It was gory to say the least. Elena and Stefan were chained up, hanging from the ceiling. They were bloodied and bruised. Beneath them was an ever growing pool of their blood. In in that pool of blood was Madeline.
She looked up as Damon walked in, a wicked grin on her face. It was bone chilling. Damon didn't realise the curve of someone's mouth could be so menacing, he didn't realise it could look so cruel.
But it did. Madeline looked like she would go up to box of kittens and slit their throats for fun. Damon resisted the urge to shudder. His heart ached at the sight of Elena, dangling there, eyes drooping shut.
"Damon?" he heard her whisper. Damon's stomach clenched. He glared down Madeline, stepping closer cautiously. She didn't even blink.
She just sat there, smirking at him through her long, dark lashes. Damon stopped a metre or so from Madeline. Stop calling it that, this isn't Madeline. It's Silas, and that bastard is going to pay.
"So lovely to see you again Damon, really it's splendid" Madeline said, her voice like liquid. Damon shuddered. He didn't know how he'd missed it before, there was no way this was his sister.
"It really is, isn't it" Damon growled.
"Well it's nice to see Elena played her part. You know i was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show up, you took your time" Madeline said. She was still sitting there, in the pool of Stefan and Elena's blood.
She was wearing a strange outfit. A black body suit, similar to the one the Black Widow wears in the Avengers. Although hers was embroidered with gold symbols.
Her hair was twisted into a bun, all strands slicked out of her face. Her lips were blood red and Damon assumed it wasn't from her lipstick.
"Your little clue helped me find my way" Damon said. Madeline scowled and Damon thought her heard her mutter Stupid girl, always meddling.
Damon frowned. "Everything all right there Madeline, sounds like you didn't want me to see that message" Damon said, "Or should i say Silas."
The smile on Madeline's face returned. She looked over joyed, like a child on Christmas. Madeline laughed.
"Y'know Damon, you're smarter than i thought. Madeline always thought of you in such high regard, i didn't really believe her when she said you were smart" Madeline said.
Damon didn't change his expression. He stayed still.
"I assume you found her letters then? You know, once i'd completely taken over her mind, i left her there, to rot" Madeline spat. Damon clenched his jaw.
"She fought you know, very hard. After a while she did less. I could never really completely take over her mind. So instead i manipulated her emotions. They proved to be far easier to control. I convinced her that you and Stefan had killed her on purpose, she went insane with the thought."
Damon couldn't help it, he scowled at Madeline.
"It was strange really. She was really my last resort, it took up a lot of energy manipulating her. She's powerful y'know, even without me inside her little head. But when i arrived at the boarding house, ready to pose as Stefan, well i was surprised to see her to say the least" Madeline said, smiling to herself like what she'd said was funny.
"I had an idea and i went with it. I abandoned my for as Stefan and went for Madeline. She had gained back some of herself, it was the reason why she attacked me in the first place. I kicked out that part of her soon enough, or so i thought. She started going along with my plan, so check up on my other body. But the bitched took over for a moment. We fought for control, which is why she broke down by the bed, or why she said the thing about me not being Stefan" Madeline said.
Damon was piecing everything together. "I like walking around in her body, she is very cute. And i can see the way she effects you. You know it's not her in here yet seeing her face is enough to make you sad. Interesting really. It's why i've decided to kick her out for good, make her body mine for when ever i please. But to do that i need power, and to get that power i need a lovely little sacrifice" Madeline drawled.
Damon's heart hammered in his chest. Madeline gestured to the two hanging figures besides her. "I thought your pretty little girlfriend and your brother would seem poetic, don't you?"
Damon growled, he'd had enough talking. His fangs slid out and he sped at Madeline. She moved, so fast Damon was sure she'd teleported. Maybe she had, it was possible.
"What do you want, surely you wouldn't bring me here just to torture me without reason" Damon growled, glaring at Madeline who was sitting atop a crate, swinging her legs childishly.
"Now why would i answer that when i could leave you grieving and wondering?" Madeline giggled. Damon shuddered at the sound. Silas/Madeline frowned before letting a wicked smile spread across their face.
She jumped down from the crate and strode towards Damon. Damon didn't move. This whole situation was helpless. Madeline was too powerful and with Silas controlling her, too unpredictable.
But he had to try, because there was no way he was just going to sit there while Silas made Madeline sacrifice Elena and Stefan. No way in hell.
Damon frowned. If he just full out tried tearing down the chains Silas would attack, or watch him fail. Damon had to trick him some how, out smart him. But how?!
"You know Damon, it's too bad you never got those letters. Having you around would've helped Madeline more than i like to admit. She genuinely thought you'd come and save her, that hope helped her the whole time she fought. I remember just thinking, All i have to do is stay strong and wait for Damon, he'll fix me. He'll save me, he always does. But you didn't Damon, didn't you?" Madeline taunted.
Damon scowled. I would've come for her, if i got those letters" He hissed, "Madeline knows that."
