A/N: Greetings from Australia! A guest reviewer from Poland wanted to know where I came from, and I realized that I never said. Well, now you know!
Time for another boredom buster! Hope you're ready for another addition to this story!
I don't own The Vampire Diaries. All characters except for Grace belong to author L.J. Smith. This story belongs to me.
Please review constructively, guys. This story is also flame-retardant too, so don't bother leaving one.
Let the reading commence!
I HATE A MYSTERY
"It's the unknown that draws people."
~E.A. Bucchianeri.
Mystic Falls.
Night.
I followed an absolutely furious Rebekah all the way back to the Mikaelson Mansion, not daring to say a word in case she chose to turn around and rip me a new one, despite the fact that I wasn't the one she was pissed at. There really wasn't much I could do to help my family at present with their current White Oak Tree crisis; so I decided that once Rebekah was back at home and occupied with something else relating to the problem, I was going to go back out in my car to find Damon and Stefan and continue listening in on their conversation secretly.
I'm pretty sure there's a tree growing nearby the window outside their parlor…
You see; I hadn't entirely let go of my plan of finding and luring Sage to Mystic Falls, despite what Rebekah had told me about the likelihood of successfully getting Damon's mentor and Finn's lover down here. I had a nagging hunch that even though Finn was currently loyal towards his mother at present, I would safely bet that if he knew that Sage was around, he'd drop Esther like a hot potato in a split second.
I looked over at Rebekah and noticed that the fierce expression on her lovely face had lessened between our brisk walk from the Grill to right here, right now. Where she had looked extremely angry back when Damon had told us to get lost and that he could wrangle Stefan by himself from then on out, now Rebekah looked wounded and just a little bit rejected. But no less angry; that was something that wouldn't fade over a few hours.
God, Damon. You've got a lot of groveling to do if you want to keep my sister in your life … and with your head intact.
"Well, this whole experience was a bloody waste of time." Rebekah suddenly spoke up, drawing my attention towards her and out of my brooding thoughts about Damon's less than courteous conduct towards us. I shrugged, re-adjusting my purse a little more securely on my shoulder. I knew that she was only venting her frustrations like this because she was hurt over Damon's blunt dismissal when he finally got Stefan to feast upon that poor woman, but it didn't mean that I liked being the ham in the sandwich.
I sincerely hoped that that innocent woman Damon preyed upon for baiting Stefan was okay, and that Stefan was stopped in time before he could black out and decapitate her. It was a not so fond discovery and memory that I recalled from when I had tagged along with Nik and Stefan on their road trip. Back when my fiancé was searching for werewolves to change into his personal hybrid army.
"I wouldn't say so. I mean we got some information, both from Carol and bits and pieces from Damon. So, I think calling it a waste of time is a little unfair." I disagreed. "Plus, I got something out of it as well." Rebekah stopped walking and turned to narrow her eyes at me, calculatingly.
"Forget it, Grace." She immediately said, confusing the hell out of me.
"Forget what?" I blinked.
"Forget your plans on luring Sage here. It's not going to happen." Rebekah insisted, before she continued walking. I stared at her, feeling gob smacked before jogging to keep up with her. How'd the bloody hell did she know that I was still on that idea?
"Do you have some sort of hidden mind-reading talent?" I blurted out, feeling a little violated if that was the case. Rebekah just gave me an unamused look.
"Do not be ridiculous, Grace." She scolded me, as we turned down our street. I looked at her suspiciously.
"Are you just telling me to abandon the idea because you really do believe that Sage is impossible to locate, or are you telling me not to because you dislike her? Be honest." I demanded, seriously.
"A combination of both reasons." Rebekah responded without hesitation, before she grabbed my shoulders in a firm but not painful grip as she looked me straight in the eyes to get her point across. "Trust me, you do not want Sage to come down here. You cannot trust her." Rebekah insisted, and I frowned.
"Why? Did she wrong you in some way the last time you saw her?" I asked.
"Not me, per say. But Sage is known to be sly and shifty and knows how to manipulate somebody to get her own way. Besides if she was Damon's so-called mentor, I'm not sure that I want to continue pursuing a relationship with him." Rebekah looked sad and resigned … for a split second before she went back to looking furious.
"Woah hang on a sec, Bekah. That's unfair." I defended Damon's honor. "You have every right to be upset about the way we were treated just a few minutes ago by Damon. But making comparisons like that about Sage and him when you barely know the guy, is out of order." I chastised her.
"That's rich coming from you. I seem to recall that Damon demanded your departure as well." Rebekah pointed out. "How could you possibly be defending him?"
"That's just how he deals with stressful situations. It's not something that should be condoned, and he obviously is going the wrong way about it, but he's still learning." I said, a little helplessly.
"I still don't buy it. Why are you defending him?" Rebekah stubbornly insisted. I let out an exasperated deep breath. I swear, these two were practically made for each other. I just wished that they could open their eyes and see it.
"For starters, he's my male best friend; and while I don't tolerate the bullshit he sometimes comes up with, and how infuriatingly annoying he is; he still has his good points." I said, impatiently.
"Which are?" Rebekah challenged.
"Believe it or not, he's a very sensitive person." I immediately responded. "He's had his heart broken so many times by deceitful, undeserving women, that I'm truly amazed that he still trusts them or even wants to find love with a compatible partner." I listed.
Rebekah sniffed disdainfully, "So what?"
"I'm not finished." I told her, sternly. "He's also extremely loyal, sweet, funny – albeit his sense of humor sometimes leaves a lot to be desired – and above all very sincere when it comes to declaring his heart to someone." I explained to a surprised looking Rebekah. "He might say that love is, and I quote: 'painful, pointless and overrated', but I know for a fact, that he is lying wholeheartedly through his teeth."
"How do you know that?" She murmured, holding on to every word I was telling her. Probably shocked at how similar she and he were in the field of finding somebody to love.
Oh, please dear God; let that be true…
"Because he once declared his heart to me; even though I could not accept it for obvious reasons." I reluctantly revealed and Rebekah looked a cross between shocked and jealous. "After awhile he eventually accepted that we would never be a couple. But the fact that he was able to declare his love and take a risk, proves that there is a shred of the old Damon in there that is clinging desperately to his humanity, and just wanted somebody to see that." I said. Rebekah was silent for a moment, as she let that information sink in.
"Why would he do that, knowing that if Nik found out he'd be worse than dead?" She asked, and I was pleased to note that she cringed at the idea of Damon being maimed by her brother.
"I was one of the first people to acknowledge him as a person worthy of redemption. I never judged him when he did something horrendous and didn't hesitate to call him a dickhead and put him back in his place. But at the same time, I gave him options and helped him instead of just condemning him and walking away like Elena, Bonnie and – up until recently - Caroline had the annoying habit of doing on a regular basis." Then I looked shrewdly at Rebekah who frowned at me, warily. "Something that Sage, in her own way, probably did for him too when he first ventured out on his own as a newborn vampire." I stated pointedly, reminding her of the brief personal 1912 history lesson Damon had willingly revealed to us back at the Grill.
