Author's Note- First off of course is to thank those who reviewed, followed and favourited. You give me the energy to write! :)
I do apologize for the wait! It's been that time of year with papers and exams. Those will always take priority then I flew back home for Christmas. But I'm back at school, and now officially have time to write this. So here it is. Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to all of you! And happy new year!
Also to mention, Godric will be in the story more, he plays a vital role later on in the story. So stay tuned. I love Godric, how could I leave him out? I never understood why True Blood killed him off, I will admit I shed a few tears watching that scene with him and Eric- and stupid Sookie in the way lol
Another thing, I got distracted by thoughts of their first kiss, so I started a one shot series called- This Love Left A Permanent Mark. It's all about their first kiss, in Berlin, in the 1930s, if you want to check it out.
Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 10- Off To The Races
"Well if it isn't little miss party girl. Have fun with your new vampire boyfriend last night? Poor little orphan Lockwood. Losing his girl, and soon his life."
Caroline just snorted as she continued strutting into the living room, placing her laptop and the sword on the coffee table before taking a seat on the couch. It'd taken longer than she or Eric had originally thought, and the other vampire left before sunrise leaving her to retrieve the sword. After he'd left, it only took her a few more hours to find it and she came straight to the boarding house.
"Jealous?" She asked.
It was Klaus' turn to snort. "Not particularly. You could do better, love."
"Let me guess, you?" She puffed, not even giving the hybrid a glance as she brought up the photos of Jeremy's tattoos.
"Went through my home I see," Klaus said, changing the subject.
"Yes, found this in the attic." She gestured to the sword on the table as she continued to search, what language was this tattoo in?
"Need my help with anything, love?"
"Nope," She replied, taking the sword out of the blanket it was concealed in. She then unwrapped the leather on the top of the sword, revealing the hilt which, she hypothesized was the key to deciphering the hunter's mark. "See, I was playing around with the handle, and I found this."
"And what do you think 'this' is?" Klaus asked.
She finally stared up at him as he leaned against a column, their eyes meeting. "It's called a cryptex." Klaus' eyes widened in surprise. "What? I've seen the da Vinci code. You turn the different sides to the different symbols to get the translation on the other side." She gestured back to her computer. "And with the power of the internet, and pictures of Jeremy's tattoo Elena sent me, all I have to do is cryptex away."
She didn't like the smirk growing on Klaus' face, the one that was equal parts sexy as hell, and equal parts spine chilling. "Right. Well, might I suggest you use the magic of the internet to purchase an Aramaic-to-English dictionary from your nearest retailer."
"But…" Her face went pale as suddenly her mouth went dry as she stared at the sword, to her computer, then back at Klaus. "That's a dead language. It hasn't been used since biblical times."
"Qetsiyah's native tongue, I'm guessing," Klaus smirked, as began to pace at the border of the spell. "You know, even if you had the best dictionary in the world, it could take days to translate." She watched as he sauntered over to the wingback chair, taking a seat, his eyes never leaving hers. "Perhaps weeks. "In bas so-teen-too ara-ma-eet."
"What does that mean?"
The hybrid grinned. "If only you spoke Aramaic."
It was her turn to smirk. "If only I had a thousand-year-old viking boyfriend to ask." She quipped sarcastically, as she retrieved her computer, and sword and headed toward the basement. As her hand grasped the handle, she turned. "Oh wait, I do. Thanks for the help Klaus."
She didn't give him a second glance as skipped down the stairs, and through the hallway until she found a door. She paused before she knocked softly.
Nothing.
"Eric?" She called out.
Still nothing.
She wasn't sure what to expect as she opened the door, peering into the darkness, just seeing a king size bed. Eric did say to wake him the moment she found the sword, but she'd hoped to do it on her own. But if he could translate Aramaic, it would only take a few minutes.
She crept up to the bed, seeing the viking laying on his back, hands clasped together like he was in a coffin. She touched his shoulder. "Eric?"
His eyes shot open, making her stumble back. "Caroline." The other vampire sat up, turning on the bedside lamp. "Were you able to find the sword?"
It took her a moment, as she took in a completely shirtless Eric, the comforter and sheets pooling in his lap, leaving little to the imagination. Was all of Damon's friends so attractive? "Yes." She gulped, taking the sword from under her arm, and placing it on the bed. "It's in Aramaic, do you speak the language?"
"I do." He said simply, picking up the sword, his attention focused on the handle. "And you have the pictures of Jeremy's tattoo."
"Yes." She gestured to the computer in her hand.
"Good, could you turn on the overhead light, I need to be able to read this properly. It's been a few years since I've last seen Aramaic."
She nodded, putting the computer down on the bed and walked back over to the door and flipped the switch. As she turned back around she came face to face with a very naked Eric. Her hands flew to her eyes as he opened up a drawer. Dear God, he's hung like a horse. They don't make 'em like that anymore.
"You're naked!" She squeaked. embarrassed at how high her voice got.
"Yes, I always sleep in the nude," He replied simply. "I've never understood people's shame of their bodies, besides it's more comfortable."
"Not like you have anything to be ashamed about." Her eyes widened as her hands slapped over her mouth, feeling her face go hot. "I mean I find it comfortable too." She squeezed her eyes shut, not even able to look at the viking. Get it together Caroline, he'll think you're flirting with him. "I mean-"
"As much as I'd love to see where your next thought is going, we have a tattoo to decrypt."
"Look at us." Bonnie scoffed. "A newbie hunter, an alcoholic vampire and a witch who needs adult supervision. How are we the ones that made it this far?
Damon snorted as he took a swig from his bourbon-filled water bottle, following behind Sabrina and the little hunter that could. "I'm not an alcoholic."
He almost ran right into Jeremy as he stopped. He watched as he reached for Bonnie's arm, stopping her, and pulling her toward him. "I'm glad we're here together."
