AN: Hey everyone! Thank you so much to all who followed and faved! Honestly knowing people like and are even interested in the story really helps write it! Also I know I'm a few episodes behind but (Spoiler alert, just in case) who else cried like a baby when Kol died (again) on the Originals? Hopefully he'll be back! Anyways hope you all like chapter eight…
Sleep evaded Kara all the rest of that morning. Her mind was reeling over what she had just witnessed, what she had just experienced. Her head was pounding. It had been ever since that woman had attacked her last night but her body; her body felt like it did before she had contracted the influenza. There was no weakness, no heaviness in her limbs, no shortness of breath, and no palpitations. She felt normal. She had taken to sitting on the floor with her back to the door since it had happened. She had stayed in that position for the two hours, going over what had taken place again and again in her mind. Blood still stained the collar of her night clothes and the ends of her hair and how she was going to explain it she didn't know but she had bigger things to worry about. Her family was in trouble. Emily was a witch and Katherine was a…monster…no she had read something on a beast that drank blood from victims before she was sure. She would go to the library today and discover what fearsome creature she was. Stefan was under some sort of spell or trance, that was one thing she was sure of, he didn't even bat an eyelid when Katherine had been ripping off her throat last night and despite Katherine's great beauty she was sure either of her brother's would frown on the fact that a prospective mate was a psychotic killer. In a great many ways she prayed for Damon to return more swiftly, to take over this nightmare and save them all but then again Damon was safe from the supernatural horrors that were taking place where he was for now. Safe in the army at war, she almost laughed at herself but it was true. She only hoped that the same thing wouldn't become him when he did return.
At six thirty she slowly got up from the floor, careful not to jostle her hurting head too much and went to dress behind the dressing screen. Normally she would not awake until seven and by that time one of the maids would have come and removed the water basin from the night before and replaced it with a fresh one, now however she would just make do with the one from the previous night. She cleaned the blood off of her skin as much as possible before dressing in a corset, which she only loosely tied herself and a pale purple and white dress that she had lain out for herself. She brushed her hair through. Made sure she was somewhat presentable looking before getting up and moving to leave the room. Her maid Sally entered the room at the exact same moment.
Normally she would come in, a big smile on her face despite the earliness of the hour, wake Kara, help her dress and then dispose of her dirty washing and bathing water. The young woman seemed to look a little shocked to say the least at Kara coming to the door towards her.
"Oh Miss, you gave me a start" she said putting the fresh water basin down on a side table and holding a hand to her obviously fast beating heart.
"My apologies Sally, I was hoping to have left before you arrived" Kara said trying to inch her way passed the startled maid. She ducked her eyes in an effort to not make eye contact for fear that Sally would notice something was amiss with her.
"Left to where Miss? Didn't your father forbid you from leaving the premises without he himself or a proper escort?"
Sally didn't look angry or accusing, just concerned.
Kara had reached the door. She could easily just turn the door knob and release herself to freedom but one look at her maids concerned eyes knew that she had to give her some form of explanation, if only to prevent her getting into trouble with her father later.
"Do not fret Sally; I'm just going to the library".
Sally looked unsure so Kara continued.
"Katherine told me of a wondrous book she once read last night and told me I must read it. Well it sounded so amazing that I thought that I just had to find a copy so I thought I would venture out and be home long before my father will wake" Kara made an effort to give the maid a big smile at the end. She had tried to make it sound as plausible as possible and even the servants knew of her affinity for books.
'If only they knew the truth' she thought, a smile still fixed on her face.
"Very well" Sally said slowly the smile on Kara's face catching to her own "As long as you don't mention my name when you get caught Miss, I'm still scrubbing the copper pots in the drawing room from the time I let you out to the stables when you had your cold".
"I never saw you" Kara winked finally releasing herself out of the door.
