A Few Good Men - Part 2

Victoria slipped out of the car after an awkward goodbye to Noble and walked towards Caroline with hands shoved into the dark wool trenchcoat that Noble had gotten her for Christmas. Caroline simply gave her a teasing, flirty look and Victoria rolled her eyes, giving the blonde a shove. "That was uncalled for, Care-Bear."

"You're still coming off the heartache of you-know-who," Caroline shot back, dropping her voice to hide the identity of the 'you-know-who' from Elena, who was looking up from her Post-It Note to the address of the house. "Maybe you need a rebound. I'm pretty sure that you could do worse than a stalker that knows everything about you."

"No, I could not!" Victoria hissed, giving Caroline a bizarre look. "First off, how can it be a rebound if I never dated the first guy? Second off, no! He's a stalker. How could I do worse?"

"You could be dating Damon," Caroline snickered.

Victoria just sighed as she and her best friend moved to try and catch up to Elena, who was striding towards one house in particular with a strong purpose. "I thought the two of you were finally becoming friends."

"We're gossip buddies, Tori," Caroline corrected, wagging a finger in front of Victoria's face. "We are barely acquaintances. We go to each other when we can't stand anybody else. That does not mean that I am his ride-or-die BFF who wants to set him up with my best friend. Trust me, Tori. You. Can. Do. Worse."

"I'll just trust you on that," Victoria sighed as they climbed up the steps behind Elena.

Elena was staring at the door in front of her, and Victoria could feel the indecisiveness radiating off of her. Victoria reached up and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We're right here beside you, Elena. Whatever happens, we got you."

"What Tori said," Caroline echoed.

Elena gave each of them a grateful nod and with a newfound courage, reached over and grabbed the doorknocker. She gave it three steady knocks and the trio waited. After a few seconds, Elena sighed and moved to walk away, but Victoria kept her grip firm. "Steady. She's coming."

A moment later, the door swung open. A tall, older woman, blonde, looked out from the front door. She seemed confused as to why there was three older teenagers on her front porch.

Caroline spoke first, seeing the growing panic in Elena. "Trudie? Trudie Peterson?"

"Yes?" the woman asked curiously, tilting her head to one side.

"Uh," Elena stammered, gulping heavily. She brushed her bangs back with her hand and said timidly, "My name is Elena Gilbert. I wanted to talk to you about Isobel Flemming."

"Well, I haven't heard that name in years," Trudie breathed, the shock evident in her eyes. "How do you know her?"

"I think that...um, well...do you know if she had a baby that she gave up for adoption?"

There was silence and a knowing look was passed between Trudie and Elena, one that both Victoria and Caroline caught. Trudie managed to splutter, "My god. You're her daughter." She laughed, shock oozing out of her. "I was just gonna make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Sure," Elena agreed, nodding her head. She glanced towards Victoria and Victoria gave her a subtle nod. Trudie was not the person to worry about, but rather the man that came later. "Oh! These are my friends, Caroline Forbes," Caroline gave Trudie a friendly wave, "and Victoria LeBlanc."

Trudie blinked in surprise and turned towards Victoria. She licked her lips and narrowed her eyes marginally. "LeBlanc?"

"It's Italian. It means white," Victoria supplied, trying to seem friendly.

Trudie simply nodded and stepped out of the doorway. She gestured backwards, into the depths the house. "Uh, the kitchen's this way."

Elena and Caroline entered the home without hesitation, slipping in and heading straight towards where Trudie pointed. When Victoria took a step into the house, Trudie tensed up and looked towards her with slight concern. Victoria didn't know why she seemed so hesitant around the teenager. The adult seemed almost...frightened. Why could that be?

Victoria entered the kitchen, where Elena and Caroline were shedding their coats. Elena spoke first, stammering, "I wasn't gonna come. I didn't think I was, but then I was driving, and I hit this stoplight, and it made me think about when I was learning how to drive and then my mom would always warn me about this blind turn on the left-hand side, and then I was thinking about my mom, and...I had your address. I'm sorry for us barging in."

"It's no problem," Trudie reassured the younger girl, though not without shooting a quick glance towards Victoria. Victoria furrowed her brow worryingly and shucked her coat, making sure to grab her phone. She shot a quick text towards Noble, hoping he would be able to use his speedy magic to figure out some answers.

VICTORIA:

Trudie Peterson keeps giving me weird looks. R there records of LB witches in this area b4?

