I'm back! I know, it took me quite a lot to publish this chapter lol.
I apologise for the ones who were following it and saw no update for so much time. Unfortunately I had a lot to do with university&Co (in fact I've used my Christmas holiday to pick it up again).
Thankseveryone for the comments/favourite/follow.
For everything, don't hesitate to send a message to my PM.
Have a good reading
P.S. I still don't have any Betha, sorry for any spelling/syntax mistake.
Chapter three
"You know Stefan, when you asked me to go for a drive, I didn't think you meant in Mystic Falls" complained Elena entering the Salvatore mansion.
That morning Stefan had called, claiming that they had to meet. Caroline had scoffed. "Good, so, from now on, you'll be taken even in the mornings. Advice me when I should start to make a reservation for talking with you". She knew that her friend wasn't really serious. If only she knew. More than once, the thought to tell her everything had come to her mind. She really needed someone to confide in. Otherwise, she even feared her possible reaction. Not just to vampirism; but to her behaviour. Could she understand that despite all this crap, she still felt something for Stefan? Probably not.
"Don't worry, I don't bite…" joked Stefan while inviting her to sit on the sofa "…or at least I don't want to"
"I know that you won't hurt me Stef. Then, aren't you a sort of veggie?" she said getting closer to him on the sofa.
"Yeah, I suppose that is how you can call me" he chuckled "Now, why…"
"Oh, brother, how many times should I tell you not to eat on the sofa" said a familiar voice coming from behind.
He turned his head.
Fuck! What the hell was Damon doing there? he'd heard him some days before, but he hadn't be warned about an his possible return in town.
Immediately he glanced Elena. So did Damon. Crap!
He had seen it. That flame, that little spark in his eyes, the memory. Elena and Katherine couldn't be much more different temperamentally. However, physically, they could have been twins. A breeze of fear run through his spine. He didn't want history repeating itself. This time he would mark his territory.
"What are you doing here?" asked Stefan curtly.
"Hi Damon! How are you doing bro? How long I haven't see you! Are you ok? You know, these centuries haven't affected you at all; you are as handsome as I remember" replied joking Damon "Dear brother, you should work on your manners. By the way, I just wanted to meet you…" then, looking at Elena "… and the time couldn't be any better"
"Don't you even think"
"Stefan, mmm.." interrupted the brunette with questioning eyes. From the few lines they had exchanged, she got that the black haired man had to be Stefan's older brother. He was a vampire too; so Stefan had told her.
"Sorry Elena" apologised the vampire circling her waist with his arm "This is Damon, my brother; and, Damon, this is Elena, my girlfriend" he added, underlining the possessive reference.
"Excuse my brother's manners, Elena" said the sibling. Then he took her hand and kissed her knuckles "You know, you really are my brother's type, and not only his.." he winked.
Soon Elena retracted her hand.
"His ways are not the only ones which should be improved" she said.
It had been strange, that simple act had made her rather uncomfortable, but even a little intrigued. Good town girl and the bad boy. Always the same story. Wait. No. she was with Stefan. In addition he was a vampire too and something told her that he wasn't a fan of Stefan's diet.
"Well, well, what a sharp tongue. It seems that the look is not the only thing that resemble Katherine"
"Who?" asked Elena confused. and now, who the hell was this Katherine?
"Oh,oh,oh, little good Stefan is keeping some secrets. It seems that Santa will bring onions and coal to someone in this room.
"Shut up, Damon"
"Stefan, who is this Katherine"
"Elena…"
"Do you still have her photo in your room?"
"Damon no"
Suddenly Damon flashed away, to come back few seconds after with something in his hands.
"Problem solved. Don't thank me Elena".
Even if she had wanted, she couldn't have done it. As Elena saw that black and white photo of the infamous Katherine Pierce, she fainted.
