Failing to Fall

Mystic Falls, Virginia, 1862

Astra nearly purred, pleased to a very high extent, as she felt Damon's fingertips caress along her cheek. Her smile spoke of her pleased thoughts as she leaned into his touch, getting a smile in turn from him as well as he watched his fiancé react so wonderfully to his touch. Astra's other hands caressed the back of his bare palm as she held it gently in her lap, minding her long nails. This was one of the few moments that they were allowed to be alone and could express their feelings to one another without the scrutiny of the people around them. It was very unladylike for Astra to allow a man to touch her, even if it was only to caress her cheek and the man was to be married to her. He was not yet her husband, and until the gold band was upon her finger beneath the roof of the church, if would still be frowned upon. Even when they were married, they wouldn't be able to show certain public displays of affection.

"I fear for you," Astra whispered quietly, her violet eyes showing her worry very easily. Damon offered a small smile to try and alleviate her worry.

"I will be fine, love, and I will come back to marry you."

"This is a war, Damon, you never know what may happen," Astra protested, holding onto his hand more tightly, but still mindful not to harm him. She knew that she could very well shatter his hand if she wanted to, or if she were to lose control of herself. But her fiancé was not to know such a thing. Not yet.

"Please, Astra, trust me," Damon begged quietly, his hands moving to encase her smaller ones gently. The cool air within the garden had chilled her hand and he instinctively began to rub his thumbs over her palms to try and warm them. Astra gave him a sad smile as she lifting his hands to her lips and kissed each lovingly.

"I trust you, Damon. But please, just promise me that you will return to me, safe and sound."

Damon leant forward carefully, using the hand that she had previously been kissing to gently take her chin between his fingers and place a kiss upon her lips. Astra's eyes fell closed as soon as she felt his lips brush her own, her heart beginning to beat erratically within her chest. Usually she could take a moment to marvel at the still beating organ, but found herself deeply distracted at that particular moment. Damon pulled away first and leant his forehead against her own, watching as her violet eyes opened slowly.

Offering a small smile, Damon's finger gently stroked along her bottom lip. "I promise you, Astra, that I'll come back. And when I do, I'm going to marry you."

"I'll be waiting here, just for you," Astra agreed quietly, running her fingers along through Damon's recently cut hair.

"When I come back, and we're married and together at last, we'll find a house outside of Mystic Falls, maybe move into yours, and put all these stereotypical people behind us," Damon promised in a whisper, pressing his lips to her once more. Astra could feel the tears that threatened to break the surface at the thought of losing another person that she held to close to her heart.

Wrapping her arms around Damon's neck tightly, but still mindful of her strength, she drew him closer to her and allowed to kiss to grow in passion and need, wanting him to understand that she loved in with all her heart and wanted him to come back to her, safe. Damon's arm wound around her thin waste, feeling the hardness of her corset beneath the fabric of her dress, and clutched her as close to his body as he could.

To go away to war and leave a fiancé behind was hard and he wished that he didn't have to, but he knew that Astra wouldn't want to rush the wedding before he had to leave. Considering it was in a week. They broke apart from one another, Damon's heart almost breaking at the sight of her holding back tears. When one of the clear drops slipped down her cheek, he quickly wiped it away, trying to sooth his panicked love.

"Please, Astra, don't cry," He pleaded gently, moving her blond hair from her face as he offered a gentle smile.

"I know that you hate when I cry, but I can't help it this time," She answered, her voice cracking.

She was more afraid for him than she had been for anyone else in her life since her family. The feeling was almost identical as she looked over the dying city of Pompeii, knowing that her family wouldn't make it out alive while she remained safe. It had hurt to know that she was powerless to protect them, just as she was now powerless to protect Damon.

The chilling spring breeze blew through the garden gently, drawing Damon's sent to Astra. She paused as she took in a deep breath, knowing that he would think it was only a calming inhale, while she was truly savouring the sweetness that rose from his skin. The blood beneath was so alluring, she had to hold herself back more than she ever had before while in the presence of a human.

"Are you feeling well, now?" Damon asked when she exhaled the large breath she had taken, his thumb stroking away the last of her tears.

"Yes, I'm well, thank you."

They remained sitting in the garden, the cool air caressing them, enjoying the warmth of the other for the time being. Damon continued to hold into her, keeping her calm as she basked in his scent and nearness, feeling his fingers running through the curls of her hair. She would miss this, the small moments that they shared, while he was away. But those moments will only be more special once he returns.

Damon didn't even know for sure how long he would serve in the war and Astra was worried that she would be found out in Mystic Falls before they were even wed. He was looking for her, she knew it, and he was bound to be gaining on her—no matter how many false rumours she was able to plant in other countries. The only good thing that could come of Damon being gone was that he wouldn't be in danger if Elijah was to arrive for her.