As she walked down the route she had taken the night before, the route in her own house in which she was attacked her stomach flipped. She felt sick, bile bubbling dangerously close to the exit of her throat. She passed the area in the corridor where Katherine had attacked her and wondered at the fact that it look totally normal today. Her mind seemed to veer at more morbid thoughts. 'Would it of looked that normal if Katherine had killed her? Would Sally have found her body there this morning? Who would have taken the blame, Stefan? Her father? One of the servants?' She stopped and physically shook herself out of the thoughts and pushed herself forward.
Her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she passed Stefan's room and could hear giggling and laughing. She knew straight away that it was Katherine in the room with her brother. Despite her appearance she knew of the things that happened between men and women. If course she was told all of her life that she was a lady and should not take part in such activity's until the night of her wedding but that didn't mean that her brothers couldn't partake. She knew her brother Damon participated in such activities quite a lot before he left for the army and was one of her Father's deciding factors in sending him. Giuseppe Salvatore wanted his oldest son to finally settle down. Damon, Kara knew would settle down when he was good and ready and not when someone told him to. Listening to Katherine's annoying shrill laugh she was immediately torn between fleeing in terror or bursting into the room and pulling her hair out. She know that the latter idea was complete madness, even if Katherine was just a human she was taller and stockier than her and would definitely not come out on the winning side of any fight.
Side-stepping the parts of the wooden floor that she knew would creak under her weight she made her way down the stairs. Before she even reached the bottom she could hear high ranking members of staff barking orders to their lower counterparts to get things done before any of the family awoke. Lucky for her they were too busy in doing this to notice her slip past through the kitchens, by-pass one of the scullery maids that was flirting with the newspaper delivery man and out onto the back lawn where she would follow the pebble-dashed footpath around the side of the house, through the gate and off of the grounds. It was a route she had taken many times before, at least once a week during a bout of good health. In spring and early summer the route looked picturesque, the trees green and full swaying lowly in a warm breeze carrying scents and odours of flowers and cut grass. Even now as they were well into autumn and the weather was becoming slightly cooler it still had the relics of the summer smells. Kara didn't have time right now to admire the seasonal beauty, nor to sit under a tree in contemplation of how the birds were slowly drifting from their tree's to more southern locations. She quickened her stride, her breathing coming at faster intervals as she did so.
She exited her father's estate and followed the footpath as it joined the street towards the town centre. She noted that it was quiet but not unusually so for this time of the day. As she moved closer to the centre of town she observed it became noticeably busier. It was when she saw people moving large amounts of produce towards the central square of the town both in large hand carts and on the backs of horses that she realised it was market day. One day in all of the week when tradesman from both Mystic falls and neighbouring towns and villages would set up stalls lining the street and try to sell their stock in a more old-fashioned style of trading. She used to love coming to town early with her mother when she was a child. In the summer days her mother would bring a picnic blanket and Damon, Stefan, her mother and herself would sit under a large oak tree in a grass area near the towns square under the sun and eating as much fresh fruit as their stomachs could handle. Kara despite herself could not help the small smile that appeared on her face at the thought of it. Her mother used to bring a punnet of pears home for her father, who would have been busy working in his office all day and he would take one almost immediately and take the largest bite Kara had ever seen someone take. Looking back at the memory now she was sure he only did it to make her laugh, but he did eat the rest of the punnet greedily within three days.
It was strange for Kara to think that she hadn't been out of the house properly on market day since her mother had died. Sure sometimes she would see some vendors out of the carriage windows when she passed on the way to the dress makers, or a doctor's appointment but she never got to browse the stalls or listen to the salespeople bartering with their latest customers.
Even though Kara found herself on a mission today, a mission of drastic importance. One to save her family she decided that she would find as many books on the topic as she could. The topic as to the identity of the beast which seemed to have disguised itself as Katherine Pierce and then sit under the same tree they had sat beneath when her mother was alive. The great oak tree on a grassy hill that overlooked the street in which the stalls were set. The tree in which under its lowest branch donned the letters D+S+K after Damon, Stefan and she. Damon had produced a pocket knife on one trip, one that his father had given him and had carved all of the letters when Georgianna had been busy buying lunch for them all. To their surprise, when she returned she just glanced at the etching once, smiled and then never referred to it again. She had even denied all knowledge of the graffiti when Bart Sloane, the man who looked after the planted trees and flowers in the public areas of Mystic falls came asking. He stopped his enquiry when he accused the sixty-year-old Donald Samuel Karrington of involvement and was threatened to be sued for slander.
