AN: Back with another chapter my wonderful readers. Thanks to each and everyone who reviewed my story so far. Thanks for liking it. I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter more because I loved writing it. And don't forget to review guys. Here goes the story...
Chapter 13: Saving Pearl and Anna
I was finally back home and was about to start a normal routine life once again even if just for show. My life would never be normal. Actually far away from it as a matter of fact. But I was okay with that. When I returned home from Alaric's apartment I had met with suspicious stares from Uncle John. He knew something was going on but didn't know what exactly. Jenna on the other hand had no clue at all. The story that was told to Jenna and everyone else was that I had a school project to complete and stayed over at a friend's house for three days. Uncle John however wasn't buying that a bit and asked me a lot of questions regarding my stay over at a friend's house for three long days. I however answered all of his questions very smoothly and calmly. All the answers were complete lies of course. But there was no way he could tell that. At last he gave it a rest when Jenna started shouting at him about something Uncle John did and it pissed her off to no limit. I mentally thanked Jenna for starting the argument and giving me a escape route from Uncle John, unknowingly of course.
That day Jeremy informed me that Elena was staying most of the nights at the boarding house. Jeremy had unknowingly become quite a useful informer for me. As always a lot of things were going on in Mystic Falls. Stefan was still locked up in the boarding house cellar. He was still very determined to starve himself to death or at least turn into a corpse. Damon being Damon still wasn't helping him much. I guess he was still mad at Stefan for trying to kill me. I honestly didn't have any words left to say to Damon to make him understand that what Stefan did was completely unintentional and it happened because he was completely out of control. Damon has to get over it sooner rather than later. God knows when those two brothers will understand, how much they actually love each other and need each other? Speaking of brothers, mine was boiling with excitement at the moment. He was beyond happy to have Anna back.
"Do you know Anna joined school just to spend time with me?" I could see Jeremy falling hard for Anna this time.
"That's really great. I think she really loves you a lot Jeremy." Jeremy nodded trying to hide the goofy grin from me that wanted to come out so bad.
"Yeah, I think she does" said Jeremy with a little shyness in his voice. I could have teased him for that but decided not to.
"Don't you? Love her, I mean." I know he does but I needed to hear it from him. I needed to know he is completely over Viki.
"I think I do too." I raised an eye brow at Jeremy as he said that.
"You think?" He sighed with a little chuckle.
"I mean I do. I do love her too." I didn't like the lack of confidence in his voice. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked straight at Jeremy into his eyes.
"But you are not really in love with her. Because from what I see Anna is already in love with you." This got Jeremy into thinking. He looked unsure for a moment.
"I can fall for her. But I need some time. I mean I just found out the truth behind Viki's death. I need more time to completely move on from her." I nodded, understanding his feelings. There is a part of him that still belongs to Viki. And I think that part will always be hers.
"So, you don't want to change anymore either, right?" I was talking about his wish to become a vampire. I knew his answer to that too. And just as I expected he shook his head.
"Not now. Not when I am not sure that that's what I really want." I agreed with him completely.
"I think you are making a wise decision Jeremy. You should definitely think things through before taking a step. Especially when you won't have a way back anymore." Jeremy looked at me fondly as I said that.
"Are you gonna support me like this forever?" I took a deep breath and nodded and really meant it.
"As long as I live." Silence fell over us after I said that and it was really awkward because whenever Jeremy and I are together no one stops talking usually and silence never gets in the way. I cleared my throat to vanquish the awkwardness.
"Can you do me a favor Jeremy?" I asked after a moment. He nodded getting curious and excited right away.
"Can you please tell Anna that I want to speak with her mother. It's every important." As I was expecting, Jeremy got shocked to hear this and confused as well.
"Why do you want to meet her mom? Anna told me she is quite dangerous and powerful, even Anna is scared of her." Jeremy looked downright worried this time.
"I know that Jeremy. But it's really important that I meet her. Will you please do that for me?" I had no other way to contact with Anna or Pearl without taking Jeremy's help in this. Otherwise I wouldn't be involving him.
"Okay but I will go with you then." I rolled my eyes inwardly as Jeremy said that.
"Jeremy you can't protect me there." But his face held stubbornness.