Victoria stealthily slipped her phone away as Trudie continued, "Um. Just a surprise, though. I haven't thought about Isobel in years."

"When was the last time you saw?" Caroline asked curiously.

Trudie seemed to think deeply on that answer. She was quiet for a moment before she said strongly, "About seventeen years ago, when she left to go have you. We kept in touch for a while, but, well, you know, people drift apart."

Victoria could snort at that comment. Wasn't that the truth.

"And you don't know where she ended up?"

"She was in Florida for a while," Trudie explained. "She was on her own. I know it wasn't easy."

"Do you have any idea who Elena's father might be?" Victoria asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Trudie looked up and locked eyes with Victoria. Victoria shivered under the eye contact. Trudie took another moment before she spoke, "I could never get her to fess up. Anyway," Trudie tore her gaze away and looked back towards Elena, "she finally pulled it together, got into college on a scholarship."

"Where did she go?"

"Somewhere in North Carolina. Duke, I think. Smart girl, smart school."

The whistling of a tea kettle broke through the silence and Trudie seemed eager to rise to her feet, nodding her head solidly once. There was a nervous buzz in the way her fingers fluttered about. "Let me just grab that."

"I'll come help you," Victoria offered, rising to her feet. She gave Trudie a stern look when the older woman looked ready to fight back against that. "Please. It'd be my pleasure."

She followed closely to Trudie as the woman stepped from the dining room to enter the small, but aptly filled kitchen. Victoria stepped out of view of her friends and her hand darted forward, grabbing Trudie's wrist before she could slip out her phone from her pocket. Victoria pushed forward, moving to block Trudie up against the cupboards. The woman made a squeak of fear and her eyes widened.

"I'm not going to hurt you, but I am going to try and save your life," Victoria growled lowly, so her voice was quieter than the screaming kettle. "If you send that text, you will die."

"I-I can't..." Trudie whispered, and she winced as if she was in physical pain. "I-I have to t-text him. P-Please...i-it hurts."

"Shit," Victoria cursed. "Did she compel you?"

Trudie's lower lip just wobbled as tears started to fill her eyes. She probably had been compelled to not reveal anything. Victoria let go of Trudie's wrist and stepped back. "Text him."

Trudie's fingers were shaking as she typed out the message to the random gentleman who would be stopping by just minutes later. Once that was done, she let out a sigh of relief and looked up towards Victoria. Her anxiety just seemed to spike looking at Victoria. "W-What now?"

"Now, I have to get a little adventurous in how I can keep you safe," Victoria sighed, shaking her head. "Can you leave this house and disappear?"

Trudie winced.

"I'll take that as a no," Victoria sniffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Don't worry. I'll come up with something." She tilted her head as she observed Trudie. "You seemed shocked to hear my name. What do you know about the LeBlancs?"

"Isobel became interested in your family lineage while she was in Florida," Trudie supplied, looking relieved to be talking about something that she could speak about without pain. "She never said much, but she did mention that name in passing, along with something else."

"What? What else did Isobel say?" Victoria questioned. When Trudie didn't say anything, Victoria took a step forward. "What did she say, Trudie?"

"S-She said something about the LeBlancs that I-I didn't catch and t-then...a phrase. A phrase in Spanish."

Victoria didn't need Trudie to say it, but the adult-turned-teenager spoke it along with Trudie, matching syllable to syllable.

"En el nombre de Cruxifijo," the two women stated.

Trudie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Y-You know what that means?"

"I'm familiar with it," Victoria muttered angrily. She waved her hand towards the still screaming kettle. "Bring the tea. I have a phone call to make."

She stalked back into the dining room, where Caroline was lounged out on her chair. She raised an eyebrow at Victoria's fast pace and asked tentatively, "You good, Tori?"

"I need to call Lee," was Victoria's short and simple answer.

Victoria slipped out into the house, slamming the door shut with a little more ferocity than was necessary. She angrily scrolled through her phone, slamming the call button when she got to Lee's number.

Thankfully, he answered before Victoria's rage could become catastrophic. "Sugar, what's going on? Why did I get a text from Noble, someone I never wanted to hear from again, that you are in Grove Hill with Caroline and Elena?"

"I need you to explain to me what the deal is with Noble's organization."

"I'd love to, sugar, but I'm pretty sure Noble would have my head if I said anything without his approval, even if I'm no longer a part of his bandwagon," Lee replied tentatively.

