Vampire Diaries
Chapter 26
Isobel
Turning my head, I was surprised to feel a smooth, warm sensation against my cheek. I also noticed the warmth that was wrapped around me and pressed into my back, my eyes slowly peeling open.
"Damon?" I groaned, looking up and over my shoulder to find him watching me. "When did you get in?" I asked tiredly, brows furrowing together a bit as I fought the urge to go back to sleep.
"Last night," he said, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "You were already asleep."
"Oh . . ."
I let out a sigh after that, pushing myself up a bit. Although, it was pointless because he managed to tug me back down against him with his arm, keeping his arms wrapped securely around the bulk of my waist.
"Damon, I have to get ready for work," I groaned, pushing the palm of my hand against his side.
"Not today you don't," he told me, resting his chin in the place between my neck and shoulder.
I could feel him brush his nose against my cheek, taking in a breath of air. He seemed to love the smell of me, taking it in whenever he could. It was as if it was some sweet sensation, a high that he got when inhaling the scent. It was as if he could smell the very blood in my veins.
"Yeah, well, unlike you, Damon, I actually have a job. Which includes helping with float productions for the parade this year," I pointed out, trying to push against him again.
"You've already missed it anyway, so what's the point?" he asked.
"Wait. What?" I found myself turning in his hold, our noses practically touching as we laid there, his breath on my lips.
"Yeah, I forgot to tell you that I unplugged the alarm clock," he grinned, a mischievous spark in his eyes.
"I can't believe you!" I snapped, shoving my hands against his chest as hard as I could and smacking at him.
I was absolutely livid at the fact he'd had the audacity to do such a thing to me. I had a job and a professional reputation to maintain. Even if he didn't see the point in things such as that, I did. Plus, the last thing that I needed to do was be reprimanded by Mayor Lockwood. The man ran the school and the town and if he were in a bad mood, I'd no doubt have to deal with it.
"Damon . . . I swear . . ."
With a chuckle and not a second's hesitation, he took hold of my wrists before I could continue, putting them above my head as he pinned me down. He had a smirk on his face as he did this, his face coming close to mine. I could see every part of me reflected in his eyes.
"You know, you're cute when you're angry," he teased, tapping my nose with the tip of his finger.
I squirmed as he did this, trying to break free. Like usual though, it was a rather pointless exercise, leaving me laying there in his hold like a helpless child.
"Bastard," I grumbled, narrowing my eyes at him halfheartedly in frustration.
"Aw, I love you too," he cooed, answering me as though I were a small child.
"Damon, I swear, if you don't let go of me . . ."
I was silenced as he pressed his lips to mine, a hand cupping my face as his other still held my hands in place. Although, after a few moments of not struggling, the hand on my wrists loosened, slowly making it's way into my own hand as he gripped it.
"Damon," I breathed, placing my free hand on the back of his neck.
"You talk too much," he muttered quietly, kissing the place beneath my jaw, his lips lingering there for a moment or two after doing so.
Every time, it was as though my mind clouded over, his gentle touch sending me over the deep end and into submission. I would never understand how he managed to do this to me, time and time again, without even the slightest hint in effort or compulsion.
"Sometimes, you talk too little," I quipped, laying there as I let out a breath of air.
"Why can't you just lay here with me for a while and let me apologize?" he asked, placing a kiss upon my shoulder, a faint shiver running through me.
"It depends on what your definition of an apology is," I breathed out, closing my eyes as I tilted my head to the side.
It was like an automatic reaction, tilting my head to the side and giving Damon more access to the skin near my neck. After a moment though, I felt him tugging at the bandage with his fingers, wincing as it slowly tore away from the skin.
"Ow . . ." I whimpered, scrunching my eyes up for a moment, before turning to look at him.
When I looked at him, I found that his eyes were transfixed on my neck, staring at the yellow bruise that marred my skin. At this point, that was about all that was left. Yes, you could still see the wound, and there were hints of splotchy blue, but it had closed up for the most part.
"We should fix this," he told me, tentatively touching the sensitive skin of my neck.
The skin there was still sore because of the bruising, but there was little that I could do about it, merely drawing in an intake of breath as he continued to prod at it with his finger.
"Are you sure it's safe?" I asked, the look on my face one of uncertainty as I didn't want suspicions to arise.
I knew that if someone noticed the change, then there might be a few issues. Damon and Stefan couldn't risk anyone else finding our right now. In fact, they couldn't really go around taking any risks period. One slip up and it could be their heads or more likely, it could mean a stake through the heart and an end to their living dead person days.
"You heal fast anyway, so you're fine," he told me, brushing his thumb over the spot, before pressing his lips to it.
"Damon . . ." I groaned, pushing against him as I tried to pull away to a degree.
I could feel the heat rise in my face as he chuckled, hiding my face in my hand.
"Why do you always mess with me?" I whined, shoving my hand against his chest.
"Just hold still," he told me, blatantly running his tongue along the bruised area.
"Damon!" I squealed, a shiver running through me and straight down the back of my spine.
Now, I really felt embarrassed, my cheeks bright red. I'd never expected him to run his tongue over my skin, the feeling unnerving me. The very thought made me shiver.
"Oh, hush," he said, rolling his eyes. "Think of it like a numbing agent or Neosporin," he suggested.
"You've got to be kidding me," came my skeptic reply.
"Nope," he grinned, leaning back down until we were nose to nose.
I could feel his breath on my skin as he set there, staring down at me, his eyes transfixed upon mine. It was a position that I'd been in countless times before, only adding to the current number as his eyes drew me in and under his spell.
"Just let it sit for a moment," he told me, gently running a hand through my hair and massaging my scalp.
I'd never understand how he could be one way one second and then do a complete 360. He could be a cocky, smirking, smartass, then the next, serious, calm, and gentle. It was as if he wasn't sure of himself at times, like he was unsure of how to react on certain things. Still, I knew that he'd never do anything to deliberately hurt me.
"Damon?" I breathed, closing my eyes for a moment, nearly purring in bliss as he continued to massage my scalp.
