Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries, TV show or books. However I decided to have a little play around with the characters (I would definitely like to play with Damon).
I'd like to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews so far. They mean a lot to me.
Valerie and Enzo made their way into the Salvatore basement and to the cell where Stefan was being held. Only half an hour earlier, just before Valerie had talked Enzo into rescuing Stefan, had Enzo snapped his neck. Fortunately he hadn't recovered, which was useful as it would make it easier to get him out of his cell if he weren't struggling.
Enzo opened the cell door and kicked Stefan, testing the younger Salvatore's reflexes to check he really was still out cold, and also for the sake of kicking him because he and Stefan had never really seen eye to eye, a result of the conversations he'd had with Damon in their many years stuck together as Augustine vampires. Content by Stefan's lack of response, Enzo picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. In the meantime Valerie grabbed a number of blood bags from the freezer before they headed upstairs and out of the house towards Enzo's Mercedes.
Stefan was thrown unceremoniously into the back seat of the car while Enzo and Valerie climbed in the front. They quickly set off as Valerie told Enzo he needed to head towards Houston and that at some point along the way, they would part company. To ensure Stefan stayed down for a while, Enzo had vervained as they knew he wouldn't be happy about finding out he was heading towards the destination of his brother's old home. All of this was carried out in a quiet, efficient manner. Valerie hated having to vervain Stefan, but she was afraid he'd try to escape because from the little Enzo had told her, he'd wanted a life back in Mystic Falls, but while ever Lily, Kai and Julian were around, Valerie knew it was impossible.
Once they'd reached Atlanta, they stopped for a short time while they filled the car with gas, get some food and use the bathroom. Valerie and Enzo also decided they were far enough away from Mysic Falls to allow Stefan to wake up from his vervain induced nap. A couple of hours later, Stefan finally woke up and checked out his surrounding of the backseat of Enzo's car.
"Where the hell am I?" he asked as he sat up.
"Somewhere between Atlanta and Houston." Enzo told him as Valerie built up the courage to speak to Stefan.
"Why Houston?" Stefan asked.
"Because that is where your brother was." Valerie said as she turned to face Stefan, who just stared at her in shock.
"Valerie?" he asked as he creased his brow in shock.
"The very same one." she smiled.
"What?...How?" Stefan started, not knowing what to say.
"I think that's a conversation for later on in the journey when we are alone." Valerie smiled.
"Okay." Stefan said, raising an eyebrow. "So why are we going to my brother's last destination?" he asked.
"Well your mother was a little pissed off about the whole not bringing back her family saga." Enzo explained. "But luckily for them, they managed to escape the Prison World all by themselves." he said.
"Wait, are you telling me Kai is out with them?" Stefan asked as Valerie nodded.
"I was under the impression only you were to be kept out of the loop of Damon's whereabouts, so when I got the invite to the bar opening, I asked Lily to join me." Enzo told him. "That was just before her family returned. Lily decided to make introductions of the most nefarious kind."
"Kai stabbed Alaric's pregnant wife and killed her." Valerie told him.
"Oh my god no." Stefan shook his head. "Anyone else hurt?" he asked.
"A girl called Liv was also stabbed, but Kai just made sure she couldn't have children." Valerie said. "He then caused chaos in the bar and everyone disappeared."
"And Damon?" Stefan asked.
"Kai left Damon, Elena and Bonnie for the time being." Enzo told Stefan. "Gave them a one week head start to run before he came after them and got his revenge." he said.
"Is that why you put me in the cell?" Stefan asked. "To go to the opening with Lily?"
"Of course." Enzo replied.
"So why do you now want me and why are we going to Houston?" Stefan frowned.
"Ask her. She's the one with the grand plans." Enzo said, nodding his head in the direction of Valerie. "I'm just the chauffeur."
"Right now, all you need to know is Enzo is going to be protecting Bonnie." Valerie explained. "I think Kai is after the Phoenix Stone, which is why he didn't kill them all straight away. I suspect Bennett blood is needed for whatever he has planned." she told him.
"What's the Phoenix Stone?" Stefan asked.
"It's like vampire hell. Just think of the worst thing you have ever done, then replay it time after time." Valerie explained. "Very few have made it out, and those that do suffer from untold madness." she said.
