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Chapter 30
"The Patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree." –Thomas Campbell
When Damon Salvatore woke up this morning to the screech of his cellphone, he knew it was going to be a long day. Unfortunately, he was proven right when Elena's frantic cries registered in his ears about her stabbing Jeremy. To be honest, the moment Elena told him what had happened; he knew he was out of his league. Which is why, when he hung up the phone with her, he immediately called Stefan. His brother might not be good for much, but he's a damn genius when it comes to handling hysterical women. Damon is grateful for that especially since he finds himself standing awkwardly in the Gilbert's living room with not a darn thing to say.
"I can't believe this happened." Elena mutters, rubbing her forehead in disbelief as she paces in front of the couch where Jeremy's dead body lies. He's still covered in blood from where Elena gouged him with a butcher knife making for a grisly yet not uncommon scene in the Gilbert household. "What am I going to say to him?" She asks, looking to me for advice, but this is one situation I can't bullshit my way out of.
"Thanks for not ditching the family ring after it drove Rick crazy?" I suggest lightly with a shrug of my shoulders, hoping for a chuckle, but I settle for the heated glare she gives me. "You should have called Stefan."
"I don't want to talk to him." She huffs, turning away from me to begin wearing a hole in the floor again. I watch her closely, noting the rigid jerk of her flailing arms making it more obvious that something is amiss with her. "He's been lying to me and hiding things from me. He compelled Jeremy to forget God knows what." She scowls, stopping in front of me for what I assume to be moral support. Where in the hell is Stefan?
"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that." I reason earning another glare from Elena that I quickly follow up with, "and you should have called Stefan."
"I don't trust him right now, Damon." She responds with finality completely ending the conversation. However, it's at that exact moment that the front door swings open revealing no one other than Stefan himself.
"Hey." Stefan greets, pausing by the door in uncertainty when he sees the anger on Elena's face.
"P.S., I called Stefan." I whisper expecting the glower I receive in return.
"What happened? Why did you call me?" Stefan questions in concern as he breezes over to Elena and I. He reaches for Elena, no doubt trying to comfort her, but she pulls away before he can touch her.
"I just-I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands." She grumbles holding up her crimson arms in distaste before walking out of the room. Stefan and I watch her leave, choosing not to fill the silence until Jeremy sucks in a greedy breath not a moment later.
"Welcome back." Stefan nods, shoving his hands in his pockets. "How are you feeling?"
"What happened?" Jeremy gasps, shooting to a sitting position with his hand instinctively flying to his crusty neck.
"Long story, buy the e-book." I quip, no longer in a caring mood.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Stefan asks, completely disregarding my witty comeback.
"Uh," Jeremy furrows his brow in thought, "I remember dreaming about Connor then Elena screaming then her stabbing me in the neck with a knife." He explains recalling his night with disdain.
"You were dreaming about Connor?" Stefan asks his brood deepening at the information.
"It could be your subconscious trying to tell you something." I nod, giving little Gilbert a wink when his face pinches up in anger.
"What was your dream?" Stefan cuts into mine and Jeremy's stare off with a question that gives Jeremy pause. What else is new?
"I don't remember most of it, but I do remember he was trying to tell me something about Alba. Except every time he would start to talk, something or someone would stop him."
"What do you mean?" Stefan asks mirroring my confusion as I take a step forward hanging on Jeremy's every word for the first time in my life.
"I don't know." Jeremy wipes a hand down his face dredging up the dream from the depths of his mind. "Whatever it was, it was dark, old, and very powerful especially if it had the juice to control my dream."
"Great!" I exclaim sarcastically, "just what we need is another distraction." I shake my head wondering how anyone survives in this town when Stefan asks something that stops me dead in my tracks.
"Where the hell is Alba?"
Alba POV
"God, I love the twenty-first century." Laurita purrs for the sixth time in over an hour. I hold back my sigh as I send her a fleeting glance out of the corner of my eye to find her petting the leather seats of my mustang with glee. She's done nothing, but fiddle with the buttons on my stereo and demand I drive faster since appearing in my car. I actually wish she were alive so I could kill her myself. "But I must say despite all the perks of the modern world, I still miss my time." She pouts like a five-year old; her plump lips turning down at the corners making her appear deceptively innocent.
"Maybe you should have stayed there then." I reply, turning to give her a tight-lipped smile that she receives with unnerving grace.
"Now Alba, is that any way to treat your family?" She clucks, shaking her head in a scolding manner that boils my blood. "And here I thought you'd be happy to see me." She hums, giving me a predatory smile that holds as much innocence as it does malice.
"Do you know what would make me really happy? Not seeing you at all." I deadpan, tightening my grip on the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. "And, F.Y.I., you died over a thousand years ago helping an insane and delusional mother protect her immortal children, which by the way, resulted in a curse that has been picking off Martinez's ever since so I think the ancestors would agree that you are not family." I finish hotly, flicking my gaze to Laurita when she remains silent in her seat.
I have to say, I'm a little surprised that my mother never once mentioned in her bedtime stories how young Laurita was when she died. I know when I laid eyes on her last night; I thought I had wandered into the high school. Laurita can't be any older than sixteen with long dark brown hair that falls to her slim waist in tangled curls. Her sandy brown skin does nothing to lighten up her brown eyes that could very well be argued as black in the sunlight spilling through her window. She's wearing an emerald green renaissance dress that makes it difficult to judge her height, but I would guess she's a few inches shorter than me. If anybody else could see her, they would peg her as the sweet girl down the street, but I know better than that. I can detect the ulterior motives in the depths of her eyes and the sinister heart she's trying to hide.
"I could always go back to being invisible." Laurita speaks up turning her cold, calculated gaze on me. "It would be like old times."
"What do you mean like old times?" I question lowly, a threatening tone creeping into my voice when I ask, "How long have you been following me?"
"Since the night in the hospital when you came back from the dead." She answers casually, holding up her hand to peer down at her dirty nails lazily. "I must say Alba you sure do know how to send the men in your life on a wild goose chase. Damon and Klaus were searching for you like a pair of lost puppy dogs." She sneers, just as I slam on the brakes, the mustang squealing to a dead halt as Laurita violently lurches forward. Her head is mere inches away from flying through the windshield when I swing my arm out catching her in the chest. She slams back into the seat, her face a mask of shock that quickly turns into anger when she realizes what I just did.
"Get out of the car." I snap, my nostrils flaring in anger when Laurita doesn't move to obey. "Now." I growl, swinging my own door open before stepping out. The backcountry road we are traveling down is deserted save a woodland creature or two that scatter when I slam my door. When I slid behind the wheel this morning, I had every intention of taking a me day to get away from the girl plaguing my existence, but nope. I wasn't even out of Mystic Falls before Laurita showed up and now I just can't seem to get rid of her.
"What's wrong, Alba?" Laurita asks, feigning ignorance as she observes me through big doe eyes that remind me all too much of Danny. The resemblance between the two actually makes me falter until a shit-eating grin forms on Laurita's face reminding me that she is not Danny. "Aww is someone s-gah!" Laurita's words quickly taper into a strangled squawk that shatters the tantalizing silence of the forest when my fingers wrap around her throat. I refuse to listen to another second of her childish voice that is slowly creeping into my head, driving me mad.