"Me too."
He rolled his eyes, making it a point to make fake gagging noises as he stepped around them, examining their surroundings. "Get a room."
They'd been walking for a few minutes now, and there was still an expanding tunnel in front of them. Where was this stupid cure?
"So Damon, you never said what you're going to do with the cure?"
He turned back to see Sabrina sprint to catch up to him, and he waited before continuing on through the cave. "So?"
"Are you going to take it?" Jeremy asked behind them.
He sighed.
"I don't care about the cure. In fact, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to be a vampire." He snorted, as he waved his flashlight into the darkness. "But Eric wants me to reconsider, that's why I'm here."
"What?" Both of them exclaimed.
"Let me get this straight." He snarled as Bonnie grabbed a hold of him, forcing him to stop. "Your friend Eric wants you to take the cure, and you're actually considering it?"
"Yes, why is that hard to understand?"
"You don't listen to anyone!" Little Gilbert exclaimed.
"Why does he want you to be human?" Sabrina asked.
What was with the fifth degree? He knew they'd had a moment being kidnapped together, and were now after the cure, but when did they all of a sudden care so much about his personal life?
"It's complicated."
They both made an unrecognizable sound behind him. He tried to take a step forward, but again, someone was pulling on his arm. Remember when they hated you? Good times.
He found himself staring back at the Bennett witch again. "You keep saying that about your friend Eric. You haven't been giving us straight answers since he's come to town."
"You really want to know?" He snarled, watching as the two of them just nodded. Why were people so interested in his life all of a sudden? "Eric and I met in the '20s-"
"We know this part." the kid interrupted.
He outwardly sighed, narrowing his eyes at the boy. "I know. What I was trying to explain is that when I was in the '20s I was a different person, like I told you both last night. When Stefan and I were shot by our father, we had Katherine's blood in our system. Now I didn't want to transition, but Stefan convinced me to." He leaned against the stone wall, as the memories came flooding back. "I know this will be surprising to hear, but I used to be the good brother. At least, when it came to killing and feeding from humans. I wasn't overly comfortable with it but Stefan took to it like a real champ. He ended up leaving me, to ripper it up. I'd promised my brother an eternity of misery, so I left him in the wind. But when I saw him again, Lexi had put him back on the wagon. But he fell again, and for a decade, I followed him. I cleaned up his bodies. I watched him get uncomfortably close with Klaus and Barbie Klaus. I was miserable. I myself only fed just to survive, and it was usually on the sick and dying. All I ever wanted was to be human again or to die. Many nights I used to wait until sunrise, convincing myself I'd take off my ring, and I'd meet the true death by the sun."
"Wait, really?" Bonnie actually seemed to be pitying him. This is why he didn't divulge his private life. "You really considered taking your own life?"
"And how does this have to do with Eric wanting you to take the cure?" Jeremy interjected.
"Because when Eric took me in, he told me he saw death in my eyes. And promised to teach me how to accept my fate. He couldn't make me human, but he could teach me how to enjoy being a vampire. He was simply being the maker I never had. Or I thought was locked in a tomb for 150 years." He sighed, realizing he needed to make his point. "So now that there's a cure, Eric wants me to consider taking it because he knows that's what I wanted all those years ago. He doesn't want me to have any regrets. And he just wants me to be happy. He'd give me the world if I asked. "
"Wow."
"He really cares about you," Bonnie added.
"We've been friends for a long time, why is that so surprising?" He snorted. "Now can we get back to actually retrieving the cure. We still don't know for sure if it's even there."
He watched as the newbie hunter and the witch who needed adult supervision nod, and he thanked the Gods, before stepping around them, and back into the path.
For a long moment, everything was silent. All that could be heard was a bit of scurrying which he imagined was rats and the sounds of the rocks, and dirt beneath their shoes as they kept moving. But it was all ruined when the Gilbert boy just had to ask.
"So will you take the cure then?"
Damn hunter's curse or I swear I'd snap his neck.
"Sharing and caring hour has ended. Let's just focus on finding the stupid thing."
"–There's only one dose Stefan. Caroline trusts you all can be civil about it, and discuss who should take it here, in Mystic Falls." Eric replied back to Stefan in Italian, due to the fact the younger Salvatore wasn't sure if Rebekah was in earshot.
"Only one? You're sure?" Stefan replied to him, his Italian not as strong as his, but he was still able to understand.
"Yes."
"Alright thank you." There was a pause as he heard Stefan sigh. "Thank you for everything, Eric. I'm sorry about how I treated you when I met you."
"It's already forgiven. Do tell your brother though to text me the instant he has service that he's not dead.
"Will do. And we'll try to bring it home. Bye."
He pressed end, before passing the phone back to Caroline. They were both laying on his bed, the sword, Caroline's computer and their notes thrown at the end- already forgotten.
He peered over at his blond companion, who had her eyes closed, a hand through her hair, an obvious worry etched in her Barbie-like features. "Did Stefan agree with our plan?"
"He did." Their eyes met, as she turned to look at him. "So will you put your name in the running?"
She just gave Eric a sad smile. "No."
"Really?"
He wasn't expecting that.
"Promise not to tell my friends this?" It was more a formality, but he nodded, he didn't care enough to spread the girl's secrets. "I like being a vampire. Last night just reminded me how much I like being strong. Being fearless. Being ageless. I was a nervous wreck as a human, I cared so much what people thought but now, I just live. I like that." He was startled as the girl began to laugh. "Besides it doesn't matter, it's not like I'd get it anyway. Either Rebekah will take it because she can. Or Elena gets it because poor Elena can't handle being a vampire."
"Do I hear some resentment? I thought you two were best friends?" He asked, interesting to have some gossip to tell Damon when he got home.