"And why would Kai want this?" Stefan asked.
"I can think of two possible explanations." Valerie said. "Kai is now a vampire siphon, like me. He can constantly siphon the magic from his vampirism to use it as magic. However is isn't very powerful. The stone contains thousands of vampire souls, all a source of power. If he had the stone, he would have far more power, and it would be practically unlimited." she said. "The other option, is he could be looking to create another Prison World. It is believed the Gemini coven based their Prison World around the concept of the stone, except, instead of just holding the souls of vampires, they managed to trap the body and soul of anyone into a prison. They needed to blood of a Bennett witch, because although the stone was created by Native American's, they used the blood of a Bennett witch to make the Phoenix Stone what it is today. In essence a prison. Either way, we don't want Kai to get his hands on it." she said.
"I can protect Bonnie." Stefan told them. "She'll trust me more than Enzo." he frowned.
"I've got another job for you." Valerie told him. "I'm taking you to see Ric and Caroline." she said.
Bonnie woke in a strange darkened room. It took a few moments for her to work out where she was. If anyone had asked her three years ago she'd be seeking sanctuary with Klaus Mikaelson, she'd have never believed them. She still didn't trust the Original, but there was nothing they could do to be much of a threat to him. On the contrary, their temporary residence could be of some use to him. Bonnie got up and showered in the en-suite bathroom and took stock of what had happened over the last twenty four hours. She'd struggled to get to sleep after what Freya had told her about Damon and Elena needing to be supernatural for her magic to work properly. As far as Bonnie was concerned, the only way to turn someone into a supernatural being was to make them a vampire, and as Damon and Elena had taken the cure, their bodies wouldn't accept vampire blood, meaning turning them would be an impossible task.
She padded around the apartment looking for a kitchen on the off chance there might be something to eat. Bonnie had spent enough time around vampires to know their appetites for food did not diminish once they turned. Also Freya was human, although she looked like she barely ate a thing. Eventually she found not only a kitchen, but the aforementioned witch.
"Cereal or toast?" Freya asked.
"Toast is fine." Bonnie smiled as Freya placed a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. "What did you mean earlier when you mentioned Damon and Elena being supernatural?" Bonnie asked.
"I've been doing a bit of digging around." Freya told her. "I had a look into the cure itself and how it could be made. And it is impossible to cure vampirism, even for the most powerful witch." she said.
"But Damon and Elena are human." Bonnie frowned.
"I don't think they are." Freya said. "Well not entirely."
"What are they?" Bonnie asked.
"They're still vampires, but the immortality and perks have been stripped away." Freya explained. "The cure was only a cure for immortality, not vampirism itself." she said. "The immortality spell and the vampirism spell are slightly different. The cure takes away the necessity to survive on blood, which removes all of the other parts. If they chose to survive on human blood again, then they could. Why do you think vampire blood doesn't heal them?" she asked. "They're still vampires, they need human blood to heal them."
"Is that why Klaus doesn't want Elena's blood?" Bonnie asked, however Freya shook her head.
"They might be vampires, but their bodies function as human bodies. Klaus isn't interested in hybrids. Her blood is still as potent for magic as ever. But the moment they consume human blood, they would return to their vampire form." Freya explained.
"Are you sure?" Bonnie whispered.
"Absolutely." Freya nodded. "And it's the only way I can hide them." she said.
"Would they be able to take the cure again once this is over?" Bonnie asked.
"No." Freya shook her head. "That works only once." she said.
"So that takes away any chance they have for a family." Bonnie sighed as Freya nodded as the toaster pinged and the bread popped out. "I guess I ought to be the one to tell them." Bonnie told Freya. "But I'll need your help, just in case I need to go into any specifics." she said.
"Sure." Freya nodded and smiled as Damon and Elena entered the kitchen, both with damp hair from the shower and looking slightly disheveled, probably from not being able to keep their hands off each other for longer than ten minutes in any one given time.