"I guess I never thought of it that way." Rebekah admitted.
Yeah, no shit… I thought, crossly.
"But it still doesn't justify him being a rude prick." She insisted.
"Agreed. And hopefully what I told him before I left him back at the Grill has registered in that thick skull of his also." I told Rebekah, who looked intrigued.
"Really? What did you say to him?" She asked me, as we finally approached the Mansion. Rebekah, thankfully, seemed much more relaxed now that I had pointed out a few things to her.
I grinned, "That he'd better watch himself, or he'd end up losing you if he wasn't careful." I replied.
Rebekah snorted, "You could say that again." She agreed with my warning, then smiled gratefully at me. "Thanks, Grace. I'm glad you told me a bit more about him. It's going to take a bit more time for me to really trust him, but I'm willing to give him one more chance to prove himself." She said.
"As long as you are." I approved, before walking through the pedestrian gate with her and heading straight for my car.
"Where are you going?" Rebekah frowned at me.
"Staking out Damon and Stefan." I replied, honestly. "I have the feeling they've still got a lot more to say, and I'm going to find out what that is. Even if I have to camp out in my car overnight to do so." I stated, as I blew her an air kiss and slid into my car. Rebekah came over and tapped on the window, and I scrolled it down.
"Be careful; you know how paranoid Nik is. Especially about your safety since you're still human." Rebekah felt the need to remind me. I smiled, both fondly and martyred.
"Yep, I do. But I love him for it, even if it doesn't seem like I do." I stated, before waving at her and guiding my car down the driveway and through the gates to the street. "See you tonight … hopefully." I shouted at a concerned Rebekah, waving at me from the double front doors.
Salvatore Boarding House.
Night.
I hauled ass straight for the Salvatore Boarding House but didn't drive completely up the driveway to the front door. That would defeat the purpose of the stake out plan I devised. Instead, I parked my car underneath a nearby tree making sure that it wasn't easily noticed, before jogging as silently as I could, due to the brothers' advanced hearing, towards the window I knew looked directly into the parlor. I sighed with relief that I had correctly noted that there was a large overgrown tree that stood beside it, that provided the perfect vantage point and also an adequate amount of camouflage that could hide me, should either brother happened to glance out of the window at any point.
Another point in my favor was that at some time when they had returned to the Boarding House, either Damon or Stefan had opened a window. It definitely seemed like my lucky night; but I wasn't about to lower my guard by acting cocky. My luck could just as easily be shot down in flames. I approached the tree's wide trunk and quickly hid behind it, looking cautiously through the window. Stefan was sitting with his back to it on one of the red couches the brothers' owned, right in front of the fireplace, which was lit and crackling merrily away.
Pulling myself out of sight, I stood with my back against the tree as I determined what would potentially be the best vantage point to get up the tree and into the thick foliage. Deciding, I quickly jumped and grabbed onto the lowest tree branch that I could see before using my upper body strength to pull myself up and hook both legs around the branch, so I could dangle like a sloth or a lemur from it. Once I determined that my weight wasn't about to buckle and break the branch from the tree, I moved hand over hand along the branch before I reached the tree trunk and attempted to find a foothold so I could safely pull myself up and perch on the tree branch comfortably. Just as I managed to accomplish this, Damon walked into the room, eyeing Stefan with both frustration and what looked like sympathy?
Uh, oh. What the hell happened after Rebekah and I left?
"They let Ric go. Sheriff Forbes says she's out of suspects again, but Ric is in the clear." Damon reported in as he walked over to the wet bar to, yet again, fix himself a bourbon neat. "I know it may not seem like it, but you did really well tonight. And before you know it, you're gonna be the king of moderation. Elena will understand." He promised a despondent Stefan.
Elena? What does she have to do with this?
I watched as Stefan frowned while he continued glaring into the flames of the fireplace.
"Doesn't really matter what Elena thinks." Stefan insisted, dully. I winced as Damon immediately turns on him.
"Uh-uh, none of that. No more no-humanity Stefan." He warns him as Stefan scowled at Damon. "There's a road called recovery and we are on it." Stefan gets up from the couch and walked over to Damon who takes a mouthful of his drink and eyed him, wary.
"Why do you even care, huh? This whole brother bonding thing? Well you can stop and go back to hating me. It was a lot easier." Stefan insisted. I sighed heavily and shook my head at Stefan's ungrateful behavior as Damon intercepted him when he attempted to walk away.
"Can you for one minute actually believe that I'm trying to help you?" Damon attempted to appeal to him.
Stefan sidestepped him.
"I don't need your help." Stefan growled, as Damon stepped back into his path again and looked at him incredulously. I must admit, I was calling bullshit on that and I didn't even know the whole story.
"You don't need my … Are you kidding me? Do you remember what happened last time you said that?" Damon demanded.
"What are you talking about?" Stefan, I could tell was deliberately being evasive. He knew exactly what his brother was talking about; I could see it in his green eyes even from where I was observing this conversation, which wasn't the greatest both visually and audibly.
"1912, Stefan. The last time I convinced you to drink blood." Damon attempted to remind him.
Stefan shook his head.
"Doesn't ring a bell." He insisted.
"Yeah, sure it doesn't." Damon muttered in irritation, raking a hand through his messy black hair, looking stressed. He tried again. "We were watching Sage fighting yet another victim in the boxing ring. Just like tonight, I encouraged you to scan the crowd and pick a person to eat. And just like tonight, you were a complete stubborn asshole." He stated, coldly.
"Now you know what I had to put up with whenever you went on a bloody rampage that could expose us as vampires to the council." Stefan retorted.
"That's beside the point. Don't change the subject." Damon smoothly dodged the obvious attempt to avoid the topic. "I reminded you, Stefan, that the people surrounding us, were filled with blood pumping through their veins just waiting to be opened up and sucked dry." I shuddered at the image Damon painted in my head, but continued listening in.
Stefan nodded.
"Yeah, I also remember focusing on the guy whom Sage had just finished pummeling. He was bleeding and easy pickings, but you recommended a woman across the ring." He told Damon. "Remember how well that turned out?" He asked, as I watched Damon stiffen at the memory. "Well, let's review: after you pressurized me into picking someone, namely the girl, I lured her outside of the tent away from prying eyes. Then I feasted on her. Shall I go on?" Damon opened his mouth to reply, but Stefan pushed on without waiting for a response. "You complemented me for giving human blood another go. Problem was, I couldn't stop feeding, and despite your best efforts, I fed on her so hard her fucking head came off!" Stefan shouted, angrily.
I shuddered as Damon looked a bit defensive.
"Well, yeah. That was an unfortunate side effect." Damon admitted, but unrepentant.
