The Will And Testament Of Zachariah Salvatore
It took several minutes (if she had counted correctly, about forty-six) before Victoria felt emotionally ready to actually move on with the day. It was tough. Her heart hurt every time she looked at the armchair that Zach liked to occupy, or when she looked at the bookcases scattered around the living room and saw a book of his that he loved to read.
After a combination of a late-breakfast and early-lunch, the party moved from the table in the living room to the back patio outside of the boarding house. That would have seemed to be a rude thing to do, considering that Caroline was still a newly-turned vampire and she couldn't touch sunlight without burning, but Stefan had whipped out an all-too-familiar ring from his pocket and offered it out to Caroline as a gift. When Lexi had questioned Stefan about where he had gotten this daylight ring, since none of their witches had had time to craft one, Stefan had simply stated that it was from a friend.
Probably the same friend who had gifted Victoria the Louboutins she was wearing.
Caroline's introduction to sunlight again was a joyous one, with the blonde taking a tentative step outside of the house. Once she had realized that the sunlight wouldn't kill her, it had taken minutes for Damon to calm the girl down. In her excitement, Caroline had started to run laps around the property, stopping in every sunny spot she could find for a solid two seconds before running to the next stop. When Damon had finally caught her, she was brought back to the patio and dropped into Lee's care. The Southern brought Caroline to his side on the blanket they had laid out on the grass, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders. His other was around Amber and Lexi was in his lap. Damon made a baby comment about him starting a harem, and Victoria punched him in the shoulder for that comment.
If Lee was starting a female harem, then by Damon's standards, she was starting a male harem. Victoria had Damon to her direct front, reclined and his head in her lap, Tom to her right, glancing between everyone and making eyes at anyone he suspected to be sketchy (so, basically everybody except for Elena; though he was confused as to why she was "Elena" and not "Katherine". Victoria just used the excuse that the two were estranged identical twins and would fix that story later), and Stefan to her left. It was startling to her as to why Stefan chose to sit next to her instead of Elena, who was sitting back with Bonnie, Jenna, and Jeremy; when she asked him about it, Stefan simply stated, "You know how this feels right now. They don't."
She did know.
She wished she didn't.
After everyone had gotten situated on the ground, Lee untangled himself from his girls and stood, making his way to the front of the groups on their picnic-like blankets. At the front of the group was a music stand-like podium that Damon had quickly set up before plopping down with his head on Victoria's legs. Lee went to this podium and brought it up to a good height for him before placing some papers onto the stand.
He cleared his throat, and started to speak, his accent giving the words a comforting drawl. "When we got back to the house last night, I went hunting. Not in the legitimate sense, where I was looking for prey with a heartbeat, because my prey didn't have a heartbeat. It wasn't alive. And no, Victoria, I'm not talking about Pearl." He shot her a look when Victoria started to blush. She had been wondering if that was where his words were going to lead. "If there was anything I learned about Zach in the unfortunately short time that I knew him, it was that that man had a plan for everything. I figured he must have had a plan in case he were to...to pass." Lee swallowed heavily and grabbed the papers, holding them up. "Lo and behold, I found them in the library, hidden away behind a research box marked 'We Don't Talk About This Research'." Victoria cracked a watery smile. She had a good guess about what was in that box. "So, as probably one of the only people here who can read this without breaking down into tears, I'm going to read the will and testament of Zachariah Salvatore."
Lee took a pause, swallowed, and then continued, and Victoria could just imagine Zach speaking the words on the page out to them all. It brought tears to her eyes.
If you are reading this, that means that I have passed.
Lee paused, murmured a few choice curse words under his breath, before starting up again, his voice shakier than it had been previously.
I didn't have a testament and will written before, back when I was a human. I didn't figure I needed it. I had no living biological family, and I figured I would have plenty of years left with the woman I thought loved me and my gorgeous, stunning daughter. If you're hearing this or reading this, Victoria, I am referring to you. Please note that any and all future references towards 'daughter' means you.
I also figured I didn't have the time to sit down and write a will. Do you realize how exhausting it is to be the sole responsible one in this group of adults who act like children? And yes, I am referring to you, Victoria, a literal adult in a teen's body, Damon, who acts like he's three, and Lee, who acts like he's four. Yes, Victoria, you are responsible, but you get hurt, a lot, so that cancels it out.
