Bloodlines
Chapter 35: Rescue Me
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my characters and my story.
Cassandra was all smiles as she watched her husband sleeping beside her the following morning. Ever since she'd woken up early, a wide smile had been painted across her lips and it refused to fade. She recalled their night of passion and her smile visibly grew bigger. It was also accompanied by a rosy blush that colored her cheeks. Damon snored softly in his sleep as he laid comfortably on his stomach with his arms wrapped around a pillow. His raven hair fell into his eyes, blocking the sunlight that was streaming in from the windows. Cassandra had to stifle a giggle at how cute he looked. Sure, Damon was a blood-sucking, ravenous vampire, but even he was entitled to his cute days too. It felt so nice to finally sleep in the same bed beside him without having to worry about ripper viruses and problems from the past. She missed just being with him. Their lives almost felt...normal again.
Then again, the words normal and Mystic Falls could never be seen in the same sentence. The hybrid took a few more longing glances at Damon before very quietly sneaking out of bed. She stepped over their discarded clothes and she draped a robe around her naked body. As she knotted the sash, she heard her husband stir and froze, keeping her gaze on him. He gave a low grumble in his sleep before rolling over and sleeping on his back. Damon continued to snore, unaware that his wife had left their bed yet, but Cassandra wanted to keep it that way and surprise him with breakfast. She tiptoed down into the kitchen and started to heat up pans on the stove when a soft shuffling noise made her look over her shoulder.
A very tired and worn Elena was rubbing her eyes at the entrance to the kitchen. Her hair was mused and messily splayed out over her shoulders. Cassandra could only guess that adjusting back into her own body was quite hard for Elena, but she had to give the baby vampire credit for trying. Elena yawned, covering her mouth and she glanced about the kitchen.
"Morning sleepyhead," Cassandra greeted warmly and started on cracking eggs into a skillet.
"Hi," Elena waved tiredly. "How are you feeling?"
"I should be asking you that." She turned the gas down to give Elena her full attention.
The young vampire shrugged unsurely. "It's hard. I think the hardest part is hearing what Katherine did when she was me."
"Yeah, but she's dead and gone now." Cassandra told her with a wave of her hand.
"But she still hurt people. She practically tore you and Damon apart. It's her fault that you died and that you were infected with the ripper virus." She listed every horrible thing that Katherine did on her fingers.
"And now she's rotting in hell; I think that's a fair punishment." The hybrid grinned and Elena agreed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She grinned. "So, you and Damon are...okay now, right?"
"You tell me." Damon's teasing voice made both girls look across the kitchen to see him standing there in all his naked glory. A great, big smile graced his lips and the girls' jaws hit the floor.
"Oh God!" Cassandra moaned while Elena turned her head and giggled. "Will you put some clothes on, please?"
"Why? I make one hell of a naked breakfast." He smirked, winking at his wife before noticing the other presence in the kitchen, but that didn't faze him either. "Oh, hello, Elena."
"Hi," the young vampire squeaked.
Cassandra took a skillet from one of the lower cabinets and handed it to Damon, making sure to strategically place it, so that part of him was covered. "You have no shame."
"Why should I? I mean, look at this body. It's flawless." Damon grinned at her, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I can leave you two alone if you..." A red-cheeked Elena trailed off.
"No, no, Damon is going to put some clothes on." She ushered a chuckling Damon out of the room, making sure to take the skillet once he was out of sight. "And you're going to help me with breakfast. You've got Jeremy's parent-teacher conference at noon, so you need a good breakfast."
Elena shifted awkwardly on her feet. "Uh, yeah. I wasn't planning on going to that."
"And why not?"
"Well, what if Katherine compelled anyone up at the school? I don't know if she crossed paths with anyone when she pretended to be me."
"Okay, but you still have to go and see how your brother is doing."
"I know. I'm just a little nervous, that's all." She anxiously chewed her bottom lip between her teeth.
"If you want, Damon and I can come with you. You know, for moral support."
Elena's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Really, you'd do that?"
"Absolutely. We want to help." She was then enveloped by Elena's embrace.
"Thank you so much."
"Besides, you did put Damon and me on Jeremy's primary contact before you left for college." Cassandra mentioned.
"Right. Forgot about that." Elena tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Okay, let's get breakfast on the table because I don't want us to be late."
The halls of Mystic Falls High School were filled with anxious parents and chattering teachers. The last time the school was this busy was around the time of graduation. As Elena stood on the long line to meet with the guidance counselor, she couldn't help but recall all of the wonderful memories she shared with her friends. In some ways, she felt as if she never left the building at all. She even recognized the parents of students who had younger siblings in the school when she was an upperclassman. A lot of her old teachers welcomed her back with hugs and beaming grins which made the visit slightly more bearable.