Madeline shrugged. "Too bad then. You Salvatore's have an unusual bond you know. Madeline stood in front of you, taking one of your beatings from your father as a child, you brought Stefan back from his blood rage with Klaus and Stefan gave up the girl of his dreams to save you from the fatal werewolf bite. Too bad you weren't enough to bring your sister back. You almost were, and i'm sure if you knew you were what was helping her fight me, you would've been around more. But you weren't and so now she is lost" Silas taunted.
"Shut up" Damon growled. But Silas had given him an idea. Madeline could still be in there, all she needed was Damon to bring her back...
If Damon could stall Silas, maybe he would have enough time to bring Madeline back.
"I've found your family has a bad habit of doing what ever they can to protect each other. Same with those Gilbert's, it's funny what Elena would do to protect you or Jeremy or Stefan" Silas drawled.
What the hell did he mean by that. Damon glanced over to the limp form of Elena hanging by the chains. Silas saw him and chuckled.
"Hmm, very interesting indeed" she muttered, her eyes looked clouded and distant. Damon phone buzzed, pulling her from her trance.
Damon pulled out his phone.
"You're seriously going to answer that now?" Madeline inquired. She wasn't angry though, just curious. Damon swallowed, re reading the text.
It was from Elena.
TO: Damon. FROM: Elena
Damon i'm sorry
Damon frowned and texted back.
TO: Elena. FROM: Damon
What do you mean? How are you texting me?
Elena texted back again but before Damon could answer Madeline's voice cut through the air.
"Who is it?" she demanded.
"Jeremy" Damon lied smoothly. Madeline frowned.
"What does he want?"
"He's wondering where his sister is actually" Damon snapped "What should i tell him?"
Madeline smiled. "You are smart. It's a shame you aren't fighting harder for us though. Oh well, i guess we'd better get , there is a spell on this place mean no one can leave until the ritual is over. So i'm going to be leaving your sisters body for the first time in years. I will be gone for exactly an hour while i collect a few things. Enjoy the short amount of time you have with your sister, although i must warn you, even with me out of her she is very different."
Damon watched as Silas chained Madeline up, using the odd glowing cuffs on the ground by Elena. It was evident when Silas left. Madeline screamed and her body strained against her chains.
Damon watched in pure horror as he watched his sister writhe and scream. Finally she fell silent, falling onto her back. Damon watched the rise and fall of her chest.
He had long ago dropped to his knees. He heard sobbing and his heart quenched.
"Damon?" Madeline sobbed. Damon heard the difference immediately. He rushed over to his sisters side, she was herself! Well, more herself than before.
Damon gathered Madeline into his lap, stroking her hair possessively. Damon looked down at her, he was barely containing his tears.
Madeline's cheeks were stained with them already. "What's happening?" she whispered.
"I don't know" Damon answered. Madeline nodded. "But i'll fix it, i promise" Damon said, using his thumb to wipe off a tear.
"Like you always do?"
"Like i always do" Damon said with a sad smile. He hugged Madeline tightly.
"I've missed you" She sobbed "And Stefan."
"I've missed you to" Damon said, kissing the top of her head.
"I haven't seen you in 150 years" she whispered. Damon nodded into her head.
"I know."
"What happens when he completely takes over? I'll never see you again. I keep losing you in very depressing situations" Madeline said, her voice wavering.
"Even if we were at Disney land right now it would still be depressing because loosing you is the worst, most horrible thing I've ever experienced and I barely survived it the first time" Damon said fiercely.
Maddy gave Damon a sad look. "I don't even remember anything, not a thing. For the whole time he was in control, everything seems blurred now" Madeline said, chewing her bottom lip.
"Do you have any idea why he wants me to watch Elena and Stefan die?" Damon asked gently. Maddy shook her head just as his phone went off. It was another text from Elena.
Maddy frowned. "Who is it?" she asked.
"Elena" Damon said, his glance flickering over to the body chained up besides Stefan.
Madeline followed his gaze and her frown deepened. "But isn't that-"
"I don't know" Damon said, cutting Madeline off. Madeline's eyes widened and she gasped.
"That isn't Elena" she said, gesturing towards the lip figure chained up. "I remember, Silas was going to kill her but I somehow managed to influence him to kill Katherine instead."
"What? But Katherine's human? I'd have smelt her human blood when I came in" Damon reasoned.
"I must have made a deal with her. I turn her into a vampire and she gave me information. Obviously I turned against her" Madeline explained.
Damon frowned. "How would Elena know about this?" he asked. Madeline had a suddenly guilty look flash across her face.
"I don't kn-" she started.
"Don't lie to me Mads. You clearly remember some things. How does Elena know about Katherine?" Damon demanded, his stomach clenching.
"It's not her fault, I threatened her-"
"Madeline, just tell me" Damon demanded. Maddy sighed, giving Damon a sympathetic look.
"Silas and I black mailed her to go along with this part of the plan. Silas told her he was the one controlling me and told her she could either willingly hideaway with us, letting Katherine die, or be the one to be killed" Madeline explained, looking down at her hands as she spoke.
"She's been set on letting Katherine die, as I'm sure you're aware and so she agreed to go along with it. She was reluctant of course, she hated the thought of hurting you. But in case she tried to warn you over the phone, we threatened Jeremy and she knew she had no choice" Madeline gushed out.