The passion Damon and Elena had for each other was something Bonnie could never get her head around. Admittedly the only person she'd ever slept with was Jeremy, which had been nice, but not something which would have the effect on her the way Damon and Elena had on each other. Bonnie suspected it may have just been because Jeremy was inexperienced compared to Damon and he probably knew how to make it more fun. Bonnie didn't like to think of her friends that way, but it was something which was often hard to ignore. Their passion shouldn't have come as a surprise. Even when Elena was supposedly in love with Stefan, she struggled to keep her hands to herself when it came to Damon. She was often touching him, in ways Bonnie had often thought was inappropriate considering she'd been dating his brother at the time. She guessed Elena's nature was reaching out to her soulmate. Bonnie just wished she could find someone who had a similar effect on her.
"Good morning all." Damon grinned in such a manner it was quite clear what he and Elena had just been up to. Damon always sported a certain kind of grin after he and Elena had been making out, and considering the size of his grin, Bonnie suspected they'd been doing a little bit more than making out. "What's for breakfast?" he asked. "Would you like me to make pancakes?" he asked as Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"I've already got toast." Bonnie sighed, dreading telling her friends the bad news.
"Suit yourself."Damon shrugged as he looked at Bonnie and then at Freya suspiciously. "Why the long faces?" he asked. "Did someone steal your cookies?" he batted his eyelashes pouted his lips.
"Do you have any sense of control over your husband?" Bonnie asked Elena who grinned and shook her head.
"None. Especially when it comes to him and his desire to make pancakes." Elena smiled. "I just leave him to it, keeps him out of trouble."
"Speaking of which." Freya started as Bonnie glared at her. "We need to talk, but Bonnie wants to break the news to you." she folded her arms and glared back.
"What's going on?" Elena asked when they were suddenly interrupted by a voice from outside.
"Hello! Anybody home?" Came the English accent of Enzo.
"How the fuck did Enzo find us?" Damon whispered. "I thought we were cloaked."
"You are." Freya nodded and then her face dropped before turning to Bonnie. "But I didn't cloak you as you weren't part of the expected deal."
"I know you're there Damon, Elena, Bonnie." Enzo called out. "Look I'm not here to hurt you. Get an Original to compel me if you want. That way I can prove I'm here to help." he shouted.
"Help." Damon growled. "He fucking helped kill Ric's wife and kids. I want him dead."
"Damon, you're human. You don't stand a chance against him." Elena whispered, holding onto his arm.
Freya pushed in front of them and walked out to the courtyard to the awaiting Enzo.
"Well hello there beautiful." he smiled as Freya crossed her arms and scowled. "No need to get angry love. I'm just looking for my friends." he said as he raised his hands up in surrender.
"We're no friends of yours!" Bonnie spat as she joined Freya, ready to give him a nasty headache.
"Am I a friend?" the voice of Stefan came out softly from behind Enzo.
"Brother?" Damon cried out as he ran forward and down the stairs to Stefan. They wrapped their arms around one another and held on tight, a reunion neither had ever expected in a lifetime. Eventually Damon pulled away and looked at Stefan. "You look well." he smiled.
"I don't look any different." Stefan raised an eyebrow. "You on the other hand, being human suits you." he said taking a better look at Damon. "Have you been going to the gym?" he frowned noticing Damon appearing a little more muscular than before.
"A man's gotta make sure he's still got it." Damon shrugged. "Can't have her eyes noticing anyone else. And I especially need to make sure I'm still physically capable of giving her great sex." he grinned.
"Um...too much information." Stefan frowned as Elena approached him gingerly before hugging him.
"It's nice to see you." she smiled as she stepped back and Damon wrapped his arm around her waist. Stefan's eye's flashed all around.
"Hi Bonnie?" Stefan smiled at Bonnie.
"Hi Stefan." Bonnie smiled back.
"So why are you here?" Damon asked. "This separation was supposed to last until I'm dead. And unless I didn't get the memo, I'm still well and truly alive." he grinned.
"I'm here to tell you to listen to Enzo. That's all. I can't stay." Stefan told them. "Just listen to what Enzo has to tell you and don't judge him. He knew nothing of what Lily was up to." he said. "Look, I've gotta go. I'm on my way to Houston to see Caroline and Ric. Do you mind if I have the keys to your apartment?" he asked. "I need somewhere to crash while I'm there."
"Look brother, there's something you need to know." Damon started.