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(few days after)
Disappointed. Angry. Furious. Even the union of all these states couldn't exactly describe how Caroline felt in that moment. Even that morning Elena had left her to run into Stefan's arms. What a stupid she had been! She had even been worried that they were having problems, but it seemed that she was wrong. Or maybe they had already made peace. And maybe in that instant they were securing the deal with some hot sex. She was there, following Professor Shane's lesson completely alone while Elena was having fun under the sheets. Why life was so unfair. Well, perhaps 'unfair' wasn't the right term, after all Elena deserved to be happy and she couldn't but wish her the best ..but her? What there was for Caroline? Why did she always have to be the forgiver, the one who didn't care, the one who gulped down and went on? Ok, she was being a bit dramatic; on the other hand she couldn't but feel sad. Lately she had spent a lot of time alone and seemed that her friend was far away even when they were in the same room. Aaaah! Caroline brought her hand to her front. She felt as her head was going to explode: was having thousand thoughts, all at the same time, and she didn't understand anymore which one to follow.
As if it wasn't enough there was Nik.. well, saying that he "was" there, wasn't really correct. It was strange. She couldn't' really define her bond/relationship/thing with him. Even because there wasn't an actual thing. Well, of course they were, from a certain point of view, linked by the bet, nevertheless.. she didn't how to put all "this" into words, how to explain "this", how to explain him. He had entered her life on tiptoe, as a stranger, and even if he had remained so (she knew nothing about him after all), he had started to be a part of her life. A small part, right, but he was there. It was like when you go to the bar and order always the same kind of coffee. After a while the bartender knows you, well, he knows your coffee. So every morning he expects you to go there and order your latte. And even for you, he (or she) becomes an habit. Even if it wasn't decided, even if it's not actually something clarified. It's like there's a tacit agreement. In a way that was happening with him. She couldn't actually comprehend how a little accident in a bar had turned into all that. Life can be unpredictable. You can lose a bus and find your soul mate at the stop, waiting for the next one, or coming out with a brilliant idea for a book while waiting for the train*; or you can casually bump into someone one day, and organize chess matches the day after. It had been a while since they had started to meet, and despite how many efforts she put in the match and how many difficulties she caused to him (she had noticed that more than once he wasn't certain about his moves), he always won. Putting, unfortunately, her pride apart, she had to admit that he was absolutely great. He was a true strategist. For every move she made, he had already planned the two after- it was like he could read in her mind , he saw her moves before her. Although it was difficult for her to face the defeat and his immense ego (how much presumptuous could a man be?), she had to confess that playing against him was absolutely thrilling. Every time they played, she felt on the edge, she could feel the adrenaline run into her veins. Just playing chess, through his moves, she could see how twisted and complex his mind was. Every manoeuvre he thought left her intrigued and ready to learn it. Caroline liked the fact that after every match, she had the sensation to have learnt something more about chess and about her brain. How you play depends on how you make your brain work.
"As you can see, every culture is characterized by some legends and myths. Every population, every era has mixed reality with supernatural for folklorist or religious reasons. Let's think of the demons, or the vampires or the werewolves" kept describing the professor. God. She had been so taken in her mind by all her problems that she had forgotten that she was still in class. Truth be told, professor Shane's lessons weren't the most interesting ones on Earth (you could count on one hand the students who were actually following him). However she had to take that exam, and as the book seemed to be written in Aramaic, the notes were fundamental. She would have asked someone for the ones she had lost in those hours.
After an other hour, while she was desperately trying to keep her eyes open and concentrated, the bell finally rang. YES! The class was over! Caroline couldn't stop the instinctual smile that formed on her face.
She had quite reached the door when the professor stopped her.
"Mrs Forbes, please, could I steal a minute of your precious time?" asked the professor in a very cheesy way.
"Ahm, yes…of course" answered Caroline a bit disorientated. She hadn't expected the professor would have liked to talk with her. wait. Perhaps he had noticed that she had been distracted for half of the lesson. What the hell. There were hundreds of students, and he just had to catch her. She was preparing some apologies when he said
"Thanks for your time. I've seen that you're regularly following this course Mrs Forbes. Is your friend ill? I haven't seen Mrs Gilbert today, am I wrong?" he questioned looking straight in her eyes. Even though the tone of his voice was quite gentle and kind, his eyes were half-closed as if he was inspecting her face, ready to catch every possible sign of a lie.
Caroline started to feel a bit uneasy under his sight.
"Oh, yeah, she felt a bit down this morning, so preferred to stay in" she lied, keeping the smile on her mouth. ' Damn Elena! I'm even lying for you. I swear that you'll own me that' thought the blonde.
