Hey! So great news, I will be updating regularly now because I managed to find this awesome website that will let me watch TVD episodes for free. So badass. Now a couple people wanted to know if I would be continuing this into The Original's series and the answer is yes. But only for the first season. Alba's story will come to a close after the first season of the Originals so just hang with me a little bit longer guys! Also one of my reviewers totally made up a ship name for Klaus/Alba and it's Klauba which I thought was totally awesome! I feel like I've made it now lol. But seriously thank you all for the endless support and I hope you continue to read and like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own TVD only Alba.
Chapter 26
"Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it'll always get you the right ones." –John Lennon
Damon POV
I pace the living room floor wearing a hole in the carpet as my eyes slide to the clock hanging on the wall. It's almost five a.m. with no sign of Alba and the longer I have to wait the angrier I become. Rebekah called me three hours ago claiming that Alba had indeed done her part of the dare, but instead of jumping off Wickery Bridge she did a swan dive into the quarry. I don't think I could have gotten to the quarry quicker if I had rocket strapped to my back, but by the time my feet hit loose gravel the waters had settled and Alba was nowhere to be seen.
I'm not exactly sure how many hours I spent scouring town for her after that; long enough for me to end up here, in her house, with little to no patience and a chip the size of Stefan's ego on my shoulder. If it were anyone else I would be sitting at home right now enjoying a double malt scotch aged to perfection while I watched my brother fail miserably at taming the beast inside Elena. But no, I'm here with my hands planted firmly on my hips when I'm not raking one through my hair at just how pathetic this whole situation is right now.
I'm Damon freaking Salvatore. I do not wait on anyone and I sure as hell will not wait on Alba. If she doesn't want to come to me then I'll go to her and she better hope I do not find her because when I do there will be absolute hell to pay. With my mind made up, I stalk to the front door gripping the knob so hard that when I finally wrench the door open the whole thing falls off its hinges.
"Son of a bitch," I mutter as I stumble back making a grab for the wooden structure before it hits the ground.
"You're fixing that," I pop my head from around the door dangling in my hands just in time to witness Alba breezing past me. I growl lowly when she doesn't even give me so much as a second glance before disappearing to her room. I quickly deposit the door next to the entrance before flashing upstairs. If anyone were to try and break in I'd kill them on the spot leaving the gaping hole in the wall not on my list of priorities at the moment.
"Knock Knock!" I yell throwing open Alba's bedroom door refusing to wait on her any longer as I barge inside. I'm not surprised when I find her sitting cross-legged on her bed reading a magazine completely unperturbed by my entrance. However, her rather blissful ignorance of me is really starting to piss me off.
"Did you fix that door?" Alba drawls with disinterest as she flips another page in her magazine. I feel my nostrils flare in anger as my fists automatically clench at my sides from the restraint I'm putting on myself to keep from lashing out.
"Where did you go tonight?" I ask narrowing my eyes dangerously when I catch a glimmer of a smirk turning up one corner of her lips.
"I believe the correct phrase is to infinity and beyond." Before she has time to react, I'm across the room and ripping the Cosmo out of her hands.
"You know they don't make literature like they used to," I tsk glancing over the page on how to look "sensational" for summer.
"Give it back, Damon."
"I mean just look at this," I talk over the top of her smirking when I see her take a barely noticeable breath. I hold the magazine by the front cover letting it hang open in the air beside me. "Do you know how easy it would be for someone to come along and…"I rip the trashy tabloid right down the middle sending loose papers flying everywhere. "That's such a shame," I pout in mock disdain at the mess settling around my feet. "I really wanted to read that."
It's not a second later that I'm being pinned to the opposite wall.
"First my door now my magazine, tell me Damon, what don't you know how to fuck up?" Alba asks calmly with her hand wrapped around my throat.
"I like to think my amazing self-control," I smirk watching Alba cock her head to the side as she studies me. I've never seen someone who can't turn off their emotions act so indifferent.
"Says the second most impulsive man I know." I feel my blood boil as I take a guess to who number one can be. "You're self-control is a joke." Alba releases me taking a large step back toward her bed. I rub my neck taking in her crossed arms, cocked hip, and wide defensive stance.
"And yours isn't?" I scoff jumping on the opening she just gave me. "I know what you did tonight and it was stupid, Alba. You could have been killed again." I snap in rage at the feeling spreading through my gut at the prospect of losing her for a third time.
"It's Mystic Falls I would have come back." Alba snickers making me deadpan.
"That's not funny."
