Author Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story idea and my Original Character Alix. Everything else belongs to their retrospective creators...I just borrowed them for a while. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my mindless dribble. Words alone cannot express how much I love you all. If you like to re-written chapters, feel free to leave a review. If you don't like them, leave a review (but hate and being an asshole, in general, will not be tolerated).- Babe
Chapter Summary: Go to a party they said...it'll be fun, they said...whoever said that bullshit...can fuck right the hell off.
"Bottom line is, even if you see 'em coming, you're not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. So, what are we? Helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come, you can't help that. It's what you do afterward that counts. That's when you find out who you are." -Whistler, Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Becoming: Part 1"
Being an individual who was trained to always anticipate the unexpected, there were still moments when life managed to pull one over on her; this day was no exception. Alix, in all her years, never expected to open the bedroom door and find Damon Salvatore standing there, looking quite uncomfortable as he held a rather large cup of coffee with the 'in your face' logo from that ridiculously over-priced popular franchise staring back at her. It was safe to say that she was confused by the whole scene before her, cocking a questioning eyebrow at him. He muttered on about wanting to protect his precious supply before thrusting the cup into her hand and vanishing downstairs.
Alix stood there for a moment before shaking her head and closing the door. She proceeded to get ready for the day, quickly showering and dressing before heading downstairs where she accidentally interrupted the Scooby Gang's meeting.
Caroline, or as Alix had secretly taken to calling her, Baby Vampire, had apparently turned up at the boarding house bright and early, desperate to relay Katherine's message. It would seem that Katherine was still a bit salty over Damon disposing of her werewolf lackey/fuck toy and stealing some rock. Per Baby Vampire, Katherine wanted this rock back so badly that she was going to be waiting at the Masquerade ball for it. And should they fail in following her requests, she was prepared to unleash a blood bath.
During the meeting, Alix sat on the couch, completely speechless as she watched everyone's reaction to the news, especially the Salvatores. From their surprised and shocked demeanor, it was as if everyone had been hit with a dose of spontaneous amnesia and completely forgot who they were dealing with. This was Katerina Petrova, a woman who clearly lacked any semblance of a moral compass. Out of the entire group, it was Alix that seemed to react in what she deemed was the norm; she knew the moment they'd met all those years ago what lengths this woman would go to get what she wanted. That woman was the very definition of chaos and destruction.
When all was said and done, the oddest thing occurred; even Alix was still a bit foggy on the details of how it all transpired, but she was sure it had everything to do with her manipulative best friend. All she remembers is that one minute, she was mid-discussion on some irrelevant topic, and the next, she finds herself agreeing to tag along to the party. Why would that be strange, you might ask? Well, it's strange because Alix isn't overly fond of parties...or crowds for that matter.
After berating herself for being distracted, Alix began to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. Sure, she was going to be miserable but the prize for her discomfort came with the thought she could very easily place herself into the perfect position to catch Katherine off guard and put an end to all this madness. But as her luck would have it, Alix wasn't particularly subtle with her plotting and Damon would quick to kill it when he announced that she and Elena's baby brother would go as backup. They were only to intervene if something went catastrophically wrong; which...I mean...what could possibly go wrong?
If looks held the ability to kill on site, Damon's longtime friend would've had him drawn, quartered and scattered across the four corners of the Earth.
After arriving at the party in the completely non-functional, ridiculously short, strapless dress that Baby Vampire had gleefully picked out, the evening utterly failed to bring any kind of joy to Alix. Seriously, the damn thing had peacock feathers across the torso of it, and there was so much lace for a dress that barely covered her ass. Anyway...well, there was a moment where Alix almost had a run-in with Katherine...until Damon showed up. Oh, and one cannot forget to mention that amazing moment when the Gilbert girl crashed the party like a badass. Alix had to give it to the girl, she had some balls. She was impressed with how quickly Elena put the pieces together despite being booted from the plan.
This was also the same said 'plan' that Alix had voiced multiple times had one gigantic hole in it that would easily bring it all crashing down; they were seriously underestimating Kathrine. They seemed to forget they were dealing with someone who was not only crafty as hell but had basically created the term 'elusive'. There was no sane person who would not take that information into consideration.
The fact that Katherine had gone to such extremes as to even employ a witch to link her to Elena, while it slightly stunned Alix, it didn't really come as a surprise.
