MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING: Sex dream, mention of molestation, childhood trauma beware.
Hello, everyone! How are you? So, sorry for not uploading but I got into writer's block for this story and I was unable to finish the 20th and 21st chapters. Now, I'm writing the 22nd chapter and I'm working on various stories regarding the Be Somebody Universe.
It's still in the Christmas period and I know it's going to be awkward and I'm sorry. I thought I would be able to upload all the Christmas chapters during Christmas but I didn't manage that because life kicked my ass and I wanted to have a lot of things to happen during the two weeks holidays.
With this chapter I suggest listening to: Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms.
Enjoy!
Be Somebody
Chapter 18: Isn't Christmas Wonderful, my darling?
Atlanta: Salvatore Household:
Nansia's Dream:
Nansia was sleeping when she woke up and she found herself in an unknown room and she watched a man sleeping topless which made Nansia blush a little.
She moved around the room and tried to touch the door's handle but her hand got electrocuted and she hissed in pain as she shook her hand in an attempt to stop the burn when she felt a presence behind her.
In seconds she was held by the neck and slammed to the wall. A familiar face is smirking down to her.
"Hello, Nansia." Ryan said with voice that held mischief and sort of possessiveness yet his eyes were dark with desire.
Then he launched at her lips and kissed her possessively bruising her lips in process. He let her throat go and cupped her head and led them to his bed.
They keep kissing passionately, Ryan dragged his lips across her neck line and Nansia moaned not carrying to question why she was seeing such a dream or if it was in fact a dream.
"It's not dream, love. I want you." Ryan whispered to her ear before biting her earlobe and then went back to kissing down her neck while his hands wondered.
"Then what is this?" Nansia breathed out and Ryan stopped kissing her and looked at her confused.
"I want you, Nansia, why you have to question everything? I love you, I want you and I crave you. Let me show you how much." Ryan said as he looked at her his eyes looking deep into hers as he softly played with her hair yet his body was not heavy against her since he used his elbows to support himself mostly not that Nansia didn't like the feel of him on her. He was itching to embrace him, to cup his cheeks and then kiss him equally passionately and lost herself in him.
"Because this is a dream, it's not real…I.."
"Then there's no harm, is it? Let go, please!" Ryan begged her and Nansia yield.
"Fuck it!" She said before she grabbed his face and started kissing him feverishly and Ryan was smiling in true happiness.
They rolled around the covers and Nansia find herself onto of him.
"Have you had sex before?" Ryan asked her as she put his hands on his chest.
"No." Nansia said truthfully and Ryan smirked and growled possessively as he kissed her again with the same passion and flipped them again;
"Let me show you." Ryan whispered in her neck as clothes started to come off and passion overflowed both of their bodies as ecstasy was brought to each other from one another again and again.
Nansia woke up in a haze as she looked around her and found Ryan smirking at her but soon his smirk was replaced by a genuine smile as he leaned in to kiss her and she kissed him back with equal passion. But the kissing stopped and they just held each other.
"I wish this was real. But we can't…I don't want you to give you hope that there's a future for us…not after I learned what I must to do to be free of my father." Ryan said serious and sad as he held her in his arms and kissed her hair.
"What?! What does that mean? Did you find something in Prague?" Nansia jumped and turned to look at him. Their face inches away from each other and Ryan just stare at her marveling her eyes.
"I love your eyes, they remind me of pine trees in autumn." Ryan said softly as he cupped her cheek and then kissed her but Nansia put a stop to the kiss and looked at him worried as she pushed off him.
"What is going on, Ryan? Please tell me! I want to help you! I'm here to help you!" Nansia said with emphasis in her words yet her tone looked worried and concerned.
Ryan sighed as he sat up and then slipped out of the bed and started pacing in the room while Nansia watched him as she held the sheets around herself.
Ryan turned to look at her and his face when from concerned and sad to awe and he walked to her.
"Nothing, forget about, this is about us, this our time." Ryan said as he walked up to her cupped her cheeks and kissed her. Nansia realized that he didn't want to talk about whatever this was so she gave in to desire for the second time in her life.
"I love you. I love you!" Ryan kept repeating to her every time he would stop kissing her and Nansia would smile and she would answer back that she loved him too.
She was so happy and in awe she expected to recoil at the thought and action of having sex for the rest of her life but with Ryan she didn't feel embarrassed at least this dream version of him.
Wait, what did he say about them not having a future? It's a lie she saw the future! She knows they will get married and have kids! Does the knowledge of the future changed its outcome so much that he will not be in it?
"Ryan, are you dying?" Nansia asked him once he stopped her kissing and he was about to tell her that he loved her but her question stopped him dead in his track.
"Yes." Ryan said with sadness in his face and sadness.
"NO!" Nansia exclaimed in denial as she grabbed him in her arms and hugged him and felt Ryan cry softly in the crook of her neck and hug her back just as tight.
Then she felt cold wind coming from upwards and Ryan sucked away as Nansia tried to hold tight on his body but failed.
Dream End:
"NO!" She yelled loudly as she jolted awake but as she tried to remember what was the dream about she drew blank.
"NANSIA! Are you okay? I heard your scream!" Lizzie rushed into her room and Nansia whipped her head to her direction and she had a lost look on her face.
"I can't remember…there was something I'm supposed to remember." She said deep in thoughts. Lizzie hugged her sympathetically and she just allowed to be hugged.
"I need to call Ryan." Nansia said as she was in the embrace of Lizzie and Lizzie nodded.
"You will once you calm down and have some coffee." Lizzie advised softly and Nansia nodded as she turned and climbed down the bed.
Nansia and Lizzie joined the others for breakfast and quietly ate.
"Come on guys, it's Christmas Eve, let's feel the cheery atmosphere! Let's go to the mall and play some games in the arcade and see a movie!" Damon suggested excited.
All the teens turned and looked at him with glares and went back to eating in silence.
Suddenly Nansia's phone rang and it was Ethan. She excused herself and went to the porch to answer it.
"Merry Christmas!" She heard everyone she worked with and she laughed happily.
"Thank you guys! Merry Christmas to you too! How come and you are all together?" Nansia asked confused and she shivered cursing the moment she didn't get a cardigan with her.
Just then Damon open the door and handed her, her jacket and shoes and smiled kindly at her and she nodded in thanks as she started quickly dressing up.
"Well, there is a winter festival in the town's square and Ethan and I are on hot coco duty and Mike is on fake snow duty." Isabella or Isa (as Nansia called her in her head) said through the speaker as children and other voice were more audible now.
"That is nice! In Greece we had Winter Dreamland festival where the entire city's huge sidewalk where every restaurant and coffee shop or arcade existed. It was very magical the first time I saw it. I would love to see how it is for you guys. Has Mike try to murder any spoiled kids yet?" Nansia asked as sat on the bench and started tying her shoes.
"Nope! Only I try to drown my brother in a fake snow…does that count? How are you?" Mike's voice was heard and Nansia started laughing.
"Well, same, when my sister wouldn't stop talking I would shove biscuits in her mouth and then on top of the pacifier in order to be able to study for school…she used to always be hungry…" Nansia said with a fondness in her tone as she started to reminisce of her sister, she was fifteen years old when she left and her birthday had passed two months ago and she had forgotten it in the midst of everything.
That realization hit her like a lorry truck with cut brakes.
"How did she take it?" Mike asked laughing. When did he start laughing?
"She would spit the pacifier but munched on the biscuits and watched me with interest and this small sister awe as I was solving my homework and when I would get frustrated she would hand me biscuits or carrot slices. Or I would take a moment away from the homework that angered me I would return and found the pages smeared with colorful markers either with her name all over it or with mine or with random hearts and starts and smiley faces." She said smiling softly and she almost felt her heart clenched at the thought that her sister was going through by herself now. Has she realized she was gone? Was she searching for her? What about their mum and dad?
"She sounds like a kind little sister, not like my diabolic brother." Mike said laughing.
"Well, I wouldn't call her kind, she chased me around the house with a butcher's knife because I had destroyed her favorite clown which freaked me out but I didn't see it and I spilled ink on its face. Then she dropped my MP3 player from the fourth floor of our aunt's apartment. Oh! And threw a tin can from those with the dust baby formula and she took two teeth with that." She said laughing and Mike, Ethan and Isa groaned and gasped in shock and pain yet they giggled a little at some parts.
"We would love to meet her some day." Ethan said with a smiley tone.