"I can't let you go alone. It's not safe." I couldn't take him with me or anyone else.
"Fine, I will take Damon with me. Happy." I lied through my teeth but thankfully he believed me and agreed to that.
Soon, Anna arranged a meeting for me with her mom before Uncle John asked Pearl for a meeting at the Grill. It was a house address that Anna gave me. And I assumed that's where the meeting will take place. Obviously some of the tomb vampires must still be staying there with Pearl and they must be starving and craving for blood. Meeting Pearl in a house full of hungry vampires was really not a good idea. Also I preferred crowded place for meeting a dangerous vampire but I had very little time and no choice at all so I went along with it. I found the house quick enough. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door feeling a bit nervous as well. Pearl could be very scary when she wants to be. Will she really kill a young girl like me? Well I guess I am about to find that out. The door opened and Pearl was standing right in front of me.
"You must be Jacqueline Gilbert, Jeremy's sister. Anna said a lot about you." Her voice was very formal. Also her way of speaking clearly said that she is from a different time. I smiled at her feeling a bit relieved that she wasn't being hostile towards me.
"Can I come in?" She nodded and stepped aside to let me walk in.
"Since I learned that you want to meet me, I couldn't stop wondering what it could possibly be that you want to talk about with me." This is now or never.
"I don't know how to begin. There is so much to say." Pearl smiled at me that wasn't so cold but not warm either.
"Why don't you take a seat and relax first. You are Anna's friend. I am not going to hurt you." I took a seat but couldn't really relax but prepared to talk anyway.
"I am sure you are aware that my uncle, John Gilbert is in town." She nodded to that.
"Then you also must know that he is a council member and he is a hater too." Pearl didn't look surprised and permitted me to continue. "Well, a few days ago I heard him talking over the phone. The subject of the conversation was regarding tomb vampires. He with someone else is planning on killing all the tomb vampires that got out of the tomb including you and Anna." pearl sighed out heavily but didn't look shocked at all.
"I knew this place isn't safe for us anymore." She said sadly. No wonder why, Pearl thought of Mystic Falls as her home.
"Soon, Uncle John would ask you to meet him at the Grill. He is looking for the same device that you gave Damon, Jonathan Gilbert's invention." Pearl frowned in confusion as I said that.
"Didn't you tell your uncle that Damon has it now?" I shook my head.
"Why would I do that? Once he learns that you no longer possess the device, he will kill you right away. The only reason you are still alive is because he needs to get to the device. And he still thinks that you have it. Look, I don't know what he wants with it or what is it? But it seems pretty important to him. If you wish to live, don't tell him that you don't have it anymore." Pearl stared at me for a long time.
"I have lived long enough to recognize a truth and a lie. I know you are saying the truth and you really wish our well being. But what I don't understand is why?" asked Pearl with genuine curiosity. I took a deep breath before replying to her.
"Jeremy loves Anna, Anna loves Jeremy. Now I know the history about you and our ancestor. It's not confirmed that the history would repeat itself. This time it really could work. They really could have a life together. I know it sounds selfish but my brother's happiness is why I want you safe." Suddenly a silence fell over us which was broken when Pearl's cell phone went off. She picked up the call and someone informed her that John Gilbert has requested a meeting with her tonight at the Grill. She put down the phone and looked at me.
"What do you suggest we do?" I was surprised that Pearl asked me for a suggestion.
"Leave town with Anna right now. I will be in touch with Anna and so would Jeremy. When I see it's safe for you to return, I will let you know. I know you want a home here as well as Anna." Pearl agreed to leave without any more discussion and started packing right away. Harper entered the house after a while. He smiled at me when he saw me in the room.
"I never thought I will see you again." He said with a smile. It was good to see him too.
"You are doing good?" I asked and he nodded. He seemed happy that I cared enough to ask him this.
"I never got a chance to tell you this but it was very brave of you to come and save Mr. Stefan Salvatore like that." He said with respect in his voice for me and to be honest it really made me feel happy. So I guess Pearl already knows that it was me who came to rescue Stefan. It also reminded me that it didn't help the situation at all. Stefan still became a blood thirsty monster and now he is locked up in a cell. I made up my mind at that moment and decided to go visit him soon. I should tell him that I forgave him for trying to drain me dry.