She was nervous about Jeremy's conference mainly because she knew how her brother could be. A lot had happened since the beginning of the school year and she hoped that he was keeping up with his studies. Jeremy was never the kind of kid who liked coming to school and she would remember their parents and Aunt Jenna having to drag him out of bed in the mornings. She entrusted Damon and Cassandra to look after Jeremy while she was away at Whitmore, knowing that the soon-to-be parents had enough on their plate. She contemplated dropping out of college and going to a local college, but she deserved to have the college experience.
The line of parents was inching forward and Elena had noticed that Cassandra had been strangely quiet ever since they both walked into school together. They hardly spoke a word while they were waiting on line which made time only move slower. She kept checking her phone and scanning the crowds of people for Damon since he hadn't come with them. He had to stop by the Grill and promised that he'd come to the conference, but so far he was a no show. Elena watched as Cassandra was gazing at a young couple who was talking with one of the teachers. The female had a blue bundle wrapped in her arms while the male had his arm around her waist. They fit so nicely together and they were so unaware of it, but Cassandra couldn't fight the grin that warmed her cheeks.
"Hey," Elena's voice and a hip bump broke the hybrid from her stare. "Are you alright?"
Cassandra nodded and moved up a few steps in the line after realizing that she had spent so much time paying attention to the parents offline that she had fallen behind. "Mmhmm, just thinking."
"About?" The young vampire wondered.
"A lot of things." She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess a part of me is getting anxious. I just want this baby here already. I want to meet her and hold her and love her."
"You're going be a great mom and Damon is going be an incredible father." She smiled warmly. "I can't believe the both of you are going to be parents."
"It's crazy, right?" They both moved up the line and were thrilled to see that there was only one other couple in front of them. "There is so much to do before she is born. Caroline wants to decorate a nursery."
"Ooh, can I help? We can go shopping this weekend." Elena knew that helping Cassandra set up the baby's nursery would take her mind off of everything happening in Mystic Falls, so she was ready to jump at that chance. "Have you and Damon thought of names yet?"
"We like Aria and Ava." Cassandra told her. "What do you think?"
"They are both beautiful. Wow, it's been a long time since everyone has been around a baby."
"Yeah, imagine Damon and Stefan dealing with diaper changes." She laughed and so did Elena.
"We'll leave that job to the boys." The two of them finally reached the front of the line and were standing opposite a desk. The guidance counselor, Mrs. Douglas was seated behind it and she was sorting out some papers just as the last set of parents went on their way.
"Hey Mrs. Douglas," Elena greeted the guidance counselor who now looked up from her work.
"Elena! So good to see you!" The woman hugged her tightly and looked to Cassandra. "Mrs. Salvatore, always a pleasure."
Cassandra held out her hand and shook Mrs. Douglas'. "Thank you. It's nice to see you too."
"You look wonderful." She beamed, gesturing to her body. "Feeling good?"
"Thanks! Yeah, I'm feeling great. A couple of jitters because our little bundle of joy will be here soon." Cassandra consciously rubbed her belly. "But other than that, it's been smooth sailing."
"Good. Glad to hear it." Mrs. Douglas took the two into a classroom where they could have their conference in private. "Will Damon be joining us?"
"He should be here soon." Cassandra checked her phone for any messages, but frowned to see that she had none from Damon.
"Well, let's get you girls into a classroom and—"
"Damon Salvatore. Present." Damon announced as he strode up to Mrs. Douglas, not caring that he was getting quite the stare down from the parents he cut in line.
"Wonderful to see you again, Damon. You're just in time. I was right about to tell your wife and Elena to head down to room 13. It's on the right side at the end of the hallway." She directed them to where they had to go and Cassandra shot Damon a sideways glance as to why he was late. His own look back to her only meant that he'd tell her later.
The trio walked down to the room and took their seats in the students' desks that were right across from the teacher's desk. Cassandra had to wiggle her way into a chair and push the desk forward so that her belly didn't knock into it. Damon's bright blue eyes flicked up to the clock and grimaced seeing that the hands were frozen in time.
"The clock's busted. What am I paying my PTA dues for? I am gonna file a complaint." He told the two women and Elena rolled her eyes.
"You do that." Cassandra murmured. "So, Mr. Busybody, what were you doing that you were late to parent-teacher conferences?"
"Oh, well, I saw Jeremy at the Grill with Liv." He said and that made Elena's head snap in his direction. "They looked awfully cozy."
"What?" The younger vampire raised her eyebrows. "No. Jeremy wouldn't do that to Bonnie."
Damon tapped his fingers against the wooden surface of the desk. "Need I remind you that he once had an affair with a ghost. The only thing missing was a sappy love song and a pottery wheel."
"He learned his lesson. Jeremy's not a cheater." Elena denied.