Stefan looked astounded, "Unfortunate side effect?! Do you have any idea how horrified I was when that happened? Do you?!" He demanded, and Damon looked like he was gathering his patience.
"I offered to teach you how to stop before that happens. But you pushed me away and took off for the fucking woods!" He stopped and paused taking in a couple of deep breaths, presumably so that he could continue without completely losing his temper with Stefan. "Look, the Founder's Council killer had nothing on you. By the decade's end, they were calling you the Ripper of Monterrey." He said. "I let you walk away, I admit that. I watched you go over the edge and got some sick pleasure out of it. I didn't do anything to stop you." Damon admitted.
"You couldn't have." Stefan insisted, quietly.
Damon shrugged, "Sure I could've. I just didn't want to. But I want to now, and whenever you go too far, I will be there to pull you back. Every second, every day, till you don't need me." He promised Stefan, who looked at him doubtfully.
"Why?" He asked, reserved.
"‛Cause right now, you're all I got." Damon confessed. I took umbrage at that implication and in my anger, nearly fell out of the tree. However, I somehow managed to jostle the tree branch enough to make a loud sound.
Shit!
I froze and glanced over at the window, looking in to see if either of the brothers noticed. But both appeared oblivious and Stefan stormed from the room, followed shortly by Damon who rolled his eyes and shook his head as he went. I sighed with relief and readjusted my position on the tree branch, fully intending on waiting for Damon and Stefan to reappear for as long as I could.
"Ya know…" I swore and clung to the tree trunk for dear life when Damon's voice suddenly rang out without warning. "I could get you arrested for trespassing." I glanced down at the base of the tree and saw Damon standing there, casually leaning against the trunk and looking directly up at me with a smirk on his face.
I frowned at him, "How long have you known that I was up here?"
"The entire time. You're not as stealthy as you think." Damon said, before putting out his arms and bracing himself. "Now come on. Come down from there before you hurt yourself and I have to face Klaus's wrath." He suggested. "I'll catch you."
"Thanks, I think I can manage." I told him and Damon shrugged.
"Suit yourself." He replied and stepped away from the tree to give me the space I required. Although, he kept the smug smirk on his face. I scanned the tree branches underneath me, looking for an appropriate foothold to step on. Cautiously, I reached out with my foot and placed the rubber sole of my converse on the bark and lowered myself down. "Careful!" Damon warned from below, and I nodded in my head. Halfway down, I suddenly realized that this wasn't such a good idea. Then yelled out in horror when the branch I was holding onto snapped underneath my weight and I fell swiftly from the tree. "Gotcha!" I landed heavily, but safely in Damon's arms.
"Thanks." I said to Damon, a little shakily.
"No sweat." Damon responded, shifting my weight in his arms. Then his nostrils flared slightly, and his blue eyes scanned my face. "Whoops, looks like the tree branch got you a little."
"What?" I blinked at him.
Then a gentle breeze blew past and I hissed when something stung on my cheek. I reached up and touched where it hurt and pulled away.
There was blood.
"Here let me." Damon offered and leaned down to gently lick across my cheek where the wound was. I grimaced a little when his warm tongue slid across my cheek but was surprised when I instantly felt better. "Mmmm. You taste good." He winked at me as he dramatically smacked his lips after sampling my blood.
"Gross, Damon." I wrinkled my nose. He laughed and set me down on my feet. I straightened up and looked him in the eye. "So, what now? Are you gonna call the cops?" I asked him.
"Nah, I was just kidding." Damon smiled, before taking my hand in his and leading me towards the front door. I immediately stiffened. He paused and looked at me with confusion. "What?"
"Is it safe?" I asked, indicating in the direction of the house where Stefan was likely to still be inside. Damon rolled his eyes when he realized what I was getting at.
"Perfectly. Stefan fed back at the Grill, if you remember?" Damon replied, and I nodded.
"Is she okay?" I asked, concerned.
"She'll live. The worst that she'll probably feel like is slightly anemic." He reassured me. "Now come on. Stefan isn't exactly in the greatest of moods, even when he has consumed a bit of blood." I followed Damon inside the Boarding House and back into the parlor, where he immediately takes a seat at a black Grand Piano I had never noticed, much to my surprise, and begins playing a slow, melancholy tune.
"You play?" I was pleasantly surprised, sitting beside him on the piano seat.
"Sometimes." Damon replied, reaching for the same bourbon he had set aside earlier before coming out to confront me, and taking a sip. I turn when I hear footsteps walking down the corridor and in stepped Stefan, carrying a large, thick leather-bound book. He paused when he saw me sitting beside Damon, smiling awkwardly at him.
"I see you brought her in, Damon." Stefan commented, walking over to lean against the door frame.
"Why wouldn't I? Grace is always welcome here." Damon retorted, as he continued tickling the ivories.
Stefan shrugged and held up the book.
"So, I dug into the old family archives from the 1900s." He continued the discussion they had been having earlier as though I had been sitting in the room with them the whole time.
"So now you want to be helpful?" Damon glowered at Stefan, who paused and raised an eyebrow at him for his defeatist attitude.
"You want me to go back to being mad at you?" Stefan asked him, frowning. Damon paused, considering his options. It was only after I cleared my throat and frowned at him disapprovingly that Damon swiveled around on the seat and straddled it to give Stefan his undivided attention.
"What'd you find?" He asked, taking a sip from his drink. Stefan strode towards the piano, flipping open the book and going through the pages before settling on one.
"Well, nothing for 1912, they never did arrest anyone for the Founder's murders." Stefan sets down the open book in front of Damon and me, and we both glanced down at the handwritten pages. "But they did get a confession ten years later." He revealed.
"They did? Who?" Damon sounded surprised.
"Johnathan Gilbert's granddaughter, Samantha." Stefan confirmed. "They assumed she was crazy and locked her up in an insane asylum."
"Then what?" Damon asked, curiously.
Stefan shrugged, "Trail ends there. I mean, she was a Founder, you know how they like to look out for their own." He reminded his brother, who nodded grimly.
"Samantha Gilbert. That is very weird." Damon mused out loud. Both Stefan and I looked at him questioningly.
"Why?" I asked him.
"Because I'm pretty sure I had already killed her." Damon revealed.
"Of course, you did." I drawled, sarcastically. Stefan ignored me, focusing upon Damon.
"So, you think Samantha Gilbert is still alive, running around Mystic Falls, killing Founders?" He asked him, sounding slightly skeptical. Because in this town, you never know what could happen. An ancestor who was alive during the early 20th century coming back to life couldn't really be ruled out. However, Damon shook his head almost immediately.
"Not possible. If she became a vampire, we'd know about it, right?" He theorized.
"Then she must have had a ring that brought her back to life. I mean she was a Gilbert, right? Those rings were passed on for generations." Stefan insisted. Damon shook his head as he knocked back the dregs of his drink before responding to Stefan's theory.
"Yeah, but even if she had a ring. She wouldn't be alive today. It doesn't protect her from old age." He pointed out.