However, I am currently sitting down by my only daughter's bedside, listening to her heart struggle to beat and her lungs desperately trying to draw breath, after watching a building collapse onto her and the guy that she was crazy for. She made it out, but he didn't. And it was then that I realized I needed to write down everything. Everything that you, my sweet baby girl, don't know and probably will never know unless I tell you. I know your mother, Victoria. She wants to keep you safe, but she is willing to do what it takes to keep it that way.
"No shit, Sherlock," Victoria whispered brokenly under her breath as she wiped away new tears with the corner of her sleeves. Stefan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she dropped her head onto his bicep, accepting the comfort that he offered out to her.
I was seven years old when I officially met the woman that I swore I was going to marry. She was beautiful at the age of seven, her skin a creamy dark color that I could just hide away in. Her eyes lit up anytime someone spoke to her about her family history and she was eager to tell anyone and everyone that she was from a long line of witches. Nobody believed her, and she was made fun of it for a long time, but I believed her.
Or, well, I didn't truly believe her but I wanted her to think that I did.
Fast forward many and many years later, and I finally grew the balls to ask her out. It was actually at my brother's funeral. I knew I was going to be a wreck for the rest of my high school years, and I did not want to be the only guy who graduated without having dated anybody. I asked her out, and she said no.
Which, I mean, respect to her. I was in no position for a relationship at all, which I understand now. Back then, I was devastated.
But it was the first step.
Kelly Augustine LeBlanc was at my side since then, and it was years later, when we were both seventeen, that she asked me out and I said yes. I would be a fool to say no.
Then, the most precious day of our entire existence came to pass.
November 22nd, 1992, Kelly was driving home from a college tour down at Whitmore. Her birthday, being more towards the end of the year, meant that she was in her senior year of high school while I was a freshman at college (something I'm sure she is still bitter about to this day). I would have gone with her for the tour, but my mother insisted that I help her get prepped for Thanksgiving, even though we are still literal days away from the holiday. But you never messed with Mama Salvatore. She could whip your ass if she wanted to (also, she said that Uncle Stefan was trying to make his way down to celebrate with us; Uncle Damon was rumored to even pop by, though I hadn't seen him since Toby's funeral). Anyways, she was coming home when she found a little bundle on the side of the road. The girl who would later become my daughter.
Of course, Kelly tried to hide the fact that she had mysteriously found a baby and was planning on mothering it (even though the woman was still in high school). Her mother already knew, which then in turn meant that my mother found out (the two were best friends, in case you didn't know). My mother, seeing as Kelly was my girlfriend at the time, told me in a rather ridiculous display of show that I was now a father? It was weird, and I went and confronted Kelly about it immediately.
And then I saw her.
Lee took a moment, making it a dramatic pause, and he caught Victoria's eye from over the podium. When he resumed speaking, his voice was stronger and kinder then before.
Victoria Khalida LeBlanc, as she was now being called (I had hoped, at the time, that one day we might change that last name to be Salvatore, but alas). A baby discovered on the side of the road with eyes so blue that it looked like I was looking directly into the sky. She was lying out on a play mat while Kelly was frantically trying to finish up college applications and do a homework assignment for Social Studies. The moment I stepped into her house, the little chubby angel just looked up at me.
And smiled.
From then on, I was wrapped around her little finger. Anything that Victoria wanted or wanted to do, I would make it happen.
She wanted to go to the zoo in Richmond because she liked to watch the mommy and daddy wolves play with the baby wolves?
Done.
She wanted to go to the beach so she could try and surf next to me, even though the two of us really suck at it and the beach was hours away?
Of course we can, sweetie.
In reality, Victoria was my best friend. When she came home at age twelve and talked about how she had a crush on this really sweet boy who handed her pencil back to her in class, I was devastated. I had only gotten twelve years with my baby girl before I had to compete with other guys in her life?
Seriously?
Of course, come the next day to find out that Victoria was so "over the guy because seriously, Daddy, he just wanted to come home and gawk at Mom, like, I know she's pretty, but hello, have you heard of an age gap?".
Her words, not mine.
And then, Kelly broke up with me.
It was out of the blue, all too sudden. There were no discernable reasons as to why she broke up with me.
Her mother had passed away from a vampire attack years ago, back when Victoria was only five, so it wasn't that. Of course, at the time, Kelly tried to insinuate that it was one of my uncles' faults, since they were the only vampires who came back into town on a more regular basis. I then countered and said that neither of my uncles knew that the LeBlancs existed (besides Piero, who they talked about occasionally at dinners) so it couldn't have been them.
