CHAPTER 7
Nora folded her arms over her chest as she looked down at Mary Louise who was chained to the chair.
Her gaze travelled to the wound on the blonde's head and her heart clenched a little at seeing Mary Lou hurt. She wouldn't show it though, not after what Mary Louise had done to her.
The blonde couldn't seem to look her in the eye. It was like she had given up on Nora ever forgiving her and it was a sad sight to see because Nora really didn't know how she felt about her anymore, she just felt numb.
Nora pushed back all her sentimental feelings and raised her chin.
"You need to help us bring Stefan back." She stated.
Mary Louise didn't even look at her as she replied.
"Why? Because Valerie will hurt me if I don't? Why do you even care?"
Her words were hollow and empty. They held no meaning and Nora knew what was happening. Mary Louise had given up. Now she didn't care if Valerie let her go or sent her back to the place they had been trapped in.
Nora licked her lips, trying to force a mask of indifference.
"I don't but-"
"Then there's no point. You should leave here. Let Valerie do what she wants with me."
Nora frowned.
"Mary Lou, look at me."
She didn't and Nora's patience disappeared as she went over to the blonde, took her chin her in her hand and jerked her head up to look at her.
"I said, look at me!"
Mary Louise finally looked into Nora's eyes and they started to water.
Nora bit her lip and released the blonde, taking a step back.
"If we help Valerie, she'll let us go." Nora explained.
"And then what? We'll go back to you hating me and me wishing I'd never been brought back from that hellish place!" She cried.
"When we were brought back, you couldn't even remember my name...you didn't believe that you loved me or that I loved you for that matter and now all of a sudden you are so sure of what you feel for me. How do I know you haven't just gotten so used to the part you played?"
The blonde's eyes narrowed but tears still spilled from them.
"Because I know how I feel! Yes, I pretended to love you but during that time...I don't know, it was like I remembered how to feel about you, about us and I just knew I loved you! I can't explain it, it just happened!"
Nora shook her head and she also fought to hold back tears but she did a better job of it than Mary Louise.
"You were the one person in the world who I loved without question and despite what you've done, I still..." Nora stopped herself and shook her head as though she wouldn't allow herself to say it.
Mary Louise looked up, her eyes widening slightly.
"What? Nora, you still what?"
"I can't...I won't."
"Nora, please, just tell me."
Nora shook her head again and turned her back on the blonde.
"I won't do this again. This isn't the first time you've broken my heart."
"And you think your hands are clean? You think you're so perfect? Maybe it's because everytime you've hurt me, I haven't said a damn thing!"
Nora turned back around, her eyes wide and Mary Louise knew that she was angry but she didn't care. What did she have to lose? Nothing. Nora wouldn't ever go back to loving her, not in the way she wanted her to and Valerie would probably kill her for not bringing Stefan back so Mary Louise let Nora get angry.
"I've never betrayed you." She snarled.
"Never? Really? Do you want to think on that for a while?"
Nora frowned.
Mary Louise smirked.
"How about I tell you then? Considering as how we are apparently done;
When we first met, you kept yourself guarded. You didn't let me in. You knew I felt something for you and you teased me. You kept bringing people back to the house to make me jealous and I watched you grin everytime you saw that I became angry."
Nora looked down at the floor, biting her lip.
Mary Lou continued but tears shone bright in her eyes and she swallowed to keep her voice under control.
"You hurt me with your mind games and I hated you for that but did I tell you? No, becaue I loved you enough not let you feel guilty about anything! If you knew how many times you'd actually caused me pain, you'd be the one on your knees begging me to forgive you!"
Nora squeezed her eyes shut against the memory of it all.
It was true. She knew back when they'd first met that Mary Louise had feelings for her. Just like she knew the blonde was too shy to admit to it. Plus it was especially difficult because of the way things were back then so she had even more reason to hide her true feelings.
Nora had forced her to speak up but she'd done it in the cruelest way possible.
She would bring people back to the house, male and female alike and she would be all over them while she watched out of the corner of her at Mary Louise who would make an excuse to leave, go to her room or even show her displeasure openly at it all.
Nora knew and she played on it.
One night when Mary Louise was in her room crying over a love she felt she could never have, Nora came and told her to admit how she felt before Nora met someone who was honest; not just with her but with themselves.
Mary Louise had been so frightened of losing her that she confessed almost immediately. She told her everything and although it was the best thing that could've happened to both of them, it hurt Mary Louise to even have to be pushed that far and in such a merciless way.
Mary Louise sniffed and Nora was jerked back to the present.
"I'm sorry..." Nora said softly, realising all the pain she'd caused.
Mary Louise cried all over again and Nora went to her, holding her as close as she possibly could, tears streaming down her own face.
"I'm so sorry my love...we have both caused each other a great deal of pain. There must be a way that we can figure this out."
Mary Louise looked up at Nora.
"Let Bonnie do that spell again. Please, we have to try, Nora. I just want to remember how it was before all of this. I want to be with you again. I don't want to hurt anymore."
Nora closed her eyes as she rested her chin on top of the blonde's head.
"I don't want this hurt to destroy us, Mary Lou. We can fix this. Together. If you're willing?"
"Of course I'm willing! My God I love you! Why wouldn't I want to work things out?!"
Nora smiled and kissed Mary Louise's head.
She wiped the tears from under Mary Lou's eyes and she smiled warmly into them.
"I'll tell Valerie our new terms and then call Bonnie over."
Mary Louise frowned suddenly.
"No. You can use your magic. She's used something on me that prevents it, I can feel it but you, you can. Get rid of her and then call Bonnie. I don't care about Valerie, Stefan or any of them. I just want our future."
Nora smiled and nodded.
Then she headed for the door, pulling it open quickly and grabbing Valerie's arm as she stood outside. Pain shot through the other Heretic and she quickly passed out.
Nora let her hit the floor with a thud.
Mary Louise's eyes went wide.
"Is she dead?"
Nora grinned at the blonde over her shoulder.
"Of course not. I'm not a monster."
She then shut the door on Valerie and proceeded to call Bonnie.
Author's Note- Well, less tear jerking than originally intended but hopefully still moving. Sorry if there are any mistakes, I type quick. Thank you for following this story. Reviews are appreciated. X