I felt like I was spectating at a tennis match. Damon and Stefan seemed to have rebuttals for every theory they managed to come up with, and it was getting a bit frustrating. Eventually, both realized that they were getting nowhere with their surmising and decided to go back to the basics.
"Johnathan Gilbert only made two of those rings. Jeremy has one of them and the other's…" Stefan trailed off, and almost immediately all three of us came to the same horrifying conclusion.
"Alaric's." Damon breathed, grimly.
Mikaelson Mansion.
Night.
Well, the hits just keep on coming. This was probably the very last thing that I wanted to learn, and I had the feeling that it was probably going to get a lot worse before it got better somehow. After bidding Damon and Stefan goodbye, I hiked back up their driveway to where I had hidden my car, got into it and drove back home; this time not driving like a maniac.
The theory that Alaric was being possessed by something that liked to kill people was likely to hit Jeremy hard, as Alaric was technically Elena and Jeremy's guardian and the man was considered to be like me: a neutral party in all of this bullshit that appeared to be happening all around us.
Plus, Jeremy liked the man; and who could blame him? Alaric was a really nice guy who didn't deserve the shit that was being done to him. Something needed to be done to free him from this. But how exactly? I drove straight back home and into the driveway, before parking my car and killing the engine, but I didn't make a move to get out of the car. I was too lost in my thoughts, just trying to sort them out and make sense of the madness that is the current mysterious Founder's murders.
From what Stefan had told Damon and I; Samantha Gilbert went insane after wearing her Gilbert ring for a long, unspecified length of time and attempted to lobotomize herself with a knitting needle. The poor woman must've been so frightened and out of her depth, so I couldn't imagine how confused or even frightened Alaric must be feeling right at this moment. Especially tomorrow, when Damon and the rest of that infuriating gang will reveal the possibility to him, if they haven't discovered this already. If it had been Alaric that had committed those murders, despite having been acquitted by Liz Forbes and her deputies, he couldn't have done it consciously.
Eventually, I left the sanctuary of my car and made the trek towards the front doors and made my way to the living room, where I sat down and fell face-first onto an overly stuffed cushion Nik had purchased for the expensive soft, spongy couches he had gotten for the mansion, when he first had this dilapidated deathtrap renovated.
I buried my face into plushy goodness...
"Love? Are you alright?" Nik's slightly concerned voice rang out.
I sat up and turned to look at him. He was standing in the doorway, leaning casually on the doorframe and looking at me with mild concern. He must've spotted me coming in when he came out of his study, it's the only reason why he would be confronting me right now. I yawned, realizing just how tired I was.
"Well, that's a loaded question. Not sure where to even begin to answer that." I confessed. Nik came over and took a seat beside me, resting his elbows on his knees as he angled himself in my direction to give me his full, undivided attention.
"How about the beginning?" He half-joked, obviously trying to get me to calm down a bit before explaining my issues or problems to him. I chuckled, before sitting up straighter and raking a hand through my hair.
"I've just learned something bad tonight from the Salvatore brothers. Just another debacle to add on to our list of problems to solve." I admitted.
Nik frowned a little, "What is it?" I drew in another deep breath before responding.
"Are you aware of the mysterious murders that have been happening in this town?" I asked him. He nodded. "Well the murders have been circulating around Founding Families. Alaric Saltzman was one of the main suspects in this case, but he was acquitted recently." I explained.
"And?" Nik prompted, looking confused.
"Alaric wears a ring that had been made for members of the Gilbert Family. It once belonged to the late John Gilbert. According to both Damon and Stefan, that same ring was worn by an ancestor of Elena and Jeremy's, a Samantha Gilbert. In 1912, she went on a killing rampage like what has been occurring recently, on Founding Family members. They believe that the ring was controlling her actions." Nik's eyes immediately widened, and I sighed with relief; pleased that my fiancé was not a moron, and incredibly sharp as a tack. "I have to tell Jeremy about this. Alaric is his guardian." I explained, rather urgently.
"Tell me what?"
Oh, fuck!
I jumped like I had been shot, as Jeremy's voice suddenly piped up and he sauntered into the living room. Nik immediately took my hand and squeezed it for reassurance and gave me a pointed look before turning and smiling jovially at the teen.
"Jeremy, mate. Just the person we wanted to see!" Nik greeted him, with false enthusiasm.
Jeremy was instantly on guard.
"Woah, what's the matter with you?" Jeremy took a seat opposite us on the other couch. I groaned. He was the last person I wanted to see right now, as I was honestly afraid of spilling the beans about what was happening with his guardian/history teacher.
"Well, we have something we need to tell you, mate. Unfortunately, it's not good I'm afraid." Nik began, and Jeremy glanced at me for clarification. I tried to figure out how to relay the bad news to Jeremy. I decided to just rip off the metaphorical bandage. It seemed to be the kindest way. Unfortunately, I had promised to tell him the truth, even if it hurt him or made him angry at me or otherwise.
"Okay, what is it?" He asked, looking at me calmly. I wondered how long that would last when I eventually told him.
I drew in a deep breath, "First off, I just wanted to tell you that there have been a series of mysterious murders surrounding the Founding Families for the past few days. Alaric had been one of the major suspects for them." I braced myself for the eruption that I was sure would result afterwards.
Jeremy didn't disappoint.
"What?! That's bullshit! On what grounds?!" He roared, looking outraged that his friend had been accused. His shouting had summoned the rest of the family into the living room, each alert and searching for the danger. When they found nothing, they looked at us for an explanation.
"What's going on?" Rebekah demanded, looking at me questioningly.
"I'll explain in a second." I promised before turning back to Jeremy who was visibly agitated and looking extremely worried. I walked over to him and sat down in front of him on the coffee table. "Jeremy, look at me. Alaric was just recently acquitted of the charges laid upon him." I reassured him, and Jeremy visibly relaxed.
However, that didn't mean he still didn't look worried.
"Well, that's good right?" He asked, looking hopeful. I hesitated, hating myself for making him worry and for the fact that I was telling him this in the first place. But I made him a promise that I wasn't about to break; it was the reason our friendship took off the way it did in the first place, and I wasn't going to jeopardize it.
"Yeah. But unfortunately, some new developments came up." Jeremy's hopeful face fell.
"But you just said—" Jeremy protested.
"I know what I said. But it's important." I stressed to him, and Jeremy nodded and waited for me to explain. "Damon has been doing some investigating about the murders on top of what Liz and her deputies have been looking for, and it turns out he uncovered that back in 1912, the same type of murders had happened then too when he and Stefan returned to Mystic Falls to pay their last respects to their half-nephew." I explained.
"So, a vampire that was behind the murders almost a hundred years ago, has struck again?" Jeremy guessed.
"It wasn't a vampire." Elijah unexpectedly spoke up, drawing our attention. "I've heard about these murders. No vampire could have or would have done this." He clarified, grimly.