The doorknob turned and in walked Mrs. Douglas with her papers and a thick binder in her arms. She closed the door behind her before sitting down opposite the group. "Okay. Sorry to keep you waiting. Bad news first; Jeremy's missed 11 days of school, he's started three fights and he's been caught cheating in math class...twice."
"Cheating?" Damon's jaw nearly dropped, sarcastically of course, and he looked to Elena who looked like she wanted to strangle him. "That is so not like him. Go on, please."
"Damon," Elena growled under her breath so Mrs. Douglas couldn't hear it.
"Yes, we've been made aware of these issues by the principal." Cassandra stepped in, hoping that she could save the sinking ship known as Jeremy's high school career. "Jeremy has had a very difficult time adjusting to Elena, Bonnie and all of his friends that left for college. I feel that he is acting out because of this."
Mrs. Douglas paused to take in Cassandra's analysis of Jeremy's dilemma before speaking again. "How is life for him at home?"
Cassandra swallowed a bit and leaned forward in her chair. She couldn't exactly lie and say that life at home was perfect. "Well, Damon and I have been going through a transition period of our own with the new baby on the way. Sometimes things get a little hectic at home, but we always ensure Jeremy that he can come to us with any problems he is having."
"Is there anything that we can do to help? You know, to help him to adjust better?" Elena questioned.
"Jeremy knows that if this behavior continues, he could face suspension and possibly expulsion." The counselor mentioned. "If you want my professional opinion, I would try to make his home life as stable as possible."
"Thank you, Mrs. Douglas. We will definitely try our best." Cassandra ensured.
All three of them ended the conference and departed, allowing the next family to enter the room. While out in the hallway, Elena figured that it would be easier for them to split up and visit teachers, so that it would take less time. So, Cassandra and Damon were headed to Chemistry while Elena darted down the hall to Algebra. They turned the corner to another hallway which was desolate, they guessed that parents were already settled in conferences, but Cassandra took the quiet opportunity to bring up what Damon had said in the conference.
"Did you hear what Jeremy and Liv were talking about?" She wondered.
"Nope. When I tried to listen in, all I got was white noise."
"Uh oh."
Damon looked in her direction. "What do you mean, 'Uh oh?'"
"It means that she probably did a spell to make sure that no one was listening." She gathered. "Who else was in the bar with you?"
"Lockwood and Donovan." He replied. "You think Liv and Jeremy are planning something?"
"Not sure, but it all sounds suspicious, don't you think?"
"Well, if they are planning something, it better be to help Jeremy not get expelled from school."
Cassandra sighed loudly. "I wish Jeremy would have come to us when he needed us. Elena must think that you and I were incapable of handling him while she was away at school."
"This is Jeremy we're talking about. Elena can't blame us for a kid who does whatever the hell he wants." He told her just as they reached room 13.
"I guess you're right." She murmured and placed her hand on the door knob. "Ready to dive into Chemistry 101?"
Damon made a face and gestured for her to open the door. "Ladies first."
Damon leaned back in his uncomfortable chair and grumbled something incoherent about places he'd rather be under his breath while the teacher at the front of the room blabbed on about covalent bonds or whatever the hell teenagers learn about in Chemistry. He gave a quick glance around the classroom to see that the other parents were just as bored; one father even had his head propped up against the wall and was sleeping throughout the lecture. Some parents, particularly the mothers, were jotting down some notes about the class and Damon had to hold back a chuckle as he watched his wife scribble some things about the teacher's classroom policies. He knew that he was doing this as a favor to Elena, but he'd rather stick his hand over a Bunsen burner than sit through another minute of this lecture. He honestly couldn't fathom that Stefan actually enjoyed going to high school. Damon switched off between spinning his daylight ring and his wedding band around on his finger; hoping that this part of conferences was almost over. He scowled silently at the stone-still hands of the clock and squinted hard at them, willing them to move on their own, but all that squinting just gave him a headache.
The vampire drummed his fingers on the desk and his eyes drifted to Cassandra's notebook to see that even she had stopped taking notes and was doodling across the page. He made his hand like a spider and walked his hand along the desk to grasp the notebook and slowly pull it over to his side while Cassandra gave him a look, but let him. Damon ripped a page out of the notebook, quite loudly, which made the teacher clear his throat in retaliation and Cassandra kicked her husband under the table. Damon stuck his tongue out at his wife before snatching the pen from her hands and writing something down on the paper. When he was finished, he folded up the paper and slid it to Cassandra. She waited for the teacher to turn his back before unfolding the paper and read the note to herself.
I love you.
The corners of her pink lips turned upwards and she peeked over at Damon from beneath her ribbon-like lashes to see that he was fighting back a grin while trying to pay attention to the teacher. She took up the pen and folded over the paper while she wrote so that Damon wouldn't glance over and see what she was writing. Once she was finished, she passed the note back to Damon and he opened it.
