Disclaimer: I only own my OCs
A/N: Season 4 has been a real pain to write :/ I have been suffering from some serious writer's block during it and it sucks. Hopefully it gets easier! In this chapter, Alexa's luck doesn't improve, but she does get to be a badass for a bit. There's some cute bonding moments and again, I have to say, I really do love Stefan. I promise. Season 4 just wasn't his best season.
XXX
"Hm, I don't remember inviting you into my bed last night," I hummed, keeping my eyes closed tight. A cold nose nuzzled the back of my neck as the warm around wrapped around my waist tightened slightly. Considering it had felt weird, falling asleep in my own bed last night, this felt like a nice way to wake up.
"Do I ever need an invitation?" Damon chuckled lowly in my ear and I snorted.
"Not the point, Day," I rolled my eyes before turning around in my boyfriend's arms. He adjusted his grip on me, tugging me against his chest. I tucked my head under his chin as I tangled my legs with his. It was a nice surprise, waking up in his arms. I honestly hadn't expected it when I asked to be dropped off here last night. "You just couldn't stay way, huh?"
Damon looked unrepentant as he shrugged, "You're cute when you sleep, your nose scrunches up and you get all cuddly. I missed it." I smiled into his chest but I didn't say anything. Despite being together for several months, I knew that Damon still struggled to be open with things like that. And I wasn't going to do anything to jeopardise it. "Besides, Stefan was being incredibly insufferable last night, courtesy of your sister, and I just had to get away from that."
"Yeah, facing them today is not going to be fun," I sighed as my vampire tugged my blanket up so that it was covering my shoulders again. I didn't really need it, as I didn't get cold anymore, but it was a comfort thing. I enjoyed having a blanket covering me, it felt weird without it. "And avoiding them won't be easy as I'm sure that one of them will try to track me down. Which is why I'm going to head to the Grill with Jeremy later and annoy him for the day."
"How did it go with Jenna and Jeremy last night?" my boyfriend asked, lightly stroking my back as I closed my eyes again. My love of sleep hadn't faded after my transition, I just didn't need as much anymore. But either way, I still enjoyed getting as much of it as I could.
"Surprisingly alright," I replied. "It helped that Elena hadn't had the chance to tell them her side of the story of what happened at Whitmore. Surprisingly, I think they're taking my change better than she is."
"Elena blames herself for it," Damon shrugged carefully, not wanting to dislodge me. "You turned because she chose to die, to remove the threat that Alaric posed. Her guilt it warring with her desire to support you. And when you factor in Stefan getting into her head…"
"Yeah, Stefan is being annoying like that," I sighed, tapping my fingers against Damon's chest. "Like, I get that he has good intentions, he doesn't want me to hurt anyone. But he needs to understand that I have to do all of this my way. It's not like with Caroline, I had a better idea of what would happen to me, hell, I even wanted this to happen to me."
"And you have me."
"And I have you," I repeated with a smile, shifting my head slightly so that I could look up at him. "Makes all the difference, babe."
"As it should," he smirked down at me and I rolled my eyes.
"That ego of yours," I sighed dramatically, giggling when he nudged me in the tummy. "You're lucky that I love it. Almost as much as I love you."
"My ego is nothing compared to yours, baby," Damon tapped my nose before leaning down for a quick kiss.
"Lies," I laughed, shaking my head. "Yours is so much worse than mine. Ask anyone, they'll agree with me."
"They're just jealous of how confident I am," my boyfriend shrugged. "They know that they can never be the same."
"Well, luckily for you, confidence is sexy," I tilted my head back for another kiss. "Don't suppose you brought any bloodbags with you, by the way? I should probably eat something before I spend all day in the Grill."
Damon rolled his eyes before replying, "I've stored a few in the fridge for you. Jenna agreed to it before and I'll make sure to keep it filled for you."
"Aw, you're such a darling," I smiled gratefully before giving him a squeeze. "Thank you."
"Well, I can't have you munching on people in town," my boyfriend laughed, holding me close to him. "That would only get me in trouble with Saint Stefan."
"Uh oh, we can't be having that," I giggled, trying to avoid fingers poking into my tummy.
"No we cannot," Damon agreed, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "It would be inconvenient to the both of us."
"Well, don't you worry, if I do munch on anyone, I will make sure that Stefan doesn't find out," I patted his chest before pausing and adding. "I'll make sure that my sister doesn't find out either, because she would snitch on me to Stefan."
"Ugh, how inconvenient," my boyfriend rolled his eyes. "Can't she just dump him already? Then he will have to do his own dirty work."
"I don't think it will be long until she does end it with him," I sighed, idly drawing patterns on his chest. "I know my sister, she won't be able to string him along for much longer, not after what happened with Matt. And I know that that has been playing on her mind recently. It's all just a matter of when."
"It'll be good for both of him," Damon hummed, tucking my head back under his chin. "They need some space from each other to work out what they want, especially after my brother's little ripped stint."
"No offence to your bro, but I kinda hope that she doesn't want to go back to him. I mean, she doesn't want to be a vampire and their relationship won't last. Even though she can't have children now, she can still have a family. And that just isn't very compatible with his life style, even when he's munching on Bambi and not the football team."
Damon nodded his agreement while I sighed, wondering if I should eat my breakfast before any of my family wandered into the kitchen to have theirs.
XXX
"So, kiddo, how is work going?" I asked as I walked next to Jeremy. The kid had insisted on walking into work today. I hadn't minded too much; it was a nice day to go for a walk. And since I would spend the majority of my day sitting around, it was a good idea to stretch my legs.
"It's okay," Jer shrugged, focusing on his phone. "I'd rather not be doing it but it keeps me occupied."
"Keeps you out of trouble, more like," I snorted, prodding his shoulder. "Hey, get off your phone. Honestly, I walk to work with you and what do I get? Ignored in favour of some rando on your phone."
Honestly, kids these days. They were so rude. If I had known that I was going to get ignored, I would have just insisted on driving. At least that way I would have gotten to the booze supply quicker. Because that was my plan for entertainment for the day. And it should stop me from wanting to eat the people that would inevitably annoy me.
"It wasn't some rando," my brother rolled his eyes at me, but he did tuck his phone away. "It was Jamie."
"Bonnie's Jamie?" I confirmed with a small frown. I honestly never expected Jeremy to be talking to Jamie. Especially after how jealous he got when Bonnie took him to the decade dance. But it showed how much the kid had matured that he was willingly speaking to him. And I was proud of him for that.
"Yeah, he's moving to town," the kid nodded as I wrapped my arm around his. "Abby is barely at home now and its lonely for him to be out on the farm all the time. So he's going to stay in Bonnie's grams old house."
"That'll be good for Bonnie, to have a link to her mom around. And Jamie's a sweet kid, it'll be good for him to have some company, I did worry about him being lonely all the way out there," I hummed, resting my head against Jeremy's shoulder. "Why was he messaging you?"
"He asked if I could get him a job at the Grill until he's settled in," my brother replied, checking his phone again. "So I told him to come by today and see if he liked the atmosphere. If he does, then I'll get Matt to help put in a good word for him."
"Well, there is a high staff turnover there," I nodded. "So he is within a good shot of getting a job there. And who knows, you two might become buddies."
"I doubt that," Jer snorted, rolling his eyes. "But he seems like a nice guy and I told Bonnie that I would help in any way that I can."
"Would you consider becoming buddies with him if I told you that Bon has absolutely no interest in dating Jamie?" I smirked, holding in my laughter at the pleased look that flashed across the kid's face.
Jeremy cleared his throat before glancing down at me and asking, "Really?"
"Yup, really," I laughed, shaking my head. "They both agreed that it felt kind of weird. So now they're just going to be friends who are more like family."
"That's, uh, that's good then," my brother nodded his head, unable to stop a wide smile from forming on his face. "I'm glad that Bonnie has more family to talk to now."
"And that's the only reason as to why you're glad?" I teased him, snorting at the dirty look that I got.
"Yes, Alexa," the kid rolled his eyes, looking far too dramatic for my liking. "That's the only reason."
"Hm, not quite sure that I believe that," I poked his side. "But I know that my adorable baby brother wouldn't lie to me, would he."
"Oh my god, Lexa, you're the worst," my bro groaned as we reached the Grill. "Why do I put up with you?"
"Because I'm your sister and you love me," I shrugged as he let us in. Matt was joining him on the early shift today. And they were both in charge of opening up. Technically, I wasn't supposed to be here yet, but I had promised Jer that I would speed away if any of his managers came in early.
"Only cos Jenna tells me that I have to," the little shit grumbled and I rolled my eyes, poking his tummy before making my way over to the Grill. I sat on the bar, completely forgoing the stool, and reached over to grab a glass from underneath. Without prompting, my brother walked behind the bar to grab me a bottle of whiskey. And his grumpiness was immediately forgiven.
"Love you, kiddo," I laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He wiped it off with a dramatic grumble, but I could see the smile in his eyes, before he made his way out back. Honestly, he was lucky that no one was around, because I could have been worse. And he knew it. The brat had just forgotten that tiny little fact since I hadn't found the time to embarrass him recently. But considering the attitude that I had been getting, I would go out of my way to find that time now.
I was just pouring myself a drink when he stuck his head back around, "Hey, when Matt comes, tell him that I'm just sorting out the boxes in the storeroom."
"Yup, will do," I nodded, sipping at my drink. The one thing that I enjoyed about being a vampire was that my tolerance was through the roof. And I didn't feel guilty about drinking because of that. I knew that sobriety as a vampire would be practically impossible. Alcohol helped supplement the cravings, along with coffee. And since I was apparently a very hungry baby vampire, I would do everything that I could do deal with those cravings, including drinking as much booze as I wanted.
XXX
I was on my own for just over ten minutes when Matt arrived. I had initially frozen when I heard the door open, but when I saw the darling Mattie Donovan, I just shrugged and filling up my glass. I had been taking it relatively slow, when it came to drinking. But I had still managed to finish my first drink. It was probably because I had nothing to occupy my mind as I had wanted to wait for Matt to arrive before making a start on my book.
"Hey Mattie," I greeted the blue-eyed cutie with a smile as I shifted around on my stool. "How's it hanging?"
"Hey Alexa," Matt smiled back, pausing at the bar to chat. "I'm guessing that Jeremy's here then?"
"Yup, he is sorting out some boxes in the storeroom," I nodded, tapping my fingernails on my book. "Not sure how long it will take though, but he has been out there since we got here around," I glanced down at my phone, ignoring the message from Elena, "ten minutes ago."