"I would love that too, some day but it's not the time yet." Nansia said with a semi sad tone.
"So, how is Atlanta?" Isa asked excited.
"Snowy and cold but as much as I managed to see it's a metropolitan area and very nice. I would love to live here if I don't manage to move to Vancouver." Nansia said smile in her tone.
"Canada, aye?" Mike pretended to ask with a bad Canadian accent that caused all of them to groan and make fun of him.
"Yeah, one of the safer countries that I do know the language and has jobs and rural areas which means areas for agriculture and homes to be build, better hospitals, high QOL which stands for quality of life and in general Vancouver is widely known for her calm city life and slow pace, its weather mirrors the Mediterranean climate and it's equipped with road and pavements designed for people with disabilities including a lot of benches and frequent buses and low humidity. It's perfect for me because it reminds me a lot of Thessaloniki which I love with all my heart and it has both sea and mountain for views. Do I need anything else? Nope!" Nansia rambled with excitement and love in her tone.
"Damn, girl! You've done your research!" Mike exclaimed amazed.
"Yep! Anyhow, I'm freezing because I went out to answer the phone in order to have some peace and quiet and I bet people need you so we talk later! Merry Christmas, guys! Thanks for making my day!" Nansia said smiling with a kind tone but she shivered from the cold.
Her werewolf didn't work to keep her warm unlike how Jed and Rafael had said it worked. Her wolfed seemed a little…out of commission…
"Of course! Talk you later, girl!" All three said with happy tones and they hanged up.
Through her conversation Damon had stuck around to listen her wanted to find something to connect with her and hearing her talk about her little sister he smiled remember his own little brother. He missed him dearly. Nansia didn't talk much about her life before she appeared here and she's tied lipped about the future too.
He had decided he wanted to spend a day with her after hers and Bonnie's attempt to reach the ancestors. He decided that walking around the city showing her the city they might start talking.
When Nansia came inside Damon approached her.
"Once you and Bonnie are done would you like to go for a walk around the city to show you around? There's much history that you might find interesting." Damon asked a little hesitant and Nansia studied him and she shrug.
"I'll see, thanks for asking though." She said kindly but he could see he made her uncomfortable.
He sighed in defeat but didn't push it.
Nansia finished her breakfast before she went and tidy up her room and changed into her buggy tracksuit pants and a fake Addidas hoodie before she brushed her hair and put them in a ponytail before she washed her face and then brushed her teeth and she put Vaseline. She left the bathroom and run down the stairs and saw Damon playing with Stefanie and she felt bad for being so rude with him.
"Yes, I know, I want to go out and explore the town." Nansia said smiling softly to Damon who raised his head and smiled at her and nodded.
"What time is good for you?" Damon asked her with an excited tone.
"Before sundown except if we are in a non-rural area with a lot of traffic lights." Nansia said to Damon who nodded.
"After lunch an hour after." Damon said and she nodded smiling and went to Bonnie who was waiting for her.
She sat down and smiled at Bonnie and Jeremy.
"I'm sorry for scaring both of you." Nansia said seriously apologetically and Bonnie started laughing. Nansia tilted her head in confusion and furrow her eyebrows.
"Don't apologize, you did what we did in your age. Just…it's different time…more dangerous times…or at least as parents and teachers we are more hyperaware of all the bad…of all human bad things added by the supernatural bad things, it scares us shitless. But it's okay. It's your life journey and you wanted answers so you went to look for them, ventured into the unknown to get them instead of Googling it." Bonnie said with a wise and proud tone that held a little jealousy and worry in it.
"I'm glad you have Josie, Lizzie and Hope to help you and you don't let old family feuds to keep you apart." Bonnie said as she refer to the whole Saltzman-Mikaelson-Gilbert-potential Petrova foursome (current trio) and the feuds that existed during their time.
"I…I don't know why I can trust them…I feel like I was always meant to meet them and trust them…like I was expecting my entire life to meet them. I met all of you and I'm still getting to know all of you yet I feel like I belong? Like I was always meant to be here." Nansia admitted and Bonnie looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?" Jeremy voiced Bonnie's question his tone had an edge of anticipation.
"Don't play dumb, guys, I know you know that I belong to the Petrova bloodline because Alaric told you and you want me to contact them so we can start an archive on them and the werewolf pack they got married into creating wolf-blood witches. And I'm all here for it because I want to know too but there's this theory I believed my whole life…it's a quantum physics theory that we are energetic beings and when there is an immense amount of energy building up in a human vessel it can tear apart the fabric of the fourth dimension and even reach the fifth dimension but most times it's just the fourth. What Thalia did was triggered by the need of a mother to protect what was left of her children, of an Alpha Queen to protect what was left of her cubs and her pack, the most pure intent fueled by savagery and darkness. It was enough to make her reach not only the fourth dimension but a complete different universe entirely yet there is just like heat signatures there is energy signatures and those create a cord…an umbilical cord that grows braches each time another generation joins, keeping us all connected with the original universe…our mother universe…I tugged the cord too many times by going to 2149 and back and then again when I appeared here. I appeared here because the cord wanted me back. I don't know why it chose me and not any of my cousins though. I'm not special I'm destructive, a world destroyer if you will…a Wanheda." Nansia spoke to both Bonnie and Jeremy for the first time with no filter she just said what she has been bottling up since she came here…
Well almost everything she didn't out why they went to the library.
Bonnie and Jeremy weren't the only ones to hear her, Caroline was on the second floor's terrace reading her book and enjoying some hot coco and me time when she heard Nansia's speech.
She noticed how her voice changed…it became older and wiser her stance changed completely it was like a different alter ego was talking to Jeremy and Bonnie, an older alter ego, a wiser one.
"I never heard of that theory before." Bonnie said deep in thoughts.
"That's because quantum physics is different here it's more advanced than it has ever been in mine…I don't think in 2027 we would be this far technology wise back in my dimension. We can be close but not like that." Nansia explained with a shrug and Caroline saw the shift her tone became more child-like and her stance relaxed.
Did she have multiple personalities?
She must have because she was sure this girl must have created some alternative personalities to survive what she had survived. Or maybe she dissociated.
Maybe she was just a scared little girl with a stolen childhood.
"Fuck…" Caroline cursed under her breath as she walked back into her room and saw Alaric entering.
"What?" Caroline asked confused.
"We should do something the four of us and I was coming to ask you if you wanted to suggest it to the girls." Alaric asked as he fixed his shirt since it got caught in the doorknob as he was walking into the room.
"Um…sure…should we have our lunch as a picnic somewhere?" Caroline suggested and Alaric hummed thoughtfully.
"Ric, tell me this, can we trust Nansia? Will she be another Katherine Pierce?" Caroline asked not holding back her doubts and her fear in her tone.
"Yes, she's not harmless but she needs a family and mentors. She's our girls' friends. She has been through bad things and she's trying to heal. She will make mistakes just like all of us. Why?" Alaric asked worried as he sat on Caroline's bed's feet and tapped the empty space next to him.
Caroline joined him and sighed;
"I don't know my instincts tell me not to trust her."
"Spend some time with her. Exchange stories and get to know her." Alaric suggested and she nodded.
"You're right…I'm being paranoid." Caroline said sighing as she made up her mind.
"We should ask the girls what they want to do." Caroline stated as she focused on her girls for once.
During this entire time the twins were in their rooms going over everything they had found in the library and keeping written and electronically backups, just in case. Then texted to Hope who was in her room video chatting with her uncles and aunts when she saw Josie's text her everything they had digitized and telling her to tell Nansia to video call Ryan to update him because they had already let him know instead of Nansia and that it was their thing and they had taken it from them.
Hope texted an okay before she went back to talking to Freya and Keelin along with her aunt Felicity and awed over baby Nick as they exchanged their Christmas wishes and presents since Elena had kindly put all the presents sent to Hope by her family in her room the moment they were delivered in her household.
She received a bunch of Merry Christmas texts from MG, Kelab, Penelope, Sylvia (who gave her, her phone number? And who is that again?), Landon, Rafael and even Ryan.
As the twins were finishing up and shutting their computers down and hiding their notebooks their door knocked and the girls pretended to be re-organizing their room and suitcases when Alaric and Caroline opened the door and asked them what they were doing.
"Do you want girls to do something the four of us? Any suggestions?" Caroline asked hesitantly as Lizzie glared at her.