You're very sweet, my darling, but I know that you're just trying to sweet talk me so we can leave. Nice try.
P.S. - I love you more xoxo
Damon's nose scrunched up reading over the lines and he tsked quietly under his breath. He had to give it to his wife, she knew all of his little tricks. Next to him, Cassandra was stifling her giggles just watching his expressions to her note. Deep down in her heart, she knew that he really did love her, but she also knew that he liked to pour on his charms when he wanted something. She imagined that Damon was grumbling the entire way to the school because he didn't want to come, but in the end, he did and that made all of the difference to her. Before she knew it, she felt the edge of the paper touching her hand and she realized Damon had replied to her.
Okay, fine. You win.
P.S. - Admit it though, we did have more fun at last year's parent-teacher conference.
P.S.S. - We need to buy a new bed after last night ;)
Yes, last year's conferences certainly was more fun and she found herself wishing that she could turn back the clocks just slightly. At the time, they had gone to conferences for Elena and Jeremy since they still attended Mystic Falls high school. Rather than wasting time, Cassandra took Elena's conferences while Damon took Jeremy's. Needless to say, Cassandra had a better time than Damon only because he had to compel Jeremy's teachers to increase his grades and expunge his numerous absences whereas Elena's teachers gave her nothing but high praises.
Damon had walked out of his last conference when he got a text from Cassandra asking him to meet him in room 13, so he made his way there without hesitation. He figured that they'd meet up at the room and leave together to head home or grab something to eat. Approaching the room, he opened up the door and closed it behind him to see that the room was empty. He knew that he had gone to the right room, but maybe Cassandra had left because it took him too long to get there. He took out his phone and started to text her, but a smooth purr made him stop dead in his tracks.
"You're late, Mr. Salvatore." He looked up from his phone and his eyes nearly fell from their sockets. Leaning against one of the desks in the back of the room was his girlfriend looking quite delicious in her tight, black pencil skirt, a white button down shirt, and a pair of black pointed-toe pumps. Her chocolate curls were splayed over her shoulders, some strands of hair slightly brushing the creamy flesh of her breasts which were pushed up quite tantalizingly. Damon swallowed thickly and his eyes did a slow up and down appraisal of her body as she sauntered towards him, making sure to take her time so he could see her hips swaying from side to side.
Once she approached him, she pouted down at his cell phone and plucked it from his grip. "And texting in class? Oh my, what a naughty boy. I'm afraid you'll have to stay after class with me."
Damon had finally come back to himself and rolled his tongue back into his mouth. He could already feel himself stiffening for her tough teacher act; she was playing the part beautifully. "Well, Ms. Emerson, you know how much I enjoy our time together."
"Yes, I do. And I enjoy our time together as well. Perhaps more than I should admit." She winked and sidestepped him to lock the door.
"Why fight it? You know how badly you want me." He smirked and trailed his hands along her waist. He then fisted the fabric of her shirt and yanked her into him. Their bodies pressed together intimately and Cassandra's eyes glazed over with hot, burning lust.
"I think that you want me more, Mr. Salvatore." Her hand snuck between them to cup the bulge in his already tight jeans and she raised an eyebrow. "You're certainly not objecting."
"How could I? You come here dressed like this all for me? Tell me I'm your favorite student."
Cassandra roughly shoved him across the room into the chair behind the teacher's desk and straddled his hips. She draped her arms around his shoulders and pressed soft kisses to his neck. "You first. Tell me I'm your favorite teacher."
Damon groaned feeling her rake her fingernails over his scalp and nibble at his earlobe. His own hands wandered, finding themselves on her ass cheeks which he squeezed roughly. "You're my favorite teacher." He breathed.
"Good boy." She giggled, but was quickly pinned to the wall by her vampire boyfriend. He smashed his lips onto hers hungrily and she fisted his raven locks, pulling him closer to him. They grabbed at each other, desperately trying to feel through their clothes which were quickly becoming a nuisance. Damon's hands wrapped around Cassandra's calves and brought her legs to rest at his waist before yanking her button down off her with a hard rip. Damon then shifted them to the teacher's desk, propping her behind up on the surface. A few graduated cylinders crashed loudly, the glass littering the floor along with their clothes that were peeled from their bodies. Cassandra's arms looped around Damon's body and her hands clutched his shirt. She pulled it over his head and ran her fingertips down his defined chest. Damon's lips moved to her neck, nipping and licking her soft skin and Cassandra giggled. Her hands reached for his belt and tugged it through the loops while Damon palmed her breasts through her black lace bra while whispering naughty nothings in her ear.
