An: An attempted sexual assault is described close to the end. It is stopped.
Vinny spent the next few weeks in Jeremy's home with him and his wife Bonnie. Bonnie was actually a witch too, and she helped Vinny start to learn the basics of the things in the book. This took so much time not because the magic itself was hard, but for the fact the book was written in dozens of different languages and changed randomly.
"I can't do this, Bonnie! I failed French. It was too annoying when all I wanted was to cook." Vinny pushed the grimoire away, cursing her past selves a little for all speaking different languages.
"Well, French is a really popular language among witches." Bonnie chewed her lip. "You could ask your alphas. They all speak it fluently."
"I'm not sure I can trust them." Vinny said, feeling like she was keeping a secret. She had been secretly texting back and forth with Elijah this whole time and enjoying the warmth it made spread in her chest.
"Wellllll..." Bonnie drew out her sentence, clearly contemplating something. "If you give me a bit of time I can come up with a potion to help you comprehend languages but you'll have to learn it for yourself, eventually."
Vinny took her grimoire back, feeling bad for shoving it away. It was her best tool right now for defending herself. She just had to figure out how to load the gun. "Alright." She went back to studying after Bonnie handed her the dinner she'd brought up. As soon as Vinny hit another difficult conjugation she checked her phone, ready for a hit of that sweetness that filled her when Elijah responded. I wanted pups with this man once. It makes sense he can send my heart all aflutter. She began typing, fingers flying over the digital keys.
Elijah, I don't know what Nonno Vincent wanted. I can't understand half the things written here.
He began to respond almost immediately, as.if he had been waiting. The thought made her almost giddy, like she was a school girl again. I am quiet fluent in common spell languages. Although I did not possess the talent for witchcraft itself, I was nevertheless a quick study of what my mother tried to show me. I could teach you.
Vinny hesitated, feeling like this was a definite crossing of a line somewhere. Should we call each other?
Give me fifteen minutes to get somewhere private, Vincent.
x
Elijah's voice did things to Vincent. Warm, soft butterfly-filled things. This is what it's supposed to be like as an omega, except I keep dying. One day, after their lessons had concluded, Vincent finally let herself ask Elijah what had been bugging her. "Elijah..." He went quiet mid-sentence, sensing the weight of what Vinny needed to ask. "I don't want to be surprised at whatever happened to Cosette. You two were so happy together...I..."
"I came home the afternoon I had planned to show her off to my brother and sister and...she was dead in our loft. Someone had slit her throat and took all of her blood." He sounded grieved, but this had given Vinny a whole new question.
"Why?"
"As far as I can tell because Cosette had told me that if she ever died... She didn't want her blood to waste. She wanted me to have it since we had been too cautious for me to actually bite before that. It was just her killer's way of spitting on her final wish." Vinny's heart beat unevenly.
"I'm so sorry." She said, feeling the genuine truth of this. "Is there anything in common between all my incarnations? What kept drawing you three back?"
"Your kindness. You are such a loving person every time you come around, always surrounded by friends and family who care a great deal for you." Now Vinny was frowning again.
"If the person who cursed me is so angry at me, why make everyone next to me suffer? They did nothing and it's not like I can see them grieving after the fact."
"Jealousy is a powerful motivator for some witches." Vinny sighed.
"One last thing, can I have their phone numbers too? I...want to start reaching out. I've begun to research how to break my curse now that I can read French and Latin. I want them to be there, despite everything I can only vaguely feel once happened."
There was a slight hesitation. "Elijah?"
"Of course. You're their omega too. Just please be cautious with Niklaus. He is... dangerous." Vinny wrinkled her brow at this, stopping mid-note.
"Alright. Oh, I forgot! I do have a favor to ask of you." Vinny blushed a little. That's two more questions. He waited, patient as ever. "Can you go to my house and gather my nonna's notes on the curse? You'll need to tell Clove I sent you. Her ghost is still guarding the place. Just tell her you know she lost her toe to a bike pedal. She'd know you got it from me."
Elijah chuckled. "I think I'll be alright, Vincent."
x
Vinny stared at the phone numbers, wondering if she was really going to tempt fate like this before pushing the text off her screen and going back to her translating of the grimoire. As she was in the middle of this, there was a knock at her door and she looked up to see Jeremy standing there with his arms crossed a little uncomfortably. "I meant what I said when I told you that you were welcome to stay for however long you needed."