"Shh . . ." he cooed, caressing my cheek as I laid there.
The felling itself could have easily put me to sleep, his gentle caressing soothing my nerves. This was the side of him that I loved though, the side that comforted and held me. It was the human side of him that had never truly vanished, even after all of these years.
I felt his lips on my neck again after what seemed liked hours, kissing lightly at the skin. I knew what he was doing, but I made no move to stop him as I let him caress the skin upon my throat, peppering it with affection. I merely let him continue, teeth nipping lightly at the skin, testing it. He was hungry.
"If you're going to do it . . . just do it," I told him, closing my eyes in anticipation. "Don't hold back."
I felt him nod his head, his hair tickling my skin as he leaned down the rest of the way, mouth clamping down on my neck slowly. He didn't bite down immediately though, merely resting there for a moment as he drew in a breath. It was like the calm before the storm, a moment a silent peace, and then it happened. I felt his fangs pierce my skin, but it was more tolerable this time, warm blood slowly trickling down the back of my neck. He hadn't been kidding when he said his saliva would numb it to a degree, my hand splaying out against the back of his neck, fingers curling into the length of his hair while he fed on me.
"Damon . . ." I whispered, running my fingers along his scalp like he had done to my own just moments ago.
I laid there as he continued to drink slowly, my eyes closed as I ran lines down his scalp to the nap of his neck with my nails affectionately. The only other person that I'd ever done this to was Jeremy. I'd done it when he was small to help lull him to sleep when he was sick. It had always seemed to have a calming effect on him as it was no doubt providing the same to Damon, he head inclining a bit further as he retracted his fangs. He then pulled back after a moment, looking down at me, eyes slightly dark. It didn't scare me though. In fact, it never scared me when it was him.
"You're still handsome," I whispered, touching his cheek with my hand, brushing my fingertips below his right eye.
For a moment, there was a change in his eyes. They hadn't exactly been hungry before, so I wasn't sure what to compare it to. It was as if they had softened a bit, a faint tug of his lip showing as he leaned down, pressing his lips to mine.
In that moment, I wanted so badly to tell him how I felt, to tell him that I loved him. I wanted to let him know what he meant to me, that he was important, a part of my life. I wanted to tell him that he'd never be alone, that I'd be there for him. I wanted to tell him all of this, but my words seemed to fail me as I stared into his eyes, those bright blues keeping me still and speechless.
"Here," he said quietly, drawing my attention.
I watched as he then bit into his wrist, tearing away at a section of skin with his fangs. It left behind a bloody wound, the blood slowly sliding down his wrist.
"Drink," he instructed, combing his fingers through my hair again, his eyes locked with my own.
With a small nod of the head, I closed my eyes, leaning up slightly as I gripped at his wrist. I licked my lower lip for a moment, before pressing my lips to the bleeding skin that was his wrist, feeling as the blood flowed into my mouth.
"Good girl," he whispered, sitting up a bit more as I drank, his other hand tangled loosely in my hair. "Good girl . . ."
T
The sound of Damon's boots hitting the tiled floor of the hallway echoed in the air as we walked side by side, my hand intertwined with his. The only reason why we'd even come up to the school was due to the call that Damon had gotten from Alaric. Alaric hadn't even told him anything, merely asking for us to come and meet him.
"What do you think this is about?" I asked, glancing up at Damon.
"I don't know," Damon shrugged. "But we'll find out."
With that, he stopped in front of Alaric's classroom, grabbing the doorknob and pulling it open.
"Damon, Kali, thanks for coming," Alaric said, turning to face us as we walked in, his eyes finding their way to our hands.
It was obvious that it still bothered him, knowing that Damon and I were together. I knew that it was due to the fact that Damon was a vampire. Compared to Stefan, Damon was dangerous to those around him most of the time. It wasn't something that I could exactly deny, but it didn't mean that I had to keep my distance because of it. After all, Damon had his reasons for what he did, but I was also helping remedy some of them.
"Sorry I'm late. The dog ate my-"
"Damon!" I hissed, elbowing him lightly in the side before he could finish his little joke.
Apparently, he hadn't noticed the grim looks on everyone's face. Then again, that wasn't unusual for him when bothering Alaric. Although, the first thing that I noticed was Elena, her body stiff as stone as she sat in her seat.
"Elena?" I breathed out, slowly pulling away from Damon to stand in front of her, my hand falling away from his own.
It was then that Damon noticed there was a problem, taking in the expressions around him.
"What's with all the furrowed brows?" he asked, arching a brow in question as he turned to Alaric.
"I saw Isobel last night," Alaric replied, voice quiet as he spoke.
It was silent for a moment after that, my lips parting as I stood there. Damon seemed to be in the same situation, a look of shock forming upon his features.
"Isobel's here?" he asked. "In town?"
Again, it was silent, my eyes looking around at everyone. There were so many different emotions in the room, each seeming to climb higher on the proverbial ladder. The first one I acknowledged was Alaric, my eyes landing upon him and the pained look that was upon his face. Stefan was no better, his hand curling around the edge of a desk as he bit down on his lower lip, nearly splitting it open with the points of his canines. My eyes then rested on Elena, my hand reaching out and touching her shoulder.
"Elena, honey . . ." I began, unsure of exactly what to say.
It wasn't often that I saw her like this, such a hopeless and scared look in her eyes. I could tell that this whole thing was emotionally painful for her.
"Did you talk to her? Is she working with Uncle John?" Damon asked, turning toward Alaric.
"No," Alaric murmured.
"No, they're not?" Damon asked, raising his hand slightly in question.
"No, I didn't ask," Alaric breathed out.
"What about the invention?" Damon inquired, stepping closer.
"Didn't ask," Alaric replied.
"Does she know about the tomb of vampires?"
"I don't know," he answered.
"Did words completely escape you?" Damon asked in annoyance as he came to stand in front of Alaric, not two feet away from him.