"Laurita, you may be dead, but I can still kick your ass." I threaten, smashing her against my mustang hard enough that it rattles the car, but doesn't create a dent. "In fact, I bet if I conjure up some of that pesky magic that's been lying dormant beneath my skin, I can cause some serious damage." I smirk feeling a familiar tingle ignite in my chest before weaving down the veins in my arm to the palm of my hand where it settles in the tips of my fingers.
It's almost comical how quickly fear replaces the smug gleam in Laurita's eyes when I release a slow, simmering pulse of heat that seeps under her skin and explodes throughout her body. Hell, I'm not even finished administering the dose of magic before she's wailing in pain and withering in my hold. Her body is similar to an ant when you place it under a magnifying glass in the sun.
"You know I'm curious," I say, "since you are already dead and clearly resilient," I observe motioning to her crippled state with my free hand. "How much magic will it take for you to just disappear?" I ask, sending another blast of heat through her body that has her convulsing. "Oh and if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm burning you from the inside out." I smile relieved that I don't have to smell the stench of her organs melting.
"STOP! Please just stop!" She cries when I gear up for round three. "I'll do whatever you ask just stop!" I narrow my eyes, running my gaze over the length of her face. I don't trust Laurita; therefore, I don't trust anything that comes out of her mouth. However, if I torture her long enough then maybe, just maybe, she'll tell me what I want to know.
"Fine." I shrug casually, digging my fingernails into her flesh until I draw blood. She releases a soft groan in agony that makes my heart swell with joy. "From now on you will only speak when you're spoken to, you will answer all of my questions leaving nothing out, and you will no longer spy on me like some love sick teenager. The only reason you are still here right now is because I haven't figured out a way to get rid of you. But let's make one thing very clear," I tighten my grip on her neck making her eyes bulge, "I am not the person you want to mess with because I will not hesitate to make your undead life a living hell. Got it?" I regard Laurita closely, watching her absorb my words with pursed lips and I'm sure if she could, she'd be giving me the famous Martinez death glare. But in the end, she jerks her head in what I assume to be a nod. I hold my ground for a few more seconds, watching her struggle for air before I reluctantly release her to suck in a greedy breath.
She coughs repeatedly, gingerly rubbing her neck that doesn't have a scratch on it as she eyes me warily. "How did you do that?" She winces obviously still feeling the effects of our little rendezvous. "You shouldn't be able to use your magic on me. I'm dead."
"You don't ask the questions. I do." I retaliate, walking around to the driver's side door, leaving her to chew over her own thoughts. "Now," I say, resting my hands against the car as I peer at her over the hood. "How in the hell did you escape from the other side?"
Klaus POV
I am a patient man. I've proven this time and time again over the centuries with my werewolf curse, my father, and Katarina Petrova. Every single one of these things more evasive and difficult to catch then the next, but I managed to keep my head straight throughout it all. That is, until I met Alba Martinez. The day I met her is the day I said good-bye to my last nerve and hello to the never ending fury that accompanies trying to keep tabs on her.
I pace the Lockwood study, listening to the incessant murmurings of Haley and my hybrid downstairs while stabbing the re-dial button on my phone. Upon my arrival home this morning, I found out that not only was I two hybrids short for a game of four square, but that my hunter was six feet under with my girlfriend no where to be found. To say that I don't want to rip apart the entire town of Mystic Falls right now would be a lie.
In fact, I'm thinking about walking to the Grill and having an all I can eat buffet when Alba's voice filters through the speaker, ending my exuberant thoughts.
"Babe, you're three calls past clingy." The words tumble from Alba's mouth effortlessly making my eyes narrow and my treacherous lips curl into an irrepressible half-smile. Even when I'm angry at her she still manages to melt my defenses with just one word.
"Where are you?" I hold fast to the anger inside me and let it spill over into my words. If I'm being totally honest with myself, it's not just anger that's driving me. It's fear. Alba's run away from me before, who's to say she won't do it again?
"I'll give you a hint…I'm not in Virginia." She responds breezily making me arch my eyebrow in disbelief.
"No?" I ask, refusing to acknowledge the absurd pounding of my heart. "Then I suggest you tell me where you're going because if I have to come find you I won't be nearly as agreeable as I am right now." I threaten feeling my pulse rise when Alba responds not a second later.
"Oooh sounds kinky," she teases with an air of complete disregard, "but I can't tell you, at least not yet."
"Alba…" I warn feeling the beginning stages of resentment settle deep in my gut. Resentment at Alba for refusing to trust me and resentment at myself for caring so damn much.
"Klaus, I have to go." Alba suddenly declares sending my blood rushing. "Think you can refrain from blowing up my phone until I return later tonight?" She questions, sounding distracted with something on her end of the line.
"Fine," I bite after a moment of silence, "but if you fail to return, I will start tearing out throats starting with Matts. So I suggest you hurry." I finish on a growl before hanging up and throwing a crystal vase of Petunia's across the room. I watch the glass shatter against the wall in satisfaction feeling a very small and insignificant part of myself ease of its tension. However, it slowly builds back up when I hear Tyler Lockwood's voice.
"You're still going? I drank enough last night and then I slept, which is what you guys should have done." My eyes narrow in fury when Tyler uses that smug, disapproving tone with my hybrids. I think young Lockwood forgets that he also my hybrid.
"We're just paying our respects to Dean." Chris throws back, reminding me that I have more pressing issues today then Alba Martinez.
"That's great, Chris, but could you pay them at a bar instead?" Tyler asks as I silently walk down the stairs, reeling in my irritation.
"Don't be mad." I catch that annoying wolf, Haley, say as I careen down the hall toward the den. "We're celebrating our fallen hybrid friend!" She exclaims just as I walk around the corner to witness her pouring a shot in Tyler's mouth before swiping the bottom of his lip where some excess vodka resides. She then, proceeds, to stick her thumb in her mouth and suck off the alcohol. It's a compromising position I just caught my young hybrid in and it raises my spirits exponentially.
"Well, don't let me interrupt." I speak up, a smirk growing on my face when Tyler jumps away from Haley like she is the devil reincarnated.
"I didn't know you were here." Tyler stumbles looking every bit like a deer in headlights which just amuses me even more.
"Clearly." I remark, giving Haley a sultry smile when I steal the bottle dangling between her fingers to take a long pull. The liquid makes a smooth, scorching trail down my throat that has never felt better. "I just popped round to celebrate Dean's successful retrieval of the vampire hunter. Yet when I arrived, I learnt that not only was Dean unsuccessful, but that Elena killed the hunter." I lie, purposely leaving Alba out of the discussion.
"Well, maybe if you had let Dean use force on Connor instead of sending him in on a suicide mission." Haley fires back, her face scrunching into a mask of judgment and disgust. I consider snapping the wolf's neck and ending her little snide comments right here. But I quickly deny myself the pleasure when I remember that Alba would want to be the one to kill her.
"Maybe you should mind your business, wolf girl." I reply, reminding Haley exactly who she is and exactly who I am with the raw power I put behind my words.
"What do you care if Connor's dead anyway?" Tyler goads, looking every bit as intrusive as he's acting. Hasn't anyone in this godforsaken town heard that curiosity killed the cat? Or in this case, curiosity is going to kill the young, dumb hybrid.
