Krystal woke up, she checked on the little girl and woke Stefan,
"Now's out chance to feed, come on," Krystal going downstairs, she put half of a blood bag in Stefan's old to-go coffee cup and put the lid on it,
"This way she doesn't know," Krystal smirked,
"Smart, but do you think this, should I be doing this since I have no control?" Stefan asked.
"You'll be alright, I wont let you hurt her," Krystal explained, she sipped on hers through the lid, she looked for food in the fridge.
"Almost all of this is expired already, we need to go town after breakfast, get some food, some supplies to fix this place up at least a little," Krystal explained.
"Why don't you go change into something dressy, I'll make breakfast," Stefan explained,
"Are you sure?" Krystal asked,
"Yeah, I can cook too," Stefan smiling,
"I'd hope so, you are Italian," Krystal giggled a little, she went upstairs and left her door open as she went through her closet, a few minutes later she heard the little girl moving heard the little girl moving through the hallway.
"Hey sweetie, we didn't leave, you want to help me find something pretty to wear?" Krystal asked, the little girl nodded,
"Come here, I'll show you all my pretty clothes," Krystal softly, the little girl came over to her,
"That's all," Krystal pointing to the clothes on the bed. The little girl looked through and found a light purple sweater and picked out some jeans.
"Thank you, do you want to go pick out something in your clothes to wear, we'll go change together and if you want I can braid your hair after you eat, we are all going to the store, you'll get to pick out some food you like," Krystal explained.
"My name is Kate," the little girl softly,
"Kate, that is very pretty name, now, lets go find you something equally pretty," Krystal taking her hand. They went through the clothes and found nice sweater, some socks, more underwear, a pair of pants and some shoes.
"Okay, you go in that bathroom and change and then you can meet me in my room after you are done okay?" Krystal asked.
"Okay," Kate softly, she left her bear on the bed and went into the bathroom, locking the door, Krystal went and changed in her room. When she finished Kate was waiting for her with the bear in her arms,
"Is Stefan your boyfriend?" Kate asked, Krystal laughed a little,
"Oh no sweetheart, he is just my friend, he wont hurt you. Why don't you try talking to him today," Krystal suggested. Kate shyly nodded,
"Okay, lets go see what he is making for breakfast," Krystal grabbing her coffee cup. They walked downstairs and Krystal gently picked her up and put her on the bar.
"So, did you find anything good?" Krystal asked,
"Nothing, how about we go to breakfast in town?" Stefan asked,
"Sounds good, you want to tell Stefan what your name is?" Krystal asked.
"My name is Kate," the little girl shyly,
"That is a beautiful name, and you look very pretty this morning," Stefan smiled,
"Thank you, I helped Krystal pick out her clothes," Kate giving him a small smile.
"Well she looks very pretty in them, you did a good job, is your favorite color purple?" Stefan asked, she shyly smiled and nodded.
"I think purple looks good on Krystal," Stefan glancing at Krystal,
"I think so too, my cuts are all gone," Kate explained,
"That's because I gave you some magic juice that helped healed them over night, did you want me to put your hair in a braid before we leave?" Krystal asked.
"I like it down, you can do magic?" Kate asked,
"Only on my good days, today my magic is down I have a friend back in Mystic Falls, she can show you some magic, I'm not as good as she is though," Krystal explained.
"Why don't we go find a jacket to wear," Krystal asked, Kate nodded, they went upstairs, after a few minutes they came back down, Kate in a fluffy light pink jacket and Krystal in a black leather jacket. Stefan's eyes looked Krystal over, she had on a sweater that hugged her top half well and her parts hugged the rest of her curves.
"Are you two young ladies ready for breakfast?" Stefan asked,
"I want pancakes with strawberries on top," Kate smiled.
"You are easy to please," Stefan smirked.
"Lets go," Stefan leading them out through the garage, they got in the Mustang and left.
In town
They looked like a family, perfect family, mother, daughter, and father as they sat in the diner. Krystal order the breakfast platter, which came with bacon, eggs, sausages, gravy over a biscuit, Stefan the same as Kate ordered her pancakes,
"And strawberries a syrup on that too please," Krystal explained, she and Stefan had coffee while Kate had orange juice.