"No, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions," Alaric bit back, trying to keep his cool as he stood his ground against Damon.
"Damon!" I snapped, drawing his attention away from Alaric for a moment, his eyes locking with mine.
He stood there quietly for only a moment though, before turning back to Alaric and asking what I'd hoped to be his final question.
"What did she want?" he asked.
"She wants to see me, Damon," Elena said, speaking up as she took in a breath of air.
"Elena," I whispered, brows furrowing together as I squeezed her shoulder.
I knew how she must be feeling. After all, her birth mother had given her up without so much as a good bye. In fact, she doubted that Isobel was even the one to name her after bringing her into the world.
"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting," Stefan decided to elaborate, giving his brother the information that he was looking for. "We don't know why or what she wants."
"Elena, you don't have to see her if you don't want to," I told her, noticing how uncomfortable she seemed about the whole thing.
"I don't really have a choice," she whispered, looking away and over toward Stefan.
It was as if she didn't want to look at me at the moment, confusion washing over me. I mean, why wouldn't she have a choice in the matter? I then turned toward Alaric, noticing that he was holding something back. He had something else to say.
"She's threatened to go on a killing spree," he revealed, arms crossed over his chest.
"Oh," Damon voiced, before running his tongue over his bottom lip. "I take it that's . . . not okay with you guys?" he assumed, looking around at everyone.
"Damon," I scowled, shaking my head at him.
Suddenly, Elena stood up from her seat, startling me. She had this look in her eyes, one that I hadn't seen before.
"I wanna do it," she said, catching me by surprise. "I want to meet her."
"But Elena-"
"No, Kali. If I don't, I'll regret it," she told me. "I need to do it."
T
"Damon, maybe I should go in there?" I said, biting my thumbnail as I watched him pace back and forth, slowly wearing away at the grass.
He seemed irritated to say the least, waiting across the street from the Mystic Grill with me and Rick, his nerves on end.
"No, you're not," he told me, hands curling tighter at my words.
"Damon, would you just calm down," I said in exasperation, running a hand over my face.
He was starting to seriously irritate me with this pacing of his, his feet kicking the grass from time to time. It was like an irritated child who couldn't get their way, inevitably resorted to stomping around or throwing a temper tantrum.
"Why should I?" he asked, looking over at me, his tone sharp.
This caught me off guard for a moment, brows furrowing together slightly.
"What the hell is your problem?" I shot back, taking a step toward him, challenging him to make his own move.
I was practically nose to nose with him before we moved apart, my eyes narrowed in irritation. Just because he was in a mood did not mean that he could take it out on me of all people.
"Would you both just stop it?" came Alaric's voice.
I could tell that Alaric was getting more bothered by the minute. In fact, I hadn't seen him this bothered by something in a while to be honest.
"Sorry . . ." I sighed, shoulders slumping slightly as I stood there.
A few seconds after, I felt Damon's presence behind me, standing there like a shadow. His hands came forward, gripping my arms just below the shoulder. His chin came down to rest on the groove of my shoulder then, his breath brushing the skin of my jaw. After a few more moments, I felt his arms over my shoulders, his nose burying against my neck.
"Sorry," he whispered, his voice only loud enough for me to hear, his lips brushing the nap of my neck.
For a second, I could feel the warmth of his hand on mine, the slight chill within it soothing me. He hadn't had as much caffeine as he should have today. If he had, the chill in his skin wouldn't be there, but warm instead, and consistent. Strangely enough, I was sort of used to the chill that naturally adorned his touch, welcoming it at times almost.
"I just don't get it," Alaric sighed, a distraught look upon his face.
"Alaric?" I questioned, my brows furrowed slightly.
"Whoever that is, she's cold and detached," he breathed out, a finger pointed toward The Grill. "I can't see my Isobel there anymore . . . It's just a shell of what she looked like."
"That's because she's given up her humanity," Damon told him, pulling back from me slightly, but barely.
"I don't get that," he admitted. "Stefan has his humanity, he's a good guy. Hell, you're a dick and you kill people, but I still see something human within you."
My eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second when Alaric called Damon a dick, but only for a fraction. Even though I knew that the statement could be true at certain times, I didn't like it when he went at Damon like that.
"Alaric," I warned, gripping the very end of Damon's hand.
"I'm serious, Kali, Damon's a class A dick," he said firmly. "But even he's not like her."
I paused for a moment, listening to his words, Damon's breath now tickling the edge of my ear due to his close proximity.
"Hell, he at least shows some sense of emotion with you, something genuine. There was nothing with her."
No one said a word after that, merely standing there. What Rick said was true, Damon did show genuine emotion around me or at least from what I could tell. It wasn't faked either, that much I knew for sure. That smile of his whenever we talked about something goofy or if he had a trick up his sleeve, it was him, not some hollowed individual. In fact, I don't think I would be breathing right now if he weren't. Actually, I knew for a fact that if Damon were like Isobel, then I'd have been dead a long time ago.
"You can turn it off…" Damon said after a moment, his fingers digging lightly into my shoulder as I stood there with him. "It's like a button you can press."
I closed my eyes as he spoke, listening to his words. This would be the first time that I would hear an explanation for this whole thing.
"Stefan's different. He wants the whole human experience. He wants to feel every episode of "How I Meet Your Mother," so he shuts his feelings out."
Damon broke away from me after that, biting his lip as he ran a hand through his hair.
"The problem is, as a vampire, your instinct is not to feel," he said grimly, making me flinch. "Isobel chose the easier road. No guilt, no shame, no regret . . ."
He paused then, glancing back at me as I stood there. It was as if he were talking about himself to a degree, explaining himself, talking about how hard it was for him and what he had to deal with.
"If you could turn it off, wouldn't you?" he asked Rick.
"You haven't," Rick replied.
"Of course I have, Rick. That's why I'm so fun to be around," he smirked.
Sadly, I couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or not or at least what he felt was the truth anyway. After all, I'd seen the softness in his eyes. I'd seen the fear, the hesitation, the pain, the sadness. I'd seen the pain in his eyes and the heartbreak when he'd found out the truth about Katherine. He'd been so torn that I knew he'd never truly gone and shut his feelings off.