If he got home. No, he wasn't going to think about that.
"No, I mean, I love Elena, I do but you weren't here. I mean, yes, she's lost a lot of people. And it's sad. But even before her parent's died, everything and everyone revolved around her. People will do anything for her. And I would too, of course, it's just–" Caroline crossed her arms over her chest as she met his eyes again. "Let's just say when Elena says jump, everyone just asks, how high?" A hand came to rest on his forearm. "I say this because I actually like you but I'd warn your progeny Pam. Elena gets what she wants, and you weren't here to watch Damon fall over backwards for her. Out of us all, he'll do anything for her. He's killed for her. He's lost his best friend because of her. He almost lost his brother because of her. He almost died for her. There's no one more devoted to Elena Gilbert, than Damon Salvatore."
A few weeks ago that would have sent him on a killing spree, as the worry ate away at him. But he promised himself, after almost losing the Italian, he'd trust his feelings for her were over. After all, he'd called him, not her before dying. He'd confessed his love. He'd been honest with the girl coming onto him.
But he hated hearing the hold that treacherous whore had over Damon. He'd give anything to put her head on a pike.
"I'm not worried. Elena was a passing thought for Damon. He's been with Pam for over fifty years. He'd thought he lost her when he left to reawaken his maker Katherine from that tomb. And when she didn't love him, he needed someone to take away the pain of losing the two people he loved most in the world." Eric explained, having a bad taste in his mouth using Pam's name. "It helped she looked just like Katherine."
"Wait! Damon's been with Pam for fifty years?" Caroline gasped, clearly it took her a minute to put two and two together.
"Yes."
"And he left her to go after Katherine?"
He took a deep breath, collecting himself. "Yes."
"And Pam just took him back after all of it? Just like that?" Caroline whistled softly. "I would have killed him."
He couldn't help himself as he chuckled, he'd had the exact same reaction when Damon first left too. He'd almost done it too. Almost.
"It wasn't exactly like they picked up where they left off. Damon mourned Elena. He mourned Katherine. Drank my supply of bourbon a dozen times over. They fought. They fucked. But they both knew, it was never over. A love like theirs doesn't die. She wanted him to have everything, even if that meant leaving to figure out his love for his maker- and she waited. They had eternity after all." He explained carefully, not wanting to give himself away.
Caroline yawned next to him, but he was sure he heard an awe in there too. "That's sort of sweet. I have to say, it's weird to know Damon is actually capable of loving someone for fifty years. I expect it from Stefan, not Damon."
"It's because you don't know Damon."
"Ouch. But I guess you're right." He heard her stifle another yawn. What time was it anyway? "So what about you Eric? Have a special lady, or man in your life?"
If only, she knew.
"Why?" He leered over at her, giving her his charming smile. "Would you like to be mine?"
He stifled a laugh as he watched the blonde shift further away from him on the bed, gaping at him, as a variety of emotions flashed over her face. "No! I just-"
"Because you and I keep finding ourselves sharing a bed." He interrupted. "And I'm starting to wonder."
"Your, your-" Caroline's face was completely flushed.
"And we both know you have a thing for blonde, thousand-year-old vampires." He leaned over onto his side, propping his head on his hand as he gave the girl his full attention. She was now just frozen, red, her mouth open. "Now wouldn't that just get right under Niklaus' skin if he heard us together."
"You're despicable you know! I can see why you and Damon are so close!" She huffed, fleeing from the bed.
"Oh, you have no idea." He drawled, watching as she snatched her computer from the end of the bed, not even able to look him in the eye. "Don't worry, love" he imitated Klaus' accent. "Though typically southern blond girls are a weakness of mine, I have someone else I desire to be mine."
"So you were-"
"Just fucking with you. Yes."
"But why?"
He sighed, propping his head up with his arm, surveying her from the bed. "We've just met, and already I know more about you than your friends. You almost died, you broke up with your boyfriend and your friends could potentially be dead. Through this, I've been your one source of stability. It is common to seek out love and affection from someone in order to dull the pain, and since I've been next to you through this entire episode, you might consider me a prime candidate. I'm just making sure you haven't because I'm not interested. At all. And we both know how you like sexy, older thousand-year-old vampires." He gave her his best seductive smile as he ran a hand through his blond hair. "Though I'm obviously the better looking, taller, stronger one of the two."
He knew he laid it on thick, but it worked as Caroline began to laugh, leaning against the door for support as she roared. He needed to make sure the girl didn't develop any feelings for him, and the way she'd looked at him earlier made him realize he needed to stop whatever inkling of sexual thoughts coursed through her head. And he actually liked her well enough to just keep their relationship, friendly. She was fun, almost not at all how Damon described her. She might also be useful as an asset to him later on.
"Full of yourself much?" Caroline snickered, shaking her head. "You and Damon could be the same person sometimes, I swear." She took a deep breath, grinning at him now. "I think I'll be able to get over you, don't worry."
Rebekah hung back in the shadows of the trees as she overheard Stefan's conversation with Damon's friend Eric on the beach. She was impressed they'd thought of speaking Italian to stop her from knowing there was only one dose of the cure. Too bad she'd dated an Italian in the fourteenth century- and spent many summers since in the country.
So there was only one dose? That meant she was on her own now- Stefan would give the cure to Elena. Same with the Bennett witch and her little brother. Damon was debatable, but she knew he once would do anything for her so she imagined he'd be willing to risk his life again to get her the cure.
Clearly she was on her own then.
It was pathetically easy, she noted as she ran toward the unsuspecting duo as she snapped Stefan's neck with ease. Then Elena's a moment later.
Now all she needed was to follow the directions Eric had given Stefan, hide in the shadows and grab it at the last second.
She would be human again.