"Elijah's right." I said.
"Then what does this have to do with Alaric?" Jeremy was getting frustrated.
"I'm getting to it!" I momentarily lost my patience with him, and I felt Rebekah's hand on my shoulder. I glanced at her with a frown on my face and saw a compassionate, but firm look on her face. She shook her head at me, and I gradually calmed down and took a deep breath. "Back in 1912, they had no leads on who could've been committing those murders, but they finally got a confession about ten years later in 1922 when one of your ancestors turned herself in." I told Jeremy; whose eyes widened out of shock.
"One of my ancestors? Who?" He asked.
"A woman called Samantha Gilbert." I confirmed, soberly. "She was the granddaughter of Johnathan Gilbert."
"Why did she do it?" Jeremy looked shocked that his ancestor was capable of committing murder. I grimaced; this was the part of the conversation I was not looking forward to revealing.
"I don't think she did consciously. Something was influencing her actions, possessing her." I told him, before my eyes zeroed in on his hand. "Your ring." I indicated to the large ostentatious ring that was on the middle finger of Jeremy's right hand. He held it up and looked at it in confusion.
"What about it?" Jeremy asked.
"Johnathan Gilbert had two made; one for him and the other for his brother. Right? You got one, and the other belonged to your Uncle John but it was given to—"
"Alaric. Yeah, so?" Jeremy was still not getting it.
"Alaric's ring, used to belong to Samantha." It took a few minutes, but eventually Jeremy got it and he swore colorfully underneath his breath.
"Shit! Does it mean that my ring—" Jeremy goes to pull the ring off his finger, but I reached out and clapped a hand over him to stop him.
"No. It's just Alaric's ring that is having the negative reaction on the wearer." I reassured him, and Jeremy relaxed but only for a second.
"Does Elena know about Alaric?" He asked, solemnly.
"If she doesn't know now, she'll probably find out sometime tomorrow." I confirmed. "Expect to probably get a worried phone call from your sister." I suggested and Jeremy nodded.
"Yeah. Thanks, Grace." He smiled gratefully, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I gotta…" He trailed off, but I understood that he wanted to be alone to let the information sink in. We watched him go, with Henrik trailing after him.
"I'll keep him company." He reassured us, before hurrying to keep up with the despairing teen. I stood up from my perch on the coffee table and headed for the fireplace. I glared into the flames, barely acknowledging the presence of my family surrounding me, locking concerned eyes on my back.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Nik asked me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I shook my head.
"No. I'm not. I feel like the world's biggest bitch telling him that." I confessed, hugging myself and digging my fingernails into my arms. Nik immediately pulled my arms away from my grip to stop myself from self-harming. I glanced up at his frowning, concerned face.
Kol scoffed, "Oh, please. If you're a bitch, what does that make Bekah?" He pointed out, logically. Rebekah glared at him for the insult, but otherwise didn't comment. "Look, poppet. You did what you thought was the right thing. You can't second guess yourself to appease everyone. It doesn't work out that way." He advised me, and I looked at him, mildly impressed.
"Wow, Kol. When did you become so deep?" I teased, and Kol grinned, puffing up his chest a little.
"What are you talking about? I've always been this way." He insisted, causing Rebekah to roll her eyes and both Elijah and Nik to scoff or snort at his less than humble words. I chuckled softly and shook my head before turning and facing all four of them, feeling the fireplace warming my back and the back of my legs.
"So, did you discover anything further about the reappearance of the White Oak Tree?" I asked, changing the subject.
"No. But I've learned that the morons in that so-called Founder's Council are hiring the services of some laborers to restore the Wickery Bridge. I heard that there's going to be some sort of fundraiser there tomorrow, and that the mayor will be there." Rebekah explained.
"Right, and?" I asked.
"I'm going down there tomorrow to do some more investigating. You want to come?" Rebekah asked me, smiling. I shrugged, feeling curious about she was up to; and, to help keep her in check as she did tend to lose her patience quite quickly.
"Sure." I replied. Both Elijah and Nik looked like they wanted to object, so I intercepted before they could open their mouths. "Before either of you say anything, I promise not to put myself in harm's way, if I can help it." I really wanted to roll my eyes at their annoying overprotectiveness but knew that it would be a wasted exercise. Until I became a vampire myself (whenever that happens) I was doomed to be wrapped in cotton wool by my fiancé and his siblings until further notice. I'm just glad that they weren't forbidding me from helping them.
I think I would go mad with boredom if they did to be honest.
The Wickery Bridge.
Day.
The Wickery Bridge was a scene of organized chaos when Rebekah and I arrived. Construction workers were already at work, busy with the formation of the bridge, and groups of townspeople were there for the restoration fundraiser that Carol and the rest of her volunteers and flunkies had organized for the day.
Like yesterday, Rebekah made a deliberate move towards Carol while I hung around just watching the construction. I turned my head towards Damon and a nervous looking Alaric who arrived with that same woman I had seen Alaric with at the Grill when Kol and I were attacked and knocked out. Damon looked tense, especially when he suddenly noticed my sister who was seemingly oblivious to his presence as she continued talking away with Carol. But he brightened a little when I caught his eye and waved a polite greeting at him.
He came over, "Hey Grace. You and Rebekah up to something again?"
"Can't we come and observe progress? I don't see the harm in it." I played along, trying not to look suspicious. "Plus, we're trying to figure out if that entire bridge is made from a wood that could charbroil my entire family within seconds of shoving it through their hearts. Remember what happened to Mikael?" I muttered underneath my breath.
"Okay, okay. Relax a little, you're starting to make me a little edgy with your anxiety." Damon acknowledged what I told him, eyeing the half-completed bridge as Alaric approached with his lady love in tow.
"Hello, Alaric. Are you feeling alright?" I asked, genuinely concerned for the poor man who looked incredibly uncomfortable.
"No, not particularly. I just received a bit of bad news last night." Alaric acknowledged, uneasy.
I winced sympathetically.
"Anything I can do to help?" I offered, and both he and the woman looked at me incredulously.
"You're seriously offering your help, even after what we did to you and your brother?" Alaric looked a combination of amazed and cautious. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at their skeptical attitude. Damon backed me up.
"Yes, Grace is serious. You should know by now that she doesn't hold grudges and when she offers help, she's not screwing around." Damon sounded a bit blunt and abrupt, and I winced at the taken aback expressions on Alaric and the woman's faces.
"Easy, Damon. Simmer down a little, huh?" I scolded him, feeling a little embarrassed. Alaric smiled apologetically at me.
"I'm sorry, Grace. Thank you for your offer, but I'm alright for now." Alaric told me and I smiled, accepting his excuse. "So, tell me again, why we are here?" He requested.
"Ric, the world doesn't stop spinning just because you're an accidental psycho killer." Damon felt the need to remind his friend his current issues, and both Alaric's partner and I gaped at him.