"Um…there is a Christmas festival in downtown and it looks nice, I saw posts on Instagram, want to check it out?" Josie suggested with shrug as she started to fold her pj shirts.
"That is great, Josie! We should do that!" Caroline exclaimed excited.
"Then have fun…I'll be spending time with Hope." Lizzie said grumpily as she folded her arms to her chest.
"She's talking with her family back in New Orleans. Come on Lizzie don't be like that." Alaric said sighing in annoyance.
"No! I will be like that! Because she chooses bits and pieces and when to parent, it's not how it goes! When I'll have my own kids I will never leave them! And you want now to play happy family? Hell no! I want to go to that festival and have fun with my sister and dad, my family, hell even Hope is more family than you, the woman who we've spend nine months inside of and that is unfair! Jo, can't be here but you could but you chose not to! I want to go to that festival and have fun with you too but I can't bury this down and ignore it anymore because if I want to become better I have to face one problem at a time and you are primary problem! Are we so unworthy of your attention? Well, let me answer you this…no but you are scared of us, scared that we will be just like Kai the same guy you manipulated us into jailing in the prison world. I don't say that Kai didn't deserve it but you fear that we will be like him so you try to be always prepared ending up to complete missing out. Guess what, mother, you lost me. Now you have one daughter left and trade wisely because if I suspect that you teat Josie badly I will be worse than Kai fucking Parker." Lizzie yelled loudly and angrily at Caroline. Letting go of anger so deep inside of her that she herself was shocked and unaware of those words but it felt good.
She then stormed out and downstairs and sat by Stefanie who was watching Sabrina the Teen Witch reruns from this old sitcom at some channel when she saw a movement out of the window and she stood up to go explore.
She walked just outside of the Salvatore residence when a hand yanked her to the side of the house and she let out a yelp when she was slammed against the wall and then saw an older version of Stefanie looking at her smiling excited.
"THE FUCK?" Lizzie whispered exclaimed in shock as Stefanie hugged her.
"I came because I remember this night and the fight your had with your mum and how much you looked so sad but I was too young and inexperienced to be able to comfort you but I wanted so much because you're family. So, I made sure to remember and come, want to go to the Christmas festival and have a great time and talk?" Older Stefanie asked with a kind smile and Lizzie started crying as Stefanie hugged her and rubbed her back.
After ten minutes of her crying she wiped her eyes and nodded at Stefanie's offer and Stefanie smiled as she took a bag off her back and took out an outfit.
"I remember you always wanted this sweater and I had asked you where you found it you had smiled with fondness and then told me I would understand then I'm here in this time period because of you and I'm waiting for the right time so I'm walking around and I see it so I bought it. Merry Christmas!" Stefanie said smiling as she handed Lizzie her present.
Lizzie smiled and hugged her back so damn thankful. Then she put it on and smiled as she felt very warm but felt super thankful for grabbing her jacket before she went exploring. Then both girls walked to the bus stop as Lizzie started asking about the future.
"I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to say anything more. How do you feel about what happened between you and Aunt Caroline?" Stefanie asked as they waited for the bus.
They climbed the bus twenty minutes later as Lizzie rambled on and on. By the time they had arrived Lizzie was done ranting and Stefanie paid for the fare and she shook her wallet to Lizzie's silent question of with what money will we pay the festival tickets.
"My opinion is that Aunty Caroline needed to hear this. And you did right telling her so the ball is in her court and she will have to choose because you have the right to tell her that she lost you. Mother figure will come soon enough if Caroline makes the mistake and lets you go." Stefanie said kindly as they started roaming the festival.
Older Stefanie and Lizzie had a great morning in the festival as they walked around the city and festival talking and Stefanie answered two future questions Lizzie was worried about against what she had originally told her.
"You will defeat Malivore and Ryan is going to be free. And as mother figures go there's another member of the Gilbert family that will be there for you. And you and Nansia are my role models, you are my mental health role model and Nansia is remind me that you can kill people with kindness and being too busy thriving and making sure to be there for my family. I'm being surrounded by badass women and I'm not talking about my mum and her friends. No pressure though…" Stefanie said seriously as the two women sat for food at some restaurant in downtown Atlanta and waited for a waiter to come and take their order.
Lizzie smiled as tears run down her eyes and stood up and hugged Stefanie thanking her. They ate a very delicious pizza and Stefanie told her of a trip she had in Italy and New York just to compare their pizzas and that she spent the trip only going to pizzerias and not any monuments which she regretted later. Lizzie laughed at that story and then Stefanie asked her a bunch of weird things as young child Stefanie had listened and seen the girls do and was told stories she was old enough to hear this time around.
It was well into the noon when Stefanie brought her back to the Salvatore residence and smiled and hugged her goodbye whispering encouraging words for the looming fight with Caroline. Lizzie watched her teleport away and she sighed, she didn't want to go inside. She really didn't.
Back with Nansia, after her speech Bonnie and her started meditating when they jumped at Lizzie's yells and rushed to see what it was going on having eavesdrop the fight they decided that it wasn't their place to do anything so they went back to trying to meditate.
Nansia's Mind:
Nansia was back at the same forests where she had met her great grandma Maria and this time she was only seeing them and listening to them when a hand scared her as it grabbed her shoulder.
"Great grandma Maria you scared me…grandpa?" Nansia started to say with a sigh of annoyance and rolling her eyes but being face to face with her grandpa Thanasis, the son of Dimitri and grandson of Thalia.
Great grandma Maria was her mum's maternal grandma meaning grandma Vaso's mum, no witch, just a Seer.
While Thanasis was a witch.
She had never met her grandpa but always felt connected to him. She would talk to his picture as a child and sleep with it in her arms whenever her mother would beat her or belittle her. She was suddenly slammed with a strong memory of a younger version of her;
Blood pouring from her busted lips and pain flaring all over her tiny body as a ten year old Nansia, tried the hardest to get up. Her mother had punched her and then beat her with her crutch until she cut her eyebrow because one of the crutches' screw got her face instead of head. Blood was about to fall in her eyes when she grabbed onto a self and pulled herself up, her broken ankle screamed but she had to be strong. Her mother was in her room. She was safe for now. Her reflection glare at her as it was mirror in the glass of the picture frame of her grandpa.
Monster.
She looked like a monster.
The reason to be beat up?
She had forgotten to buy bread by the bakery and weekend was coming so the bakery would be closed.
She grasped the picture frame with shaking hands and sobs as she limped to her room where a broken old mirror, one that her step-dad had thrown at her and she had ducked away from when she seven for refusing to go in bathroom with him to shower her. She hated men.
She set the picture of the tile floor and pulled the first aid kit she had stolen from her school and set the broken mirror as the sunlight helped her see the damage.
"She's right, I'm useless and selfish…I am a nothing, grandpa. You were something, you deserved to be here amongst the living I was born dead I should have stay as was." She said to the picture as she wiped some blood trying to scream from the pain as the alcohol infused tissue killed any bacterial infection.
She swore in that moment that she saw her grandpa's eyebrows furrow and he looked angry but as she blinked the picture was back to normal, smiling.
The blood loss might be getting to her head.
She might have hit her head too. She can't remember where she was hit she hurt all over.
"NO!" Current Nansia yelled in her grandpa's face as the memory was too much for her.
End of Nansia's Mind:
"NO!" Nansia yelled loudly as thunder was heard and wind picked up all that caused Bonnie and Jeremy to jump as Nansia was on her feet and her eyes were glowing icy blue, clouds started forming as wind picked up.
"NANSIA! CALM DOWN! YOU'RE SAFE!" Bonnie yelled at her over the commotion as Damon and Elena rushed to see if she was alright.
"NO! I WON'T LET REMIND ME THIS! NO, I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!" Nansia yelled as tears in her eyes overflowed and her eyes flickered between blue and her normal shade. Jeremy tried to reach her but she stepped back only to stumble on a garden fake rock and fall on her butt slamming her to the ground where she grabbed her legs and brought them to her chest as she started rocking herself and crying as she hid her face.
"No, I don't want to."
"No, no, no. Please don't make me."
She whispered to herself over and over again. A heartbreaking scene.
Damon against everyone's attempts walked over to her recognizing the sings of PTSD fueled anxiety attack, something triggered her.
"Hey, hey, it's me, it's Damon and you are in a safe place, no one, none of them can hurt you or force you to do anything." Damon spoke to her softly and empathetically as he gently held her hand that was holding her knees together.