"I have my reasons." I glare. "They've ceased to matter. Cheers." I deadpan holding up the bottle of vodka, bringing it to my lips for a searing chug just as someone knocks on the door. Tyler looks confused for a moment, taking inventory of everyone in the room before walking into the foyer. He isn't even to the door yet before it swings open revealing Caroline Forbes in all her glory carrying a box of goodies.
"I brought your stuff," She snaps, "old laptop, your jersey, the charm bracelet."
"Care, this isn't a good time." Tyler shakes his head, acting completely naïve to the fact that he's being dumped. It's actually quite entertaining to watch.
"Just take it." She huffs; roughly shoving the box into Tyler's stunned hands before crossing her arms and glaring at Haley. At least this time, Haley has the decency to slink farther into the den to avoid Caroline Forbes heated gaze.
"Caroline." Tyler tries, but fails to gain her attention when Caroline's eyes drift to me.
"Enjoying the show?" She barks making a brilliant smile grace my lips. I always did like feisty women, but on Caroline it's just…adorable.
"Very much so, love." I nod, setting the bottle of liquor down before meandering over to her and Tyler. "By the break-up drama unfolding before me, I see you've met Haley." I observe earning nothing out of Caroline. "Alright," I finally sigh gesturing to my remaining hybrids, "come on, let's go. Let's leave them alone." I say, placing my hands behind my back when my hybrids start to shuffle out of the door. "Your talents are needed elsewhere."
"For what?" Tyler demands to know making me chuckle darkly.
"I think you've got more important things to deal with, mate." I smirk, walking to the door with every intention of leaving, but I just can't help myself when I pause next to Caroline. "Oh and Caroline," I speak lightly, almost kindly, which makes the young vampire turn her head in acknowledgement. "Ever talk to me like that again and I'll remove Tyler's head and give it to you as a Christmas present." I smile, catching her sharp intake of breath. "I've already lost two hybrids, what's one more?" I ask with a shrug, enjoying the shock and fear darkening Caroline's blue orbs. "Until next time." I nod farewell, stepping into the cool Virginia breeze, wondering for the first time where Elena Gilbert might be.
Damon POV
The Gilberts need a blood maid. Preferably a hot woman in her early to mid-twenties with legs as long as the Vegas strip that will be on call twenty-four seven to clean up the blood spilled in this house. It would be a helluva lot easier than me trying to wipe up the mess which is proving to be rather difficult. I've gone threw six towels, one of Jeremy's t-shirts (my mistake), and a whole roll of Bounty.
I'm in the process of wiping up the last of the gore when the undeniable pounds of my brother's footsteps fill the silence.
"Where'd Jeremy go?" I enquire before Stefan can get a word out as I spare him a glance over my shoulder.
"School." He answers pensively with only a hint of distress slipping into his voice. "Bonnie has him volunteering for some occult exhibit."
"Or maybe he didn't want to linger in a house where his sister just jammed a knife in his neck." I suggest, tossing the pile of blood-soaked towels in the trash. "Just a thought." Stefan sighs, nodding his agreement when his phone begins ringing drawing his attention to the small device. I watch instant hesitation befall his features as he looks down at his phone with uncertainty.
"It's Klaus." He breathes heavily making a satisfied smirk turn up my lips. I'm actually quite interested in how Stefan plans to crawl out of the original hybrid's bed after being in it for so long.
"Ooh, time to face the music, pay the piper, dance with the devil…"
"You know, I'm glad you find this amusing. If he finds out I told you about the cure, he'll kill both of us." Stefan interrupts me with logic and quickly crushes my gloating.
"You maybe, but I'm Alba's father. He may kick my ass, but he wouldn't kill me." I smile smugly earning a disbelieving scoff from Stefan.
"Oh so you're Alba's father this week?" He questions incredulously with an irritating eye roll that doesn't go unnoticed by me when he turns around and exits the kitchen. I glare at his retreating figure, chewing my bottom lip in thought before I quickly pull out my phone. I punch in Alba's number and wait impatiently for the ringing to start.
I called her twice since this morning and failed to reach her both times. Usually this wouldn't bother me, but I have a sinking feeling that something is wrong. Because there is just no way Elena would have gotten in arms reach of Connor yesterday let alone close enough to snap his neck if Alba were there. This only adds to the mystery of Connor's death. Where was Alba when Connor died and where is Alba now?
"You know, I can't decide who is more annoying today. You or Klaus." Alba's exasperated sigh comes through the receiver making me perk up at her voice.
"Obviously it's Klaus." I scoff, leaning my elbows on the counter while I use my advanced hearing to listen for anything that might sound amiss on her end. Unfortunately, the only thing I hear is the crunch of tires on pavement. "Where you going?" I ask casually, trying to remain neutral to the conversation.
"I don't know." She answers honestly, her voice ringing with nothing, but the truth. Her response almost takes me aback considering she's lacking her usual level of sarcasm. "I'm just driving."
"Well, why don't you tell me where you're going and I'll meet you." I suggest, my eyes drifting to the ceiling where I can hear Elena moving around. "We can make a day out of it…" I trail off listening to the silence on the other end. I don't know how, but I can practically feel the tension Alba's trying to hide from me.
"Did Elena tell you about Connor?" Alba questions finally breaking the silence.
"Yeah she did." I nod even though she can't see me. "Stefan and I were there when she buried the body. She's not handling her first kill well which isn't a surprise to anyone, but what is a surprise is that she's hallucinating. She stabbed Jeremy in the neck with a knife this morning thinking it was Connor." I shake my head wishing Alba would take me up on my offer to come spend the day with her so I don't have to deal with the damn hunter anymore. "She's going insane and all I can think about is where in the hell were you when she was snapping his neck?" I ask before I can stop myself. I'm not angry at Alba for abandoning Connor, leaving him open for Elena to snap his neck and lose her mind, but I'm not happy about it either.
"Wait a minute," Alba says, "so Elena killed Connor?" She asks slowly, so slowly that she sounds unsure of herself.
"Yes. Elena killed Connor." I reinstate my earlier claims, my brow furrowing when a heavy silence fills the phone. "Alba, what's going on? What happened to you yesterday?"
"Nothing." Alba replies almost instantly. "You better put a leash on your doppelganger before she runs off and kills someone else. Have fun, Damon."
"Alba! No wait!" I yell, but it's too late, she's hung up. I hiss, tossing my phone on the counter when the screen goes black. So much for remaining neutral.
"Damon!" I lift my head when Elena's panicked cry drags my attention to the doorway where she's bursting into the room. She's gasping for breath and looking behind her in fear.
"Elena?" I ask in confusion when her eyes turn into saucers and a look of pure horror slides over her face upon seeing me.
"No!" She yells, holding her arms out in front of her like she's trying to shield herself from me. I can only watch in shock as she runs out of the room.
"Elena! What's wrong?" I shout, kicking myself into high gear as I run after her. However, when I get to the door that is sitting wide open, I find Stefan standing in the middle of the yard with no Elena in sight. I can only stare at him as I ask, "what in the hell happened?"
Alba POV
"Why does Elena Gilbert think she killed Connor?" It's the first question out of my mouth when I finally hang up the phone with Damon. "Because last time I checked, I'm the one who broke his neck." I say, sending Laurita a hard glare out of the corner of my eye as I race down the interstate. It's almost noon, with the sun hanging high in the the heavens and the Boston skyline only a short ten minutes away.