True, it may be easier not to feel, but what would truly be the point of it? If you couldn't feel, you'd just be a hollow shell. Why would anyone want to be that hollow?
T
Leaning back in his chair, Damon sat shirtless, his chest exposed to the cool air of the room. He had to admit that Isobel had decent taste in housing, but he still preferred something at a bit of a smaller scale. He had a smirk on his face as he looked down at his cards, before glancing over at Cherie, one of Isobel's little minions. At this point, the young dancer was down to her bare essentials: her bra, panties, and stockings.
"Oh-ho, Cherie, you won again," Damon said, looking down at her newly placed hand, the Ace's staring back at him. "I hope I'm wearing my good underwear," he teased, standing up and undoing his belt.
The moment he had his zipper down though, the sound of the door closing met his ears, Isobel stepping into the room.
"And it's just one blast from the past after another," she voiced. "No, no, no," she said, wagging her finger at Damon.
Without a second thought, Damon zipped his pants back up, buttoning them and looping his belt back. There'd be no point in standing in front of Isobel if he had his zipper undone, taking pride in messing with her as she looked him over.
"Degage Cherie," Isobel ordered in French, the young girl getting up and waving at Damon as she passed Isobel.
"It's good to see you, Isobel," Damon greeted, picking his shirt up from the table, his game of strip poker finished. "I was just having fun with your naughty little minion," he told her, a grin on his face.
"How did you find me?" she asked, raising a finely crafted brow in question.
Suddenly, Damon was in front of her, a hand pressed against the wall beside her head. His face was a mere four inches from her own as he stood there, looking down at her with a spark in his eyes.
"I searched all the neighborhood bank owned foreclosures and found the most expensive one," he answered, letting out a breath of air.
"Oh, I should have known. You're the one who taught me that," she said without enthusiasm. "What are you really doing here, Damon?" she asked.
"Well, you caused quite a stir when you blew into town," Damon said. "Saw everyone except for the man who made you. I'm a little hurt."
"I'm so sorry," she mocked, before grabbing him by the back of the head and twisting it around. "Did you bring the device?"
Isobel let him go after a moment of laughter, leaving Damon standing there massaging the back of his head.
"Ow," he whined, before stretching his back slightly. "What are you doing with John Gilbert?"
"We dated a few times when we were young," she replied, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger absently. "He was a little bit in love with me."
"I'm sure. One of the many," Damon said dryly. "Now, this little invention, what do you want with it?"
"Oh, me personally?" she asked, handing him one of the wine glasses. "I don't want anything with it. I'm just doing what I'm told."
Damon quickly sat the glass down, a small clink echoing around the room as it made contact with the wooden coffee table.
"You know, Damon, we're on the same side," she told him, before taking his face between her hands, the fingers brushing his cheek.
"Oh yeah? What side is that?" he asked skeptically.
"Katherine's," Isobel replied, sending Damon for a loop. "She wants John Gilbert to have the device and I think that you know that she's not happy when she doesn't get what she wants."
Suddenly, Damon threw her off, her words having gone and stirred up unnecessary emotions. They were emotions that he wanted to forget and ignore.
"Why are you doing her dirty work?" Damon asked in irritation, a glare on his face.
"Don't kill the messenger," Isobel said dismissively. "We both know that you can't control Katherine, Damon. She does what she wants."
"So do I," Damon shot back.
"Oh, really, Damon? You do?" she challenged, moving to grab him.
Damon caught her wrist before she could even touch him though, bringing her closer to him.
"So, what should we do now?" Isobel asked, gazing up into those eyes of his, taking in the charismatic allure that they gave off.
They both laughed for a moment, before her lips met his slowly, tugging at his lower lip. Damon responded to it, pushing his emotions to the side for a moment in order to keep up the little charade that he was playing, and running a hand through her hair. Each of them fought for dominance, Isobel's hand running along the edge of Damon's collarbone and to his chest. She wanted more of him as she began to reach her hand behind the bare skin of his back, but Damon cut her off, slamming her onto the floor as he held his hand tightly around her neck.
"Now that I have your undivided attention, listen up," Damon growled. "You do not come into my town; threaten the people I care about," he told her. "Going after Elena? Bad move. Going after Kali?"
His grip tightened around her throat, choking her. She'd gone as far as to threat Kali in order to get Alaric's attention, something that the history teacher had gone and informed Damon of without Kali's knowledge.
"Even worse," he snapped.
Again, it was silent for a moment, before he began talking again in an attempt to calm himself down.
"You leave them alone or I will rip you to bits because I do believe in killing the messenger. You know why?" he asked, leaning in closer. "Because it sends a message," he whispered, before slamming her head forcefully against the floor again and snarling, "Katherine wants something from me? You tell that little bitch to come get it herself because I'm done being her little lap dog."
With that, Damon left with a flash of speed, leaving Isobel on the carpet cradling her aching head.
T
The following day, everyone was up at the high school. It was like a race, trying to get everything done, and they'd been working for the last three hours nonstop. Even Carol was trying to help out as best as she could, walking around and inspecting things, going and carrying bits of supplies to those that needed it. Kali was probably doing the most though, her attention split between the entire student body. After all, she was the one with the art degree, students tugging her back and forth for help.
"Ms. Henderson, could you help us?" Caroline asked, sitting atop her designated float.
She made sure to use Kali's surname, seeing how they were among other students. Not to mention, it would be somewhat disrespectful in her mind at the moment. Although, she really didn't care that much.
"Caroline, school's not in session at the moment," Kali reminded her. "Not to mention, you calling me Ms. Henderson makes me feel old," she told her, coming to stand beside the float.
"Alright, Kali," Caroline smirked. "I need your opinion."
"On?" Kali ventured, waiting for her to continue.
"I'm trying to decide on a shade of yellow," she finally admitted with a huff.