Now she was worried, not only because she had just lied to her professor, but even because she was conscious to be a bad liar. In fact, she could swear to have seen a quick movement of his eyes, synchronised with the angle of his mouth, as if he was half smirking inside of him.
"Oh, I'm sorry for her. I hope she'll recover soon" he said, pretending to believe her "and please, for every question or problem, don't hesitate to come to my study to have whatever explanation you desire. My door is always open for my students"
"Thank you. I … I'll certainly accept the offer" stammered Caroline, time after time always more uncomfortable in his presence.
"Good, now I have to go" he finished taking some books from the desk and reaching the door.
Then, slowly turning to her again and staring piercing at her eyes "I look forward to seeing you and Mrs Gilbert in my office. Have a good day Mrs Forbes" and he disappeared.
What was that? That was the question that Caroline was trying to answer. How was, that all of a sudden, her professor had got interested in them ? She had just got out of the class when she stopped. A worried expression on her face. How was it possible that he knew their names? Hundreds and hundreds of students followed his course and he certainly couldn't remember all the faces. Moreover, she and Elena had never been very loquacious during his lessons. They had never participated into discussions or asked any questions. Then why had he noticed them? And why had he been so careful to even notice that Elena was absent? She was still recovering from all this confusion when she received a text.
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Stefan's love for his brother could be compared only with the same annoyance he felt for him. It didn't matter if they had fun or were spending good moments together, Stefan knew that sooner or later his brother would screw that up. Fucking everything up was a very Damon thing. Perhaps it was because he knew that in the end he would be forgiven, or just 'cause he couldn't do otherwise.
So, every time, he played along and waited for him to suck up. But not this time. He couldn't get the end on what had actually happened, but he felt that something had happened during the meeting between him and Elena. Gosh! Even him had felt that…that thing, whatever it was. Would Elena be the net Katherine? Would he be the old Stefan? Was destiny so difficult to fight? Would he let all this story repeat? The hell he wouldn't, that was why he was really intentioned to get rid of his brother as soon as possible. Unfortunately that wasn't going to happen in the near future: for now he needed his help.
Always lucky.
"Why that frown little brother? Aren't you happy to see the big bro?" he rhetorically asked while putting on his sunglasses "How do I look? No? you don't like them? Well, actually neither I, but they were not so bed on the fellow I dried out yesterday. What a pity" and threw them away.
"I asked you to act properly. I do live here Damon. Every damage you do, it is up to me to cancel" just few days and already had to baby-sit him.
"Ah, what a nuisance you've become. You should really give up on the Bambi diet and come bach to the 'Jugular team'. You know, if you sign in time for Christmas we give you as a gift a Santa hat" as he expected Stefan wasn't one for jokes "Ah, well, since my charme seems nopt to work with you, please, be quick"
"I've called you to talk about Elena".
They were outside the campus where the university settled.
"You mean Katherine II: the revenge"
"She's different from Katherine"
"Yeah, I've noticed" Damon smiled.
"No, you haven't and for your own good you better stay away from her"
"Or what? You'll kill me? You'll put a stake right into my heart?" he chuckled "Please, don't make me laugh, with your squirrels and ninja turtles it's a miracle that you get up from your bed in the morning"
Stefan sighed. He knew he was right. Again the luckiest vampire ever.
"By the way" he come back to his point "I was trying to tell that I thin Elena is in danger. Lately, each time I spent with her at university, I've noticed that it was as if there was someone spying on us. At the beginning I thought it was just my imagination, but then it started to happen even when I was alone. Once I tried to catch him but he soon disappeared, so…"
"So he must be one of us" completed Damon "and it mustn't be a coincidence that they're looking for someone who looks like Katherine"
"You think they're searching Katharine?"
"I don't know but we'll soon find out" answered Damon looking behind Stefan "Someone's watching us" and so he flashed away.
"Hello, hello. Don't you know eavesdropping is such a rude habit?" did the dark haired man keeping the other man glued to the tree whit his hand around his neck.
"Why are you following me?" questioned Stefan when he reached them between the woods.