"Because I altered her memories of what happened in the tunnels." Laurita explains, a mischievous glint appearing in her brown orbs that has me on edge. "She thinks she snapped Connor's neck after feeding from him. I made sure to wipe you from her mind and replace you with that incredibly dangerous and annoying hunter's curse." Laurita grins darkly, her vulnerable demeanor slipping to reveal the cunning woman that lies hidden within her.
"Why?"
"Why not?" Laurita fires back with a smirk that's too old and too wicked for such a young face.
"Laurita." I snap, the tension in my shoulders coiling tighter and tighter the longer I'm forced to sit in this car with her. It's been hours since we left Mystic Falls and I haven't let my guard down once. I'm exhausted.
"Okay, okay." She relents on a sigh. "I changed Elena's memories because I needed her to take the fall for Connor's death. I couldn't have your little group of misfits finding out that you turned and killed the hunter. Klaus would be furious and would want to delve deeper into why you shifted involuntarily which would lead him straight to me."
"And how would my involuntary shifting lead back to you?" I ask completely lost on what Laurita is trying to tell me.
"Because I'm the reason you were shifting." She shrugs like I should know by now that she's the root of all my problems. Without really thinking about it, I reach across the seat and snatch Laurita's hand, holding tight when she tries to pry herself loose.
"I'm going to give you thirty seconds to explain before I start pumping you full of ice." I threaten, refusing to look at her when she lets out an almost inaudible scoff.
"That's not enough time." She whines like a child.
"You now have twenty seconds." I yawn, squeezing her hand until I hear a bone pop out of place.
"Ah! Okay!" She cries until I reluctantly relinquish her hand. I stifle a laugh when she yanks the appendage to her chest and cradles it affectionately. I let her have a minute to collect her thoughts before I snap my fingers in warning. She immediately straightens up, her mouth thinning into a line. "Listen, I can't tell you the whys and what's of the situation until I explain the how." She sighs, scrubbing her good hand down her face. "And for me to do that I have to start from the beginning…to the night you woke up in the hospital." She explains, turning her face toward the window, her eyes glazing over as she takes herself back to that night. "I think you should know that what happened between you and Danny was destiny. Danny was always supposed to die and you were always supposed to live, that's just how it was meant to be."
"Jump ahead." I demand, mentally pulling myself out of the black hole I always fall into when I think about Danny. The guilt and grief is an ever-present weight that sits on my chest until I can't breathe and no matter how hard I try to lessen the pain, I just can't.
"Well, in that case, you should also know that when you died, you went to the other side. I know you don't remember, but your body was hidden from you and it was your job to find it before you and Danny died."
"You're lying," I accuse venomously; "I would have just let myself die." I mutter more to myself than Laurita, but the girl heard me anyways.
"I know," she nods finally tearing her eyes away from the window to peer at me sadly, "which is why Danny found your body for you." I stiffen at Laurita's words, my veins running ice cold while my heart continues to pump at an ungodly speed. Surely, she can't mean what I think she means.
"That's impossible." I croak, feeling for the first time like some little human that can be shattered by the smallest things. "Danny didn't go to the other side. She went to-"
"Heaven?" Laurita jumps in, saying the word for me with only a small amount of disbelief. "Come on, Alba. You know that's not true. All the good and bad little witches go to the other side. There's no way around it."
"Danny never used magic. She was always too sick." I try to convince myself that what I'm saying is the truth and that Laurita is the one in the wrong, but even to my own ears my words sound hollow. "She never used."
"This isn't like a vampire where if they don't feed they don't go to the other side. Witches stay witches even when they are too ill to use their magic. I hate to break this to you Alba, but your sister is on the other side." Laurita's words cut through my heart like a knife and the weight on my chest only gets heavier. My sister…my baby sister is on the other side alone. She's alone. "After she found your body, she managed to coerce you back into it with her big doe eyes and a sweet little smile." Laurita smiles fondly at the memory. "So when you came back, I rode on your coat tails and came back, too."
"How?"
"I was getting there, but thank you for asking." I clench my jaw when Laurita smarts off. "When you died and came back you broke the curse over our family. The curse that was put in place when I helped Ester make you…you know…before I died. Point is," she rushes on, "the other side is full of our family members and it was in total chaos when you found your way back to your body. So I took advantage of the lull and followed you to the land of the living." She smiles in gratification. "Unfortunately, my powers or lack thereof depended on you at first and since you were cuckoo for cocoa puffs at the time-"
"How do you even know that phrase?" I scoff, not liking the foothold she has on earth.
"-I wasn't able to use any magic or be seen by you. I was forced to watch you dwoodle away your summer by killing werewolves, vampires, and witches. It was quite boring and just like the other side."
"It must have been hell." I turn my head to give Laurita a fake pout that she returns with a scowl.
"It was." She grits, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. "Until you returned to Mystic Falls and found Connor. The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was a hunter and I knew the effect he would have on you so I gave you a little nudge every time you were around him." She reveals with a deceitful snicker that has me eyeing her closely. "Now your tattoo was as big of a surprise for me as it was for you, but I made sure it burned like a bitch every time you were with him."
"I hate you."
"Please, enough with the flattery." Laurita waves me off. "I needed your tattoo to burn so it would trigger your tiger. I needed you to kill Connor, not only because it's your destiny as the original guardian, but also because it would give you an enormous burst of power. The kind of power that would restore a dear old relative back to her former glory…well, almost." She chuckles, highly amused with herself. "There's still some kinks to sort out, but hey at least you can see me now."
"Hoorah," I deadpan, switching lanes when I see my exit up ahead. "So what? You're linked to me?"
"Yes and no." She mumbles biting her nail. "You're existence tethers me to this world and your magic gives me strength, but I can still make my own decisions and leave you if I wanted to."
"Then why don't you?" I ask, veering off the interstate onto the exit for Weston Falls.
"Because I have a proposition for you," she reveals seriously, "and I think you're going to want to hear me out."
Klaus POV
"Let go of me!" Elena shouts, trying uselessly to yank her arm out of my vice grip. To be honest, you'd think the girl would learn by now that she can't escape me.
"Certainly." I smirk, shoving her into the only room in my house with no windows or pointy objects. When I learned that Elena was dealing with the hunter's curse, I knew I had to get her away from the Salvatore's. God knows if I left her in their incompetent hands, she'd have staked herself already which would be most unfortunate seeing as I've found the sword to make her human again. "I apologize for the lack of windows. It's to preserve the art. And, of course, to prevent you from taking off your daylight ring and burning yourself to death in the sun." My smirk widens as I stroll around the room gesturing to my timeless works of art that need to remain in a cool, dry place.
"I'm not going to kill myself." Elena snaps, crossing her arms in anger. "I would never do that."
"Oh, but you'll want to." I answer gravely, my mood dipping dramatically. "I did. Problem is I'm immortal." I laugh humorlessly, stopping in front of the door so I can face my doppelganger. She has no idea the storm that's coming her way.
"You went through this?" Elena questions timidly, her face softening with the realization that I may know a thing or two about what she's going through.