To this day, I still don't know why she broke it off. Maybe she just didn't feel the same way towards me that I felt towards her. Maybe she was jealous of all the attention I was giving our daughter. Either way, things ended and I was left with packing my boxes into the trunk of my car so I could do the drive of shame all the way back to the boarding house by myself.
Cut to the next night, where there is a pounding on the front door. Nobody came up to the boarding house, ever, so I just assumed it was one of my uncles. It was around two in the morning, so I was content with just letting them suffer or find their own way into the house.
Then the pounding kept coming.
And coming.
And coming.
And coming.
I finally got fed up with it and stomped downstairs to really give Uncle Damon a piece of my mind when I opened the door and saw my daughter standing there, drenched in rain and shivering like she was on the verge of a seizure. My paternal side immediately took over and I forced her to take a shower, get changed into some clothes I had lying around. I made her hot chocolate while she was in the shower and when she came down, I was so frantic that I spilled part of it onto her (in case you were wondering, Uncle Stefan, yes, that's why your shirt always had that weird stain on the front that no one could get out).
"Really?" Stefan asked in disbelief, his brow furrowing. "He would never tell me why that shirt had that weird stain any time I visited. I thought it was blood that I accidentally spilled on it but could never remember."
"Whoops?" Victoria giggled, shrugging her shoulders lightheartedly.
She kept the shirt on, though, and said that it actually helped warm her up more. She declared, in a very large and proud way (the pride that only thirteen, going on the verge of fourteen, year olds have) that she was running away and she was going to take me with her.
I, of course, told her that she was, in fact, not going to run away and she was going to go back to her mother before Kelly had a fit and accidentally knock out all the power in Mystic Falls (it had happened the first time that Victoria had gotten sick and it took MFPC, Mytsic Falls Power Company, two days to figure out what had happened). Victoria then started to cry and she explained through her tears that she didn't want to live with just one of her parents. She wanted to live with both of her parents. Her mom and her dad.
It was in that moment that I understood how divorcees felt.
I pulled her into my arms and reassured her that everything was going to be alright. That I loved her, even if I didn't live with her, and that everything that had happened wasn't her fault (I didn't tell her that I wasn't even sure if it was my own fault). I let her spend the night here (she used her favorite room, coincidentally the red room) and then I drove her back to her mother's afterwards.
Thus started the tradition between us, where she would visit me every day after school. I would teach her what I could of the forest, and even take her hunting when she was sure she had her mother's permission (one scolding from Kelly LeBlanc was all that I needed for one lifetime, thank you). I always pretended to be sick whenever Uncle Stefan or Damon came over, and I did my best to hide any evidence of Victoria away from their prying eyes. She was my thing, you know? I didn't want to have to share that special little piece of my life with anyone else.
Kelly, however, did not feel the same way.
When Victoria was fifteen, she came to my room one day after school and started ranting about how Tyler's uncle had started visiting the house more and more. I had just been trying to read a book, but Victoria wanted me to know all about the so-called "competition" (she still had it in her mind that I had a chance to win back Kelly). Mason Lockwood, she said his name was. It's a weird name, Dad. Like, yours is so much more cooler. I was flattered that my daughter thought I was cool. Not very many dads of teenage girls got that kind of sentiment. A week later, Victoria came back to my room and told me that Kelly and Mason were now "official" and it was "officially starting to piss me the freak off". He had apparently started calling her "baby girl". Victoria, in a fit of anger that was so unlike her, threw a plate at his head and said that "only her real father got to call her baby girl". She had gotten grounded from seeing me for a week because of that.
To which I replied, "Then how are you here now? Aren't you supposed to be grounded in your room?"
"Mom was too busy mashing faces with Mason to notice me sneak out. I had Sheriff Forbes bring me over," Victoria had then replied matter-of-factly.
That's my baby girl.
It was because of our close relationship that I told her, on May 22nd in 2009, after she came home from school, all about her heritage as a White Witch.
She hadn't believe a single word I said, as I had done once when Kelly had first told all her classmates at age seven that she was a witch. It wasn't until I asked her to focus on noticing things around her that she really understood.
She could feel the water pumping through the pipes. She said that it called to her, in a way that made her fingers want to dance and her blood want to sing. It was powerful, she confided in me. More powerful then anything she had ever felt before.
She was unsettled by the fact that a Wandering Spirit would combine with her when she hit seventeen. Victoria did not like that fact, not one bit, but she was okay with it because I told her everything would be fine. I didn't lie to my daughter, and she knew that. In the few hours after I told her, she grew to be excited. "It's like a twin sister who lives in my same mind!" was her rationalization of it all. "I wonder what her last name is going to be? Oh my gosh, what if it was Salvatore? How funky would that be? Or wait, what if it's Vanacore, like my original name was? Oh my gosh, I can't wait to find out!"