"Oh no, you do not get to wiggle your way out of this," Victoria growled, stomping down Trudie's front steps so she could pace along the front walkway. "For months, months, Lee!, that stupid phrase has been going around. En el nombre del Cruxifijo. In the name of the Crucifix. Raphael said it, and now Trudie is telling me that Isobel, Elena's birth mother, knew something about it so she could say it. So, answer me, Alexander: what the hell does it mean?"

There was a moment of silence and Victoria was worried just slightly that Lee had hung up on her to avoid answering. Instead, she heard him sigh and he said slowly, taking every moment to contemplate his words, "Sugar. In Noble's organization, there was a council of five. It ran his gathering of men, women, vampires, witches. Noble was the leader, and me, Raphael, Markus, and Jeanine were the other members of the council. I was the lowest man on the totem pole; I wasn't told everything as I was still new, but Noble seemed to like me, so he gave me more information than others. We had a saying within this council. En el nombre del Cruxifijo. In the name of the Crucifix. I thought it meant that we would be willing to sacrifice ourselves for the cause, but recently, I've...well, we've discovered the true meaning."

"What, Lee? What is the true meaning?"

"You."

That froze Victoria and stumbled to a stop. Her throat dried in an instant and she blinked. What was Zach doing on the call? And what did that mean? What. The. Hell? "W-What...?"

"In popular vampirology, the studies of vampires, it is widely believed that crucifixes cause vampires extreme pain," Zach explained, his voice softer than Lee's had been moments before. "While I've been doing research about the Immortalis, I also dug in to see what I could find about this Crucifix Organization since we've been hearing about it a lot. I'm guessing that Noble must have learned what I was doing, because my Christmas present from him was a journal that was coded. I managed to break some of the code and it makes a very important reference. The blood of the Immortalis."

"What about it?" Victoria questioned.

"Vampire blood is deadly to the Immortalis, right?" Victoria nodded and made a verbal noise of confirmation. "The exact opposite is the same. The Immortalis' blood is poisonous to vampires. If ingested into their body, even just the smallest bit, it could kill a vampire. Permanently. Their code name for the Immortalis is 'Crucifix'. So when they say 'en el nombre del Cruxifijo' -"

"- They actual mean 'in the name of the Immortalis'," Victoria breathed, her eyes widening in disbelief. "S-So all those times that Raphael was attacking me...he thought he was doing it for me?"

"My best guess is that Raphael already believed you were the Immortalis," Zach discussed. "He became obsessed with the Immortalis and wanting to protect you from pain. However, in the end, that obsession overtook him and it killed him as a result."

"So when he turned Vicki, killed Tanner -"

"- He believed you were a Transitioning Immortalis and thought that those deaths would alter you into becoming a Positive Immortalis. Or, at least, that's my working theory," Zach finished.

Victoria dropped down onto the ground, falling onto the grass with a painful thud. Her body felt numb and her mind was racing. A memory from the night of Raphael's death, the time when it was supposed to be Lexi's death, shot through her mind.

"You are becoming more trouble than you are worth, Ms. LeBlanc!" Raphael snarled, pulling up from where he had landed on top of her. His black glasses had flung from his face and his vampiric features were on full display. His eyes were blood red and his fangs were long and dripping with salvia. And he was looking at her like she was an ant under his boot. "Perhaps the only way to protect you is to get you out of the way."

"Out of the way," Victoria whispered, her brow furrowing in concentration.

"Excuse me, sugar? What was that?" Lee asked from the other side of the line.

"Before Raphael tried to smash my head into the ground," Victoria said, louder this time as all the puzzle pieces began to click together. "He said that perhaps the only way to protect me was to get me out of the way." Her eyes widened as the realization hit her. "He wasn't talking about permanently killing me. If he thought I was the Immortalis at the time, smashing my head would have only taken me out of the game temporarily. I would have been safe while he dealt with things."

"But he didn't know that you weren't the Immortalis back then," Lee grunted. "In the end, his own folly was his downfall."

"But Lee, I thought you didn't know about the Immortalis before any of us did."

"I didn't. Noble kept that little tidbit of information away from me. He didn't really give you much to go on either when you talked with him that night."

Victoria rolled her eyes. That was an understatement. All of Victoria's questions she had posed to him after getting her heart broken by Stefan had been successfully deflected by the stalker vampire and turned around into asking her about her well-being. Skillful? Yes. Helpful? No. "Glad you and Zach are becoming the dream team of research."