Kara walked further through the town and was about to turn left onto the street where the public library stood but walked straight into a solid object instead. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't think to balance herself and would have fallen to the ground if it wasn't for a single arm that reached out to steady her.
"I am so very sorry…" she started but stopped when she looked up to see a familiar face.
The man smiled down at her, his height almost towering above her. He wore an army uniform but he's left arm looked to be bandaged in a sling. He still held his right arm out to steady her.
"Mr Gilbert?" Kara asked almost shocked to see the man in front of her, standing in front of her.
"Kara how many times do I have to tell you to call me Evan" he joked the dimples around his mouth more noticeable when he smiled. Evan was the eldest son of Jonathon Gilbert, a well-known inventor in the town. He was the same age as Stefan and had come to know Kara during her doctor's treatments after the influenza when they were children. Evan had had a speech impediment which Dr Marsh was treating at the same time he was treating Kara and their path's had crossed more than once. Even when Evan had 'grown out' of his impediment about a year and half after treatment began he still visited with Kara. They eventually just drifted apart but she had heard that he had joined the fight and enlisted in the army. He had left a couple of months before Damon and George. His father had said he was so proud but it was noticed by a lot of people that he had become more withdrawn in himself and took more and more to his lab and inventions. She hadn't heard news of Evan's obvious injury though.
"You were hurt?" she asked eyeing the slightly discoloured sling that held his arm in position.
Evan looked to his arm as if somehow he had forgotten it was there.
"Yes" he nodded his brow frowning as if he was trying to call up the memory "A bullet came a little too close for comfort". He laughed trying to make light of the situation.
"Good lord" Kara exclaimed looking from his face to his arm "Does it hurt terribly?"
Kara could see Evan trying to puff up his chest in an effort to give a macho answer, to swear he didn't feel it, to say the other guy was worse off. It was a signal Kara had seen her brothers give many times so she decided to stop Evan Gilbert before he could start.
"The truth Evan" she said trying to look as encouraging as she could.
He paused for a moment before answering.
"He hurt a lot at first. The bullet hit near the bone and they spent a lot of time trying to fish it out of me" he paused and looked to Kara to see if he had been giving her too much information. When he saw that he wasn't he continued.
"But they got it out and it didn't get infected. I was lucky to keep it, the arm I mean".
"Your home now" Kara said supportively giving him one of her own smiles "Does your father know?"
This question changed the mood completely.
"No, I was just on my way there now, to surprise him".
"He will be thrilled to see you; he's been in his office a lot since you've been gone"
"Probably trying to invent some type of anti-war device I suspect" They jointly chuckled at this.
"And how are you?" he asked looking at her in the same regard she had just peered him in.
She looked at him stubbornly but knew she must answer. He had been the only person that was not in her family that was allowed to ask that question. He had been the one sitting in the chair in the waiting room beside her or in a hospital bed next to her while they both had been getting different forms of treatment. He knew, to a degree what she had been feeling when she had gone through it. Yes his case was not nearly as life threatening as hers but he still had to undergo treatments, endure being treated differently by family, friends, peer's and know what it was like to have something affect your body that you couldn't control.
"I'm fine, very well in fact" she said with a small smile trying to mask the fact that she was lying through her teeth.
When he looked at her in a way that said he didn't believe her she continued.
"See I'm out and about, all by myself and everything".
"Hmm" he enquired narrowing his eyes to view her "And without your fathers permission as well I imagine".
"I am only venturing to the library" she spoke defensively "So excuse me for thinking that that did not require a minder".
"I'm not accusing, only..." he stopped searching for the right word "Observing".