Victoria never did find out.
Kelly found out about what happened. I don't know how; maybe she overheard Victoria babbling about it to herself or something. All I know is that she showed up at my front door that evening and I was hit with literal lightning.
Everything after that is kind of a blur. It's like two different histories started to compete within my mind, and the narrative that Kelly had created was taking the lead.
I do know that Victoria showed up the next day, on May 23rd, talking about a party that she wanted to go to and if she could have my permission to go to.
I told her I didn't know who she was.
That night I watched on the news as the girl I had raised, the girl who I had held after every scraped knee on her bike, the girl who I had held when she was so devastated that one of her best friends' parents had split up, the girl I had forgotten about completely, was rushed to the hospital after a car crash took the lives of one of her other friend's parents.
And I felt nothing.
The next time I felt even the simmering of a paternal side came when Victoria and Stefan asked me to drink some of Stefan's blood. I didn't want to; I didn't want to be like my uncles. I was human, through and through, and proud of that. But...But there was something about Victoria that made me have to stay around. Stefan's blood just helped to ensure that.
After that, it was like I was relearning how to be a father, but it started off by being a friend. I got to watch Victoria Vanacore, the Wandering Spirit, grow into herself as Victoria LeBlanc. I got to watch her thrive and it never made me more proud.
And when she died, it felt like a part of my soul died with her. Uncle Damon, I'm sure you can relate to this.
Damon didn't say anything, but he did reach up and grab Victoria's hand. He placed it roughly against the side of his face and let out a little sigh as the tension eased out of his bones. Victoria used her free hand to gently brush her fingers through his hair, knowing how much he enjoyed the movement.
Then she came back and it was all about learning more about the Immortalis, what the hell that was, and the Cult of the Crucifix and all that lovely jazz. And then, of course, Victoria and Noble and that whole relationship happening (I'm not an idiot, baby girl. I was there in the window with Damon when he first kissed you. Smooth, I will admit, but not something that a father ever wants to see his baby girl doing).
I dug you out of the building with my two bare hands after it collapsed. I saw what happened to Noble and I knew I had to keep going. I had to find you.
And I did.
And then you touched me, unaware of your movements, and the tiniest barrage of your powers jumped from your fingertips into me.
And suddenly, I remembered.
I remembered everything.
Every smile.
Every tear.
Every tantrum.
Every laugh.
It all came back to me.
I was Zach Salvatore, father to the most talented girl on the planet.
My Victoria LeBlanc.
My Victoria Vanacore.
Kelly had wrapped a spell over me that kept me blind for literal months, and you undid it in the fraction of a second. I still don't know how she kept it up after I transitioned, after I died at Ms. Gibbons' house. It's all a mystery to me.
You have such power that you don't understand, my baby girl, and I wish that I could be there to help you through it all.
I guess that's it for the testament part, so I might as well get onto the will.
Lee paused and held the papers out towards Lexi. His girlfriend rose from her feet, brushed off her dark dress, and moved forward, taking the papers from Lee. Lee gave Lexi a quick kiss before he moved back towards Caroline and Amber, sitting down and immediately pulling both of them to his side like they were his security blankets.
Lexi narrated the will, her voice clear and even as she gave instructions per Zach's wishes.
I gift the deed to the Salvatore Boarding House to four people, to be divided up evenly. Miss Cordelia Natalia Gibbons, Miss Victoria Khalida LeBlanc, Mr. Damon Francesco Salvatore, and Mr. Stefan Antonio Salvatore shall all be property owners of the establishment. The home is theirs to deal with.
I gift the books in the library to three people, to be divided up evenly. Mr. Alexander Melchizedek Ledger, Miss Alexia Genevieva Branson, and Miss Victoria Khalida LeBlanc shall all be property owners of every book that I own. I know that they will deal with the knowledge within these pieces of paper responsibly.
I gift the old Salvatore Logging Mills and the land that the old Main House stood on to two people, to be divided up evenly. Mr. Damon Francesco Salvatore and Mr. Stefan Antonio Salvatore shall be the property owners of the two pieces of land and all the establishments there upon them. They may deal with such land as they would like.
Lexi paused, her eyes flashing as she looked to read the next passage, and then reread it again. She swallowed heavily and continued, and it sounded like she was trying to keep her anger out of her next few words.
