Title: Backwards
Author: d0ntbleenk
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries, AU
Ship: Kol Mikaelson/Faye Salvatore
Rating: M

Chapter Three

Faye pushed open the door to the Salvatore manor, emitting a loud creaking sound that resonated in the atmosphere around her and echoed down the long, dark hallway beyond. She stepped inside, unsure of what she would find there. Since she'd been taken in by the Mikaelsons to adjust to her condition (vampirism!), and even though they only lived just beyond the trees, she hadn't set foot in the place once. Faye couldn't help but liken it to a haunted mansion at first sight, but as she moved further into the building it felt more and more like home.

Eventually, she eased up and, figuring there wasn't anyone lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack, began lighting the torches on the walls and headed into the library, where every surface was covered in a thick dust, as though nothing had been touched in ages. This struck her as a bit odd, considering she was sure her brothers had at least returned since her unfortunate demise and resurrection… Hadn't they?

She'd seen Damon herself, so where was he now?

After taking a moment to get her bearings back in the library, Faye moved carefully up the staircase, trailing her fingers along the railing as she climbed. The floor quietly creaked at the shifting of her weight when she reached the landing, just as her eyes caught sight of the first door on the right - it had been left ajar. Intrigued, Faye pushed open the door all the way, peering in around the door frame to make sure the coast was clear before entering. A small smirk graced her lips as she looked around, instantly recognizing the set up.

It was Stefan's room. She remembered it vividly from all of the times she and Damon had snuck in and messed with his things when they were children, plucking his last nerve until he could take no more. Just the thought made one thing in particular come to mind.

Faye went over to the bookshelf, carefully scanning the spines of the books within until she located a particularly ancient looking tome and pulled it from its place in the second row. She opened up the book, finding another, smaller journal hidden inside a secret compartment.

Well, it had never really been a secret, not to her at least. Stefan had always thought he was capable of outsmarting her, but Faye was a lot cleverer than anyone gave her credit for.

Just as she was opening Stefan's journal to the most recent page, someone's voice met her ears. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Faye's eyes lifted, only to find her oldest brother Damon leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. He had a grim look on his face.

"And why not?" Faye demanded, half-turning to face him.

"Let's just say… Stefan really doesn't like to sugar coat things when he's off writing memoirs in his precious alone time," explained Damon, his tone mocking as he pushed off the wall and moved towards her. "It's not exactly what I'd call 'suitable for little sisters'." Before she knew it he was right in front of her, and the journal was suddenly out of her hands.

She let out a cry of protest as he moved away from his sister. "Hey! Age hardly counts anymore, considering what you've done to me -"

"Who told you?" Damon inquired, raising a brow.

"You just did," Faye replied, folding her arms across her chest and shrugging. "Lucky guess."

"Faye…"

"I want to know why. Why did you do it? What gave you the right -"

"You were dying, Faye. Knocking on death's door, it seemed, from the way you hardly responded to us near the end." Damon averted his eyes, shaking his head. "I had no other choice."

"And Stefan? Did he know about this?"

"Yeah, he was there. It was a tough call, but he knew as well as I did that we couldn't just leave you behind. You were so young, you deserved better." His eyes were soft at the memory, almost mournful, a look he rarely let anyone see. But this was his sister, someone he'd done everything with and told everything to.

Faye could only stare at him, not sure whether to be grateful or furious for what he had done. "Where's Stefan now? I want to talk to him."

Damon watched her steadily, before sighing, "He's gone, Faye. He fled."

"And Dad?" She inquired further, rubbing her neck absently and shutting her eyes. But that only made his response that much worse in her mind.

"He's… he's dead. But I can explain -"

Faye held up her hand to stop him. "Don't." Her tone was firm, her eyes narrowed at him to fight back the tears she feared would spill. Unlike him, she hardly ever let down her guard, especially with her brothers. She couldn't let them see her at her weakest, exploit the momentary chink in her armor.

"Faye -" he tried to protest, but she was shaking her head.

"I can't do this." She turned and quickly retreated from the room, forgetting about the journal, her missing brother, the cause of her death. All she wanted was to put as much space between her and Damon as possible.

Faye stormed out through the front door of the house and across the vast front lawn, hardly caring where she was headed, allowing her feet to carry her wherever they wanted to until she reached the edge of the tree line. It was only there that she stopped, hesitating, remembering. The woods weren't a place she wanted to be now, either.

So instead of continuing forward, Faye turned right and walked along the edge of the forest, ignoring the fact that her dress was dragging the ground and getting dirty along the way. It had been borrowed from Rebekah, but she didn't care about the possibility of stains. Her change of course had led her right to the graveyard that was only a few minutes from the land which her father had owned, her feet moving carefully through the rows of crumbling tombstones as her eyes jumped from one epitaph to the next, searching.

And then there he was, his name shining in the afternoon light.

Giuseppe Salvatore.

Faye allowed her knees to give out upon arrival, dropping down to the ground in front of the stone and feeling numb. The numbness in her body gave way to the tears that suddenly erupted from her eyes, staining her bright cheeks. She tried to be strong, but the idea that he was gone, that it had taken her so long to find out, was all but devastating.

"I'm so sorry, father," she said, her voice thick with despair. "I never wanted this. Any of it." She swallowed hard, pressing her lips together to refrain from making a scene and sobbing too loudly as she gave one last, desperate look at her father's grave, before pushing herself to her feet and wiping her face with her hand in the most unladylike fashion. She turned to leave, but stopped in her tracks when she saw him standing there, watching.

"You look like hell."

Faye's brows promptly furrowed, eyes, blood-shot and puffy, narrowing. "You know, for someone who decided he wanted nothing more to do with me, you certainly seem to get a kick out of following me everywhere." She snapped, stalking off the way she'd come.

Kol watched her go in silence for a moment. "It gets easier, you know. Letting them go." She hadn't gotten very far when his words reached her and she stopped, tentatively looking back.

But by the time she was opening her mouth to respond, he was gone again.