On Your Marks
Chapter 3:
Of course she wanted to leave the prison. What sane person wouldn't? The novelty of communal showers and meat surprise stew can only last so long before a girl starts wanting more from life. But she'd chosen this. She walked into the precinct and held up the white-flag of her own choosing. A wise vampire once said to her that the road to redemption was a rocky path. But she'd have to take a little detour from redemption in order to settle a debt with an old friend. She'd left the jail without a hitch thanks to Damon's compulsion, hoping that poor Lewis wouldn't shoot himself and would make it home to Elise and the kids in time for dinner.
She and Damon had walked to his car in complete silence, mostly because she was angry for him throwing a speed bump in her dramatic quest for redemption but partly because she expected to receive a bullet in the back at any moment. Before she knew it she was riding shot gun in a black convertible, she guessed he'd stolen, on the highway. He made several attempts at eye contact but she'd refused them all. "C'mon, less with the sour puss you should be thanking me for springing you from that place," he edged. She didn't reply.
"Where we headed?" She said after a few passing moments.
"Mystic Fall's, Virginia," he sang.
"And what could be so important that you drove through multiple state lines and had to mind control a man into almost suicide to get me out of jail?" she scowled.
"It's called compulsion," he retorted.
"Yeah still shaky on how your hellmouth ticks," she scoffed.
"Hellmouth?" he asked.
"Nevermind," she almost laughed.
"And I didn't drive, knowing a filthy rich 1000 year old original vampire comes with airmile perks," he smirked.
The highway was littered with commuters all in a subtle race to beat out the opposing driver. Horns honked and tires screeched as they made for their destination. With each one that passed Faith's eyes darted to see if it was the 5-0. She knew that with Damon's compulsion it could be a while before anybody came looking for her. Although it was just as likely that they were already figuring out something isn't right. Damon didn't exactly compel Rita the bible lady from trying to convert her cell block into born-again Christians. "You didn't answer my question. Why'm'I here, D?" she asked.
"You want the shortened version?" Damon asked.
"You're too good to me," she replied.
"Long story short; there's a cure...for vampirism," Damon began. Faith's eyes widened with confusion and her gaze searched for his.
"S'not possible," she sounded quietly.
"Oh it's real...or it better be for the hell I went through trying to get it."
"So if you already have it I'm still clueless as to why I flew the cookoo's nest," Faith said, "Although I gotta' admit I didn't peg you for wanting to return to the land of livin'."
"We almost had it, when Katherine swooped in, killed kid Gilbert and escaped with the cure," Damon explained. Faith's eyebrows raised in further confusion. "Short version isn't exactly working out, is it?"
"Gotta say not," Faith replied.
"Well I brought ya' a change of clothes, figured you'd want to get out of the not-so orange get-up," he said, "bags on the back seat." Faith climbed into the back of the car and began unbuttoning her shirt. Damon's eyes darted to the mirror and she caught this out of the corner of her eye. "Sorry, I'll be a perfect gentlemen, scouts honour."
"Where's the fun in that?" Faith smiled.
"And the cure isn't for me," he added after a while.
"Let me guess, you're hung up on a girl?" she asked. He laughed as a reply. She finished changing, she now sported a pair of dark skinny jeans, a shirt and a black leather jacket. "So, about that not-so shortened version?"
Bonnie left second period Math and headed for her locker; the halls buzzed with adolescent chitchat and meaningless drama that she was growing sick and tired of hearing. If they only knew she thought. She got to her locker and unloaded her books carelessly into the tiny space amongst her witch herbs and grimoire's. She made to shut the door when a shine from the dull lights of the hallway shone off a photograph on her locker door.
Jeremy's arm was tight around her shoulder as they sat on one of the marble benches at the Lockwood Estate after Caroline's coronation as Miss Mystic Falls. Her fingers raised to the photo and they stroked it lightly. Her shoulder felt immediately heavy and she fought the sting of tears behind her eyes. "I miss you, Jer'," she uttered under her breath, "and I'm going to bring you back."
She hated lying to her friends about Silas. She didn't want them to worry. She knew Professor Shane was dead, that Silas was using his face and that it was him stealing the blood reserves from the hospitals. She'd taken on the role of protector of the town and it was a duty she was determined not to fail. And losing Jeremy was not part of the mission.
"Can you believe it?" sounded a familiar voice from behind Bonnie that shook her away from her thoughts. She slammed her locker door and turned to find Caroline, her cheeks flushed.
