dying was just a result of bringing the spell down and trying to put it back up or because of not bringing it down in the first place. When the time comes she will help Damon get the grimoire, and do her best to convince the Bennet's to help actually open the tomb, as long as Damon agrees to help get rid of the tomb vampires after its open.
Shelia,
There is no time to delay, her training must begin NOW. The storms that approach threaten the peace and innocence around her and those she cares for. They have been brewing since immortals began walking this earth. Her part in what is to come is unavoidable and too important, the longer you wait the less time you will have to help and guild her. Your ancestors have stories and secrets that will be revealed. Remember you cannot always believe what your eyes can see.
A Friend
Ava read and reread what she typed, hoping that it was right, that it motivated her to act, that it didn't reveal anything but instead hinted at so much. She got Shelia's email from the collage website and sent it hoping it was enough. Now she needed to find a way to fund some of the things she needed without anyone knowing it was her or where it was coming from. She tried a few places she knew from past lives, and two of them paid off. She quickly found her way into the accounts of a couple of terrorist's secret bank accounts hiding on different continents. She built a couple hidden back doors to be able to return later if needed, and then funneled the funds into new accounts she made in names from her past lives, then moved them again shuffling it until finally settling it into an account state side under her original name. She didn't take enough that they would notice just a couple hundred thousand from one another couple hundred thousand from the other. She set up a P.O. Box at the post office, ordered a few of the jewelry pieces, a new computer, and a new phone, then proceeded to erase her tracks. No one would be able to know what she had done on the laptop, and she had another one on the way that she would be better for what she needed it for. She then did some searching in the area for some classes cooking to explain away her newfound ability in the kitchen, and a self-defense class, she also found a martial arts class she was tempted by, and lastly yoga sessions. She would try to get Bonnie and Caroline to go with her to the self-defense classes, she thought the martial arts would be good for her and Jer to take together if he agreed, and she just liked yoga. Ava had just finished when she heard Jer coming down the stairs. She put the computer away and walked into the hall meeting him at the kitchen doorway.
"Moring." She greeted him.
"Hmm." He gave her in response.
They went into the kitchen, Ava saw that there was a coffee pot but no coffee in it. She walked directly to it to make some, luckily all the needed supplies were near at hand. "You hungry?" She asks Jer. With the grunt he let out, she knew he had to have just woke up. While the coffee was brewing, she looked in the fridge and the cupboards. She pulled out some sausage from the freezer and got the pancake mix from the cabinet and got to work. Ava had glasses of orange juice, cups of coffee, and plates of food set down in front of each of them within half an hour. Jeremey stared at the plates as if confused in how it had gotten there. He then proceeded to slowly eat it, waking up more with each bite of food or sip of coffee.
As he woke though his mood seemed to darken and by the time they had finished eating Jeremy seemed lost inside himself, drowning in his grief. Ava stayed silent, knowing nothing she could say would help right now, she had lost her own mother so many lifetimes ago and it still hurt so deeply at times. When it happened there hadn't been anything anybody could say to change how bad she had felt, why would anything she had to say change it for him. She would let him decide what he needed and when, she would be there supporting where she could. For some reason she had expected him to retreat, to hide from her and the world in his temporary room and let himself dissolve in private. Instead he hovered near her watching as she washed and rinsed the dishes, cleaning the kitchen after their breakfast
She moved to the living room sitting at the end of the couch, after a moment he sat as well. Neither of them broke the silence, Ava turned her body slightly towards him and waited. She wasn't sure how long they had sat there before she noticed the tears starting to well, his eyes blinking trying to force them back. The first tear slipped from his eye making its way down his cheek, he wiped it away almost angrily is if he was mad it had gotten free. More tears made their way down his cheeks, he continued forcefully wiping them away as if that would erase them and make them stop from falling, but it seemed the damn had burst and it was to late to stop it. He stopped trying to wipe away the tears as his breathing became heavier and shakier. Then the tears started coming faster, he gasped his chin shaking slightly, his eyes closed, and his head fell back just slightly before he threw it forward into his hands, his elbows on he knees. His whole body started to shake as tears turned into sobs, Ava leaned over wrapping an arm around his shoulders, pulling him to her. In the next second, he curled himself around her as if still a small child, his head on her shoulder his tears wetting the shirt she wore, his arms around her so tight. She in turn rocked slightly holding him just as tightly, rubbing his back. His grief and pain so strong and consuming that it brought tears to her eyes. In what felt like an hour and at the same time mere moments his sobs slowed back to tears, his body stopped shaking, and he slowly loosened his hold on her. Ava continued holding him rocking and gently rubbing his back until he pulled away. She reached over and handed him a tissue and then got up and got him a glass of water. He drank the water wiped away the last of the tears, and then as if he just couldn't stand the silence anymore he reached for the remote and turned on the tv. Within thirty minutes Jeremy fall asleep, once again with his head in her lap her fingers running through his hair her shirt still damp from his tears. For an hour and half she sat there doing her best to comfort him while he slept, letting the tv run as background noise.