"Well, if my dear old Zach-Attack has to be horny for something, apparently it's research," Lee chuckled, giggling like a school girl when Zach spluttered in outrage.

"Repeat that phrase again, Alexander, and I will remind Lexi that you told me about the Lexington incident. She's older than both of us combined; she will whoop your ass."

"Gentlemen, focus, please," Victoria pleaded, and both vampires quieted down to listen to her again. "Alright, that's good. We have more information than before. Zach, keep a close eye on that book and let me know any new information that pops up. Oh! And there's this really nice vampire that's roaming the streets of Mystic Falls named Harper. Would you be a dear and help him find his way to Pearl and Anna?"

"Uh...I guess?"

"Thanks. Lee, how fast do you think you can get to Grove Hill?"

"Speeding or following the rules?"

"Uh..." Victoria trailed off, glancing down from Trudie's house towards the road. Already, over the crest of the hill, could she see a figure of a tall, large man heading her way. She gulped. "Speeding. Make Dominic Toretto jealous speeding."

"I can make it in seven."

"Start heading here now. I'm going to need backup soon," Victoria stated, promptly ending the call only moments later. She jogged back towards the house and yelled, "Ladies! Time to wrap it up. We've got trouble!"

Caroline and Elena appeared moments later, their eyes wide with slight fear and anxiety. Elena was the first to speak. "What's going on?"

"Big dude with attitude issues and under compulsion is heading this way," Victoria explained hurriedly. "I need you to take Caroline and head back to Mystic Falls. Don't wait for me."

"We are not just going to leave you here!" Caroline gasped in shock.

Already, Victoria was shaking her head. "You're not leaving me here, I'm staying. Lee's seven minutes out, and I am the Immortalis. I haven't died in nearly a month. I'm doing good, and I've been practicing in my spare time with Kelly and Zach. I need to protect Trudie, or this guy will kill her, but you two need to leave before he can get either one of you."

"You better not die tonight or so help me!" Caroline growled, gesturing roughly towards Victoria with her pointer finger. "I need your help selling tickets for the raffle tonight! You so owe me!"

"I'll try and get Zach to join the raffle, how about that?" Victoria suggested, placing her hands firmly on the small of both Elena's and Caroline's backs. She ushered them out of the house and towards Elena's little red car. "Now, both of you pop away and I'll give you a call when the situation has been handled, 'kay?"

"I don't like this, Victoria LeBlanc," Caroline grumbled as she quickly got into the passenger seat. Elena swung around and got into the driver's seat. Once both of their doors were shut with a loud bang, Victoria dared to glance back towards the street. The man was closer than before, walking down the middle of the street as if he owned every house on the block. He was closer than Victoria had accounted for.

Victoria flipped around, but not before slapping Elena's roof and yelling, "Go!" Once she heard the squealing of tires as Elena peeled out onto the street, she ran towards the house, using her enhanced speed to get inside. She slammed it shut and locked both locks, flipping around only to find Trudie looking at her worriedly. "Do not answer this door, understand?"

"I-I have to," Trudie whispered, her eyes watering again. "I-I have to."

"Do you have to or does this door have to open?"

"I-It has to open."

"Good. Go to your room and do not come out until I say it's safe, understand?" Victoria ordered. Trudie nodded, tears just beginning to pour down her eyes. "You'll be safe, I promise. Now, go!"

Trudie was up the stairs and rounding the corner from Victoria's line of sight just as the doorbell rang. Victoria fluffed her hair and yelled out, "Just a minute!" in the girliest voice she could manage. She waited a couple of seconds and unlocked the doors, poking her head out. The man from the road stood there, though he seemed confused as to why Victoria was there instead of Trudie. "Can I help you?"

"You're not Trudie Peterson."

"Oh! You're looking for Ms. Peterson?" Victoria lied, cocking her head to one side. She gave a silly giggle that sounded fake even to her. Geez, maybe Stefan was right and she needed to work on her lying skills. "My name is Veronica Vanacore. I'm Ms. Peterson's neighbor. I'm watching her house while she's out on vacation."

"But I just got a text from her regarding some work that the two of us have together," the man sniffed, tilting his head to one side. "She said I was free to come over."