"Huh?" Bonnie replied.
"Elena," she said with an incline of her head pointing down the hallway. Elena walked out of the girls bathroom, wiping her mouth to get away what her friends wished to be mouthwash rather than her draining a freshman. "Isn't there some spell that can get her to flip her switch?"
"If only, but messing with Esther's spell is dangerous even with expression," she answered.
"Guess we'll just have to play the waiting game," Caroline uttered, catching sight of Elena reaching for her phone. "Hey, how're you holding up? Y'know with everything," Caroline asked sincerely.
Knowing she was talking about Jeremy, Bonnie began, "I'm uh, I'm dealing. Y'know a day at a time."
"We all miss him Bon, and we're all here for you if you need anything...although some more than others at the moment," Caroline said in a tone that caused Bonnie to turn to look at Elena.
"How goes it?" Stefan asked as he rounded the corner.
"No animal attacks in the chem labs as of yet so I'm guessing things could be worse," Caroline replied.
"Good, hopefully the sire bond is still doing the trick," he added. Suddenly Elena's eyes shot up from her phone and met the gaze of her three onlookers. She scowled and allowed her hair to droop slowly over her face before walking off in the opposite direction.
"Spoke a little too soon d'ya think?" stated Bonnie.
"She's a timebomb, Stefan, and her timers ticking all over the place," Caroline announced.
Stefan began, "look schools almost over so that means we've survived two days without her killing anyone, Damon's gone AWOL but last I heard he had a new lead on finding Katherine-"
"I would like to put it on the record that the waiting game sucks," Caroline interrupted.
"C'mon guys, we're almost late for history," Bonnie said and the three headed off down the hallway.
Later that day Caroline and Stefan returned back to the Salvatore Boarding House. They left Caroline's car and headed for the front door. Dim lights behind the windows gave a 'Hogwarts'y' impression to the house that Caroline never grew tired of. "You're sure you don't mind me using your shower?" she asked.
"Corse not," Stefan replied.
"It's just yours are the only ones not doused in vervain and-"
"Caroline it's fine," Stefan laughed. Something Elena said yesterday morning about Caroline and Stefan stuck with her, they had grown a lot closer over the past few months, especially since Tyler was ran out of town by Klaus and Elena left Stefan for Damon. But she was confident her feelings for him were solely ones of friendship. As they got closer to the door the pair looked at each other in confusion. Loud music echoed into the vampires' hearing causing them to quicken their pace. They entered the building to find the stench of adolescence thick in the air, boys gathered around kegs drooling and jeering each other into downing drinks while girls gathered around the couches participating in gossip and scowling. The vast majority of the partiers danced and swayed to the music blurring from the stereo.
"How did this happen?" Stefan sounded without thinking.
"How d'ya think?" Caroline replied, pointing to Elena, who danced wildly atop the liquor cabinet. "So this was with all the texting," she added.
"Think it's time to defuse the timebomb," Stefan said as he made to walk in Elena's direction.
"Stefan wait," Caroline said as she grabbed his arm. "Is this really so bad? I mean after the past few weeks maybe a parties just what everybody needs."
"Somebody's changed their tune," Stefan replied.
"Don't get me wrong I'm all for Elena getting her humanity back but...just look at her," Caroline added, outstretching her arm in her best friends direction. Stefan caught a glimpse of a girl he'd never seen, of an Elena he'd never seen. She smiled and laughed like she had no cares, no worries. Of course with no humanity she wouldn't have any of those things but to him that was beside the point. "Doesn't she make you just...wanna' let go?" Stefan's eyes darted to the floor and Caroline released her grip on him. "I'm going to get one of those new things called showers I've heard so much about...what you decide to do if your choice and I'm behind you 100%."
Caroline headed upstairs and after a moment of deliberation Stefan headed over to Elena. She caught sight of him and jumped down from the cabinet, still managing to hold the contents of her plastic cup. "Drink?" she offered him.
"What is this, Elena?" he asked.
"You've been trying to keep me from joining the party, so...I brought the party here," she said with a growing smile. Half laughing, half angry Stefan began to speak, but decided instead to grab Elena's cup and down it in one. She smiled and began, "what's the worst that can happen?"
"Oh I don'know, everybody could just drink all the booze get bored and go home or Damon could come home and kill everyone," he replied.
"Damon's already here," Elena announced confusedly. Stefan's eyes widened.