"Do you have any tact whatsoever?" She snaps at him, as I smacked the back of his head out of my own annoyance.
Damon just looked at me with amusement.
"Was that supposed to hurt?" He smirked, as Carol approaches us. I glanced around looking for Rebekah whom I thought had been deep in discussion with her, and panic when I noticed that she had seemingly disappeared.
Carol focuses on Alaric.
"Alaric, I'm glad you're here. Did you bring the sign?" She asked him, all business like and straight to the point. Alaric immediately looks confused, and Carol attempts to jog his memory. "The restored Wickery Bridge sign? The history department promised me you'd have it today."
Alaric looks apologetic, "I-I don't have the sign actually it slipped … it slipped my mind. I've been … busy." He stammered, and my heart went out to the poor guy. Carol looks disappointed, and I felt like slapping her.
"Well, it's not an emergency. We'll just um-unveil it when the bridge is complete." She gives a brittle smile before turning and leaving. Alaric seems to deflate and turns towards his girlfriend pleadingly.
"Get me outta here!" He begs, and she smiles and nods.
"My pleasure." She agrees, and both turn to go. Damon, however, didn't budge from his spot.
"I'm gonna stick around for a bit." He decided, and I noticed that he was staring at something off in the distance.
I followed his gaze and noticed an unfamiliar woman standing among the crowd of townspeople. She was a tall, auburn haired beauty with peachy-hued skin and an athletic build, and dressed casually but stylishly in a tight pair of dark denim jeans with knee-high black boots, a clingy burgundy blouse with a sweetheart neckline, and a long, thigh length black woolen jacket with large shiny black buttons. A delicate, but pretty black necklace was strung around her throat. The woman smiled mischievously at Damon who barely reacted, but it was obvious he was surprised to see her here.
"Who is that?" Alaric questioned Damon, also checking out the redhead curiously.
"A blast from the past." Damon responded, vaguely. He immediately walks over to her, leaving me alone with Alaric and his girlfriend.
"Okay then. We're gonna go. See you later, Grace." Alaric declared, and I turned towards them and smiled politely.
"Absolutely. Feel better." I replied, warmly. They leave and I returned my attention back to Damon and his 'blast from the past' as Carol starts making a speech. Rebekah sidles up beside me and I turn and scowled at her, feeling slightly miffed.
"Where did you go off to?" I asked, and Rebekah managed to look apologetic; but only for a second as she immediately stiffened the second she claps eyes on Damon and his friend.
"I was around. Sorry to have worried you." Rebekah replied, absently. I followed her gaze and sighed, assuming that Rebekah's jealous nature was flaring up.
"I'm sure they're just good friends, Bekah." I attempted to reassure her.
"That's not why I'm annoyed. That's Sage." Rebekah told me. My eyes widened as I turned to look at the couple who were locked in a warm conversation.
"She's Sage?" I blurted out, shocked. Rebekah rolled her eyes and seized my wrist.
"That's what I said. Come on, let's make ourselves known to her." She suggested, not letting me say otherwise and practically dragged me over to Finn's lover. Damon immediately went on guard the second he sees Rebekah and throws me a questioning look. I shrugged in response as Rebekah gives Sage a sarcastic smile. "Well, look what the cat dragged in." She greets her 'sister-in-law' whose pleasant smile drops a little when she recognizes who Rebekah was.
Damon recovers easily from his surprise, "Easy there, Rebekah. You know she used to beat men for sport."
My sister looked like she cared less.
"She always was quite common." Rebekah sniffed. Sage offers Rebekah a stiff smile; it is obvious to everybody in a 50-foot radius that the relationship between these two was less than cordial.
"Rebekah. What a happy surprise." Sage greets her politely, before her eyes swivels towards me, and her eyebrow raises. "And who might you be?" She asks, and I prayed that I didn't look like a deer-caught-in-headlights.
I raised my hand up to her for a handshake.
"Grace Williams. I've heard a lot about you." I introduced myself to her, and Sage smiles pleasantly.
"All good things I hope." She responds.
"I know you helped out Damon when he was down on his luck. Does that count as a good thing?" I enquired, smiling awkwardly. Sage didn't respond, just looked at Damon questioningly and he shrugged, not appearing anxious by what I said.
"What are you doing here, Sage?" Rebekah asked, casually.
"Well, I heard Finn was finally freed from that casket your rage-aholic brother Klaus carted him around in." Sage responded, with a catty little smile. Both Rebekah and I bristled when we heard Sage's description of Nik's temperament, but Rebekah recovered first.
"Mmm, Finn. You just missed him. He left town and didn't tell a soul where he was going." She tells Sage, whose smile faltered slightly.
"He probably went looking for me."
Rebekah just looked at her, "Or quite possibly he forgot all about you." I winced at the tone she was using and looked at Sage for her reaction. The redhead frowned at the implication she suggested, while Damon and I observed this heated conversation like spectators at a tennis match. Neither of us were feeling comfortable at this point. Or at least, I didn't; I wasn't sure how Damon was reacting to all of this, he was essentially caught between a rock and a hard place.
"I doubt that." Sage retorted.
"No? ‛Cause he didn't seem to mention you." Rebekah shrugged, not particularly sympathetic; and it showed on her eternally youthful face. "Sorry you came all this way for nothing." She gave Sage a tight smile. "Have a nice life." She goes to leave then stops and looks at me. "Are you coming, Grace?" Rebekah asked, slightly impatient.
"In a moment, I promise." I smiled at Rebekah who nodded and continued walking away.
I turned back to both Damon and Sage and flinched back at the ugly glare on the redhead's face and she seemed to mutter something underneath her breath that Damon seemed to understand, as it made him clear his throat uncomfortably. I glanced at him questioningly, but he shook his head firmly at me, wordlessly asking me to drop the subject.
I had no choice but to let the matter go.
"Would you like to take a walk with us, Grace?" Sage asked me, smiling pleasantly. I shrugged, what harm could it do? It's Rebekah who has a beef with Sage, not me.
"Sure." I fell into step beside Damon who stood between Sage and me. "So, you're Finn Mikaelson's girlfriend?" I decided to not beat around the bush. From what Damon described of Sage, she was the 'a spade is a fucking spade' type.
Sage looked at me with surprise.
"Yes, that's right. How do you know, Finn?" She asked me, looking suspicious and I smiled.
"I'm engaged to one of his brothers. Finn will become my brother-in-law." I replied, enjoying the surprised look on Sage's face.
"Elijah finally found someone?" Sage seemed impressed, but I shook my head and twisted my engagement ring around my ring finger.
"Can you read Viking runes?" I asked Sage, who nodded; probably wondering if that was a trick question. I simply removed my ring and passed it to Sage, who took it hesitantly and examined it. I struggled to keep a triumphant smirk off my face when Sage's eyes widened the very second she read Nik's name beside the name of my former life's inside the band.