"Yes, I did. For 52 years, four months and nine days. I was tormented...In my dreams." I reveal, a small part of me cringing, not yet healed from my time as the hunter's personal punching bag. "My every waking moment. Relentless, never-ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time." I tell her, mentally going back to all the sleepless nights and witches I hunted and murdered for not being able to kill me. I would tear apart villages because of the ghosts haunting me, but it never helped. It only got worse.
"So you knew that this would happen if Connor died. That's why you got involved. Did Stefan know, too?" Elena asks, her brow furrowing in deep thought.
"All he knew was that the hunter had to be kept alive. You should have listened to him when he said he had it covered, love"
"What else does Stefan know?" Elena enquires sounding more frantic and less like herself every second we stand here. She's falling apart right before my eyes and if I didn't need her, I'd grab a chair and enjoy the show.
"Well, that's one of life's little mysteries, isn't it?" I tease, turning on my heel to head for the door, but before I get too far Elena stops me.
"How did you make it stop?" She asks her voice full of misplaced hope and necessary worry. I sigh, thinking about her answer before giving her a hard look over my shoulder.
"I didn't. Eventually it just stopped." I answer only slightly pleased when her face drops in disappointment. That's what she gets for killing my hunter. "The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms." I throw over my shoulder exiting the large room. However, before I close the door I don't stop myself from granting her one last small piece of advice. "Don't say I didn't warn you." I smirk, slamming the door closed before latching the deadbolt. "Nobody gets in or out." I command my young hybrid, Chris, who nods his agreement before taking up post by the door. I smile at his willingness to do as I say and mentally shove him higher up on the list of hybrids I actually like.
I leave him to his order as I make my way down the hall to the parlor where I find my leather jacket discarded on a chair. I quickly grab it, slipping it over my shoulders on my way to the door. I refuse to look at the phone taunting me in my pocket because I know if I look and don't find a call or text from Alba, I will kill someone. And considering, I'm on my way to The Grill to drink my anger away; I would say that's a bad thing. So I leave it alone and pretend for tonight that I'm not completely smitten with a hopeless wanderer.
Damon POV
"You're looking at what people believe to be the world's first tombstone. This item was donated to Whitmore College last month." I study Professor Shane closely as he rests his hand on a slab of rock that doesn't even remotely resemble a tombstone. I'll admit the guy knows a lot about the supernatural, but that doesn't mean I trust him. In fact, the only reason I'm here right now is because I lost Elena and the good ole professor might know how to set her head on straight. "...belonged to a very powerful witch. A witch so powerful, in fact, that Silas... That was his name... Created a spell that would grant him... Immortality. Now legend says that Silas did the spell with the help of a lady witch who loved him, a woman named Qetsiyah. Sadly for Qetsiyah, Silas wanted to give immortality to another woman. So Qetsiyah killed her and buried Silas alive, leaving him powerless, immortal, and alone. This might actually be the origin story of hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Shane cracks a joke putting an end to my attention span.
"You got this?" I ask Bonnie who is standing captivated beside me.
"Yeah. I'll bring him to you." She nods, looking away from me when Shane starts to walk over. I quickly leave the pair alone and take my act out the door.
The school is mostly empty today, save the few people that are actually interested in the occult exhibit. Luckily, they're all crammed into the cafeteria leaving me free to roam the halls by myself. I walk the familiar path to Alaric's classroom feeling the beginning stages of grief settling in my gut. Alaric should be here. This is his school, his life, and his world away from the supernatural. Or I guess I should say it was his life. He's no longer here to endure it.
So with that depressing thought, I stop just outside of Alaric's classroom. I can't bring myself to go inside just yet so I stand stiffly in the hallway, running my eyes over the room. The place looks like it hasn't been touched since he left. The chalkboard still has his sloppy scrawl across the top where he was writing notes, papers still litter his desk, and his chair is frozen against the wall almost like it's waiting for him to return. The scene tugs at my heart strings and only worsens when I finally step through the threshold.
I walk over to his desk, running my fingers along the smooth cherry wood that is slowly collecting dust. I wonder when they're going to remove all of his things to make room for a new teacher. Someone qualified enough to take over his classes yet not good enough to replace him because let's face it. Alaric was the best.
I plop down into his chair, nostalgia forcing its way down my throat when I begin to root through his desk. I quickly find the bottle of bourbon he had hidden in his bottom drawer and a smile brightens my face at his absolute disregard for school policy. God I miss him.
"You're missing all the adventure, pal." I salute him by raising the bottle toward the heavens before uncapping it for a drink. I take a long, bittersweet pull that burns all the way down before recapping the bottle. I'm slipping it back in the bottom drawer when Bonnie and Shane come in.
"Shane, this is my friend Damon." Bonnie seems to be in a hurry to introduce us as she gestures to me. "He's kind of an expert on this stuff, too."
"I audited your class once." I smirk, propping my feet up on the desk. "It's very enlightening."
"That's right, I remember you." Shane smiles too politely, "What's your specialty?" He questions, his eyes holding more than kindness.
"The origin of the species," I quip looking to Bonnie in amusement who merely rolls her eyes at me.
"Oh, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction." Shane chuckles awkwardly, clearly not finding my comment as funny as me.
"Not that species," I reveal catching Shane off guard. He looks to Bonnie a little confused before nodding his head in acceptance.
"You're into the monster stuff. All right, awesome."
"I was kind of hoping that you might have stumbled upon this at some point..." I say, pushing to a stand, grabbing Jeremy's drawing of the hunter's mark, "maybe." I hand him the paper watching him ogle the drawing in mild shock.
"This is the hunter's mark." Shane breathes in disbelief. "Where did you get this?"
"Came to me in a dream." I answer smugly causing the professor to narrow his eyes at me curiously before going back to the drawing. "You know anything about the hunter's curse?"
"Why, you got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?" Shane jokes forcing an uneasy laugh that I pick up on.
"Metaphorically speaking." I smirk, noting the tremor of disappointment and fear that goes through him upon my words.
"Legend says that if a hunter is killed by that which he hunts, then that person will be cursed to walk the earth and torment them till..."
"Until…" Bonnie persists when Shane pauses, thinking something over in his mind.
"Until a new hunter's awakened and their legacy's passed on. They're called "potentials."" Shane words are like a gift from the gods as I take out my phone. "Listen, I have a bunch of research on it, why don't I go grab it for you?"
"That would be great." I murmur looking up from my phone as Shane is walking to the door. "Hey," I call catching Shane's attention before he disappears completely, "thanks." I nod gratefully, pushing aside my negative feelings for him for now. He returns the nod before vanishing down the hall to collect his research.
"How are we supposed to find a potential hunter?" Bonnie huffs looking at me suspiciously when I grin.
"Yeah, about that…" I say, punching in a familiar number before putting the phone to my ear. "Little Gilbert." I greet when Jeremy picks up. "Your services are needed."
Alba POV
It's kind of funny how insignificant a place becomes when you leave and how precious it becomes when you return after a long time away. The place never changes, but you do. I did.
I cross my arms and lean against my mustang observing the street I grew up on through the safety of my ray bans. In front of me is the apartment complex I spent the first fifteen years of my life in. It's been reconstructed since I've left. It's bigger, fancier, no longer housing the low income families that can't afford much. Someone must have spent a lot of time going around the building replacing all the broken bricks and ripping away the vines that used to creep up the sides giving the place a homier feel. Hell I can't count the number of times those vines helped me sneak in and out of my bedroom window. Unfortunately, it looks like the residents now don't get the same perks.