I gift my mother's old jewelry, and the jewelry she had collected over the years, to one person. Miss Pearl Zhu shall be the property owner of such pieces. Let's be honest, there's no one else who would actually wear any of the jewelry my mother owned except for Pearl. We may have only started to get to know one another at the writing of this will, but I still respect the respect you held for my daughter. As is such, I grant this to you.
I do not own anything else really, but I do have some final parting words.
To Pearl: I hope you do not hold onto your grief. In the past few hours, I have mourned my daughter and the lost time that we didn't get to share in the past few months and it hurts. It burns at my soul. I decided tonight that I need to focus on the future with her. Your case is the opposite. Hold onto the times that you had and try not to think of the lack of future with her. Anna loved you, Pearl, and she wouldn't want you to hold onto this grief. Live your life, or at least, the one you have left.
To Lexi: In the few short months that we have known each other, you have become a close confidante to me. You have this determination that just keeps everyone staying positive. I wish I could have been more like you. Take care of Lee. He's going to need you, now more than ever, I should think.
To Lee: As far as I'm concerned, you are my brother. You always seemed to understand me at a different level then everyone else, from the first hunt we went on to you and me defending Richard Lockwood with our lives. Thank you for coming into my life. Take care of the girls for me, will ya? Thanks.
To Stefan: Thanks for being there when Tobias died. You always cared about me when I was a kid, and given how tumultuous my life was after my brother died, I needed a steady rock. Sorry I was so harsh on you when you first came back to Mystic Falls. Thank you for gifting me your blood and for being my daughter's first friend here after she arrived.
To Damon: You once mentioned, in passing, that I would be a whole chapter in your autobiography instead of just a footnote. It better happen, Uncle Damon. I won't say it twice. Keep my daughter safe. And tell the truth, Damon. You'll understand what I mean.
To Victoria: I love you, my darling baby girl. You have made me so proud and I am glad to be your father, to be your friend. I'll see you again somebody, Ms. Watson. Until then.
"Godspeed, Sherlock Salvatore," Victoria whispered as the tears started to fall down her eyes again. Her shoulders jerked in little sobs as she just cried. "Godspeed."
Damon was upright in a flash and he had Victoria gathered up in his arms before she could even think. Victoria curled in tighter against Damon's chest, hiding her face away in the junction between his neck and his shoulder. Damon held her tight, blocking out the slight wind that kicked up and keeping her warm. Her fingers clutched helplessly on his shirt, just needing to cling to something.
"I gotchu, Baby," Damon whispered in her ear as she struggled to control her breathing. "It's okay. It's okay, Mama Bear. I got ya."
"P-Please tell me this is a t-terrible nightmare," Victoria whispered brokenly to Damon. Her shoulders jerked as more tears slipped past her defenses. "P-Please tell me I-I'm just having a really bad dream."
Damon's grip on her tightened and the shaky inhale he gave was all the answer that she needed.
It wasn't a bad dream.
None of it was a bad dream.
Zach was gone.
Gone.
Gone.
Gone.
Never coming back.
He was dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
"Ms. LeBlanc, I feel it is rather encouraged for mortals to breathe."
The new voice was such a shocker to Victoria's system that she actually pulled herself away from Damon so she could tilt herself and look around him towards the two new people standing on the outskirts of the property.
"Markus?" Victoria stated in disbelief, and her eyes slid away from Markus and onto his companion. "And Jeanine? What are you two doing here?"
Victoria had only briefly met Markus and Jeanine (well, Markus as Markus. There was that one time that she had met Markus as Walt, a shocker that she still couldn't fully get over). The two of them standing side-by-side showed a true difference between the pair. Markus, though he stood tall and strong given his older age, was still a head shorter than Jeanine (though the height of his hair did make up for the difference). While Markus' hair was a stark white, Jeanine's was now pitch black (Victoria could have sworn that the last time they had met, her hair had been blond). The two couldn't be more ying and yang it appeared. They each wore some sort of black attire (a black dress for Jeanine and a black button-up and slacks for Markus), and Jeanine carried a black umbrella to cover up the sun, even though Markus still had a daylight object.
Markus gave Victoria a sad, but comforting smile and replied, "Simply? To say goodbye to a good man."
Victoria's heart tightened up in her chest and she clutched just a little tighter to Damon's shirt. Damon's free hand reached up and grabbed her own hand. He gently tugged her fingers apart from his shirt and instead, slipped his own hand into her own. He interlocked their fingers and then brought her hand up to his lips to give it a gentle kiss. Victoria smiled appreciatively at him before turning her attention back to Markus.