"Earth to Cassandra," Damon's smooth purr in her ear and soft touch on her arm startled her much more than it should have and she actually jolted in her seat. The couple received a few glares from some of the parents who were in the room and Cassandra was trying to cover the blush that had broken out on her skin.
"You are missing an incredibly...boring lecture." He added with a smirk and he placed his hand on her thigh. Cassandra gulped loudly, her gaze shifting to where his hand was and her chest heaved a little faster as his hand moved up her thigh and closer to the place where she wanted him most.
"Stop it." She huffed under her breath.
The vampire ducked his head close to her ear, so that no one else could hear him talking to her and she shivered visibly when he spoke to her. "Don't think I didn't see the lovely daydream that was playing out in your head just now. C'mon Cass, what do you say we blow this joint, find an empty classroom, and I make you mine?" As he spoke to her, his hand trailed dangerously close to her inner thigh and her eyes fell closed.
"Damon," the soft sigh left her lips willingly.
"Picture it. I want to rip your clothes off in the middle of the hall and throw you into one of these empty classrooms and kiss every square inch of your body, while a bunch of people that drive minivans listen, wishing they were us." His breath felt like hot, scorching lava against her skin.
"Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore." Cassandra's eyes snapped open and Damon removed his hand. The teacher was looking pointedly at them like two teenagers who had been caught texting, or in this case, fondling each other under the desk and the parents were even staring too.
"Sorry," Cassandra tucked a curl behind her ear.
"Am I interrupting something?" The teacher asked.
They both shook their heads and replied, "No."
"Well, good then. As I was saying..." The teacher continued his lecture and Cassandra didn't want to be in the classroom anymore, so she stood from her seat, mumbling about how she had to use the bathroom and the room watched her leave without saying a word. Damon caught the eyes of one couple and he shrugged.
"Hormones." He mouthed to them.
The cool water ran down the hybrid's face and she continued to splash her face with water until her body temperature had come down from its high. Her cheeks no longer felt warm and flushed and her heartbeat returned to its normal rhythm. Her husband certainly had a way of charging up her already whacked out hormones and he just loved toying with her. Cassandra grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser and dabbed off her face, making sure to catch all of the stray droplets of water. She checked over her appearance one last time in the mirror and checked her watch. The hands reminded her that she had a few minutes left before she and Damon had to switch to another classroom, but she was in no rush to get back to Chemistry. She took her time, meandering down the halls and glancing at some student artwork that were encased in glass. Paper mâché sculptures and still life paintings were proudly propped up on shelves for all of the parents to see. Cassandra leaned closer to get a look at one painting when she picked up the tiniest specks of drying blood on the glass case.
Her eyebrow raised high and she was then aware of a very small trail of blood that marked the floor as well. Like following a breadcrumb trail, it lead her to the wood shop room which partially quelled her fears. It was very possible that a student could have been working and cut themselves, but curiosity prodded further, so she slipped inside. The wood shop was completely silent and there was not a soul to be found. Machines were unplugged and tools neatly were put away in their respective drawers. Some wood dust coated the table tops and the floor, making it a slippery surface. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the wood shop, so Cassandra went back to her original theory that someone had cut themselves and went to the nurse. Just as she turned to leave, her cell phone rang quite loudly and she scolded herself for thinking that she had shut it off before conferences started. She slid her thumb along the glass, humming at the caller ID and held the phone up to her ear.
"Jeremy Gilbert, you've got some set of balls calling. Do you know that we had to compel most if not all of your teachers to raise your grades and erase your absences?" She ranted angrily.
"Look, I know. I'm in big trouble when I get home, but I think you and Elena are in danger." Jeremy spat out quickly.
"Danger? Yeah, I'm in danger of going into pre-labor because of the stress you're putting me under."
"I'm serious." He pleaded and Cassandra sighed heavily. "Is Elena with you?"
"No." Cassandra shook her head. "She should be in your Shakespearean Literature class now. Why?"
"Liv said something about you and Elena being important to the Travelers."
"Speaking of, what are you doing hanging out with Liv?" She asked him.
"Cassandra, please. This isn't a joke. I'm worried about you guys." He sounded desperate.
"Look, what I'm more worried about is that you're nearly flunking out of school."
Jeremy replied back to her, but she couldn't make sense of it over the loud ringing in her ears. The sound quickly escalated to a painful pitch that made Cassandra drop the phone and clutch the sides of her head. Her fingers fisted her hair tightly and she peered up to see that Liv was standing above her with hands outstretched.
"I'm sorry that I have to do this." She stepped forward and Cassandra growled at her, flashing her sharp fangs. Liv's magic threw Cassandra against the wall and the witch held a stake high above her head, ready to make the final kill.