"You're Klaus's girl. The one he lost a thousand years ago?" She questioned me, and I nodded. "How is that possible?" Sage demanded, handing me back my ring and I slid it back on my finger as I thought hard about my answer.
"We have unfinished business, I suppose. I guess I was reincarnated so Nik and I can get a second chance at a life we never got a chance to live together." I guessed, smiling at the thought. However, when I looked at Sage the next second, I immediately put my guard up.
"I'm very happy for you both." Sage said, smiling at me.
There is a saying that stipulates, that the eyes are the window to the soul, and I could tell straight away that Sage was not at all happy that Nik had been granted a second chance at love, when she had been deprived of hers with Finn for 900-years after Nik daggered him and trapped him in his coffin. Her eyes which had been open and friendly a few seconds ago, had become hard and cold compared to the rest of her face which maintained the façade that she was relaxed and genuine.
"Thank you." I said. "I better go. It was nice to meet you, Sage. See you later, Damon. I'll call you." I gave him a head's up, and Damon nodded, waving at me.
"Nice meeting you too, Grace. It's been an education." Sage shouted at my retreating back. I flinched, knowing straight away that Rebekah had been right all along about Sage; and my sixth sense – which had been dormant up until now - was screaming at me that something bad was going to happen.
Sometimes, I really hate being a medium.
It didn't take very long to find Rebekah after my very … interesting conversation with Sage. I had a sneaking suspicion that she had been hovering nearby for this very reason.
"I hate it when you're right." I grumbled to my sister who turned and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Really? See I usually like it." She teased, then the smirk faded when she saw the look on my face. "Why am I right? And why do I get the impression that I'm not going to like the reason?" Rebekah narrowed her eyes sternly at me as she waited for the explanation.
"That Sage is bad news." I replied, reluctantly. "I think she's pissed that Nik and I are getting our second chance in love, while she had been deprived of her own chance while Finn was stuck in a coffin for 900-years."
Rebekah's frown deepened.
"Oh, diddums. The difference between you and Finn in this circumstance is that you were dead for 900-years; my manically-depressed brother was lying dormant for 900-years, but was essentially still around." Rebekah argued.
"I don't think Sage sees it that way. I think the fact that it had been Nik that put Finn there in the first place doesn't help matters either." I stated, then felt a cold shiver creep down my back and the odd feeling that somebody was watching me came over me.
"What is it? You've gone pale suddenly." Rebekah was immediately attentive, and I swallowed hard.
"I suddenly feel like I've become a walking target. Tell me, is Sage looking in our direction by any chance?" I asked Rebekah who looked over my shoulder at something behind me.
Her frown deepened.
"No, she's not. But I wouldn't put it past her to be mentally taunting you. It's a trait most vampires have to help psych out their victims before they move in for the kill." My eyes must've widened, as Rebekah hurriedly moved to reassure me. "Not that it will come to that, love. Nik will have her guts for garters. He hates her as much as I do." She told me, and I groaned wondering why it had come to this.
"Sheesh. All I did was say that Finn was going to become my brother-in-law. Who'd have thought that that confession would lead to me feeling even more paranoid than Nik does?" I moaned and Rebekah shook her head, looking at me disappointedly.
"That's like waving a red flag in front of bull. But I guess I can't be too mad at you; you weren't to know that this would be the result." She told me, mildly sympathetic. Suddenly, Rebekah stiffened, and I turned to find out why only to see Damon walking up to the both of us, looking his usual cocky self, but smiling sincerely to Rebekah as he approached.
"Did I ever tell you you're sexy when you're bitchy?" Damon asked my sister, who looked at him like he had suddenly sprouted an extra head from his neck, and it started reciting dirty limericks.
"Should I leave?" I asked, before trying to leave. I yelped in surprise when I felt Rebekah snatching my arm in her iron grip and yanking me back to stand next to her. "I guess not." I muttered, feeling awkward.
So, I'm playing shield now, huh? I thought in annoyance as Rebekah eyed Damon warily.
"I don't see why you're talking to us now. You were quite rude the other day, using me to help you with Stefan and then shooing us away like stray dogs." Rebekah stated, as Damon looked guilty for a split second before recovering and attempting to get on her good side again.
"That was brother business, you can't hold that against me." Damon insisted.
"Wanna bet?" I muttered, underneath my breath.
"Besides," Damon ignored what I said, focusing on my sister intently. "I really did appreciate your help even if I didn't show it." He said.
"You were mean." Rebekah insisted.
"You like mean." Damon pointed out.
"No, I don't." Rebekah denied.
"Yeah, she doesn't." I seconded her claim, remembering back to all the times Nik would act like an arse and Rebekah would look like a wounded puppy and walk away with her tail between her legs … at first, but as she got older she could sometimes stand up for herself. Nowadays, whenever Nik or Kol would be rude or mean towards her, her razor-sharp tongue would usually cut them down to size or ramp up the fight even further. It usually depended on which brother she was dealing with.
"So, you didn't get a thrill back there pushing Sage down, crushing her dreams of true love?" Damon looked skeptical, before turning his attention on me for a moment. "Something that you did a few minutes ago too." He told me, and I folded my arms across my chest, defensively.
"If I did, it was unconsciously and completely unintentional." I pleaded my case. Damon nodded, his eyes telling me that he believed what I said before returning to Rebekah, who looked thoughtful.
"Maybe I did enjoy inflicting misery on her, just a little." Rebekah conceded.
Damon grinned, "See? Mean. Can Sage and I interest the both of you in a drink back at the house?" He asked.
Both Rebekah and I immediately frowned.
"Not a chance in hell." Rebekah declined.
"I'll pass." I agreed. Damon looked at me, curiously.
"Do you always agree with everything your sister says?" He asked me and I narrowed my eyes even further at him. "Besides, you know what they say: two's company, four's a party." Damon grinned.
"What's the catch?" I immediately demanded, smelling a rat.
"No catch." Damon stated as both he and Rebekah stare each other down.
"So, explain why I can hear alarm bells pealing madly in my head?" I demanded.
"You need your hearing checked?" Damon's smart mouth answered, and that was enough for Rebekah to seize my wrist and lead me away.
"Fine." Damon called out, and both Rebekah and I paused and turned to look at him. "This was all Sage's idea." He confessed.
"My sixth sense really doesn't suck." I reminded him, earning a perplexed look from Rebekah which I ignored. "Why did Sage put you up to this?" I asked, all-business. Damon turned towards Rebekah, looking serious.
"Do you want something from me? 'Cause I'm getting that impression." Damon confronted her, bluntly. Rebekah looked like she wanted to be difficult, but after I gave her a pleading look to just cooperate for once in her life; she caved.
"There's a reason why I asked you if your family owned logging mills." Rebekah told Damon, who nodded.
"You're looking for an ancient tree that sprouted 300-years after you and your brothers burnt down its predecessor a thousand years ago." Damon filled in the blanks, much to Rebekah's shock.
"How did you know that?" She demanded, nervously.