"He'll be out there a bit longer than," my friend nodded while I reached in for a hug. Mattie laughed and returned the hug. "I see you've already made yourself at home."
He gestured to the glass and bottle next to me, and I laughed, "Not like there was anything else for me to do. Once you are officially open, I'll find a booth to lurk in for the rest of my time here."
"You're going to be here all day?" the cutie asked as he moved behind the bar, starting on his opening jobs.
"Yup, it gets me out the house and away from Elena," I shrugged. When Matt shot me a questioning look, I rolled my eyes, "We're having a disagreement, and I figured that some time apart would be good for us."
"Is it anything that I can help with?" the most adorable boy on the planet asked. I cooed and reached forward to pat his hand.
"You're so lovely, Mattie," I gave him a quick smile. "But it's not too serious. Just one of things that requires distance to sort itself out."
"As long as you're sure," Matt nodded slowly.
"I'm sure, darling," I laughed, ignoring my phone when it buzzed. "Trust me, I've argued with Ellie enough times to know when to give her space. Not that it's really an argument. She's just getting her panties in a twist over something and has to work it out in her head."
"Well, I'm here if you need me," Mattie smiled back, his eyes glancing down to my phone when it buzzed again. I just rolled my eyes at it and flipped it over, so that I couldn't see the screen.
"Thanks, Mattie."
Content that everything was relatively okay in Gilbert land, the darling continued to do the jobs needed to do before opening. I just sat on my stool, trying not to get in the way as I started to read. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Matt glance over at my book and roll his eyes. I knew why. I was reading the Sookie Stackhouse books, having recently re-found my love for True Blood. I had finally gotten my hands on the newest book in the series that had come out earlier in the year. And now I was starting my re-read of the previous ones, since I really needed to remember what had happened previously.
I had offered Matt my help, if he wanted it. But the darling had insisted that it was fine. I just figured that he like the easy jobs before he had to start dealing with people. Because that part sucked. And it was one of the reasons why I swore that I would never get a people facing job. Well, now that I was a vampire, I would never need to get a job. And I did enjoy that part of my new life.
It wasn't until I heard the door open behind me that I glanced up from my book. I frowned when I saw April Young enter, closely followed by Jamie. Matt looked over from where he had started taking the chairs down from the tabletops.
"Uh, Matt?" the young girl asked, glancing between us. I gave her a smile, noticing that she seemed quite nervous. I couldn't blame her. It was hard, moving back to town after being away for so long. And it was even worse because she was moving back because her dad had died, taking the Town Council with him, and she had to move in with an aunt that she wasn't even close to. I knew that she had spent a bit of time with Elena, but considering the drama of our lives, it probably wasn't as much as it could have been.
"Hey, April," Matt smiled at her. "We don't open until eleven." He then glanced over at the other boy. "Jamie, right? Jeremy said that you were coming in today, to see what it was like."
"Yeah, that's right," Jamie smiled, looking as sweet and lovely as he did the last time that I saw him. "I hope that that is okay."
"It's fine," Mattie nodded before glancing over at me with a cheeky look. "You can sit with Alexa and keep her out of trouble."
I let out a dramatic groan as I rolled my eyes, "Why does everyone say that? I honestly don't get into as much trouble as everyone claims that I do." While Matt snickered, I turned to face April, loudly asking, "April, dearest, what can we do to help you today?"
The girl glanced between us before nervously stuttering, "Oh, uh, sorry, I wasn't, like, trying to scare you or stalk you or whatever. I just… I came to ask if you've seen Rebekah."
"Why would I have seen Rebekah?" my friend frowned and I covered up my laugh with a cough.
"Oh, I just assumed," April blushed deeply, looking absolutely adorable. "I mean, aren't you guys kind of like a thing?"
"OMG this is amazing," I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "Just wait until I tell Rebekah this. She'll love it."
Matt did not share my amusement as he scoffed and turned back to continue taking down chairs, "Rebekah and I are not a thing."
"If Rebekah had her way, then you would be," I smirked over at the blue-eyed honey as I gestured for Jamie to come sit next to me. "And let's face it, you do find her hot."
"Not the point, Alexa," my friend rolled his eyes at me.
"It so is," I countered cheekily before returned to April. "Why do you want to know where Rebekah is?"
"Well, I just… I mean… I'm worried about her," the girl tugged on her sleeves, covering her hands. "She said that she'd help me find stuff out about the fire that killed me dad and then she just… disappeared."
Before anyone could say anything to that, there was a loud clattering behind me. I shot off my stool, ready to protect the humans in the room. But before I could do anything, there were several loud bangs and pain erupted all over my body. I staggered back, falling into Jamie's arms.
As I gripped the stake that was sticking out of my stomach, I glanced up to see that annoying fucking Connor standing by the bar, my brother in front of him. He had a knife held to Jeremy's neck as he ground out, "Trust me, that's the least of your problems."
Fuck my life.
XXX
Connor must not have been in a good mood as he soon started ordering us around, "Sit down!" When no one moved, he raised his voice, "Sit down!"
I just glared at him as he continued to hold a knife to my brother's neck. All I needed was the opportunity to go and rip his throat out for threatening my baby brother. And I would do it without hesitation. This man had repeatedly threatened the people that I cared about. And he would continue to do so until he was taken out.
The hunter started moving forward, knife digging into Jeremy's skin. I bared my teeth at him, but sweet Jamie, who was still supporting my weight, led me back to one of the tables. He eased me down, conscious of the stakes that continued to stick out of my stomach and shoulder and thigh. I could feel them burning as they stuck out of me and I knew that his weird little symbol was carved into them. Tyler had said that the mark had hurt him when he was shot by the hunter. And he was definitely right.
Matt and April were already sitting down at the table, while Jamie pulled up a chair. He sat next to me, a hand resting on my shoulder. I gave it a gentle pat before griping the stake in my shoulder. I went to pull it out when Connor growled, "If you take that out then I'll put another in you."
"Ohh, kinky," I muttered, rolling my eyes before glaring up at him as he pushed my brother down next to me. "You really are a fucking asshole, aren't you?"
"You haven't seen anything yet," the hunter glared back, gun pointed at me. At least he was no longer holding a knife to my brother's neck.
Before I could say something that would almost definitely get me shot, my brother piped up, a pleading look on his face as he tried to look as non-threatening as possible, "At least let April and Jamie go. They don't have anything to do with this."
"That girl has everything to do with this," Connor contradicted sharply, gesturing at her. "Her and her father. Plus, she and I have history."
I glanced over at April, who was looking at the hunter tearfully, "What are you talking about? I've never seen you before in my life."
Well, at least I knew for sure that my compulsion at the church had worked. That was a bonus, right? Considering the shitty situation that I had found myself in, I definitely needed to look for a bonus. Because I knew that after this was done, neither Damon nor my family would ever let me out of the house again.
"Wow, you kids need to get some vervain," Connor rolled his eyes, but he didn't look surprised at the fact that April didn't remember him. "And don't just wear it as a bracelet where anybody can just take it off." He pointed at Jer's vervain bracelet. My brother followed his gaze before looking up at him. "Maybe then you'd remember our conversation at the hybrid's yesterday."
"Our conversation?" Jeremy repeated.
At the same time, I frowned through the pain, "You were at Klaus' yesterday?"
We exchanged a look, neither of us looking impressed. Apparently, my brother had been hanging out with the local asshole. And he didn't remember it. Nor did he remember speaking to Connor, who had also apparently been at Klaus'. I swear, the next time I take a trip out of town, I'm taking the kid with me. He got into too much trouble when I wasn't around.
"Are you saying that someone compelled me?!" my brother snapped, glaring up at the hunter as I shifted in my seat. Despite the distractions, I could feel my body throbbing in pain. It wasn't just the fact that stakes were sticking out of me, the symbol carved into them caused their own fun burning sensation. If I didn't have the other four with me, then I would probably rip Connor's head off.
Before the hunter could reply, April broke her silence with a loud cry, "Would someone please tell me what he's talking about?!"
"Compulsion, secrets, vampires," Connor spat out each word, looking angrier with each syllable. I just rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, like that's going to help," I muttered before leaning forward, gritting my teeth as the pain increased. I rested my hand on hers. "April, honey, just ignore him. Okay? Focus on something in the room, that isn't that douchebag or the stakes sticking out me, and take deep breaths. Okay?"
While the girl nodded, doing as I instructed, Matt rested his hand over ours and narrowed his eyes at the hunter, "If you know so much, then you know that our friends are going to come for us."
"Oh, yeah, I'm counting on it," Connor smirked and I spat out a curse at him. "Every vampire that comes for you is another is another one that I get to kill. Now, should I contact first? Damon Salvatore? His brother Stefan? Tyler Lockwood?"
Unfortunately, my phone rang before he could make up his mind. I winced as it buzzed loudly against the bar. The hunter gave me a triumphant look as he walked backwards to grab my phone. He shoved it into my hands, pointing the gun at my head, "Answer it."
I shot him a glare before clearing my throat and answering the call, "Hey babe."
"Listen, Alexa, you need to be careful in the Grill today," the dulcet tones of my boyfriend greeted me and I winced as Connor dug the gun into my temple. "The vampire hunter is lose and he knows what you are now."
"Yeah, about that…" I trailed off and glanced up at the hunter. He glared down at me and I rolled my eyes. "Connor says hi."
"What?" Damon hissed.
"Yep, oh and I'm not alone," I cleared my throat again, trying hide my pain. The last thing that I needed was for him to realise that I was injured and race in here without a plan. I couldn't let him get hurt. "Jeremy, Matt, April and Jamie are here too."
While my boyfriend cursed down the phone, Connor barked, "Tell him that the hostages die at sundown unless they give themselves up to me."
I rolled my eyes, the pain radiating through my body reducing my ability to deal with his bullshit, "I'm guessing that you heard that?"
"I do. And I'll make him repeat it before I rip his head off," Damon growled.
"Just don't do anything stupid," I sighed before the phone was ripped out of my hand. Connor hung up the call before shoving my phone into one of his numerous pockets. I glared at him and grumbled "You'd better not break that."
XXX
Damon's POV
After my call with Alexa was cut off, I summoned the rest of the gang for a pow-wow. I paced back and forth across the Lockwood front parlour. I needed to keep moving, otherwise I would go insane. My girl was trapped in the Grill with an insane vampire hunter. And I had no way of saving her. Not on my own. So I was forced to bring in the others.
