Author Disclaimer: It's been a hot minute since I've done any writing of any kind, and for that I apologize. Life has become more than a little hectic so I've been neglectful. But I'm slowly getting back into the groove and fine tuning a lot. I don't own anything except my Original Character Alix. I changed the title of the story, it's based off the song by Kat Cunning 'King of Shadow', which is amazing BTW. Anyhow...on with the story...PS I LOVE YOU ALL.~ Babe
Chapter Summary: Alix Winchester is spending her first night back in Mystic Falls...and things don't exactly go according to plan; but let's be honest, when do they ever?
"I can be the king of shadow
Everywhere you turn I'm chasing you
Tell you where to go, I follow
Everywhere you run, I'm stuck on you"
-Kat Cunning "King of Shadow"
There was a beautiful historic boarding house that lingered on the edge of a town that was not only equal in its beauty but mysterious beyond measure. Inside the ostentatious home were rooms of equally obnoxious preportions to its exterior. One room in particular was where a young girl by the name of Alix was resting. The term resting was not what was actually occuring, but it's general enough that you get the idea. The petite brunette was laying on the cloudlike mattress of a bed that was so grand in stature that it could easily swallow her whole, the soft material doing nothing to deter her body from thrashing about for the umpteenth time that night.
If one were to pass the girl by on the street with not much more than a quick glance, one would almost swear she was no more than that of a woman in her early to mid-twenties. That's the thing about Mother Nature; not only is she known for her wrath and beauty...she's also quite the conjurer. Mother Nature had managed to create an illusion so intricate that the woman on the bed looked quite young despite being thousands of years old.
The silence inside the room was shattered by a pained whimper that flew from her lips accompanied by her body spasming and twitching of its own accord. Her soft emerald eyes performed an erratic dance behind her lids as her subconscious endured an unending tirade of visions with the stamina of an unrelenting invading army. She drew in a quick breath before her body shot up; the woman now very much awake and panting as if she'd just fled from the Devil himself. After rubbing her face, Alix rested her hand just above her heart, taking notice of not only the rapid beat of her heart but also the clammy texture of her skin beneath her trembling palm.
It wasn't very long before she was able to calm down; Alix's heart rate and breathing returning to their routine programming. This gave her pause to release a heavy, exhausted sigh that spoke volumes. Sitting there amongst her companions of darkness and silence, Alix didn't need to recall the events that led up to her current state, she knew that culprit way too well.
The whole scenario was something Alix had no choice but to integrate as part of her regular rountine for the past year, all because of a 'harmless' dream. Like many amongst the general population, Alix wasn't unfamiliar with having the occasional dream repeat itself. However, when it's exact same dream down to every detail and sequence replaying itself night after night...that's something that Alix begins to question. When it first happened, Alix was kind of grateful for the reprieve from the usual horrors that tormented her, but as time wore on, she was hoping that they would come back. At least with them, there was a logical explanation behind them.
After the first week, Alix decided to keep a journal, hoping that by keeping a detailed account of the dream, she could trace its origins and maybe understand why she was having it to begin with. A year on and she was nowhere closer to answers than when the dream first appeared.
It always starts the same way; she is standing at the entrance of a large hall that was decorated and turned into a dancehall, like the kind one would find inside a medieval castle or historic estate. Inside the room were lots of people, men and women who were dressed elaborately in medieval clothing. It was as if something or someone had announced her presence the way each unfamiliar face turned to look and watch Alix. Their eyes giving off such an intense, knowing feeling as if they knew exactly who she was. It wasn't just the fact that Alix was suddenly the center of attenion that unnerved her, it was also the fact that while she didn't have the first clue as to who these people were, there was an odd sense of familiarity that lingered about them.
As the dream progressed, Alix made her way further into the room. It was then that everything came to screeching halt, even time itself it seemed. Those who were enjoying a dance with their retrospective partners halted mere moments before parting as though Moses had arrived with his Staff and they were the Red Sea. It was in this moment that a mysterious man would gracefully pass through the space, his eyes trained directly on Alix. The weight of his gaze silently cast a spell of immobility over her, all the while his determined stride led him straight to her.