"I heard Stefan tried to kill you four days ago." Pearl asked me and I had to nod.
"He wasn't under control. I just hope he recovers soon. I miss the Stefan I met at first." I said that more to myself than to Pearl and defended Stefan's action as well.
"No offense to you but it's hard to believe that you are a Gilbert or related to them in anyway." Pearl said and I guess she has a right to say that.
"Me and my brother Jeremy are different type of Gilberts. I guess we just evolved our minds or something. Our sister Elena is different too but she was adopted but a Gilbert nonetheless." Anna came home when Pearl had almost finished packing. Anna refused to go at first but both her mom and me made her understand that it was really important that she leaves town right away and that she will get to come back.
"What about Jeremy? What would he say?" asked Anna even though she agreed to leave but she wasn't a bit happy about it, which was obvious. She and Jeremy had just started their relation and she is leaving before it got any deeper
"He will understand. Trust me he will kill himself if he finds you dead. Besides you will be always in touch with him." Pearl along with Anna and Harper flew out of the town and went far away as soon as possible. Later that day, I talked to Jeremy about it and informed him about the recent event concerning Pearl and Anna. I had hoped that Jeremy would understand me and not be mad at me and thankfully he understood me perfectly and without much trouble or explanation. He was even thankful for it. A huge burden left my shoulders after that.
After all that was done, I needed to let Uncle John know that Damon has his precious vampire killing device. The rest of the tomb vampires needed to die. They were being quite vengeful and dangerous for everyone else in town including the founder families. And only uncle John could end them with the help of the device. I let Jeremy do that for me. Obviously I didn't tell him the real reason for why John wants it. He would know eventually with time. And it was best that it happens that way. Jeremy did a very good job of giving John the information about the device and he didn't even suspect us a bit.
Episode "Blood Brother" of season one. That was the timeline I was living in at present. So obviously, Elena was again at the boarding house. She is practically staying over there nowadays. She will spend every night there and also be there during the day as well. I planned on going to see Stefan at night. Hopefully Damon would let me in. I sighed out heavily as the thought of Damon came to me. It was time to get ready so I was looking inside my closet to get clothes to wear. Suddenly I felt someone's presence in my room. I knew who that could be without guessing or looking over my shoulder. It was a mystery actually that every time Damon was near me even if I couldn't see him, I could feel him and knew that he was there. So when I closed the closet doors and found him leaning against the wall I didn't jump up in the air.
"You are still trying to scare the hell out of me, aren't you? By suddenly appearing in my room out of nowhere. Give up already it's not gonna work on me." I said in a fake accusing and amused tone of voice.
"Yes, I failed again. I don't understand why I can't scare you for once." I shrugged my shoulders at him nonchalantly as Damon stared down at me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked leaning against my study desk.
"I just came to check up on you. Which reminds me you aren't supposed to get out of bed for a week. But here you are, always restless for god knows what." Damon was standing very close to me but he wasn't touching me in anyway which was driving me crazy at the moment. All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer for a passionate kiss. I snapped out of that thought and tried not to blush.
"I am not up to anything right now Damon. But I have a feeling you are." Damon shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Well your history teacher found a location where he could, well he hopes he would find something about his wife Isobel. And he asked me to go with him" said Damon and I smirked at that right away.
"Why would he ask you? Are you like buddies now?" I know Damon would never admit that in a million years that he considers Ric as a friend already but I know he will eventually. Damon rolled his eyes just like I thought he would.
"No way in hell, he tried to kill me and he still hates me for turning his wife." Damon stated firmly.
"Okay okay you made your point but why are you going with him then?" I really loved tormenting Damon sometimes and that time my questions were tormenting him just fine.
"Because he won't let me go alone and tagging himself along with me. Actually I think he is scared that if I go alone there and find Isobel, I might sleep with her again. She was really good in bed." Is Damon really trying to make me jealous? Well he succeeded in that but I will be damned if I let him have the satisfaction of it.
"Elena will be very happy to learn that or not. I will tell her when she comes back." Damon groaned and rolled his eyes as I said that threateningly.
"I was just kidding, no need to threat me like that." I shook my head to myself and sighed out heavily because of feeling hopelessness in the name of Damon Salvatore.