"The full reason as to why we are here is a little more...complicated," Markus explained, looking slightly sheepish. "I know this is your time, and so if this is not acceptable, we shall return at a different date, but...may I perhaps speak to you, Ms. LeBlanc, and our dear Alexander, privately?"
Victoria glanced over her shoulder towards Lee. Lee's jaw was tight, and his eyes held suspicions, but he sent Victoria a look that said that the two would be safe with Markus and Jeanine. She didn't really want to discuss anything with Markus and Jeanine, because of the common factor between them all, but it would probably end up happening anyways...
"Sure," Victoria agreed, nodding her head. She stood, albeit shakily, and gently extracted her fingers away from Damon, who didn't look pleased to be separated from her. "We can go inside. It won't be perfect, but it'll help a little." She swallowed heavily and said, "Please come in."
"Thank you, my dear," Markus said warmly, and he and Jeanine followed quietly behind Victoria and Lee as they navigated their way through the little crowd of people.
Victoria held the door to the living room open for them, and once they and Lee were inside, Victoria slipped in and shut the door behind her. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing hard on her hands, and she let a little bit of her magic slip as she opened her eyes. A smidge of black magic bounced from her fingers, hitting the door, and sparks dripped from her fingertips. It made her bite her lower lip in worry. That...wasn't normal.
Victoria turned back to the living room, spotting Jeanine and Markus sitting down on one of the couches and Lee seated on the other. She cleared her throat, drawing all their attention to her. "I-It's not perfect, but it's a little bit more soundproof so whatever you want to say will have a higher chance of being private."
"You are getting more controlled with your powers," Markus commented offhandedly as Victoria picked her way to sit down next to Lee.
She stilled slightly after taking a seat and looked toward Markus, trying not to convey just how worried she was at the fact that her hands had started to recently drip sparks every time she used her powers. "There are little things like that that are much easier to control. Anything big is a little more complicated."
"As is to be expected," Jeanine replied coolly, her sharp eyes flickering about Victoria's form. Studying her. "When broken down to the bare bones of it, the Immortalis could be considered a vampire-witch hybrid. Like how a witch needs to practice her magic so she can control it better, the same is with you and your powers. It will get better in time."
"Thank you," Victoria whispered, nodding her head in appreciation.
"What is this for?" Lee snapped, drawing all the attention onto him. His hands were clenched into fists on his thighs, looking like he would much rather be listening to Zach's will and testament all over again. His leg bounced something frantic with a nervous energy that didn't seem to fit Lee at all. "Why are you here? I -" His voice cracked and he growled angrily under his breath before continuing, stronger than before, "- I thought I told you that I wanted no more contact with the organization."
"We understand that and recognize that," Markus explained, his voice gentle but firm. "However, this was not a time that we could simply not come -"
"- But why, Markus? Why are you here -"
"- You are the only two people listed in Noble's will," Jeanine said bluntly.
Victoria and Lee froze.
And blinked.
And blinked.
And blinked some more.
And then, "What the fuck?" dropped from Lee's lips.
"Language, my dear Alexander."
"I'm gonna swear all the live long day, Markus, so button the hell up and keep your ass sitting down," Lee snapped, pointing aggressively towards the Albert Einstein lookalike. To Jeanine, he growled, "What the hell do you mean? Noble had a will?"
Jeanine snorted and rolled her eyes. "More like he had a ledger. Huge lists of things that he wished to give the two of you in case he did not make it."
"Ledgers?" Victoria echoed, disbelief swirling around in the pit of her stomach. "Ledgers? Not lists?"
Jeanine whispered some brief words under her breath, so quiet that not even Victoria's enhanced hearing could pick it up, and gave a small wave of her hand. Piles (and Victoria literally meant piles) of thick leather-bound books dropped onto the coffee table of the boarding house's living room. There were so many "ledgers" that some of them fell off the table and onto the ground around it. Victoria looked toward Lee, noting his look of pure shock, before turning her attention back toward the books.
She reached out and grabbed the closest one, hauling it back to her lap. She unclasped it, her fingers trailing momentarily over the beautiful red leather, before she opened it up. The first words on the top of the page caught her attention.
Properties, Items, and Other Positions Of Power
For Victoria Khalida LeBlanc
Part 17
"Seventeen?" Victoria gasped, her eyes flinging back up to Jeanine. "There are seventeen of these books...just for me?"