"Oh goodness, that does seem troublesome," Victoria frowned, putting a finger to her lips. "Maybe she simply got the wrong number. I can't tell you how many times I've texted the wrong person thinking they were my boyfriend. Talk about awkward, amiright?" No source of laughter from the stranger. "Well, I'm sorry that you came out all this way for nothing. Are you sure there isn't anything I could do to help?"

"Where is Trudie Peterson?"

"I think she said somewhere in the Bahamas," Victoria stated simply, giving the man a girlish smile.

"Where is Trudie Peterson?"

"Sir, I just told you where she is," Victoria said slower, crinkling her brow up in faux confusion. "Do I need to say it slower?"

"Where. Is. Trudie. Peterson?"

Victoria figured that the ruse was up and plus, her nerves were starting to get irritated. "Listen, Dickhead, I'm not going to tell you where Trudie Peterson is. Now, if you want to leave the property, I'll be willing to let this incident slide. If not, I am going to have to force my hand. You don't want to see that."

The man gave her a glare and stated firmly, "I need to make sure she kept her promise and that she is dead. Those are my orders and my instructions."

"And I have my orders from Isobel as well," Victoria skillfully lied. At Isobel's name drop, the man seemed to straighten up. "Orders have changed. You are to await further instructions and to leave Trudie alone."

"I can't allow you to -"

OBEY MY COMMANDS.

The thought and command thrusted itself to the forefront of Victoria's mind and the world flashed black and white for only a moment. The man seemed to shake himself like he had shivered, and then he said flatly, in a monotoned voice, "I am to walk away now and await further instructions. Goodbye."

Victoria didn't really believed it had worked until he was gone from her sight. As soon as he was, she slammed Trudie's front door shut and sagged against it, breathing heavily.

What had just happened?

Victoria hadn't felt that kind of rush with her powers since the night of tomb. The way the words in her mind simply directed her powers. She hadn't even noticed the black and white ooze that seemed incorporated in all of her magic. Had her powers gone into the man's mind and altered it, like compulsion? She didn't even know that the Immortalis could compel someone in their own special way.

Something warm hit her upper lip and her tongue darted, swiping at the little span of skin between her mouth and nose. A defined taste of copper and Victoria cursed lightly under her breath. She reached up and swiped her hand under her nose. When she pulled it back, it was covered in blood, but not the red kind. It was instead black, but Victoria recognized the scent well enough to know for sure that it was blood...but a different color? Chalk that up to another thing about the Immortalis that she didn't understand.

"I-Is he gone?"

Victoria stood straight up and looked over her shoulder in disbelief. "Trudie! I thought I told you to stay in your room unless I came to you!"

Trudie stood at the top of the stairs, her whole body shaking and more tears streaming down her cheeks than before. Had the man's presence really shaken her that badly? "Did he leave?"

"Yes."

"What did he want?"

"To fulfill his mission."

"Did he?"

"No."

"No," Trudie breathed in disbelief, and she shook her head. In an almost monotoned voice, she muttered, "Then I must finish mine."

"Trudie?" Victoria asked, drawing out the word as the woman backed away from the top of the stairs. Victoria took a hesitant step onto the bottom step and called out, "Trudie, what's going on?"

There was a pounding of footsteps. Trudie appeared at the top of the stairs, sprinting as fast as she could. And then she threw herself forward, jumping and diving like she was a swimmer.

MOVE.

Instincts in Victoria told her to dive out of the way. She threw herself to the right, out of the way of the stairs. Before her body hit the floor, she curled in on herself and landed the roll. A loud crack rang through the house and Victoria froze when she arose into a crouch. Her back was to the door and she couldn't move. She didn't try to breathe. She just remained still.

She'sdeadshe'sdeadshe'sdeadshe'sdead, echoed through her brain. It was the only thought that Victoria could think about. There was no heartbeat from Trudie. Besides Victoria's own heart, which was pounding something fierce, she was completely surrounded in silence.

Her body shook as she crawled deeper into the house. She entered the dining room and quickly made her way to the kitchen. Once inside, she pushed herself up against the far wall and curled her legs against her chest. Her hands shook from the sudden adrenaline crash and she dropped her phone more than once on the floor as she tried to get it out of her pocket. Victoria ended up having to hold it with two hands to keep it from moving badly. She dialed Lee's number and still using two hands, pressed it against her ear.

"Sugar, I'm almost there. Two minutes, tops. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I-I couldn't save her," Victoria whispered brokenly, the shock of what had happened finally settling in. "I-I tried to, but t-there was compulsion I didn't know a-about -"

"- Sugar, slow down. What are you talking about? Walk me through it."