"It's a little funny," she smirks an obvious challenge burning in her eyes. The instant her lips part I know what she's going to say. After all, like father like daughter. "Well, except, for Alaric. He's not coming back." My face slides into a stony mask at her words. Even with the knowledge that was coming it did nothing to cushion the ache spreading through my body at Alaric's absence.
Her words are enough for me to momentarily forget who I'm dealing with and be the impulsive bastard everyone makes me out to be.
"Well see, now that is funny," I twirl my finger in the air as a cruel smile curls my lips, "because I was going to say the exact same thing about Danny." I chuckle darkly looking at a picture of the girl in question on the wall. Danny couldn't have been any older than four when the picture was taken. She's sitting in a chair, her hair in a high pony tail; round face alit with delight as she gives the camera a big cheesy smile. The image sends another unwanted rolling through my gut.
"Well you know what they say," Alba finally speaks up drawing my attention to the door where she now stands. Her eyes give nothing away as she stares at me with not a flicker of emotion behind her blue orbs. "It's the people closest to you that hold you back. Now I have no one to hold me back." My body gives a little jerk at the complete carelessness of her words. I can't do anything, but gap at the bored expression on her face as she waits near the door. "You better scamper home. Stefan and Elena will be back soon from their little tryst in the woods, we wouldn't want them to come home to an empty house, now would we?" Alba smirks sweeping her arm out the door. "Godspeed."
"I don't care." I cross my arms and shake my head. "We still need to talk."
"Oh, Damon, we both know Stefan teaching Elena how to eat Peter Cottontail is killing you. After all, you're vampires! You feed on humans so you can grow up to be big, strong, arrogant assholes. So who are you trying to convince more that you don't care about what happens to Elena? Me or yourself?" Alba questions as she looks me up and down with a heavy sigh. "I think it's about time you faced the truth, Salvatore. Elena Gilbert will always have one finger on the button to the shock collar around your neck. She owns you."
"No one owns me." I growl flashing across the room until I'm towering over Alba. I glare down at her menacingly with so much rage coursing through my veins that if I don't leave right now I'll kill her. But before I go I reach behind me and grab the novel sitting on the desk smacking it against Alba's chest. "And read a book, damn it!" I hiss before disappearing out the door.
Rebekah POV
"Elijah, what are we going to do?" I ask for the hundredth time since arriving home after dragging Kol from the cemetery. In all my years, I've never seen my little brother be anything other than arrogant and cocky, but tonight he was like a completely different person. By the time Elijah and I made it to the graveyard Kol was practically incoherent. We found him ranting and raving as he paced the sidewalk never once stepping a foot inside the peaceful resting place.
He was obviously drunk off his ass, but that wasn't all. Kol was screaming to the heavens almost like he thought if he yelled hard and loud enough Danny would magically appear by his side. It was only when he finished off the bottle of jack in his hand and threw it at a nearby headstone that Elijah finally intervened. We managed to get Kol home where he automatically went for more liquor before disappearing into his room where he's been ever since.
"Grief can't be fixed overnight, Rebekah." Elijah sighs resting an elbow on the mantle over the fireplace. "Alba and Kol lost Danny and Klaus lost Alba."
"We all lost them!" I huff shaking my head at the tears pooling in my eyes. I turn my back on Elijah as I walk through the balcony doors. I take a deep breath of the morning air inhaling the faint scent of dawn. The sun should be rising soon which means another day without Danny. I look down at my hands when Elijah comes to stand beside me. I don't want him to see the sadness lurking behind my eyes.
"We didn't lose Alba." Elijah voices softly causing me to glance at him out of the corner of my eye. His hands are shoved deep in his pockets as he looks down into the garden. I follow his gaze to the bench sitting in the middle of all the flowers. "I can feel her. It's faint, but it's still there; her feelings, the despair, the anger, the guilt eating away at Alba. We didn't lose her," Elijah repeats tearing his eyes away from the bench long enough to send me a meaningful glance. "She's just lost herself."
"That's the same thing," I groan dropping my forehead to rest against the railing. I just want my best friend back.
"Is it?" Elijah asks, "Because the way I see it. If we can still feel Alba we can still save her."
"And if she doesn't want to be saved?" I ask raising my head to stare at the roses populating the garden.
"Rebekah, when have you ever given anyone what they want?" Elijah chuckles making me smile ruefully at him.
"Touché, brother," I nod feeling hope blossom in my chest. "But we're going to need Klaus's help." I point out just as we hear the front door open and close followed by quiet whispers and giggles. Elijah and I share a questioning look before simultaneously heading for the bedroom door.
