Alaric sat at the bar of the Mystic Grill, drinking by himself. He was wondering if he should call Damon and ask the vampire to join him. He hadn`t seen him all day. Now that Stefan was okay again, the teacher hoped they could go back to how things were before. He knew that Damon had been slightly mad at him for not spending the night at the boarding house while Elena was there as well. It was to be expected. He was actually rather surprised how well Damon accepted the secrecy concerning their relationship so far.
And it wasn`t like he was ashamed of the vampire. He just had no idea where they stood. What that thing between them even was. He knew his own feelings well enough, had been confronted with them two years ago and found that not much had changed where he was concerned. But what about Damon? Deep down the teacher was scared that Stefan might be right and that Damon was only using him. That the vampire would discard him again when he got bored. He was afraid of getting too attached and being left once more.
Alaric was startled out of his musings by a presence next to him. Turning his head to look he got the shock of a lifetime. "Hello Ric." the dark haired woman drawled. He blinked, wondered for a second if he was hallucinating. He hadn`t had that much to drink yet. "Isobel." She smiled and told him he looked good. Started chatting like nothing had happened. "Where have you been, Isobel?" he asked when he finally found his voice again. Only one of so many questions. She seemed to guess the others, because she said: "I don't have any reasons that are gonna comfort you. I don't have any explanations that are gonna satisfy you. I wanted this. You were supposed to mourn me and move on."
Ric couldn`t believe what he was hearing. It was that simple to her? Had their love, all the time they`d spent together really meant nothing to her? "What about our marriage? I loved you. Did it all mean nothing to you?" She shook her head, that damnable smile never leaving her face, never faltering. "Our marriage was long over when I left." Okay, that much was true, he had to admit. They had been drifting apart for a while back then. Even before Damon. Still, she wouldn`t have had to do it this way. "Why couldn`t you at least say goodbye? Why not get a divorce, a clean break? Why make me believe you died?"
"It was easier this way." Her voice was completely devoid of any emotion. It was scary. She looked exactly the same and yet he didn`t see the woman he had married, the woman he had loved in those expressionless eyes. "Easier for you." Ric shot back. Isobel didn`t even deny it. Without batting an eyelash she scribbled something down and handed him a piece of paper. "I understand that you know my daughter Elena and I hear that she's been looking for me. So I want you to arrange a meeting."
Alaric was rendered speechless for a moment. So this was the whole reason she was here? She didn`t even come to see him. Didn`t even apologize or offer an explanation. She only wanted him to deliver a message, like he was some sort of servant boy. It was the last straw. He suddenly remembered all the fights they`d had, all the times he had thought about leaving her. He couldn`t believe that he`d spent two years searching for her. Mourning her supposed death. And yet he couldn`t regret it either. It had made him find Damon again. So at least it had been good for something.
Getting up he turned to her as calmly as he could manage, threw the paper at her and muttered: "Screw you, you selfish bitch." He left the Grill without looking back, went straight for his car, shaking with barely controlled anger. But Isobel followed him. He could hear her heels clicking on the pavement. When Alaric turned to face her he was suddenly pushed hard against his car. Seconds later her hands were around his throat, choking him. He could see no feeling in her eyes. There was nothing human in her. "You better tell Elena that I want to meet her, or I'm gonna start killing the citizens of this town one by one and I'm gonna start with your history students. Got it?" she hissed.
When she finally let go, Ric slumped down to the ground, coughing for air. Isobel pushed the paper into his hand and sped off. Looking at it, Ric noticed that there was only a phone number written down. Groaning he got up and into his car. He was going to need help with this. And he didn´t need to think twice about where to go. But it took him a few minutes to compose himself, before his shaking hands could get the key into the ignition.
###
The drive to the boarding house took only a few minutes. Alaric rang the bell and waited impatiently. Finally Stefan opened the door. He looked surprised to see the teacher. "Is Damon home?" Ric asked, not even bothering to apologize for showing up this late. "He´s in his room. Come in." The younger Salvatore stepped aside to let him enter and directed him upstairs. Ric greeted Elena, who was sitting on the couch and looked just as surprised to see him as Stefan did.
The teacher quickly headed upstairs and barged into Damon`s room without knocking. The vampire was lounging on his bed, reading a book. Or at least pretending to read. "You should knock, you know. What if I was indecent?" he drawled without looking up. Ric snorted. "Nothing I haven`t seen before. Besides, you heard me, didn`t you?" Damon grinned and finally met his eyes. "Maybe. So what brings you here this late?" His tone clearly indicated what he was thinking. And Ric had to admit the sight of him, spread out on his bed, his hair slightly ruffled, shirt half unbuttoned, was quite tempting. But there were more urgent matters at hand.
