I'm back again. And this time, actually with a new chapter of this story, and not with a oneshot *gg*.
Thanks to all my readers and reviewers (ESPECIALLY the reviewers!).
And, of course, to AVECIA. Because without her great beta work, this would be awful to read!
Now, I don't own anything 'bout TVD (or anything else besides the plotline), I only mess with them because it's too much fun to not do it^^.
On with it!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Damon was frustrated, pissed off, and on edge. It was way after sunset, but he could hear that the others were still down in the living room, searching for anything that might help them.
All he wanted to do right now, was going down there and help. Sure, it wouldn't be the most interesting of things, but at least it would be better than just lying around.
But as he tried to stand up and go down earlier that evening, Elena had shot him a glare so icy, that he had instantly lay back down, and had not dared to set a foot out of bed since.
It was ridiculous, really. His movements were a little sluggish, his limbs slow to obey, but they were functioning; he was alright.
There was no reason for him to play deathly wounded. But the woman was, sadly, even more stubborn than him.
At least she had brought him a few of the books to look through, even if he was confined to his bed (he had no problem, being confined to his bed… if only she would be there with him, and naked, that is).
He felt like some kid that had been sent to his room for uncouth behavior – the problem was, he knew Elena, and when she had her mind set on something, there was no moving her from it.
Right now the teacher was stuck here with him, because Elena went to get some of her stuff from… wherever she had left it, and she didn't want him to be alone.
Suffice to say that he would rather be alone, than be at the end of Alaric's guilty, nervous glances.
Sighing, he snapped his book shut with more force than was probably necessary, making the other man nearly jump out of the chair.
"Jesus, man. Don't do that!"
Damon just snorted and fixed a glare at him.
"I'll stop, if you do, too."
Alaric looked questioningly at him, not understanding what he meant.
"Stop looking like you're at fault for everything wrong in the world. You're like my brother sometimes – all self flagellating and feeling guilty for nothing."
He could see that the teacher had understood now.
"Well… this was my fault. Although, I have no idea why you got in the way of that thing. You should've just let it kill me – it's not like I wouldn't have opened my eyes again. It did anyway, later."
Rolling his eyes, Damon sat up a little straighter – ignoring that it took way more effort than should be possible for such a simple task.
"Sometimes you are really slow – especially for a damn teacher. The Kitsune was aiming for your face, and you idiot lifted your hands up to protect yourself. It would've sliced right through your hands, severing them from the rest of you. See where I'm going with that?"
Alaric blinked a few times, before realization dawned on his face, and he quickly dropped his eyes to the ring, still safely on his finger.
"Yeah, I see you got it. Now, stop taking the blame for things you are not to blame for. And as you are so fond of acting like Stefan, I'll tell you the same thing I told him: You don't get to feel guilty for something I did. My actions belong to me, and me alone, and I carry the blame for them. Understood?"
The other man just nodded, and then went back to his book, looking as uncomfortable as Damon felt.
The two of them got along quite alright – as long as they could tease and mock each other.
Neither of them liked to confess that they actually liked the other, so they usually steered clear of any and all conversations of feelings.
At least the teacher had stopped with his stupid guilt-ridden looks.
A little victory, if nothing else good came out of that damn night.
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Elena had made short work of the distance between the Boarding House and the quaint little Bed & Breakfast she had left her stuff at.
She packed her toiletries back into the suitcase, and did the same with the discarded clothes she had thrown over the back of a chair on the night she had arrived.
Looking around the room one more time – making sure she hadn't forgotten anything, she took her suitcase and a long, cloth covered bundle.
She went to the counter, gave back the key and paid for her stay, and then made her way to the little parking lot behind the B&B.
Opening the trunk of the black 67 Chevy Impala, she threw her suitcase in, and then took her place behind the steering wheel. The cloth-wound bundle ended up on her passenger seat.
A big grin crept onto her face as the engine roared to life. Damon would love that baby.
As would her brother, most likely. Maybe she'd leave it to him, once this newest disaster had been dealt with. She knew that everyone probably thought she would stay in Mystic Falls now, but she grew accustomed to her journeys, and sooner or later (sooner, rather than later, she would get itchy feet, and leave again).
Of course she had to talk to Damon about that – if he absolutely wanted to stay, she would, too, no matter how desperately she wanted a change of scenery.
Not a chance in hell that she would leave him again. It had been hard enough to stay away all those years. But she knew that she needed the distance – they both did. Damon to find his way back to his human side, and Elena to learn how not to be entirely human.
If they had done that together, they would have lived in their own, private little bubble of happiness – and as nice as that sounded, it just wasn't what they had needed at the time.
But now they were secure in what they were, and could enjoy their time.
Well, they could start enjoying it, once they had dealt with this little… bump in the road that was Emily.
She took her eyes off the road for a moment to look at the clock on the dashboard, and as she trained them back on the street again, she instantly pushed down on the /brake.
She screeched to a halt only inches in front of the cloaked figure standing in the middle of the road.
Swearing softly, she took the bundle from her passenger seat, and ripped the cloth off.
Throwing a quick glance out of the windshield, she saw that the figure was still standing there, not moving an inch, and seemingly waiting for her to do something.
So she grabbed the sheathed sword that had been under the cloth, and exited her car.
She slung the scabbard over her shoulder, securing it with the leather belt that hung from it and unsheathed the sword – and was promptly laughed at in the face.
"Oh really, little Elena-dearest? You want to attack me with a sword? I'd have thought that dying would have driven that sweet naïveté right out of your bones.
Let me tell you, even if I were here in the flesh, and not just a projection of the mind…. Not even then would it be possible to kill me with that.