From here, I can see a chandelier hanging in the foyer of the building and it makes my stomach churn. I never in a million years thought this place would change. I knew I would, but I never imagined someone would come and blow a hole through our old apartment to create a bigger space for another family. I counted on this place to remain familiar.
"What are you thinking about?" Laurita asks, reminding me that I'm not alone.
"Nothing important." I mutter, scanning the rest of the street, making eye contact with all of my old haunts. I spot Ms. Luanne's café a couple buildings down and a sad smile creeps across my face when I see that it's no longer Ms. Luanne's, but Ms. Darla's. I briefly wonder if Ms. Luanne died, but I quickly dismiss the thought when I realize that she must have. She loved that café and she wouldn't have given it up for anything.
"So this is where you grew up." Laurita continues, disgust dripping from her words. "Charming little town."
"You can leave any time." I voice, eyeing all the shops and diners that have shut down due to the economy. My little street is looking more and more like a ghost town the longer I sit here.
"What? And leave you here all alone?" She feigns shock, shaking her brown curls. "Not a chance. Besides I'm not going anywhere until you hear what I have to offer you."
"I don't want to hear it." I sigh, shoving her out of the way so I can climb into my car. She's been going on non-stop about this damn proposition she wants to offer me. To be honest, I could care less about what she has to say. In fact, I'm so tired of her that I quickly rev the mustang's engine to life and squeal away from the apartment complex before she can get in. I smile to myself at a job well done, finally allowing myself to relax as I check my rearview mirror to see if she's standing on the street behind me.
"Really?" I release a long and heavy sigh when Laurita's voice fills my car once again. She's sitting in the passenger seat with her little arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face.
"What?" I fake ignorance, my words dripping with innocence. Laurita knows it too as she huffs and turns her head to stare out the window.
"Unbelievable." She mutters, having a little temper tantrum. I choose not to humor her as I continue down the street. My anxiety builds the closer we get to the little dirt road on the outside of town. I actually consider turning around and driving back to Mystic Falls, but I quickly talk myself out of it. It's been far too long since I last visited her. "Where are we going?" Laurita snaps, giving my hand all the courage it needs to find her arm and give it a light tap. She instantly starts spasming in pain giving me a brief distraction from the narrow dirt path I'm turning down.
"Why don't you try again, but a little bit nicer this time." I warn sickly sweet, bumping along the path at a slow pace. Dense forest line both sides of the road making for a beautiful yet eerie experience that most teenagers around these parts know all too well.
"Where. Are. We. Going?" Laurita grits, her fists balling at her sides in anger. Instead of answering her, I hold my tongue until we break through the trees into the large clearing that is the final resting place for many souls taken before their time.
"Welcome to Weston Falls Cemetery." I smirk when Laurita's face darkens. "What's wrong? Remind you of home?" I ask, earning a withering glare that I easily brush off. I get out of the car and begin my journey down a row of tombstones in the middle of the cemetery. There used to be a time when my footprints would linger in the grass because of my frequent visits. I would come out here three or four times a day just to see her. But now…
I stop in front of her tombstone, stooping down so I can run my fingers along the smooth faded letters of her name.
Alexandria Danielle Martinez
June, 8 1979-March, 3 2007
I no longer feel tears threatening to spill or an unbearable pain in my heart from being here. The only thing I'm left with is the bone crushing guilt that consumes me when I think about all the ways I could have saved her that night. If I would have come home sooner she would still be alive. If I hadn't hesitated she would still be alive. But I did. I can manage to save every body on this damn planet except for the people that really matter to me.
"Your mother was a beautiful woman." I clench my jaw when Laurita comes up behind me, but I nod nonetheless.
"Yes she was."
"What if I told you I could bring her back? We could bring her back." My back stiffens, my blood freezes, and my eyes harden with Laurita's words. I don't move, I don't breathe, and I sure as hell don't acknowledge what she's saying, but she's a persistent one. "Alba…" Laurita appears on the other side of the headstone with her face directly in my line of vision. The dumb bitch looks hopeful. "We can do it. We can bring your mom and Danny back. It's possible; I've seen it done before."
"You're lying." I whisper, my eyes flashing to her brown ones in fury.
"I'm not. I swear to you Alba that we can bring them back…" she assures me, her voice ringing with nothing, but honesty. I stare at her lost in my own thoughts as I fight with what I want and what I know. Laurita takes advantage of my silence when she comes to sit beside me. "Alba, you were dealt a crappy hand in life. Your father's a selfish vampire that only cares about himself, your mother died before you even had the chance to know her, and you lost Danny trying to save the same people that take you for granted. How many people have you saved Alba? How many lives have you made better in the process? How fair is it that you give everything you have to receive nothing in return? You deserve better than that and I'm here to give it to you." Laurita pauses to take a breath and gauge my reaction. I don't know what to say so I simply turn my head and give her my full attention. She smiles because she knows she has me. "All you have to do is make me human again." And there's the catch. "Together you and I would be unstoppable! With our combined powers you and I could rule the supernatural world and bring back your family. You wouldn't have to be alone anymore."
"But?" I question quietly, mentally caving in on myself while trying to remain strong.
"But you would have to do something for me in return."
"So bringing you back to life isn't payment enough?" I scoff, my anger building once again to draw me out of the black hole I'm falling into.
"Not when it involves bringing two very dead family members back to life. That takes a lot of juice and involves some messy business that I will have to take care of for you. So in return, I want you to help me get rid of vampires."
"Impossible." I growl, my eyes narrowing in challenge as I beg her to try me.
"Not impossible where you're concerned." She hums. "You can do it. With a little of your blood and the right words, you can blink vampires out of existence."
"You know," I begin cocking my head to the side to study her face, "I can't decide if being alone on the other side for so long messed with your head or if you're just naturally this stupid." Laurita glares at me. "There's no way in hell I would agree to that."
"Not even for your sister and mother?" She hisses, sounding more like the devil than a teenage girl. "Come on Alba, I think you've served your duty as protector of the world. Why not do something for yourself for a change?" I open my mouth to tell her off, but before I say a word I quickly snap it shut again. Maybe she's right? Why do I always have to sacrifice my life and my family for someone else's? When do I ever catch a break? As these questions are catapulting through my mind, the sadness that's been lingering in my heart is slowly being washed away with hope. I could see my family again. I could see Danny again. However, before I let myself get too carried away I just have to know one thing.
"Why?" I ask, regarding Laurita's neutral face. "Why do you want to get rid of the vampires?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Laurita smiles wickedly. "With the vampires gone, witches would no longer have to hide their magic in fear of being used by the undead. Witches would rule the earth once again and be restored to their former glory." Laurita's voice dips as her eyes glaze over with determination. "We would be restored to our former glory." She explains turning to me. "And you would be our leader."
Klaus POV
Alcohol solves everything. It didn't take me long to figure this out and it took even less time for me to develop a system. On a normal night, I'll indulge in a glass or two of scotch or bourbon to relax and enjoy the fact that I'm king. I usually save the whiskey and vodka for the nights I need assistance in not murdering Damon Salvatore or whoever else manages to piss me off. Since coming to Mystic Falls, I've found that I always keep the whiskey nearby. But on very rare and unusual nights, I'll find myself with a glass of wine in my hands. Like tonight, for instance.