"Are you serious?! Why don't you even add 'please, my dear'?" sighed the older Salvatore.
Then, tightening the grip on his throat and staring in his eyes to compel him, he said "Now you'll tell us why you've been following us and who sent you"
"I..I can't" tried to answer the poor man whose neck was starting to bleed.
"He must have been compelled to keep the secret. Damn it!" yelled Stefan.
"This means who sent him is not an idiot" and with a smirk he added "and that we don't need him anymore"
He ripped his heart out oh his chest. Dead.
"There was no need to kill him" complained the blonde one "Now they'll know that we know"
"Yeah, 'cause if we had freed him, he would have kept the silence...please, tell me that our parents adopted us from two different families"
"If you can't stand my genes, you can always put a stake in that hole where your heart should be" smiled Stefan.
"I know that you're kidding" and so he started to walk.
"Where are you going?"
"To tell your lovely girlfriend that she's in danger"
"I don't need your help. I can do it on my own"
"Sure Sherlock" and so he flashed away directed to Elena's room.
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A little lake. A garden full of flowers. A villa. A vineyard. A little lake. A garden full of flowers. A villa. A vineyard. A little lake. A garden full of flowers. A villa. A vineyard. A little lake. A garden full of flowers. A villa…. And the perfume of lavender. That incredible perfume of lavender. She was following it. She didn't even know where she was but she was following it and..
Ding, ding, ding.
"Oh, please, take a hint" groaned Caroline smashing her phone to the other side of the room.' I swear that I'll kill him' she thought, still half asleep, getting up from the bed.
As the day before she had studied until 3 in the night for a term, she had decided to take a well deserved nap in the afternoon. But it seemed that Nik had other plans. He had quite filled her cell memory with his texts. She had ignored him, or at least she had tried to (God, she had a life). However he hadn't stopped, neither for a minute, since the lunch. Fuck! She was starting to think that he had hired someone just to torture her.
Once recovered the cell, she set off her fury.
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IDIOT? C.
Hello to you too, sweetheart. My morning has been quite fine, thanks to have asked and yeah, of course, I've missed you as much as you've missed me. K.
If you're feeling a pressure in your behind it's me that I'm mentally kicking your ass. C.
Always an excuse to touch me, when you could just ask. Or maybe is it just a subtle invitation for me to do the same? What a naughty girl ;) K.
Congrats, you can be just as annoying by text as you are in person. Now, please, leave me lone. C.
I see that apart from your maths skills you should even improve the memory ones. What about our match? K.
What about never? C.
You gave me your word. Tonight? K.
Well, Caroline, if you accept at least you'll be free of his text for the rest of the afternoon. Yah, that's why you should accept it. Not cause you want it. Pff. Cause of course you don't want to. Come on, make this last effort.
Ok. 9 p.m. at the bar. But stop sending all those messages or I'll make you gulp your cell down. C.
Lovely as always. Can't wait to see you. K.
Can't wait to never see you again. C.
"Well, let's get ready" she said to herself smiling.
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In the end, Stefan's wisdom had had the better on Demon's intentions, or at least for that day. They had called Elena to advice her about the last events. And programmed to make a visit to her the day after.
"Now I gotta tell her" thought Elena from her bed.
When she had entered few minutes ago, she had thought to have mistaken their room for an other. She had bumped into the vision of a radiant Caroline. She looked really relaxed and ..happy. from the make up, you could say she was getting ready to go out. Maybe she should wait. 'Don't be a coward Elena'.
"Ehi Caroline, are you going out?"
"Ah, yes, well, no…more or less" bubbled the blonde. Ok, perhaps it was possible that she was keeping a secret from her friend. And that the secret was called Nik. She knew that there was no reason not to tell her, but she found difficult to confide that…not that there was anything to confide. They were just two mature persons who played chess. Nevertheless she wanted those meetings to stay secret. From an idiotic and stupid point of view, it was like she felt the need to "protect" them. You know, when you treasure something so much that you're afraid that telling it to someone could ruin it. She hadn't understood yet if Nik was actually one to trust or not but she enjoyed the time spent together and didn't want anyone to stain it, even just platonically.
God, she was really going mad.
"I'll go to the bar"
"Ah, good" added the brunette with a weak voice, looking at her shoes. How could she tell her?
