A/N: Wow. This chapter took forever...to write...to edit...to post...But on the plus side, it's really freaking long, so yay? So the sequel is here! Thanks to everyone who has stuck around since Tangled Web of Love. I'm really excited about this one. I seriously can't wait to hear what you think, so please leave a reply. It'll make my day!
The Birthday
Mystic Falls, May 1, 2010
"Good luck." Vivienne smugly suggested as she tossed the empty vile in Elena's direction.
The brunette caught it as ease as the whoosh of her departure sent her hair fluttering around her face. She took a deep breath as the satin strands settled, and she turned to face Damon.
The rejuvenation process of the Klaus's blood was taking effect across Damon's features and this brought Elena a sense of relief. He'd managed to prop himself up on one elbow and life was stretching across his features giving him his previously white-porcelain skin a flush of colour. The droplets of moisture had already begun receding through the surface of his skin and his eyebrows arched.
"Elena, we have to find Louise and Stefan." Damon declared.
"You're not going anywhere in you condition. Louise would never forgive me."
His voice rose a bit, signifying exactly how much effect the cure had already produced, and challenged. "Try and stop me."
Elena let out off a breath of air because now she knew for sure that Damon was completely back to his arrogant, stubborn self. It had been so nice experiencing the vulnerable and forgiving side of him that had been present just moments ago, but apparently all she was left with was the typically Damon she had become all too familiar with.
The vampire clumsily manoeuvred himself from his bed and added. "Stefan just sacrificed himself for my cure and Louise got caught in the middle, whatever the hell that means, and I'm not going to let anything happen to them."
Elena waivered for a moment in the spot she was standing in and debated whether to move or remain firmly planted. Ultimately, her feet refused to budge and she countered his heroic declaration with the obvious kink in his plan. "And how exactly do you plan on defeating Klaus on your own?"
He merely shrugged her off and started looking around the room for something as he responded, "I haven't gotten that far in the planning process yet."
The doppelganger scoffed at his typical impulsive nature. She crossed her arms across her chest defensively and suggested in a voice that didn't come out as lightly as she had anticipated. "Well maybe you should before you go off and get yourself killed, which is exactly why this whole thing happened in the first place."
He finally stopped looking around the room and picked up a useless weapon from the top drawer of his nightstand before shoving it into his pocket. He turned to face Elena and she could see that she made some progress with her last statement. "Elena, look; I'm shouldering enough blame for the both of us right now without yours added to it. I've spent my entire life torturing Stefan for turning me into a vampire and he still turns around and save the day. I'm not going to et my overly-compensating brother suffer when it should be me. So you can continue to stand in my way or you can move aside and let me handle it."
After a brief moment of pause, Elena replied. "Fine; then I'm coming with you."
"No, you're going to stay right here." Damon declared. "I've got enough to deal with already without having to worry about your life on my hands as well."
Charleston, South Carolina, May 4, 2010
In a dimly lit room, Klaus Mikaelson sat relaxed on a chair and across from him Louise Gilbert sat in the other chair, knees curled up to her chest. Meanwhile an unconscious Stefan Salvatore stretched out on the third sofa. The walls were draped in lush brocades and silk, all the colour vibrant and rich. Candles burned everywhere: in sconces near the arched doorway, dripping from candelabra on antique side tables and from a chandelier in the middle of the low ceiling. The shadows they cast danced and writhed about the room. There was no windows, making it nearly impossible to guess the time of day.
Louise stared at nothingness in front of her. Her face was pale and eyes rapidly filled with tears. Klaus wondered if they were borne of anger or fear or helplessness. Three days was a long time to feel like a miserable bitch. The brunette scowled, reliving for the millionth time her fight with Klaus.
"You need to relax."
"Relax? How can I relax? I just watched a girl die, Klaus. A human girl who had a family and friends, maybe even kids or a husband who are never going to see her again. They're never even going to know what happened to her." Louise swallowed thickly.
As patiently as he could, the hybrid responded. "A girl died, but you didn't know her any more than I did. Why are you taking this so personally?"
Tear glistened in her eyes as she sneered condescendingly. "So, her life somehow doesn't matter because I didn't know her? Is that what you're saying?"
"Exactly." Klaus said in an obvious tone.
The Original's voice pulled her out of her memory.
"Come on, love. I'm bored. Show me the famous Petrova fire." Klaus said in his usual nonchalant voice, like everything in the world was just there to amuse him. "I'll even let you insult me." When Louise doesn't bite the bar, he added. "You know, Viviana use to be more fun."
Louise snorted. "Sure, when were torturing her or lying to her to get her blood." she snapped. She looked towards him. "Doesn't it ever occur to you that people don't like you because you're trying to use them?"
Klaus smiled. "Well, my family seems to like me."
"Yeah, but how well? Last time I checked your own brother teamed up with us to kill you." As always, she held his gaze, as if he could do nothing to harm her. He liked this look. It was refreshing and challenging. "I wished Elijah would have killed you." she whispered in disgust, and for the first time the broad smile froze on his lips. In a blink his eyes became hard and cold.
It happened so fast, she doesn't even registered any movement and only realised what happened when she felt her back thumping against the wall, and Klaus pinning her to said wall. He was a force of nature, she almost forgot it every time. His body was now rigid, and she almost could feel the anger radiating off him. It made him inhuman, a cold, hard façade, like a statue, only mocking of life.
"He didn't want to kill me. Anymore than I ever wanted to kill him." He growled, his eyes flickered briefly in a threatening yellow.
He leaned forward again and Louise winced. Rapidly her heart began to pound excitedly against her chest, as if it would aim to break through.
"I have been generous up 'til now; I can be cruel." Despite the anger that blazed in his eyes, his voice was pleasantly mild, as if he were talking to a young child, he didn't want to scare. However, the way he said it as unmistakably imploring, as if he wanted to compel her. A shiver ran down her back.
Louise stared at Klaus with a look of utter shock. She couldn't believe that what he'd been doing, how he tormented her and those around, could be considered generous. Her agape mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to speak. It took another few seconds for the shock to wear off just enough for her to get a word out. "T-This … this isn't generous! Nothing you've done has been generous!" She gasped out, eyes wide and delicate eyebrows heavily furrowed. She found a sudden strength hidden inside of her that she didn't know she had. "If you'd been generous then you wouldn't be doing any of the things you're doing! You would have let me go! Long before you carried this too far!"
Klaus opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted with a low moan from across the room as Stefan began to come to his senses.
A soft whimper at his side mad Stefan glance down to find his arm pinned beneath the delicate form of the brunette beauty he'd played with the night before. Or was she from two night ago? Three? Rathe than the blood stained clothes he'd been wearing when he left Mystic Falls, he was now clad in black pants, a pristine white shirt open at the collar and a black jacket. With a detached curiosity he touched the girl's face, traced the bloodless lips ad gaunt, hallowed out cheeks. The girl was nearly dead, drained of the blood that normally pumped through her veins, clinging to life by some quirk biology. Bruises stood out beneath her closed lids and Stefan wondered dispassionately if they were from fatigue and lack of blood or the games he'd played with her.
Stefan inhaled sharply. The bloodlust roared within him, nearly blinding him with it's intensity. Details came back to him in a rush. They were in Charleston, South Carolina. The plain metal door Klaus had opened to him a few nights ago had led to a club of sorts, a decadent den of debauched and demented. Scored of the Original's vampire disciples had littered the halls, blissfully unaware of whom and what he truly was. The plush room they now occupied was an upper floor. A vampire VIP section, as Klaus put it - just one of the many perks to infinite wealth and equally infinite life.
At first Stefan had been awed, swayed as he was by the insatiable lust for blood. So many willing veins just waiting for the gentle, or not so gentle, prick of his fangs. Now a direction, a sense of purpose was slowly taking hold.
"Ah, I see you're awake. Still enjoying your pet?" Klaus's unmistakably silky voice annoyed Stefan. The Original still had Louise pinned against the wall. Stefan looked them over in a cursory fashion, vaguely disappointed.
Klaus noticing Stefan's scowl, released Louise. The brunette rubbed her now sore neck, uncomfortably.
"What's the plan, Klaus?" Stefan demanded. "What's next?"
The Original raised sandy brows toward the black painted ceiling. "My you are an impatient one. This is no weekend holiday, Stefan. We are in this together, for the long haul as they say. Why rush?"