"I can't believe you live here," I feel my nostrils flare in anger when I open the bedroom door to find Klaus passing by with a girl on his arm. From the stench of alcohol wafting off the pair as they stumble past us; it's clear they are drunk. And the girl doesn't even seem to mind that Klaus's shirt is covered in human blood or that his eyes are an unnatural gold. She's too busy licking his ear to care.
"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing!?" I screech flashing out of the room to block their path to Klaus's bedroom.
"Who are you?" The girl, who I recognize from school, sneers in disgust. I narrow my eyes dangerously in her direction until she has the decency to look away in fear.
"Twenty-four and I were just about to go to my room so if you would-"Klaus trails off making a shooing motion with his hand which doesn't affect me in the slightest.
"I'm sorry; did you say twenty-four?" I gap hoping he means her name is twenty-four and not-
"Oh right, don't mind me I'm a little drunk." Klaus waves me off looking to the girl on his right. "After I use and kill you that will make twenty-five girls I've drained tonight."
"Wait, I'm twenty-five?" The girl scoffs taking a step away from Klaus with a look of disbelief. "Oh hell no, I ain't nobodies last choice." I watch as she makes a move for the stairs, but Klaus easily snatches her wrist and reels her back to him.
"You are not leaving here until I say so. You are more than happy to be here with me and you're going to forget everything I said in the last five minutes." Klaus compels the girl, who I can now see closely resembles Alba, give or take a few pounds. I watch as the girl smiles brightly before looping a slender arm around Klaus's waist whispering something in his ear. "Well I think we should be going." Klaus smirks brushing past me.
"What about Alba?" I question twisting around in time to catch Klaus's back visibly tense. I can see he's white knuckling the doorknob as he turns his head to glare at me.
"What about her?" He says the words with so much venom that it leaves me stunned. I can't say anything else as the pair disappear into his room. It's only when I start hearing what's happening on the other side that I stomp back to my room. I briefly wonder where Elijah was for that whole scene before I spot him on the balcony talking on his cellphone.
"Yes, thank you." Elijah nods snapping his phone shut just as I come up behind him.
"Who was that?" I ask curiously when Elijah falls into a deep silence. I can tell something is on his mind by the way he's staring off into the distance.
"Do you remember the vampire coven from a few centuries back? The ones Klaus betrayed when he murdered their leader then slept with their women?" Elijah questions as I nod mutely recalling how they swore their vengeance. "Well it seems someone massacred the entire lot of them."
"Why are you telling me this?" I ask having forgotten about the vampires until now.
"Because they aren't the only threats toward us that have been eliminated; those witches from Vancouver that you angered are now dead. Along with a wolf pack that had been plotting to overthrow Klaus. There are more, but all of them are from your and Klaus's mistakes." Elijah fills in for me as I furrow my brows in confusion.
"So what? Someone is going down the line killing all the people that have a vendetta against us?" I ask in shock. "That's a lot of people. It would take…" I trail off as my mouth falls open at just how long something like this would take. Elijah nods sadly already thinking the same thing I am.
"Months. It would take months."
Alba POV
People say home is where the heart it is, but I have a question for that overly optimistic bunch. Where do you go when you don't have one? If the answer is someplace you truly hate then I made the right choice in coming back to Mystic Falls. However, as I walk down the sidewalk, my heels clacking against the cement creating a sonic boom in the unusually quiet town square, I wonder again if I really did have a choice in coming back.
If I hadn't heard the rumors circulating through the witchy world about Mystic Falls, would I really be here right now? I was more than happy on the road killing whatever I could get my hands on creating a hateful vengeance that last a lifetime. It kept me busy, unlike this place, where I spend half my morning walking around town in search of someone to give me details on the latest crazy. And by someone I mean a cute blond with tantalizing baby blues that is currently putting his muscles to good use loading boxes into the back of a truck outside of the high school.
"So what are these again?" Matt asks, dropping his box and pushing it to the back of the truck as he waits for Jeremy to do the same. I hang back a moment listening to their conversation as I lean against one of the many trees dotting the front lawn.
"They're paper lanterns. The student council made them for after the Memorial. We light them up in honor of all the dead." Jeremy explains to Matt walking back over to the picnic table of boxes.
"Nobody thought fire might be a little inappropriate?" Matt asks with a cock of his eyebrow making me smirk. I can see why Rebekah finds him so appealing in that wholesome quarterback kind of way.
"Yeah, I wouldn't make that crack in front of Elena." Jeremy sighs causing me to roll my eyes. I zone out while the pair discuss Matt and his feelings. I don't care about any of this, but you do what you have to.
"April?" I snap my attention back to Jeremy and Matt when I hear a new name. I find a girl now stands in front of the boys capturing their attention long enough for me to sneak up behind them and sit down on the picnic table containing the boxes.