She knew for sure that in the moment her friend would hear the story, her life would have changed instantly.
"What's up? Problems in paradise?" joked the blonde sitting next to the friend on the bed "Today Stefan called you 13 times instead of 14?" but as she saw the seriousness on the friend's face, she changed her tone "Ok, I feel trouble coming"
"I'm sorry" and that was how Elena introduced Caroline to the world of vampires, werewolves, doppelganger and whatever her fantasy could have ever produced.
"You know, don't take it in the bed way, but I'd rather preferred a rapist Stefan than a vampire one. Are you still in time for the change?"
"I don't think so"
"Good. So, tomorrow I'll finally have the pleasure to meet a vampire"
"Actually two" did guiltily Elena.
"Please, tell me that you're kidding" replied Caroline.
"It seems that he has a brother"
"Even!" exclaimed her "and why, exactly, should they come here tomorrow? Shouldn't we escape from them instead of let them in? you know, we have a contract for this local, so we kind of "own" it and if we don't give them the permission, we could be safe here"
Elena rose her eyebrows.
"What?" did Caroline "Never watched True Blood?"
"Well, let's just say that we kind of need them"
"And why is that" asked Caroline, threatened that the answer could bring other problems.
"It seems that there are some killers or whoever, out there, constantly following me and maybe that could be related to the fact that around the world there's a vampire who looks exactly like me"
"Bingo"
"I know that I'm asking you a lot, but could you please let them help me?" asked Elena with tears in her eyes. She knew that the most yet had to come, but she felt a bit relieved to be finally able to confide her worries to her friend.
"Sure" said Caroline hugging the friend "Just, promise me that you'll take some garlic and holy water with you, just for precaution"
They laughed together, lots of problems had to come, but together they could certainly win them.
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Seriously. It was more than twenty minutes that she was waiting him and waiting wasn't something she always did. 'Firstly he had bothered with all those texts and then he even dared to come late' she thought furiously. What if he just decided not to come? As this thought crossed her mind, Caroline raised from the chair. No one stood her up.
She was turning to leave when someone bumped into her.
"Sorry, have I wet you?" asked the guy with a glass- now half empty- in his hand.
"No, don't worry. It just dropped on the floor"
"Good" replied him a bit relieved.
"Not for the bartender who'll have to dry it" commented her caustically. She was already pissed for the delay, then this inconvenient, to say that she was annoyed was the least.
"What, no, of course, I'm sorry for the mess. I just was relieved that you.." added the fellow completely embarrassed.
"I was kidding" laughed the blonde. Ok, maybe she had been a little a bitch. In the end he seems to be a good guy, so why blame him for someone else's guilt? However, it had been too much funny that expression of surprise/embarrassment on his face.
"Oh, I didn't want to make a bad first impression with you" as he saw her raise her eyebrows "Well, I've seen you around and your poker adventure has become quite a story around here"
"Only Arya Stark could have finished him better" she said proud of herself.
"Who?"
It seemed that he didn't get the quote.
"Nothing, doesn't matter"
"Oh, well," a bit agitated and with one hand in his pocket he dared to propose " look, if you want, we could hang out together.. you know.. one of these days .. if you have time" as she hadn't answered yet " or maybe not"
Truth be told, Caroline didn't actually knew how to answer. Was this guy good looking? Yes. Was he nice? Certainly she had met far worse people. Was she tempted by the propose? A little. As Elena was spending more and more time with Stefan, she would have liked to have a bit of company. Now that the vampire problem had added, she needed a bit of normality, of quiet serenity. The peace of a sweet routine. After all, it looked like Nik wasn't that interested anymore in their game. This thought brought a little disappointment in her heart. She knew that it was nothing; she knew that he was nothing (most probably a playboy who just wanted to get into her pants) but she had built something up.
You meet someone, woman or man, doesn't matter, and you talk with them and, perhaps she was stupid, but for her it was quite natural to fantasize with her imagination about the possibilities she had with them, the kind of friendship they could build, or simply the kind of stories that those people had behind their backs. It wasn't for nothing that she wanted to be a journalist; she just had an impulse to go over the simple act, the simple reality in itself. And unfortunately so had happened with Nik. She wasn't stupid. She knew he was trouble. People don't start playing chess with the first ones they meet. And when he stared at her with his piercing eyes like a demon who wanted to scrutinized her soul… she had to remember to spare fantasy from reality, and that troubles were always that: troubles.