"T-Trudie Peterson threw herself down the s-stairs," Victoria panicked. She dropped the phone with one hand and threaded it up into her hair. She tugged at the roots and the sharp pain helped to focus her mind a little, past the panic and grief. "I-I thought I had found a-a way to save her, but it d-didn't work."

"Are you safe?"

"T-The man left, so I'm good."

"Did you try to save Trudie as she fell?"

"M-My powers wouldn't let me," Victoria cried, tears burning in her eyes. She sucked in a shaky, panicky breath and cowered against the back wall even more. "S-She died and I could've s-saved her but I-I -"

Victoria trailed off as a sob tore its way out of her throat. Trudie Peterson had died, despite all of her attempts to try and keep the woman alive, and she had just left her there. Abandoned her body, hadn't looked at her, not even to see if she was alright. She knew that Trudie wasn't alive given the fact that her heart had stopped pounding in Victoria's ears, but she was a monster for just leaving her there.

Someone snatched the phone from her hand and Victoria flinched, cowering against the wall harder. A solid, warm, gentle hand landed firmly on the top of her head and she immediately stopped squirming. No one did that besides one person. She let out a shaky breath and faintly heard Noble whispering to Lee, saying, "I have her, Alexander. Arrive when you are able. I will need your assistance." There was an audible click as he hung up on Lee and Victoria didn't look up from her feet; not even when Noble knelt down in front of her. "Victoria."

"H-How'd you get here so fast?"

"I was already on my way."

Victoria let out a slightly hysterical giggle at the implications of that statement and buried her face down into her knees. Her body began to shake and jerk without her consent and she felt like she was beginning to hyperventilate. "I-I couldn't stop her and I'm the Immortalis, I'm supposed to be able to stop everyone but she was suddenly just there and -"

"- Peace, Victoria. Peace," Noble cooed, his accent sounding like a lullaby to her ears. If he ever revealed his real voice to her, she might be disappointed. It was hard to beat a Scottish accent, especially one that felt like a gentle caress to the cheek. "You are falling into the throes of panic. Breathe deeply."

Victoria tried, but she couldn't do it. Every time she reached the height of how much air she could hold in her lungs, she just heard the loud crack of Trudie's neck breaking and it all came rushing out again.

Noble seemed to pick up on that, because Victoria heard him shuffling in front of her. A moment later, his two hands moved and cupped either side of her head. His fingers intertwined with strands of her hair and his fingertips played with the baby hairs at the back of her neck. His hands proved to be nice ear-warmers and with his thumbs, Noble gently stroked her temples. He pulled, very lightly, and forced Victoria to look up. She kept her eyes closed, her head aching at everything. It seemed that when she was distressed, her senses liked to kick her ass. Good times.

"See? You are breathing easier already," Noble whispered. His voice just felt like caramel enveloping her entire being. Like she could just fall asleep in his embrace and not worry about what would happen the next day. "Are you injured?"

"N-No."

"Hmm. Your bleeding nose is telling me differently."

"I-I used my powers against the man who came to the door. H-He was supposed to kill T-Trudie, but I swayed him to obey my commands and leave. I shut the door and my nose just started bleeding. I-It's not the normal color."

"That would be a side effect of your powers, unfortunately," Noble murmured. Victoria could feel him studying her face diligently. "Do you know that there is a notable tension in her forehead when you are wondering whether or not to ask a question?"

"Really?"

"No, of course not. That would be ridiculous, would it not?"

Victoria snorted and shook her head a little. "I can't tell if you're just bullshitting me." She licked her lips, still tasting the faint coppery tones of her blood. "D-Do you believe in fate?"

"When I was younger, not at all," Noble answered. Given his tone and inflections, it sounded as though he was being honest. His thumb dipped lower than her temple and swiped at some tears that had cascaded over her cheek. "However, many years into my life as a vampire, circumstances changed my opinion on the subject."

"What if I try and save all these people who die but fate just kills them anyways?" Victoria asked in a broken whisper. "I tried to save Vicki and she died. I tried with Tanner, he also died. I protected Trudie from the stranger, but she was compelled to kill herself if the man failed in the task. W-What if Lexi or Zach die because I saved their lives from their original deaths? I-I can't handle that, Noble. Not them. Or worse, what if someone who was never meant to die ends up getting killed because I saved them earlier? What if they were always meant to die and I just hurt everyone else by prolonging that?"