"We have a problem. I just saw Isobel." That quickly shook the vampire out of his flirty mood. "Isobel is here? In town?" Ric nodded and Damon started bombarding him with questions, getting frustrated when the teacher couldn`t answer any of them. "Did words completely escape you?" he snarked. "Sorry, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions." Alaric shot back. Damon sighed, raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "What did she want?" he asked finally, a little calmer again.
"She wants to see Elena. I`m supposed to arrange a meeting." Ric let him know. Damon regarded him with raised eyebrows. "Why?" Ric shrugged. "I have no idea." The teacher leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes with a sigh. All this time he had spent searching for his wife and now that she was here, he wanted nothing more than to be rid of her. How ironic.
When he opened his eyes again he was startled to find Damon standing directly in front of him. "Are you okay?" Ric wasn`t sure if he was only imagining the concern in the vampire`s voice. "No, I`m not." he answered honestly. "She shows up here like nothing happened. No explanation, no nothing. And she didn`t even come to see me. She only wanted me to deliver a message. Like some servant. She threatened to go on a killing spree if I don`t do what she wants. She was so… so cold." He shuddered at the memory of those dark eyes. Automatically his hand went up to rub his throat where her nails had dug into the skin.
Damon didn`t miss the gesture. "She hurt you." It wasn`t a question, but Ric nodded nonetheless, surprised at the way the vampire´s eyes flashed and darkened. Damon looked pissed. Dangerously so. His fingers trailed over Ric`s throat and the teacher`s breath hitched at the feather-light touch. He wanted to lean in, to capture Damon´s lips with his own, but there were problems that had to be taken care of first. Also Elena and Stefan were just downstairs and he still didn`t want them to know.
"We should tell Elena. She has a right to know." the teacher stated. Damon frowned, but nodded after a second´s consideration. "Okay, let`s tell her." He led the way and they returned downstairs, where Elena and Stefan were still seated on the couch. "We need to talk." Ric announced, flinching at how cliché the words sounded. Elena was instantly alert. "What happened?" Alaric shared a quick look with Damon, who nodded. "Isobel showed up. She wants to meet you."
The brunette appeared shocked at those words. "You don't have to see her if you don't want to." Damon chimed in, showing unexpected sensitivity. Stefan frowned at him, but didn`t comment. Elena looked torn and Ric could only imagine what was going through her head right now. He choose not to tell her about Isobel`s threat. The girl shouldn`t be forced to do this. And he knew she would if he told her other people`s lives were in danger. "I want to do it. I want to meet her. If I don't, I know I'll regret it." she said eventually. The teacher nodded. "When?"
"Tomorrow, after school. The sooner I get this over with, the better." Elena decided. Wordlessly Ric pulled out his phone and the slip of paper. He dialled the number and waited, flinching slightly when Isobel answered after the second ring. "I hope you`ve got news for me." Even her voice sounded different than it had. Cold and detached. "Tomorrow at the Mystic Grill. Four pm." he answered curtly, casting a glance at Elena who nodded. "I´ll be there." Isobel promised. "And I don`t want to see either you or Damon inside. Or I might be forced to do something nasty. Are we clear?"
Ric noticed Damon´s frown and knew the vampire was listening. "Yes." Without another word he hung up, tried to hide how much the short call had affected him. "She doesn`t want Damon and me to be there." he let Elena know. "But she said nothing about Stefan." Damon pointed out. The younger Salvatore nodded. "I`ll look after Elena." It was more than a promise. It was a pledge. Ric knew that Stefan would rather die than see Elena get hurt.
So now that everything was cleared, Ric took his leave. Tomorrow was a school day after all and he had to get up early. Damon followed him to the door. He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn`t find the right words. "Be careful." he muttered finally. "You too." Alaric replied, before heading out.
###
The next afternoon found Damon and Alaric on a bench just across the street from the Mystic Grill. "We should be in there." Damon muttered as he got up and started pacing. "No, Isobel made it clear we're not to step a foot inside. You heard her." Ric reminded, watching the vampire pace back and forth. Seeing Damon so agitated was making him even more nervous. He`d barely been able to concentrate on teaching today. His mind had been reeling with all the possibilities of how this meeting could go horribly wrong.
"We should still be in there. Why are we letting her dictate the rules?" the vampire grumbled. "Because she threatened to kill my students. And I think she meant it." The thought made Ric shudder. "You know, I looked for the woman I married, but she wasn't there. Whoever that is, she's cold and detached." he murmured. "Yeah, she's given up her humanity." Ric had figured as much. But he didn`t understand it. "I don't get that. Why would she choose not to feel?"