Whoever this man was, Alix couldn't deny that he was one of the most attractive men she'd ever had the pleasure of seeing. His wavy brown hair cascaded with an unnatural, ethereal grace resting gently against his shoulders. His entire demeanor encompassed the very definition of regality, especially his well-chiseled bone structure. Those enchanting brown eyes of his held within them a plethora of things that longed to be conveyed and understood. The glint she caught from the candlelight caused every square inch of her skin to flush.
It felt wrong to feel such an unnaturally strong pull towards someone she'd never met before. It was like he was able to command her with just a look. She couldn't understand, there was no logcial reasoning behind that annoying feeling in the back of her mind that told her she'd seen him before, somewhere outside of this nightmare.
After disentangling herself from the sweat-soaked silk sheet, Alix took a moment to gather her wits. In that time, she shook her head to dispel the lingering drowsiness before pushing herself towards the edge of the bed. Standing on slightly steady legs, she stretched her body, relieving the aching tension in her muscles and tendons. Glancing out the window and noting how dark it still was, she wondered was the time was. Looking back towards the clock sitting on the antique mahogany nightstand, she got her answer.
4:15 A.M.
Those god-awful bright red numbers took on a taunting manner when she realized that going back to sleep, even for another hour, was out of the question for her. That was a fun little quirk her body liked to do to piss her off, managing to quickly revert her back into a disgruntled, hormonal teenager as she flipped off the inanimate object before ungracefully plopping back down onto the bed.
'I am forever doomed to live like this.' She thought glumly to herself while raking her fingers through her untamed mane.
Accepting the fact that she was now awake for the remainder of the day, Alix pushed herself off the bed and padded softly to the settee where she'd carelessly tossed her robe earlier. Slipping on the soft material to cover her white cami and black plaid pajama shorts, she walked to the door. She turned the knob ever so slowly in order to not alert the other two supernatural creatures slumbering in the rooms towrds the end of the hall to her now awakened state. After what seemed like forever, the door finally opened without so much as a creak. Alix cautiously stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, pausing for a second to see if her presence had been detected. Hearing nothing but the bugs chattering outside, she made her way towards the stairway in absolute silence.
Now, when you have a house that is as old if not older than its current owners, you could have a featherweight touch and it would sound like an elephant had just barged into the room...which was Alix's current issue. Every careful placement of her foot resulted in a loud groan of protest from the wood, which elicited an array of curses so coloful that even the most seasoned sailor would blush cherry red before fleeing to the nearest monastery. Knowing there were only a few steps left, Alix abandoned the pointless charade altogether and jumped down to the main floor.
Finally clear of the noisy ass stairs, she turned and entered the large sitting room. A disapproving scowl appeared on her face at seeing the fire from last night still roaring with life, however, the room lacked evidence of anyone having been downt here in the last few hours.
'I don't know what kind of sorcery is going on here, but if those dumbasses aren't careful, they'll burn this beautiful home down to the ground and I'll be of no help because I'll be too busy roasting hotdogs.' Alix internally mused as she crossed the length of the room towards the table hidden behind the large black leather couch. Instinctively, her hand reached for the glass decanter that housed her favorite poison, whiskey. However, she paused after spotting the small silver flask. With a grin, she bit her bottom lip in elation over finding this precious little treasure. Inside the small silver casing held inside a liquor so sacred that its own was known to lash out violently at those who dared to steal from it.
Taking a glass and filling it with a finger's worth of that rare delicacy, she brought the glass up to her nose. Inhaling that eccentric scent, Alix closed her eyes as the heady aroma took her on a journey down memory lane. As she slowly opened her eyes, she smirked as her senses alerted her to the new occupant in the room.
"I don't know why you bother trying, Damon Salvtore. I know you're there." She chastised.
"Guess I won't need to bother with trying to be quiet then." He shot back.
Glancing over her shoulder, Alix flashed him a full-blown grin. "When have you ever been quiet? I swear it's like you purposely forget that I'm able to sense you. Don't tell me you've managed to catch a bout of senility."
Damon shot her a contemptuous glare as he pointed a finger at her. "You better watch that smart mouth of yours or you'll end up over my knee." To which she gave him an 'oh really?' look, causing him to salaciously smile back. "I've known about that little parlor trick of yours for the better part of a century. I was subtly referring to the 'how' part." He clarified before closing the short distance between them. He invaded her personal space to the point she leaned back. "Be a sweetheart and tell your old pal how it all works."