"You guys like coffee," Kate commented,
"It helps keeps us adults warm in the winter time," Krystal explained,
"And the way Krystal makes coffee it helps wake us up. Stefan explained. It made Kate giggle a little,
"Hey listen, I have my sister coming and staying with us soon, you'll like her, I need you to stay with her, just until I can find a stable place for us to stay," Krystal softly.
"Will she want me?" Kate asked quietly,
"Of course sweetheart, we are all family, it will be alright, you can go to school, and have friends, and more importantly be safe," Krystal explained.
"I want to stay here with you and Stefan," Kate softly,
"Honey, I know its impossible for you to trust anyone right now, I'm not lying to you, it wont be a permanent thing, its just until I can do what needs to be done here and then if you like it in Mystic Falls I will get us a more permanent place there, and you will meet Bonnie, she can show you some magic while I am away, and when we move to a more permanent place we'll see about getting you a pet, like a puppy or a kitten, and you can decorate your own room," Krystal trying to pursue her to go with her sister. Kate nodded,
"My sister wont hurt you she wont make you do anything that will hurt you," Krystal explained.
"Will you hurry?" Kate asked,
"Will I…?" Krystal confused,
"Will you hurry doing what you need to do and come to get me," Kate asked.
"Kate, if you would calm down and relax, you might like staying with my sister, but, I will try and be there for you at Christmas, that's as good as I can offer right now," Krystal explained.
"Okay," Kate shyly,
"Now that we have our tummies all full, I need to get some things done, you think you can hang out with Stefan, for a little while?" Krystal asked,
"What are you going to do?" Kate asked,
"My parents just died, I am arranging a burial for them, Stefan will go and take to get some food for the house and some snacks, then after he gets the door properly back on the house and a new window put in, we will go to the park or anywhere you would like to go, okay?" Krystal asked. Kate nodded,
"I can watch more cartoons?" Kate asked,
"Of course you can," Stefan giving her a smile. They dropped Krystal off with a check from Stefan at a funeral home, she got to work getting her parents ready for the funeral. By five in the afternoon she was done with everything, she was mentally and physically tired of trying to keep sane with all these feelings inside of her. She smirked as she was locked out of her parent's house, the door had been replaced by a new one, she knocked, Stefan came to the door and unlocked the door,
"You look like hell," Stefan stunned,
"Hm, so I look just like I feel, I am drowning," Krystal giving him a half smile. Stefan brought her in and hugged her,
"I can fall apart after she leaves with my sister," Krystal explained.
"We should have went with you," Stefan softly, Krystal shook her head,
"I don't want to exposed Kate to something like this, she is already scared enough, she didn't need to see them," Krystal explained. Stefan slowly pulled away,
"Where is she?" Krystal asked,
"She went upstairs for a nap, I gave her some lunch, and for us, I got some alcohol beverages, the expensive stuff, I kind of figured you would need it with all this," Stefan explained.
"Bless you," Krystal smiling a little,
"You didn't have to replace the whole door," Krystal softly,
"I wanted to, also I replaced both broken windows," Stefan explained as he rubbed her arms, Krystal closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her chest felt so heavy, like a large mound of dirt had been thrown on top of her and she couldn't breath, its was guilt, all the guilt she had for putting her family through her messes, the guilt for getting them killed, she deserved this life of misery, she deserved to feel every ounce of guilt she felt for the rest of her immortal life.
"Go and get Kate, we'll go to the park, I cant breath in this house," Krystal explained, Stefan couldn't imagine what she was feeling right now, he nodded and went and got Kate. When they came downstairs Krystal was packing a basket,
"What are you doing?" Stefan asked,
"I thought we could have a small picnic in the park," Krystal explained as she plastered a fake smile on her lips, Stefan stared at her for a moment,
"Alright," Stefan nodded, they got in the car and left for the park.