"Then it is not something you can control," Noble retorted gently. He shifted again, and this time, Victoria could feel his forehead gently rest against hers. His breath was hot against her face and she sighed, relaxing into his touch more and more. "You are not all-powerful, Victoria. At the base of everything, we are all human. We will make mistakes because none of us are perfect. What you can do is mourn and continue on with your life. That is the best way to proceed. You may take precautions to try and ensure the safety of your friends but you can be overwhelmed. You must take care of yourself."

"That's such a dad thing to say," sniffed Victoria, a giggle slipping past her lips. "Were you ever a dad, with your...with the woman that you loved?"

"We discussed the idea of children a few times," Noble explained, letting out a large sigh. His breath warmed Victoria's face. Yeah...just his breath. That was it. Nothing else, of course. "However, we were not able to fulfill any of our dreams before I became a vampire and she...passed."

"I'm sorry."

"You have mentioned your condolences before. You are not to blame for that, just as you are not to blame for what has happened to Ms. Peterson," Noble chided, bopping her cheeks with his thumbs. He cleared his throat. "Are you feeling better?"

"I-I think so."

"That is good. When was the last time you ate?"

"R-Right before I came here with Elena and Caroline. We got burgers from the Grill and munched on them on the drive over."

Even with her eyes closed, she could see in her mind's eye the frown that littered Noble's face given the way he hummed, "Well, you must make sure that you eat enough to handle your metabolism. I would also suggest that you refrain from doing any magic that would alter minds. It is not something that the Immortalis is meant to do, and it will cause you more pain than help."

Noble pulled away from Victoria and she shivered from the sudden lack of heat around her face. She opened her eyes and Noble was up on his feet, his back to Victoria as he stood in the doorway to the dining room. He was wearing dark jeans, a black shirt, and a leather jacket. He looked good, given his outline. And his hair...was dark. It suited the way his skin was a beautiful tanned tint.

"Alexander is here. He will take care of you. I shall see you tonight after the raffle," Noble ordered, rolling his shoulders and standing taller. "Oh, and Victoria?"

"Yes, Noble?"

"When my beloved was on her deathbed, dying in my arms," Noble mused, his voice softer and gentler than before. Victoria had to strain her ears to hear him properly. "She made me promise that when I found you, I would tell you one phrase. I have not repeated it to anyone, as she made me swear, but now I share the message with you."

Victoria gulped. It sounded serious. "What was the message?"

"'Bambi'. Her message to you was 'Bambi'."

A/N: Victoria meets Trudie, learns about the Crucifix Organization and Raphael, Victoria tries to save Trudie and fails, and some Vioble fluff (Vioble = Victoria/Noble). This officially ends my pre-written chapters. I don't know if I'll be able to post the next chapter by Friday, since we're in the middle of dress week and Friday is opening night. Eek. We're doing good but we got a little ways to go. I'm having such fun with this though, so who knows? If not, definitely by Monday!

THE SHIPPING WARS! (feel free to keep on voting (you can vote for more than one ship!); 1 full point for if you choose one ship, two half points for two separate ships, more than 2, smaller decimals. Anything that is not a full point will be italicized. This will not decide the final pairing; I already know who Victoria will end up with, I just want you all to be able to guess):

ROMANTIC:

Team Stetoria {Victoria/Stefan} (17.5): insert name here XD, sammyleann's dad, TikiKiki, Maistryia, Don't-Say-It-Feel-It, another guest, Lime, herewegoagain, K, emma, just another guest, heyyeah, Guest (3), guest4ithinklol, Guest (6), Guest (9), guest (1), theappleseed, Anaidiana, Hayden, Takinginspiration1, Serena Salvatore, Prometo, Lolita, MoonlightMiracle-SakurianaHime

Team Datoria {Victoria/Damon} (45): Sciave, Guest, ArganRose, CrystalAris, Marine76, Assenavira, CarlaPA, Guest (1), Maistryia, emma, just another guest, Freeshavacahdoh, Guest (3), Guest (4), Guest (6), sabrinaannpierson, Guest (7), Guest (8), Guest (9), guest (1), hfgfgfrdr, lillen20, Yolo, theappleseed, Guest (10), Juko, Bulma, Ellay, V, Ghest, charlievini, Guest (13), Guest (14), Guest (15), TrembleB4DietCoke, dhariti, Hayden, Guest (17), Elyse1821, Dannn, Yukihino-Sama, Dede, 4day, jazica, Guest (20), Unnisa, MoonlightMiracle-SakurianaHime, Tik, 00esoteric00, Hariana Halone, jenniferchase2402