"Yeah," she blushes looking down at her shoes. She has medium length black hair with blue eyes and a pale complexion.
"You look great!" Jeremy compliments turning to Matt. "You remember April? Elena used to…"
"Elena used to babysit you. Yeah I remember…" Matt nods.
"Yeah, before I got shipped off to boarding school by my dad." April cuts in changing the atmosphere drastically. I watch in amusement as a look of realization pinches up little Gilbert's face.
"Your dad. Oh my god, I am so sorry about your dad." Jeremy instantly backtracks making me curious as to who this girl's father could be.
"Thank you. I guess." April answers rather awkwardly avoiding eye contact. "I sort of don't know how to answer when people say that."
"Your dad was Pastor Young, right?" Matt asks causing April to lift her head and nod.
"He had the faulty gas line." April quips making me grin. I like her. "Sorry, I haven't figured out what to say about that yet either. Wow, I am being a freak. Um… I'm just, you know, not much for grief, I guess. I have to go register or something, I think." Before she has time to mumble anything else she practically jogs away. I watch her leave with a faint smirk curling my lips.
"She's an odd one," I point out snapping Matt and Jeremy's attention to me.
"Well her dad did just die." Jeremy glares snatching a box and stalking back to the truck. I blankly watch him leave not caring what I did to piss him off.
"Don't worry about Jeremy, he's still a little upset about last night." Matt speaks up from beside me. He's leaning on one of the boxes watching me curiously.
"You had fun though, right?" I ask with a mischievous grin catching a small twitch of his lips. "I always knew you were a partier." I tease with a wink recalling just how drunk he was when I left the bar last night.
"Yeah, well, it's not too often I have nights like that." He blushes with a boyish grin that would make me want to jump his bones any other time, but I'm here for a reason.
"So, what exactly happened here that there would be cause for all of these?" I ask holding up one of the poorly put together lanterns. Matt's face instantly turns to one of sorrow reminding me too much of the day I left three months ago.
"Pastor Young, who was April's father, and a large group of people from town were killed in an explosion a few days ago. Everyone's saying faulty gas line, but some think Pastor Young did it himself."
"Hmm," I hum my wheels already turning with ulterior motives.
"Are you coming to the memorial service today?" Matt asks hesitantly almost like he's second guessing what he should say.
"No." I answer curtly jumping up from the picnic table. "See you around, Donovan." I smirk walking in the direction of The Grill. I enter just in time to hear the manager complaining about a large sum of alcohol that has gone missing. I chuckle shaking my head walking to an empty booth in the back.
"Did you do it?" I sigh when I hear the doppelgänger's voice just before I spot her moving to take the seat beside Damon.
"That seat's taken." Damon drawls taking a sip from his drink as Elena looks down at the empty spot in confusion.
"But there's no one here." She observes forgetting that it doesn't matter if no one is sitting there. It was Alaric's seat.
"Well, I'm just going to pretend someone is sitting there, because the alternative is just too damn depressing." Damon finishes his drink signaling for another as Elena takes the seat on his other side.
"Did you set off the explosion that killed the Town Council?" Elena demands to know with judgment dripping from every word. Is it just me or has Elena become more of an idiot since her transition?
"Am I wearing my "I blew up the council t-shirt, why does everybody keep asking me that?" Damon growls looking at Elena like she's crazy for even suggesting it. For once, I have to agree with Damon. Out of every vampire in this damn town, he holds the least motive to blow up a group of people.
"Did you?" Elena persists with a new edge to her voice.
"No. Anything else?" Damon snaps causing Elena to bite her lip.
"Yes, something's wrong. I can't keep any of the animal blood down." She whispers looking around her paranoid that someone is going to overhear.
"Well, there's a shock." Damon rolls his eyes putting down his drink to focus on Elena. I wonder how long it's going to take for them to find out the truth about Elena's transition.
"I think I need your help." I watch Elena's eyes intensify as she persuades Damon. I have to give it to the girl; she knows how to work a room.
"Of course you do." Damon sighs swiveling around in his seat. "Pick your meal. You've got Asian fusion." He points to an Asian boy sitting across the room working on a pile of papers in front of him. "Mexican." He points to a girl near the pool tables. "What about some good old American comfort food?" Damon finishes nodding his head at a table to his right. I grin despite myself at his antics.
"No. No, no human blood. Stefan's right, I have to at least try to get through this without hurting anyone." Elena shakes her head furiously. I can't help myself as I lean forward in my seat and talk directly to the back of Damon's head.