Couple hours later
Krystal had called her sister and told her everything was taken care of but to plan on staying a couple of days because she had Kate, she wanted Kate and Cadence to get used to each other before she left with her. When they got back to the house the sun was setting,
"Alright, bath time, Kat," Krystal giving her a little nick name, Krystal took her jacket off and laid it on the couch, she went up and started the bath for her,
"I'm going to leave the door cracked a little alright, if you need me I will be right out here," Krystal giving her a small sad smile.
"Thank you Krystal," Kate smiling,
"Its not a problem sweetheart," Krystal petting her hair, she gently placed a kiss to her forehead and left the room. She laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, she hated this room, she didn't want to go through her parents things, she didn't think she could, but she knew she had to. All the memories that this house held, it was excruciating sorrow and she didn't know how she was still holding together, she needed her brother, she needed her mother, she was everything to her, her father was her rock, even though he thought she needed fixed he was always there for her, through the bad and the good, he had been her teacher, she had learned so much from him.
How could she survive through this life without any of them? Finally Kate called for Krystal to come and wash her hair for her, once they finished with blow drying her hair and brushing her teeth and getting her pajamas on Krystal had informed her that she was moving her to her old room, and Krystal took the box of the clothes to her room and took one last look at her parents room and shut the door, she gave Stefan a sad look, Stefan wanted to do something, anything to help her through it, but he didn't know how.
"Hey, would you like a book read to you tonight?" Stefan asked as he tucked her in, Kate smiled and nodded,
"Please," Kate softly, Krystal watched from the doorway, Stefan gently laid on top of her covers on the bed and had a book of Cinderella in his hands, Krystal stood there with her eyes glistening with tears as she listened to Stefan read to Kate, it was sweet. Krystal slowly pulled away from the doorway and walked downstairs, she needed some blood, slowly she pulled out her old to-go cup and poured some blood in the cup, she savored every drop and when it was gone she went through the fridge finding the bourbon, she poured a tall coffee cup full, she sat down on the couch, there were family pictures staring back at her, she got up and went and sat out on the covered porch, just staring out into the night sky and drinking her bourbon.
Suddenly Krystal heard Kate ask Stefan a question,
"Are you Krystal's prince?"
"Krystal isn't a princess, she's an angel that has just lost everything that matters to her, she deserves so much more than a prince," Stefan explained.
"But you are a good prince," Kate softly, she was falling asleep,
"I'm trying to be," Stefan strongly.
"Goodnight Kit Kat," Stefan gently kissing her forehead,
"Goodnight Prince Stefan," Kate mumbled out, Krystal was in tears, she thought she was far from an angel, maybe she was one of those angels that had fallen to earth and was just broken, with broken wings and broken faith, maybe she did need to be fixed. When Stefan came out with his small glass of bourbon he sat down by her,
"I deserve to feel this," Krystal softly, not sparing him a glance,
"Deserve to feel what?" Stefan wanting to know what she was feeling,
"Every ounce of guilt, I put my family through hell, I got my parents killed, I almost came really close to getting my sister killed along with Caroline and Tyler," Krystal starting to laugh, he saw the tall coffee cup, he knew it had to be filled with bourbon when she first poured it.
"I don't deserve a family, I turn everyone into shit, everything I touch and love gets destroyed, I am the one who destroyed them all," Krystal full out laughing at her pain, Stefan slowly got her in his arms,
"What are you doing?" Krystal asked,
"I'm taking you inside, you need to shower and go to bed," Stefan explained, she laid her head against his shoulder as he carried her,
"I don't want to go to bed, I don't want to wake up again and feel all this," Krystal pouted.
"It will get better, I'll make it better," Stefan softly,
"Because you're an broken angel's prince?" Krystal stated, Stefan forgot all about her being able to hear his words when he told Kate all that,
"Yeah, because I am this broken angel's prince," Stefan softly as he paused to stared down at her. She was falling asleep, he took her to her room and laid her in the floor and went and got the blankets and pillows and came back to make her comfortable and then he himself laid down and wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly tucked to him.
"Just an angel that needs a king," Stefan softly as he kissed her forehead, he stared at her for a while till his eyes lids grew heavy and he fell asleep.