"Pretty sure it's unethical to ask a magician to reveal their secrets." Alix quipped as she took a step back. "Besides, I'm just as in the dark as you are when it comes to how it all works. It's just one of the many things I'm chalking up to the shit I've managed to inherit from the sperm donor." She shrugged before taking a sip from her glass.
She was hoping to enjoy that first sip; she wanted to relish in the bourbon's slow yet smooth burn but the look she was getting from her friend clearly stated that was impossible. Alix stared blankly back at him for a long moment before getting fed up and quirking an eyebrow in hopes of urging him to spit out whatever he was desperate to say.
"You're really going to start drinking already?" He quipped in a judgy tone before he moved around her to fix a glass for himself. An irritated growl resonated upon him discovering that the flask was almost empty.
"What makes you think I've just started?" There was a pause between the two of them before she chuckled softly. "I'm only on my first one, relax. Besides, I'm a little offended that since you were the one who called me down here, you've completely neglected to keep up on your coffee stock. It's like you don't even know me anymore." Alix gave him a sardonic smile before turning to sit on the couch. She claimed the spot on the far end where she curled his knees up against her chest, using her knees as a place to rest her glass.
From an outsider's perspective, the whole scene appeared to show two friends quipping back and forth. But from the perspective of the two people involved, it was quite another story; one that was downright sad. They were best friends, had been for many years and yet this was the first real conversation either of them had had with one another in about 50 years. Sure, when she arrived yesterday, they had conversed sparingly, but the topic was mainly about the Elena/Katherine situation; it lacked their usual banter. Alix felt guilty that she didn't make more of an effort to write or call more often that she did.
Damon had been the one to make a move first; his call for help became her much-needed sign for a break. The constant fights with angels, demons, a few monsters in between as well as the inner fighting between her and her brothers and the exhausting task of waiting to see if the world was actually going to end on top of the dream bullshit was proving to be more taxing on her emotionally and mentally than she'd anticipated. She needed a breather, she needed some clarity, she needed something more tangible to deal with. It also didn't hurt that there was a pretty good chance of getting the opportunity to beat the hell out of Katherine.
Damon flashed to the fireplace, using his forearm as support, he leaned his weight against the wall as he stared into the crackling flames. The light from their sporadic dance illuminated his perturbed features. This made Alix frown; she knew him well enough to know that Katherine's sudden reappearance was bothering him, but Hell would freeze over before he would ever admit to just how much it affected him. He was the kind of man that took great pleasure in bragging over how well he knew the immortal vixen, but years and numerous lies coming to light proved just how little he did know her...if he ever actually did at all.
Alix watched with heavy concern as her friend drained his bourbon in one go before tossing the empty glass a little too forcefully into the fire. Without a sound, Damon quickly spun around and claimed the empty spot next to Alix on the couch. He leaned against her, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck like a child seeking comfort.
"Should we talk about it?" Alix murmured before she could stop herself. She wanted to slap herself for the slip up; it had been a force of habit from living with her brothers. This wasn't one of her brothers, this was Damon Salvatore and getting him to speak on anything personal pertaining to him was like pulling teeth. He was the kind of guy that kept his cards close to the chest; always presenting an aloof demeanor to mask any weaknesses.
"You are like the seventh person to ask me that. It's beginning to get super annoying." Damon replied petulantly. "Do you think there is some quota you all have to hit before you finally unlock the answer?"
Alix remained silent, giving him the time to just bitch; to get it all out in front of someone who was less likely to take anything he said during that moment personally.
"Seeing as neither of us is drunk enough for that conversation, we're going to skip the traumatizing moment and help me understand why you're drinking my bourbon at the ass crack of dawn."
'Ohhh fuck'.
The quick diversion in the conversation left Alix feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. It was apparent that Damon had become more observant over the years. Had she not been distracted, she might've anticipated his deflection tactic. It was downright disgusting how easily the man could manipulate a situation or conversation at the drop of a dime. With a roll of her eyes, she indulged him...like she always did.
"I couldn't go back to sleep." She admitted with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "This dream I keep having...I think it's finally starting to really fuck with me." She muttered into her glass as she took another sip. The master manipulator took her hand in his, letting his fingers lazily dance across the back of hers in a hypnotic pattern.