"Shade of…"
Kali stopped herself for a moment as she processed Caroline's words, placing a hand on her head. She was absolutely dumb founded at the teen's question. Out of all the things Caroline could ask her, she was asking about yellow, a color of all things, and a shade of it no less.
"You're seriously asking me to pick a shade of yellow?" Kali asked skeptically. "Caroline, I don't have time for this," she sighed.
"Oh, please, Kali?" Caroline begged, giving her the best set of puppy dog eyes she could muster.
"Caroline…" Kali groaned, looking elsewhere.
"Please, please, please, please, please, please-"
"Alright!" Kali finally snapped, getting annoyed with Caroline's constant begging. "God that's annoying," Kali muttered.
"Oh, thank you!" Caroline exclaimed, practically jumping up and down.
T
Turning around from what she was doing, Elena found Isobel before her, a cold chill running up the back of her spine.
"Isobel," Elena breathed out, brows furrowing slightly. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm your mother, Elena. I want to be more involved in your life," Isobel replied simply.
"I don't want you in my life," Elena answered, a sharpness to her tone.
"I understand that. You already have a lot of people that you care about, but I've been studying. Let's see if I got it right," Isobel smiled, folding her arms lightly over her chest.
She looked around briefly, locating what she needed, Bonnie being the first to enter her line of vision.
"There is the witchy best friend, Bonnie," she pointed out, before adding. "Gonna stay away from that one."
Next, Isobel looked over where Jeremy stood, his eyes gazing down at his phone as he attempted to text Anna again for the millionth time that day.
"Oh . . . Sad little brother, Jeremy," she breathed out, a mocking tone in her voice as she tried to mimic a pitiful and sympathetic tone.
"Leave him out of this," Elena hissed, not wanting any harm to come to her brother.
"Now, this one is interesting," Isobel smirked, completely ignoring Elena's previous warning. "Miss Henderson."
Elena felt herself become still as she stood there, unable to say anything as Isobel locked her gaze on Kali once more. It was like a predator studying its prey, deciding exactly when to move and go in for the final kill.
"Mystic High School's renowned art teacher, family friend, mentor, babysitter, baby brother's first crush . . ."
Isobel paused for a moment as she drew a finger across her lips, a faint smirk protruding.
"Possibly, though more likely than not, the eldest Salvatore's lover," she mused, tapping her chin for a moment, before turning back to look at her daughter.
Her gaze only lasted for a moment though, before wandering off toward Caroline, the young teen sitting atop one of the floats.
"And then there's Caroline . . . Obnoxious Caroline," Isobel began, eyes catching as Caroline waved at her cheerfully. "I got all of my info from her by the way," she confessed. "She had no idea who I was and she wouldn't stop yapping."
Her eyes then turned toward Matt, the young man helping his friends as he worked on the float.
"Oh . . . and there's Matt, friend, ex, yappy's future ex. Lots of connections there."
"Matt's not involved in this," Elena said firmly.
"He's involved with you, isn't he?" Isobel asked, already knowing the answer.
"Look, you shouldn't be here. You need to leave," Elena told her, trying to push past her.
"No," Isobel said simply. "I have some friends here too," she informed her, eyes flitting toward her little cowboy. "Look, you see that man over there, standing next to Matt by the float?" Isobel asked.
Elena's eyes traveled over toward Matt, brows furrowing slightly.
"His name is Frank. He's very handsome and he's also quite handy. He also noticed that the axles are a little rusty, which is very dangerous."
Elena's eyes widened slightly as she pieced everything together.
"All you have to do is apply a little bit of pressure and . . ."
"NO!"
T
Upon hearing a scream, I turned around, my eyes going wide as I took in the scene before me. The young Donovan kneeling crouched the float in pain. His arm was being crushed under the weight of the float, the axels having given out.
"Matt . . ." I gapped.
It was as though I was stuck, everything flashing before me. I'd been about ready to call Damon when I'd heard the scream, adrenalin now pumping through my veins as I stepped forward toward the float.
"Get it off!" Matt yelled, trying to pull his arm loose. "Help me!"
Before I had the chance to get any closer, I felt a presence behind me, a large hand being placed over my mouth.
Immediately, I threw my elbow back out of instinct, catching the person in the ribs. This gave me a chance to pull away momentarily, but it was short lived as I was grabbed around the neck, the muscles of the man's arm constricting around my neck and limiting my air supply.
I tried to scream, but I could feel myself choking as I stood there squirming against my attacker, nails scratching at his arm and tearing away at the skin. His hand was still clamped over my mouth, snuffing out any chance that I had at making a scene. I tried grabbing at one of his fingers in an attempt to pull it back, but it stayed firmly planted over my mouth, preventing me from doing so. I then took a hit to the stomach, the remaining air being knocked out of me as I crumbled with a groan.
"Night darlin'."
That was all that I heard, before receiving a knock to the head, my world going black and sending me down into that dark abyss. It was the stuff of nightmares and I was being thrown back into it for the umpteenth time in my already shortening lifespan.
T
"Why are you doing this?" Elena asked Isobel, her eyes watery as she looked toward Matt.
He was now cradling his broken arm, Caroline at his side as she called for an ambulance.
Her birth mother merely stared at her, her face emotionless and full of disinterest.
"I'm just showing you how easy it is to hurt the people that you care about, Elena," Isobel replied.
"And you're doing this just because of Jonathan Gilbert's invention?" Elena scoffed, anger evident in her voice.
"Hand it over and all will be stopped," Isobel said simply.
"I told you, Damon isn't going to give it to me."
Elena didn't know what else to say. She'd already told Isobel this same thing multiple times and yet it seemed to make little difference. Elena knew that there was no way that Damon would give her the invention with the chance of it being used against him. It was just too dangerous.
"I think that you underestimate how much Damon cares," Isobel voiced.
"About what?" Elena asked. "He'll kill you before he gives it up."
This made Isobel smirk. She knew this would be Elena's reply and so she was prepared for it.