"A hundred says she loses her shit by the end of the day and feeds on someone." I taunt smirking in victory when Damon's muscles clench and he sends me a subtle glance in the mirror across from him. I wink at his reflection as he pushes his drink away and stands.
"Fine. Come on." He guffaws grabbing Elena's hand dragging her to the bathrooms. What a lovely day for some blood sharing.
"Excuse me, are you Alba Martinez?" I tear my eyes away from the bar long enough to glance at the man now standing beside me. He looks to be in his mid-twenties with dark skin, bulging muscles, and a no-nonsense attitude that screams hunter.
"That depends whose asking." I say averting my gaze wishing I had a drink sitting in front of me. I hear a small chuckle leave the man's lips as he slides in across from me uninvited.
"My name's Connor Jordan," he smiles almost challenging as he holds out a glove covered hand. I glance at his hand wearily already well aware of the vervain coating his glove, but that doesn't stop me from reaching across the table and wrapping my hand around his.
The moment our skin touches; a tingling sensation shoots up my arm and spreads across my back like wildfire. It's discomforting, but I don't let him know especially when he tightens his hand around mine like it's happening to him too. Nor do I say anything when a tattoo slowly starts to appear up his arm right before my eyes.
Connor is the first to let go and I can't say it is a moment too soon. The burning in my back doesn't go away, but it lessens to a degree. From the thin line Connor's lips have formed I can tell he's trying not to say anything. But his eyes give everything away. I've just put myself directly in the middle of whatever the hell is coming to town and I have a feeling Connor Jordan is just the start of it.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Jordan. What can I do for you?" I jump straight to the point wanting nothing more than to leave.
"Please call me Connor." He says eyeing me curiously. "Are you from around here, Alba?"
"Please call me Ms. Martinez," I quip ignoring Connor's amused smile, "and to answer your question. No I'm not from around here, but I am curious about what you are doing in town." I narrow my eyes looking him over paying extra care not to spend too much time noticing his tattoo.
"I'm here investigating the Young Farm Explosion and yourself?" Connor fires back leaning forward to clasp his hands together on the table.
"Visiting family." I lift one corner of my mouth in a half-smile as I stare him down. "You know, you seem awfully familiar Connor, are you sure we haven't met before?" I question knowing for a fact we haven't.
"I've met a lot of people. Have you ever been out west? California to be exact?" Connor asks trying to work information out of me to the best of his capabilities.
"Never been," I lie.
"How about I tell you about it over dinner; let's say tonight at seven?" Connor replies quickly with a charming smile that I bet makes most women swoon.
"Can't," I smirk easily sliding out the booth until I'm standing beside the table. "Prior engagements, it was nice meeting you Mr. Jordan." I give him a Cheshire cat smile before twisting on my heel and strolling to the door. I wait until I'm outside, the grill door safely between Connor and myself, before I gingerly touch my back. I hiss and yank my hand away when I feel my fingertips start to sizzle.
"What in the hell?" I growl feeling my eyes start to flash electric blue as my fingernails turn into claws. I feel the beginning of panic coursing through my body when I realize I'm changing. I look around me quickly searching for someplace to go that doesn't have Connor Jordan inside when I hear the church bells chime. I close my eyes taking a deep breath thinking of every other possible option besides the church, but it's the only place in close proximity with a basement and a lock.
I feel my rib cage start to crack and reform as I flash across the street. People are already filing in for the ceremony as I stumble inside the open doors keeping my eyes trained on the ground as I feel them flashing from ice to electric blue. I quickly make my way across the room and down the basement steps before anyone has time to notice me. The moment I'm out of sight I drop to my knees as my spine snaps and starts to rearrange itself. I want nothing more than to scream in agony, but I bite my lip until I draw blood and hope to god no one comes down here.
I groan when my arm cracks and bends at an impossible angle. I feel my mind start to go blank as I switch from human to beast, but I can't let that happen. I need to stop the transition from happening, but the harder I fight it the quicker I change. I let out a loud whimper when I face plant and my fangs start to sprout. Oh god, I'm going to change in a church full of mourning people. I begin to panic as I glance around wildly searching for a way out.
"Hey is someone down here?" I cringe when someone starts to descend the stairs. I can't protest in fear of letting out a vicious roar that will surely alert every one of my presence. So I hang my head and hide away as much of myself as possible hoping whoever it is will get the hint. "Alba!?" I snap my head up when I recognize Caroline's voice. She's in her Sunday best and looking about as panicked as I feel. "Oh my god, you cannot be changing!" She quietly screeches running over to bend down next to me.
"I…can't…stop." I growl deeply feeling my organs start to shift. "….Damon." I hiss baring my fangs and lunging at Caroline. She quickly flashes to the far wall with fear dancing in her eyes.