"Yes" she answered in a way between a whisper and a statement.
"Perfect" commented the guy surprised, as the conversation was going, he was quite sure she would have stood him out "by the way, my name is Tyler"
"Oh, yes, I'm Caroline .. right" she had accepted to go out with someone without even asking the name.
What would her mother say?
"Then, we see around"
"Okay.." What the hell had she done?
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It seemed that the doppelganger problem was more difficult that he thought. His man had been discovered by the Salvatore brother and now was dead. Not to talk about Elijah and Rebecca' tirades about all the plan in itself. As if they could anything against his will. Fools.
Unfortunately, that inconvenient had made him arrive late. As always, the thought of her soon chased the anger and the darkness away and made him smile tenderly at the bouquet of lavender flowers he had in his hands. He had bought it for her and had compelled the florist to choose only the most beautiful and perfumed flowers.
However, as his eyes raised from the flowers and the vision of the meeting between Tyler and Caroline came into his sight, his smile disappeared. Who fucking was that idiot who was talking with her? soon he paid more attention to their conversation. He had invited her out. What a fool. How could he expect that someone like Caroline would accept to share anything with a a moron who barely knew how to put a sentence together? In addition there was him. His meetings with Caroline were becoming more and more frequent. Their talks, their understandings, that sensation of feeling perfectly comfortable with someone even in the most absolute silence, hat sort of intellectual challenge that was between them, the pushing each other, the acceptance,..
He was already grinning a bit viciously, ready to assist at the guy disappointment when he heard her answer. Again, that night, the smile slipped away from his face. She had accepted. SHE HAD ACCEPTED!
A shiver ran across his spine. Betrayal. That was the first feeling. Maybe she didn't remember all the history they shared and didn't know Klaus, but she had started to speak with Nik. And despite that, despite knowing only the good part ...well.. the less evil part, still, she had chosen someone else. It didn't mater that he couldn't have a pretence on her.. it still hurt. However, the original hybrid couldn't feel hurt, he was invincible and so his pride pushed his sorrow to become maleficent rage.
He twisted the flowers in his hands and threw them away.
A text arrived. It was Caroline's. "If you couldn't come no more, could have advised"
At least she had noticed his absence.
He was tempted to forget everything and reach her. fuck it all. He was the most ancient person alive in this damn world, he wouldn't get fooled by a girl.
"I had most important things to do. Actually, for a second, I had quite forgot about you, love. As you seem to get so attached to these meetings, I could find some time this weekend"
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Since Monday night, when she had run back to her room with a sorrow in her soul that she couldn't make disappear, Caroline had thrown herself into books. One thing was arriving late, one other was sending a message where he practically treated her look a petty nuisance. Who did he think to be? Stupid. Stupid Caroline. That's what happened when you started to travel with your mind. Now she just wanted to emptied her brain. Damn Nik. Damn Tyler. Damn the vampires too. Maybe she was too naive, maybe not coming directly in touch with the problem she couldn't actually get the proportion and the extension of the question, or maybe she had already metabolize all the vampire thing. In any case, she didn't want, now more then ever, all these problems to affect her life. She would protect Elena. That's all.
So, lessons and library, library and lessons. That's how she spent all the week. Sometimes she studied so much than she even forgot to eat. And she liked it. That peaceful numbness that she felt just before just before falling asleep, like she didn't belong to the Earth. Anyway, despite how concentrate and attentive she was, she couldn't seem to understand some concepts from Professor Shane's lessons. Why did he have to insert all those Aramaic quotes and folklorist songs? The only thing she got was ħaḏ gaḏyā (little goat). That language could be quite a problem for her.
So, on Saturday morning she decided to try for his help.