They'd gotten lost a few times, but here they were. It was similar to the same caverns they'd passed, but this one had a narrow alcove, with a stone altar pushed against the stone wall. There were inscriptions carved into the grey slab, all around it on the top; he couldn't make out the language. Something old, he surmised, something dead. And laying on top of that altar, was something vaguely human. A creepy mask that reminded him of some ancient replica of Jason's mask from Friday the 13th was covering the face, and there were chains wrapped around the body. Silas, he presumed.
Clutched in his hands was what they'd come for. A box. A very small box. Dread seeped into his pores are he realized just how screwed they were.
"Is that it?" The kid waved his hand over at the box. "This is the cure. How is that supposed to cure every vampire in the world?"
He heard Sabrina sigh behind him and he just took enough steps into the alcove to lean against the cave wall, closing his eyes. "I don't think it is, Jer."
"But." Jer bear seemed conflicted. He couldn't blame him. His eyes were still closed as he heard them move about, listening to the faint drops of water from various areas of the caves. He took a deep, unnecessary breath as he ignored the world. Why did he ever let himself think that life could just throw him an easy one once and awhile. "You aren't going to take it and leave us are you?"
"What?" He opened one eye to stare at Jeremy, realizing he must be speaking to him.
"You never said if you wanted the cure or not. If there's only one you can easily just take it, and leave."
He sighed. "I wouldn't do that Jer-bear, I don't want the cure. At least not when there's only one. It doesn't matter anyway, once Rebekah catches up to us, we're screwed. Or I'll shove it down Elena's throat for you. Or we have to accept the horrifying realization that there's a thousand-year-old hybrid trapped in my day room, who's ready for blood because we killed his brother. Let that sink in."
"Fuck." Jeremy breathed out, before charging over to the desiccated body, attempting to wrestle the box out of his hands. "It's stuck. Help me out Damon!"
He rolled his eyes, considering ignoring the kid for demanding his help but it didn't seem like the time to be his usual snarky self so he walked over to the body, pushing Jeremy aside. He tugged with all his vampire might, but it wasn't budging. Fuck. Could this get any worse? "It's like fossilized in place. Even I can't make it move, it's like trying to bend stone."
"Oh my god!"
He spun around at Sabrina's gasp as she stared at the entombed figure. "What?" The girl was slowly moving backward, obviously distressed. He glanced back at Jeremy who clearly didn't have a clue either. "Bonnie! Spit it out!"
"He's been frozen like a vampire for 2000 years. There's only one way we're going to get the statue to unfreeze." The girl explained.
His head shook slowly as his eyes found themselves drawn back painfully to the thing in question.
"How's that?" Jeremy asked, obviously the little lightbulb hadn't sparked.
"We have to feed him our blood." There was a hitch in her throat as she and Damon shared a look. "If we want the cure out of his hands… we have to wake him up."
The kid took two steps back, sharing the same horror he'd faced moments ago. There was a shared silence then, as they all stared at the body.
"No!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "We have no idea what this, Silas or whatever can do-" He paused as he gestured toward where they'd come from. "Out there in the world."
"Well, what do you suggest Damon? I'm all for not waking him up either!" Bonnie snapped.
His mind reeling with possibilities. They could wait for Rebekah, she was stronger than him. But then she'd most likely take it, snap their necks and be on her merry way. He could call Eric if he could find some damn cell service, and get the viking to fly here. But of course, that meant waiting around for sunset, or for Eric to arrive, giving Rebekah plenty of time to get here. Perhaps if Stefan and he pooled their strength. Or he could call Godric, but that meant waiting even longer.
The thought of Eric, and seeing the desiccated body, however, brought an obvious plan to mind.
"You know, last year, before I left, I remember distinctly driving around a desiccated body of my dearly beloved sire to my bloodline," He remarked, taking a step toward Sabrina. "And I do remember that was all thanks to a certain witchy juju"
"Are you insane?" Bonnie gapped, her eyes shifting from him to Silas. "First, that takes some serious magic, dark magic. What happens if I lose control? Second, we need to have a balance, we'd need to stop a human heart. And I will not kill Jeremy. Third, how do we even know it'll work on Silas? And who says once we feed him blood, we'll be able to hold the connection long enough for the spell to work?"
"I have the Gilbert ring remember Bon? So it'll be fine. I'll just come back to life." Jeremy commented, flashing his ring.
Sabrina just shook her head. "You're a hunter Jer, what if the ring doesn't work? I'm not risking it!"
"What about Professor Shane? He may be insane, but he's human. And since you wouldn't let me kill him, he's a viable option." He suggested.
"I'm not killing Professor Shane!"
"But don't you want to!" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. "Just a little." He just laughed as Sabrina just gawked at him. "Fine, put Jer bear's ring on him."
"But," Bonnie bit her lip. "What if I'm not strong enough? He's two thousand years old. What if I lose control?"
He beat Jeremy to Sabrina, and he gave him a warning look before taking hold of either side of Bonnie's shoulders. "You're a Bennett witch Bonnie. A long line of strong, badass witches. You now have expression, which from Professor's natterings, was what power Qetsiyah wielded when she took down Silas. Besides," He paused, as he leaned forward so their eyes were at the same level. "Remember what I said to you at camp. I won't let it consume you, Bonnie, I promise. You're in control. Jeremy and I will both be here to keep you grounded. Okay?"
There was uncertainty in her brown eyes, but she nodded. And he nodded back, giving her a small smile.
"Alright," He stepped back, away from Sabrina. Jeremy was just gaping at him, but he ignored it. "What do we have to do Sabrina?"
"Well, Jeremy will need to feed Silas. When he starts, you'll need to have a physical connection to his bloodstream, something that connects to his heart. But you'll need my blood in your system, this will bridge us together so when I stop Shane's heart, you'll have the power to stop Silas' " Bonnie explained. "It'll take a minute or two for it to take effect, hopefully long enough to pry the box from his hands."