"I believe the final count that Markus and I were able to come to was twenty-one for you, Ms. LeBlanc, and nineteen for Alexander," Jeanine stated matter-of-factly.
Twenty-one.
Two.
One.
21.
Twenty-one books.
Filled to the brim with pages, leather-bound books that gave Victoria...
Something.
A lot of somethings.
Way too many somethings.
"Lee?" she whispered, her voice cracking pathetically.
"Yeah, Sugar?"
"Can you go get Damon? I think I'm going to pass out now."
And with that, Victoria's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she found herself falling down onto the rest of the couch, the shock in her system too much to bear.
Victoria, according to the comments she had been able to pick up from the other girls there, had passed out (something to do with the two strangers that had arrived; Jeanine and Markus, Lee had whispered to her before they had asked to see Victoria and him alone) and Damon had gone to swoop in on her like a hawk. Everyone else wandered back into the house slowly, some more quickly to go check in on Victoria's status, such as Caroline, Stefan, and the guy who looked identical to Stefan. Others took their time, not wanting to crowd Victoria, such as Bonnie and Elena and Jenna.
Amber, however, hung back from the rest of the group, content to be sitting down on the picnic blanket looking off into the forest. No one bothered to ask her if she wanted to go inside; well, sort of. Jeremy Gilbert had caught her eye while he was going back inside and made a sly gesture asking if she was going to come to. She had shaken her head at him, to which he nodded knowingly. It was rather sweet, to be noticed. It didn't happen very often. The only ones who really did notice her were Lee, Harper, Ms. Gibbons, Victoria, Lexi, and...
...and Ms. Pearl.
Her heart ached at the thought of Pearl.
To see her and what she did to Zach?
It felt like Amber was going through her parents' divorce all over again.
"I know there are only a few days left of winter, little fawn, but perhaps you should bundle up a little better."
She hadn't heard that voice in days.
Amber's head snapped to the side and she let out a breath and his name flowed out of her lips like a prayer of relief. "Allister."
Allister smiled gently down towards Amber, but there was something wrong about the way he looked. Keep in mind, the man was still stunningly gorgeous, from those icy-blue eyes of his to the way his black suit and trenchcoat tailored his body just a little too well. But...the way he moved, the way he held himself. It was like someone trying to put broken glass back together again by using duct tape. Sloppy, and not well done.
Allister's nose twitched as he gave a little sniff and then his eyes gave a little twinkle. "Have you ever been told you smell like Cheez-Wiz when you try to read emotions?"
"It has come up into conversations a few times, yeah," Amber admitted, tilting her head to one side as she stared openly towards Allister (though she did blush at the Cheez-Wiz comment). "H-How are you?"
Allister inhaled shakily and let it out, though the breath seemed rough and rushed. "Honestly, little fawn? Not too well."
He strode forward, taking his time as he picked his way along the lawn. Once he was within reach, he sat down deliberately on Amber's left, staring out into the trees as she had just been doing. He took off his trenchcoat, reaching around and draping the fabric around Amber's shoulders. Instant heat warmed Amber's body, and the smell alone made her blush. He just smelled so damn good. She held it closer and inhaled deeply. Hell yeah, he even smelled amazing.
The chained ring around his neck hung on the outside of his shirt and Amber was close enough know to see that while the rock on the ring was almost dead-set the color of his eyes, there were also dark shades of blue scattered throughout the rock in an almost marble sort of setting. It was gorgeous, to be frank.
"I heard about your father -"
"- Please don't," Amber interrupted with a squeak, squeezing her eyes shut.
She wanted to panic.
She wanted to scream and shout.
She wanted to cry.
She just wanted the pain to stop, if even for a little bit.
They had all lost too much in so little time.
Her father.
Anna.
Victoria's beau.
Pearl.
Victoria's mother.
Zach.
So many lives either lost or lost to them.
It was so unfair.
And it just made Amber want to scream.
Lithe fingers danced their way across the back of Amber's hand until a whole hand rested firmly on top of hers. Amber could feel Allister lean over to her and when he spoke, his breath tickled the top of her ear. "Easy there, little fawn. Remember to breathe."
"Breathing really sucks right now," Amber murmured, feeling the age-old feeling of tears prickling the backs of her eyes.
"Yeah, I know," Allister stated knowingly. He gave her hand a squeeze and that made Amber open her eyes again. She looked toward him, noting that he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was staring at the little podium that Lee had been at to give Zach's testament (and Amber wouldn't be a truth-telling person if she said she hadn't sobbed throughout half of it; Zach had been an amazing storyteller, and his relationship with his daughter had been utterly beautiful). "I don't remember much about my father, which is good, because what I do remember of him isn't good."