"You know the brush off may have worked a few days ago but the novelty is wearing off." Stefan replied. Swinging his legs on the floor, the unconscious brunette rolled off the couch, landing in an unnoticed heap on the carpet. "I need to know what you want from me."
Mystic Falls, May 15, 2010
In Mystic Falls, just across town at Alaric's apartment building, Elena and Caroline pulled up. The teacher hadn't stayed in the converted historical site since Klaus had relinquished control of his body. Caroline was no more enthusiastic to return and made the point of undeniable clear the entire way, but she dutifully tagged along.
Mystic Falls was notoriously, some might say stupidly, trusting in the bright light of day and the front door of the building was unlocked. No doorman needed compelling, so Elena and Caroline entered without incident. The sun streamed through the stained glass inlaid on the front door, painting the floor a vivid shade of red that looked a little too much like blood. Hastily, Elena darted past Caroline and hurried up the stairs.
Dusty motes danced in the late afternoon sunlight pouring through the window at the end of the hall on the eerily silent second floor. The door to Alaric's apartment was shut, locked, just like Elena expected. A sudden bout of nerved made her stomach flip, but she swallowed and looked back expectantly at her bodyguard. Another bonus to Caroline being attached like glue to her side; her own special skeleton key.
"Elena, are you sure this is, like, really necessary?" Caroline trailed behind her, halfway down the hallway. "I mean, I was here. With Damon and Alaric. We didn't find anything."
"So you say." Elena murmured, frowning at the door knob.
Caroline was at her side, her features near perfect imitation of confusion while very real worry lines marred her porcelain skin. "You don't believe us?"
Only the fact that Elena was used to vampire whizzing by her at top speed kept her from flinching. "I believe there was nothing Damon wanted to tell me. I don't believe you guys didn't find anything."
Caroline looked around the empty hallway, everywhere but directly at Elena. "H-how do you know?"
Elena offered her friend a knowing smile. "Because you're a really bad liar, Caroline."
Caroline's shoulder slumped and she closed her eyes. Without further protest, she twisted the ornate bronze knob, causing the lock to snap with a loud pop. The door swung open silently on well-oiled hinges. Before Elena could set foot inside, a sickly sweet odour assaulted her nostrils.
"What is that?"
"It's blood." Caroline said softly, slipping silently through the doorway into the dark apartment. A second later, dim light cut through the gloom.
Elena tugged her sleeve down over her hand like a makeshift mask and covered her mouth, then followed. At first, despite the stench, nothing seemed amiss. The curtains were drawn tight against the sun but nothing else gave away the true nature of the apartment's recent occupants. Then Elena noticed the dining room chair, pulled out from the table and standing alone. A nearly black stin had coated the upholstered seat and had run down the leg where it had pooled and dried on the hardwood floor. Empty liquor bottles littered the counter by the sink in the open kitchen. With wide eyes, she took in the whole of the loft and tripped over the true source of the smell.
"Oh, god." she recoiled and nearly gagged. Empty and nearly empty blood bags littered the floor in a trail stretching from the kitchen counter halfway to the door. Thick smears of blood had congealed on the floor. A single perfect handprint humanized the carnage.
"Um, obviously Alaric hasn't had time to clean." Caroline stood in the centre of the room, twisting her hands together and looking guilty and embarrassed as if she somehow bore some responsibility for the mess.
"What happened here?" Elena asked in horrified awe. Placing her boots carefully, she stepped around the scattered pools of blood and crouched beside the handprint.
"Klaus." Caroline spat out his name like a curse. She joined Elena and surveyed the mess before offering a helpless shrug. "Damon put the pieces together right away."
"Stefan." Elena murmured, placing her hand next to the bloody print on the floor. Anxiety unfurled in her gut and crawled up like a vice around her lungs. The assurances Stefan had given her, which she'd clung to since he disappeared - that Klaus wouldn't kill him - echoed dully in her head. What hadn't occurred to her were the plethora of fates worse than death for an all but immortal vampire.
'He gave himself over to Klaus.'
Elena had been trying to figure out Vivienne's cryptic words since she'd delivered them along with the cure for Damon. Now, seeing the blood bags on the floor, the truth seemed unavoidable. Tears burned her eyes and for a moment, Elena thought she'd lose it right there on the floor. Swallowing the helpless feeling threatening to choke her, she stood and moved quickly to the far opposite side of the room. "Klaus made Stefan drink all that blood."
"That's what Damon and Alaric guessed, too." Caroline nodded. "That's a bad thing, isn't it? I mean Stefan never told me exactly why he sticks to bunnies, but I always figured there had to be an actual reason."
"It's a drug to him." Elena pulled back the curtain and peaked out the window. The heart of the town was bustling with the after school crowd and people heading home from work, blissfully unaware of the true, terrifying nature of the world in which they lived. A couple walked across the grassy square, grinning and holding hands. Elena's heart twisted painfully and for a moment she was out there, with Stefan. Instead of the anonymous girl, it was Elena's hair that the gentle afternoon breeze blew in front of her face and Stefan who chuckled as he brushed it aside and leaned in to kiss her.
"Elena?" Caroline pulled her from the sweet fantasy and back to the horror that was Alaric's apartment. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." she replied quickly, pressing her lips together in something she hoped was reassuring. Elena was definitely not fine. Her nerves were frayed from what felt like an unending stream of death and violence. She cleared her throat. "Um, when Stefan drinks human blood he's...not the same person. He's...uncontrollable. A m-monster."
"A vampire." Caroline supplied with a rueful shrug. "He told me."
"No, it's different. You...Damon...you can handle it without turning into something out of a horror movie."
Tennessee, June 21, 2010
Louise was running. Running breathlessly through the dark forest. She could barely see anything but she knew that if stopped for a second; she would die. He was coming after her. Following her. He would not quit till he had her. She had to keep going.
She pushed herself harder and faster in attempt to get away. Her body ran cold as she could feel his eyes on her; watching her. Waiting for a moment when she would be in his grasp. Her heart was pounding, the sound filling her ears. Her poor legs were pushing onwards trying to get to safety. To get to her lover. But there was no escape. She could not escape him. She never would.
She cursed herself when she tripped and her hands going in front to break her fall. A shadow came over her body as he descended on her. She let out a yelp when his arms reached out and grasped her.
"Louise." he whispered. "I've found you. Come."
Her brown eyes glared up at the owner of the voice. "No." She refused, ripping herself from him. "I have to find Damon." Without warning, she took off running once again. "Damon!" She called out as she moved through the woods. The brunette came to a sudden halt when she saw him. Icy blue eyes glowing in the dark as he stood in front of her, famous smirk plastered on his face and he held his hand out for her. "Damon." she breathed in relief. She wasted no time jumping into his arms and wrapping her arms tightly around him.
After a moment, she pulled back to admire her lover's face but the smile was slapped off her face when she found his face. It wasn't Damon. It was the person she was trying to escape from. Klaus. The hybrid was now smirking down at her. She violently trashed around in his arms, frantically trying to get out of his grip.
"Louise, love, you have no reason to fight. Give in now and your pain can finally come to an end." His voice portrayed kindness and leeway but she knew the truth. He was and always will be a cold, calculated killer.
Louise looked into his distant and detached blue eyes. "Go to hell!" she hissed.
He caressed the side of her face and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Only if you come with me." He moved back and she watched in horror as his eyes shone gold and his fangs descended from his mouth. He plunged into her throat.
Louise gasped loudly, eyes snapping open and body bolting upright. Her eyes met with the same pair of blue eyes that belonged to no other than Klaus Mikaelson who sat in the backseat of the car with her.
"It was just a dream, love." Klaus tried to assure her as he brought his hand up to brush the hair out of her face in an attempt to soothe her. The action made her quickly swat his hand away and move back, her back now pressing against the car door behind her.
"Don't touch me!" she snapped.
"Easy, love!" Klaus warned.
The brunette continued to glare at the hybrid. After nearly two months of being in his company, Louise still couldn't stand being around him. There wasn't a word to describe how Klaus looked at Louise, it changed every day. Sometimes it was like he was trying to piece her together and other times, he looked at her like she was his next conquer, which was the look that made her most annoyed. Stefan didn't get those looks. Though she had to admit, it sucked for Stefan too.