Elena had freaked out when I told her that both of her siblings were being held hostage. She had insisted on coming with me, Jenna in tow. If I wasn't consumed by my worry for Alexa, then I would probably have insisted that they stay behind. Neither of them would be much help in rescuing Alexa or the rest of the idiots. But as long as they didn't get in my way, I didn't care what they did.
"So, we each take a different entrance," I was explaining to the others when my brother decided to grace us with his presence.
"Stefan!" the older Gilbert twin immediately shot up when she saw her boyfriend. As she walked over to him, I rolled my eyes.
"Where the hell have you been?" I snapped, tapping my fingers against my arms. I was practically vibrating with energy, with the need to go rescue my girl. I knew that she was hurt. I could hear it in her voice, even as she tried to hide it. I didn't know how bad it was, but she was able to speak clearly. So I had to hope that she was okay.
"Coming up with a plan," Stefan frowned, reaching out to Elena when she came within arm's reach. He immediately embraced her, and the Gilbert girl let herself relax against him.
"Yeah, we have a plan," I scoffed tensely, unwilling to deal with his nonsense. "The plan is: I'm gonna rip Connor's heart out and I'm going to feed it to him for daring to fuck with Alexa."
"That's not a plan," the frown lines on my brother's face deepened. "We need to be careful. Connor has Alexa, Jeremy and a few others."
"Hence, the open-heart surgery," I smirked, resisting the urge to rip into the annoying fool. I knew that if it was Elena in there, then he would immediately be willing to do what was necessary. But since she was safe out here, he only pretended to care about the danger that Alexa was in. she was a vampire in a vampire hunter's clutches. She needed to rescued. And soon.
"Damon's right," Elena surprisingly agreed with me, stepping back to look at Stefan. "Connor's strong, but he's not going to be able to take all of us."
"I called in the hybrids to help too," Tyler nodded from behind me. he had been surprisingly helpful. But I could attribute that to his bond with my girl. As annoying as it could be at times, it was useful in this instance.
Blondie walked in before Stefan could say anything. She had her phone in her hand as she glanced around, "My mom put squad cars blocking the streets. They're saying that it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go."
"Good, great," I nodded, resuming my pacing as I ignored the pious look on my brother's face. "No cops, no witnesses, no reason to wait around."
"Alright, hold on," buzzkill Stefan held up his hands, glancing around with a stern look. "You're not all going."
"He shot me, like, nine times," wolf-boy scoffed, shooting my brother a challenging look. "If we're killing him, then I want in."
"He's got Alexa and Jeremy," the older twin narrowed her eyes at the thought. "I'm going."
"Listen," the younger vampire snapped, arms crossed with a stern look on his face. "Nobody is going anywhere until I figure out what we're walking into."
"Until you figure it out?" I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering if it would be worth the hassle to just snap his neck. "Is that where you've been all morning? Out buying bossy pants?"
My brother glared at me for a moment before turning his attention to the others, "This guy is known for setting traps, right? We'd be pretty dumb to walk into one, especially if he has werewolf venom."
"Does he?" Elena immediately asked, her mind immediately turning to the fact that her known to be a vampire twin sister was trapped with the hunter. Jenna clearly thought the same, from the look of horror on her pale face.
Stefan hesitated for a moment before sighing, "He's had it before."
I narrowed my eyes as I noticed Elena begin to reconsider. Clearly my brother had been successful in getting into her head. And that pissed me off. Just because his girl was safe did not mean that my brother had the right to interfere in my plan to rescue mine. Alexa was in danger. And I was not going to let him screw up my chance to get her out of the hunter's clutches.
"Fine," I snapped, glaring at Stefan. "Fine, if you want to take some time to do recon, you get one hour. But we're gonna need some extra help. So, where the hell's the Wicked Witch of the West?"
"She can't do magic," Caroline answered, a hesitant look on her face.
"Really?" I rolled my eyes. "Well, call her, tell her that Alexa, Jeremy and Jamie's lives are in danger; maybe that will bring her out of retirement."
With that said, I walked out the room, making sure to hit my brother on the way out. He was lucky that I was giving him that hour. If Alexa was still human, still vulnerable, then I would have just snapped his neck and gone to rescue her. But I had to trust that she could look after herself and the others for a bit longer. Connor hadn't killed her yet. So clearly he had a plan for her. I just had to hope that it didn't involve her death.
XXX
Alexa's POV
I shifted slightly in my seat, unable to hold in a low groan. The pain wasn't fading, thanks to the fact that the hunter asshole wouldn't let me remove the stakes. And every time they shifted; my mind flashed back to the last time that I was in this position. Fucking Jules. Fucking werewolves. And now I could add fucking Connor to that list.
I glanced up to see four pairs of worried eyes staring at me. I sighed and forced a smile on my face, "Guys, I'll be fine. Honestly. It's not the first time that I've been in this situation. And at least this time, I can heal myself."
"You've been tortured like this before?" Jamie looked horrified and I winced slightly. I forgot that he was so innocent to this world. If it wasn't for Abby abandoning him, then he wouldn't be involved in any of this. But he apparently shared the shitty luck of our little Mystic Falls gang. And he was now in the middle of a hostage situation.
"Yeah?" the look on his face had me wincing again. "Oh lord, I feel like I've made things worse."
"Don't think that's possible, Lexa," Jer muttered, refocusing his gaze on the hunter. He had been watching me with worried yes. I knew that Connor's words from earlier were bothering him. He had been compelled and had no idea. Later, once my brother was away from the asshole holding us hostage, I would get mad about that. But right now, my focus had to be on keeping him safe. I didn't think that Connor would kill him, not after their apparent conversation yesterday. But I couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't hurt him to send a message.
"Eh, if I let my mouth run wild, then it can definitely get worse," I shrugged carefully, keeping Connor in my line of sight. "But since you lot are a bit more delicate than I am, I will behave and keep my shitty comments to myself."
Because I would never forgive myself if they got hurt because of me. As the strongest one here, I had to keep them safe. I couldn't let anything happen to them. They were my friends and family. They were depending on me to get them out of this alive. And if that meant that I couldn't let my pain and frustration out verbally, then so be it. But I would keep Connor's attention on me if I needed too. I would much rather that he ignored the others. Although I knew that it wouldn't work for my brother, I needed it to work for the others.
I shifted again and groaned as the stakes moved with me. Feeling slightly reckless and fed up, I looked over at the hunter, "Hey, if I agree to let you shoot me a couple of times, can I take these stakes out? They are really bothering me."
It was probably a stupid suggestion, but I could deal with bullets a lot easier than the stakes sticking out of me. And bullets wouldn't be prodding at mental wounds that never got the chance to properly heal. The less that I was reminded of the times Jules was a bitch, the happier that I would be. Even if it meant being shot a couple of times.
"Why would I care if they are bothering you, vampire?" Connor turned to face me, a hard look on his face. I rolled my eyes at him. Honestly, he was so rude. Like, I get that he hated vampires. But there was no need to be such an asshole about it.
"Because I can make this a lot more difficult for you," I stared back, eyes narrowed slightly. "You're threatening quite a few people that I care about. You're lucky that I've been cooperative so far, because I can change that."
"And I can change my mind about killing you right this moment," the hunter spat, raising his gun so that it was in line with my heart. I used my pain to fuel my determination. I couldn't let the fact that I was so close to being killed shake me. I had to be stronger than that. I was stronger than that. I just needed to stay alive long enough for Damon and the others to come.
"No, you won't," I shook my head, clenching my fists under the table. "You've kept me alive so far for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, but there is one. And you don't look like the type to act impulsively."
God I was taking a big risk. But I had to know why I was still alive. He was so determined to kill all the vampires that he found. But he hadn't killed me. Not yet. I didn't know if I was being used as bait, but even if I was, the others would work just as well. No, there was another reason as to why I was still alive. And I would do my best to find out what that was.
Connor glared at me, a frustrated look on his face. Huh, so I was right. Well, that was something. At least I hadn't pushed him into killing me. That was a relief. Because, I wouldn't come back from it. It wasn't like the days when I had my magic ring. And I did sometimes forget that. Because I got so used to having that back up, and now I would never have it again.
I went to speak, to try and find out a bit more about why he was doing this, when the asshole switched his aim from my heart to my leg. He pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting me mid-thigh. April let out a small scream at the sound of the bang. I bared my teeth, human teeth, at the hunter. My hands immediately covered the new wound on my leg as I let out a groan. I refused to give him the satisfaction of screaming.
"There's your bullet," Connor spat before turning back towards the bar.
"Motherfucking asshole."
XXX
I had to pluck the bullet from my leg, resisting the urge to gag and shout as I did so. With a disgusted snarl, I threw the bloody bullet to the side. I knew that I should have kept it, to make sure that no one found it later. But the symbol on the wood burned my skin and I just wanted it fucking gone.
While I was grumbling and healing, Connor had started making bombs. He was pouring some kind of liquid into jars, that were filled with nails. I had spent enough time with the creative Alaric Saltzman to know what an explosive device was. And apparently Connor was talented enough to build his own.
My being shot by the hunter had been enough to set off April. She had started crying ever since that moment, unable to cope with everything that was happening. I couldn't blame her. I was only able to stay calm because I had dealt with so much of this bullshit. Being held hostage and being shot really wasn't a big deal to me anymore. Not that that was a good thing. Because I was seriously tempted to say that it wasn't. But hey, it stopped me from freaking out, which was a good thing.
"He's clearly delusional," the girl was crying, Jamie's arm wrapped around her shoulders while she held onto Matt's hand. "I mean, right? All this… all this talk about vampires, and him hurting Alexa, but I mean, he mentioned my dad."
Ah crap. Did we lie to her? Or did we tell her the truth? I wanted to preserve her innocence. She didn't need to be involved in this world. She deserved to grow up safe and happy. But her dad had involved her in this, by killing himself and the Town Council. By leaving her the note that he did. And that wasn't fair on the girl crying in front of me.
Fortunately, Matt took charge of dealing with her. He sighed gently as he encouraged her to look at him and not the bomb making hunter behind us, "Hey, this guy's a nut job, okay? Don't let him get in your head."
"What is he knows something?" April asked, refusing to be molly-coddled anymore. She had worked herself up into a state, and she needed something to focus on. Which was apparently answers. "Jeremy, did he say anything to you about why he's doing this?"
"I don't know," my brother frowned, not taking his gaze off of the hunter. "Maybe. Maybe I just can't remember." The little shit then stood up, dodging my hand. He ignored me as I hissed his name, demanding that he get his fucking ass back here right this instant. I knew that he wanted answers, especially since he had been compelled, but this was dangerous. I couldn't go with him and protect him, not with the stake sticking out of my leg. And I didn't know if I could protect him from where I was sitting.