"A-Allister, you don't n-need to -" Amber tried to argue, but Allister just shook his head and kept on going.
"But my brother..." Allister continued. He paused for a moment, licked those beautiful lips of his (the lips that had stolen Amber's first kiss from her; she may have passed out from pain before she had fully been able to appreciate them, but nevertheless), and then resumed. "My brother was the closest thing I had to a father figure growing up."
"He was older than you?" Amber asked curiously.
Allister snorted and shook his head. "Hell no. Younger, in fact. Much younger, but he was so mature. Well, once he grew up, of course. Bit of a crazy kid, I will admit. Even I didn't pull half the things he did, and I was considered to be the 'rebellious one'." Allister threw up quotations around "rebellious one" and for some reason, that made Amber smile. "I...I lost him, ages ago. I could lie and say I don't remember the time since then, like how long it's been, but that wouldn't be the truth, obviously. That hurt stayed with me for such a long time, and to be honest? I don't think it's ever going away."
There was a moment of silence between Amber and Allister, one that was palpable and so thick that one could cut it with a knife. Amber swallowed heavily and croaked out, "Why are you telling me this?"
Allister turned himself, so he was partially facing her. There was a hard edge in his eyes, but it was a hard edge of compassion and sympathy...and it was all directed towards her. "Because, little fawn, in all the turmoil that's happened in the last three-ish days since we last saw each other, I don't know if a single person has asked you how you are doing."
And that...
...that wasn't necessarily the truth...
...but it wasn't a lie either.
Lexi, Lee, and Jeremy had all made comments toward her, Amber could recall. But they weren't comments asking how she was doing. They were more apologies and comments of sympathy about her dad passing away.
The more she thought about it, the more that Allister seemed right.
No one had asked her how she was doing.
So Amber gave her answer to Allister.
"Not fine. Not at all fucking fine."
And then she burst into tears.
And Allister just took her hand and drew her into his embrace, whispering sweet nothings into her ear as she sobbed and clung to Allister.
She didn't feel her powers expand or move out past her.
She just felt herself and Allister.
Getting the comfort she should have gotten days ago.
A/N: Hey y'all! I'm back!
I love writing Allister/Amber scenes. It reminds me of baby Tori, so it warms my pure angsty little heart. Pearl/Zach scenes too. Honestly, Allister-Amber, Zach-Pearl, and Tom-Katherine scenes are my favorite duos to write this season.
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Onto reviews!:
DBZFAN45: I know, right? I'm missing writing Henri so hard now, but there hasn't been a good time to really bring him back just yet, you know? Oh yeah. If Tori ever wears a crop top, she's gonna have to be careful around Damon, or she just might break him. Even if Tori doesn't get into a relationship with Damon (not saying it will or will not happen), their friendship will always be something special. Harper seems a lot more mellow, and especially with the fact that Zach died, I feel like he's more emotionally available to help Caroline, rather than it being Stefan. Aww, thanks! Actually, the Willy Wonka reference was meant more for her smelling heavily like white chocolate, but her outfit I pictured did kind of look like a mix between Veruca Salt and Violet Beauregard. You'll find out Jenna's thoughts on the betrayal next chapter. The only thing it affects about Bad Moon Rising is the episode doesn't happen as quickly as it did previously (like, Caroline transitioned and then the next day they're out and about, but in mine, it'll be like a few days).
Child of Dreams: Oh no! I hope you feel better soon! I'm glad I could give you a nice surprise. Hope you're feeling better now!
theappleseed: Hey you! It is a very maternal relationship, which I feel will do Tori some good. She has some terrible issues that need solving.
Elyse1821: EMOTIONAL DAMAGE, EMOTIONAL DAMAGE! was all I could hear when I read that first line XD. Lemme just say that when Elijah does finally stroll his beautiful suited figure in, Victoria's going to have other issues to deal with then relationships. Oh yeah, Victoria's gonna have some fun with murdery tendencies. Oh yeah. Pearl's one of those women who if you do something nice for them, they'll remember it for the rest of time.
Alrighty, ladies and gents. I think...and this is a very tentative I think...I'm going to try and post once every week again. My show just ended, so I got like two months of reprieve before auditioning for the next one, so here we go!
Next chapter out on the 14th!
Until next time,
Stay healthy and stay safe!
BecomingFearless1F