"If this is about Valerie, she's waiting for me in the car." Stefan smiled. "She's going to explain what happened and why she never turned up." he said. "But for now I need to leave, I'll let you know what her excuse was." he smiled and clapped his arms around Damon's shoulders a little too hard, causing Damon to wince with pain as they hugged each other once more.
"Looks like we can't be kept apart for long." Damon groaned as they pulled apart once more and pulling his apartment key out of the pocket of his pants. "Let me know when you get there." he said as Stefan nodded. "And tell me why she stood you up and broke your heart."
"Take care." Stefan smiled as he gave Elena a peck on the cheek before heading towards Bonnie and doing the same. He walked to the door, waved goodbye and left, just as suddenly as he'd arrived.
Damon turned to face Enzo and scowled at him. "Okay, I'm going to trust my brother on this one. You need to explain exactly what happened and why you've suddenly switched sides." he said.
"Can we talk somewhere a little more comfortable and private?" Enzo asked. "I've just driven all the way from Mystic Falls, and I'm a little parched."
"This way." Freya sighed as she led them up to the parlor before pouring Enzo a glass of bourbon.
"Thank you darling." Enzo flashed his smile at Freya, however she didn't smile back. Instead she stood by the fire and waited for Enzo to speak while the rest of them sat down.
"What do you want?" Bonnie asked Enzo.
"Well, Bonnie Bennett, I'm glad you of all people are the one to ask me that." Enzo smiled. "My job is to protect you." he said.
"I don't need your protection." Bonnie spat.
"On the contrary, I think you do." Enzo told her. "How are you expecting to fight a vampire siphoner?" he asked.
"I don't know." Bonnie said meekly. "How do you plan on doing it?" she asked.
"Vervain him, rip his heart out. You know the usual stuff." Enzo nodded. "With your help of course." he added with a sarcastic smile.
"So let me get this straight, you're here to protect Bonnie?" Damon frowned. "The least useless person of all of us gets protection?" he asked. "Why?"
"Yes, well about that." Enzo started. "We think Bonnie is Kai's number one target."
"Why is that?" Elena asked.
"Valerie seems to think he's after some dodgy rock called the Phoenix Stone." Enzo explained. "Trapped inside are thousands of vampire souls. All a source of magic. She thinks he might try and use it to create some new Prison Worlds, as the Phoenix stone was the original Prison World." he said. "And from what little I have seen of Kai, I can tell he's a psychopath and a little shit, which means Valerie in all likelihood, is spot on with her assessment."
"I've heard of the Phoenix Stone." Freya frowned as she started to pace the floor. "Anyone who wants to get their hands on that stone is up to no good. Whether it is to release the soul of a trapped vampire or to use it as a source of magic." she said. "Although I doubt he'll be able to use it as a source to create a Prison World. Only the Gemini Coven leaders have access to that kind of magic."
"He is the leader of the Gemini Coven." Elena told Freya.
"Not if he's a vampire he's not." Freya told them. "To become a vampire he had to die, and with that so did his rights to be leader." she said. "Which would explain why he'd want the Phoenix stone. Using it's powers he could create a workaround as long as he had Bennett blood." she looked at Bonnie and nodded, realizing their was a truth to what Enzo was telling them.
"How do you know so much?" Damon asked.
"I've been around for over a thousand years." Freya told him. "You learn a thing or two." she smiled.
"But you're not a vampire." Bonnie frowned as Freya shook her head.
"Mine was a different kind of immortality spell. Like I told you earlier, there are more than one." Freya said to Bonnie.
"Are you certain he knows about the stone?" Freya asked Enzo. "What makes you think he can even get his hands on it?"
"Can you think of another reason why he let these three live?" Enzo asked the witch.
Good point." Damon frowned. "Although Kai does sometimes like to play with his victims. I just assumed it was the same this time."
Enzo shook his head. "Apparently, Lily wants to get her hands on the stone to bring back her one true love, someone called Julian." he said."Whoi sounds like a complete and utter dickhead." he added.
"Well, if my father was anything to go by, my mother has terrible taste in men." Damon agreed. "He was a certified class A dickhead, and I'm being polite in that description due to the presence of ladies." he smiled.
"Well right now he's trapped inside the Phoenix stone and Lily has gone to get his body so she can reunite them and they can all play happy families." Enzo said sarcastically.