She finally understood why Klaus called him 'The Ripper'. For weeks, Stefan had indulged in his every whim to Klaus' endless delight. No kill was degraded, no game too depraved. Playing the ripper was exactly the opposite of playing Stefan Salvatore, even-tempered high school junior. Where his former self would have raised eyebrows if he had strayed from the path of the righteous, the Ripper only surprised when he showed mercy.
Pushing her hair off her face, Louise looked around out the window, realising that they had come to a stop. "Where are we?"
"Welcome to the absolute middle of nowhere." Klaus replied, gesturing to vast expanse of nothingness that surrounded them before returning his attention to Louise.
"Okay, and what are we doing here?"
"Fact finding." Klaus shrugged. "I'm hoping I know a guy who knows a guy who can tell me where Ray Sutton likes to hide." They had settled in Tennessee and these past few days Klaus was desperate to find this werewolf named Ray Sutton. He wouldn't let her or Stefan know why the werewolf was so important.
Louise looked at him sceptically. "You're hoping?"
Klaus merely smirked before opening the door on his side. "Come on, love."
"She doesn't need to see this." Stefan protested from where he stood outside the car.
"See what?" Louise wondered. "What's going on?"
Klaus offered his hand for her to take but she scoffed, ignoring it and opened the other door, hopping out the car. This only made the hybrid smirk as he too got out the car. Louise moved to stand beside Stefan, folding her arms across her chest as she awaited an answer from Klaus.
"I need you to do something for me." Klaus turned his head to the secluded farm house where a girl with flowing golden hair stepped out of the house into the humid air.
Louise sighed and followed his gaze. "So, what do we do, just walk over and start asking questions?"
Klaus only chuckled in response and both Stefan and Louise looked at each other.
"Rudy!" The woman yelled as she stepped out onto the porch. She put her fingers to her lips, successfully blowing air in a sharp, hard whistle. She continued down the porch steps and onto the pathway to the house. "Rudy. Come on! It's too hot to make me come looking for you."
The girl bent down and picked up a toy on the front lawn to attract her dog, but as she stood upright and braced to go on a search in the heat of the night, she gasped when she saw a young brunette girl with sparkling chocolate brown eyes. She had a pleasant smile planted on her close to perfect features. "I-I'm sorry." Louise smiled at her. "Totally didn't mean to scare you."
Naturally the blonde was suspicious, being as it was the dead of the night and hardly anyone came to her door at any given time. "Can I help you?"
And action. Louise gave an exasperated sigh. "I am having the shittiest day ever. I got into this fight with my boyfriend this morning and my shitty car ran out of gas a couple of miles back. And on top of all that, in the middle of trying to call Triple A, my phone died. My feet hurt like hell. I feel like I've been walking forever and your house is the first I've seen in miles...so I was just wondering if I could possibly use your phone to call a tow." The blonde woman looked at her with suspicious eyes. Louise shook her head and laughed. "I know this is crazy and...and, well, you probably think I'm a serial killer or something but...I just need to use your phone to call a tow."
After a moment of silence, the woman eventually nodded and sighed. "Sure."
"Great! Thank you. So can I come in? I could really use a place to sit-"
"No." The girl whipped around. Louise's smile dropped gradually, realising the girl's rudeness. "Sorry. I'll get the phone and I'll bring it out to you."
"But it'd just be for a minute." Louise tried. If this woman wasn't willing to invite her, the only human out of the trio inside, then she definitely wasn't going to invite Klaus or Stefan in.
"Look, you should be grateful I'm even letting you use the phone at all-"
All of a sudden, behind the blonde who was refusing to let the brunette into the house, Klaus popped up behind her from seemingly out of nowhere. Louise let out a frustrated sigh and turned away, annoyed, as the hybrid growled. "I thought you country folks were supposed to be more trusting."
The girl whipped around and gasped, only to be taken by the throat. Klaus stepped closer, staring into the girl's frightened eyes. "You were being quite rude to my friend here. Now show me a little southern hospitality. Sweet pea."
The hybrid released the human and let her take a moment to adjust to the compulsion he had just implemented on her. Louise shook her head as stared at Klaus with annoyed eyes. She reluctantly followed Klaus into the house after the girl let them inside the kitchen area, where a nonchalant darker olive toned woman was standing over the stove making dinner.
"I bet you a hundred dollars that dog ran off to a house with air conditioning." she commented jokingly before turning around to see her friend, who wasn't alone. She froze. "What's going on?"
"Please don't be alarmed." Klaus told her calmly. "I was told Ray Sutton lives here."
The other woman shrugged. "He's almost never here. He's on the road mostly."
"But I expect he makes it home, once a month." Klaus moved forward with the blonde woman in his grasp. When either woman answered, he smiled. "That's what I thought. Where is he now?" No answer. "You see, I have my own way of getting answers from you but if I have to make you tell me it's going to be infinitely more painful for you."
The dark haired woman hesitated but Klaus watched her with cautious eyes. She took off in a sprint, heading for the kitchen door. She stopped and screamed when she opened the door to reveal Stefan, who waited on the other side of the threshold to be invited inside.
"I love it when they run!" Klaus announced from behind her. The woman turned to him, tears in her eyes as she realised they had been backed into a corner. "Louise..."
Louise sighed gently as she moved towards the dark haired woman. The woman flinched away slightly when the seer took a hold of her hand. Her eyes fluttered close. She let the barriers in her head down, letting the images flow in.
Klaus watched her intently, his head cocked to the side with his lips parted. "Tell me what you saw." he demanded.
"He's...He's in Toll. It's near the border. A bar called Southern Comfort. It's on Highway 41." Louise whispered, bringing her hand to his neck, as it was the only part of his body not covered in clothes. With her touch came her visions. She gave him her eyes for a moment, showing him what she'd seen. Klaus smiled, amazed by her gift and the warmth of her touch. She retracted her hand, moving back where she was, away from him.
"Amazing." Klaus said, smiling at Louise, entranced by her and her talents. He turned to the girl in his arms and swept a piece of hair out of her face, which was stained with tears. "Now, may my friend come in?"
The girl had no option but to choke out; "Yes."
With that invitation, Stefan stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him, his eyes focused on Klaus. Louise swallowed thickly as Klaus pushed forward the girl in his arms, and in a flat tone, ordered; "Kill this one quickly." His eyes flickered to the noncompliant woman. "And make that one suffer. We'll be in the car."
"No. No, Stefan! Don't do it!" Louise screamed at him as Klaus pulled her arm out the door. She winced when she heard the loud screams of terror. She snatched her hand back from the hybrid. Louise angrily walked a head of him as they made their way back to the car. Klaus's amused laughter burning her ears with each step she took. "You didn't need to kill them." She spun around to face him. She felt angry that he was forcing Stefan to do that, angry at how much he had enjoyed it too. "What was the point of that?"
"I just wanted you to see." Klaus replied simply.
"See what?" she asked.
The hybrid took a menacing step forward, coming to stand inches away from her, his looming presence overwhelming her with ease. There was the anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach again but Louise refused to cower in fear. She fused to give him that satisfaction.
"What I'm capable of." His eyes flashed gold for a second or two as he said the words. "What I do to those who oppose me."
Louise's first instinct was to flinch back, to pull away as far as possible from him. But she didn't. Damon always said she was stubborn to a fault. It was that stubbornness that had her standing her ground. She didn't look away, she didn't turn her face to the side as Klaus took another step closer. He was in her breathing space, his head lowering so they could be at an eye level, his nose almost bumping against hers. "You're making Stefan worse."
"Wrong! I'm making him better." he corrected.
The brunette lifted her chin and glared at him. She gave him the meanest glare she could muster. It probably wasn't that impressive in his eyes but it was the best she had. She fused to look down even if her heart was about to leap out her chest.
"No, you're not!" Louise snapped back. "He shouldn't be drinking human blood. He shouldn't be a 'ripper'" Her imitation of his accent caused the hybrid to chuckle.
"It's in his nature. He shouldn't be ashamed of it." He smirked. "It's fascinating to watch."
Louise grimaced. "Of course you of all people would think that."
"You think I'm so terrible, Louise, but if you got to know me you'd think differently."
The county road met up with a slightly less desolate highway and, making a quick decision, Klaus turned left, backtracking to the last town they passed. As lights approached in the near distance, he realised it wasn't so much a town as a glorified gas station with a twenty-four hour diner and a motel. Mercifully, the vacancy sign was glowing brightly in the ever lightening pre-dawn. The car picked up loose gravel as Klaus careened into the lot.