"Is that before or after I kill your brother Jeremy and precious little Kali?" she asked.
At this, Elena turned to look where she'd last seen Jeremy, the spot empty. She was unable to see Kali either, a wave of fear washing over her.
"No . . ." Elena whispered, eyes flitting around for her brother and friend. "Jeremy?!" she cried out.
T
After parking his car, John made his way up to the large estate. The door itself was already open, inviting him in without a single word.
"I see you're packing," John observed as he walked inside, taking in the bags of luggage that settled behind Isobel, each filled to the brim no doubt with useless abundance. "That's a good sign."
"It won't be long now," she told him.
"Did you get the missing piece?" John inquired, looking around. "Where is it?"
"I don't have it yet," she said simply, her tone telling him that she obviously wasn't that worried about it.
"Then, why did you call me here?" John asked, watching as Isobel walked passed him and down the hallway without so much as a glance, the sound of her heels clicking against the marble floor echoing in the air.
He followed her out of instinct, waiting for her to say something as she continued forward, and over to another room.
"Because I have the next best thing," she finally replied, a faint smirk growing on her face.
With that, Isobel walked into the room, revealing her little hostages. Said hostages consisted of Jeremy and Kali, both being surrounded by Frank and Cherie, Isobel's little minions.
Even though Jeremy looked untouched, the same couldn't be said for Kali. It was more than a little obvious to John that she'd fought back, against Frank no doubt, the large man still towering over the poor woman. Even from such a distance, John could make out traces of bloodied skin beneath Kali's nails. Long and nasty claw marks adorned the cowboy's masculine arms. It would scar no doubt, but John could care less about that. He was secretly glad that Kali had been able to retaliate enough to cause a bit of damage to the man.
"What the hell are you doing?" John hissed quietly, turning on Isobel.
He could handle her being a vampire. He could even handle the way that she worked from time to time, but he couldn't handle the fact of her taking hostages.
"Getting what I want," she replied simply.
"Yeah, I get that, but he's my nephew," he told her, before glancing at Kali's limp form that was settled in a chair off in the corner, a dried patch of blood laying crusted upon her temple. "And she was my brother's friend. You're going let them go right this second!" he ordered.
"That gaudy ring on your finger . . . it comes off you know," Isobel said evenly, completely ignoring John's words as she examined her nails for a moment.
"Come on, Isobel, I know you, okay? It's me, John," he tried. "You can't hurt a kid."
"I'll kill him to prove you wrong," she nearly grinned, her eyes alight with mischief.
"Really?" John questioned. "Are you that far gone?"
John glanced back at Jeremy and Kali for a moment, making sure to keep as much as a level head as possible. Even though he picked at Kali and verbally tormented her from time to time, he still wouldn't wish ill will upon her. Now, seeing her motionless in a chair without any fight in her, John felt a pang of guilt rise within him. There was no way that he could leave her like this.
"Look, I know you've changed, but the old Isobel is somewhere in there, isn't she?" John asked. "Come on, let them go."
"Faites le souffrir," Isobel said, glancing over at her minions, a faint smirk tugging on her lips as they move toward him.
The next thing that John knew, he was on the floor after being struck in the head by a steel candel holder. He was then assaulted as Cherie and Frank began brutally kicking him. Frank was the one doing the most damage though, sending kick after kick to John's ribs and side. It was enough to break bones, sending him into a world of pain as he started gasping for breath. It was likely the hardest thing that John had had to do in a long time, frantically grabbing at straws practically in an attempt to pull air back into his burning lungs.
"Nice try," Isobel started, kneeling down in front of John as she took his hand in her own.
She then held tightly to his wrist, gripping it as she wrenched the ring from his finger. His attempts at keeping it on had been futile.
"We'll see how you do without this," she smiled, before standing up and leaving the room.
At this point, John served no use to her, but that didn't mean that she couldn't watch him suffer. He'd angered her. As far as vampires went, angering them never went well for humans. John was just lucky enough that she decided to keep him alive instead of killing him. She could have easily compelled someone else to do her dirty work for her, but still, she figured that job was best left to John Gilbert.
T
Back at the boarding house, Damon was pacing back and forth, a glass of double malt scotch clutched in his hand. As always, he took to drinking when there was a serious issue at hand. He couldn't help it though. After all, Kali was at the hands of that conniving bitch Isobel. On second thought, those words were resigned for Katherine.
"Absolutely not!" Damon argued.
Elena was trying to convince him to hand over the Gilbert device, but it wasn't working. Damon wasn't about to hand something such as that over to Isobel of all people. He didn't want something that could potentially kill him in the hands of an insane person.
"Just hear me out," Elena tried, taking a few steps toward him.
"No," Damon answered, downing the rest of his drink in one large gulp. "I'm not gonna give the device to Isobel, so she can then give it to John, who is then going to turn around and use it to kill me," he ranted, running a hand through his hair. "Unless you've forgotten, Gilbert, I actually like being a living dead person."
"But it'll be useless," Elena assured him, turning back toward Bonnie whom was leaning against the study desk. "Bonnie can take its power away."
"Absolutely not!"
"Damon," Elena groaned.
"I don't trust her!" he snapped. "Witchy wants me dead."
With a smirk on her face, Bonnie stared at him. At least he had one thing right, Bonnie did want him dead.
"I can remove the original spell," Bonnie finally said, pushing herself away from the desk that she was leaning against only a moment ago.
"John and Isobel will never know," Elena told him, looking to Stefan for help.
"No, I'll get them out my own way," Damon said, referring to Kali and Jeremy.
"Really?" came Stefan's skeptic reply.
Stefan knew that his brother was smarter than that, but he was still obvious overcome with emotion that it was clouding his judgment and ultimately, his way of thinking. There was no way that Damon would be able to get the two out without something of consequence happening. True, Damon was stronger than Isobel, but Isobel was just as cunning as Damon. She was sharp and quick on her feet, her mind already having planned ahead far passed Damon's own.