Team Vilijah {Victoria/Elijah} (40): guest, Guest, SoraLover987142, insert name here XD, sammyleann, Orange keys 25, LoyalElijahFangirl, Hinata Megumi, A. G Herz, Aryabloodlust, ferallahey, AngelColdHeart, BlueDragibus, dreamwalkerlisa, Guest, Stachelbeere, Guest (1), jocillyria, Guest (2), BookwormStrawberry, Ieviheichu, Teghan-Potter1370, karenc0r, Hachiko33200, Guest (11), Anaidiana, Dalia2009, wolfcorgi, Nia, Rory, Teghan-Potter1370, Guest (12), Shiro7, alessandra92, Guest (16), Guest (18), Karina, Serena Salvatore, xrysatsan, Lolita, jazica, Guest (19), MoonlightMiracle-SakurianaHime

Team Klatoria {Victoria/Klaus} (6): Tayla141, TikiKiki, Guest (9), Mythology216 the Beard King, thisIsNotATest, Guest (10), Tris Hart

Team Koltoria {Victoria/Kol} (2.5): DreamerPop, MelissaMorningstar, Guest (11)

Team Vinn {Victoria/Finn} (1): silentmayhem

New Followers!: iisGooseyLoosey, everhaven86, Bruce's Bat Cave, GreenEyedSam, ChaosKitten22, mari-mari1, alealereyes

New Favoriters!: Bruce's Bat Cave, GreenEyedSam, ChaosKitten22, mari-mari1, alealereyes

Onto reviews!:

DBZFAN45: Aww thanks! (pops party poppers in celebration for TVD 2010 New Year's). The redhead-ness of Tori is like mentioned once in Godspeed, Mama Bear - Part 2 so I'm not surprised some were surprised by it. I totally didn't realize that Noble gave gifts to the VPS. That's hilarious. Yes, more info on Noble's mystery woman. Who was she and what does her message to Victoria mean? The family is feeling better! Thanks for your kind words!

grapejuice101: That's a lot of people's opinion this chapter: Damon was super sexy. I love the little flirty remarks he makes to Victoria throughout the series. One of my favorite things to write!

Elyse1821: Being that he is Drunk Damon, probably XD. I totally understand that. They have fancy similar speech patterns. Aww thank you! I'm trying hard to be consistent cuz I don't want this story to fall down the drain. Trust me when I say that some of my first works I've published on this site I do not enjoy, but sometimes that's all it takes to really start getting better and better. That and reading other people's writing styles always seems to help me. I'd love to read one of your works! Let me know if you ever decide to publish one on this site!

jenniferchase2402: Hey! Your vote has been added. :D

Lime: Hey Limabean! I just find Shakespeare very crude; storyline-wise, I don't mind his work. I like it when people use his stories as tropes (like the Romeo and Juliet trope), just not his work in particular. Ayyyyy school subjects! There's a reason why Victoria enjoys History XD. I can guarantee you that two of the romantic interests I've got paired up for them you will not see coming. I don't think any of you will see it coming and it'll be awesome XD. I naturally wake up way too early (I also go to bed at like, 8:30 in the evening) so waking up at 3am isn't that big of a thing for me. I am the master ninja. Other ninjas better beware. I realized how awkward it would be to progress to the next episode when they would have to interact with each other, so I figured I needed to throw something in that would make sense. I feel like that at this point, Tori's just too tired to care about "bumblebees with itches". Yeah, I hoped someone would get a laugh out of that. Probably around the time she explains to Damon and Stefan what fanfiction is XD. That makes total sense, no worries. We'll get some of that next chapter at the raffle. I'm so excited for Katherine. Isobel will be interesting. Oh yeah! We get to have a Kelly v. Kelly confrontation next chapter. I'm so excited for that. No worries!

I just mentioned this above to Lime, but next chapter...

WE GET A KELLY LEBLANC VERSUS KELLY DONOVAN CONFRONTATION!

I know y'all might not be as excited about that as I am, but this is one of the few moments I have been waiting for for such a looooooong time. I hope I can write it well. Eek!

Until next time,

Stay healthy and stay safe!

BecomingFearless1F