She certainly would have found him in his study. However, arrived there, she found the room empty and.. messy. There were tons of files, photos and sheets all spread on the desk, on the shelves and even on the floor. She was turning to get out when her eyes got a glimpse of a photo. There was an Aramaic script on it. She didn't know why (she was sure that she hadn't ever seen it in her notes or in any book she had recently consulted), but it looked quite familiar. She got closed to the file and started to read it. There were some words that were constantly repeated in the English translation put next (probably written by the professor); only one, by the way, was always highlighted: doppelganger. Moreover, her attention was kept by other aspects: all those inscriptions regarding vampires and lycanthropy, as malediction, the moon and the sun..
In that moment, all the barriers she had tried to build between her and the outside had crushed. She had tried to stay away from that world, but despite all her efforts, reality always came to knock at her door. And she couldn't kept it close anymore. She made several photos of all the documents and looked for any other things tat could have helped Elena. If she couldn't run, she would have made herself useful.
As finished, she run to her room and locked the door. Probably it didn't have any sense but, let's put in her shoes: what would you do if you found out to be in a Francis Coppola movie?
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Of course, her day wasn't over. It was Saturday. Weekend. So, if in the morning she had played the role of the spy, now she would have played.. what? What she would have played? What was her role in all that mess? She hadn't heard him since that text. His words still stung. She hadn't forgotten that feeling of emptiness, of frailty, when she had read them, when she had realized that all the world that her mind had created was just that: a creation of her. At least, now she knew where he stood.
When she got to the bar, she was surprised to find him already there. And, even, if she wouldn't admitted to herself, she was even relieved by this fact. She had been a bit worried about what would have meant for their "thing" if he wouldn't have presented at all.
She knew, getting near and near his table, that nit by bit, with his charm and his intelligence and his being him they would have acted as nothing had happened. But she wasn't mature enough for that.
"Hi" she greeted feebly, sitting in front of him.
"Hi" replied him.
As she sat, he noticed her pale figure and her strange mood; maybe she was still mad for the message, or maybe she was expecting to cross the other guy, she would have appreciated him more..
"You're late" he added sternly.
"Sorry, I had more important things to do. You're lucky that I have an agenda to remind my appointments. You should get one too" commented Caroline, letting transpire not so subtly that she hadn't forgotten.
She was thinking of the message. So she cared. Even if just a bit. Perhaps it's not all gone. In that instant his hybrid wisdom made him realize that, in the end, for how unfair and irrational it could be, we don't always give second chances to the ones who deserve, but to the ones we wanted them to deserve. It didn't matter if they proved that then or day after, we need just a sign that all the hope we're putting in them had not gone wasted.
He just hoped that one day she would think the same and would forgave him for everything.
"Oh, don't worry, that has given me all the time to get acquainted with the bartender. A pretty little thing I must say" well, he could have been over but that didn't mean that he couldn't made her pay in the meantime.
"You don't say" replied Caroline amused.
"Well, you are the proof that I am quite a catch. It didn't take a lot for you to fall at my feet"
"And I'm sure she fell for you as soon as her eyes crossed your eyes" added her even more entertained.
"She looked at me, like Gollum with the ring" continued the hybrid, a bit startled by her behavior. That wasn't the exact reaction he was expecting. He imagined her to be a bit more agitated, if not a little jealous. He was quite frustrated by her absence of reaction.
"Well, darling, let me give you a piece of advice" she laughed "when you don't know the territory, you better don't make a move"
"Oh, little Frodo, don't be jealous, you still are my favorite one"
"Yeah, and I am even the only one who could eventually return all this love. You see, Nik, the bartender plays for the other team".
As he gave a look behind the counter, he understood what she was saying. The bartender was kissing another girl vehemently. Very vehemently. Gosh, was it even sanitary? All than tongue and touch ?
"I hope to be more lucky in the game"
"I hope that too; 'cause only the Lady Luck could save you tonight, ħaḏ gaḏyā"
"Well, ləšūnrā** " said Klaus getting near to her "let me give you a piece of advice: don't talk about the future, when the history says otherwise"
"You've just been lucky" she replied ardently approaching even more to him, their hands practically touching.
"Tell yourself whatever you want to sleep at night" he whispered huskily.
They were one in front of the other, looking in the eyes. Just the table separating them.
"Remember Nik, I always play to win" she stated.
Her word were firm, like her eyes. And the passion she put into them couldn't but inflame it more.