"How are you going to do that?" Stefan asked, taking a step toward his brother. "She's a vampire Damon, which means Kali and Jeremy, they could be dead on the floor the very second that you enter that house."
Biting back a smart remark, Damon pinched the bridge of his nose, quickly turning toward Bonnie. He'd try to brush his brother's comment off as best as he could, but it still gnawed at him. The very thought of Kali dead on the floor made his already cold blood run colder. He could imagine her sprawled out on the floor, body lifeless and cold. Her head would likely be angled strangely due to a broken neck or even marred with blood from a vicious and deadly bite. He could picture so many things going wrong, each flashing before him with their sharp, unforgiving touch.
"Are you even up for this?" Damon asked, turning his attention toward Bonnie in an attempt to ignore his brother's words. "After all, you're no Emily Bennet. Emily knew what she was doing," he smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I've been practicing," Bonnie replied.
"It's not piano lessons, honey," Damon said, leaning his back against the wall behind him.
"What's your favorite book?" Bonnie asked, getting tired of all of the arguing.
"What?" Damon asked skeptically, unsure of what a book of his liking had to do with anything.
"Name a book, any book," Bonnie elaborated.
Rolling his eyes, Damon stood there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling as he racked his brain for an answer. There were many good books out there that he'd read, along with a few that he had in his collection and had read multiple times. After all, as a vampire, you get bored after living for so long and need something to help pass the time.
"Name a book . . ." Damon repeated dully, pausing for a moment, before a smirk formed on his face. "How about "Call of the wild", Jack London?" he suggested.
Without a word, Bonnie turned, her back to the smirking vampire. Her eyes glanced over the walls of book, taking in the colors of each. Some were more worn than others, the spines been and cracking from use. Others looked as though they'd barely even been touched, but that meant little to Bonnie as she closed her eyes. The book in question would be an easy enough task, and soon it was sent flying towards Damon's head.
Sending his hand forward, Damon easily caught the book, preventing it from smacking him in the face. He then looked down at it, turning it from back to front to reveal the cover. Remnants of a name remained, bits of gold leaf press coming loose as he brushed his thumb over it. It was "Call of the Wild", the very book that he had voiced.
"Jack London," Damon replied, before tossing the book onto the leather couch near him. "Great parlor trick."
Letting out a groan, Elena turned back toward Damon. There would be no more arguing. After all, they were running out of time to get this done. If they didn't deliver the device, not only would her brother be dead, but so would Kali. Elena didn't want that on her hands and she was sure that no one else in the room did either, including Damon.
"We're doing this, Damon, and we're doing it my way," Elena said firmly, coming to stand before him. "Now give me the device. We're wasting time!"
Again, Damon ignored Elena, turning toward Bonnie instead. He'd learned long ago not to go around trusting witches.
"I don't trust you, I tried to kill you," Damon said pointedly, only to receive a smirk in return.
"You're right, you can't trust me," she replied.
"But you can trust me," Elena said quickly, reminding Damon of the task at hand.
Looking down at her, Damon pursed his lips, before drawing in a breath of air. He then looked toward his brother, Stefan giving him a nod in return. In response, Damon shoved his hand into his pocket, pulling the little contraption out. He knew that it was now or never, so he handed it over, placing it in Elena's outstretched hand.
"Thank you," she whispered, gently squeezing his hand, before turning toward Bonnie.
It was time to make things right and get her family back.
T
Having had enough time to themselves, Jeremy had snuck out in order to get a towel from one of the bathrooms. He'd made sure to be quiet, not wanting to stir up any further problems. He'd even taken the time to wet a second one, bringing it back for Kali.
"Here you go," Jeremy said, tossing his uncle one of the damp towels.
"Thank you," John nodded, inclining his head in thanks as he took it.
"What is she after?" Jeremy asked, walking over to where Kali sat in a chair.
He touched her forehead hesitantly with the tip of the towel, wincing as he looked it over. She'd taken a nasty blow, the spot already starting to bruise. It was obvious that she'd fought back though and for that, Jeremy was happy. He'd seen the marks on Frank's arms and knew immediately that they had been from Kali.
"Your ancestor invented a weapon," John explained, wincing as he pressed the towel to his forehead. "A device that's extremely harmful to vampires and we've been trying to get it."
"Why?" Jeremy asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.
"Because there's a group of vampires from a long time ago that wants revenge on this town," John stated.
"But why would a vampire help you kill other vampires?" came Jeremy's next question.
John was silent for a moment as he sat there on the floor, glancing over at Kali. He took the time to pull the towel from his forehead, pooling it back to find it stained with small patches of blood. His head was pounding and there was nothing that he could do about it.
"She has her own reasons for wanting them dead," he sighed, pressing the towel back to his forehead, before turning back to his nephew again. "Look Jeremy, no one ever thought vampires would return to this town. Not in modern times, but they have and we have to destroy them."
"All of them?" Jeremy questioned, his thoughts turning toward Anna.
Anna was one of the nicest people he knew, not to mention, he was in love with her. There was no way that they could go and kill them all. Heck, he knew that Stefan was a vampire and he was okay. He could even deal with Damon, even though the man could be a complete ass.
"No," Jeremy said, shaking his head. "There are some good ones out there."
"There's no such things," John narrowed.
"I don't believe that," Jeremy said, moving back toward Kali.
He knew that if she were awake then she'd agree with him. Jeremy knew that Kali would be on his side about all of this. After all, she knew more than he did. She would fight John just for even saying such things as he had.
"Well, your dad did. And has his son that should mean something to you."
This made Jeremy stop, his jaw going slack as he held Kali's hand. He'd been about ready to pull a couple bits of gravel from her hand, but John's words had stopped him in his tracks.
"How did my father know about all this?" Jeremy asked warily, eyeing his uncle carefully.
"Who do you think told me about the family history?"
T
Walking into the town square, Elena stood, glancing around hesitantly as she waited for Isobel. She couldn't wait for this whole thing to be done and over with, her family safe once again. She still couldn't understand why Isobel had taken Kali and her brother or even why she'd harmed Matt. Her hands curled at her side as she sighed. They'd dispelled the device, so everyone was safe now. She could thank Bonnie later for that.
