"No, no, no," she said pulling out of his grip. "I can't be a vampire." She panicked; she whipped around and ran back up to the room she had slept in, dove into her bag, rummaging for her wand.
There was no warmth in her beloved wand. Herea the others coming up.
"Accio book," she pointed to the shelf.
Nothing.
"Lea…" Stefan said gently.
"Accio book! Accio BOOK! ACCIO BOOK! AC –" Azalea dropped to the floor sobbing. No.
No. No. No. No.
The brothers kneeled on the floor beside her, holding her as she cried.
"How did it even get in my system? How?" she said wiping her eyes after crying for a few minutes.
"Katherine maybe?" Stefan suggested. "She could have been slipping it into your food, she doesn't know you come back… But Lea… You need to drink," Stefan said gently.
"No,"
"If you don't, you'll die," Damon snapped.
"Exactly if I die in transition, I have a shot of coming back human!" she argued.
"Azalea…" Stefan said gently. "I don't think that'll –"
"I have to try! I have to see. We know it won't kill me, kill me – maybe it will work. I've beat the odds before…" I told him.
"What if you don't, what if you wake up still in transition?" Damon snapped.
"Then I'll turn… I didn't see them Damon… I didn't notice last night somehow, but I didn't…"
Damon felt his heart drop at the crack in her voice, he pulled her into a hug.
"I can't not see them and not have magic, I can't."
"Shh," he soothed, stroking her hair. Once the brothers had coaxed Azalea back off the floor, she began to pace in the dark room she had slept in. Stefan went downstairs to ask Elena to leave, and call for some back up. Damon stayed and watched his friend carefully.
Azalea found herself able to hear parts of the conversation downstairs.
"Stefan, she needs friends right now," Elena argued with him. There was a stabbing pain in her jaw, as if it new that Elena was human, and had the blood she needed to turn. She closed her eyes, pressing her lips together as she rubbed the area.
"She has lots of friends, that aren't also temptation," he told her gently.
"Oh, right… can you tell her I'm here."
"Of course," he said. She stopped listening, and looked over at the closed blinds, then to the door.
"Is it worth killing me? Seeing if we can speed up the –"
"I think your best shot is to 'naturally' die in transition. The blood is still probably in your system right now. You may just be in transition again."
"Also, we are not killing you, or letting you kill yourself." Damon said his eyes narrowed at his friend. She sighed, running her hands through her hair.
A blur of long blonde hair whooshed into the room hugging Azalea tightly.
"Caroline," she said melting into her friends' arms.
"I am so sorry this happened to you." she said. "Stefan told me about the magic, and the not seeing people, and the plan. I am here for you. I will stop you if your will power caves." she held her friend close, stroking her red hair. Azalea sniffed, nuzzling closer to Caroline. The sweet smell of her vanilla and peach perfume comforting.
"You guys called in back up huh," she said softly.
"Sure did, we thought her nauseating enthusiasm, may do the trick." Damon said. Caroline shot him a glare, but barely paid him any attention.
The brothers listened carefully around the house, turning off all of the appliances they possibly could to tame the uncomfortable sounds that would set Azalea on edge while her body pushed her to turn. They debated seeing if a sleeping draught would work, but Azalea refused to entertain the idea. Assuring them that their company was helping and it was enough…
The three watched, suffering as Azalea grew weaker and weaker. Holding her hands and stroking her hair as they carried her back to the bed.
"Wish me luck," she whispered hoarsely, sensing that it wouldn't be long now.
"You won't need it," Caroline said kissing her temple. They all sat in silence listening as Azalea Potter's heartbeat got slower and slower. She smiled softly, closing her eyes and letting the darkness take her.
Thump… Thump…
Thump… Thump…
Thump… Thump…
Thump…
Gasping for air Azalea shot up from the bed, looking around she saw three concerned faces hovering near her.
"How'd you feel?" Stefan asked.
"You, ok?" Caroline said hugging her.
"I feel, I feel normal, but I did at first last time at first. I dunno." She said looking at the brothers in a panic.
Stefan gently coaxed the younger vampire off their friend so Damon could lean forwards and check her eyes. Azalea watched the piercing blue eyes carefully, for any sign of what they saw in her own.
Damon smiled.
"Congratulations" he said. "You are human again."
She cried out in joy as the tears began to flow, she dove for the wand. Laughing again as sparks through from the reliable holly.
She hugged each of her friends laughing. When she gave Damon a final squeeze she shot red fireworks into the sky, before casting a Patronus. They all watched as the elegant stag cantered around the room.
"Thank Merlin," she gasped, wiping a tear from her face, as he gave the group a small bow of his head before he disappeared. Azalea smiled softly at where he had been.
"How many firsts are you planning to be Lightning?" Damon asked her as he pulled her in for another hug.