"So she dumped your ass and that's why you've switched sides." Damon chuckled as Enzo glared at him.
"Good luck with finding the Phoenix stone." Freya raised an eyebrow. "It's been missing for over a century." she said.
"I think that has something to do with Lily having it hidden." Enzo told her. "She sent one of her minions to get it, but I suspect Valerie intercepted him and hid it in a restroom just outside Atlanta." he said.
"Which means Kai isn't going to wait a week to come looking for us." Damon shook his head.
"Which is why we need to get Bonnie out of here." Enzo told them. "Split up and you'll all be safer." he said.
"Why?" Bonnie asked.
"How come I'm here?" Enzo replied. "Because we tracked Bonnie. For all we know Kai may have already done the same. Even if he can't track you two." he said looking at Damon and Elena. "He knows where Bonnie is, and it doesn't take a genius to work out she's likely to be with you." he shrugged.
"Well then, as long as I'm cloaked, we'll be fine." Bonnie insisted.
"I'd leave, go far away before you cloak yourself." Enzo said. "Let Kai think you've had a stay in a motel before setting back off on the road. Get far enough away and cloak yourself." he suggested. "Meanwhile you two need to scram in the opposite direction." he said.
"And how are we supposed to protect ourselves?" Damon asked angrily standing up. "I don't know whether you've noticed, but not only are we only human, but vampire blood doesn't heal us. We're lambs to the slaughter." he cried.
Bonnie looked to Freya and decided now was the time to come clean. "That's not necessarily true." she told them. "We think there might be another way. But you're not going to like it." she said.
After Stefan left the Mikaelson compound, he headed back to the car Enzo had provided. To ensure nobody followed them or suspected their destination, they'd detoured via Nashville as an additional precaution and compelled themselves a new, less conspicuous SUV, leaving Enzo's Mercedes in storage. Stefan got in the car and he and Valerie set off towards Houston.
They'd been driving for over an hour in relative silence. Neither knowing where to start. Valerie had broken Stefan's heart the day she hadn't shown. They'd promised to meet at the bench, he'd waited all day for her with a bunch of flowers, but he'd remained there, waiting for her all alone. No letter of apology, nobody to tell him why she hadn't been able to make it. She'd simply disappeared. At the tender age of sixteen, human Stefan had been heartbroken. So much so, Damon had had to take leave from the army to console his younger brother.
On the other hand Valerie wasn't quite sure how to start. She wasn't even convinced Stefan would believe her, but she needed to make him try, because everything she was trying to do to rectify the damage Lily and Kai had caused, rested upon her explanation and her ability to make Stefan believe her. If not, the children would die and Kai could force his the leadership over the Gemini Coven if there were no twins left. The survival of the twins was essential to reduce Kai's power, because if he gained the coven and the Phoenix Stone, he'd be so powerful, nobody would be able to touch him, not even Freya Mikaelson, the most powerful living witch on earth. Kai Parker would be untouchable and indestructible. Fortunately for Valerie, Stefan was the one who eventually broke the silence.
"So I've just vouched for you to my brother." he started. "I have no reason to trust you, but I told him he could trust you. I need to know why? And don't give me the crap about the Phoenix stone. What happened in 1863? why didn't you show?" he asked. "I just want to know the truth."
Valerie gave Stefan a sad look. "The truth is... I was coming back for you." she told him.
"What happened? Miss your train?" Stefan glanced over and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Julian caught me trying to leave." Valerie explained. "He was desperate to get Lily to Europe, and... Well, he knew I'd be a distraction." she said sadly.
Stefan frowned with confusion. "Why would you be a distraction?" he asked.
Valerie closed her eyes, a mixture of embarrassment, regret and fear of his response of the bombshell she was about to drop on him. "I was pregnant." she whispered.
"What?" Stefan cried out with confusion.
"I wanted to tell you in person, though" Valerie quickly explained. "And I felt ridiculous. We... we spent so little time together. For me to end up pregnant? I just... I wasn't sure if..." she paused, swallowing to find the right words. "But Julian had already found out. He made sure there was nothing to tell." she said, tears forming in her eyes.
"What did he do to you?" Stefan asked, disgust in his voice, although Valerie wasn't quite sure who it was directed at, her or Julian.