"Sounds easy enough." He laughed, as he threw his backpack he'd been carrying to the corner of the cave, keeping the flashlight handy. And taking some rope he hadn't used to belay down into the cave. "I'm going to go grab the nutty professor. You two say your I love you's or whatever. Be back in a minute."
He didn't wait for their reply as he sped through the twists, and turns of the cavern, following Professor Shane's distinct scent. It only took him moments before he reached the entrance again, seeing the helpless psychopath where they'd left him. Trapped under a boulder.
"I don't suppose you've changed your mind about sharing your vampire blood with me have you?" The Professor asked as he surveyed the damage.
"I have actually," He said, bending down to grip the edge of the boulder, and pulling up. The nutty professor screamed out as he lifted the rock off him, rolling it to the side. "That looks painful."
"Please," the Professor hissed. "Give me your blood."
He smirked, enjoying watching Professor Shane struggle, his leg completely smashed. It was almost unrecognizable as a bone protruded proudly from the mess. He shook his head, moving to lean against the cave wall, as he took out his phone. "I need to text someone first."
"Seriously!"
"We're about to kill you to stop Silas, and if that doesn't work and he kills us I'd like to say goodbye to my boyfriend," He said simply as his fingers moved over the keyboard of his iPhone. Hopefully, someone would drag his maybe dead body near a cell tower so Eric would eventually get the text message.
"I won't help you stop Silas. He will be raised, and all our sacrifices will be worth it." Shane stated.
"Riiiiiight. Says the human with the broken leg, to the over hundred-year-old vampire." He said as he moved toward the Professor, bending down. "Don't worry, we're not actually going to kill you. Just stop your heart. We have a special ring that will keep you alive. We just need a human heart. And you will do this because I say so. Or you'll wish the pain you felt was your broken leg. Because I'm sure I can think of at least a hundred ways to torture you without killing you."
He flinched as the Professor reached for his arm. He slapped it away, but those insane eyes held him. "Please, Damon. All I want is to see my family again. I did this all for them. Raising Silas means I'll get to see them again. Isn't there someone you want to see again?"
Ric. He shook the thought from his mind. Ric wouldn't want him to risk his life, the life of everyone else, to bring him back.
"The only person I want to see again, is Eric. And he's alive and well, waiting for me to get home. So we're going to do this." He grinned, his fangs sliding out from his gums. "First, I'm going to take a blood donation, I haven't fed in hours. And that was from a blood bag. Second, I'm going to tie you up, and then feed you enough of my blood to fix your leg. Now if you don't behave, I'll let you suffer. Got it?"
He didn't wait for a reply, however, before he sunk his fangs into the Professor's neck. He struggled like they always did but he concentrated on his heartbeat, making sure not to kill their only key to stopping Silas. As it slowed, he stopped. He bit into his hand, shoving it into the Professor's gaping mouth, before retracting his fangs. It was barely a second before he pulled his hand back- he couldn't risk losing any blood. He needed his full strength.
It was enough, as he watched the nutty Professor's leg heal all on its own. While he was distracted, Damon roughly grabbed a hold of his hands, tying them together, and then running the rope down his body, and tying his legs together in a sort of hogtie fashion.
"Damon please, you have to reconsider," the professor begged him.
Fuck was he annoying. He eyed Shane's tattered pants, and he ripped off a long, bloody strip and shoved it into his mouth, creating a makeshift gag.
"Perfect." He beamed.
He picked up the professor with ease, throwing him over his shoulder. "You know, it's usually me being the one tied up, gagged and manhandled. You better hope this works because I would like very much for my last time with ropes and gags with me on the receiving end. With Eric."
He was mostly talking to himself, as he began to speed through the cavern again. He'd managed to escape death just days ago and somehow he was back risking his life for a pointless cause. He hadn't even gotten to have sex with the viking, not once.
He better get to see the older vampire after this.
He'd arrived back to Silas' cave, and he dumped the Professor onto the floor near Bonnie. Both Jer-bear and Sabrina gave him an odd look.
"Why is he tied up?" Bonnie asked.
"And gagged?" Jeremy added.
"So he doesn't run away. Or try to change either of your minds." He said, holding out his hand at Jeremy. The kid looked at him for a moment, bemused, before his eyes widened, slipping off his family ring. He took it, bending down, and shoving it onto the professor's finger. "Remember guys, he's the bad guy. He killed, God knows how many people to free Silas. So no regrets."
Jer bear and Sabrina nodded, and the witch held out her wrist to him. "You need my blood."
He stood up, taking Bonnie's arm. He sunk his fangs into her wrist, feeling her hiss. He didn't linger, poking his thumb into his tooth, rubbing it on her broken skin. They shared a mutual worry, but he stepped away, moving toward the two-thousand-year-old fossil.
This was it.
He jumped up onto the altar, deciding straddling Silas was the easiest way to control the situation as long as possible. Hopefully, his weight, his vampire strength, and those chains would hold him long enough. He wondered, for a moment, if Eric would consider this cheating?
Jeremy stood next to him, as Bonnie kneeled in front of Professor Shane, her hands out over his chest. The nutty professor squirmed but was still tied down.
"Alright." Sabrina breathed, as she glanced over at them. "Now or never right?"
"Yup." He said, as he snatched Jer bear's wrist before he could protest, and bit into it, shoving it into Silas' mouth.
He heard the two suck in their breaths, as Shane stared wide-eyed at the desiccated corpse he was currently going to first base with. For a long moment, nothing happened but then he saw two eyes shine brightly from underneath the mask.
"We're up!" He screamed, shoving his hand right into Silas' chest, his fingers encircling his heart.