And now put it away, you won't need it. I'm not here to fight. I just want to… talk, for a little while."
Elena didn't sheath the sword, but she relaxed her posture slightly, and pointed the tip to the ground.
"Fine, talk."
The figure pushed the hood off her head, and revealed black hair, and smooth, dark skin.
Emily. She looked just like the old picture that Bonnie had shown her once.
"You should go. Just walk away, turn your back on this town and its citizens, and everything will be alright.
Because of you, I found my way back into this mortal plain, so I am willing to spare your life.
But only if you go. Now. Just get into the car and drive away."
Elena looked incredulously at the woman in front of her.
"Are you crazy?"
It was a rhetorical question, but Emily cocked her head sideways, and had a thoughtful expression on her face, before she smiled brilliantly.
"Why, yes, of course I am. Mad as a… what was that phrase…. Oh, yes! Mad as a hatter…I really like these modern collocations.
But that's alright; it makes everything just that much easier.
But alas, I guess this is you, declining my offer?"
Elena just looked on, not knowing what to say or do; but then again, she didn't really need to do anything, because Emily seemed only too happy to hold the whole conversation on her own.
"Oh well, you can't say I haven't tried. Just know that I won't offer it again. I have to go now. Places to be, people to wreak revenge on, you know? Until we meet again, my sweet Elena!"
And just like that, she was gone, leaving Elena alone in the middle of the road, sword still drawn, and looking at an empty road.
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Elena stormed into the living room of the Boarding House like she was chased by a horde of hellhounds.
Her eyes were wide open, and she looked around frantically, sword drawn and ready to attack anything that might threaten her friends and family.
As she realized that everyone was okay and, in fact, looking at her like she's gone crazy, she sighed a breath of relief and slumped into the nearest armchair.
She noticed that Damon was sitting on the couch opposite from her, but at the moment she just was way too relieved that everyone was okay to be pissed off that he wasn't still in bed. Also, it helped to see that he was in one piece, and not lying on his bed, choking on his own blood – or something equally horrifying.
After a few silent moments, Caroline cleared her throat.
"Is there a reason that you stormed inside like Xena the warrior-princess? And what the hell is that thing you're holding?"
Elena combed her hair out of her face with on hand, and with the other laid the sword on the coffee-table in front of her, and then put the scabbard down right beside it.
"It's a sword, Caroline. And I thought you might be in trouble."
"Well, I can see that it is a sword. But it looks kind of funny… like, its half made out of wood or something."
At that, Elena grinned.
"I guess that's because it is made half out of wood. And before you ask: It's like this so I won't have to carry ten thousand and one different weapons with me at all times. With this thing, I can stab, cut – and even behead, if need be – nearly everything. The wood makes it a deadly weapon for vampires – I just have to stab them right through the heart. Then there is the cold iron of the actual blade – it is a surefire way to kill most fae. And there is silver inlaid in it, too."
She could see that Alaric's eyes got all wide and sparkly – she should have known that the man would love this sword, what with his affinity for fancy weaponry.
Rolling her eyes again, she picked the sword up again, and held it out so Alaric could take it. He nearly snatched it out of her hands, closely inspecting it, mumbling under his breath.
Like a child on Christmas.
"Well, as interesting this little lesson was… won't you tell us why you thought we'd be in trouble, only because you leave us alone for a bit? Spit it out already."
"It's… it's nothing Katherine. I just spent too much time with my own thoughts and got paranoid."
She knew she should tell them what happened, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do it.
What was there to tell, anyway? That she had waved goodbye to the chance to safe her own hide?
All of a sudden she stood up and made her way to the stairs – right now she was actually glad that Damon had coaxed someone into helping him down here. It meant she would have his room to herself.
"Excuse me, please. I think I'm going to bed now, I haven't slept much in the last few days."
With that, she used her enhanced speed, just to be sure that there would be no questions.
She should've known better, though, because just seconds after she let herself fall backwards into Damon's bed, the door opened and closed in quick succession, and the mattress tipped down beside her.
Katherine – of course –saw right through her lie.
"So. You want to tell me what really had happened? And don't tell me you're just sleep deprived. I've seen you making it a few days without a minute of sleep, and still being able to kick ass."
Elena rolled her head to the side, so she could look the other woman into the face.
Sometimes it was strange to look at her, because it was as if she looked right into the past.
Katherine still looked – and always would look – like she had when she was 17. She was accustomed to it by now, but sometimes it was still creepy.
Right now, Katherine wore the expression that told her that she wouldn't back down, no matter what.
"Look, it's... nothing really important. I had a run-in with Emily. Or...with a projection of her, or something. She told me that if I leave Mystic Falls, she would 'spare my life'.
She was sure of herself, and kind of creepy, and she spooked me quite a bit. I'd been afraid that she would come here – in the flesh, this time – and do something to prove her point.
I'll have to get my car, later. I moved it to the side of the road and ran here as fast as I could."
Katherine said nothing at first, just took her hand and held on fast.
"Don't worry 'Lena. It's going to be alright."
She smiled at the vampiress, glad that she had followed her upstairs. Vicious and deadly or not, at times like this, Elena knew that she had done the right thing as she had fought to find the humanity in Katherine Pierce.
Xoxoxoxoxox
Aaaand done! I hid a reverence to another TVshow in there (and no, I'm NOT talking about the Xena comment, because that was hardly hidden *lol*), did you find it?
Also, I hope I'll get at least another chapter done before I take my bow for six weeks (I'll be gone from the 20th of November, until the 28th of December), but I'm not sure yet, because I'll have not much time.
But I promise I'll try!
Now, tell me what you thought about this chapter, you just have to click on the little button below. Reviews are love, people!
So long,
Zora