"And I'm sorry that I have to do this." A shadow crept behind the witch and bludgeoned her in the back of the head. She crumpled to the ground, allowing Cassandra to regain motion since the magic was stopped. A very proud and smug Damon twiddled a thick piece of wood in his hands, the very end of it was splattered with Liv's blood from where he hit her and he nudged the witch's body with the tip of his shoe.
"I take that back. I'm not sorry." He tossed the piece of wood aside and winked at Cassandra. "Taking a bathroom break, huh?"
"Well, I was, but when I was walking back I saw blood in the hallway. Then Jeremy called shortly after saying that Elena and I were danger from Liv. So, the blood must belong to-"
"Ow..." Elena groaned from her spot on the floor in the corner of the room and she slowly sat up. She nursed her aching head and she struggled to get to her feet.
"Rise and shine, Gilbert." Damon remarked as he hoisted Liv's limp body up over his shoulder.
"What happened?" The young vampire wondered while Cassandra helped her to a chair.
"Liv happened." The hybrid replied. "I hate to say it, but I think Jeremy was right about us being in danger."
Liv Parker let out another muffled scream as Damon closed the vice tighter around her already smashed hand. She'd woken up not too long ago, but she was now wishing that Damon would have hit her hard enough to kill her. He clamped her hand in a vice that was attached to one of the tables and stuffed an old, musty rag in her mouth to keep her from drawing unwanted attention to the wood shop. Her teeth bit down hard on the rag and some more tears streaked her cheeks as the pain in her hand only continued to grow. Looking to her other two captors, Cassandra was practically itching to join in on the fun while Elena was fighting back to tell Damon to stop. Out of the two women, Liv could probably get Elena to spare her life, but neither Damon nor Cassandra would hear her pleas. The handle on the vice was turned again and she heard a loud crack when her bones snapped from the immense pressure. Her calls for help could only go so loud and it seemed like no one was coming to her rescue anytime soon. Cassandra's heated gaze was burning a hole in the witch's skull and her fingers twitched at the very thought of turning that vice handle.
"Good. Now do the other hand." She suggested and Liv's eyes grew wide. The witch shook her head back and forth vigorously and tried to beg Cassandra not to do it, but the gag garbled her words. "Better yet. Does that vice open wide enough to fit her head?"
"Enough." Elena spoke from her spot.
"Hardly. She was two seconds away from killing my wife, she knocked you unconscious and I wanna know why." Damon snapped at her. He bent down to Liv's level and roughly gripped her chin in his hand. "So, I'm going to rip this nasty rag out of your mouth and if I hear so much as one syllable of hocus pocus, one of us is going to break your neck. Spoiler alert: It's gonna be me."
"Plot twist: the pregnant wife goes in for the kill." Cassandra crossed her arms in front of her and stared Liv down.
"I like it." Her husband smirked and pulled the rag from Liv's mouth. His expression quickly hardened when the witch didn't say anything. "Talk."
All Liv did was look up at Damon without muttering a single word. It only angered the pair further, so Cassandra decided to take matters into her own hands. "Straighten out her arm."
"What?" Liv blurted out and Damon shoved the front of her body against the surface of the work table. His strong hands pressed on her back, keeping her pinned there while she feebly struggled.
"What are you doing?" Elena followed Cassandra to see her open a cabinet filled with sharp tools. Chisels, saws, pliers, wrenches and screwdrivers were all hanging nearly on pins and the hybrid was looking for something to make Liv spill her secrets. "Cassandra, no!"
"Elena, this witch bitch is clearly against us. I don't care if you guys are best buddies, but this punk threatened you life, my life, and the life of my unborn child. So, I suggest you stay out of my way." She threatened harshly, making the young vampire shrink further into herself. Turning back to the cabinet of tools, she grabbed a hacksaw from its hanging place and meandered back to Liv who was still wriggling in Damon's hold.
"Ooh, shiny." Damon's dark eyes gleamed at the saw.
Cassandra fisted her hand in Liv's messy, blonde curls and yanked her head back. She ran the serrated edge of the saw along her wet cheek and Liv trembled in fear. "You're gonna talk or I'm gonna hack off your limbs one by one and then I'll sever your tongue, so you will never utter another spell again. Got it?"
Again, Liv didn't speak, but she was just on the verge of breaking down. Cassandra nodded to Damon who pushed Liv back down on the table. "Keep her still. I don't want to make too much of a mess."
"You're very sexy when you threaten people and give orders." The raven haired vampire added and Cassandra grinned at him, setting the saw against Liv's elbow joint.
"No! Stop, please!" Liv begged. "I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!"
"Too late." Cassandra made a quick slash, slicing only the first few layers of Liv's skin. Fresh blood pooled from the wound; it was deep enough that she would need stitches or vampire blood to heal.