"No, no, no. Please, I don't want to shower. Please don't make me." Nansia cried as she looked at Damon. Her brown-greenish eyes were mostly brown now but so full of terror in them.
Listening to her pleading not to go into the shower made Damon's blood boil as he tried to fill in the blanks of what it might mean for her.
And so did the rest of the people who watched her freak out. Caroline and Alaric with Josie had walked out on the terrace of the second floor when they heard Nansia yell no interrupting their very necessary family meeting.
Caroline hearing Nansia plead not to go into the shower and remembering how she had passed by the bathroom days ago and heard music coming from there and when questioned Nansia why she plays music, Nansia said that it helped her keep her in the present and her mind doesn't wonder into dark corners.
Were the dark corners in fact dark memories?
Horrified Caroline turned to face Alaric in shock as he was mirroring her face. Every adult thinking the same thing. What could possibly be happening in the shower and many monstrous scenarios came to their minds.
"How could somebody do that to Nansia?" Josie whispered to her dad in horror as Alaric hugged her in an attempt to protect her from unknown danger.
"Nobody is going to put you in the shower, Nansia. You have control over when you go there." Damon told her in the same tone as her breathing started to calm down and her eyes focused more on Damon because they looked like they were somewhere else.
Confusion the shame flashed before her eyes as she pushed herself away from Damon mumbling sorry and Damon sighed as he took that as a sign of Nansia shutting him out again but before he could wallow in his defeat Nansia used the fence as a pull up helper and she stood up and then walked over to Damon and hugged him in thanks.
Damon hugged her back and then Elena walked slowly towards them as tears were running down her eyes and Nansia hugged her too.
"I think I've had enough, Bonnie, for today." Nansia told Bonnie the moment she had calmed down after Elena's embrace and Bonnie nodded having tears in her eyes too.
"You're very strong woman, Nansia, I don't know if I could survive all that you have." Bonnie told her as her voice cracked and she started to sob as she hugged Nansia who started to cry again.
"I ruined Christmas, didn't I?" She asked as she was hugging Bonnie only to see Damon glare at her and shaking his head no then smiled softly at her.
"It's okay." Jeremy told her as in his turn hugged her and she sighed tiredly.
"Okay, can I cook?" Nansia asked them as she tried to fix the atmosphere.
"How about we cook together?" Damon asked her and Nansia nodded.
"Sorry for ruining our outing..I just..after what happened…I don't feel safe outside." Nansia explained self-consciously as her and Damon started gathering the ingredients for the scheduled Christmas Eve feast.
"Understandable, there's always tomorrow and next year's Christmas. Don't sweat about it." Damon said as he finished washing some leftover dishes from breakfast and Nansia was lining up the potatoes on the sink for Damon to wash and peel next.
"Thank you for understanding." Nansia said as she smiled shyly and Damon looked at her serious.
"Who forced you to shower?" Damon asked her and Nansia froze.
"My step-dad…when I refused he would throw mirror, watches, stools or computer keyboards and mice my way and I would have to run, hide and duck away from them. When he would drag me kicking and screaming in the bathroom he would wash me…everywhere even as a seven-year old…and ten…I hate showering and having baths…he would watch me as I took of my clothes and I remember I would glue myself to the heater trying to hide my body and become one with the tiles…he would watch me when he wouldn't wash me…he would watch me wash myself…when I would try to pull the curtain he would get angry…once he tried to drown me…I don't know why I never remember those moments…they don't add up with everything else he did for me though…because he was good. I swear he was good…am I going crazy? Did I fabricate everything good he's done? Maybe it wasn't him and I'm confusing faces, it must have been that…But that wasn't the only thing I remembered…I had this memory it was clear but I never could recall where I got this mirror…now I do…I hate showers and baths." Nansia started rambling in low voice that showed shame and as her rambling continue confusion was evident too.
Damon froze and watched how Nansia spoke as she was color arrange the peppers and then the vases on the counter robotically. His blood boiling at the sound of what she was saying.
What sort of sick fuck of a step-dad she had?
"I'm sorry you went through that…you're safe here, you know that right? We love you and you are family. We don't judge you or blame you for any of this." Damon told her with a emphasis in his tone and Nansia looked at him with tears in her eyes as she nodded.
"Alright, push away the bad vibes and let's make some edible magic!" Damon exclaimed suddenly loudly with the happiest tone Nansia ever heard of and she laughed at him trying to do as she was told. Focus on Christmas cheer!
While all of this was happening the remaining adults including Josie and Hope who had been filled in by Josie on what happened were sitting on the second floor in Elena's and Damon's bedroom trying to digest what they had just learned.
Lizzie's disappearance had gone unnoticed and Josie had made sure little Stefanie was napping in her room. The Saltzman family meeting was long forgotten…for now at least.
"So, you're saying that someone must have molested Nansia besides the fucker in the school and she had blocked those memories and suddenly their back?" Hope asked disgusted and horrified at the adults who nodded.
"When I hugged her I tapped into her mind while I casted a soothing spell, here's what I saw." Bonnie said to them as she extended her hand and it formed a circular chain.
Scenes of a beat ten-year-old Nansia flickered in their minds and a picture of her grandpa and then a very alive version of it then a glare of sunlight in a broken mirror that brought forth flickering memories and sound of a young Nansia's cries and pleas and various bathrooms, eight of them.
"I'm going to rip his throat!" Hope growled in anger as her eyes' glowed.
"Get in line." Caroline said in anger as her eyes changed to their vampiric nature and dark veins danced like snakes under her eyes.
"I can't…guys…this girl has gone through so much…I can help but see my little Stefanie…oh god…" Elena started to say as she started to sob in her hands and Alaric rubbed her back in understanding.
Caroline's eyes watered and she walked out of the room texting Lizzie a "where are you?" text only to hear her phone ping in her room yet the room was empty when a teary-eyed Caroline checked. Just as she was about to walk downstairs she heard Nansia's and Damon's conversation with her vampiric hearing.
Her blood boiled as she rushed upstairs again and told the remaining adults what she heard.
"Oh, yeah! I'm killing the sick fuck!" Hope growled and then Alaric scolded her for cursing so heavily but everyone turned to him and raised their eyebrows challenging him.
"You're right he deserves it." Alaric said in surrender.
"Now, where's Lizzie?" Hope asked as she realized that a particular blonde was missing.
"We had a fight." Josie said as she pointed her parents and her.
"She runaway and she doesn't have her phone with her, Bonnie can you do a locator spell?" Caroline asked with a defeated sigh as she handed a bracelet she was wearing that was a Mother's Day present from a 14 years old Lizzie.
Bonnie nodded and started chanting her the map Jeremy had laid down on behalf of Bonnie light up and showed an address that Josie Googled and saw it was where the festival was happening.
"Oh! She's gone to the festival. We should find her." Josie said to her parents who nodded and stood up.
"What are we doing with Nansia?" Elena asked lost and Jeremy sighed.
"We keep showing her that we believe her and that we are here for her, we don't ask about it…unlike Damon did, and we wait for her to tell us." Jeremy said in a "don't you know how things like this go?" tone and everyone nodded.
"She's not from porcelain so don't treat her as such, treat her normally." Hope added and everyone nodded as they Saltzman went to look for Lizzie and Hope went back to her room to call back her Aunt Rebekah and Marcel who she hang up on them so abruptly hearing Nansia's yells.
Elena went to check on her daughter and carried her to her room then cuddle with her as both of them took a nap.
Damon distracted Nansia with stories of his long life as they cooked and he listened to her telling the story of the time she jumped between apartment balconies on the fourth floor, fifth floor's height, in her aunt's apartment because she got locked outside only to realize she couldn't get in from the balcony either because she had locked the doors before leaving and how she was afraid of heights yet in that moment she felt 23% the fear but 109% the anxiety of falling to her death and having no money to pay a locksmith and needing to pee.
Nansia had a great time.
Jeremy also went to bed and took a much needed nap while Bonnie went to her room to meditate and try to calm her nerves and then she took a nap too.
The Saltzman family searched everywhere for Lizzie in the festival and didn't found her until they saw her cross the road with a dark haired girl laughing while they had united their arms and they were heading towards the shops area of the downtown Atlanta and away from the festival. They rushed to follow her but lost her in the sea of people, the glaring sunlight and festival lights.
"She'll come home when she's ready…maybe she needed a friend to vent." Alaric tried to explain what they saw.