Bonnie began saying something in latin, and he could feel the connection establish. He tried to loosen the box from the fossilized hands, but it didn't budge.
All of sudden, one hand shot up, grabbing Jeremy's wrist, holding him steady.
"Damon!"
He grabbed a hold of Silas' hand, trying to break the grip but it wasn't moving. It didn't matter anyway, for, in the next second, the other hand shot up, right into his own chest. He screamed, hearing the bone snap in the wrist he was holding- seeing Jeremy jump back. It took every ounce of energy to keep his other hand deep inside of Silas.
"Take the box!" He bellowed, choking on his own blood, as a hand squeezed tighter on his heart. He wasn't sure if Jeremy did what he said, as darkness encroached in his eyes, as he felt death's embrace.
But then, it ended. He felt the hand go slack in his chest cavity, and with the rest of his strength, he pulled it out, falling over, and off the altar, onto the stone floor.
"Damon!" Jeremy's face came into vision- blurry and distorted.
"Did you get it?" He coughed, wiping away blood from his lips. "The cure?"
"Yes."
He grimaced as he attempted to smile, rolling onto his back. "Good. Good."
"Isn't this sweet!"
He froze as he heard a voice that didn't belong to any of them echo through the alcove. Elena? He was sure that was her voice, but there was something off. Was his brother here too? Rebekah?!
He opened his eyes long enough to see Jeremy take a step toward his sister. "Elena?"
"Guess again little Gilbert."
His blood went cold. Katherine.
Damon watched, helpless, as Katherine shoved a knife straight into Bonnie's side before she could use magic against her. He reached for Jeremy, trying to save him but his fingers grasped air as Katherine sunk her fangs into his neck, drinking him dry, before tossing him to the side. He inched himself away, trying to hear for Jeremy's heart beat.
He observed, helpless as Katherine just picked up the box, before turning to him. "It's nice to see you again Damon. Do give my best to your brother."
He blinked, and all there was was darkness.
"If you want to cover up I suggest you do it now."
That was the only warning Eric got as Caroline burst into Damon's bathroom, as he lay soaking in the tub, some soft old Swedish music playing in the background. He didn't move, didn't even bother opening his eyes, as he continued to lay in the bath, no bubbles to cover any parts. Apparently, this was becoming a daily occurrence.
"Can I help you, Caroline? Or were you just waiting for another opportunity to see me naked?" He purred.
"You wish weirdo." Caroline snorted, coming straight up to the bathtub.
He opened one eye, seeing the girl just staring down at him, he arms crossed over her chest. He could see, though, the inner struggle, as she maintained eye contact with him.
"You've peaked my interest. What?" He asked.
The girl would be terrible at poker he thought as her entire expression saddened, worry etched in her baby blues. "Elena called. Apparently Rebekah snapped their necks earlier and went off to find the cure herself. I've tried calling Bonnie a dozen times. Jeremy too. You haven't heard from Damon have you?"
"No."
The stress he'd been trying to soothe came racing back. He was beginning to seriously regret letting Damon out of his sight.
Caroline's shoulders sagged, as she lowered herself onto the floor, leaning against the porcelain tub. "We've been searching for this cure for almost a year. We thought this was our hope to be human again. And now, my friends could be dead. And there's only one dose. We should have just left it alone. We should have known a cure for vampirism was too good to be true."
He felt her worry, as his own plagued him. He reached over, running his fingers through her hair in an attempt of comfort. She tensed, staring back at him, but didn't pull away. "Caroline I-"
"Take your hand off of her."
He didn't need to follow the direction, as Caroline shot up, her back to him, as her hands were extended from her sides as if to protect him. His other hand lazily fell over the other side of the tub, his fingertips grazing over the white oak stake that was hidden from view.
"How did you get out?" The girl demanded.
A cruel smile crawled up Niklaus' face. "I fear something awful has befallen your friend Bonnie." He took a step toward them but stopped as Caroline visibly tensed. "Don't worry love, I'd never hurt you. Now your new vampire boyfriend on the other hand..."
"You've done enough!" Caroline shot back, making him stare up at the girl. Was she ever fearless. "You leave Eric out of this!"
"He killed my brother Kol."
"And you killed Tyler's mom. And twelve hybrids. Elena and Jeremy's Aunt Jenna. And fuck knows how many more!" Caroline seethed. Did she just swear? "Go home, Klaus."
Klaus took another step toward them, and he watched as the girl bared her fangs at him. He considered intervening but he was curious who'd win this fight. He'd, of course, make sure Niklaus didn't kill her
"Move aside Caroline. This does not concern you!" Niklaus spat.
Her legs bumped into the porcelain tub, as she kept herself between them. "You can't kill Eric."
"Not only can I, I will. I have a reputation to uphold."
"I'm not asking you to forgive him. Just, not tonight Klaus. Please." Caroline pleaded.
Niklaus took the last remaining steps between them, cradling her face in his hand but Caroline pushed him aside, tears on the edge of her eyelids. "I will grant you this mercy Caroline. Only for tonight." The hybrid retreated back, but paused at the doorway."I say this because I care, don't trust his kind. They're incapable of love."
He snorted as Niklaus disappeared, his hand easing up from the white oak stake. Those who didn't know their kind always thought they were heartless. Sure, they were incapable of experiencing human emotion, but that didn't mean they didn't feel. Perhaps mostly hunger, and lust but they could love.
"That was unnecessary for you to do Caroline, but I appreciate the gesture." He said as he got out of the tub- his soak now ruined.
He went over to the towel rack, wrapping a large, absolutely fluffy off-white towel around his waist. After, he walked to the sink, examining himself in the mirror. His fingers went through his hair, perhaps he should get a haircut soon.
He stiffened as he heard a sniffle, and he was drawn back to the blond. "Caroline? Are you okay?"
