On Your Marks
Chapter 8:
Rebekah woke early that morning too. Must've been something in the water...other than the vervain of course. Her routine was the same every day. Wake up, exfoliate, brush teeth, brush fangs, hair, wardrobe, shoes, blood and then whatever followed naturally. At the point Rebekah finished feeding on her compelled gardener, her doorbell rang. She pulled out of his neck and nodded to him to leave. Her eyes returned to their typical ocean blue state and she descended her grand staircase to find Elena at her door. Since Elena had flipped her humanity switch Rebekah developed an appreciation for her style that she thought she never would.
She opened the door and Elena smiled a Katerina like grin at her. Rebekah could almost hear the cogs working in her mind. "You escaped your rope then?" Rebekah opened. Elena's grin continued as she pushed passed Rebekah into the hall. "Sure, come on in," Rebekah scoffed. Elena walked, heels clipping on the marble floor, into a living room and sat regally, legs folded, on a chair. Rebekah followed her after shutting the door and stood in her line of sight. "Are you going to sit there grinning all day or tell me about this bloody offer?"
"First, I want your word that Stefan and Damon won't find out about what we're doing," Elena replied.
"It'd help if I knew what you're up to," said Rebekah as she crossed her arms. Elena scowled, waiting for her to give her her word. "Fine, I swear."
"Let's just get one thing straight. I don't want the cure, not now, not ever. You do. And I can help you get it," Elena dictated.
"How? Damon murdered the only lead to that Petrova bitch," Rebekah spat.
"Because I'm the only one who doesn't care who gets it, and I'm more than happy with you getting a humanity shot as long as I don't," she smiled.
"You've got my attention," Rebekah replied as she took a seat on the couch opposite her. Elena got up from her seat and began pacing. She began reeling off all she'd heard last night. Every detail she overheard about Will in New York and Kakistos and his cult. She could tell she was peaking Rebekah's interest as she began to subtly fidget in her seat as Elena reached the different plot points.
"Lucky for us," Rebekah cut in, "I have a rather fast car that could get me to New York in under 5 hours and I happen to know Kakistos personally."
"Ya'do?" Elena cocked an eyebrow.
"He was one of the first vampire's my family made. He carried quite the flame for me for the better part of the 11th Century but as always with Nick it was either him or them," Rebekah explained. "But what I don't get is why I should trust you," she went on, "I've been the scapegoat, the butt, the loose end in your schemes before Elena and I'm not about to risk my future on an impulsive baby vampire," she rose from her seat and was almost within nose touching distance of the brunette.
"Because I can be your leverage. Your main obstacles to that future you want so bad are in love with me...I'm the only thing they care about more than this cure. I'll help you get it Rebekah," Elena spoke convincingly, "plus Damon's lackey is on strict no kill Elena orders," she scoffed as she turned her back to Rebekah and shot her gaze elsewhere in frustration.
"Wait...y-you mean Damon actually found the vampire slayer?" Rebekah quivered. Elena spun round to meet Rebekah's gaze once more at the shift in her tone.
"Yeah, so?" stated Elena.
"So? We, are vampires Elena, she's the vampire s.l.a.y.e.r. What part of that don't you understand? Even Michael, whom my brother and I ran to all corners of the earth to get away from, was careful not to underestimate the Vampire Slayer," Rebekah ranted. "Not to mention Madrid in 1843," Rebekah continued.
"I've fought this girl, last night actually in the woods, she's real strong yeah but she's no original," Elena defended blindly through furrowed brow.
"It's not about shear strength it's-...nevermind. Where's the slayer now?"
"Besides all over CNN, she's probably still at the boarding house," Elena explained.
"What're you talking about?" Rebekah asked.
"Damon sprung her from the big house and now the cops are on the lookout for her, she's a felon. Murder, fraud, assault, all that fun stuff. Too bad Damon's got her wrapped around his little finger," Elena scowled imagining the fun she could've had with adolescent Faith. The Mikaelson smirk spread quickly across Rebekah's face. "What?" Elena asked eagerly.
"I think I can work this to our advantage...partner."
Liz stood behind her desk at the police station leaning against the window and gazing into the morning rush of Saturday soccer moms. She held her cell phone to her ear and remembered she was on the phone to her pms vampire daughter. "Alright Caroline I get," she'd repeated time on end. "I know the drill just let me do my job," she added. Caroline's voice still echoed out of the receiver. "I know the plan, anybody calls in about Damon being on T.V I'll say the police are handling it...yes I've got Andy forwarding all those calls straight to me...don't worry honey I've got it."