"Then let's start" he murmured with the air leaving his lips gently caressing hers.
That dizzy warm awakened her. soon she sat back at her place.
.
..
.
.
"H-7 in H-5" started Caroline. That was her typical initial move. You could say it was her brand.
"You shouldn't make always the same moves. In this way you become predictable and easy to attack" explained Klaus in a paternalistic way. Truth be told, he said that more as a teacher than as a mocker. Even after so much time, in some ways, he still felt to be a bit like her...master; he wanted her to improve, to better herself. She had to get that there was no limit to enhancement.
"Thank you master Yoda. Now, please, can you make your move or you need more time? I get, at your age it must be difficult to put all the neurons of the brain at work" she laughed.
"G-2 in G-4. Show more respect my little padawan. I get, at your age, you still don't have enough experience to get when to shout your little pretty mouth" he grinned amused. By now, he knew what cords to move to annoy her.
An expression of shock was painted over Caroline's face. How could that prick dare to tell her to shut up?
"H-5 in G-4" Caroline claimed victoriously, she had just ate his piece "You should be a bit more concentrated. Don't let yourself get too involved by the conversation. I don't like wining too easily"
Ok, time for playing was over. Now began the war.
.
.
.
After two hours and half, there were just few pieces on the table. They were at an impasse. No one seemed to be able to make the definitive move. She made to move her horse. Then stopped and retracted her hand.
'If I move the horse, than I leave my queen uncovered, and he'll eat her with his bishop. But if I don't move it, I will never have a possibility to get close to the king..'
'If she moves her horse, I'll eat her queen. So easy. Then it will be the time of the king… Fuck'
They both realized at the same time that they had been so focused on the queen 'till then, to have forgotten the real cornerstone of the game: the king. If a gleam of victory sparkled in her eyes, Klaus' ones were taken by incredulity. Be defeated wasn't a sensation he was used to. One move and everything would be over. He had lost.
Well, he would have asked her to keep on playing despite the bet. What if she said no? What if she rejected him? He couldn't risk. In the end, he never played fair, so, why should he start now?
While Caroline was going to move her king, he took one of the pieces he had eaten from her before, and threw it violently against the opposite wall where there was the alarm of the local. Soon it started ringing.
Destabilized by the sound, Caroline looked around to understand what was happening and soon Klaus moved the table, letting all the pieces fall on the ground.
"What the fuck" shouted Caroline when noticed what had happened to the chess table.
"Sorry Caroline, but I think that we should get out from this place, we don't know what the alarm is for, it's too risky to stay here" said Klaus pretending a concerned tone (while inside of him he was sighing of relief) "let's call a draw, we'll start a new game tomorrow"
"A DRAW! Stupid fucking liar! I was winning, I had practically your king in my hand and you dare call it a DRAAAAAAAAW" she screamed louder than before, full of rage, with all her voice – which was hidden in the bustle that the trigger of the alarm had provoked).
Then, pointing the forefinger on his chest, she added
"You know, you know I've won. You fucking know. Tell me the truth, you have done something to avoid the defeat"
"My sweet Caroline, I don't know what you are talking about; but I'm sure that if you are so cunning, it won't be a problem for you to repeat your victory" a smug smile drawn on his lips.
Passed the moment of uncertainty, now he was left with a sensation of pride and adrenaline which flew in his blood. If the fact that she was going to win (he wasn't stupid, he knew that without his little trick, she would have beaten him) had shocked him from one side, from the other that had left a sense of pride for her that he couldn't describe. However this little adventure had taught him that neither to the original hybrid was allowed to be inert. As you stopped, someone else was ready to surpass you. He had gladly found someone who could be his input to do better.
*I was referring to J.
** I tried to find something on the net for the Aramaic but I'm not sure of the results; so, don't take for gold what I've written
So, what do you think? Should I go on or would it be better to stop before of embarrassing more my self and my writing?
Looking forward to reading your comments. As always I repeat that I accept both positive and negative one, seriously. If you have any advice, or questions, or whatever you can contact me and I'll be more than happy to answer you
Again, thanks to all the people who have decided to spend their precious time to read my story. THANK YOU A LOT!