"She has no friends in Atlanta." Josie said confused.
Something was familiar about this black-haired girl's back. She's seen it before…but where?
Lizzie walked into the house to see Nansia and Damon setting the table while Lizzie studied them.
"Hey, guys, what did I miss?" Lizzie asked confused why nobody was worried for her.
"A lot." Damon told her and she raised her eyebrows confused when suddenly pounding footsteps and in seconds she was hugged tight by Elena.
"Oh! Thank God, you're okay! Your parents are looking for you! Where have you been?" Elena's tone tripped with worry.
"I went to the festival…I needed to be alone. I'm sorry I didn't want to worry anyone." Lizzie said seriously and apologetically as she hugged Elena back. Once the embrace was done she walked upstairs to go wash up for lunch and she saw little Stefanie and hugged her whispering a cryptic "thank you" to the ears of the unaware girl who mumbled a "you're welcome" in a questionable tone and Lizzie pinched her cheeks and went to change her clothes.
"Do you want to talk about what you fought about with your parents?" Nansia asked as she came into Lizzie's room with a worrying tone.
"No…you wouldn't understand you had a mum…" Lizzie mumbled and Nansia tensed at that as the sounds of shower running invaded her mind and she shook her head in attempt to stop them and get rid of them.
It went unnoticed by Lizzie because it was in seconds.
"How did your session with Bonnie went?" Lizzie deflected the question as she took the sweater off and neatly place it in a hanger then took her original shirt off.
"It went…well…" Nansia lied without flinching; Lizzie was going through a lot and needed her, her (tr)dra(u)ma can wait…
"Lizzie…remember the oath we gave at the coffee shop?" Nansia said in a warning whisper and Lizzie turned to face Nansia as she sat down on her bed and tears started running down her eyes.
"I told off my mum…she deserved it but it hurts that she did all these wrong choices…she lost me and my trust. I have to work on the fact that I consider myself no longer Caroline's daughter but I don't see her as my mum since she was never there for me and always tried to fix me instead of accepting me as I am. Not all of us can be perfect like Josie and Hope. But it's okay…I can stuck up on friends as a family and in time I will be a better mother to my children…if I have them that is…I'm not settled on that fact yet." Lizzie rambled on as more tears run but she wasn't crying exactly it was the weird in-between emotion of sadness, hurt and acceptance.
Nansia sat next to her and hugged her sideways as Lizzie kept talking then they held each other for a bit.
"Oh, by the way, we digitalized and create multiple real life and digital copies of what we found. Also, I stole your phone yesterday and sent a video to Clarke while you were with Bonnie after our library escapade but you need to let him know what we have found. Sorry for stealing your phone but we don't have much time…" Lizzie said apologetically to Nansia who nodded not caring if Lizzie checked her phone, now she had nothing to hide from them…well maybe some fanfictions she was reading but she doubted the girls were into that…
Another thing she noticed is how fanfiction culture seemed to have died down…that was sad…fanfictions had introduced her to many great shows, books, authors and music artists.
"Girls! Lunch is on the table!" Damon's voice was heard from the bottom of the stairs and Stefanie's little feet pounded yelling;
"FINALLY FOOOOODDDD"
Nansia and Lizzie composed themselves and went knock on Hope's door only to hear faint snores coming from it and then Lizzie to check her phone that was full of messages.
"Should we wake her up? You know it's Christmas Eve lunch and all." Nansia asked unsure and Lizzie put her phone in her back pocket and gently opened the door and shook Hope's sleeping body whispering that food was ready.
"Finally." Hope mumbled as she wiped the sleep from her eyes and went to her en-suite bathroom to wash her face and hands and pee.
Nansia and Lizzie walked downstairs while Nansia sneaked into the kitchen to quickly wash her hands too before lunch and check if she could help with any last minute preparations.
"I've been calling both Ric and Care and they don't pick up." Elena sighed in annoyance.
"Um…let me." Lizzie said as she called Josie's phone only to go to voice mail.
"Nope…"
"I can go look for them." Jeremy suggested as he was chewing some bread.
"No, need we are here…Elizabeth Jenna Saltzman you are grounded twice the amount you were for the library!" Caroline yelled loudly as she walked inside the house slamming the door shut.
Lizzie flinched at her tone but Nansia's and Hope's comforting hands on her legs under the table gave her strength to say the next words;
"I would have accepted the punishment if it was coming from my father and not some stranger, thank you very much."
Caroline froze and dark veins appeared down her eyes. Hope and Nansia went into defense mode but didn't move just waited until Josie's hand grasped Caroline's shoulder and Caroline hissed in pain.
"If you hurt her…I swear to any higher power I will never speak to you, mum. You want to be respected, respect what her decision, you are not her mother anymore. You lost that privilege." Josie said with her calm voice and threw a supportive glance as Lizzie who sighed and smiled in thanks.
Bonnie, Jeremy, Stefanie, Damon and Elena were frozen watching the exchange, Damon was holding the wooden spoon in case he needed it to stake Caroline to stall her while Jeremy grabbed his gear or the girls immobilized her with their magic, Elena had her hand on Stefanie's chair ready to scoop up her daughter and flee just in case. Bonnie had an aneurism spell in the tip of her tongue while Jeremy hid a small cutlery knife under the table.
Alaric saw everything and he didn't like the hostility of the environment.
"Can we all chill? Calm down? It's Christmas Eve, whatever we have we will solve it after the holidays, please, I'm tired and I bet everyone is too." Alaric begged tiredly but Lizzie stood up.
"Wait? Dad, all we have been doing…no I'm not going to speak for everyone since I don't really know how it is for them, I only know how it is for me…and I have been waiting for YEARS for mum to finally come back! I remember how you were ready to give up on us and leave on me and Josie with dad so you can have your immortal life with Stefan and after his death I only got a half version of you…So, I'm saying this to lay this matter to rest from my side. I, Elizabeth Jenna Saltzman release the Caroline Elizabeth Forbes-Salvatore from her motherly duties on my person. In doing so I deny any legal and/or financial inheritance from her, I would gladly stop going to the Salvatore Academy if it is what Mrs. Forbes-Salvatore wishes, I just request for two weeks notice to figure out my living arrangements. Now, you can speak your opinion, I'm done talking now I'm listening respectfully." Lizzie spoke with an authoritive tone that everyone heard for the first time and Lizzie's eyes showed resilience and determination.
"Lizzie!" Everyone gasped in shock as Hope walked her in awe while Josie was smiling proudly. She didn't agree with her sister but if it was something that would help her become a better person in the long run she will stand by her and be a shoulder to cry on if need be.
"Lizzie, I would never kick you out of the school, you need the school. And you can't release me from being your mother!" Caroline exclaimed in a "have you lost your mind?" tone.
"Actually, she can, according to the Highest Court of Justice of United States of America and under the issue 23 issued on February 2024 known as the Trudy Act in section 6B paragraph 11, a minor can denounce the obligation of a biological parent in front of family members when long term neglect and absence from minor's life has been evident and seen by the attending family. The law also suggest that the child minor has 24 days to get the matter to court with a lawyer given to them for free by the state of Virginia. The minor's custody must be given to the next of kin or another biological parent or if minor is of age 16 can voice their desire to start the emancipation process." Lizzie spoke loud and clear without showing any signs of nervousness and her eyes were shining with determination.
"You can't be serious, Lizzie!" Caroline scoffed in shock while everyone was looking between Lizzie and Caroline.
"Oh, I am, Caroline. By the way, I read other books too not only magazines." Lizzie said with a sarcastic tone and a glint in her eyes that showed she was being serious.
"Elizabeth, do you really want to take your mother to court? Can't we just solve it with therapy?" Alaric asked shocked. He didn't expect her to pull this card or know about this law!
"Oh, daddy, that would indicate that Caroline will be in the same zip code or country as us." Lizzie said to him in a mocking sweet tone.
Everyone was stunned by Lizzie's speech and demeanor. Hope and Nansia were proud of her and Josie too. Jeremy was secretly amazed and Bonnie was worrying about what that would mean for Lizzie's education and their holidays.
Damon was founding this very interesting he was proud of Lizzie, he disapproved how Caroline was…not parenting the girls and leaving Alaric by himself to stress over every day stuff. Elena was on the same boat as her husband and she was willing to house Lizzie if this was taken to the court. She hoped it didn't happen because it would have a long term affect on both Lizzie and Caroline and they were ruining Christmas vacations!