The motel was one level, curving in an 'L' shape with the office taking up one corner. Pulling into a parking spot a few doors down, Klaus pulled the keys from the ignition. Sparing Stefan the briefest of glances, he muttered. "I'll be right back."
There silence remained in the car between Stefan and Louise.
"You look...pleased." Stefan noted, breaking the silence. "Should I be suspicious?"
Louise glanced towards the vampire for a second. When it was just her and Stefan alone, she could see the old him. He wasn't completely gone. She could see how much he hated being consumed by human blood, he would black out and not remember. He once told her;
"The blood...it calls to me. Demands that I just...take and take and take. I'm helpless to it." Stefan had explained, fighting for every word. He'd never tried to explain it to anybody - not even Damon or Elena after they'd sobered him up last time. "I can't stop it. I feel out of control."
So she was always there for him, to keep him from turning full blown ripper despite a crazy vampire-werewolf hybrid egging him on.. Constantly reminding him not to give up.
Louise sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, hard, and looked away. She rolled her eyes. "Why bother? You know I've been painted into a corner. No where to run, no way out, and the lives of everyone I love are on the line if I so much as try."
"That's when you're at your most dangerous." Stefan stared at her seriously.
Louise scoffed. He had to be pulling her leg. "What, are you afraid of me, Stefan?"
"I know you too well not to be."
"You're exaggerating."
"Am I?"
"Yes!" Louise responded immediately. "Every choice I've ever had has been pre-ordained. All I've done is react. That hardly makes a threat."
"That's might be true, Louise, but that's not the whole truth." Stefan replied softly. "You've always been so clever about finding a loophole - or tearing everything apart to make one, if you have to." With a description like that, he could be talking about Vivienne.
She laughed, incredulous and a little bitter. "Like when? When I let Klaus sacrifice me? Even though he killed Jenna to do it?" Just talking about it was winding her up, making her feel angry and impotent. "I'm not planning anything, Stefan. I'm not...I'm not as strong as that."
"Says the girl I saw run into a burning building."
"I didn't have a choice. I had to do it to save Damon."
"Exactly. You had no choice." He spoke low and even. "Like I said," he continued. "That's a dangerous position for anyone to put you in. It's hard to say what you'll do when you feel desperate. So, if you are planning something...I suggest you put it aside."
Silence fell between the pair once again as they waited for the hybrid.
This time it was Louise to break the silence. "Say I did have something planned." she began quietly. "What would happen?"
Stefan turned to look out the car window, making sure Klaus was still preoccupied. He looked so much older than seventeen in that moment. He looked like he was not quiet certain how best to phrase things. "Klaus is unpredictable at the best of times." he told her slowly. "He has an explosive temper and poor control over himself once it's engaged. You've seen how his rage rules him sometimes." He turned back to her. "If you were to plot against him, that temper would be unleashed on you, and on everyone you love. Are you prepared for that?"
Louise swallowed. "No."
"Then leave it, Louise." With that he returned to look out the window.
"Do you think it's the wolf in him, that makes him so volatile?" she asked at length.
"The wolf or the man."
By the time Klaus got back to the car, Louise had climbed out with her backpack and leaning against it, her head tilted back towards the sky and Stefan stood beside her.
"I figured you'd like a bed to sleep in tonight." Klaus tossed her a room key. He fought a grin as she glared at him. He could almost hear the disgruntled hmph as she turned on her heels and made her way to the sidewalk that ran by the rooms. "It's number six." he called out when she paused in front of the fifth door.
"I can read." she replied, without looking over her shoulder and continuing on. He watched to make sure she was safely inside.
Mystic Falls, June 22, 2010
Elena's eyes fluttered open way before her alarm went off. For a while, she remained still, although she had learned in the first few weeks after her parents' death that going back to sleep once reality had hit wasn't possible. Instead, she tried to go back to moments when Jenna and John were alive, Louise was in the bedroom down the hall and Stefan was there, his arm slung around her waist. Part of her hated that Stefan's absence affected her so much, she should be fine on her own.
I'm not gonna be one of those pathetic girls whose world stops spinning because of some guy. She had once said.
However, she had indeed become one of those pathetic girls. Thoughts of Louise and Stefan, and their whereabouts had stirred emotions in her that she had to fight desperately to keep inside. Their choice to give themselves over to Klaus to save Damon's life, was what kept her awake at night. It haunted her each and every day; reminding her how easy it was to lose someone you loved.
Elena let out a heavy sigh before throwing her bed covers back and pulling herself out of bed. She moved over to the window. After a deep breath, she pulled the curtains wide open and the sunlight poured into her room. Following her trip to the bathroom to have a shower, Elena was back in her room rummaging through clothes still she decided on a red tank top and denim rolled up shorts. She threw her hair up in a messy bun.
The doppelganger caught her reflection in the mirror and sighed. She looked miserable, at best. She gave her reflection a practiced smile. She existed her room and walked slowly down the hallway, coming to stop in the doorway of an empty room. Louise's room.
The room hadn't been touched since Louise's disappearance. At least Elena knew she hadn't set foot inside. Despite focusing her every thought on a way to bring her back, shied away from the physical reminders of her - a difficult task considering that, today, was their birthday.
A memory teased her subconscious for one brief second before flaring in her mind's eye.
"It's not how it's suppose to be."
It was nothing but the truth. Louise knew this but it still aches. "I know, Lou. I know but we have to stick together. We have to survive this."
There was a sharp breath, lips rolled together. "Elena," Her lungs felt constricted, chest tight. "We always end up losing someone. No matter how much we stick together. John, Isobel, Jenna, innocent people. Who's next?"
Elena's chest felt heavy, mind and heart utterly confused, drowning in grief and Elena knew, Louise was right. She always was. "What do you want us to do? What's the plan?"
The reality that they needed a plan to simply survive was enough to make her head hurt. "I don't know, Elena. Try not to die, for a start."
Elena inhaled sharply. With only the barest hint of reluctance, she turned away. There was nothing for her in Louise's room and loitering in the doorway wouldn't bring her back any faster. She moved to the next bedroom in the hall, Jeremy's room. Her little brother was fast asleep. She moved through the dark room to the curtains and with a massive yank of the curtains, the light from outside poured in the room.
As the light hit him, Jeremy groaned. "Aaahh! Early. Bad!"
"Ahh. It's not early." Elena mocked him as she made her way over to his bed, pulling the covers off. "You're late, for work. Matt just called."
The brunette started to walk out the room as Jeremy peered at the clock and groggily grumbled. "Well, maybe he'll fire me."
"Aim high." Elena called sarcastically over her shoulder.
Elena made her way down the stairs just as her cell phone rang. Reaching into her back pocket of her shorts, she retrieved the slim device with a sigh.
"Caroline!" Elena said into the receiver, forcing a smile onto her lips.
"Elena! Happy Birthday!" Caroline's bright and eternally chipper voice sang through the earpiece, turning the doppelganger's strained smile into a genuine grin.
"Thank you." Elena said before quickly adding. "What are you doing?"
"Just shopping for the party you're trying to bail out on." Caroline explained as Elena finally descended the stairs.
Elena paused before stating flatly. "You can't be serious."
"I'm always serious about parties, 'Lena. You know this." Caroline restored haughtily.
She had never agreed to this but Caroline and her party planning gene wouldn't let go. Elena sighed as she made her way towards the kitchen. "I never said yes in the first place."
"You were never going to which is why I planned it anyway. Look, I know this is Louise's birthday too, but whilst she is missing there is no point putting our lives on hold, she wouldn't have wanted that." Caroline answered matter-of-factly.
"Care, that's really insensitive." Elena hissed. "She's my sister and I want to spend our day together."
Caroline completely ignored the brunette's comment as she neatly changing the conversation. "Oh, that reminds me, my mum wants you to call her."
"Did she find something?" Elena questioned, hopeful."
"An animal attack in Memphis. It's the third one this week in Tennessee."
"And you're sure it's a vampire?" Elena asked. She swallowed past the lump in her throat as Ric, who was in the kitchen making coffee, gave her a look.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean that it's Klaus." Caroline resorted, trying not to get her friend's hopes up.