Damon stared at her. He wasn't surprised really, by what Maddy had said. In fact he was almost relieved. He had been imagining far worse reasons for her betrayal.
"Damon?" Madeline said, her voice wary.
"Thanks for not killing her" he muttered.
"Aren't you going to answer her messages?" Madeline asked, her voice thick with concern. Damon shook his head.
"I'm not going to waste my time with you on her" Damon said, his voice colder than he'd expected. Madeline frowned.
"Damon..."
"Maddy, don't. We need to think of a way to keep you here, and we've got less than an hour and we can't even leave the building" Damon said.
Madeline sighed. "Maybe she could help?" she insisted. Damon shook his head.
"There is nothing she can do to fix this" Damon said, not meeting Madeline's concerned gaze.
"Are we still talking about helping me? Because Damon, she didn't have a choice. She either got herself, Stefan and Jeremy killed, causing you to grieve, or she saved herself, Jeremy and Stefan by tricking you into thinking they were dead. Hurting you was one of the last things she wanted, but if it meant saving her brother and ours, she was willing to risk it."
Damon sighed and met Madeline intense gaze. "You're right" he said.
"Of course I am!" Madeline said, her voice sounded like she was shocked that he could have even considered that she wasn't.
"Do you have any ideas?" Damon asked her. Madeline shook her head.
"What about Zak?" Damon asked, thinking of his sister's boyfriend from back when she'd been alive.
At the mention of Zak Madeline winced. Damon instantly felt guilty. Of course he'd be a touchy subject.
"I don't know... I haven't exactly been in contact with him" Madeline said, her eyes looked pained. Damon hugged her.
"If he can do anything to help I'm sure he'd be willing" Damon said.
"I don't know, Silas made me say some pretty horrible things to him" Madeline maintained. Damon shook his head.
"He knows that wasn't you" Damon said.
"But still-"
"But nothing, if Zak is how I remember then he'll still love you" Damon said, keeping his voice steady.
He thought back to the letter Zak had sent him. Madeline looked up at her oldest brother, her blue eyes glittering with tears.
"Do you have his number?" Damon asked, smoothing down Maddy's hair soothingly. She bit her lip, holding back tears.
"He told me if I ever needed to contact him I could always leave a message on my grave. We cast a spell on it after the first time I started blacking out, the message will go straight to him" Madeline said.
Damon smirked, it was a smart idea. "Okay all we need is for someone to get the message to your grave" Damon said.
Madeline was silent but Damon saw her eyes slide to the phone besides him. Damon looked at it and shook his head.
"Damon come one, give her a chance. What she did isn't nearly as bad as what I've been doing" Madeline argued.
"Yes but it was against your will. Elena decided to betray me on her own" he said.
"She was protecting the people she loved. You cannot blame her for that!" Madeline said. Before Damon had a chance to complain Madeline's hand shot out, snatching up his phone.
Damon watched helplessly as she composed a text, her little fingers moving quickly. She hit send before show him what she wrote.
TO: Elena. FROM: Damon
Elena there isn't time to explain but I need you to do something for me. I need you write out the following in the form of a letter and then take it and place it on Madeline's grave.
To Zak,
It's me, Maddy. Silas is going through with his plan and has given me exactly an hour as myself to spend with Damon. We're trapped in an abandoned bank, there is a spell on it stopping us from leaving. I know all I've done is hurt you but if I want any chance of staying this way, you need to come to Mystic Falls now.
Love,
Madeline.
Thanks Elena. Also Madeline's grave is located in a forest clearing by our old house, the one where she was found the night she died.
Damon stared at the text.
"What?" Madeline demanded. Damon shook his head.
"What if he doesn't get here soon enough?" Damon whispered.
Madeline swallowed and looked away. Damon silently cursed himself, he shouldn't let her see his fears. It wasn't fair on her, seeing as she was the one who was about to die and have her body inhabited by a creepy psychopath.
"Damon" Madeline whispered.
"Yeah?" he said.
"Stefan isn't here either. Silas has his body hanging up besides Katherine" Madeline said.
Damon's eyes widened. "Is he using magic to make his body look like Stefan?" Damon asked. Maddy shook her head.
"No, Stefan is Silas's doppelgänger. The real Stefan is in a big box at the bottom of a lake" Madeline said.
Damon ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. "Crap" he muttered. Madeline nodded.
"Crap" she said by ways of agreement.
They sat there in silence, Madeline sitting in Damon's lap like she had when he used to read stories to her to get her to fall asleep.
He'd never been as willing to read as Stefan, who loved the idea of it. But he always did it anyway.
They'd already waisted ten minutes of their precious time and every second that went past seemed to tear away a little piece of Damon's heart.
Hai guys!
It's been a while, again. But it's the holidays for me now and im trying to finished this up, seeing as tvd is almost back. Not to mention the promo's already out.
I hope u enjoyed the sibling feels and understand stuff now :)
Please review! even now, when the end is near, i love hearing from you guys!
Cheers!