Alix had seen and endured a lot in her life, but being forced to watch Elena scream in agony and contort her body while wound upon wound marred her flesh with the knowledge that there was little she could do but offer her hand and whisper useless words...there were no words to describe it. Horrific and gut-wrenching barely scratched the surface. It was one of the few times where Alix felt truly useless; no one could do anything until someone located the witch who cursed her to sever the link. Normally shy and timid Bonnie seemed to eagerly rise to the occasion, she stormed towards the Mansion like a thoroughly pissed off scorned lover.
As the evening's fiascos finally came to an end, Damon was left to dispose of a catatonic Katherine down into the underground tomb while Stefan remained behind to help clean up. Alix, however, she opted to stay with Elena until one of the brothers returned for her.
So, in an attempt to distract Elena, even for a brief moment, from the traumatic events she'd just endured, Alix suggested taking a quick stroll to see the pond not far from Lockwood's residence. Soon enough, the background noise faded to nothing more than a slight hum, leaving the two girls immersed in silence that was so heavy it put both of them into an awkward position as neither knew what to say or do.
Eventually, the silence became like nails on a chalkboard to Alix, making her scramble to come up with someone appropriate to talk about.
"How are you feeling, Elena...really?" She asked after clearing her throat. Her question came after she noticed how Elena's arms gravitated towards her middle, encompassing her like a protective barrier from the rest of the world.
Elena's steps faltered hearing Alix's question, making her turn around and face her. The young girl's lips were more than ready to spout the same 'I'm fine' bullshit she'd been force-feeding everyone all night. Alix understood this tactic; it was a coping mechanism designed by the brain as a way to trick itself into believing that if you said it enough times, it had to be true. In Elena's case, her demeanor was betraying her words.
All it took to shut it down was a raised eyebrow from Alix accompanied by a look in her eyes that clearly stated, 'Take a moment to think about who you're lying to.'
"I'm...I'm tired and honestly, everything hurts...even breathing hurts." Elena dejectedly admitted. "I can't seem to shake this feeling of dread...like something is going to happen, something bad, to those I care about. It's so overwhelming that I feel like throwing up."
Alix's hardened features shifted into something resembling compassion.
With her admitted defeat, Elena turned her attention back onto the water. The completely natural movement, not supposed to cause any kind of pain, seemed to cause an unbearable amount to Elena. It clearly aggravated her distraught body. Without meaning to, a sharp gasp flew from her lips, which Elena quickly attempted to downplay after catching Alix moving closer, eyes filled with concern.
Being a supernatural creature that had spent a great deal of time on her own, it was easy for Alix to forget how fragile yet sturdy the human body was. Seeing the young girl still suffering compelled Alix to do something, even if it was a risk to her own well-being later. Alix knew she couldn't stand idly by for a second time that evening.
"Look, don't read too much into this, but I could, you know, heal your wounds...if you want." Alix offered, trying not to shift around uncomfortably.
Elena's head snapped to attention towards Alix, her hauntingly dark brown eyes widening in confusion before her jaw slowly fell open in shock, or possibly horror...it was hard to tell. The girl blatantly stared at Alix as though she had just offered her blood or a sacrifice, to which Alix rolled her eyes.
"Did I not just say 'don't read too much into this'?!" She snapped before sighing. "Sorry, but let's get one thing straight, Elena; that offer was in no way indicative to you ingesting my blood, got it?" Alix corrected in an annoyed tone. "In case you weren't aware of this, I'm not a vampire."
"D-Does that mean you're a witch, like Bonnie?" Elena asked warily as she took a step back.
That comment threw Alix for a loop.
"Maybe if I was a witch, my life would be a hell of a lot less complicated than it is right now." Alix mused ruefully. "Do I dabble with magic? Yes, but I am lightyears away from being a witch. The closest thing humans might associate me with would be a guardian angel of sorts."
Alix hoped that Elena wouldn't notice the bitterness in her tone towards the angel reference. While the rest of the world was under the ridiculous delusion that angels were full of sugar and spice; Alix and her brothers had first-hand knowledge of their dick-like attitude.
Elena continued to stare at Alix in disbelief. It was apparent she was trying to decide whether or not it was in her best interest to trust anything the woman in front of her said. Granted, Damon had disclosed the nature of Alix's relationship to the brothers, but Elena still tightly onto her doubts towards trusting someone she hardly knew.