"Let it go," Matt agreed with me, keeping his voice low. "Jeremy!"
"I'm gonna kill that kid," I grumbled, staring at Jer's back with hard eyes. He was being far too reckless. And I was not impressed. He had to keep himself safe and alive. But he wasn't doing that by going to talk to Connor.
I listened in on their conversation as Matt turned back to April and Jamie. He could look after the other two while I kept an ear out for my brother. He was the one in more danger right now. So he needed to be my focus.
"You said that we had a conversation yesterday," Jeremy stated sharply, standing next to the hunter. Connor was hunched over the jars. Despite the look of concentration on his face, you could tell that he was very much aware of his surroundings. Including the kid standing next to him. When he let out a hum, Jer continued, "About what?"
"We'll get into that," Connor replied, standing up and gesturing to his creative nightmares. "First, take a look at my handywork. Pick up some tips from the hunter's trade."
I narrowed my eyes at him. My brother didn't need to learn tricks from him. He had learnt plenty from Ric, the only hunter that mattered.
"What is all that?" the kid glanced down at the jars, a small frown on his face. I couldn't blame him. They looked horrific. The dark liquid looked disgusting, and the lights from behind the bar caused it to glow darkly, illuminating the nails within.
"The fluid is derived from werewolf toxin," the hunter explained, actually sounding eager to impart his knowledge to someone. If he wasn't so determined to kill me and most of my loved ones, then I would find it kind of adorable. "Trip the wire, bomb goes off, nails deliver a lethal dose into the bloodstream."
Note to self: avoid any wires that are seen. Because that sounds like a horrible way to die.
"And what's the point?" my brother frowned, glancing back at me. "What do you get out of all this?"
"You know, I used to think that there was no 'get'; that I was just supposed to do," Connor sighed, sounding gentle for the first time. It was like he wanted my brother to like him. And that was an incredibly unnerving thought. "Kill vampires. That was until I realised that the mark held the answer to why I'm the way I am. The more I kill, the more it grows and once it's complete, I'll know my story and… and all of this will have meant something." His expression hardened as he looked at the three humans next to me, "Hey! We're gonna have visitors soon, you three get in the back. Get up! Vampire, you stay there."
I rolled my eyes, "I wasn't going anywhere."
I knew that he would want me where he could see me. And I was more than fine with that. Because it meant that I could keep an eye on my brother. There was absolutely no way that I was leaving him alone with the hunter.
When the others didn't move as quick as he wanted, he shouted, "Move!"
Matt sent him a glare as he took April from Jamie, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The hunter pointed them to the storeroom, but not without saying, "Before you think about any other exits, I got every door rigged. Got it?"
When Matt glanced at me, I gave him a nod. If the others were out of the way, then I could take out Connor and save all of us.
XXX
To make it harder for me to interfere with his plans, Connor had tied my hands to my chair. We all knew that it wouldn't do much, especially since it was just plain rope, and not vervained. But I guess it would slow me down if he did decide to hurt someone. It was just annoying, really. I mean, I still had stakes sticking out of me. I really wasn't going to move unless I really needed to. And for now, I didn't need to. I was more than content to sit and watch what was happening. I knew that the others would come for us soon. Damon wouldn't let me be in Connor's clutches for much longer.
He had also forced Jeremy to stay up near the bar, away from me. It was like the hunter knew exactly what I was planning. Which was to get Jeremy out of here before ripping off Connor's head. Because I no longer cared about how it would look or how I would feel further down the line, I was just done with the guy. And the sooner that he was dead and out of our lives, the better. For everyone.
I was just testing the give on the rope when the phone rang. It surprised me at first. I had totally forgotten that the bar even had a phone. I mean, it made sense, considering the fact that it was a business. But it was just weird, no one even used phones these days. That's what mobiles were for.
Jeremy was only a couple of steps away from it, and Connor had disappeared from his line of sight. Of course, what the kid hadn't realised was that he was testing the stake in my leg. Probably debating if he should put another one in there. But Jer couldn't see that. So he took those couple of steps towards the phone, completely unaware of the hunter closing in on him. I went to call out the kid's name, suddenly unsure of the hunter's commitment to not hurt my brother. But before I could, Connor closed the gap surprisingly quick and grabbed Jeremy's wrist.
Luckily, my brother took the hint and pulled his hand away, moving away from the phone. With a satisfied grunt, the hunter answered the phone instead, "We're closed."
I focused and listened in on the conversation. I had to know if this was just some rando, because I knew that the roads outside had been blocked, or if it was one of our gang. And it was. The stern tone of one Stefan Salvatore replied, "I want you to free the hostages."
Oh Stefan. Surely he had to know that that wouldn't work. Connor wasn't going to be like 'oh soz' and let us all go. Nah, this had to be some kind of distraction. Or he was playing for time. God I hoped that was the case. Because a lot of very important lives depended on Stefan playing this right.
"I'll free them as soon as you give me what I want," the hunter growled back, his hand resting on his fun. "You and everyone like you dead."
"Change the freakin story," I mumbled, rolling my eyes as Jeremy carefully edged in my direction. When he glanced over at me, I gave him a quick nod. Connor was distracting by Stefan, so I could take the opportunity to get my brother closer to me. Where I could keep a better eye on him.
"What? So your hunter's mark can grow?" the younger Salvatore brother countered and I frowned. Hunter's mark? What the fuck was that? How much did Stefan know about it? Connor was apparently as shocked as I was, judging from the silence. "Yeah, I know all about that. What it means, what you are. Listen, if you free the hostages then you and I can have a little chat. I'll even tell you about the Brotherhood of the Five."
Brotherhood of the Five? What was Stefan talking about? Once we were out of this, I was definitely going to have words with him. Because if he had information related to the hunter, then he really should have been sharing it.
"That's a weak move," the hunter scoffed, shaking his head. "You must be desperate."
"Think about it, Connor," Stefan sounding imploring, like he wanted the hunter to listen to him. I didn't know why. This felt like more than a distraction tactic. Like he genuinely didn't want the hunter to die. And that was weird. And a bit unnerving. "Klaus saved your life. He needs you alive. Aren't you the least bit curious as to why?"
Klaus saved his life? Is that where he had been? Chilling in Klaus' mansion? I mean, I know that he was talking to Jeremy there. No idea what about and I couldn't worry about that until we were all out of here, alive and safe. No, instead I would worry about the fact that Klaus had gone out of his way to save Connor, after agreeing to help us kill him. It was all very weird and unnerving.
Apparently, Connor wasn't curious. As he slammed the phone down onto the receiver. He was so angry, that he broke the poor phone. I was quite shocked. This was the first time that he had lost his cool. And I couldn't help but wonder what was the meaning behind Stefan's words. Because it must have been important. To get a reaction like this from the hunter.
With a frustrated growl, he shoved the phone off the bar. It crashed to the floor, breaking into little pieces. Well, that wasn't a good sign. A pissed off hunter was not an easy person to deal with. They were more likely to put another bullet in me for shits and giggles. And I really didn't want to have to deal with that. Especially since I wouldn't be able to pick the bullet out of me this time.
Goddamnit Stefan.
XXX
"Hey, kiddo, how's it going?" I asked, keeping my voice soft. Connor had stalked off to the other end of the room, setting up his little bombs. So while he did that, I decided to check in on my brother. Jeremy had taken the seat next to me, trusting me to watch his back while he tried to loosen the ropes around my wrists. I appreciated his efforts. It would make it easier for me to get him the fuck out of here later.
"I just can't get his words out of my head," Jer muttered, keeping his gaze on the ropes. "I had an entire conversation with him yesterday and I just can't remember it."
I nodded sympathetically. It was a horrible feeling, knowing that you couldn't remember something. It was even worse when you knew that those memories had been taken from you. Considering he had been at Klaus'; my money was on the hybrid being responsible for that. And I would make him pay for it. But for now, I had to comfort my brother.
"Hey, once we're out of here, I'll help you figure it out," I promised him, leaning down to catch his gaze. "We'll figure this out, I promise."
"Thanks, Lexa," the kid smiled weakly, finally looking up at me. He paused for a moment, a considering look on his face before he sighed, "He keeps talking about his tattoo."
"Tattoo?" I frowned, thinking back. "Damon mentioned something about a disappearing tattoo before, in the hospital."
I knew that it had come up a couple of times. It had also caught Klaus' attention. Mysterious tattoos that only certain people can see isn't something that you come across every day. The fact that my baby brother was involved in it was worrying. I couldn't keep him safe if he was involved with this hunter. Not that he wanted to be. But against his will or not, he was of interest to Connor.
"I'm the only one that can see it," the kid admitted. "Which is weird, but he won't tell me why."
"Well, let's see if we can find out," I sighed and, ignoring Jeremy's frantic shake of the head, I raised my voice, "Oi, asshole! Why is it that my brother is the only one that can see your tattoo?"
Connor looked at me, his expression full of disgust, but he decided to answer my question, much to my surprise, "He's a potential hunter. He's one of us."
A potential hunter? What the fuck did that mean? While I didn't understand some of his words, I knew one thing for certain. My brother was not like him. Jeremy was a good kid, with a good heart. He could never be as callous and cruel as Connor was.
"Oh fuck off," I scoffed, shaking my head as Connor walked over to us. "There's no way that my brother is like you. See, he happens to have this little thing called a heart. Which is something that you majorly lack."
"Jeremy's heart is going to get him killed," the hunter snapped, glaring at me. "Probably by you."
Oh hell no. He did not just insinuate what I think he did. This guy knew nothing about me. He just made assumptions because I was a vampire. A human was just as likely to hurt Jeremy as a vampire was. It was one thing that hunters always forgot; humans could be as bad as vampires. And vampires could be as good as humans. There was no one size fit all. Not when it came to this.
"I would never hurt my brother," I narrowed my eyes, shifting in my seat, trying to sit up. I ignored the pain from the stakes as I did so, determined to make my point. "Not all vampires are as evil as you assume. In fact, the only evil one in this room is you."
"Me?" the hunter repeated with a growl. "I'm the one saving people from monsters like you."
"Oh, is that what you call it?" I ignored Jeremy's attempts to tell me to shut the fuck up. "Is that what you call what you did to April Young? You stabbed her and left her to die. And who saved her? Oh yeah, that's right. Me. A vampire. You're just as monstrous as those you hate."
"April Young would have been a necessary sacrifice," Connor narrowed his eyes.
"A necessary sacrifice?" my brother frowned, glancing up at the hunter. "She's an innocent, she isn't involved in any of this."