"Okay, I'll get him. Just don't change." She quietly cries vanishing in the next instant. I stare at the spot she just vacated for several long minutes as I take deep breaths, but it does nothing. I close my eyes in pain feeling myself start to let go as I let the beast take over.
"Alba?" I growl opening my eyes to find Damon kneeling in front of me. His face is all kinds of worried as he looks down at me. "Alba, what's happening? Why are you changing?" Damon asks looking over his shoulder. "Make sure absolutely no one comes down here." He barks at whoever is behind him and from the clack of heels hurrying up the stairs it has to be Forbes.
"Damon," I breathe heavily digging my claws into the carpet.
"Alba, you need to breathe." Damon says grabbing my face between his hands so I have no choice, but to look at him. "You cannot change here. You need to control it." Damon commands so urgently that the animal in me does something I would never do.
Damon POV
"You're stronger than this Alba. Control it!" I hiss watching her contort in the most painful ways. She shouldn't be changing right now, but from the wounded look in her eyes she's powerless to stop it. However, I know for a fact Alba has more will power than anyone I've ever met. She can do this.
"Damon. Go," she snarls glaring up at me through harsh eyes. I never back down from her gaze choosing to meet her head on with confidence.
"I'm not leaving." I shake my head stubbornly looking down at her. For one brief second, I see worry blossom behind her eyes. "You're not going to hurt me, Alba. I won't let you." I reassure her which only seems to anger her more. Before I have time to react she's throwing herself against me, but not in the way I expect. Instead, of going for my throat she wraps her arms around my stomach and buries her head in my chest.
I can feel her whole body shaking with the strength she's putting on herself not to change. Her claws are extending and retracting against my back causing blood to be drawn, but I don't care. I don't think twice about wrapping my arms around her and holding her in place. It reminds me of the night we lost Danny except this time I'm trying not to lose Alba.
I'm not sure how long we stay locked together, but it's long enough that I hear the funeral music start to play as the ceremony begins.
"Hey, are you guy's okay?" I lift my chin from the top of Alba's head as I look to the right. I didn't even hear Caroline come downstairs, but here she stands gazing at Alba sadly.
"We're fine." I answer curtly a little angry she ruined the moment. She gives me a look before drawing her blue eyes to Alba who is slowly retracting herself from my hold.
"Thank you, Caroline." Alba nods softly moving away from me to stand on her own two feet. She looks like herself in a pair of leather pants, a grey top, and black cropped jacket. I'm happy to see she has hair where she's supposed to and human teeth that wouldn't be able to tear my throat out if she got angry.
"Are you okay?" I ask sincerely jumping to my feet in a hurry. Alba doesn't even look at me as she nods.
"I'll be okay. Thank you for showing up, but if you'll excuse me I'm going to head out." Alba doesn't wait around for Caroline or me to answer as she sprints up the stairs and out the door. I watch her leave, not sure what to feel, until Caroline speaks up.
"Okay, what in the hell was that?"
Alba POV
The funeral has already started by the time I dash up the stairs and into the main room. I quickly move down the side aisle ignoring the judgmental stares I'm receiving from some of the guests. I see someone has closed the front doors making leaving as quietly as possible a little impossible. But I'm willing to cause a slight disruption as long as it gets me out of here and away from Damon.
I allowed Damon to hold me back there. Even after I changed back I kept my arms secured around him because that small miniscule part of me that cares about Damon crept to the surface. Now I'm just embarrassed, pissed, and ready to get the hell out of town. But the moment I reach for the door handle it hits me; the familiar scent of fresh human blood. I clench my jaw and close my eyes fighting with myself on what the right thing to do is in this situation.
The blood has to be coming from someone, somewhere, and with the group of vampires conveniently located in this room it can only mean one thing. It's a trap. I release the puff of breath I've been holding as I straighten my top and tighten my pony tail. With a new sense of purpose, I turn on my heel and wait. Because I know for a fact someone is going to do something stupid and will need to be saved.
"Before we begin the Mass, we'd like to open the floor to anyone who would like to share a memory about our late friends on the Town Council." Mayor Lockwood grabs the room's attention as she stands at the podium. "I know that April Young wanted to say a few words about her dad. April? April, are you still here, honey?" The room quickly falls into hushed whispers when April fails to appear. I scan the pews looking for her jet black hair only to come up empty. "Is there anyone else who would like to share a recollection or a memory about Pastor Young?" Carol Lockwood continues with a forced smile.