"Hopefully this is the last," she smiled, as they pulled apart.
"I'm going to text the others that your ok," Stefan touched her shoulder as he left the room.
"This is so great!" Caroline said, hugging her again. "I am so happy for you Lea," she murmured in her ear.
"Thank you, Caroline," she said softly.
Caroline took Azalea home, Stefan went down to the fridge full of his friend's blood, to grab a bag. When he came back into the sitting room. He saw his brother staring into the large fire, a bourbon in hand.
"Damon…" he said cautiously, gauging his brother's reaction, trying to figure out how best to comfort him.
"I'm sorry, I understand." He said finishing his drink.
"Understand?" Stefan said lost. His brother turned to look at him.
"I forgive you. I understand why you did it. If she wasn't her… If there wasn't a chance she would come back even in transition… I would have forced her to turn. And," he chortled unamused. "I'd have been a hell of a lot more forceful than you were." He walked towards his brother, clapping his hand down on his shoulder, and looking into his eyes. "I understand Stefan. I understand and I forgive you."
Stefan reached forward pulling his brother into a tight hug. The two stood holding each other. The centuries of hostility fizzled away…
Azalea got a pair of pyjamas ready; she had decided she was going to have a long bubble bath to try and soak the last few days away. Her bathroom was not as glamourous as the prefect's bathroom, but it would do for today's purposes. As she went backwards and forwards with towels, candles and supplies. She noticed a figure sitting on her windowsill.
"So, it was you." She crossed her arms glaring at Katherine.
"I needed you safe," she answered her, standing up and scanning her carefully. "And vampirism is better than dead. Though apparently you can overcome that… all by yourself…" she walked right up to her, checking her eyes with a frown on confusion, still evaluating her frame. "How are you still human?"
"Get out of my house," She muttered walking away from the vampire, she grabbed the supplies for her bath soaking, and letting some of the tension out of her muscles for the next forty minutes, using her wand to keep reheating the water. When she got out Katherine Pierce as nowhere in sight.
The next day it was raining, she knew that Matt had a shift and she wanted to catch up with him. See how he was doing. She made her way over to the Grill and sat down in the area it looked like he was serving in.
"Lea," he said with a warm smile. "Hey,"
"Hi, thought I'd come pester you." She grinned, he laughed a little.
"My shift ends in ten, I'll come and join you."
"Sounds perfect,"
"You want anything,"
"Uh yeah, the Mexican spice sandwich thingy," she pointed. "And a coke,"
"You got it." He walked away. The food arrived around when Matt finished his shift, she asked him about how everything was going. How he and Caroline were doing. He confessed he felt a little lost. She felt bad for him, she reassured him that Caroline was going through a lot. Reminded him that she almost died in that crash. The two sat for two hours catching up and talking from how he was doing in the house alone, and about school before he told her he should probably head home. He thanked her for coming in, leaving her sitting alone. She rubbed her face a little, before starting to collect her things.
"Lea –"
Azalea recognised the voice. She drew her wand under the table as the raged boiled in her.
"Stay away from me," she hissed. He sat down in Matt's vacated seat, and went to reach for her, she shot him with a stinging hex. He winced as she had hit his thigh, she knew it would already be healing.
"How are you still human?"
She swore at him, standing up, making sure to cause a scene to those around them.
"I told you to stop following me!" she said her voice raised. Several other diners began to stand up to aid what appeared to be a young girl in distress and an adult man. A few women ushered her away to the bathroom as a circle of men circled the werewolf. By the time the women left the bathroom Mason had cleared the bar, some of the women offered to walk her home. She thanked them for their kindness but told them she would be fine. As soon as she was out of shot, she apparated to the Salvatore house.
Mason Lockwood didn't realise how big of a mistake he had just made.
A loud crack alerted the brothers of their friends arrival they met her in the hallway.
"Lea what –"
"–Mason knew I had vampire blood in my system." She told them. "He and Katherine are working together."
Both of their eyes widened in surprise. Stefan was the first to move a frown forming on his brows and his arms crossed.
"If Mason killed you knowing you'd come back… You're right, he and Katherine must be working together."
"So… she didn't just slip you blood." Damon said. "She wanted me to turn… why?"
"You'd be more durable – you know if it wasn't for…" Stefan gestured to her.
"Why. Why is she so dedicated to keeping you safe. It's obviously not just cause she doesn't want your community to be mad – cause how would they know she was even around you… It has to be something else… Something that saves her life too."
"We know she is running from the Originals…" Stefan said, his hand by his face as he thought. "But you have never met them. So why would they be so invested in your survival?"
Azalea shrugged. She didn't see how the Originals keeping her alive would mean so much that they would spare Katherine after five hundred years.
What do you guys think about the transition situation? And Damon and Stefan's chat? Thanks for reading please let me know your favourite parts, I love reading your comments xx