"So, how is Stefan doing?" I asked to change the subject. Damon was still on pretending mode that he doesn't care what happens to Stefan.
"He isn't drinking any blood. He wants to dry himself out for eternity." Damon spoke with a bored tone of voice that really pissed me off.
"And you are okay with that?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest and glared at him angrily.
"It's his decision. What can I do about it?" I sighed out, shaking my head at him again.
"You Damon are a hopeless case." He frowned at me.
"What's that suppose to mean?" I rolled my eyes at him.
"If you had understood that, then you wouldn't be a hopeless case. Anyway, is Elena helping?" I asked changing the previous topic again.
"She is working on it." I nodded to his reply. I decided not to tell Damon that I am planning on going to see Stefan right after he is leaving. No wonder he would try to stop me and might succeed.
"Good. I am sure if anyone can handle Stefan right now, it's her." I said confidently which surprised Damon a bit but didn't say anything against it or about it. Then suddenly he asked.
"Do you still think that I am falling for Elena?" I really didn't expect him to ask me that. And I had no answer ready for that as well. So, instead of answering I asked him a question in return.
"Do you still want Katherine back?" Damon lowered his gaze as I asked that.
"I don't know anymore." I laughed a little at that.
"If you were a human, I would have said, life is short, move on, live it up. But since you are gonna live for eternity, there is no point in rushing life for you or make a quick decision or move on to someone fast." Damon just smiled at that, not smirk but a genuine smile. But then he got serious again.
"You haven't answered my question yet." I was really wanting to avoid it but I guess he won't let me.
"I am not sure anymore either but there is still a maybe. Whatever you felt for Katherine, isn't really gone yet. So yeah, maybe you are falling for Elena now." This time Damon didn't get angry or mad. He didn't even get pissed off. It was worse, he looked hurt. He tried to cover it up but I could see it in his eyes that he was hurt by what I said and I felt immediately guilty. I literary felt the pain myself. I shouldn't have said that to him when I don't really think that he is falling for Elena. I haven't thought about that since he spend the night with me in Ric's apartment. But I didn't dare to apologize to Damon for hurting him. In the show he fell for Elena. He is suppose to fall for her. What if I am reading too much into his expression or the way he behaves with me? What if I am wrong in thinking that he is not baring any feeling for Elena? He didn't deny to still have feelings for Katherine. And like I said he could still fall for Elena.
But after saving Pearl from her possible and inevitable death, my broken confidence was back. I started to feel again that I could change things and make this world a better place for everybody I knew and cared about. But thinking that I could stop Damon from falling for Elena, was a bit too much for the time being. I didn't want to be over confident about my ability to change things. I made that mistake once. If Damon really has no romantic feelings for Elena then he has to prove that himself first. He needs to prove that to me to make me believe it. Until then no matter how hurt he gets by my words or my way of thinking, I will not stop saying that or believing that. And until then I won't believe it either that he feels something for me. I know I do. I feel something for Damon. Something that I am not gonna name yet. And I won't let that feeling out for him or anyone else to see as long as his heart is not free from Katherine or Elena. I will never rush Damon to move on. He can take as long as he wants. But until he has some other woman in his life, I won't give my heart to him. I won't fall in love with him unconditionally and irrevocably unlike a Bella Swan.
"Alaric is outside" announced Damon.
"Then you should go now before he comes in." I already knew that they are not gonna find out anything about Isobel where they are going. The only thing they are gonna achieve in is killing Henry and learn that John is keeping an eye on the tomb vampires. Hopefully Ric would give up on Isobel like he did in the show and decide to move on from her. And I really hope that Damon and Alaric would begin bonding with each other soon, starting with this adventure.
"I will see you tomorrow then" said Damon hesitating to leave. Maybe expecting a hug from me like I gave him previous night or the night before. But I am not gonna do that this time. If I am not gonna show any feelings for him for now, then I better not lead him to think that I have any and break his heart in the process by denying it. When I am gonna give into Damon, I will give in completely and as that's not happening for the time, then I am not gonna give in at all.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
Disappointed Damon got out of my room through the window. I started to get ready myself. It was time I should go and see how Stefan is doing.
AN: Was it good? Bad? Waiting impatiently for your reviews. love you all.