No one makes a move to get up as they all look to one another with anticipation. The whole scene brings back a flood of memories that I'd rather keep locked away. The last time I was in this church was for Danny's funeral. I remember sitting in the front pew listening to the Pastor spout a whole bunch of bullshit about heaven and the afterlife. It was enough to drive a girl insane and I guess in a way it did.
"Come on up, Elena." I'm drawn from my thoughts when I catch Elena making her way to the front of the room. Of course, she would be the one to go up.
"She doesn't look so good," I catch Damon's whispered words as he leans in close to Stefan.
"Maybe you should have told me she was rejecting all food sources." Stefan bites clearly upset about the whole ordeal. I think it's time both brothers ditched the zero.
"Jealousy's beneath you, brother." Damon smirks forgetting that he spends a good portion of his day jealous of Stefan.
"I uh – when I talked to April earlier she was kind of nervous about coming up to speak. And now that I'm up here, I'm kind of nervous too." Elena laughs gripping the podium so hard I'm sure she'll snap it in her hands. "The worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them." Elena breathes out heavily suddenly tensing along with the Scooby gang sitting four rows in front of me. They must smell the blood.
"Do you smell that?" Caroline whispers staring straight ahead at Elena in panic.
"Blood," Tyler answers barely glancing around him.
"Nobody move. Don't turn around, it's a trap." Damon murmurs, giving the group reasonable instructions as I begin to sniff the air. It's coming from above me.
"I um…" Elena trails off keeping her eyes lowered so nobody can see the veins she's trying desperately to hide.
"Stefan," I hiss as he turns his head slightly letting me know he hears me. "Get Elena now, I'll handle the rest." I whisper as he immediately does as I ask. I search the room spotting a set of stairs on my right that I can only assume lead up.
"Please turn to page forty-two in your hymn book. Let us join together in a song." I hear the priest suggest as I jog up the stairs reaching the top just as the church lights up in song. I stay low searching the balcony until I spot the back of Connor's head as he crouches down with a gun in his hands. Luckily, he doesn't have it aimed at anyone, but that doesn't stop me from sneaking up behind him and smashing his face against the banister. The music drowns out the loud crack that resounds through the room leaving no one the wiser.
Fortunately, Connor is knocked out cold giving me enough time to find the source of the blood. It doesn't take me long as I find April slumped against the wall with a bloody dress and gag in her mouth. I don't waste time ripping the cloth out of her mouth and biting into my wrist. I hurriedly shove the bloody appendage in her mouth and force her to drink. While April drinks I glance back at Connor debating on whether killing him would be a smart move. We still don't know who he is or what he's doing here and I like to know all my facts before I jump to dramatics.
"What's going on?" April asks shoving my wrist away as she glances around her in confusion. She notices the blood instantly and begins to hyperventilate.
"You are fine." I compel her gently grabbing her hand in mine. "Now go to sleep until someone comes to wake you up." I finish in a hurry as the singing starts to wear down. When April is snoring softly I pick her up and set her in the back away from Connor's view. I feel bad for the girl as I look down at her torn dress, but the feeling slowly starts to fade when I feel eyes boring a hole in the back of my head. I whip around thinking Connor has woken up, but I find it's only Damon. I lean over the edge of the railing and stare down at the vampire.
"You okay?" He mouths as I automatically nod averting my gaze from his. I take the opening I've been given as I sprint out of the church leaving Damon behind me. If I were smart I'd ditch town now and leave them all behind me for good. But I can't. I can't lose anyone else that I care about so I'll spend forever protecting them if I have to, just as long as they are alive.
Damon POV
I pull into the school parking lot wondering for the hundredth time since Stefan called me why I have to meet him here. Haven't we've had enough of each other for one day? Because I know I've had enough of Stefan to last me three lifetimes.
I climb out of my car with a sigh in irritation when I spot the little witch getting out of her car. Of course, Stefan would make this a group event. I roll my eyes when I spot all of them by the picnic tables wondering what we could be doing. After all, I think it's been one hell of a day for everyone and by everyone I mean me.
"Stefan, what are we doing?" I ask eyeing the paper lanterns in his hand wearily.
"We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier." Stefan says making me internally groan. This is what he dragged me away from the bar for, a freaking paper lantern memorial? "We need to start healing, Damon. We've all lost so much, especially recently. I think we're numb to it. We push it away, we make a joke out of it, ignore how we feel. We've never just let ourselves grieve." Stefan continues handing everyone a lantern. I briefly look around the group like they've grown three heads before Caroline speaks up misinterpreting my thoughts.
"I called Alba, but I don't think she's coming." Caroline voices softly with a sad smile.