Her back was to him, but she just shook her head, as it fell downward, her arms encircling her. "I just used perhaps my only leverage with Klaus to save you. Not Tyler." She whispered. "He's going to kill Tyler. He's going to kill all of you if we don't get the cure." He noticed as she began to shake, ever so slightly. "And now Bonnie might already be-" She choked. "What about Jeremy? Damon?"
He'd forgotten for a moment that the witch and Damon had been together, and the same distress he'd felt just days ago began to creep up on him. Damon was a vampire he told himself. He could live through things a witch couldn't. But those thoughts weren't soothing.
He reached out through his blood connection with Jeremy, hoping to know the kid was still alive but he felt only a flicker. And great amounts of fear.
He didn't even react as Caroline came to wrap her arms around his naked torso, feeling her tears trickle down his chest. "Can we just pretend for a moment. Cut the male bravado. I'll be Damon, you be whoever I need you to be and just hold me because I don't know if I can handle saying goodbye to someone else I love, okay?"
"I don't think-"
"No." Caroline clung tighter onto him. "Just pet my hair, and tell me everything is going to be okay."
"Fine." He wrapped an arm around her, picturing Damon instead in his arms. He brushed his fingers through her hair. "Everything will be okay, älskling."
Text Received: 10:13pm
From: Damon
I realize we keep coming back to phone calls, leaving notes, and messages and if all goes well then this text is pointless but everything has gone to shit here. I'll spare you the details.
Just know I'm not getting sappy and shit again but what I said when I called you is all true. I'm just not ready to say goodbye to you again just yet. So if we raise Silas and things go south, you better convince the fucker to bring me back. Or I will haunt you! Or you know, we spend the end of days together. I"m thinking, France?
Caroline didn't mean to snag a glimpse of Eric's cell phone as it vibrated on the coffee table. But it was just automatic as her phone lay right next to it, and she read the words on the screen as it lit up.
She glanced over at the front door as her heart raced, noting the older vampire hadn't returned before she re-read the words.
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What did Damon mean by phone call? And sappy? And spending the end of days together? She knew they were close but this seemed to border on something more intimate.
Maybe she was reading too much into it. They were obviously close, Eric did come from Louisiana to save Damon from certain death. But wouldn't he want to spend the end of his days with Pam? Not Eric? Shouldn't she be here?
"Did something happen?"
She almost jumped right out of her skin as she stared up at Eric as he leisurely strolled into the living room. "What? No. I haven't heard anything. Your phone went off, though."
She observed the man as he moved, and in the next instant in the same spot as before, except his phone was in his hand. She hadn't even seen him speed by. Her focus was solely on his facial expressions as he read over the words. She saw his cool and collected mask fall, worry creep over his bloodless features, then a soft smile. But it ended with obvious anguish.
What did they really mean to each other she wondered.
Damon groaned, blinking his eyes, feeling the all too familiar sensation of coming back to life. He rubbed his neck in a vain attempt at comfort as his mind pieced together the last thing he remembered. They'd come to some desolate island near Nova Scotia in Canada looking for the cure. The cure! Silas!
It all came coursing back as he rolled over to notice it wasn't stone. It was grass. There were trees in the near distance, as he himself was leaning against a log. His eyes shot around until it landed on something familiar in the moonlight.
"What happened?" He croaked out to Bonnie who sat next to him. "Where are we?"
Clearly startled, Bonnie jumped only to relax as she stared down at him. "Katherine took the cure, and broke your neck." He winced at the words, still feeling the aftermath. "We're back outside, from Silas' cave. Rebekah found us but left after she found out about Katherine, and took off to find her. Stefan and Elena came about an hour later. Stefan carried you out."
"Fucking bitch," He said. Somehow he wasn't surprised, though. Doppelgangers just enjoyed ruining his life. It was all coming back but wait. "How are you still alive? I thought she stabbed you." He frantically glanced around as he noticed that he and Bonnie were the only two in the clearing. "What about Jeremy?"
"He was pretty far gone, but his wounds started healing themselves. We thought maybe Silas for a second, but Jer remembered your friend fed him his blood" He nodded along, furrowing his eyebrows as Bonnie stared down at him, biting her lip. "Hope you don't mind but Jer took your blood while you were unconscious to heal my wounds."
"Nah, the world wouldn't be the same without you, Sabrina." He shrugged. "So where is everyone anyway?"
"Jeremy is getting firewood. And Stefan and Elena went to search for Katherine, and Rebekah."
"She's long gone. I doubt even Rebekah will find her. She's been running from Klaus for centuries, she knows how to slip away from an Original." He snorted, groaning as he pulled himself up enough to lean on the log with his back, instead of his head. "I can't believe we got fucking played by Katherine Pierce. Again."
"Yeah."
It was then he finally took in the Bennett witch. There was something off as one hand was clinging to the log, her eyes squeezed shut in concentration. "You okay Bonnie?"
"My magic... doing that spell and being stabbed. Almost losing you and Jeremy. My emotions are just all over the place, and my magic is just reacting to it. That's all."
"I didn't know you cared." He teased only to realize the seriousness of her words."Wait, no, don't say that's all. Are you losing control?"
"Damon it's fine." She said, but her entire body gave it all away as he swore he felt the vibrations of her magic as it rolled off of her.
"No, I promised I'd help you keep it in control. You look like you're about to burst." It took all his energy to propel himself off the ground and move to sit right in front of her. "Are you losing control?"
Her eyes opened again to stare at him. "Maybe."
"Okay. Okay." He tried to reassure himself as he just frantically nodded, realized he knew nothing about how to control magic. "We can do this." He placed a hand on her knee. "What does Professor Shane usually do?"
"Distracts me. Tells me to breathe."
"Okay." He got onto his knees and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Now look at me, Bonnie. Right in my gorgeous blue eyes. And breathe."