"I can't do this right now!" Caroline said disappointed and overwhelmed as she marched out of the house.
"Dad, I know, I'm being grounded for twice the amount..now can we eat?" Lizzie said with a sad sigh.
She was secretly hoping that Caroline, her mum…no not anymore, would put up a fight even yell at her that she will always be her daughter no matter what and would try to change…that she was willing to change!
But people don't change…circumstance only do.
Everyone was emotionally exhausted and sat down to eat in quiet and it continued for the rest of the afternoon as everyone spend it separately.
"This day sucked worse than yesterday…" Elena sighed tiredly as she laid on her bed while Damon was looking on his tablet the law Lizzie refer to.
"Murphy's law, darling…Murphy's law…" Damon said sighing in agreement.
Then a knock was heard in their room and Lizzie walked in.
"Sorry, to bother you…I'm sorry for how the holidays are turning out to be…things must be done though…" Lizzie said apologetically as she sat on the foot of the bed.
"Parenting is hard, Lizzie, parents make mistakes too. I'm sure Caroline is making one as we speak." Elena tried to defend her sister-in-law and best friend.
"I'm aware but with mistakes come consequence and this in one of them. I came here to apologize and tell you that I understand how uncomfortable it is for both of you to support me and speak against mu…Caroline at court if I decide to take it there…you aren't obligated to support me and I won't hold it against you, you have history with her far more important than me and she needs you now more than I do. Thank you for listening and sorry for everything and I did and will do." Lizzie said seriously to both of them and Damon looked at her puzzled.
"What happened at the festival, Lizzie?" Damon asked suspiciously and Lizzie smiled.
"Clarity happened." Lizzie said smiling before she left their room.
As she was tidying up her side of the room Josie studied her in silence. Josie was shocked by the revelation at lunch.
"Are you really doing this?"
"Yes. I have to. For my health."
"How are you going to live? Where are you going to live? What about money?" Josie asked worried.
"Don't worry, sister, I have it under control." Lizzie said smirking as she power up her laptop and got ready to look over her emails. Josie sighed in displeasure and left the room.
It was true, she had it all under control! She was preparing for this since she was 10 years old. She used every allowance she got since she was seven and she had her eyes on an apartment in Mystic Falls but didn't make any movement because if she bought it illegally it could be held against her at court.
Also, she had asked from Sylvia and the legal help from Sylvia's aunt Marcella and did her own research. Marcella had agreed to hire her as her assistant part time in the firm in order to earn some money to live on as she goes to school.
Lizzie stayed for the reminder of her noon and evening surfing the web, updating Sylvia and her aunt on what she had done. She tried to cheer up herself by watching some YouTube and a movie when an idea came to mind;
Nansia was older and wiser than any of them, she knew how it was to have a neglectful mother! She could help her and then ask her help in return.
She decided to go ask her. She closed her computer and started walking to Nansia's room.
Josie, entered her parents room and saw them sitting on their separate twin beds looking gloomy.
"Mum, you need to stop her." Josie said in a begging manner.
"No, Josie, I don't. She seems to have everything figure out." Caroline said with a cold tone and Josie had enough.
"MUM! You didn't allow yourself to be pushed aside by grandma Liz when she learned you were a vampire why are you allowing Lizzie to push you aside now? Fight back! Fight back! She's still your daughter!" Josie yelled at her mum as she walked over to her and shook her shoulders.
Alaric was watching her but not talking, he had told Caroline to fight for Lizzie but Caroline wouldn't listen. He hoped Josie's pleas will get through to her.
"She doesn't want to be my daughter, Josie." Caroline's voice broke mid-sentence.
"Well too bad! Biology has made the decision for both of you!" Josie yelled angrily.
"Caroline, Josie is right." Alaric sighed in sadness.
"Mum, you and Lizzie, are tearing this family apart!" Josie yelled loudly and the light flickered a bit. Josie apologized quickly and move away from Caroline.
Caroline sighed and stood up and left them room while Josie and Alaric stared at each other. Josie started to cry and Alaric hugged her comforting her.
Caroline was walking around the house thinking about what Josie had said and Josie was right. She started to walk towards the girls' rooms but eavesdropped on Lizzie's and Nansia's conversation.
In her room, Nansia was laying in her bed debating what just happened in the lunch table with Lizzie declaring she would take her mother to court over negligence…that was so badass and it was like seeing a different side of Lizzie.
Those thoughts bring her mind how people have different sides of themselves…and here comes the memories of how she was pretending to be two different people in 2149, with her friends, Raven, Monty, Harper and Jasper and later Eric she was herself, her lost, not knowing shit self while with the rest of them and mostly Bellamy, Murphy, Abby, Marcus and Clarke and at time Octavia and her boyfriend Lincoln she was pretending to know what's up. Thank the lord for the history lessons she got from all of her friends in secret! Well at times with Octavia she could be more of herself.
Flashback…to the future? Yeah that:
Nansia woke up in her tent and her bones cracked because of the humidity and how low it was and it was hard to stand up, it's been months since they were on earth and it has been hell!
She was a city/town girl! She could thrive in urban setting and MacGyver her way to survival.
She got out of her tent and grabbed coffee and breakfast, yep they sent them to the ground with packaged meals…for a few months so they split that. Nansia waved at Raven who was munching on her breakfast sandwich and had coffee in hand. She and Raven with Month, Jasper and Harper had become close because they were close in age and interests also Nansia felt she could trust them more than anyone else around her. Her gut told her so.
"Bellamy is making teams for hunting and those building a storage space, so that's great. Do you want today to train a bit?" Raven spoke in a low tone making sure people who weren't supposed to hear couldn't hear.
"Yeah, I would. Meet you and the other's by the meadow?" Nansia asked in the same tone as Raven which was serious yet hopeful.
Raven nodded and left to let the others' know of the meeting spot. Training was where she was taught survival skills by Monty and fighting by Harper.
It was weeks later when Nansia was getting water with Octavia when she had a bad feeling and grabbed Octavia and hide behind a tree when riders from what they would come to know as Trikru seeing who the newcomers were.
"How did you know?" Octavia had asked out of breath because they were holding their breaths and then returned to the river bank and tried to get their water bottles back and return to the camp.
"I heard the horse paws." Nansia had lied and then she and Octavia got the water buckets back at camp.
It was months later and she was helping here and there when Eric came to ask her if she could come with him to collect some healing herbs he had read about back in the sky.
They spend hours looking for them and she and Eric had found a few and they decided to return to the camp because it was getting dark.
For the following months were full of trying to survive in a completely alien place that once was humanity's home and trying to learn their neighboring clans and find a peace treaty that didn't go so well.
At the same time those who weren't Bellamy, Murphy and Clarke they were all met in a huge bonfire and started brainstorming ideas on how their tents could hold them through winter. When Monty and Jasper suggested they could chop off some trees and fix huts like they did in history books. All of them agreed and so they started to look for trees and ways to build a hut.
It was months later that they had managed to build some sort of huts and some had build a base for their tents so they floor or entire husks for their tents remained try during the storms an idea that came from Nansia.
It was during their first Unity Day when Nansia refused alcohol that was offered to her by Murphy and looked at her oddly.
"I don't like how alcohol makes me feel and think nor I like the taste of it." Nansia had said and he nodded in understanding and gulped it down leaving her alone to watch as dead bodies from the Ark fell on the stratosphere.
Then the adults came and screw shit up but at least now they had the Ark to use as a base of their new home.
Then Nansia met Eric and Abby for the first time at least as herself because whoever was Nansia before her already knew them since she had all those memories of a previous life which was odd.
Then suddenly she's being dragged towards Clarke's and Bellamy's inner circle because she showed that she knew her way around a gun and weapons better than in the infirmary with Abby and Eric.
She joined Bellamy's Militia thanks to those criteria and continued the uphill battle of survival.
It was months again, close to two years now, that Nansia told Raven, Monty, Harper and Jasper about who she was and about her powers.
It was during this time she was constantly shadowed by Murphy or Bellamy or Clarke or Octavia when they weren't too busy trying to keep all of them alive.
She was in the meadow by herself one time, one of the very very rare moments, when unknowingly to her, her own magic showed itself to her.
But she didn't know that the moment her experience started Murphy found her and watched hidden behind a tree.