Suddenly, an upheaval of wind came through, sending her hair flying.
"Where is the device?"
It was Isobel, her lips pulled back into a thin line, and her hair pulled back tight. The woman looked immaculate to say the least.
"Where is my brother?" Elena countered, placing her hands on her hips.
"This isn't a negotiation," Isobel reminded her. "Now, where is the invention?"
"Where is my brother?" Elena repeated, not willing to back down.
"Do you really think that I came alone?" Isobel asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
Without hesitation, Frank and Cherie walked up behind Elena, Kali trapped within Frank's grasp. She tried to struggle, but it did her little good, only resulting in wearing her out further.
"Did you really think that I came alone?" Elena countered, only to have Damon and Stefan appear behind Isobel.
The moment Damon was in sight, Kali started struggling against, pulling against Frank's hold.
"D-Damon!" she choked out, tears welling up in her eyes as Frank tightened his grip and causing her to wince.
The man had been holding onto her since they'd gotten out of the car, his grip never yielding. It was painful and would no doubt leave bruises afterward.
"Quiet!" Frank hissed lightly, tightening his grip ever so slightly.
"For god sakes, call home," Isobel groaned in annoyance as she placed her hand on her hip.
"What?"
Elena's brows furrowed in confusion.
"Call home and ask to speak to your brother Jeremy," Isobel instructed slowly as though talking to a child.
Quickly taking her phone out, Elena dialed the number, listening as it rang. It only took a few moments though before the ringing stopped, Jeremy's voice coming through on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Jeremy, are you okay?" Elena asked, clutching the phone close as she tried not to freak out.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Uncle John hit his head. It was an accident," he told her.
"We're all laughing," Elena heard Jenna say sarcastically.
"But yeah I'm okay. What about Kali, have you seen her?" Jeremy asked, the anxiety all to obvious to Elena.
"Yeah, she's here," she told him. "She's . . . fine. Look, I'll be home soon, alright?"
"Yeah," came Jeremy's final reply. "I'll see you soon."
With that, they hung up, leaving Elena standing there in front of Isobel. She was relieved that she'd been able to hear her brother's voice. It meant that he was alright. Especially, since she'd heard the sound of Jenna's voice in the background.
"You were never gonna hurt him," Elena said, nearly breathing out a sigh of relief.
"No, I was going to kill him, and rip him limb from limb," Isobel said simply, not a single shred of emotion in her voice as she spoke. "Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any."
Elena bit down on her lower lip as she stood there. It was obvious that Isobel was telling the truth, which meant that if Damon had actually gone in by himself, both Kali and Jeremy would be dead.
"You took a risk with Damon. How did you even know that he'd give it to me?" Elena asked, her nerves still on edge as she watch the woman in front of her.
"Because he's in love with Kali," Isobel said simply.
It was quiet for a moment, before they were met by the sound of Kali's whimpers.
"Frank, la laisser partir," Isobel ordered, watching as Frank stepped forward, shoving Kali toward the others.
She stumbled the moment she was released, tripping and nearly falling, before Damon took the time to catch her by her shoulders. He pulled her to him, his arm around her waist as she tried to crumble to the ground. He then sunk to the ground with her, holding her flush against his chest as she shook.
"Damon . . ." Kali murmured, her fingers curling tightly around the soft material of his shirt.
"It's alright," Damon whispered, comforting her as best he could while stringing a hand through her hair and pressing his lips to her forehead.
Elena stood there for a moment, watching the exchange between Damon and Kali. She was overjoyed to have her friend back in one piece, even back in Damon's arms. She herself had seen the sullen look on Damon's face when they'd told him that there wasn't much he could do without possibly endangering Kali's life. Now, he held her in his arm, silently vowing to hold her in his arms for the remainder of the night.
"Thank you," Elena finally managed to say, her eyes set on Isobel as she stood there, a blank look in her eyes as she gazed at the reunited couple.
"For what?" Isobel asked curiously.
To her knowledge, she'd done nothing for which her daughter should even be remotely thanking her for. After all, Isobel had threatened Jeremy's life along with Kali's. She'd even kidnapped the two, having John beat to a pulp, and leaving Kali a bit worse for wear.
"For being a monumental disappointment," Elena voiced, hands clutched at her sides. "It keeps the memory of my real mother perfectly intact."
There was a certain amount of venom in Elena's words, but those words had never been more true. Isobel was nothing compared to the woman that had raised Elena. In fact, they were from two completely different worlds. Miranda had been an amazing woman and an amazing mother. For years, she'd even taken Kali under her wing, helping her whenever she needed it and even when she didn't want to ask for it.
"You have what you want now, so leave," Elena said, narrowing her eyes at Isobel.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Elena," Isobel smiled, eyes turning toward Damon next as he continued to hold Kali in his arms. "It's been fun, Damon, but its time that I take my leave."
"Get out of here!" Stefan growled out, glaring at Isobel as he placed a hand on Elena's shoulder.
"Gladly. Although, I have one last piece of advice for you Elena," Isobel said, pausing for a moment as to glance at them all. "Women surrounded by Salvatore's are doomed to a life of tragedy. Keep that in mind."
With that, she turned around, walking off and disappearing into the darkness. She left them all standing there in silence, save for the sound of breathing.
"Damon?" Stefan breathed out, turning to his brother. "Wha-" he stopped upon seeing the space unoccupied, brows furrowing at his brother's absence.
"He's gone . . ." Elena voiced.
I'm finally back! I apologize to everyone for the long wait, but college comes first. Luckily for me, I'm til about midway through January. Anyway, I hope that everyone liked this chapter. You'll also be happy to know that I've already started on the next chapter and plan to get it out soon as long as I get some decent reviews. Anyway, thanks for reading everyone and don't forget to REVIEW and MESSAGE me!
I NEED FEEDBACK PEOPLE!