She wouldn't be able to live on if Damon was killed for a mistake that she had made in her life. Her life was with him now, because there was no other man that she had ever met like him before. It was a relief, knowing that chivalry wasn't completely dead. True, that she was worried about the fact that Damon was human, but she was going to have to cross that bridge when she got to it. She had already burned all of the other bridges in her life, so that was the only one left.

"We should get inside," Astra whispered quietly, "It won't do for you to go overseas with a cold."

Damon's chuckle shook his chest and warmed his fiancé's heart all at once.

Pompeii, Roman Empire, 77 A.D.

Astraea's body refused to remain upright as she looked into Elijah's light brown eyes, once more resembling that of a human's. She was so numb, both body and mind, that she didn't even shy away from his proximity in fright as she had minutes before. Her once beautiful dress was ruined with her own blood, both from her coughing fits and the bite that she had received on her neck.

She watched as Elijah tore open his wrist with human teeth, holding it in front of her.

"Drink," He commanded, looking into her eyes again. She leaned forward to place her lips over the bite in his wrist, taking in a mouthful of the crimson blood that was flowing from the wound he had inflicted upon himself. She didn't seem to think twice as she swallowed slow gulps of the blood, letting the warmth caress her tongue and throat with the odd tangy taste. She distantly thought about how his blood tasted different from hers.

He soon pulled his wrist away from her mouth, tipping her head to the side as he watched his bite mark heal on her neck. He didn't know if the blood would affect the internal injuries that were slowly killing her and there was no way to be sure unless he monitored her for any changes. He hated how her vibrant violet eyes were dulled with near unconsciousness. She had lost far too much blood.

"You are going to bathe, wash off the rest of the blood so no trace it left, then you will burn this dress so that no one finds it. If anyone asks, you were ill and went to sleep early." He stopped his orders when he realized that he didn't really want to say 'forget this ever happened' to her, instead he wanted to her remember. Hopefully she didn't fear him too much and he could find a time to explain to her that he didn't mean her any harm. "Now, go. Don't let anyone see you before you bathe and burn the dress," Elijah finished, standing from his crouched position in front of her.

Astraea moved to stand, but her legs wouldn't hold her weight and she fell back against the wall behind her. Elijah quickly took hold of her arms before she fell over completely. Picking her up in his arms, careful to avoid getting her blood on his clothes as well, he marched down the hallways of the home until he ran into one of the servant women. Running up to her, starting the woman, he looked her in the eyes and told her not to make a sound.

"You will help Astraea to bathe, change and burn her present attire. Once you are finished you will forget about the blood. You were only helping her because she was feeling ill," He compelled the woman, watching as she nodded her head. Placing Astraea's light body back on her feet, he let the servant woman take over. He turned to head back to where Astraea's father was probably still waiting for him to return. Checking his clothing for blood, relieved that there was none, he stepped back into the room with a small smile to the other man.

Astraea watched the stained material of her dress turn black against the flames, the fabric slowly turning to ash. The servant behind her was twisting her long hair up into a style that would keep the mass of strands out of her face while she slept—a blank look on her face as she worked silently. Astraea's mind was slowly clearing, allowing her to remember the horrors of what she had seen on Elijah's face. The face of a demon.

"Do you need help getting settled, miss?" The younger female asked as she looked to Astraea. Shaking her head, she remained sitting on the stool in front of the polished bronze mirror as the girl walked from the room, letting the thick curtain that closed off her chambers from the rest of the home fall closed. Turning her face to the left, she looked at the smooth skin of her throat, still feeling the pain in her mind from when Elijah's inhuman teeth tore open neck.

Closing her eyes, she rose to her feet slowly and carefully, not wanting to get lightheaded or weak and injure herself by falling. Walking to her bed patiently, she drew back the blankets with slow and disconnected movements, her eyes still dull and distant. Even as she laid in bed, the flames from her fireplace dying away, she couldn't bring herself to close her eyes. She knew that as soon as she did, the demonic look of Elijah's—her friend's—face was going to haunt her. She would see it against the backs of her eyelids like a painting.

Closing her dry eyes for just a moment, she let them open again as soon as the memory returned to her in new light. But she should have kept her eyes closed. The sight of Elijah standing beside her bed almost stopped her heart, before his hand took hold of her arm, stopping her from shuffling away. He was silhouetted against the fireplace, leaving him as a dark shadow before her.

"Sleep peacefully, Astraea," He ordered. The fearful woman was unable to fight against his power and watched as the darkness crept into her view, a blank unconsciousness claiming her and forcing her eyes closed once again.