"Doesn't mean it's not." The brunette moved round the counter, pushing Alaric out of the way. "I'll call her."
"Well call her on her cell. All right. Well, I gotta go. I'll see you in a bit."
"Oh, Caroline wait, just...keep tonight small. Please?"
Caroline ignored Elena's pleas, truing back into the bubbly cheerleader she'd never really outgrown. "Wear something pretty."
"Ugh!" Elena sighed heavily before hanging up the phone. Fragile hope wrapped around her heart, digging it's painful thorns into the tender muscle. Sherriff Forbes needed to deliver. She wasn't sure that she'd survive the disappointment if she didn't.
"Was that uh...Stefan/Louise news?" Ric asked. He was tiding the couch that he had been sleeping on so it was suitable for other people to sit on.
"Could be more Klaus victims." Elena nodded as she grabbed a cup.
"You certain they're both still with him?" The history teacher asked, obvious level of scepticism.
She began to pour some coffee into the mug. "Easy to be certain when the alternative is that they're dead." A deathly silence fell over the room as they exchanged a look. Hesitating, Elena bit her lip as she eyed the couch before added. "Are you sure you're still okay on the couch?"
"Yeah, Yeah, I'm good." Alaric nodded as Elena poured another cup of coffee.
Elena picked up the two mugs of hot beverage. "Because you spent half the summer on it." She walked towards him. "If you need your own bedroom?"
"Eh, sleeping in your dead parent's room or my dead...girlfriend's room. Nah." Alaric shook his head.
"Alright." Elena handed him a mug. "Got it." She noted.
"Hey Elena." Alaric called as she began to walk away. She halted and looked at him. "Happy Birthday."
"Thanks." Elena gave him a half smile. She was eighteen years old now, an adult thanks to an absurd arbitrary law, because nothing had really changed since yesterday. She felt the exact same.
Tennessee, June 22, 2010
Waking up in a silent hotel room, Louise blinked groggily at the thin bands of sunlight filtering through the venetian blinds on the windows. Gingerly, she climbed out of the bed and made her way to the window.
Peeking through the blinds, she spotted Klaus standing by the car just outside her room, holding a cell phone to his ear. He squinted in the bright sun, impatiently listening to the person on the other end as he paced the length of the car. Taking a step forward and dipping her head for a better view, Louise watched him for a few minutes.
Klaus lifted his gaze from his steady contemplation on the cracked pavement, his eyes latching onto hers through the window. Gasping, she pulled her hand away, letting the blinds snap back into place.
Eying the door, she half expected it to open and the hybrid walking right in. Realisation suddenly hit her that she was in her pyjamas. Automatically, her had went to her hair, and she wondered what kind of state it was in. Before she could question her own actions, Louise found herself in the tiny bathroom, studying her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. Her hair was one long, tangled knot and she ran hasty fingers through it before twisting the tap and splashing cold water on her face.
The sudden chill brought her up short, stopping the hasty routine. "Oh my god, Louise! What are you doing?" she demanded to her reflection. She was...primping. For Klaus. She had lived with him for months now and suddenly she was concerned if he saw her with bed head. Snatching the towel from the chrome rod bolted to the wall, she dried her face roughly. Bracing her arms on the edge of the sink, she closed her eyes and tried to organise her racing thoughts into some semblance order.
The burst of water from the showerhead was grounding force, bringing Louise back to reality. Stripping off her pyjamas, she stepped into the shower, shivering under the punishingly cold spray. She reached for the shampoo and dumped half the bottle into her hands. Lathering it into her hair, she gave in and began sifting through her thoughts.
Her thoughts like always, when she was alone, drifted back to her friends and family in Mystic Falls. Are they okay? What were they doing? Were they looking for her?
Sighing, Louise tipped her head back and began to rinse her hair. After finishing her shower, she shut off the water, squeezing the excess from her hair before stepping out the cold, tile floor. Drying off, she wrapped the towel around her before digging around in her bag for clothes. The fabrics felt like silk against her skin as she slipped them on. Drying her hair, she ran a comb through the clean tresses.
Today was June 22nd. It was her birthday. She was supposed to be celebrating. But what did she have to celebrate? The fact she'd survive another year? She'd experience more heartache, loss and suffering in the past twelve months, than was surely normal for any human being.
Purposefully not glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she turned off the light and walked resolutely into the room. A blue leather bounded book was on the unmade bed with a note on top. She moved towards the bed.
She swallowed, glancing down at the cream coloured note. "Happy Birthday." She read aloud. She flipped the note over but the other side was blank. Picking up the book, Louise eyed it sceptically. It was a diary. She had an inkling on who had gifted her this as a memory played out in her mind.
On her third week with Klaus, Louise stood on the roof of Klaus's hideout in whichever state they were currently in, watching the sunset, wishing she was back in Mystic Falls. Most of the surrounding building had been converted into clubs and the noise from the traffic and people four stories below rose in a cacophony of sound all the way to the rood, grating on her already raw nerves.
"I thought you were brooding?"
"Oh my...you scared me!" Louise gasped, her shock quickly melting into a familiar warmth when she realised it was Stefan Salvatore.
"Sorry." He smirked, clearly not sorry. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Stefan retreated from the stairs. "Next time I'll be louder."
"You better." she replied, smacking him lightly on the arm.
"I said I will." he laughed. "So, no more brooding?"
Louise's smile faltered slightly as she took in Stefan's still boyish features. "Like you said, I can't brood forever." She replied with a coy shrug. "Besides, I don't have a diary anymore. Hard to brood without a pen and paper."
Stefan paused. "Would you like a diary?" He sounded as surprised to be asking as she was to hear him ask.
The idea was very tempting. She missed her diary dearly. "Do you think that would be wise? To write everything down?"
"You're a Gilbert. Whether it's wise or not, I imagine you need to."
"Do you still keep a diary?" she asked.
"I've always kept a diary. For brooding."
"Oh, he jokes." She teased with a laugh.
Louise smiled as she examined the journal. The pages are creamy, the binning crisp. The blank diary in her hand was so full of potential. Better - it was a physical manifestation of a future where she could imagine herself filling those pages up.
After a few more moments, Louise finally ran out of viable ways to avoid Klaus and braced herself to face him. With her new diary pulled to her chest, she moved towards the door of the room, opening it just enough to slip out. When she turned, she bumped right into something hard.
Louise immediately took a step back, looking up into a now familiar pair of eyes.
"Beautiful weather." Klaus remarked. "Though, perhaps a bit sunny for you. You're looking sallow under that olive complexion." He leaned into her, so his mouth was near the juncture of her neck and shoulder, he inhaled. Her whole body tensed up with his mouth at her neck. "You smell healthy, at least..." He was so close she could feel his mouth quirk against his skin. "A bit revved up, though." He pressed his lips to her neck and spoke against her throat. "Mmm, Louise? I can feel your pulse fluttering like a hummingbird in your throat, and I can smell all of that adrenaline, pumping away..." He moved back to look at her. "Why so jittery?"
Louise had to concentrate on his words. She felt self conscious and anxious that he was so close to her. His eyes. His mouth. Everything. So close. "You're very close."
"Ah, but we've danced this number before, now, haven't we, sweetheart? By the light of the moon?" The hybrid reminded her.
"That's why I'm uncomfortable." Louise breathed out.
"No need to be." Klaus shook his head once, narrowing his eyes. Abruptly, he tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, letting his thumb graze her cheekbone. Louise held her breath, every nerve ending suddenly attuned to the place he was touching. "Haven't I already told you? I won't harm a hair on your lovely head."
"How can I believe you? You killed me." The brunette resorted.
Klaus cocked his head, studying her openly now. "If you'll recall, that was more by necessity. I didn't have anything against you."
"Except my face."
"Well, yes, there was that. But some things can't be helped. But is your face such a terrible burden to bear?"
Louise arched a brow and scoffed. "You're kidding."
Klaus shook his head. "No, not at all." His eyes suddenly caught the blue book that was tightly clammed to her chest. He smiled. "I see you've received your present. Do you like it?"
"Huh?" Louise questioned, confused. She followed his eyes then she realised. "Oh, yeah. I mean...Wait-" She cut herself off and met his eyes again. "Y-you got me this?" The brunette stuttered as she tried to piece together a sentence. "I thought..Stef- I thought...How did you know?"