"As a vampire, your instinct is not to feel. Isobel chose the easier road — no guilt, no shame, no regret. I mean, come on, if you could turn it off, wouldn't you?" The way Damon put it, it sounded way too easy. "You haven't." the teacher pointed out. "Of course I have, Ric. Often enough." Damon shot back. "Still, I don`t get it. Why waste an eternal life, feeling nothing? Life´s worth nothing without emotions, without feelings." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Depends on the feelings. And whether they`re reciprocated." the vampire pointed out, his voice dropping as well. They stared at each other and Ric suddenly got the impression that their discussion was turning into something bigger. Something meaningful and important. He couldn`t take his eyes off Damon.
The moment was interrupted however, by the arrival of Elena and Stefan. The brunette looked shaken up. Ric could tell that she had been crying. He wished he could have spared her this meeting. "She wants the device." Stefan let them know, putting an arm around Elena, trying to comfort her. Damon wanted to know what Isobel had said and his brother quietly relayed the conversation to them. "No way." the older Salvatore stated firmly. "We don`t even know what that thing does. I`m not handing it over to anybody."
Ric had to agree with him. Isobel was most likely working with John and whatever John wanted, it couldn`t be good. "So, what do we do now?" Elena asked. Damon shrugged. "We wait."
###
Waiting – not something Damon did particularly well. So while the others waited, he had taken action. It was already dark when he knocked on Alaric`s door. Strangely enough the teacher didn`t look all that surprised to see him. "I went to see Isobel." Damon declared, strolling into the apartment. Ric simply nodded. It was obviously getting harder to surprise him. "Did you kill her?" His voice sounded strangely neutral. Forced, Damon suspected. "No. Did you want me to?" he shot back. "No. I don`t want her dead."
No hesitation there and Damon was starting to wonder if he should have killed her after all. "Don`t tell me you still have feelings for that bitch?" the vampire spat. Ric flinched at his venomous tone. He looked troubled, seemed to search for the right words. "The woman I fell in love with, the woman I married… she was long gone even before you turned her. And whoever she is now, I don`t recognize her. I looked into her eyes and I saw nothing there. But still, she was my wife." he said eventually.
Damon frowned, not really satisfied with that answer. "I thought you would be able to relate." Ric murmured. "What if it was Katherine? Could you just kill her?" Tricky question. And one Damon didn`t want to answer. Didn`t know how to answer. Which seemed to be answer enough for the teacher. "See? I don`t want Isobel back. But I don`t want her dead, either. Truth be told, I just want her far away from me."
Damon wanted that, too. It was the main reason he had sought her out today. She had hurt Alaric and Damon had wanted to make sure it never happened again. Yes, he had thought about killing her. And it would have been so easy. He`d already had her, nailed to the floor. Would`ve been no task at all to rip out her heart or maybe her throat. He had considered doing just that for a second. But in the end he had only warned her. Had threatened to rip her to bits if she ever laid a hand on Alaric again. And he would do just that in a heartbeat.
"How did you find her?" Ric asked, startling him out of his musings. Damon shrugged. "Searched for the neighbourhood bank owned foreclosures and found the most expensive one. It was easy, really. I was the one who taught her that." The teacher nodded. "And did you find out anything useful?" Damon snorted. "Not really. She`s playing house with two humans she´s compelled. She said she dated John when they were young. He was in love with her." He hesitated a little, but then decided to tell Ric everything. "She claims she`s only doing what Katherine told her. And that Katherine wants John to have the device."
This managed to surprise Ric. "So.. Katherine is behind this? Does that mean… Will you give the device to John?" he asked hesitantly. "No chance in hell. Like I already told Isobel – if Katherine wants something from me, she´s got to get her ass here and get it herself." She had fooled him long enough. Damon wouldn`t fall for her little games again. And he wouldn`t take his chances with John Gilbert. "Okay. So I guess we continue to wait?" Ric assumed.
The vampire nodded. "Nothing else we can do, really. So I guess I`ll go now. Just wanted to fill you in." He turned towards the door, but Ric stopped him. Just like he`d hoped. "You don´t have to go." the teacher said quietly. Damon looked at him. "You want me to stay?" He wanted to hear it. Wanted Ric to say it. The teacher smiled. "Yes, I want you to stay. As long as you promise not to shut off my alarm clock again." Damon snorted. "You still mad about that? Come on, staying home was so much more fun."
"It was fun, but I still have a job. And I`d like to keep that job." Ric pointed out. The vampire held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I won`t shut off your alarm. Be boring, go to work. What do I care?" That was obviously the right thing to say, because seconds later he was pressed against the wall and Alaric`s lips descended on his. Soon enough clothes went flying and they didn`t really speak anymore for the rest of the night.