Slight movements alerted Ava that Jeremy was starting to wake up. He laid there taking in where he was and what was happening, after a few moments he sat up. Ava glanced at him seeing the look that crossed his face, he wasn't sure what to do or what to say and was on the verge of being embarrassed about falling apart on her. "Do you want some water?" She asked trying to distract him. He looked at her then back to the cup on the coffee table before responding. "Yah thanks." Ava got up and grabbed the glass refilling it and bringing it back to him. She didn't sit back down, instead she reached down for the remote powering off the tv. She turned to him, waited as he drained the glass, and asked "Want to go for a walk, after we get dressed that is?". He glanced at what she was wearing then looked at his own clothes before nodding his head. "Yah sure." Twenty minutes later they both walked out the door.
When Caroline walked through the door it was as if a hurricane entered the house, the amount of energy she exuded boggled Ava's mind. That she was like this now very nearly frightened her for how she would be a vampire. Ava and Jeremy had been in the sitting room across from Caroline's room, Ava showing him the information about the martial arts class she had found. She had mentioned the idea as they had eaten a late lunch. She had just gotten Jeremy to agree to three classes, when Caroline came home. She brought with her two extra bags with books, folders, and papers, one for each of them. Ava and Jeremy simultaneously groaned as she thrust the bags at them.
"Have you been studying the flash cards?" Caroline asked excitedly as she sat down.
"Yup just got done a little bit ago." Ava replied.
"Good, because I have gossip that you just can't get behind on." Jeremy rolled his eyes at that and started pulling his homework from the bag but staying where he was.
Caroline talked for nearly an hour regaling Ava with all the new gossip she had heard in the day and retailing old gossip when needed for reference in the telling of the new gossip. As she spoke both Ava and Caroline had pulled out their homework. She brought up Bonnie and Matt both wanting to come over, and Ava reminded her that she wanted at least another day before interacting with anybody else. They were all finished with their homework and were trying to decide what they wanted for dinner when surprisingly, the Sheriff came home declaring she was making dinner, Caroline had cringed. Even with Ava hovering in the kitchen trying to subtly fix what Liz messed up it was a disaster; they had gathered around the stove to stare at the pan, none of them saying anything. Liz picked up the pan heading for the garbage to get rid of it, Caroline pulled out her phone and asked, "Chinese food?". Ava and Jer both nodded their heads yes, and Liz scrapped the burnt remains of what was supposed to be food into the garbage.
The week passed the days looking like the first day they had spent in the Forbes's house. Ava making breakfast for them, and then they would sit quietly sometimes watching the tv with the volume set low, other times in silence. Jeremy didn't break down as he had the first day, but at times when they had sat in silence a few tears would fall. Her and Jeremy talking longer and longer walks each day, and Caroline brought home their homework and each morning took what was completed back to school with her. Caroline had taken them to the Gilbert house the first night to get the pictures needed to finish the flash cards. The Sheriff was home by dinner most nights, but she didn't always stay afterwards. With spending time with Caroline and Liz, more memories had worked themselves free concerning them. A few of them had been about Elana, Bonnie, and Caroline together, sleepovers, girl's nights, getting ready for dances, and little things like that.
Thursday after school in walked Caroline and Bonnie. Bonnie had given Ava a big hug, and she had returned it. It had gone well, and while she was there, she had mentioned that her grandmother had called her to have her stay over for the weekend. Ava had received a response to her email demanding to know who she was and what she knew and what it all had meant, she hadn't replied back again and didn't intend to unless it was needed.