"Her father made her involved," the older man snapped at the kid, gesturing for him to shut up.
"Ah, that old trick," I rolled my eyes, tensing my forearms as I tested the strength of the rope. It was a lot looser than it was before. And Connor was close enough that I could probably take him out.
"It matters who your family is," Connor glared down at me before grabbing Jeremy's arm. He forced the kid out of his seat and pushed him in the direction of the bar. "It was a lesson that Luke Nolan knew well."
I froze at the mention of Luke's name. I wasn't expecting him to bring up my old friend's name. He seemed to avoid any mention of Luke. But now he was just bringing him up to what: torment me? To prove some point? Like what the fuck. How dare him.
I was so caught up in my shock that I was unable to stop him from dragging my brother up to the bar. He forced the kid behind it, standing next to him. Content that we were now separated and unable to gang up on him, the hunter continued making his bombs.
After exchanging a glance with Jeremy, I sighed and settled back into my seat. In order to keep an eye on him, I had to shift slightly, causing the stakes to dig in painfully. But I tried not to think about them. I couldn't give into the pain. I had to focus on my brother. And keeping him safe and alive. Because if anything happened to him, then I would never forgive myself.
XXX
I had been watching through careful eyes as Connor finished setting up the final bomb. The rest were scattered around the Grill, covering all the entrances and exits. If anyone did come in and rescue us, then they had to be very careful. Luckily, all of our gang knew about Connor's love of traps.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jeremy staring at something on the bar. It looked like the hunter's stake gun. For the first time, it had been left unattended. And if Jeremy could get a hold of it and use it to threaten Connor, then that would be the best thing to have happened in hours.
Unfortunately, before my brother could take more than a step forward, the hunter said, "You may be a potential hunter, but if you make one move, I'll break all twenty-seven bones in your hand."
"The hell you will," I growled, earning myself a glare.
Before Connor could say anything else, my sweet brother, ever the peace maker, spoke up, his voice soft, "They're not all bad, you know. Some of them, they're my family, my friends."
"Your friends, huh?" the hunter scoffed, shaking his head as he turned his attention away from the bomb. "Yeah, I had a friend like that once. She got turned by this vampire that I was hunting. He thought that it would be ironic." He finished with an eye roll. I mean, it was kind of ironic. But I knew that this story didn't have a happy ending.
The kid felt the same as he cautiously asked, "What happened to her?"
"I didn't want to hurt her," Connor cleared his throat, looking away from Jer as he admitted that weakness. "She promised that she would keep it under control, but… a vampire is like a loaded gun. Eventually, it's gonna go off." He pulled up his sleeve, revealing his blank arm. Well, blank to me. Jeremy could obviously see what he was pointing at. "That's why I got this."
"So, you killed your own friend?" Jeremy gasped, sounding horrified as he looked down at the mystery tattoo. I wasn't surprised. Connor's hatred of vampires was always going to outweigh his loyalty to his friend.
"Listen, if you're gonna be like me, you need to understand," the hunter's voice was urgent, like he needed the kid to understand his words. "Vampires kill humans, hunters kill vampires." Before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by a noise near the front. My head shot around as I stared at the front door. Behind me, Connor hissed, "We've got company."
He switched off the lights and pressed a button on the remote for the music player. Music blasted through the dark room as the hunter grabbed Jeremy and pushed him down to the floor. Connor quickly followed, but not before gesturing for me to remain quiet. I rolled my eyes but nodded. Not for his benefit, of course. I wasn't going to jeopardise any rescue missions.
I watched through cautious eyes as an unfamiliar face looked through the glass of the door. He opened it carefully before inspect the doorway. Content that it was clear, he looked into the room. I met the mysterious person's gaze before nodding down. The guy followed my gesture to see the tripwire in front of the door. He gave me a thumbs up before following the wire up to the bomb next to the door.
The guy, who didn't look that much older than me, took a deep breath before carefully stepping over the trip wire. I held my breath until both feet were over the trip wire. When they were, our gazes met again. I gave him a nod, before using my head to gesture to the bar. The boy took the hint and nodded back. Of course, that was when it all went to shit.
He closed the door behind him before stepping off the mat by the door. The moment that he did so, the whole room exploded. I had barely a second to force myself to the floor, before the poisoned nails came flying in my direction. I just prayed that I had enough protection to protect me from them while on the floor.
I hear a thud and looked over. Our mystery rescuer was lying on the floor. He was covered in blood and glass, nails sticking out of his skin. He groaned and I could, from what little I could see of his expression, that he was in agony. I longed to reach out to him, to help him. This man was here to rescue us. I needed to do the same for him.
But before I could, Connor arrived on the scene. He walked over to the kid as he pushed himself onto his knees. The hunter curled his lip, looking down at his handiwork with disgust and pride, before he pointed a gun at the stranger. He raised his hands in surrender, looking for mercy. But Connor had none to give. With a cold look, he pulled the trigger, ignoring my cries to stop him. I had to look away from the giant hole in the poor boy's chest. There was no way that he could survive that. The sight of it had me feeling sick. It was horrible. He didn't deserve that. He was surrendering. And Connor had killed him anyway.
He was a monster.
I was too busy staring at the poor boy's body to notice my brother walking over to us. I would have told him to stay away, not wanting him to see this. I had to protect his innocence, and the sight before us would only destroy it.
With a grunt, Connor pulled off his jacket, moving his shirt out of the way. From the way that the other two looked at his skin, the mystery tattoo was growing. Whether it had grown enough for Connor to get the fuck out of town, I did not know. But I did know one thing. This would be the last life that Connor ever took.
I heard the softest of noises to the side. Stefan was slowly walking out of the storeroom door. How he had found his way in there, I did not know. But I was so relieved to see him that I just didn't care. I bit my lip, looking away. The last thing that I wanted to do was reveal that he was there to Connor. The fucking asshole didn't deserve to see his death coming.
Unfortunately, Connor's instincts were too good. He must have sensed the vampire coming as he grabbed my brother, pointing his gun at Stefan with his other hand. The older vampire sped behind the bar, diving over it as the hunter fired off multiple rounds. But luckily, they all missed.
With a frustrated growl, he pushed Jeremy to the side. Realising that this was my chance to get my brother out of here, I used my strength to break the ropes holding me in place. They gave in quickly, thanks to Jer's efforts earlier. I was just about to push myself to my feet when I heard a click. I looked straight ahead of me to see my baby brother standing on a mat, so similar to the one that the dead stranger had stood on, just before the bomb went off.
I was barely aware of Connor moving towards the bar, gun aimed at the last place that he saw Stefan. No, I was too focused on the ticking that I could hear, the bombs that were right next to my brother
"Connor, you don't have to do this!" the older vampire shouted from behind the bar, still trying to get the hunter to see reason. But it was pointless. Connor was not going to stop until we were all dead.
Before he could say that, my brother spoke my name, his voice full of fear. And my heart froze in my chest.
XXX
Galvanised by my brother's dangerous predicament, Stefan shouted out, "Connor, we can end this right now! Just put down the gun and come with me!"
Later, once my brother was safe, I would confront Stefan about his need to save the hunter. This was more than his desire to help people. There was a desperation here that I hadn't seen before. And it was unnerving.
"Sure," Connor spat as I kept eye contact with Jeremy. I whispered his name, telling him that everything was going to be okay while the other two argued. "Come out, I'll hand the gun over."
Well, that was to be expected. This man would never give up. He was too caught up in his mission to consider the logic of surrendering and surviving a bit longer.
"Think about this," the older vampire near begged. "No one has to die. I'll tell you everything that you need to know!"
It was the hunter's turn to shout, "I don't make deals with vampires!"
"Listen to me, if you die right now, then your whole life, all that killing; it'll all be for nothing." Seriously, what was Stefan up to? His focus should be on saving Jeremy, not Connor. So why was he so determined to help him, to protect him, to save him. It was wrong. And it made me wonder what had happened to Stefan. Because the man I knew would prioritise my brother. "I can give you the truth. Just put down the gun and let Jeremy go!"
Realising that Stefan was only pissing Connor off, I decided to act. So, despite the stakes sticking out of me, I pushed myself up onto my knees. My movement had the hunter spinning around to face me, his gun aimed directly at my heart. I held my hands up, trying not to think about what happened to the last person who was in this position.
"Please," I kept my voice soft as I begged. "Please don't hurt him, Connor. I don't care what you do to me, just let him go."
I went to climb to my feet, but before I could, Connor pointed his gun at Jeremy instead. My heart froze in my chest at his words, "You come any closer, and he's dead. Even with your vampire speed."
"Alexa, it's fine," my brother looked at me, his big brown eyes pleading. "Just go. Save yourself."
"Don't be a fool," I gave him a look before returning my gaze to Connor. "Look, you can keep me and do whatever you want. Just please, let him go. He's just a kid. He doesn't deserve to be involved in this life."
Apparently, all my begging had done was strengthen Connor's resolve as he raised his voice, "You hear that? The kid's sister is watching. And I will shoot the boy right in front of her! On the count of three! One! Two!"
Fortunately, before Connor could get to three and potentially follow through on his threat, Stefan stood up, his hands raised. With a satisfied smirk, the hunter turned to aim his gun at the older vampire. And that meant that he was completely distracted. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed the stakes and pulled them out, ignoring the sharp bursts of pain. This was my best chance and I had to take it, to keep my brother safe.
Once they were out, I threw them to the side and sped forward. Connor barely had time to turn to face me before I was pushing him backwards. I was so caught up in my anger, and my need to make him pay for threatening my loved ones, for hurting me, that I didn't hear the gunshot.
I followed Connor, dashing over to where he laid on the ground. Before he could get up, I kicked him in the stomach, taking an unhealthy amount of satisfaction at his pain filled grunt. I kicked him again, knocking him onto his back. While he struggled to get his breath back, I sat on top of him. One hand gripped his chin, the other the back of his head. I was in the perfect position to just snap his neck. I felt my face change as I glared down at him. Now was the time to end this.
Unfortunately, fate didn't agree with me. Just as I was about to snap Connor's neck, and get rid of the threat forever, there was a loud explosion. I flinched for a moment, wondering what the fuck had happened. Before a more important thought hit me. My brother had been on that bomb. The bomb that had just gone off.
"Jer?!" I shouted, trying to peer through the smoke, desperate for any sign that my brother was okay. But I couldn't see anything. And I was too panicked to try and listen out for his heartbeat.