Nansia was looking through some flowers and wondering what they were when Murphy too show an airy figure of an African American woman looking at her and Nansia realized she was being watched and jumped when she saw the woman.
"It's you again! Who are you?!" Nansia had yelled at the airy figure confused and terrified.
"I'm Sheila, dear child, you have to listen to me! You are in danger, your legacy is catching up with you! You need to be careful who you trust! Hone your skills my child! You have such powerful magic running in your veins beware how you use it! You were taught how to, open your mind and the Spirits of the ancestors will guide you!" Sheila had told her urgently and Nansia shook her head confused.
"Magic? You must be losing it! Magic isn't real! Spirits of the ancestors? Wait…grandma used to say…" Nansia had laughed at the woman but then her laughing stopped and looked at Sheila shocked.
"Never disrespect the ancestors or the dead because they are your guide in this life and the next." Nansia had mumbled this along with Sheila who said it smiling.
"You have a very strong flame inside you, Nansia, hone it and it will become a fire stronger than any other member of your family." Sheila had said to Nansia who seemed to gulp in fear.
"How…why? How do I open my mind? How does magic exist?" Nansia had asked confused and afraid.
Murphy watched confused.
"Trust me if you open your mind the answers will come to you. And magic exists differently all throughout the universe. If you didn't have magic in you, you wouldn't be able to see me or hear me and come to this meadow. And your dreams? They aren't dreams, my child, they are you past lives, you need to remember them because each life you had holds knowledge very important to this life of yours. Everything and everyone is connected. Meditate and you'll see I'm right. I have to go now, my granddaughter will be returning from school any moment now. Stay safe, may we meet in real life soon." Sheila had told Nansia with a serious tone putting an emphasis to her every word and close to the end she had a soft and caring tone as she raised her hand and touched Nansia's forehead making Nansia gasped at the cold sensation spreading from her head to her toes.
Then Sheila dematerialized as Nansia fell to her knees grasping her head and groaning in pain.
Murphy didn't lose time and run to her and forced her to look at him that is when he saw her eyes flicker from brown-greenish to icy blue to yellow with dark lines in them that reminded him of a wolf's eyes back to brown-greenish.
"Nansia! Nansia! Focus on my voice! What the hell was that?!" Murphy had yelled with worry as Nansia groaned and started speaking in foreign tongue.
In Nansia's mind countless of scenes flashed all at ones, every dream she ever had, every traumatic experience she had, every paranormal encounter she had and pushed it at the back of her mind, all her grandma's teachings, all the random things her neighbor's grandma used to say to her that made her feel as if they were meant to mean something her like warnings flashed before her mind's eye and her physical eyes.
She couldn't hear Murphy yelling at her or feel him cradling her head in her hands and shaking her.
Murphy was terrified now as Nansia started to shake on her own as if she was having a seizure when suddenly she let a painful scream that didn't even sound like her, scaring Murphy even more!
It was a scream of pain, sorrow, loneliness and regret and Nansia shot upwards as she held her chest and started to sob before she gasped as if she was being struggled and grasped her neck and her eyes shot open and Murphy saw them being a vibrant green before she looked at Murphy but not seeing him.
Murphy made a move to touch her when Nansia let a struggling sound similarly to the word no before she collapsed back down and laid still.
Murphy watched horrified as he made a step to touch her arm a transparent blue and green force erupted from Nansia's body and threw him feet away slamming him against a tree and but he wasn't unconscious, he was being held down by an unseen force.
He watched as Nansia slowly stood up and looked at him, her eyes were green and she walked as if she wasn't herself.
"Nansia?" Murphy had asked terrified.
"No, I'm Thalia, are you Nansia's friend or foe?" Thalia in Nansia's body had asked him as she kneeled before him and tilted her head confused at him.
"I'm her friend! Who are you? Who are you to Nansia?" Murphy had asked with a terrified tone yet a protective flare was evident in his tone as he struggle against his invisible bonds.
"I'm her ancestor. If you say you're her friend then you protect her no matter what! She must survive this because her destiny isn't to die in this place, there are people who need her help back home. She must make it back home!" Thalia had warned Murphy who looked confused at her.
"How are you talking through her? How am I going to protect her when I can't protect myself? What is going on!?" Murphy had yelled angrily and terrified at the woman before him that looked like Nansia.
"Ah! You won't make a great protector for Nansia. Just be her friend then! Forget what you saw in here today." Thalia had said as she touched Murphy's forehead and Murphy struggled to get away from her to no avail.
Murphy's memories were erased and his eyes rolled to the back of his head rendering him unconscious as Thalia in Nansia's body walked back to where she was laying and left Nansia's body which slammed on the ground unconscious too.
Nansia came around with a banging headache and disorientated completely not remembering what had happened and why she was in the meadow or how she got there.
She then noticed Murphy slammed against a tree! Were they attacked?
He looked disheveled and Nansia quickly checked for his heartbeat and any injury.
"Murphy! Murphy! Wake up! Murphy wake up!" Nansia had shook him gently but yelled loudly.
Murphy woke up with a gasped and crawled away from Nansia with a terrified look in his eyes.
"Stay back!" Murphy had yelled as he stood up and then aimed his gun at her.
"The fuck?" Nansia had asked confused and afraid as she raised her hands in surrender.
"How did I end up here?" Murphy had asked her terrified and confused.
"I don't know, dude! I woke up couple minutes ago with no recollection either! Why are you blaming me? What if it's your fault we are like this?" Nansia had yelled angrily at him and her tone held confusion and accusation.
"What is the last thing you remember?" Murphy had asked her challenging her.
"I remember I had this dire need to come here in the meadow. You must have followed me as you've been tasked by your buddy Bellamy every since that time in the archive room!" Nansia had said in a blaming tone.
Murphy then had dropped his gun and looked at Nansia and sighed in defeat.
"That is all remember too. I remember seeing you leaving and Bellamy looking at me with the "go follow her" look and I did. But what came next?" Murphy had asked confused.
"Maybe there is some sort of hallucinogenic mushroom or plants and by stepping on them they released their gas and we got high and now we came down from that high with no recollection of it…wouldn't that be the weirdest thing that has happened, right?" Nansia had asked as she tried to fill in the blanks.
That theory had caused Murphy to laugh as her but agreed since it was the most likely scenario.
They had decided to return back home laughing about possible dumb shit they must have done while high when Nansia froze to a halt;
"What if we had sex or kissed? No offense but I don't see you in a romantic way!" Nansia had asked horrified and disgusted and Murphy turned to look at her.
Hurt flashing before his eyes but then nodded too.
"I don't see you that way either. And we are both clothed so I'm gonna go with the option of we kept it PG 13." Murphy had said with a calming tone and Nansia let a breath of relief.
"Good! Let's not do this again!" Nansia had declared and Murphy had yelled "aye aye captain!" and mocked a salute before rushing to catch up to her.
It was during their time in Mountain Weather being tortured that Nansia regained her memory of that time in the meadow after one of the doctor's grabbed her by the throat and dragged her towards the surgical table.
Murphy never regained his memory of that day until much later when he died for a few minutes and came back but Nansia was long gone by then.
End of Flashback:
Nansia mentally slapped herself for not realizing the connection of everything that happened to her that time and with who her family's lineage was.
Just then she remembered Thomas kid.
Flashback:
Nansia watched as Thomas was trying to chop some wood for the fire where they cooked their meals. Her gut feeling told her that something was odd with him.
"Hey, need help?" Nansia had asked kindly and Thomas had jumped at her presence.
"Yeah, sure!" Thomas had said disorientated and then went back to chopping wood silently.
"Are you okay?" Nansia had asked him and he looked at her, hazel or brown-greenish familiar eyes stare back at her, his eyes held confusion and loss.
"Yeah, yeah! It's just…this all too much, you know? One minute you are sleeping in your own bed and the next you are being thrown into here…I mean being back on the ground…it's enough to drive a man crazy you know? Because I have seen crazy, trust me!" Thomas had rambled in utter confusion and nerves and Nansia smiled sympathetically.
"I know the feeling. Take it one day at a time. Also, it helps if you write down your thoughts and questions and then check the notebook every day to see if any of your questions have been answered then write down the answer just to remember it. I do it and it's been calmer up there." Nansia had said smiling and her tone had been friendly and soft as she pointed her head close to the end of her sentence.
Thomas nodded and Nansia and him went back to chopping wood.