Klaus had no time to respond as the younger Salvatore joined the pair.
"Eighteen now, eh?" Stefan interrupted Louise's wave of emotions, walking to stand right next to her. She turned her attention to him. The vampire lifted his hand and simply picked up a strand of her silky brown hair and examined it. "I think you're getting grey."
"Oh, shut up." Louise joked, playfully slapping his chest.
"Good morning." Damon's voice rang through the Salvatore mansion once Elena was in the lounge.
She turned around, her eyes immediately taking in the sight of him...all of him. "Hey, I was gonna-" It took a moment for her to recover and then she was turned around, a indescribable sound coming from her mouth. "You heard me! You knew that I was here."
She sounded slightly pissed, something he was used to lately. Unfortunately, he wasn't in much mood to bicker right now. "Yeah, you should learn to knock. What if I was...indecent?"
The brunette refused to respond to that with another snarky comment and instead covered her eyes, tossing the red throw at him from the couch. She turned around, letting her fingers part just slightly so she could make out his form as if she were looking through shutters. His image was slightly distorted, but she could see the important bits. When the blanket was securely around his waist, she opened her fingers fully, allowing herself to look at him again.
Damon had a grin that was currently begging to be slapped off.
"Sheriff Forbes gave us another location to check." She pulled the scrap of paper out of her pocket and held it out to him. "Memphis."
"Another dead-end you mean." He stepped forward, his comment earning a glare. She was tired of fighting with him on this. They were looking for Louise and Stefan; they had to bring them back, what was so hard about understanding that.
After all, it had been his idea. "You don't know that."
Damon took a step forward. "You're right, Elena. This could be the one. After almost two months this could be the one clue that tells that Stefan and Louise are alive and well and living in Graceland."
"Fine, I'll go by myself." She snatched the paper back from him and turned to walk away.
Sure enough, she'd barely gotten two steps around him before he had rushed back in front of her, snatching the paper right back. "Right, and let Klaus know you're tracking him. He thinks you're dead; let's keep it that way."
"It's a new lead Damon; we haven't had one in a while."
He held back the urge to growl, gritting his teeth instead and calming his voice. "Okay, I'll check it out. If I find anything I'll call you."
"But-" Whatever she was going to say next apparently didn't mean anything to him as he turned to go back upstairs.
When Damon reached his bedroom, he opened up a closet to post the note to a large map that was taped to the back of the door. On it were various locations they had searched.
"They've moved to Tennessee." Damon breathed out and Andie, the news reporter peered over his shoulder at the map. She had been a great help to Damon with the investigation.
"That Florida victim you had me looking into had family in Tennessee." she said thoughtfully.
"Which one? In Pensacola?"
"Aha. Alright, I gotta go to work but I can see if I can get you an address." She turned on her heel to leave. "I'll see you at Elena's party."
"Get me that address." Damon called over his shoulder before turning back to the map. He let out a heavy sigh, eyes scanning over the places they had already checked. Each one brought them a little closer but it wasn't enough. The endless searching was tiresome but Damon wouldn't stop until Louise was back in his arms again. "I'll find you, Lou." he whispered.
Ray Sutton noticed her before he'd even properly set foot into the Southern Comfort Bar. It was hard not to. Every male inside the establishment seemed all to aware of her. He could see the men knocking back drinks and riling each other up; trying to muster the courage to approach the mouth-watering sight that was the brunette beauty clad in a blood red vest top, the fabric clinging to her form and a pair of denim mini skirt.
He sidled up beside her, mouth curving into a slow, lazy smile. She had no choice but to acknowledge him as she raised her head, doe brown eyes meeting his gaze.
"What's a girl like you doing all by your lonesome?"
She seemed to lose interest, effectively dismissing him as she glanced down. "It's complicated."
"I think I can keep up." He titled his head, pausing briefly to thank the bartender who returned with his drink. "Now why don't you tell me what's got you looking all gloomy."
"It's my birthday...but my boyfriend's away...working."
Really, this should have been the last straw. He should have wished her a goodnight and nursed away the loss with a few drinks. But he didn't move, already much too caught up in wondering if he could take away that pout to her lips.
"And so, he left you all alone looking like that?" He dragged his gaze down her form. Normally, it was enough to have girls shivering in their seats but this one didn't so much as quiver. He invaded her space even more. He palmed the back of her neck and pressed his lips to her ear. "If I were him, I would never leave you. I'd worship you the way a girl you deserved to be worshiped."
Though, she felt sick to her stomach under his touch, that was the contact she needed. Louise searched his mind, furrowing her eyebrows as she done so. Nothing. That's all she got. Darkness, darkness, more bland, colourless emptiness...
She was brought back to reality when Klaus approached them and Ray found himself lurching away from the girl, eyes narrowing at the male.
"Louise," Niklaus uttered quietly, almost softly. "What did you see?"
"Nothing of importance." Louise muttered.
"You've been very loyal to me this far. You wouldn't want to break that streak now, would you?" Klaus threatened. The way he said the word 'break' made her cringe, as if she'd actually heard the snap of bones beneath his feet.
Louise fought the urge to glare up at the hybrid. "I didn't see anything. I can't see in his head." she told him honestly. "There is no colour. It's just a big hole." She swallowed thickly before adding. "Which only happens when people are hiding things from me."
Klaus nodded taking in the information. He turned to the werewolf. "Ray Sutton? Right?" He stepped around the brunette so he was closer to Ray. "I've been looking everywhere for you. We started in Florida, Pensacola. I met a young chap there who you used to work with before you moved to Memphis, now he directed me to two lovely young women. And they led me here, to you."
Ray's gaze darted between the man and the girl, damning himself to hell for approaching her. "I think I'll be going."
He made a move to dart past them and straight for the door, eager to make his escape. Klaus was quicker and stopped him in his track with ease, the grip on his arm as tight as steel.
"Not so fast mate. You only just got here, now your type are very hard to come by."
He tried to shuffle back, desperate to put distance between them. He didn't get far. There was another presence looming behind him, stopping him in his tracks even further.
"I wouldn't do that." The newcomer, Stefan Salvatore, muttered, pushing him back to the counter.
"Vampires." Ray snarled at the newcomer, his nostrils and senses flaring with knowledge of the new company that now trapped him.
"You're swifty swift Ray!" Klaus smiled. "Yes! My friend here is a vampire. He compelled everybody in the bar so don't look to them for any help. I however, I'm something else, a different kind of monster. I've got some vampire, I've got some wolf."
Ray frowned, praying he misheard the man. "You what?"
"A hybrid Ray, I'm both. You see I want to create more of me. Now you being the first werewolf that I've come across in many a moon, pun intended Ray! I need you to direct me to your pack." Ray immediately stiffened. "So, where can I find them Ray?"
The werewolf shook his head. "You can't compel me, it won't work."
Stefan scratched his head, as him and the hybrid shared a look. Klaus nodded. Stefan turned away from them to call the bartender over again, fiddling with his back pocket as he did so. "Can you bring out the darts please?" He turned back to Ray. "Tell you what Ray, We're gonna play a little drinking game, something I like to call truth or wolfsbane." He pulled out a pouch and produced something that had Ray hackles rising within an instant. The werewolf gulped, watching as Stefan held up the wolfsbane and crushed it between his fingers.
The hybrid grinned obviously delighted in regards to how the events were panning out. "Oh, this is gonna be fun Ray."
The smile never from Klaus's lips as Stefan dragged the werewolf away. Klaus then choose a seat beside the brunette. Louise moved slightly when he sat down, careful not to allow their bodies to touch, even for a second. She propped her elbow on the bar, holding back a huff of frustration.
Immediately, the bartender, a twenty-something blond with a smile so wide it nearly cracked her face in half, zeroed in on Klaus and scurried over like a eager puppy. Grimacing, Louise watched as she crossed her arms and leaned against the bar, practically shoving her big boobs right into his face.
"What can I get for you?" she asked, purring with a Southern drawl Louise instantly decided was as fake as her tan.
"Bourbon, make it a double." he smiled, oozing such an annoying charm. The bartender batted her eyelashes and continued to grin like an idiot. He turned, caught Louise scowling, and this time the amusement in his expression was not her imagination. "What do you want?"
She blinked. "Huh?"
"To drink."
"Oh. I'll um, I'll have Tequila." she replied, forcing her attention to the bartender who had barely spared her a glance. "Two shots. And bring the bottle."