"How so?" He pressed, turning her hand over to trace the small lines of her palm.
She sat quietly for a moment, wondering if it was possible to take a page from his book and divert the conversation. However, the more his thumb caressed her skin, the calmer...more relaxed Alix began to feel. "Okay, for argument's sake, let's say you've been having this dream where you find yourself in a room full of people you've never met but for some strange reason...there's a voice in the back of your head screaming that you're supposed to know them."
The silence that Alix was met with did little to aid her comfort. "You know what, forget I said anything. Let's just chalk it up to me having a crazy moment and never speak of it again." She suggested, removing her hand from his.
From the corner of her eye, Alix saw the strange look that crossed Damon's face; it was the perfect blend of deep contemplation and utter confusion. Now she really began to feel crazy. Meanwhile, inside Damon's head, her words kept echoing. In all the years he'd known her, there wasn't a single moment he'd ever thought she was crazy. If anything, she was one of the sanest people he'd ever met. Now, just because someone was of a sound mind did not exclude them from making questionable life choices once in a while...she willingly chose to stand by him and be his friend.
"Nah." Damon finally spoke, shaking his head. "You aren't having a moment of craziness, sweetheart. But I would watch what you say around the others. You've publicly declared yourself my friend and that fact alone would make you certifiable in their book." He teased with a knowing grin. "It also wouldn't hurt to lay off the weed before bed."
Alix's mouth hung open in shock while her eyes narrowed to slits as she turned her head. He was met with one of the most contemptuous glares he'd ever seen before. "You are a complete asshole, you know that right? One bad trip and now I'll never hear the end of it. I'm never inviting you to anything again, you little shit."
Damon chuckled heartily as his friend sulked. He raised his hands in surrender to placate her fury. She, on the other hand, was not amused by this. She fought against the overwhelming desire to punch his pretty little face into oblivion but refained with the knowledge that it would be doing nothing but fueling an already blazing fire.
"You do know that I can't talk about any of the shit I've seen over the years, right? Seriously...the moment I open my mouth, I'd be whisked away by men in white coats and locked up for the rest of my long-ass life."
Alix's comment was meant to lighten the mood, but there was a lot of truth behind her statement.
"Thank the Lord above for you finally adressing the big ass elephant in the room! Took you fucking long enough." Damon declared dramatically. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to ask you about that?"
"I dunno, 'cause honestly I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about."
"This is not a game you want to play with me, beautiful." Damon chided with a wag of his finger. He clearly saw past her piss poor attempt at playing coy. "You knew there was a price to tapping into my stash, so buck up and tell your bestie all the nasty details."
For dramatic effect, the little shit even pouted.
"Let me get this straight; you want me," she paused, pointing to herself. "to tell you," another pause and she pointed at him, "about all the weird, crazy, and even fucked up stuff I've seen since I started my job? The same said stuff and took me forever to accept was real?"
When Damon's face remained unchanged, Alix rolled her eyes before she contemplated how in the hell to explain it without giving away too much.
Apparently, Damon was assuming that her answer would be simple and easy; but when you were dealing with the supernatural, simple and easy were two words that rarely made an appearance together. There was a very distinct line between what you think you know and what was actual fact. A majority of those who were involved in this line of work got into it because of the wrong place, wrong time scenario...or they were collateral damage. Any seasoned hunter still alive would be the first to tell you that actively seeking this stuff out would not only guarantee a target on your back as well as those closest to you, but there were some things that were even bold enough to bring the fight right to your front door, zero fucks given.
Alix scrambled to think of anything that she could say that would not only satiate Damon's curiosity, but be vauge enough that he wouldn't think to delve deeper. Why did she have to be friends with the most irritating creature on the planet?
"Alright, let's assume that during your time as a vampire, you must've perused a book or two about ancient folklore and mythical creatures, right?" Alix surmised, to which Damon affirmed. "Um, I think that might cover maybe a fraction of what's out there. I'm pretty sure I've even managed to bump into a few things that were wandering around when I was a kid."
Silence regain control of the room, serving only to fuel Alix's anxiety towards Damon's reaction. No one likes awkward silences, Alix especially. It unnerved her, filling her with an undeniable compulsion to fill it with something, didn't matter what it was. If the silence dragged on, it usually resulted in her saying or doing something not a lot of people would classify as appriopriate.