"He, um... made sure it wasn't a problem anymore." she explained. "He knew I wouldn't be able to look you in the eye and tell you, so I left with them. I kept our secret all these years... and I'm so sorry." she added as tears ran down her cheek. "Say something." she begged.
"I don't really know what to say." Stefan frowned.
"Uh, can you give me an overview of the options?" Valerie asked nervously.
Stefan sighed. "Okay, so I'm angry that I didn't know." he said. "I'm sad that something I could have had was taken away from me. I want to kill Julian for what he did to you." he spat. "And, I'm sorry that you had to go through this alone." he whispered.
"After it happened, I wanted to die." Valerie told him. "Actually I did die. I took my own life. I obviously didn't realize I had vampire blood in my system at the time..." she shrugged
Stefan looked at Valerie in shock. "That's how you became a vampire? You killed yourself?" he asked.
Valerie laughed nervously. "Far cry from the girl you met at the fair, isn't it? It's funny how one event can change the outcome of your entire life." she sighed pausing for a moment. "Please only tell those you have to. And please swear them to secrecy, I couldn't bear for Lily to know." she pleaded.
"I won't. I promise." Stefan agreed.
"Okay." Valerie smiled hesitantly. "I don't presume to know you now, or even what you wanted back then, but..." she started.
Stefan interrupted her, already knowing what her question was and his answer. "Yes. Would I have wanted a child? Yes." he smiled at her.
"Now do you understand why I want to do this for your friend?" Valerie asked. "I failed to protect our child, I want to try and make up for it by protecting his."
"Yeah, I get it." Stefan smiled as he placed his hand on hers. "I'll talk to Ric and Caroline, I'll vouch for you." he assured her as they continued to make their way to Houston.
Damon and Elena were sat in the parlor of the Abattoir, stunned by what they'd just been told. According to Freya, the cure only cured immortality and the need for blood. Without it, they were human. If they drank it again, they'd transition back into vampires, which was why vampire blood wouldn't work on them.
"Are you sure?" Elena frowned.
"Positive." Freya nodded. "I looked into what type of spell it would take to stop Silas being immortal while allowing him to retain his magic." she explained. "That spell couldn't completely reverse vampirism. Silas never had true vampire abilities. His powers were all an illusion, mind control." she said. "All that he had to do to become mortal again was to need need human blood to fuel his powers which were slightly different to a vampires. Silas's immortality was created by Traveler magic and required Traveler magic to cure him. For any other immortal, it would cure the need for blood to survive. Blood is what gives vampires their powers and their immortality. All you have to do is drink human blood again, you'll simply transition and become vampires."
"Would we need to die?" Damon asked as Elena glared at him. "What?" he shrugged turning to his wife. "I don't want to become a blood sucker again, but we might not have a choice." he said.
"No." Freya told them. "You would literally have to drink human blood and that would trigger the vampirism." she said.
"Absolutely no way." Elena shook her head. "We made a conscious decision to become human so we could have a family and a real life together." she said. "I'm not giving up my chance of that happiness."
"If you won't neither will I?" Damon assured her.
"Is having a family your reason for not becoming vampires again?" Freya asked.
"That's the main reason." Damon told her.
"And if it was possible for you to become vampires and still be able to have children of your own, would you consider it?" she asked.
Enzo smiled knowingly. Valerie had already told him about her plans to help Ric by carrying his children. A female vampire being capable of carrying children was clearly not something which was common knowledge among the supernatural. Even prior to Valerie telling him what she was intending to do, he'd long suspected it was possible for a woman to carry a child and had wondered what would happen if a woman was turned when pregnant and the child somehow survived transition. Not that he'd test the theory. But when he was being tested on during his time with the Augustine's, he'd heard enough pieces of chatter to realize vampire biology was the same as human biology. Their bodies had the same capabilities except aging, dying, producing blood and producing live eggs and sperm to reproduce. He was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of Elena's voice.
"But vampires can't procreate." Elena said.
"You're right love they can't." Enzo said. "You don't need to. Let medical science do it for you." he smiled.
If you like the story, please like, follow or review. Reviews inspire me, correct my mistakes, allow me to engage and answer questions. They also help motivate me to get the following chapters out quicker.
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