Patience was not a strong personality trait of Alix, especially when combined with exhaustion and an eagerness to be exorcised from that dress Baby Vampire demanded she wear. So, Alix being Alix, she made the choice for Elena. Stepping forward, she lifted her right hand and placed it gently against Elena's forehead. It was just mere seconds before Alix felt the familiar warmth and electricity flow through her fingertips into Elena's body. The unsuspecting teenager was so unaccustomed to the sensations her body was experiencing that her body began to sway.
In the blink of an eye, it was all over. Alix removed her hand while Elena was left to do nothing but blink a few times.
"What was that?" Elena asked hazily afterward.
"Um, well...I healed you." Alix shrugged nonchalantly. "How do you feel?"
It took a moment for Elena's brain to think coherently. "I feel pretty damn good, actually." She marveled while twisting and turning her body. "How are you able to do that?"
'Why can no one simply say thank you and move on?'
"You all are completely incapable of living within a small shroud of mystery, aren't you?" Alix muttered rhetorically. "Let's just say it's one of my many talents and never speak of it again...like ever."
Alix hoped the girl would pick up on the cue to let the subject drop, but from the look she was getting, it appeared the young girl craved something more than vagueness.
"Please believe me when I say I'm not purposely being obtuse. I'm like this because I have watched my family deal with the consequences of my rash decisions, okay? I'm hoping that one day, sooner rather than later, I'll be able to explain everything." Alix pleaded. "So, you and I aren't so different after all."
With that being said, Elena thankfully dropped the subject, giving Alix a sympathetic smile.
Movement from behind Elena caught Alix's attention. It seemed that someone was making their way towards the duo, but even with the bright moonlight, their identity was masked. Out of instinct, Alix moved to stand in front of Elena until it became clear the person wasn't a threat; it was Stefan. Turning around, Alix gently nudged Elena's arm before ushering her forward, waiting until Stefan was much closer before making herself scarce so the former couple could talk.
Off in the distance, Alix busied herself with an array of irrelevant thoughts while taking in the magnificent landscape. The reason she still stuck around was that Alix was waiting for the 'ok' to take Elena home.
Casting a quick glance towards the couple, Alix felt a twinge in her chest at what she witnessed; a somber-looking Elena remaining motionless as a defeated-looking Stefan walked back to the mansion. It was quite clear that the couple was not getting that much-anticipated reunion they'd (especially Alix) hoped for. Underneath the rough and sarcastic exterior, there was a girl lurking beneath the surface that was a sucker for romance...not that she'd ever admit to it freely...at least not sober.
Alix took her time crossing the lawn to rejoin Elena. She approached the quiet girl with caution so as not to spook the poor thing. She held her hand out, offering Elena some comfort in the manner of a gentle squeeze when she placed her hand in Alix's. With the knowledge that there was little she could say on the matter that would fix or make things better, the two girls willingly embraced the awkward but comfortable silence between them as they took that moment to bask in the view.
The quaint and quiet little bubble encompassing the pair was disrupted by the sound of a twig snapping way too close behind them. That pulled Alix's attention immediately as she whipped her head around in the direction the sound came from only to be confused when she was nothing askew. That was the determining factor in Alix's decision to leave. As she turned to convey that to Elena, only...the words never came. Instead, she gasped sharply, feeling a burning sensation radiate from the back of her neck. It was only a matter of seconds but things went to hell in a handbasket at an alarming rate. Alix's vision deteriorated rapidly to the point of floating black spots and fuzziness. That put Alix's adrenaline into overdrive. Her extremities became heavy, as if someone had tied lead weights to her. Despite what she was going through, Alix attempted to push through and force her body into motion, but there mere thought of moving caused her knees to buckle, causing her body to sway and jerk. There wasn't much left in her body that she was in control of but Alix was able to turn her head to see Elena. Squinting her eyes, she could make out Elena's figure struggling against something or someone...her screams sounding muffled.
With her adrenaline at an all time high, Alix's body was now in self-preservation mode as all her systems were being shut down. Her vision grew darker with each passing second. In her mind, she knew there was very litte she could do to stop what was going to happen next...especially with the darkness enticing her so. The last coherent thought Alix had before collapsing into a motionless heap was...
'Damon's going to be super pissed.'