"So, you're lighting lanterns?" I ask incredulously wishing Stefan would pull his head out of his ass and worry about something a little more important than this.
"Yeah. We need to do this," Stefan answers glancing at me as he holds up a lighter to his lantern.
"What we need to do is find out who this hunter is and what he knows about the death of the Council. We have more important things to be doing right now than this." I scoff thinking about earlier when that Connor Jordan guy handed me my ass on a silver platter. He's dangerous and he knows how to fight.
"Not tonight, we don't." Stefan shakes his head lighting his lantern. "This is for my uncle Zach and my friend Lexi and for Alaric." Stefan hands the lighter over to Matt who lights his.
"This is for Vicki and for Danny." Matt says making a dull ache start in my chest as they continue.
"This is for my dad and Tyler's. This is also for my little protégée, Danny." Caroline's eyes begin to water as she passes the lighter to Jeremy.
"This is for our parents," Jeremy says looking at Elena. "This is for Vicki. Anna. Jenna. And Alaric." Jeremy finishes looking at me through kicked puppy dog eyes as he tries to pass me the torch.
"No way." I shake my head. "I'm not doing that." I bite turning on my heel and heading for my car. What a waste of a trip. If I want to grieve someone I'll do it the right way.
3rd POV
"They're floating lanterns in the sky, can you believe that? A Japanese lantern is the symbol of letting go of the past. Well, here's a news flash, we're not Japanese!" Damon drawls taking a swig from the bottle in his hands. He's sitting on a lone bench in the middle of the cemetery talking to Alaric's tombstone.
"Do you know what they are? Children. Like lighting a candle is going to make everything okay or even saying a prayer or pretending Elena is not going to end up just like the rest of us murderous vampires. Stupid, delusional, exasperating, little children." Damon rants shaking his head sadly as he stares off into space. Then thinking better of it he continues, "I know what you're going to say; "It makes them feel better, Damon." So what?" Damon snaps shrugging his shoulders angrily.
"For how long? A minute, a day? What differences does it make?" Damon raves standing up to walk over to Alaric's gravestone. "Because in the end, when you lose somebody; every candle, every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing that you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be. And a rock with a birthday carved into it that I'm pretty sure is wrong." Damon rolls his eyes taking another drink of bourbon as he walks back to sit on the bench.
"So, thanks, friend. Thanks for leaving me here to babysit, because I should have been long gone by now. I didn't get the girl, remember? I'm just stuck here fighting with my brother and taking care of the kids." Damon stares down at his shoes feeling the heaviness of his friend's passing. He'd never admit it, but Damon misses Alaric.
A twig snapping in the distance has Damon spinning around so fast that he almost falls off the bench. He peers into the woods behind him for anything out of the ordinary, but when he finds nothing he sighs deeply.
"You owe me big." Damon finishes turning back around to find a single red rose leaning against Alaric's tombstone. He looks around suspiciously wondering who could have put it there, but it's clear to see that whoever it was is long gone.
Alba POV
I walk through the door of the grill an hour before closing to find the place is practically empty. Just the way I like it. I make my way to the bar and take a seat at the end ordering a double malt scotch. After the day I've had I deserve some hard liquor to make up for it. Not only did I almost change in the middle of a memorial service, but I let Damon hold me and I met a hunter that is no doubt going to be on my ass 24/7 now. What more could I ask for?
"Well fancy meeting you here." I breathe out a laugh when no one other than Connor Jordan takes a seat beside me.
"Stalking me now?" I ask cocking an eyebrow sipping my bourbon.
"Hardly, you and I just had the same idea." He smiles holding up his hand for the bartender. I eye him curiously as he orders a whiskey straight.
"Hard day?" I ask biting my lip to keep from laughing.
"It's better now," he smirks taking a drink from his glass. "We never did get to finish our discussion earlier." He points out making me laugh.
"Very smooth Connor Jordan, but I don't think we have anything to talk about." I smile causing his to grow.
"We don't?" He asks tilting his head to the side while he studies me. "Because I think we do."
"Funny thing about that is…" I down my drink before smacking a twenty on the counter. "I don't care what you think." I smirk snatching my coat only to have my keys fall on the ground. I quickly bend down to retrieve them feeling the bottom of my tank top ride up to reveal the small of my back.
"Nice tat." Connor observes making me freeze with my back to him. I don't have a tattoo.
"Thanks." I nod sashaying out of the building like I have all the time in the world. However as soon as my feet hit asphalt I take off like a shot for home. I'm standing shirtless in the middle of my room not even five minutes later. I gaze at myself in the mirror and deadpan at what I see.
"Shit."
Thank you everyone! You are all awesome!