"I'm sensing a 'but' here. What's up?" Vinny swiveled to face him in her chair.
"Well, I think for my sister's sake I'd like you to try and forgive Damon. It's a big step, I know. But he's changed, and has been at home moping in guilt the entire time you've been here. My sister worries for her husband." Vinny felt a ball of unease rising in her throat.
"Alright, Jeremy. For you and Bonnie, I'll go. But..." Vinny bit her lip, glancing at the spell she'd been reading. "For what it's worth, I think it's about time for me to go home anyway. Back to the French Quarter."
"Fantastic. He's waiting outside."
x
The car ride was awkward. Quiet and awkward. Damon spoke first. "I've been researching a lot lately."
"Mhm?" Vinny kept one hand clenched on the alpha mace. "About what?"
"Well first about the fact you and your line are descended from mine, stemming from a half sibling I had and never knew." He hesitated. "Then I learned what I could about Chase's family and her life." Vinny's strained smile tightened as she struggled to hold onto her facade of polite interest. "I'm sorry." He added, to the end of his statement. "I am still making amends to this day for the horrid things I did."
Vinny decided to change the subject. "It's not like I fully remember how Chase died."
"I tried to turn you, you know. I didn't just watch you gurgle your last." Damon gave her a worried glance. "It...had an unexpected effect." Vinny's blood ran cold and her chest tightened as the very memory she'd just denied having began to fill her head.
In another time and another place, Chase lay on her back looking up at the night sky while she gasped and choked on the blood left in her throat. The man who had attacked her stood over her now, one hand frantically applying pressure as he poured something hot and metallic past her lips. Then Chase fell away and when she opened her eyes again, she was writhing and screaming in pain in some sort of old basement while her attacker tried to tend to her. It didn't matter. Chase's veins were filled with a burning ice that crept and stabbed through her veins as she thrashed and whimpered, eyes rolling back and-
"Vinny?" Damon had pulled over to place a gentle hand on her shoulder and she flung herself into his chest, gripping him tight and squeezing for dear life as she tried to get around the fact of the life-altering pain Chase had felt shortly before dying for a second time. "Oh." Damon was surprised by the hug but allowed it as Vinny shivered.
"I want my alphas." She said, feeling for perhaps the first time a proper omega. "I'm scared and I want them to protect me." Her voice was tiny. Damon stroked her hair and made soothing noises as she let this out in a sudden burst akin to vomiting.
"Well...I'll do what I can to help you get back to that point. Come on, let's get back on the road and I'll poke around in some of the things I donated to the school when we get home. You've been a Salvatore more than once. Surely there are notes on your curse."
Vinny reluctantly let go of the only alpha in the vicinity and pulled out her phone, feeling it vibrate. It was an incoming call from one of the numbers she had yet to speak to. Vinny swallowed and hit answer, still shaken. "Love?" It was a concerned young woman. "I felt your panic and desperation and I couldn't...I couldn't not check on you. What is it? What's happened? Are you alright? You called for your alphas...Do you need us to come up?"
"Rebekah." Vinny felt a flood of relief at the sound of one her soulmates trying urgently to soothe her. "I... I'm sorry." She whispered, suddenly feeling a very omega-like wave of shame at being so weak. "I remembered what happens when someone tries to turn me. It-"
Rebekah drew in a sharp, hurt breath on her behalf. "Oh no. Oh Vinny..." She almost sounded tearful. "Not again. Who would- You know what? Don't tell me. You don't need to keep dwelling on the fact now. What I want you to do love, is get somewhere safe and run hot bathwater. Then fill the thing with an unreasonable amount of bubbles. Then you're just going to calm down and enjoy yourself, understood?"
A little embarrassed by what she was about to ask, Vinny glanced at Damon. "Can you say it again with the Voice? I...I think that would help me." Rebekah obliged, repeating herself more forcefully.
"Yes, alpha." Vinny felt a burst of satisfaction at promising to do what she was told. "Does it matter what scent I put on the bubbles?"
"Yes, actually. Use cherry or lemon if you can. You were fond of saying I smell strongly of both. Then when you get out of the tub, omega...I want you to take it easy, alright?" Completely enraptured, Vinny nodded as if Rebekah could hear her. "I need verbal confirmation, Vin or I'm not going to be able to calm my alpha blood."