Showering Klaus with one more adoring look, the blonde sashayed away, swinging her hips with every step. Before Louise had a chance to enjoy her absence, she was back, setting a glass of bourbon, two shot glasses and a half full bottle of Tequila. She poured the two shots. Mercifully, another patron was leaning over the bar, vying for her attention and her further attempts to flirt were thwarted as she made her way to the other end.
Making a face, Klaus picked up the bottle and raised a brow. "Really? You want to drink this?"
"Well, if I'm going to up with this, I'm gonna need it." Louise taunted, taking a shot. She raised the glass before downing the fiery liquid in a single gulp.
Klaus couldn't hold back a smile at the way her eyes watered as the liquor momentarily robbed her of speech. She maintained the façade admirably and poured grabbed the other shot. She consumed that as well.
"Careful, love." he cautioned.
Louise shot him a haughty glare and defiantly threw back her third shot in as many minutes. The shrilling screams of Ray Sutton suddenly caught her attention as she turned to see the werewolf now chained tot he wall, darts in his body.
The sight of a werewolf bond and chained to a wall wasn't too uncommon of a sight - albeit that the sight was usually for their own safety. It was strange to see the werewolf being used as a makeshift dart board. Strange was a tame word, when it came to describing such a sight. Perhaps horrifying was more accurate.
At the table across the wall, Stefan stirred his wolfsbane laced drink with a dart as he watched with morbid fascination as the werewolf let loose another earth shattering growl. Without a word, Stefan stepped up and threw his dart into Ray's shoulder, causing him to cry out in agony. The compelled humans that littered the bar paid no mind to the commotion, as though nothing unusual was going on.
"Ray, you can end this right now." Stefan offered another way out as he made swift work of pulling a trail of darts from the werewolf's chest. "Just tell me where your pack gathers for the full moon."
Ray licked his lips nervously which were bruised from the first half of their game when he'd tried his best to keep his screams to himself and not give them any satisfaction. That plan hadn't lasted long. "I can't."
"I know, I know." Stefan sighed, almost sounding understanding. "You live by code and all that, but see he's not gonna let me stop until you tell me. And I do whatever he says so, that's the way it goes around here."
Just across at the bar, a woman walked over to Klaus who still sat beside Louise. "Hello mister Klaus. I have some more information for you." Louise perked up, tucking her hair behind her ear to listen better. Stefan turned on the ball of his heels and tried his best to look as if he was thoroughly distracted by the task of collecting the remainder of the darts. "You told me to tell you if I saw anything." Klaus nodded, gesturing for her to continue. "I saw the guys spotted Damon at the farm house."
Louise almost gasped when she heard her boyfriend's name. She briefly glanced over at Stefan and caught his gaze. The brunette swallowed thickly.
"Well, thank you Claudine." The hybrid muttered as his gaze drifted over to a slightly panicked Louise, who was biting her lip nervously.. He turned back to the woman. "You'll just tell your friends to keep up the good work or they're gonna watch her."
It was enough as a thanks as the woman would get and she didn't seem all too eager to stay for more in anyway, already bidding her farewell and hurrying out the door.
Stefan was quickly at Klaus's side who now rose from his seat. "My brother still on our trail?"
Klaus hummed, gaze drifting back to Louise before that gaze returned and pinned on Stefan. "He's getting closer, I'm gonna have to deal with that." The hybrid turned to walk way but Stefan grabbed his arm, catching his attention once again.
"No, no, no! Let me handle it."
"Why should I let you leave?" Klaus quipped with a raised brow.
"Cause, you'll know I'll come back." Stefan responded almost immediately.
"Do I?"
"You saved my brother's life; I'm at your service." Stefan glanced over his shoulder at Louise, who popped open then new bottle of the best tequila in the bar. "And trust me, I wouldn't leave her with you."
"My hero!" Louise muttered with a small, sarcastic smile, tilting the bottle towards him for a cheers before bringing her lips to the rim of the bottle.
Klaus sighed in exasperation, shaking his head at Stefan with a small laugh. "Ah, you sound so tedious and indentured." He then turned, raising his arm and gestured to the bloody and beaten Ray with a big grin. "Aren't you even having the least bit of fun?"
Ray snarled at Klaus, hissing to himself when the chains only rubbed against his wounds.
Stefan merely glanced at Ray then at Klaus, saying nothing in response to the question as he slowly began to back away. "I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us any more."
Without another word, Stefan handed Klaus the darts despite the wolfbane dripping from them and flashed away. As he realised Stefan's departure, Klaus looked over at Louise, who was staring after Stefan with a blank expression upon her face.
Elena knew she had to put on a brave face.
She stood still, playing with the hem of her white dress and shuffling with it nervously. In truth, she was nervous. And she had plenty of reason to be. For starters, Caroline was throwing her a party to which she ultimately did not want. She did not want to go down there and face the people at her school, most of which she didn't really talk to. She didn't want to fake and smile and causally lie about her sister.
She took a deep breath and faced the mirror before her. The reflection presented her with a brunette girl, rather dolled up, but with eyes that were filled with undeniable sadness. And now something behind her caught her eye. A flash of blue. A smirk.
Exhaling she assured. "Don't worry I'm not gonna lose it." She smiled weakly and turned to face him. "At least not before the cake."
Damon shrugged. "It's your party, you can cry if you want to." He gave her a neutral smile that her guessing whether he was serious or not. She smiled back at him however it wasn't genuine. It never touched her eyes.
She watched him unfold his arms and stroll into the bedroom.
"Ah, Stefan." He sighed indifferently. She looked away in remembrance that she was in Stefan's room. Memories of him came flooding back to her. Truthfully the memories of him had been haunting her throughout the entire summer. Damon's words just brought everything back painfully. "Such a pack rat." he murmured half to himself and half to her. She watched him curiously, eyeing him as he reached forward to pick up a photo of her and Stefan. It was an older photo that was taken about a year ag. Each of them looked so happy in it. So new. So...in love.
Damon swallowed thickly as he stared over photo Elena, she looked so much like Louise in that moment. He placed the photo back down and caught Elena's gaze.
"Hey, Alaric gave me something to give to you..." he said as if it had just occurred to him that this might be the time to present her gift. He pulled out a black, velvet box from his back pocket.
She away from him, looking into his hands as he removed the lid and revealed an object she had thought been familiar with. One that she had missed dearly. Her heart ached.
"My necklace..." She shook her head and took the necklace into her fingers. "I thought I'd never see it again." She exhaled quickly, a tiny smile on her lips. Happiness flowing through her but it was a dull feeling and quickly faded before she had time to bathe in it.
"Alaric found it in his loft, thought you'd be happy to have it back."
She met his eyes once again and said softly; "I am happy, thank you."
"You're welcome." Damon smiled. He could feel the pain radiating off of her. This necklace was a reminder of his brother. His very brother that was missing and running around with a dangerous hybrid.
Her face scrunched and she looked down, unsure what to say. After a long moment she shook her head. "You know, you didn't have to let me use your house for this party."
"Stefan would have wanted it that way and I'm sure he feels...guilty, that he isn't here."
She raised a brow. "Do you really thing so?"
He stared into her eyes and decided he can't lie to her. "No." he finally said at last. "I don't think so."
She softly nods, her eyes on the floor. They are silent for a moment, fuelled by the anticipation of what to say or do next. "It feels...wrong...without her here. We've never celebrated out birthday apart before." She blinked back a tear and Damon's lips pressed into a thin line, trying not to show any emotion at the mention of his girlfriend. "What are we going to do, Damon?"
"We are going to do nothing. You are going to enjoy your party and remember that you only turn eighteen once." He gave a small smile. "That's what Louise would have wanted." A brief moment passed before he added. "It's gonna be rough down there, you're gonna have to lie to everyone about where she is."
"I know." Elena nodded. "She's away...seeing family."
"Great excuse." Damon nodded. "Go on, get down there." He shooed her from the room.
The brunette then walked out of Stefan's room and downstairs to where the party was. The Salvatore home was blasting with music and people surrounded every corner in the large mansion. The second Elena was visible to the guests, everyone started to bombard her with birthday wishes. She did her best to try and thank them all. There was a table full of presents addressed to Louise or Elena and she winced as she saw Louise's name written.