I stare down at the crimson liquid in my glass wishing it were something a little more savory and from the brunette sitting two seats down. If it were any other time, I would probably grant myself the pleasure of sinking my fangs into the woman's pretty little neck. However, I find myself glued to my seat with one eye on my wine glass and the other on my phone.
The annoying device is lying still in the middle of the counter top. Every fiber of my being wants to put it in my pocket, but every time I reach for the damn thing, warning bells go off in my brain. What if Alba is in trouble and needs me, but I don't feel my butt vibrate and she dies? What if she's being chased by wolves and can only send me a text, but I don't get it until it's too late? What if I butt dial her? These questions convince me that the only smart solution would be to leave my phone out where I can see it.
However, I quickly come to the horrifying realization that I'm acting like a sixteen year old girl and immediately slip the phone into my pocket. I'm in the process of ordering a whiskey from the bartender when someone plops down onto the stool beside me. I don't have to look to know it's Caroline Forbes. I can smell her deceit and vanilla perfume from a mile away.
"Place looks pretty good considering your hybrid got blown up in it." Caroline smirks, shimmying off her jacket to reveal her very black and very low-cut top in the process.
"Caroline." I smile stiffly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I want you to give Elena back." She states like she has even an ounce of sway with me. The girl is so absurd and full of herself that it actually makes me laugh a little.
"What makes you think I care what you want?" I ask, cocking my head to the side when I witness the hurt in her blue eyes.
"You're right," Caroline breathes, tears springing in her eyes as she shakes her head. "I don't know what I was thinking. It's just been a long day I guess." She blubbers, looking like a little girl when she grabs her coat and hurries to leave. I give myself a millisecond to consider letting her go before I catch another glimpse of her wounded face. Then like magic, I'm reaching my hand out to catch her wrist before she can walk away from me.
"Stay for a drink, love. You look like you could use one." I acknowledge her weary state with keen eyes and a small dose of compassion.
"You sure?" She sniffs, her face brightening considerably when I motion for her to rejoin me.
"Why not? It's not like I have much else to do this evening." I smile grimly, signaling for the bartender to bring us two more drinks.
"Where's Alba tonight?" Caroline enquires with interest, nodding her thanks to the bartender when he sets our drinks down. "I figured she'd be here with you or at the very least helping you hold Elena hostage." She snips, taking a sip of her drink. I grin into my glass at her snarky attitude, finding amusement in the fact that not even a minute ago she was ready to cry her eyes out.
"Your guess is as good as mine to Alba's whereabouts." I grab the glass in front of me and down its contents in seconds. "She doesn't tell me much these days."
"You're afraid she's going to leave you again, aren't you?" Caroline questions gently, her expression softening when I turn my head to give her a hard stare.
"I'm the strongest being on this earth, Caroline." I answer stoically. "There's nothing that scares me anymore." I note the subtle shift in Caroline's eyes when she hums knowingly to herself.
"Right, right," she nods, "you know I might have believed that if I hadn't seen the look on your face that night Kol dared Alba to jump off Wickery Bridge." She smiles sympathetically when my face darkens at the memory. "You were scared, Klaus. It's okay to admit it." Caroline teases, nudging me with her shoulder.
"I don't need to admit anything." I respond with a genuine grin turning up my lips. "Alba should have been scared of me."
"Yeah, I'll believe that when hell freezes over." Caroline giggles making my grin widen in amusement. "Alba is the only person on this planet that has never been afraid of you. And even though she can be arrogant, reckless, and incredibly annoying…" Caroline sighs, throwing her head back and closing her eyes like she can't believe what she's about to say, "but even through all that…she has one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen and I think you made the right choice picking her." The generosity in Caroline's voice leaves me stunned, but her words make me swell with pride nonetheless.
"What can I say?" I smirk turning back to my drink. "She's my girl."
Damon POV
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" Bonnie sulks, planting her tiny hands on her narrow hips in anger.
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations." I reveal with a smug smile just as Jeremy runs into the cafeteria looking frazzled.
"Is everything ok!? Is it Elena!?" He gasps looking between me and Bonnie in panic. I roll my eyes at the kid.
"We figured out how to help her. You need to kill a vampire." Bonnie explains with no flare whatsoever. At least I would have thrown a joke or two in there.
"Oh, great. Give me a stake." Jeremy deadpans, inching into my personal bubble. "I'll kill Damon right now."
"Easy, Van Helsing." I hold up my hands taking a step back. "We'll get you one. Don't worry."
"Before you do this, you need to know what you're getting yourself into…" Bonnie tells him as my phone rings, thankfully, drawing me away from their heart to heart.
"You can rest easy, brother. We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem." I grin satisfied until I hear the rasp of Stefan's breaths.
"Yeah, well, now we have a bigger one. I lost her."
"What? Again?" I yell, not understanding how Stefan can lose her twice in one day. She's one-hundred pounds of nothing.
"She's in bad shape. I tried to help her, but she attacked me." Stefan takes a deep breath, "Listen, you go find her, all right? Talk her down. She'll listen to you. Just tell me what I need to do to end this." I take a moment to absorb Stefan's words and the absolute jolt of happiness that floods my body. "Damon?" The urgency in Stefan's voice snaps me from my thoughts.
"Yeah, right." I cough. "In order to break the curse, you need a potential hunter, i.e., baby Gilbert to kill a vampire. Think you can talk Klaus into sparing one of his hybrids for a good cause?"
"I'll see what I can do. Just focus on finding Elena." Stefan commands like a drill Sargent giving away his obvious sorrow about not being able to get through to her.
"I'll find her brother, don't you worry." I nod, hearing the dial tone in my ear before I even finish my sentence. This is exactly what I've been waiting for since meeting Elena. She needs me to save her. Not Stefan. Not Bonnie. Me. I want to feel happy about this, jump for joy, dance around Bonnie and Jeremy like an idiot, but I don't feel happy. In fact, the only thing I can focus on is the guilt that Elena needs me and not Stefan.
3rd POV
"You're doing a good thing, Chris." Tyler assures his fellow hybrid with a pat on the back at a job well done. After all, they couldn't have rescued Elena without Chris's help to distract the two hybrids keeping guard.
"Yeah, well, let's see how fast a good thing could get me out of town." He chuckles nervously grabbing his bags.
"Call me when you're safe, ok?" Haley looks to him for confirmation as she stops in front of her friend.
"Yeah." He smiles, bending down to give her a short, but strong hug. The pair separate quickly so Chris can leave town before Klaus finds out about his betrayal. However, that proves to be rather difficult when Chris opens the door to be greeted by no one other than Klaus.
"Going somewhere?" Klaus snarls whipping his hand out so fast that Chris doesn't know what is happening until Klaus is crushing his windpipe against a wall far away from the door. "When I said don't let her out of your sight, what did you think I meant?" Klaus snaps in a fit of rage, shaking Chris until the hybrid cowers in fear.
"It's not his fault!" Tyler yells, running forward in panic. "It's mine. I was distracting him. It's my fault she got away!"
"And maybe you should be the one to die for it." Klaus growls turning his terrifying glare on Tyler who swallows his next words.
"No one has to die!" Haley screams when she sees that the situation is going from bad to worse real quick.