"Very good then" Kara said calming down immensely and now suddenly feeling a little foolish in herself. Not thinking of anything else to say after her 'outburst' she went to walk away.
She gathered the skirt of her dress to lift enough to do a small curtsy.
"Have a good day Mr Gilbert" she spoke as she began walking.
"Hey Kara wait a moment will you?" Evan asked somewhat running after her.
She stopped and looked back at him with a storm in her eyes.
"What?"
"Well, it's just I've seen you now".
Kara looked at him confused.
"So?"
"So what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't escort you to the library myself". He took her arm to link it with his good one and began walking.
Kara looked at him as if he had gone crazy. She could see the top of the library from where she was standing. It was literally a four minute trip.
"Evan, it is not five minutes away, I am sure I can manage this portion of my trip by myself".
"A lot could happen in five minutes Kara" he said obviously not taking no for an answer.
"Very well" she agreed admitting defeat and letting Evan guide her towards the library doors.
"When do you return to battle?" she asked him, her eyes fixed on the library getting closer in the distance rather than his face.
"I don't" he replied and she looked at him to clarify.
"Honourable discharge" he indicated to his arm again "I guess they think I won't be able to hold a rifle any more".
"But that's good" Kara spoke trying to gauge Evan's thoughts of the situation as she did "You can start your life properly, no more fighting"
Evan nodded slightly but looked a little disappointed.
"I just wanted to do my bit, didn't think I'd be leaving before it all finished".
"You did, what I would give to hear that Damon was coming home indefinitely"
"I heard he had enlisted" Evan said "How is he doing out there?"
"He's stayed alive thus far" Kara sighed "He and George are to come home soon for the founder's day ball the Lockwood's are hosting"
"They acquired leave?" Evan asked a little surprised.
Kara nodded and Evan let out a long breath.
"I don't know what they did to manage that, leave at this time is like gold dust"
"Well I'm just glad they did" Kara smile as they both began walking up the steps to the library.
"Will you go to the ball Kara?" Evan asked sounding a bit more melodic than he intended to. Kara let out a small laugh.
"You make it sound like I am Cinderella" she laughed again and this time he joined her.
"All I meant was" he said the laugh still infectious on his face "Do you think your father will let you go?"
Kara stilled as they reached the top of the steps and Evan turned to her waiting the reply of his question.
"If I stay this well he might" Kara answered her thoughts still going through the many scenarios in her mind that she thought were most likely to play out "It is a town event so perhaps if my health stays alright he might decide that too attend is more important than not to"
"Well if you are then you must promise to save me a dance" Evan proposed with a mischievous glint in his eye, his dimples becoming more pronounced as he smiled at her.
Kara couldn't help but smile back. Evan had been one of the only people that ever treated her like a normal person and she was thankful for that.
"Are you sure you'll be well enough to dance with that arm Mr Gilbert?" she asked mockingly.
"I'll just have to make sure that I make myself well enough now won't I Miss Salvatore?" he replied matching her tone.
As they reached the door Evan took the chrome handle in his good hand and pulled the glass panelled door opened with very little effort.
Kara turned to him.
"Thank you for escorting me here" she smiled "Although I choose to view it as a casual accompaniment rather than you chaperoning me"
"A catch up between old friends?" Evan suggested.
"Exactly" Kara agreed. She walked through the threshold of the library, the smells of books hitting her almost immediately.
"Until next time" Evan said giving her a slightly over-exaggerated bow.
Kara just gave a one-nod curtsey and turned into her destination. She didn't see him walk away, only heard the door swing shut as he left.
What did you think? Please any reviews are totally welcome. Constructive criticism can only help someone become a better writer! JAlso any thoughts or idea's you might have are welcome and if you have any questions you can be sure that I will promptly answer them! So I have a bit of spare time on my hands and I have already started the next chapter so it most likely won't take as long to post! JWhich, by the way will be featuring the wonderful Kol Mikaelson..:) As always thank you for reading and your continued support!