On Friday Matt had come by after school, he had brought Vicki. Jer had stayed in the room then, and Vicki had spent her time talking to him, while Ava talked to matt. Ava had tried to stop the romantic relationship between Matt and herself. She told him she had some memories of him, but even in the memories of them being a couple the feelings she remembered feeling were all friendly, not romantic. He had said he understood, but she suspected he would try to win her back in the future. She would have to make it understood how she felt this summer. She had never been a big fan of Matt watching the show, but seeing him in person was like looking at a big puppy, no matter how upset you are with them you just cant be too mean without feeling bad. She hadn't expected that, luckily the feelings did not extend to Vickie. Seeing her, Ava just wanted to smack her upside the head and throw her in a rehab for Matt. Ava had watched Vickie and Jer interact while she was talking with Matt. She wasn't sure how Matt and Elana had missed it all this time, were they really that self-involved that they hadn't noticed. That Jeremy found reasons to stay in the room instead of leaving, that Vickie seemed to put a little more sway in her walk when she noticed Jer in the room. Even if Ava hadn't seen the show, just meeting Vic, she knew she was an attention seeker, she didn't care so much if it was good or bad attention so much, especially if it was from a boy. And Vic knew Jer liked her Ava could see it on their faces, Jer's crush, Vic teasing and flirting just enough to encourage him to continue. When they had left Ava knew she would have no issues doing what she could to keep Vickie and Jer apart, and letting Vickie die sooner rather then later.
Ava thought that her time at Caroline's had been mostly time well spent. She felt that her and Jer's relationship was already on steadier ground then it had been at the start of the show. As well as hers and Caroline's, she had tried her best to compliment Caroline any time she found a reason to, and she had gotten her to agree to take the self defense classes. Bonnie was still on the fence, but even if it was just the two of them it would give them more time to bond.
That evening Jenna got back into town, she stopped and picked them up, the three of them returning to the Gilbert house. Jenna had been more somber then Ava remembered her from the show. No quick come backs or quips, Understandable considering the circumstances. Ava didn't know if Jenna had decided to get guardianship of them yet or if that was coming the next day after the funeral, reception, and will reading. Ava was dreading it, so many faces and people to meet. Jer had been helping her with the flash cards, and she hoped that they helped in the long run.
Jenna had mentioned that John was going to be staying there as well when he arrived, but she hadn't been sure when that would be. They had picked up take out on the way to the house, as they had eaten Jenna had tried to make small talk. She had seemed anxious and Ava couldn't pinpoint the cause of it, if it was the funeral, if she was trying to work up the nerve to tell them something or just everything in general.
After eating and unpacking, Jer had asked Ava if she wanted to watch a movie. They had gone down to the family room and set up the tv and settling on the couch, Jer on one side and Ava in the middle. A few moments after the movie started Ava lost interest, another movie she had seen to many times to count. She glanced over at Jeremy, then back at the tv, this would be a good time to broach the Vickie subject she thought, but are they really close enough for this conversation yet? She would talk to him it was her duty as a caring older sister to talk to him about the bad intentioned girl, right. She looked back at him debating the best way to bring it up, she had been so lost in thought that she jumped when he spoke.
"What?"
"Ahhh…" Ava froze the words disappearing from her head.
"You've been staring at me for like five minutes now," He looked at her. "Do I have something on my face?"
"No nothing on your face, I was just trying to figure out if you thought we were close enough to talk about relationship stuff. I mean I think we are but my view on everything is somewhat skewed, and I don't want to cross any sort of lines that had been put in place in the before. And well yah…" Ava finally trailed off, losing steam as Jeremy just stared at her saying nothing.
"Just get it over with already." He said.
"Do you like Vickie?" She asked him.
He looked away, a slight blush warming his cheeks, and asked. "Why would you ask that?"
"The way you were ready to head up and pack at the Forbes's house until Matt and her walked in and suddenly you had nowhere else to be, plus the way you looked at her." Ava said.
"I didn't know that I was being that obvious, or that you knew."
"I don't know that I had before, in fact I think I was a little self-absorbed. And truthfully Matt is kinda boring, I think I ended up paying more attention to the two of you then I did to him. By the way that is over, Matt and me that is." She explained. "The reason I am bringing it up is because I want you to be careful. I'm not saying don't go for it if your really into her, but maybe don't give her your heart unless you know you have a chance of getting hers. One of the entries in my journal make me think she has a thing for Tyler."
He looked at her confused for a second. "Tyler Lockwood? That guy is an ass."
"I have a couple memories of him and he can be, but yes Tyler. Something I wrote about a week before the accident, it makes me think that Vicki did something that made it obvious to Caroline and me that she is into Tyler. I saw her flirting with you today and I don't want her to lead you on if she is into someone else, I think she is one of those girls who like attention and like to flirt to get what the want. I don't want you to get hurt."
He nodded at her and gave her a small smile. "Thanks sis." He turned back to the tv and continued watching the move. Ava turned back as well, she scooted over just a bit leaning her head on his shoulder as they watched the movie.