"Did I not tell you to mind your business!?" Klaus roars, pushing Haley away when she makes a grab for Chris.
"Tyler's covering for me. I'm the one that let her go!" Haley tries again only infuriating the original hybrid further.
"Haley…" Tyler warns, but he's cut off by the rambunctious girl.
"You want someone dead, go ahead. Kill me. I'd rather die anyway then end up as one of your sired little bitches." Haley hisses getting in Klaus's face. The two are staring each other down when a sinister smile transforms Klaus's features.
"Don't tempt me, little wolf." He threatens lowly making Haley draw back in uncertainty. That's reaction enough for Klaus as he turns back to Chris who is still being held hostage by his hand. "Your existence is to serve me. To please me. Do you understand?" Klaus growls as Chris nods eagerly.
"I'm sorry. I won't fail you again." Chris gasps, telling Klaus nothing, but the truth.
"No," Klaus whispers, "you won't." He releases Chris with a sigh. "Get out of here." He motions for the door taking a large step away from the hybrid who is quick to grab his things and leave. But before Chris can make it to the entrance, Stefan rushes in, stabbing a stake through his gut.
"NO!" Haley screams, running for Chris, but Klaus restrains her with a simple arm around the waist. She and Tyler are forced to watch in horror as Jeremy comes through the door carrying an axe.
"Jeremy!" Tyler breathes in shock. "What the hell, man!?"
"I'm sorry." Stefan hangs his head in shame when he sees the smile on Klaus's face.
"Jeremy!" Tyler tries, but fails to gain the youngest Gilbert's attention before Jeremy brings the axe down with every ounce of strength he possesses to sever Chris's head.
"Ahh!" Haley screams bloody murder, terror filling her lungs as Tyler comes to her aid. He pulls her into a hug to shield her eyes from the gory scene in front of them. Hell, he wants to look away too, but he can't seem to pull his eyes away from Jeremy who is covered in blood. His friend's blood.
Jeremy, however, is oblivious to all of this. He's too busy staring down at his arm watching the tattoo slowly grow.
Damon POV
The high road sucks and I need a drink. Luckily for me, the Grill is dead this early in the morning making it the perfect time to wallow in my good deeds. I walk to the bar thinking about the things I said to Elena today. Not only did I save her from being burned to a crisp, but I spent an hour searching the river for her damn ring after she foolishly threw it off the bridge. She was ready to die when I found her and the fear that overtook me when I saw her skin begin to sizzle was unreal. But I managed to pull her back from the brink and against my better judgment told her the truth about Stefan. She didn't want to hear it and I didn't want to say it, but she deserved to know that Stefan did what he did for her. It's a tough gig being the good guy.
I take a seat at my normal spot motioning for Matt.
"Bourbon." I demand looking at the empty seat on my left. "Make that two."
"It's like you know when I'm coming." My lips quirk into an involuntary smile when Alba takes the seat next to me. I give her an accessing once over acknowledging how exhausted she looks in the same clothes she was wearing two days ago.
"Long day?" I ask, picking up my glass when Matt sets it down in front of me.
"You have no idea." She mutters draining half of her Bourbon with one gulp.
"Where were you?" I press when she doesn't offer up a better answer.
"Don't want to talk about it." She responds her eyes glazing over as she focuses on something in the distance. For the briefest of moments, her walls tumble down leaving her vulnerable as she loses touch with reality. But just as quickly as they crash she's building them back up.
"How was your day?" She asks, her question souring my mood.
"Don't want to talk about it." I repeat her earlier answer as she and I take a drink from our bourbon at the same time.
"Damon, I have to talk to you." Matt, who I had conveniently forgotten was here, pops up next to me reminding me of his presence. "Hey Alba." He greets her with a smile that she returns with a raise of her glass.
"No you don't." I drawl, giving him a heartwarming smirk that he ignores.
"I know that you don't like me. But I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm that I kind of need to tell someone about." I sigh at this news as I put down my glass and give Matt my full attention. "So April mentioned that her dad knew that professor Shane guy. Which wouldn't be creepy, except he had all that info about the hunter's curse. And we live in a town where, you know, anybody who knows stuff is creepy until proven otherwise."
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home." I spin my hand in circles telling him to continue. Finally someone has information about the Young farm explosion and the good ole professor.
"I got the sheriff to dig up the pastor's phone records. Turns out, he made like a call a day to the same number the last month he was alive. And on the day the council got blown up at the farm, he called it ten times." Matt pauses for effect making me clench my jaw when he refuses to just spit it out. But Alba quickly solves that problem when she finishes for him.
"Let me guess," she says, "he made the calls to the office of one Atticus Shane." I whip around in my seat when Alba spits Shane's name like she's talking about the devil. I've never heard her use such raw hate with someone before not even Elena.
"You know him?" Matt gawks in blatant surprise, his eyes mirroring my own shock.
"Sure do." She snarls, her face darkening with the promise of a storm. "He's Danny's father."
Klaus POV
I don't go directly home after leaving the Lockwood estate. Instead, I take a long drive to sort through the mess brewing in Mystic Falls. With Jeremy as the new hunter, we'll have the map and the means to find the cure to make Elena human again in no time. This is a brilliant turn of events considering my stock pile of hybrids has dwindled considerably over the last few days. Pretty soon, I'll have the army I've always wanted and no one will try to defy me ever again. I will be king.
After several hours of driving through Mystic Falls and every town in a fifty mile radius, I finally go home. The sun is rising over the mountains by the time I pull into the driveway with sleep a comforting thought to guide me. Yesterday's events have effectively worn me out and if I don't go to bed now there's a good chance someone will end up dead. So with that thought, I flash to my bedroom, ignoring the deafening silence of the house that is always reminding me that I'm alone.
However, that quickly proves to be false when I walk into my room and find the familiar form of Alba in my bed. She's on the right side of the bed closest to the window with her back to me. I can tell from the steady rise and fall of her chest that she's been here for awhile.
"You're back." Alba murmurs in her sleep never failing to be aware of her surroundings.
"So are you." I reply evenly, pulling my shirt off before climbing into bed. I lay on my side facing the wall becoming hyper aware of Alba's presence behind me. Alba doesn't get off that easy when she leaves with no warning or good-bye. I've slept in this bed alone for years and I can do it again.
Yet, while this thought is crossing my mind, the bed shifts behind me as a warm body presses against my back. Instead of stiffening like I should I relax into Alba's touch finding comfort in the way she drapes her arm across my stomach. She makes quick work of tangling her legs with mine while rubbing soothing circles on my chest with her fingers. I do my best not to respond to her touches, but I fail miserably when she places a soft kiss on the back of my neck.
"I love you." She murmurs against my skin, her voice heavy with sleep as she nestles deeper into my back. I can feel her breathes evening out as she falls back to sleep, but like hell I'm going to be little spoon. Almost like she can read my mind, Alba rolls away, giving me enough room to flip over and tug her back to my body. I tangle our legs together once again taking care not to jostle her as her head rests comfortably in the crook of my neck.
"I love you, too." I mutter, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead that makes my undead heart hammer. If someone would have asked me a year ago if I'd be cuddling with a woman, I would have laughed in their face then killed them. But as I look down at Alba, I can't get over how absolutely beautiful she is and how she's absolutely mine.
Thank you!