Before I could control my panic, the hunter below me took advantage of my distraction. Using a stake that I had no idea he had on him, he stabbed me in the side. I let out a grunt, automatically loosening my grip on him. Connor shoved my hands off of him before gripping my hips and shoving me to the side. He rolled me with, our positions now reversed.
With a hand pressed down against my throat, his vervain glove burning my skin, he raised the stake in his hand. Despite the pain in my neck and the wound healing on my side, I was able to reach up and grab his wrist. If I was still human, then I would not have been able to stop him from killing me. But because of my new strength, I was able to stop his hand.
The vervain on his glove meant that I wasn't able to fight back as effectively as I wanted. Nor was I able to flip him over again. But he wasn't able to finally kill me. It was a stalemate that needed breaking. Of course, I didn't expect it to be someone else that did so.
There was a blur out of the corner of my eye and the next thing that I knew, Connor was no longer looming over me. I glanced to the side just in time to see Stefan push himself to his feet. And then they were both gone. Stefan had taken the hunter. And I had a feeling that it wasn't so that he could kill him.
XXX
Once the danger was gone, I went looking for my brother. I found him resting against a broken table, hand pressed against his side. His bleeding side. Oh fuck, my brother was bleeding. I sped over to him, crouching down by his side. The kid jumped at the movement, but he quickly relaxed when he realised that it was just me.
I took a deep breath, the smell of his blood overwhelming me, but I fought it. This was my baby brother; I was not going to feed from him. I was going to save him. So I pushed away every vampire instinct that screamed at me and leant forward, cupping Jeremy's face, "Hey, kiddo. Do you know if the bullet went all the way through?"
Jer shook his head, looking pale, "Stefan said that he couldn't see an exit wound."
I nodded, distracted by his wound, before pausing, his words registering with a horrible feeling, "Hang on, Stefan saw you hurt like this. And he didn't heal you?"
"No, he muttered something about Connor before disappearing," the kid grunted, wincing as I peeled away the blood-soaked fabric around the wound.
"That motherfucking asshole, I swear, forget me beating him up, I'm going to get Damon to do it," I muttered, trying to see if I could find the bullet without hurting my brother even more. "And I'll tell him to not hold back. Like at all. In fact, I might even get Tyler to join in, since he's got a hybrid advantage."
"Sound good to me," Jeremy groaned as I gently probed the wound. I knew that the bullet was in there. And I also knew that I couldn't heal him until it was gone.
So with a wince and a gentle stroke of his cheek, I whispered, "I'm so sorry, kiddo. This is going to hurt, but I'll heal you up straight after."
Jer gritted his teeth before squeezing his eyes shut. With a regretful look at his pain-filled face, I went looking for the bullet. Each whimper, each wince, cut into my heart. I could tell that he was putting in a lot of effort to just not scream. And I hated that I was the cause of that. But I had to do this properly. I couldn't let him suffer from this wound further down the line.
The second that I found the bullet, I threw it to the side. Wiping my bloody fingers on my jeans, I let my face change and bit into my wrist. It felt weird, tasting my own blood like that. The sharp flash of pain before blood started leaking from my wound. But I didn't have the time to focus on that. Instead, I leant forward, cupping the back of my brother's head. I pressed my wrist against his lips as he opened his mouth.
"Drink, kiddo, it'll make it all better," I whispered, giving him a gentle nod. Jer blinked up at me, a couple more tears dripping down his face, before he reached up to hold my wrist against his mouth. He started drinking as I wiped away those tears, just like I did when he was younger. "That's it, baby, you're okay now."
I made him drink until I was content that the wound was all healed. There was no way that I was going to take any risks with my brother's life. Even when he had finished and I could feel the bite marks healing, I checked on the wound. It looked healed, and there was a healthy glow to Jeremy's skin. But I still worried. This was the first time that I had healed someone, and god I hated the fact that it was my baby brother who was in that position. I made a mental note to get Damon to check it later. Just to make sure.
I wasn't aware of my face changing again until I felt Jer's fingers on my face, lightly tracing the dark veins beneath my eyes. I winced and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and forcing my face to return to normal. Once I was sure that it had, I opened my eyes and winced again, "Shit, I'm sorry, Jer, I didn't even realise."
"It's okay," he smiled softly, reaching out to take my hand. "You don't have to hide this, Lexa. I know that you won't hurt me."
"I'm glad," I returned his smile, cupping his face. "Because I won't hurt you. And I'll kill anyone who ever tries it."
"It's good to know that some things never change," my brother shook his head slightly and I rolled my eyes.
"Don't be cheeky," I scolded him gently before leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead. "Now, I want you to go home, okay? Go wash off this blood and stay there until someone gets home. Because I get the feeling that neither Jenna nor Elena will be there right now."
"What about you?" Jeremy frowned, refusing to let go of my hand.
"Stefan took Connor, I need to go find out why before I rip the hunter's heart out," I narrowed my eyes at the thought. "Because until he is dead, he will keep coming after you. And I will not allow him to get you hurt."
The kid paused, considering my words carefully, before whispering, "Please be careful. He's already hurt you once, I don't want him to hurt you again."
"Hey," I pressed my forehead against his. "I'm strong now, I won't get hurt. I promise."
Once my brother nodded, I gently let him go. He rested back against the table while I checked his wound one last time. Content that he was as okay as he could be, I turned and made my way to the storeroom. This was where Stefan had come from, so this had to be the way that he left. Because he was sneaky like that. And he was about to find out that I could be even sneakier.
XXX
Damon's POV
I glared at Stefan from the shadows, as he approached me. He had the hunter in front of him, arm twisted behind his back as my brother forced him forward through the tunnels. It appeared as though he had gone out of his way to save the hunter. And I wanted to know why.
"Good work, brother," I sneered, making my presence known. Stefan paused, pulling the hunter closer to him.
"It's over, Damon," he said cautiously, looking like he wasn't expecting being caught up anyone. I wondered how he had managed to get him away from Alexa, who was probably itching to rip Connor apart of holding her brother hostage. I knew that there was no way that she would agree to show the hunter mercy, so what had happened to her that Stefan was able to whisk the man away so easily. "I have him."
"Not after what I just went through," I growled, examining my still healing knuckles. "I had to punch through a boiler room basement into a septic tank to get into this stupid tunnel." I fixed my gaze on the hunter as I finished, my voice low, "But it'll be worth it."
Stefan shook his head, tightening his grip on the hunter, "I'm taking him with me."
"That's the thing," I narrowed my eyes at my brother as I started to slowly walk forward. "You're not. I don't know what you're up to or what Klaus has over you, but even if I have to go through you, I'm gonna kill him."
I was not going to let that hunter get away with holding Alexa hostage. For threatening to hurt her. He was a threat to my girl and I was not going to let him continue breathing. Connor had to die and I had absolutely no issues with ripping his heart out.
"You better back off, Damon," my brother snapped as he started to move backwards, matching me step for step.
"Why?" I growled, clenching my fists. "Because Klaus wants him alive?"
"This has nothing to do with Klaus," Stefan shook his head, his voice pleading as he shifted his body just in front of the hunter. "You're just gonna have to trust me on that."
"I don't want to," I smirked darkly, eyes fixed on Connor, who was giving me a weary glance. For the first time, he was actually afraid of me. And it was about time. "I don't have to. Not gonna. Now, give him to me, brother."
Stefan stared at me for a moment, probably trying to realise if he could talk me down. We both knew that we were past that point. But I knew that my brother had to try. Even if just for a second. He must have realised how futile that was as he glanced over at the hunter, "Run as fast as you can!"
He gave Connor a forceful push to get him moving. The hunter didn't need any more encouragement as he took off running. He didn't even glance back. Apparently his survival skills weren't entirely useless. Before I could go after him, Stefan sped forward, shoving me against the wall. He pinned me against it, with both hands against my shoulders.
"You're not gonna kill him," my brother growled, looking frustrated. I narrowed my eyes at the fool before grabbing his wrists. Using my own superior strength, I pushed him off of me before speeding around him. I shoved Stefan back against the wall, one arm pining him against the sharp rocks. Now it was my turn to get answers. I didn't need to worry about Connor, this wouldn't take too long. And with my vampire speed, I could catch up to him in no time at all.
"Why are you protecting him?" I growled in Stefan's face. "Tell me!"
When the fool remained stubbornly silent, I knew that I had to resort to extreme measures. Klaus had either gotten into Stefan's head again or he had some kind of leverage. And I knew that it would take some persuading to find out which it was. And after spending all day worrying about my girl, I had absolutely no issues with taking that final step.
So I jabbed my fingers into his chest, just under his ribcage. Stefan let out a grunt of pain, eyes widening in shock as I reached up to grab his heart. My brother grabbed my wrist, trying to stop me. But he wasn't strong enough. It took barely any effort to grab his heart, making my threat clear. Stefan groaned in pain, resting his head against the wall.
"Tell me," I repeated, keeping my eyes on the other vampire's face.
"Klaus will kill anyone who knows," my brother groaned, still fighting. Well, I did give him a chance. I increased my grip on his heart, moving it slightly. It was enough to cause him to scream out in pain. A part of me felt bad for this, but by saving Connor, he had put Alexa at risk again. And I refused to let that happen.
"Then it has to be good," I sneered, continuing to pull at his heart, keeping my movements slow. "Spill it!" I gave him a few seconds before squeezing again, "Spill it!"
The pain must have been too much for my younger brother, as he cried out, "Connor's tattoo is the key to a cure!"
I froze in my movements, staring at him in surprise. I knew, deep down, what he meant. But I couldn't stop myself from asking, "A cure for what?"
"For her," Stefan grunted, hand squeezing my wrist. "For Alexa."
I narrowed my eyes at him. Alexa didn't need to be cured. She was perfect, just the way that she was. And I wasn't going to let anyone tell her otherwise. So I spat out, "Klaus told you that there's a cure for vampirism?"
"Yeah, and if Connor dies, then we'll lose it forever," my brother looked at me imploringly. "I know it's crazy, Damon. But it's hope, do you understand me? It's hope for both twins."
Stefan grunted as I involuntarily squeezed his heart again. I didn't realise that I was doing it until he made a noise. With a roll of the eyes, I pulled my hand out of his chest. Despite knowing that Alexa didn't need the cure, I knew that Stefan wouldn't stop with this. But that didn't mean that I had to help him, not until I spoke to Alexa, "Well, you'd best go after him then. Before something happens."
XXX
Alexa's POV
Once I got into the tunnels, thanks to a sneaky little shortcut in the Grill's storeroom, it didn't take long for me to find Connor. He had apparently managed to escape Stefan somehow and was running through the tunnels. He was panting loudly, sprinting for his life. Not that it would make much of a difference. Because I was faster than him. And I was pissed. He had threatened Jeremy, had ended up shooting him, and then he expected to get away? Nope, that was not going to happen.