Suddenly a loud knocking came from the door and an unfamiliar frame filled the translucent glass feature within the wood. "Look sweetie I gotta' go I'll call you later," she announced as she put her phone in her pocket, sat at her desk, looked busied and called, "it's open!" The door eased open and revealed an officer in a light trench coat. His stubble was obviously intentional and his light eyes pierced the sheriff. He leant somewhat over the desk and offered his hand to her. She took it politely and smiled.
"Sheriff Forbes?" he asked in an English accent.
"That's right Mr..."
"Shaw. Detective Adam Shaw with the FBI," he said showing her his badge. She scrutinised it for a moment, instantly suspicious of the man. "May I sit?"
"Please," she replied gesturing toward the chair. "So what can I help you with detective?" she asked.
"I'm here regarding the escape of Faith Lehane, I'm sure you've seen the news," he added.
"Sorry no," she replied dumbly. He raised an eyebrow, "I have a 17 year old daughter, T.V time doesn't really come with the package," she smiled.
"Understandable," he smiled back. Something was off about him, nobody, certainly no man, was that polite, she thought. "Traffic camera's picked up a few images of the woman aaannndddd this man," he pulled out traffic cam photo's of Faith and Damon on the highway in L.A, "heading to the airport and boarding a private jet that satellite's tracked to here. Do you know this man Sheriff?" Before Liz could think up a feasible lie to give the detective the door opened for a second time revealing Rebekah in the threshold.
"That's Damon Salvatore," she announced, Shaw's head spun to meet Rebekah's gaze. Liz caught a glimpse of the millisecond expression of awe and wonder at the sight of her on Shaw's face. Although it was one that quickly faded and regained it's cool, calm and collected reflection, "the woman, Faith you called her? She's staying with him at the old boarding house."
"And who might you be?" he asked, standing to face her.
"Rebekah Mikaelson...I can take you there right now if you want?" she offered.
"Urhm, excellent," he replied curiously and caught off guard, "is he potentially dangerous?"
"Potentially," Rebekah replied, chancing a daring glance at Liz who looked dazed and stunned.
"Hmmm, Sheriff I'm going to have to take jurisdiction," Shaw said turning to Liz.
"I'm sure the good sheriff is more than happy to do whatever she can to speed the arrest of these two...lawbreakers," Rebekah answered for her.
"Of course," Liz smiled falsely, "My er- my car's in the lot out front," she said as she sheepishly passed him the keys. Within seconds Shaw and Rebekah had left the office and were on their way to the Salvatore Boarding House.
Liz fumbled with her phone and dialled Caroline's cell. "We've got a problem," she announced sternly as she attempted to physically rub the migraine from her brow.
Yesterday, Sunnydale California.
"Who was that?" Xander asked after Buffy said her thanks to Officer Logan and placed the phone slowly on the table. When he got no reply he turned to Willow.
"It was the police asking for Buffy," Willow answered.
"What'd they want Buff? Did 'ya rob a bank and not tell any of us?" joked Xander.
"If only," she half smiled. "It's Faith, she's, er, she broke out of prison a few days ago. The police thought they should call after she was arrested here a few years ago before she bailed to L.A."
"Oh my god," Willow breathed, "why would Faith want to break out? I thought she turned herself in."
"She did," Buffy answered. "Guess I didn't stick," Buffy said purposefully. She looked up from her fixed gaze on the phone and headed to her room, Xander and Willow quick at her heels. She pulled her bag from the closet and began frantically packing it with spare clothes and weapons.
"Buffy, maybe you shouldn't go after Faith. I mean aren't you tired of cleaning up after her? Mabe you could just let the police handle it this time," Willow suggested sheepishly.
"Xander I need you to call Anya and get her to do that teleporty thing with me," Buffy said ignoring Willow.
"You want me to open that can o' worms?" Xander asked.
"Yes Xander, yes I do," Buffy replied as she began loading up on Holy Water. "Officer said something about FBI dispatch to a town in Virginia, I'll start there. Take care of Dawn for me while I'm gone?" she asked.
"Whoa whoa, let's take a second to think about this," Xander asserted loudly, things were happening all too fast for him. "5 minutes ago you were pouring orange juice and now you're planning on teleporting across state lines with a pissed off vengeance demon?"
Willow began, "Xander's right Buffy you should think this through. Faith's dangerous-"
"You can't go alone," Xander interrupted. Buffy turned to them now, her bag almost full.
"Willow's right. Faith is, has been and likely will always be one part down on the human condition...which is exactly why I have to go alone. Xand she could squash you and Will, I can't put you at risk of going back to the way things were," Buffy explained.
Xander began, "Buff-"
"Call. Anya." she dictated sternly.
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