"Elena's the last female doppelganger!" The witch wailed in an effort to save herself. "After tonight, there might only be one male doppelganger and if that happens, the Travelers will come for you, Elena. To use you."
"Good girl. I knew you'd see things my way." Cassandra praised the blonde witch. "What else should we know?"
Liv took a few steadying breaths and spoke again. "The Travelers see your baby as an abomination to the natural order. Because they know that the birth is approaching quickly, Travelers will pull any and all strings possible to kill your baby."
Damon then quickly snatched the hacksaw from Cassandra's hand and held it to the back of Liv's neck. "Cass, you know that if it comes down to slaughtering an entire Traveler clan, I'd do it."
She could see the anger in his eyes much like the night they were trapped at the house in the woods. That carnal desire to rip Liv's throat out was quickly becoming a fantasy he was itching to fulfill. "I know you would, Damon."
"Are you freaking kidding me?" Everyone in the room turned to look at the new presence in the room and Damon scowled under his breath. The teen stood in front of Liv protectively and glared at Damon to take a step back which he did, but he still kept the hacksaw close to him. "If you want to kill Liv, you're going to have to kill me too." No one moved or said anything; their eyes just shifted between one another.
"What are you waiting for, Damon? Go on. It wouldn't be the first time you killed me."
"Jeremy." Elena warned
"She witchy wooed your sister, you idiot. And then she went after Cassandra. If we don't kill her now, she's going to do it again." Damon's grip on the saw tightened.
"No, she won't. She's gonna help keep Elena and Cassandra safe. I will make sure of that." Jeremy promised.
Damon's shoulders tensed. "How? You can't even get a passing grade in penmanship!"
The teen turned to look at Elena and Cassandra pleadingly. "Trust me, I won't let anyone hurt you two."
"Jer, after all of the things you've been pulling at school, how can I trust you? You haven't exactly been making good decisions. Okay?" Elena said.
"How can you expect me to care about school when this is my life? I mean, take a look around, it's not like I can bring my teachers a note, saying "Sorry I missed class today. We were under doppelganger invasion." But I know what I'm doing." He assured her. "Please. Liv knows more about the Travelers than she's letting on."
Elena took in Jeremy's words for a few moments and then rolled her eyes. Jeremy had a point, he couldn't exactly concentrate on school with all of this vampire business going on. There were some days she wished that she would have sheltered Jeremy from all of this, but it was pointless to think about the past. She knew that she would get hell for it, but she decided to trust her brother.
"Let's go home." She said to a baffled Damon and Cassandra.
"You can't be serious!" Damon bellyached.
"I trust him, okay?"
"Well, I don't trust her." Cassandra nodded her head in Liv's direction.
"Liv will stay true to her word. I'll make sure of it." The teen promised.
"She better because if she takes one step out of line, she's going to have to deal with me." The hybrid warned the both of them. "And she knows that I don't mess around." Liv chewed anxiously on her bottom lip and clutched her still bleeding arm.
"You should get that checked out. It looks nasty." Cassandra added and left the wood shop with Damon in tow.
Hours later, the Salvatore house was completely silent. Not a creature was stirring, not even a vampire. Jeremy had packed his things to crash at Tyler's place for the time being and while his sister fought him on it, she realized that Jeremy had to deal with what was happening at home in his own way. With Jeremy on his own, Elena drove back to Whitmore with a heavy heart that she had failed in taking care of her little brother. Stefan was still at the Traveler camp, leaving the nearly empty house to Damon and Cassandra. The couple were making the most of their time and were doing what they did best.
Sleeping.
When they had some time alone after their house guests left, they crashed on the couch in parlor and talked for quite a bit in front of the fireplace. Damon was the first to fall asleep and Cassandra decided to leave him sleeping. She covered him with a blanket, kissed his forehead and waddled upstairs to the bedroom. Normally she would cuddle up to her husband on the couch, but it did horrible things to her already aching back. Sleep came easy to them both, as if they hadn't slept their whole lives and their minds weaved vivid dreams that seemed so real.
Damon was the first to jolt out of his restful sleep. His blue eyes darted around the room and his hands batted at the blanket that was wrapped around him. Once he realized he was at home, he peeled the blanket off him and sighed deeply. He held his head in his hands, massaging his temples for a few moments to clear his thoughts. What a weird dream, he thought to himself. He normally didn't dream, but this one felt like he was actually living in it. Damon rose from the couch and stoked the fire a bit with a poker since it was starting to fade. He then dragged his tired body up the stairs and rounded the corner to the bedroom.
Upon entering the room, he saw Cassandra sitting up in bed, very much awake and wiping tears from underneath her eyes. He immediately became panicked and sat on the bed beside her. "Hey, you alright?"
"Yeah," she sniffled. "I just had this really strange dream."