"Damon-" He smiled as Sabrina snickered.
"Ah come on Bon-bon, I see how you look at me. Just stare right at my handsome immortal face." He winked, playing it up.
It worked as she shook her head, grinning.
"You wish." For a moment, he'd thought perhaps that was it, but a tree behind the two of them burst into flames, and he realized it was far from over. He winced, his mind racing at what to do next. It was then he heard the distinct ringtone of his phone and Bonnie met his eyes. "Your phone."
"They can wait." His eyes went to the fire behind them, and back to the Bennett witch, trying desperately to remember how someone would comfort him when he'd gone over the edge. A story came to mind. "You know, in the 50s I was kidnapped by this Augustine group, and their doctor, Dr. Whitmore, he experimented on for a year. Horrible stuff. I lost myself there, and when Eric found me, I wasn't the same. I had horrible nightmares. I wanted to switch off my humanity but Eric wouldn't let me. He'd stay with me, every day and he helped me through it."
"Really?" Bonnie asked, having her full attention now. The blaze was beginning to simmer.
He grinned, nodding. "Yes. And I am going to pass along his wisdom, and hopefully, it'll help you. You are too strong to live life hurting. You are too amazing to let them win. Professor Shane may have created this expression, but now it's yours. So own it. Don't let it destroy you, let it define you." He grasped her face with both of his hands like Eric would do to him. "You are one of the strongest people I know Bonnie. So tell your magic to suck it, you're in charge."
"You might want to watch yourself. Your humanity is showing." Bonnie commented, smoke billowing behind them as darkness encircled them once again. "You and Eric are really close, aren't you?"
"You could say that, yes." He let her go, as he collapsed back next to her. "Feeling better?"
"Actually, yeah."
"And you doubted me." His attention was drawn to his discarded phone in the grass. His screen lit up and he immediately groaned. "20 missed calls. Fuck."
"Yeah, your phone has been going off since we came out of the cave. I guess we have cell service again." He was barely listening as he skimmed Eric's numerous messages. Now that it was all over, maybe he shouldn't have texted the Viking. These days he never seemed to have good news for the older vampire. "Who is it? Pam?"
"No, Eric. I gotta call him back. You going to be okay?" He glanced over at Sabrina, seeing her taking out her own phone, seemingly back to normal.
"Yeah."
He didn't have the energy to leave, so he just pressed call hearing it ring not even once before someone picked up. "Eric."
"Damon." He sighed as the familiar modulated, sultry voice soothed his eardrums. "You have to stop leaving me notes and messages."
"We're you worried about little old me?" He teased, already knowing the answer- not that Eric would testify to the fact.
"Just tell me you're okay and you're coming home."
"I'm okay, and I'm coming home," He repeated.
"So what happened? You mentioned raising Silas?"
"Yeah, the cure was trapped in his fossilized hands. So we raised him just long enough to grab it and with Sabrina's witchy juju we dissociated him again. Almost died." He paused, stretching his legs out as he stared up at the night sky. "Then Katherine came and stole the cure, almost killing Bonnie and Jeremy. Snapped my neck for good measure."
"Wait, did you say Katherine?"
"Yeah. She must have been following us this whole time."
"Tell me she didn't get away." Eric snarled into his ear. He knew just how much Eric despised her, wanting to plunge a stake through her heart. At this point, he'd pay to see the viking disembowel her.
"Well my brother, Original barbie, and her doppelganger are looking for her, but I don't have much hope."
"Fucking cunt."
He guffawed. "My feelings exactly."
There was a momentary silence, and he realized then that somehow during his conversation with Eric, Jer-bear was back- building a firepit.
"So you're okay?" Eric's gravelly, yet honeyed voice washed over him, the world becoming background noise.
"Yes, I'm fine. My neck's sore, but it's mostly just my ego that's bruised. I can't believe we lost it to Katherine fucking Pierce." He was tired of talking about his ex-whatever she was to him. So he decided to change the subject. "I miss your face like hell Eric."
"Come home to me then," Eric replied back in old Swedish. He still wasn't willing to lose the game just yet.
"I will as soon as I can. I just want to get in bed next to you."
"And fool around?'
The idea sounded appealing, but at this point, he wasn't feeling it. "Honestly, after all, this shit, I just want to lay beside you. I want your arms around me. And I just want to sleep. Sleep for days."
"I think that can be arranged."
"And you know. I'll let you do whatever you want to me. As long as we're together, that's the only thing that matters."
"After this, I'm never letting you go further than arm's reach."
"Good" He genuinely smiled for once, but it disappeared as he first heard, then saw his brother, Original Barbie and Elena come out of the thicket of trees. Now the moment was ruined. "My brother, Elena, and Rebekah are back. I got to go." He paused, knowing full well they couldn't understand him but there was one thing he wanted to say to the viking. After the day he had, it was all he could think about. "I love you."
"Love you too Damon. Be safe."
… and that's it. Like it? Hate it? Love it? Let me know!
I mentioned it above, but I will again just in case. I never really read author notes, but just thought I'd mention I wrote a one-shot series for Loving a Heartless called This Love Left A Permanent Mark. The first one is their first kiss if you want to check it out!
Anyway, next chapter is going to be fun. I've been collecting some awesome quotes and things that I wanted for it. So it should be posted soon! I'd like to say a week, but I'm terrible with promises.
Please review! Or follow. Or favorite. Or whatever your heart desires.
'till next time! :)
To RedStalkingDeath- First, thank you for your review! Concerning the Swedish, I'm glad it's at least somewhat understandable. I'm sorry it's not perfect. I don't speak a word of it. If you ever notice it's horribly wrong and can correct it, let me know! Please. I look up a few translations but you can't always trust them. I would love input! :)