From the very beginning of their friendship, Alix maintained a spy-like mentality when it came to the subject of herself. She figured that the fewer people who knew about her, the less likely they were to become collateral damage...especially if they ever figured out what she was. During their first meeting, Damon knew she wasn't exactly human, so she came up with some ridiculous cover story about her being one of those guardians of humanity. Alix became aware of what she was many millenia ago, and she was still trying to come to terms with it.
There wasn't anyone outside of the boys, Bobby, and Castiel who knew what she was...and that she was now the monster that needed to be hunted.
Damon's attention eventually came back to Alix. He turned his head, his mouth poised with some kind of response that was unfortunately cut off due to the loud vibration that reverberated from her cellphone. Shifting around, Alix dug the phone from her robe pocket, cocking an eyebrow at the familiar name flashing across the screen.
Sammy.
Alix couldn't stop the panic that swelled inside her, her heart picking up its pace with each illumination of her screen. Her mind raced with various reasons behind why he would be calling at such an ungodly hour.
Standing up, she flashed Damon an apologetic smile. "You know I'm not one for leaving things unfinished, but this is something I need to deal with. We'll continue this later."
In the blink of an eye, she disappeared only to reappear in the room she was staying in. She took a moment to pull herself together before pressing the answer icon.
"Hello?"
"Alix? It's Sam."
She visibly relaxed at that. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his blatant observation. "Really? I never would've thought that." She deadpanned. "I mean, it's not like I have that crafty invention of caller ID or anything."
"Oh for God sakes, we're starting with the smart-ass commentary already?" Sam groaned.
"Oh, I know you clearly meant 'quick-witted', baby brother. People have complimented me on that, saying they find it charming and refreshing." Alix boasted proudly. "You know I can't pass up an opening like that, so relax and tell me what's up."
"Oh, so we're skipping the formalities, are we? No 'how are you?', not even an 'I've missed you'? We're just diving head-first into the heart of the matter then?" Sam snorted. "It ever occur to you that I just wanted to chat with my pain in the ass sister? Maybe I just missed you and wanted to check in?"
"Yeah, okay." She scoffed in disbelief, all the while fighting to keep from singing 'liar, liar, pants on fucking fire'. "If this were five, even ten years ago, I would've bought straight into that. However, I know for a fact that I just talked to you yesterday when I arrived, and for the record Samuel Winchester, you've never called me this early in the morning to simply say you missed me. So, all the evidence points to there being something else going on." Sam responded only with a defeated sigh, which caused Alix to smirk victoriously. "So, let's try this again; what's up?"
"Fuck it, you win." He chirped indignantly. "I have been worried about you, you know...especially with those dreams. So, I...erm...went to Bobby's last night."
'Oh, so this is how my day is going to go, huh?'
"Uh-uh, you went to Bobby's last night. Did you have a nice visit with the old...hold the hell up; I know you didn't go to Bobby's to talk about me and my dreams, Samuel. We had an agreement...a pact, remember? 'Never tell anyone unless absolutely necessary'."
"Ali, please...you know I wouldn't say anything unless there was a reason. Just hear me out." Sam pleaded, which was the exact opposite of what she wanted to do. What she really wanted to do was pretty nefarious...bordering on psychotic.
"You're secret is still safe, I promise. I went because I needed a second opinion on a possible theory of mine." He tried to explain, but was cut off by Alix's humorless laugh.
"It's really ironic that you would say my secret is safe when you are the one who couldn't keep his fucking trap shut!" Alix snapped. "Do you know how pissed off I am at you that I now have to ask about this fucking theory of yours?!"
The past year of nothing but endless fighting and a serious lack of sleep was beginning to come to a head. This was now the melted icing on the ruined cake.
"Uh, I think the reason you keep having the same dream is that it's not exactly a dream. I'm beginning to think it's a memory presenting itself as a dream because your mind has heavily repressed it for so long that it doesn't recognize it, it doesn't see the line between dream and reality."
"Why am I feeling like you've somehow managed to tell Bobby that I'm fucking crazy?! I mean, granted, you worded it so eloquently that it's very subtle, but fucking hell...saying that I'm not able to see what's real and what's not? That's textbook crazy, Sam."