A part of me wondered if Stefan was okay. Since the hunter that he had stolen was now running free. But in that moment, I was too caught up in my revenge to care. The older vampire had pissed me off and if he was a little hurt, then it was just karma. Because he had left my baby brother bleeding, just to save the hunter. He was lucky that I cared about him and wasn't about to drive a stake somewhere painful. Because I was seriously tempted to.
I followed him for a few minutes, making enough noise that he knew that he was being chased. I could feel the thrill of the chase, of the hunt, in my blood. And I revelled in it. This man had tormented my loved ones, he had threatened my brother. I was going to make him suffer for it, and I would enjoy it.
Eventually, once I had had my fun, I decided to put him out of his misery. I increased my speed, pushing him against the wall. My face changed as I bit into his neck, drinking greedily. The hunter tried to struggle, pushing me away. But I wasn't going to move until I wanted to be moved. Had my bloodlust taken over? Maybe. But I also felt in control. I was drinking as much as I wanted, caught up in the feeling of it all, but I knew that I could stop if I wanted to.
I drank enough to weaken the human slightly before pulling away. I could feel his blood dripping down my chin, staining my top even more. But I didn't care. The veins beneath my eyes pulsed as I glared at Connor, holding him against the wall with one hand. He glanced down at the hand pining him, but other than reaching up to grab my wrist, he didn't try to escape. Whether he knew that it was futile or he was planning something, I didn't know. But either way, I didn't care. Because I wouldn't keep him alive long enough to try anything.
"Stay the fuck away from my loved ones," I growled, voice deep as my fangs pressed against my lips. I knew that I looked monstrous, but I didn't care. I was doing what was necessary to save the ones that I cared about. And I refused to regret anything that I did.
"Look at you," the hunter sneered weakly, bravado still going strong despite the blood leaking from his neck. "So you worried about the humans, about your brother. But you're the biggest monster that they'll ever meet."
Lol, did he really think that he could manipulate me like that? I knew that I was now. I had embraced it. And I would be a monster if it meant that I could look after them, protect them. It was all that I wanted to do, and now I was strong enough to do it.
"Perhaps," I nodded, nails digging into his chest. "But guess what: I don't care. Because I will do monstrous things to protect them. I will do whatever it takes and I don't care what that makes me."
"Including killing people?" Connor scoffed, but for the first time, I could see fear in his eyes. I think he was finally realising that he wasn't walking away from this. This was the end for him. and it was about time.
"Yep, including that," I shrugged carelessly, shifting my grip to his shoulders as I leant in close. "Because it wouldn't be the first time that I had killed for that kid up there. And I will keep on it doing it if it means keeping him alive and safe."
"You're a monster!" the hunter spat as I dragged my nose along his jawline, licking at the blood that had dripped from his neck.
"Only to people like you," I whispered into his ear before biting him again. I drank deeply, enjoying the taste of his blood on my tongue. My fingers dug into his shoulders as I drank my fill. I knew that dying this way would be even more painful for the hunter. To be killed by a vampire by this, it would burn. And I wanted it to. Unfortunately, the asshole was determined to ruin my plans.
The guy pulled another stake out of nowhere, honestly, I had no idea where he kept them. He weakly stabbed me in the side with it. I paused and pulled back, staring down at the stake sticking out of me. I sighed and rolled my eyes before looking at him, muttering, "How rude."
Annoyed that he had ruined my fun, I quickly switched my grip from his shoulders to his neck. I made eye contact with him, enjoying the flash of fear in his eyes before, with a flick of my wrists, I snapped his neck. I watched as the light left his eyes before sighing, "Well, that wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be."
I let his body drop to the ground before glancing around. I knew that I couldn't leave the body here. I didn't know how many people knew about the tunnels, but I couldn't have some rando stumble across the body. It would raise questions that I really didn't want to be raised. So I rolled my eyes and picked up Connor's body, slinging it over my shoulders. Even with my new vampire strength, I staggered slightly under the added weight.
"Damn, son, you are heavy," I mumbled, before adjusting him. "Well, lets go find you a nice piece of dirt to bury you in."
XXX
I had found a convenient spade by the entrance to the tunnels in the Lockwood cellar. I didn't know where it had come from, but I didn't care too much. I just grabbed it, making sure that I didn't drop the hunter on my shoulder. Not that I cared about, I had just gotten him comfortably adjusted and I didn't want to do it again.
I didn't wander far from the cellar steps before dropping the body to the ground. I knew that no one really came this way, other than our little gang. So I knew that I could bury him here and not worry about the body being discovered.
"You know, you're a real pain in my ass," I grumbled at the body, ignoring the eyes that stared up at me. "Why couldn't you have just died in that explosion at the hospital? Then I wouldn't have to be digging a fucking grave."
Naturally, I didn't get a response. Not that I was expecting one. I wasn't that crazy. But speaking out loud helped to keep me occupied. Because I had just killed someone. I didn't regret it, but it was just a shock. I had done it so easily, without care. And deep down, a little voice whispered that I was losing my humanity. That I was already becoming a monster, so soon after turning. But I tried to ignore it. Because it wasn't true. This was just my guilt speaking, the guilt that I refused to acknowledge. Connor was a threat to my loved ones. And I had removed that threat. I had done what I always did: I protected the ones that I cared about.
I had only dug down a foot before I sensed someone behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see the Salvatore Brothers watching me. Damon looked at me, eyes soft and full of understanding, while his brother looked down at the body by my feet, looking stricken. I knew that he had protected the hunter for a reason, it wasn't just for shits and giggles. But I couldn't bring myself to care as to what those reasons were. As far as I was concerned, Stefan was in the wrong for trying to save Connor.
"We don't need any more bodies being discovered around town," I shrugged, returning to my task as they watched me, unable to take the silence anymore. I knew that they wouldn't say the first word, probably due to shock. I knew that neither of them expected me to kill Connor, not even Damon. My boyfriend was probably disappointed that he didn't get to kill him himself. "So burying him makes sense. And it avoids any problematic questions."
"You killed him?" Stefan whispered, not taking his eyes from the body. That annoyed me slightly. The hunter wasn't that important. He shouldn't be so upset over it. And I knew that it wasn't because he was upset that I had killed someone. No, this was different.
"Yep, he hurt Jeremy, he hurt me, he would have hurt you two," I nodded, tightening my grip on the shovel. "It needed to be done and I don't regret doing it."
"Alexa," the younger brother stepped forward and I held up a hand, forcing him to pause. I pointed my finger at him, narrowing my eyes.
"Nope, don't you dare," I snapped as Damon walked over to me, resting a calming hand on my shoulder as he took the shovel from the grasp. I let him move me out of the way before he continued digging. "I'm not happy with you, Stefan. What the fuck were you doing up there? Because that wasn't protecting my brother. You were trying to keep him alive? Even though it meant leaving Jeremy lying there bleeding? I had to save him, Stefan, I had to feed him my blood. After you just disappeared. So no, I don't care what you have to say."
"Alexa, it's not that simple," Stefan's voice was pleading as he stepped towards me. "Connor was valuable. I had to keep him alive."
"No, my brother is valuable," I shook my head, clenching my fists as I struggled to control my anger. "Connor was not."
I could feel the rage building up in my chest as he glanced down at the hunter's body with a regretful look. His words infuriated me. Connor was valuable? Oh do fuck off. That was not true in the slightest. Connor was a menace, a pest, a threat. He had no value to us alive. And now he was not. And my loved ones were safe.
"Stefan," Damon's voice was carefully blank. I glanced over at him to see him giving his brother a significant look. "You should go. I've got this."
I glanced between the two brothers, wondering what I was missing. But before I could ask, Stefan nodded his head with a sigh. He gave me a look, sorrow clear in his eyes as his face look apologetic. But he turned around and left, walking slowly through the trees. I watched him leave until Damon gently grasped my chin, turning my head to face him, "You don't have to stay here for this."
"No, I do," I sighed. "I caused this; I need to finish it too. And…" I paused before a moment before admitting in a quiet voice, "I need to see him be buried. Just to make sure that he is gone, that he won't suddenly come back and hurt my brother. Like he did last time."
My boyfriend sighed but nodded, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead before gently moving me out of the way. I was tempted to ask for the shovel back, to continue digging the grave by myself. But I knew that he wouldn't let me. He would want to protect me from this. And for now, I was content to let him do that. Because I could see ease my worries, I would still see Connor be buried. And I would know that he was gone forever.
XXX
Once Connor was buried, Damon took me home. Since neither of us had our car, we had chosen to walk. My boyfriend wrapped an arm should my shoulders, tucking me into his side, as we walked through the woods, taking in the setting sun. It was then that I noticed how badly he smelt and I wrinkled my nose, "Good lord, what have you been up to today? You stink."
Damon rolled his eyes at my words, "You can thank Stefan for that. He… interfered in my plan to save you earlier. And as a result, I had to punch my way through a septic tank."
"That's gross," I snorted, dodging away from his tickling fingers. "If it weren't for the fact that I was definitely going to bin these clothes, then I would not be next to you right now."
"Aren't I lucky?" my boyfriend teased gently, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "How are you doing?"
I paused before answering. How was I doing? It was hard to tell. It all felt a bit numb. Now that the hunter was buried, gone forever, I didn't really know how I felt about it.
"Uh, I'm not sure right now," I admitted with a sigh. "Like, I don't regret killing him, because I know that it needed to be done. But I also feel bad that I took a life. And then I get mad at myself for feeling that way. And it all just… spins around."
"It's understandable," Damon nodded, pulling me closer to him as he stopped walking. "It's why I didn't want you to be the one to do it."
"If it helps, I never planned on it before today," I rested my head against his chest, ignoring the smell coming from his clothes. "But when he threatened Jeremy and the others, I just got so angry. He just wouldn't leave my brother alone. And I knew that as long as he was alive, he would keep coming after him. I just wanted to make that stop." I paused before looking up at my boyfriend, biting my lip as I quietly asked, "Why did Stefan work so hard to save him?"
Damon hesitated, clearly looking for the right words to explain his brother's actions. I didn't know how much he knew, or whether he guess it. But he knew Stefan well enough to be able to provide an accurate assessment of what was going through the other vampire's head.
"Klaus told him something," he eventually answered, speaking slowly as his hand came up to rest on the back of my neck. "Something that should be impossible, but it got into Stefan's head. It gave him a dangerous hope. And then he acted foolishly and recklessly, keeping it to himself."