Elena came to a slow at the parlour and observed at least a hundred people in the room alone. Caroline definitely knew how to throw a party. Speaking of, she spotted the blonde approaching her from within the crowd, a happy grin on her face.
"You like?" The blonde shouted over the music. Elena opened her mouth but Caroline quickly stopped her. "Don't answer that."
"This is keeping it small?" Elena scoffed, looking around the room. Caroline just kept smiling. The brunette let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "What are we drinking?" Caroline's smile grew even wider as she linked arms with the birthday girl and took her into the crowd.
Some time into the party, Elena pushed the door to Damon's bedroom, looking around and searching for him, as she didn't find him with Alaric downstairs, but he looked too busy drinking for her to go up and ask him.
"This room's off limits!"
Elena turned to find Caroline sitting in the bathroom. She cocked an eyebrow. "Caroline?"
"Sorry." Caroline shrugged, the blood bag evident in her hand. "I just needed to take a beat." The brunette laughed in agreement and Caroline, with a heavy sigh, set the blood bag down in the bathroom and walked forward. She crossed her arms across her chest suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. "Are you hiding?"
Elena smiled. "I was just looking for Damon."
Caroline frowned. "Well, he better be here somewhere because we haven't even done the cake yet."
"I think I'm gonna pass on the whole cake thing." Elena shrugged.
"What? no, no way, no!" Caroline protested, her voice raising an octave. "It's your birthday! You know it's the dawn of a new day and, you can't get on with your life until you have made a wish and blown out the candles.
Elena's eyes widened as she paused briefly, the vampire's word replaying in her head. Get on with your life. It irked her the way Caroline said it. "Is that what you all want me to do? Just get on with my life?"
"No." Caroline defended herself but as a moment of silence passed, she admitted. "Maybe...I just don't think anyone wants to see you like this."
"What? Because Damon can keep it together over losing Louise and Stefan and I'm just freaking out all the time? I'm not gonna give up on finding them, Caroline."
"Of course not." Caroline's features softened. "And you shouldn't, but you have to admit that you kinda just letting your life pass you by. Louise wouldn't have wanted that. And isn't Stefan the one who wanted to make sure that you lived it?"
"You want me to make a wish?" Elena prompted with a shrug. Caroline nodded. "I just wanna know that they're alive. That's it! That's my wish." She moved towards the door, finished with the conversation, but came to a halt when she caught Damon's closet door open with papers poking out.
Caroline, who heard her stop short at the doorway, just let out an apologetic sigh. "I'm sorry, okay. I'm just drunk and dumb tonight." She turned to watch her friend make her way for Damon's closet, intrigued. Caroline tilted her head. "Wait, what are you doing?"
Elena opened the door carefully, peering inside to a see a bunch of maps and newspaper clippings. On the other door, there was a large map of the US with red thumbtacks on places on the East Coast with other newspaper clippings pinned to the door accompanied by sticky notes that either, Klaus or Stefan written on.
Caroline approached her friend's side. "What's all that?"
"It's Klaus." Elena replied quietly, eyes roaming over the map. "Damon's been tracking him without me."
"Why wouldn't he just tell you?"
Elena fought the rising anger inside her. "I don't know."
Elena was quick to grab her phone and call the Salvatore. When asked where he was, he said he was at the party which Elena knew was a lie because she had searched the whole grounds for him. Damon had ended the call which left Elena to fume over his lies. She decided to wait in his bedroom with the newspaper cutting in her hand until he returned. It felt like hours when Damon had finally walked through the door.
"What?" Damon snapped, exhausted. "What are you doing here?"
Elena threw up her hand, where she had the newspapers. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?"
"Can we not do this right now? I'm having a really bad night."
To be fair, he did ask nicely but Elena wasn't going to let him off that easily. "All summer, every single time I came to you with a lead, you made me feel like an idiot for having hope."
Damon met her doe eyes with a hard stare. "You were an idiot. We both were."
"Tell me what you know, Damon." Elena said as she blocked him from walking away.
"I know you need to get back to your party, Elena." The vampire tried his best to keep calm.
"We're supposed to be in this together. He's your brother. She's my sister. Why didn't you tell me that you've been tracking Klaus' victims?"
Damon considered her for a moment, knowing he couldn't put it off any longer. The time had come to let Elena in on all his brother's quirks, no matter how messy or painful. Damon accepted that she relied on Stefan's unnatural moral standard to justify loving a vampire, even if he liked to keep that painful truth deeply buried. "Because they're not Klaus's victims, Elena, they're Stefan's!"
Elena swallowed. The constant throbbing of her pulse doubled, although her face reveal nothing and Damon sensed she was fighting panic as she remembered the horrific consequences of Stefan's bloody rampage. "What?"
"He's left a trail of body parts up and down the eastern seaboard." Damon argued, giving her the harsh, unvarnished truth.
"No. You're wrong." Elena looked at him sharply, denial etched into every line of her face.
"I've seen it happen before. He's flipped the switch. Full-blown ripper."
Damon's harsh reply got the reaction he wanted. Elena sucked in a breath and glared at him sharply. "Stop it, Damon."
"No, you stop, Elena!" Damon returned with equal venom. "Stop looking for him. Stop waiting for him to come home. Just stop! Stefan is gone and he's not coming back. Not in your lifetime." Elena stared at him silently and Damon let every word sink in to their full effect. She brought a trembling hand to her mouth to stifle a cry.
Once the words, the vampire had slightly regretted it. He looked slightly remorseful, he wouldn't normally be this insensitive but he was hurt. Damon struggled to find any words to say so he turned to leave.
"What about Louise?" An imperceptible quaver in Elena's voice stopped Damon dead in his tracks, though he never turned to face her. "You going to give up on her to?"
Louise's tequila bottle was beginning to run out as the night came to an end. The brunette pushed it to the side, no longer interested. She checked the clock on the wall and nervously bit her lip, unconsciously easing further out into the fresh air. Despite the fact that Louise was surrounded by people, she felt isolated and anxious without Stefan there to protect her.
Stefan, where are you?
Klaus stood at the side of the billiard table where he had tied Ray up after he had finally gotten him to admit where his pack ran on the full moon. Twirling a knife in his hand, Klaus began. "Okay, it's a three step process, Ray. This is step one. I want you to drink from my wrist."
Ray gave the hybrid a hard stare as he grumbled. "I already told you where to find the pack. What more do you want from me?"
"Have you been listening to a word I've been saying, Ray? I have great plans for you." He pointed the knife at Ray's face for a split moment before pulling back and using the sharp object to create an incision on his wrist. Against Ray's will, Klaus forced the wolf to feed off the blood that poured incessantly from the cut. Klaus smirked and looked up at Louise, who was frowning. "He'll thank me for this later." He turned back to Ray, who reluctantly swallowed a mouthful of blood. "There we go, attaboy!"
Bored with the conversation and tired of pretending to listen, Louise silently slipped out into the night. Angry tears stung her eyes as she made her way to the stairs. Nausea swept through her and by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs and had sunk to the last step, she could barely breathe around the latent panic wrapping like a vise around her heart.
Some birthday, she thought.
Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead on her knees that were now pulled up to her chest. She didn't know how much time had passed as she was on edge, annoyed and worried in equal measure, waiting for Stefan to come back. All summer, Louise tried to put on a brave face. Tried not to show how badly her heart was broken, but it wasn't working anymore. She was tired.
It wasn't till the sound of footsteps that she lifted her head to reveal Stefan standing in front of her. An intense relief coursed through her upon seeing him, superseding everything else.
Springing off the step, she moved towards him. "Stefan-"
"I've got something for you." he interrupted, pulling something from his pocket. The vervain necklace, her vervain necklace, flashed silver in the glinting moonlight as he held it out toward her. "Damon told me to give this to you. Happy birthday." She took it from him.
"My necklace...I didn't think I'd ever see it again." she whispered, looking up at him in surprise. "Damon? He found it for me?" Stefan simply just nodded. Louise cradled the necklace in her hand as if it was her most precious possession. The emotions it stirred were so overwhelming, it almost felt as if she was suffocating. She swallowed thickly before she asked; "When you saw him...Damon. W-What else did he say?"
Stefan's whole demeaner changed and with a straight face, he replied bluntly. "Not much."
Louise stared at him, waiting for more but he easily brushed past her. Stunned, she stood dumbly for a few moments before whirling around.