"Hey! I didn't say it and I certainly didn't mean it like that!" Sam defended huffily.
"I'm not gonna fucking argue semantics with you." Alix warned with a heavy sense of finality. "Tell me what Bobby had to say."
"He...he seemed to agree." Sam supplied quietly.
Alix leaned her head back and let out a guttural groan. "Do I really want to know which part he agreed on? Doesn't matter, either way I'm not surprised. Just...next time you get the bright idea to explain my situation to someone, try not to make me sound completely incompetent, alright?" She muttered the last part more to herself. "Does your theory happen to explain why I would need to repress a memory so hardcore?"
The pregnant pause that greeted her did little to lift her sour spirits.
"That's the one thing I've yet to narrow down. With you, there are too many variables and possibilities." He sigh in complete resignation. "There could've been an accident, something really bad could've happened or maybe someone did something to you. With as old as you are, it would be near impossible to pinpoint one exact cause."
"There you go again with your passive-aggressive bullshit; first I'm incompetent and now I'm fucking old. You're on a roll tonight." Alix chuckled humorlessly, silently vowing to throat punch him the next time she saw him. "So, do you think if my brain got its shit together, maybe I'll eventually be able to figure out all this shit?"
"Bobby and I think there's a high possibility, but I haven't consulted with a witch or a psychic so I can't say for sure."
"Well Sammy, you earned yourself a gold star for not completely fucking up my day! See, your big sister happens to know the town witch/psychic." Alix creened in faux excitement. "But untill all the stuff here gets settled, my stuff is on the backburner." She added while ungracefully plopping onto the lounge chair.
"Going that well, huh?"
"How well does a Jerry Springer or Maury Povich episode go? That being said, there's never a dull moment here." She giggled. "How are things with you? You get a chance to talk with Dean yet?"
Just because she was on sabbatical from hunting didn't mean she wasn't keeping tabs on her brothers. She was constantly keeping in contact with them, acting like a mother hen especially now that they were split. Together, they managed to attract trouble like the plague. Alix's biggest concernwas now that they were separated, was it going to get worse?
It was completely justifiable why Dean was so angry with their baby brother. It wasn't starting the Apocalpyse that was the main issue; it was the deception, the demon blood and the choosing of Ruby over the family that broke everything. At the end of the day, it didn't matter if she was pissed or disappointed with him, he was family and she wasn't about to turn her back on that.
"It's been strangely quiet." He admitted with a chuckled, purposely choosing to avoid the Dean subject."I'm working at a bar, not a hunter bar but a plain Jane bar with regular people. There's even a girl here who keeps cornering me every time we work together. What's the normalcy rating on that?"
"Well, if you were just some regular schmuck, you'd be duller than a doornail. But since I know you, I can't help but break out the 'big sister' act and tell you to be careful...you tend to attract the crazies."
"Excuse you! What makes you the expert on relationships, Ali Cat?" Sam fired back. "Pretty sure Dean would give better advice compared to someone who's never been on a date."
Now...now she was fired up.
"First off, fuck you, you gangly bastard! I wasn't aware there was an actual relationship to be discussed in the first place. I assumed you were being sexually harrassed and just wanted you to be careful. Second off, if you think Dean can give you better relationship advice when the closest thing to an actual relationship that manwhore has had besides Baby is the clinic doctor, strictly because he runs the STD panels, you are certifiable. And last but not least, you arrogant little shit, I've been on dates before. I'll give it to you that it's been a long while, but that doesn't negate the fact that I know what the fuck I'm talking about." She huffed breathlessly, feeling very offended. "Besides, the lack of dtes doesn't always mean lack of experience...it also means that some people have high standards and don't settle, unlike those who shall remain nameless."
"Standards? Are these the same standards keeping you satisfied at night?" Sam threw out before finally checking the time. "Shit, I hate to end on this note but I need to get some sleep before my shift. You take care of yourself and call me if you need anything...anything at all."
"Yeah." Alix snorted. "I'll also make sure to see the candy upfront before getting into shady looking vans too."
"Such a fucking smartass you are."
"I can't deny fate, Sam. Who would take up the mantle if not me?"
"You're my favorite, you know that right?" Sam grinned.
"I better fucking be."