"What did he tell him?" I asked quietly as Damon's grip tightened on me. It must have been something huge for Stefan to act like he did. Despite my anger at him, I was willing to give the other vampire the benefit of the doubt. Because I didn't like being mad at Stefan, he was important to me. And after the past few months, I didn't want to be mad at him anymore. Not now that he was back to normal.
"I don't want to say," my boyfriend sighed. "Not yet. Not until I get more answers from Stefan. I don't want to get your hope up either."
"Well, whatever it is, it isn't worth keeping Connor alive for," I grumbled into Damon's chest. "I don't care what it is."
"Let's see if you still feel that way when you find out what it is," there was a regretful hint to Damon's voice. One that made me frown. What was it that Klaus had been whispering in Stefan's ear? Because the tone of my boyfriend's voice worried me. It never boded well, when he sounded regretful like that. And I refused to let Stefan get into Damon's head.
"I will," I said firmly, leaning my head back to look Damon in the eye. "No matter what it might turn out to be, I will never change my mind." There was a look of relief in Damon's eyes, and it warmed my undead heart. I wanted to keep it going, wanting that warmth to stay. So I wrapped my arms around his neck, pouting pitifully, "Now, how do you feel about speeding me home?"
"You know you can do it yourself now," Damon rolled his eyes, but he dutifully scooped me up into his arms. I immediately tightened my grip on him, tucking my head under his chin as I closed my eyes.
"I know," I hummed in contentment. "But I like being this close to you. It feels nice."
I felt Damon smile into my hair before he took off running. The speed no longer felt nauseating, it actually felt weirdly soothing. I guess it was because my body was built for it now. It no longer felt like I was moving too quickly, unable to see beyond a blur. I knew that if I opened my eyes, I would be able to see everything that was moving past me clearly. But I was content to just curl up against Damon with my eyes closed. I knew that he would feel that overpowering need to look after me after I had been held hostage all day.
And I was definitely in the mood to indulge him with that. Because, if I was being honest, I wanted to be looked after. Even though my wounds had already healed, being tortured all day was exhausting. It got into your head, making it hard to concentrate on other things. I knew that once I was alone, it would all crash down on me. But until that point, I would fight it the best I could. And just being in Damon's arms helped with that. Even after everything, I had never lost that feeling of everything being okay when I was with him. And I hoped that that never changed. Because with all the bullshit that I dealt with in this town, I really needed that feeling.
XXX
Damon's POV
I got Alexa home safely before returning to the Boarding House. As much as I wanted to stay with my girl and look after her, help her after her ordeal today, I knew that I had to get answers from my brother. His mention of a cure had been spinning around my head ever since he mentioned it. It shouldn't be possible. But in the past year alone, I had seen a lot that wasn't possible. Which was why I needed more information from my brother.
Stefan wasn't home when I got there. Not that I was expecting it. He was probably brooding somewhere, tormenting himself over the hunter's death. I wasn't too upset about it. I didn't want the cure for Alexa, and I hoped that she didn't want it either. I wouldn't stand in Stefan's way if he went on a hunt for it, but I wouldn't make it easier for him either.
I poured myself a drink before heading up to my brother's room. I knew that I would find answers in his journals. But he had annoyingly taken to locking them away these days. Guess he was fed up with me going through them whenever I got bored. Not that it took long to get through the numerous locks, it was just tedious to do so.
I was reading through his most recent journal when the awol vampire returned. Stefan rolled his eyes when he saw me in his room, but he still asked, "How's Alexa?"
"Still adjusting to what happened," I replied, keeping my eyes on the page. "And still mad at you, so I would avoid her for the time being."
I knew that most of her anger was due to Stefan's neglect of Jeremy. She could have overlooked him saving the hunter, even if it did annoy her. But the fact that he left her brother bleeding on the floor had really pissed her off. And I didn't blame her for it. Everyone knew how important Jer was to my girl. And Stefan leaving him injured was not a good way to endear himself to her again.
Stefan frowned at my words before deflecting, "Is that my journal?"
I rolled my eyes as my brother snatched it from me, holding it in his hands as he glared at me. Honestly, I wouldn't need to go through it if he wasn't being so sneaky. I leant back in the chair and gave him a look, "I had to go through six locks to get it." Stefan shook his head before walking over to the cupboard when he kept his journals. He placed the journal on the shelf before turning around to look at me. At his accusing expression, I rolled my eyes again, "I needed something to back up your insanity. You figure out how to tell Klaus that you lost a hunter and a hybrid?"
My brother sighed and shook his head, "He's on a plane, which means that I get to live for another six hours."
"Well, I got your back, you know, when he comes to murder you," I smirked lightly, enjoying the eye roll that I got.
"Thanks," Stefan gave me a look before his expression softened. "And thanks for not saying anything to Alexa."
"About what?" I scoffed, brushing off his thanks. I was never going to tell Alexa, not until I had proof that this thing actually existed. "About the cure that we don't have, can't find and probably doesn't exist? Yeah, you're welcome."
Stefan poured himself a drink as he shook his head, "She doesn't need to know that she killed her chance of being human again."
"Alleged chance," I rolled my eyes, trying to keep control of my anger. "For a cure that she probably won't want to take."
My brother ignored those final words as he sighed, "I believe him, Damon. You didn't hear Klaus' story. I believed every word that he said."
I shook my head as I got up, topping up the glass in my hand. I gave Stefan a heard look as I muttered, "Well, I'll remain a sceptic for now. So, what's your next move?"
"He said that there was a Brotherhood of the Five, which means that there are other hunters out there and I'm just gonna keep looking until I find one."
"Sure, Stefan, since you asked; I'd be happy to go on a suicide mission with you for a potentially non-existent cure," I rolled my eyes. "No problem."
My brother laughed at that, "Yet a couple of hours ago, you were ready to rip my heart out."
"Because you were being a pain in the ass," I scoffed before smirking, nudging his shoulder. "But let me tell you one thing, I don't want that cure for Alexa."
"Then why are you helping me?" Stefan looked at me with a frown, looking slightly worried.
"Because I want that cure for you," I rested a hand on my brother's shoulder. "I know that you don't like being a vampire, Stef. So if I help you find that cure, then maybe you can do something about that."
"Thank you, Damon," my brother frowned, but I could see in his eyes just how much my words surprised him. I knew that I often teased him about how bad a vampire he was. But if there was a chance to help him, to give him the life that he wanted, then I would take that chance.
But it also gave me a reason to help. Because I didn't want that cure for Alexa. My girl was perfect, just the way she was. She was born to be like this, to be strong and beautiful, able to protect her loved ones. And I wouldn't let anyone take that from her.
But I knew that the moment the news about the cure came out, Elena would want to cure her twin. She struggled to accept Alexa like this, even though she knew it was what her sister wanted. So if I could get it into her head that she could cure Stefan instead, that she could live a human life with him. Then I could protect my girl from her sister's expectations and eventual disappointment.
XXX
Alexa's POV
Once Damon had left, muttering something about getting answers, I quickly stripped out of my blood-stained clothes, dumping them in the bin. The rest of my family were downstairs, so I felt no worry in grabbing my PJs and speeding into the bathroom. It was one of the advantages of vampire speed.
I set the water to a higher heat than normal, before climbing into the shower. I just wanted to wash this day away and forget that it ever happened. Because it was a shitty day. I had been tortured, again, my brother had been shot. I had killed someone. I didn't want to remember any of this.
The water was stained red with my blood, with Jeremy's blood, with Connor's blood. There was just so much of it. I thought that I had left behind the days of seeing my blood wash away like that. But apparently, even as a vampire, I was still doomed to experience them. My only consolation was that my wounds hadn't weakened me. They had healed quickly and I was still able to defend my brother.
I still didn't feel guilty for what I did. And I didn't know how I felt about that. I knew that I should feel bad, I took a life. But after what Connor did, I just couldn't bring myself to regret my actions. I would have done the same if I was a human. And did that make me a bad person? No, I couldn't think like that. I was just willing to do what it took to protect my loved ones. Just like Damon.
I was grateful to my boyfriend for not judging me. He had understood why I had done that, and he had helped me deal with the consequences. He didn't look at me like I was a monster. Because he had done the same. He had killed to protect people. And he didn't regret it afterwards. Maybe I was more like him than I realised. Not that that was a bad thing. I just hadn't realised it.
Once I was done in the shower, I retreated to my bedroom. I knew that I should have gone downstairs, to check in on my family and let them check in on me in return. But I just couldn't. I wanted to be alone for a bit, to centre myself. Before they realised what I had done and stared at me with their accusing eyes.
I curled up on my window seat with my book. Jeremy had thoughtfully grabbed my bag for me when he left the Grill, leaving it in my room. I had sent him a thankful text when I saw that. God, I loved that kid. I placed a blanket over my legs, as I tried to take my mind off of the day. I didn't know if Damon would come back and distract me, it probably depended on what he found out from Stefan, so I knew that I would have to find a way to occupy my mind by myself.
I was doing well until I noticed blood dripping down onto the pages of my book. I frowned and sat up, noticing a couple more drops. I checked my nose, but it wasn't bleeding. But there was definitely blood on that book. I placed the book on the seat in front of me, moving my blanket from my legs. As I did so, I noticed blood on my floor, staining my carpet.
What the fuck?
Where had the blood come from? It wasn't there before. And it certainly hadn't come from me. So who had been bleeding all over my floor?
I slowly got up, keeping my movements careful, just in case something decided to come and attack me. Because in this town, anything was possible. I followed the trail of blood to my bedroom door. But when I opened it, there was none in the hallway. I frowned before closing the door again. With a small shake of the head, I turned back around. But the sight behind me scared the absolute shit out of me.
On the wall behind me, written in huge, bloody letters was the word 'KILLER'. It had been written on the wall by my window seat. I staggered back against the wall, frantically glancing around, looking for any sign that someone had been in my room. But there was none. It was empty. Like it had always been.
With my heart pounding in my chest, I looked back at the wall. But the words were gone. As was the blood on the carpet. And on my book. It was as though it had never been there. And maybe it hadn't been there at all.
Holy shit.
I was officially going insane.
XXX
A/N: Thank you for the reviews, my darlings :) they have been helping me fight through my writer's block. Knowing that you are enjoying this story really helps me with my motivation to write. Please keep them coming! Friendly reminder that the poll is still up and probably will be for a while. Please let me know your thoughts on Elena's endgame pairing. And if you have any requests or suggestions for the season, just let me know :) until next time xoxo