The following days Thomas seemed to always find her during their assigned chores and they would help one another, their knowledge completely one another like missing puzzle pieces.
She was eating her portion of meat near the fire one day when Raven and Harper appear next to her all smiles.
"Did Nansia got a new boyfriend?" Harper had asked smirking at Nansia and had bumped her shoulder playfully. Nansia had choked on her food.
"No! He's just so lost you know? I don't see him that way!" Nansia had tried to tame the rumor that Harper was suggesting and she had blushed. Thomas was good looking but thinking of him that way disturbed Nansia to a fundamental level. It felt all sorts of wrong!
"So, charity case?" Raven had asked with a smirk.
"Charity case? That is all I am to you? I thought we were friends!" Thomas voice had made all three girls raised their heads to look at Thomas standing before them with a hurt look.
"No! Thomas, listen, they were suggesting that I…that you and I were dating which I don't…I don't see it that way! It feels wrong, you know? You are my friend though, not a charity case!" Nansia had tried to quickly get her message across to avoid misunderstandings.
Thomas posture had quickly changed to a calmer one and his shoulders had relaxed.
"Oh! Good because I don't like you that way either, I see you more like my friend…maybe bigger sister if you will." Thomas had said as he sat down with them and the other two girls had nodded as they focused back on their plates.
It would be during Mountain Weather that Thomas had been chained up next to Nansia that they two had a heart to heart conversation about how they felt drawn and protective of one another and they decided to be honorary siblings.
So, Thomas, went on to refer to Nansia as his sister and Nansia refer to him as her brother.
It was a very surreal attraction and Nansia couldn't ever shake the feeling of there must be more to Thomas because his knowledge was surprising, his slang reminded her of her time's slang but at the same time different. And his nightmares? His nightmares were filled with beasts as he had said once that his screaming woke up the entire row of sleeping courters.
Everyone had thought they were figurative beasts and not actual beasts but Nansia's gut had told her that this assumption was wrong. But Thomas never spoke about his life, he was always focused on the present task at hand and surviving. Once he had a tongue slip about going home when they were in Mountain Weather but Nansia had thought it must have been a confusion of thoughts due to dehydration, starvation and blood loss.
Thomas was always there with her during battles and fun times yet he refused to join Bellamy and Clarke on many of the quests she had agreed to join so most times he was remaining behind with the others. Yet, she always could tell if he was hurt or not. Sometimes it seemed as if she could read his mind and he could read hers.
End of Flashback:
She was so confused about Thomas, she never got her answers.
Murphy was always protecting her too, she remembered even though he was always, trying to mess things up.
She remembered what Future Stephanie said that her friends need her back in 2149. She must learn to control her magic and her wolf and her Watcher side. But first of all, Malivore needs to be killed and Ryan to be freed.
Then a knocking made her turn and it was Lizzie.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Sorry, I did this during lunch on Christmas Eve for fuck's sake but I needed to get it out of my chest." Lizzie said smiling sadly.
"Will you go through it, though?" Nansia asked confused and worried as Lizzie sat next to her.
"Yes I will….I don't know…if my mum doesn't change I will." Lizzie said not sure how to feel at the moment, she was confused.
"Do me a favor, Nansia, whatever you are dealing with and you are searching for, please include me too. I need to be distracted while I see what my mother does next. I have a feeling if I'm not distracted I will move the chess pieces quicker and I'll make a mistake I would surely regret in the future." Lizzie said to Nansia with the most serious tone Nansia had ever heard her use. With that observation she knew that Lizzie was being serious.
"You got it." Nansia said to her smiling the two girls hugged.
"Again, sorry for ruining it today." Lizzie said in their embrace and Nansia gave her a squeeze.
Lizzie then started to go back to her room when she saw her mum sitting on her bed waiting for her. Her face was serious.
"Mum…I mean Caroline?" Lizzie asked confused.
"Stop this, Lizzie. You're tearing this family apart." Caroline begged her.
"You tore this family apart by not being here, Caroline." Lizzie said yelling with anger and Nansia was suddenly by Lizzie's side.
"Girls, stop this!" Nansia yelled loudly and her wolf eyes shone through her.
"Lizzie, let me show you that both of you that I care about you! I was trying to save you both! I wanted to find a way that will stop the Merge so both of you can live past 22 years old! I did everything for you!" Caroline yelled at her daughter with sadness in her tone.
"We know about the merge, mum, you could have told us, taught us what it is so we can be more than one person looking for a solution. Eight eyes are better than two, Caro…mother!" Lizzie yelled loudly and angrily.
"You know?" Caroline asked shocked.
"Yeah, we do, no thanks to you or dad." Lizzie said with sarcasm dripping from her tongue. Nansia glared at Caroline.
This was a war of generations, it seems.
"What could possibly find that I couldn't?" Caroline hissed and was about to attack Lizzie but Nansia was before Lizzie in seconds and she let a loud;
"No!"
And Caroline was thrown against the wall as a transparent blue and green force threw Caroline against the wall. Lizzie gasped in shock when Nansia turned and her eyes were glowing yellow.
Then suddenly Nansia let a loud yell of pain and she doubled and fell on her knees and Lizzie rushed to Caroline first out of habit and saw that Caroline was dead. Shocked Lizzie looked shocked at Nansia and then everybody else who was in the doorway.
Nansia turned to apologize but her eyes were flickering from her wolf one to her human ones.
"I'm sorry Lizzie!" She groaned in pain and regret yet remained doubled in pain.
"What is wrong with her?" Lizzie asked horrified at Jeremy and any other adult.
"Her wolf and human side of herself are fighting for control." Hope said shocked.
"Nansia, let your wolf come forth, he's not your enemy!" Lizzie yelled loudly and then grabbed Nansia's head and made Nansia look at her.
"I can't! I try to…I'm telling him to come out but refuses!" Nansia groaned as tears of pain rushed on her cheeks.
"Then let it go." Lizzie said and Nansia closed her eyes and let a breath go before she opened her eyes and she stopped being in pain.
"Your mum, Lizzie…I'm sorry! I thought she was going to hurt you." Nansia apologized as Lizzie held her in her arms.
"It's okay, she's a vampire, she'll come back." Lizzie said as she rubbed Nansia's back.
Alaric and Jeremy rushed to Caroline's body and put it on Lizzie's bed.
Everyone stayed in that room in silence while Lizzie watched expectantly for her mother to come back.
"Mum! Mummy, please come back. I'm sorry." She whispered in her ear as she tried to wipe a few strains of hair out of her forehead.
It was two hours later when Caroline gasped back to life and Nansia and Lizzie were by her side and yelled I'm sorry both and Caroline just sighed.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault, Nansia was trying to protect you from me. I forgive you by the way, Nansia. As for you Lizzie, I'm sorry you felt left out. We can start looking for a solution all together after Christmas, how does that sounds?" Caroline said softly and forgivingly as she hugged Lizzie and Nansia quietly left the room and went to her room.
"Nansia!" Alaric called after her and she nodded as she walked towards him knowing that she would be scolded for killing somebody. Maybe expelled her.
"I know what you are going to say. I'm expelled from the school for killing Caroline and I get it. I thought I was protecting Lizzie from Caroline killing her." She said with a tone in her voice that showed acceptance.
"No, I wasn't going to expel you. I was going to yell at you for killing someone and then let Jeremy ground you." Alaric said with a tired tone and Nansia nodded as she looked at Jeremy who was waiting for her in his room.
"I'm sorry I killed your daughters' mother and the Headmistress." Nansia apologized as tears started to form. Alaric just nodded in understanding squeezed her shoulder before she passed him by.
Nansia went to his room and Jeremy just hugged her.
"Were you protecting Lizzie from her mum or protecting some sense of a little girl against an abusive mother?" Jeremy asked while he was embracing Nansia who was sobbing and saying I'm sorry.
"Both?" Nansia asked unsure and Jeremy nodded understandingly and hugged her some more.
"But your punishment is to spend some more time with the wolves at school and your own wolf to try to make amends or whatever it needs to be done so you won't be at war in yourself." Jeremy said with the most parental tone he could master.
Nansia nodded as she wiped her tears and decided to go to her room. She sees her phone remembers how she was meant to update Ryan on what they figure out.
But she was so tired she couldn't do it. She did her bedtime routine quickly and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
The next day it was Christmas. What would it bring after today?
What do you think Christmas will be like in the Salvatore household? Tell me in your comments!