His eyebrows creased and he tilted his head. "Really? I had a weird dream too."
Cassandra's expression matched his and she moved closer to him. "Tell me about yours."
Damon's expression fell, his fingers twiddling the bed sheets. "You first."
His sudden change in disposition didn't go unnoticed, but she agreed to tell about her dream first. "We were back in the 1800s and we were human. You had gone off to fight in the war. I remember saying goodbye to you and then I was waiting for what seemed like forever. Then, your father had received word that you had been killed in battle." She began to get emotional again, so Damon took her hand. Her eyes filled with tears that streaked down her cheeks. "I was standing over your grave and all I could do was cry for you. I cried till I had no more tears left. That's why I woke up so upset."
"You're okay." He pressed his lips to her forehead and rubbed her back to calm her down.
"I know I am." She smiled and wiped her cheeks. "So, tell me about your dream."
"No, we don't have to talk about that." He shook his head.
"Damon, tell me. Come on. I told you about mine." She pouted.
The raven haired vampire swallowed his pride and chewed the inside of his cheek. "In my dream, we were also in the 1800s. We were married and you were expecting a child. You woke me up in the middle of the night because you were in pain and I called for a doctor to come over. When he came, he whisked you away and I was left to wait downstairs while you screamed in pain. I waited and waited and waited until your screaming stopped. It felt like years had passed before the doctor came down again. He told me that you had went into labor early and that it was too much for you to handle. You died and so did the baby."
Now it was Cassandra's turn comfort her husband who was on the verge of crying. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly and whispering to him that it was only a dream. In the back of their minds, they could only wonder why they both had such horrible nightmares where one of them had to live without the other.
Neither of them could imagine a reality so heartless and cruel.
Hello my lovelies! I hope that everyone is enjoying themselves! Looks like Damon and Cassandra are having some odd dreams of each other. Could that have anything to do with Markos coming into town? Do you think Liv will really help to protect Elena and Cassandra? How do you think Markos will react to the news of Cassandra's pregnancy?
Shining Ruby: Thanks so much for reviewing! Things with Elijah and Giuliana will take time, but they will work out - don't worry ;) You're such an awesome reader and reviewer :)
Guest: Awesome question! Since vampirism does not run in families, it is very possible that the baby could inherit some of Cassandra's werewolf traits. We won't know until she gets older, but we will have to see what is in store for the baby! Thank you for reviewing!
ThisIsMeAndYou: Thank you so much for reviewing! Looking at the track for both seasons, I don't think it would be possible for Audrey and Cassandra to meet. I do think that would be interesting if they did happen to run into each other.
binks13: Hello, my darling! How are you doing? I hope you're doing well :) I miss Rebekah too, but it was so nice seeing her in last week's episode. A lot of people aren't liking Audrey as a character and that makes me sad :( I am hoping that it will take time for people to get used to her. She's a very in depth character who stayed loyal to the Original family while she was alive. I ship Elijah and Giuliana so hard ;) Thanks so much for reviewing, girly xoxo
Silently Tearful: Thank you for reviewing! Audrey is getting a bit of a tough rap with a lot of readers. Maybe it will take time for readers to get used to her (I'm hoping LOL). Hope you enjoyed this next update :)
NicoleR85: Ahhhh! Thank you Nicole! Klaus needs someone who loves him for who he is and Audrey was certainly able to do that when she by stepping in front of Mikael and risking her life.
elisesellas: Hello beautiful! Thank you so much for reviewing! I am glad to hear that you enjoyed this chapter and that you like all of my pairings. It means so much to me xoxo. I much prefer to read smut when I'm alone ;) LOL! My Thanksgiving was wonderful - I hope yours was too! Enjoy this chapter :)
CarlyLynn: Thank you for reviewing CarlyLynn! I hope you enjoyed this update :)
twin of a sister: YES I UPDATED! I am so happy that my update was able to make your post-Thanksgiving day all the more awesome! I am finding that a lot of my readers are split down the middle when it comes to TVD and TO, but I hope that I can find a happy medium between writing for both shows. I hope you enjoyed this update and I'll talk to you soon xoxo
Harshita94: Oh please do not worry about not reviewing. I know how life can get hectic and I totally understand that :) I am so happy to read your review! I really cannot thank you enough for saying that you enjoy Cassandra as a character. I created her because I wanted better for Damon and I certainly hope that I did her and their relationship justice. I can't wait for my readers to meet their baby :D Thanks so much for reviewing and good luck on your exams!
SomebodyWhoCares: I hope that means that you enjoyed the previous chapter ;) Thank you for reviewing, honey!
Guest: Hi there! Thanks for reviewing! Well, the story begins with Cassandra's pregnancy, so there won't really be any flashbacks since the story has already covered her pregnancy.