"Grace explained to me what was going on yesterday. But what she didn't tell me, was what sort of tree had gotten you, your brothers and Grace so freaked out." Damon explained, conversational-like.
"Why did you tell him?" Rebekah yelled at me, accusingly. "How did you know that you could trust him with that information? That he wouldn't suddenly use it to kill us all?!" She looked betrayed, and I avoided looking her in the eye.
"Hey, trust goes both ways. It's been a long time since somebody's given me the level of trust that Grace has given." Damon yelled. "And, I'm not about to betray that."
"It's not your life that's at stake!" Rebekah snapped back.
"Did it ever occur to you, that Grace probably told me the truth to protect you?" Damon challenged Rebekah, who looked from him to me and back again several times. It looked like she was trying to determine if Damon was lying or not. "Because, I'm telling you right now, if Grace hadn't told me the truth yesterday; Sage would've gotten the information from you sooner or later."
Rebekah sneered, "She's not strong enough to penetrate my mind."
"Exactly. That's where the whole idea of inviting you and Grace back to my place for drinks came about. To get you to lower your guard so she could peek inside." Damon looked guilty, which made Rebekah suspicious.
"What was the consolation prize? Sleeping with me?" She glowered. Damon actually looked hurt, and for a moment, Rebekah looked guilty that she said anything.
I winced, "Rebekah... What are you doing?" Then Damon looked furiously at her, and I knew that the shit was about to hit the fan. I just sincerely hoped that he'd still help us after he blew up at my sister.
"If I'm being completely honest, yeah; I was gonna sleep with you. But not for the reasons you're gonna accuse me for." Damon confessed, coldly. Rebekah opened her mouth to respond, but he immediately cut in. "No. No, for once in your life, you are going to listen. I may come across as a guy who doesn't give a shit and does what he wants when he wants, because he can. But my mother raised a proper Gentleman before she died, and despite what I told you yesterday about what Sage taught me about women being both food and pleasure; I have never once used a woman for sex just so I can get something from them." He ranted, angrily. "How dare you imply that I would betray my morals, just to get ahead."
"Damon, I—" Rebekah tried to defend herself.
"No! You crossed a line. I will help you with your problems because I promised Grace that I would. But it's gonna be a while before I get over this slight that you've dealt me." Damon seethed, and I sighed with relief. "Now, what type of tree was it?" He asked, getting straight to the point.
"White Oak." I replied, succinctly.
Damon thought for a moment. "I remember that tree was on our land and milled by my family's yard. The ledgers I have at home will tell me where it was shipped, I'll have a look around for them and let you know what I find." Damon promised, looking directly and me and ignoring my sister for now.
"Sure. Thanks, Damon." I said, smiling at him.
Damon turns to leave, but suddenly pauses.
"I'll let you in on a little advice, Rebekah. You don't have to hurt people first, before they hurt you. I'm getting the impression that a lot of guys have screwed you over in the past; and that sucks, but as I told you before, my mother taught me better." He lectures Rebekah, looking very disappointed with her.
Damon then walked off, leaving me alone with a downcast Rebekah. I sighed, before turning to guide her towards my car so we could drive back to the Mansion and await Damon's call with his findings. But something moved in my peripherals and I instinctively turned my head to look at it. I froze when I saw an angry looking Sage staring me down from where she was standing amongst the townspeople chatting amongst themselves.
But when I next blinked, she had disappeared.
Salvatore Boarding House.
Day.
(No P.O.V)
Damon arrived home to the Boarding House, still seething over what Rebekah had implied about him. He was never going to go through with Sage's idea of distracting and lowering Rebekah's guard so she could take a trip through her memories and locate what information she needed from him. But to imply that he was going to take advantage of her to get the information by force, was a bitter pill he couldn't swallow.
The first thing he saw when he stepped inside, was that the door to the basement was open ajar. Frowning, he walks down the stairs into the basement, and he sees Stefan drinking from a blood bag from their open freezer. Scattered all around him were empty blood bags on the floor.
Damon grit his teeth.
"Oh, come on. Slow down, brother." He walks over to Stefan and takes the blood bag he was sucking down rapidly from his hands. "Woah. Control, remember? Doesn't matter whether it's blondes or blood bags, same principles apply." Damon attempts to remind Stefan, who merely glowers at him for his troubles.
Story of his life, apparently.
"What did you say to Elena this morning?" Stefan asks Damon, who immediately realizes why Stefan was sucking down the blood like it was going out of style. He couldn't help but shake his head, in irritation.
"Oh, you're stress eating. Sublimating." He laughs, humorlessly. "You two deserve each other with all your pining and moping." Damon turns to walk away, not in the mood to deal with Stefan's neurosis when he was still licking his own wounds in relation to Rebekah's cruel words. However, Stefan steps into his path, stopping him from going anywhere.
"I asked you a question, Damon." Stefan insisted impatiently, causing Damon to sigh and walk around him towards the wide-open freezer.
"I told her what she already knows. You're a vampire, and you drink human blood and to get over it." He stated, harshly. Then he closes the freezer with an audible thud. "Which is the same thing that I'm gonna tell you. Own it, live it, love it. Stop being ashamed of who you are." He lectures his brother as he makes another attempt to leave, but Stefan once again stops him as he grabs his arm and pulls him back around.
"Do me a favor, Damon. Next time you talk to Elena, keep me out of it. Okay?" He requests.
"Works for me. Now I've had a crappy day, I suggest you make yourself scarce." Damon climbs the staircase, heading for the basement door.
"What's wrong with you?" Stefan couldn't help but ask. Damon paused, not looking back at him.
"None of your business. Just stay out of my way." Damon informed him, coldly. Stefan lets him go without saying another word; sensing that Damon was in a foul mood and wondering who had the balls to cross him this time round.
Salvatore Boarding House.
Night.
For the rest of the day, Damon drank himself into an oblivion and passed out in his bedroom on top of his spacious King-size bed. Eventually, he wakes up and glances around his darkened room, bleary-eyed and slightly confused. He spots the empty bourbon bottle sitting on his bedside table, and immediately the memories come rushing back.
He groans, wishing he was still asleep. But he remembers that he still owed Grace some information about the White Oak Tree, that he remembered his father cutting down and milling down into pieces of timber for their family business; so he rolls out of bed and heads towards the bathroom, disrobing and getting into the shower. Eventually, Damon, not caring that he was still slightly damp and wearing a towel and heads for their private library.
"Where the hell did we stash those ledgers?" He mutters out loud to himself as he searches the shelves. Damon eventually finds the milling archives and pulls out the ledger from 1912 and starts flipping through the pages. He soon finds what he is looking for, but the information he reads puts him into an even fouler mood. The White Oak Tree lumber was shipped to the Old Wickery Bridge for its construction. "You gotta be kidding me!" He groans.
A/N: Let's stop here. I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter. The next one should be out soon.
Please review! TTFN :)