"Yes, alpha. I'll do the things you've said and I'll relax after that." Rebekah sighed a moment, taking in the voice of her soulmate and replied quietly.
"Vin I'm sorry you've suffered so much. I promise we'll save you this time or...No, I just promise. Go on now, love." Rebekah hung up, leaving Vinny with her rapidly beating heart and the faint blush crawling across her cheeks.
"Better?" Damon asked.
"Yes, I think so." She shot him an actual smile. "Certainly ready to try Elena's cooking."
Damon smiled back, albeit tiredly. "Oh, I helped. Prepare yourself for some Italian fusion cuisine."
x
Dinner was fantastic, and strongly reminded Vinny of her ancestral home. Elena was also kind enough to let Vinny borrow her bubble bath supplies and even got her some candles to light. Floating in the warm water, Vinny had time to think about everything in a more relaxed manner than she had for a week. She reached over to where her phone sat playing her favorite music and began drafting a text to the last of the three numbers.
Klaus, I'm going to work on breaking the curse. I'm sure by now you've realized that I've been speaking to your siblings.
Vinny wrinkled her brow, deleted what she had typed and went back to enjoying her bath. So far all she could remember of him was the time he had ripped Clara Simmons' arm off and killed her.
When she got out Elena and Damon played board games with her and indulged her with limoncello cocktails until Vinny, pleasantly buzzed, headed upstairs to the room they'd agreed to let her borrow for the night. It felt good to let go and forgive Damon and felt even better to see the weight lift right off his shoulders. His wife relaxed along with him, no longer so worried for his mental state. Vinny snuggled into the soft blankets and stared fuzzily at her phone. I'll try to text him again in the morning. I'm way too drunk right now. Vinny fell into another dream, again becoming another version of herself in another time and place.
x
Helena Booker struggled against the hands of the alphas mishandling her, letting out a sharp cry of alarm. "No, stop!" She bit and clawed, not wanting to pushed against the wall in a semi-public area. The jazz from the front of the club kept playing cheerily on, the band unaware of the sexual assault about to happen in the back. "Get off me!" She tried to scream, only to find her mouth covered by one large hand. Hot tears began to course down her cheek. Being an omega was dangerous enough, and Helena was a flapper girl on top of it.
"What did you expect?" One of the alphas growled, directly in her ear. "Dressing like that?"
"Times are changing my ass. If you don't want this to happen every time you go out, maybe you should put your clothes back on and get to work in the kitchen." Another rumbled. Helena shut her eyes, tears blurring her vision as she hoped it would be over fast.
The weight on her shifted and Helena prepared herself to be fully exposed. But then, the hand on her mouth was ripped away and Helena noticed the gurgling sounds. She let her eyes open to see a man has joined the others. "Oh you sad, beautiful creature." He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth as he kicked the bodies at his feet away. Helena blinked, not yet afraid of him. Not truly. It was no more monstrous than what the men who had been handling her were going to do. The newcomer cupped one of her cheeks while Helena admired his dirty blonde hair and darkly beautiful blue-green eyes. "Your alpha is here now, darling."
Helena felt the truth of this and relaxed against his hand, letting him lead her out the back of the club, wobbling on her feet as he helped her into his car.
x
Klaus was practicing his mournful piano refrains when his phone began to buzz from repeated, rapid fire texts.
Alpha. It began. Klaus' blood warmed in his chest.
Alpha, I'm scared. He felt the truth of it too, could feel Vincent Morselli's lonely and desperate fear clawing at his heart. Something in him growled at the wrongness of a terrified omega. I remembered how you and Helena Booker met.
'Oh no.' He thought, recalling as well the night he had prevented one of Vinny's previous incarnations from being sexually assaulted in the back of a jazz club, mid 1920's. Alpha? He could easily picture the heartbroken tone it was meant to be read with and then began to type back at last.
Helena made it out, dearest. Remember that. Nothing happened to her. I stopped them and swept her up to safety.
There was pause before Vinny began typing again. I've denied the feelings buried at the back of my head long enough. I hate this, Klaus. I hate it. I want my life back. I want my alphas. This is too painful and horrifying to do all on my own. I can't. Need my alphas.
Klaus hesitated before typing his response. Think carefully before you answer me, dearest. Once you've said yes, I'm not going anywhere. He hit send and waited a moment to let it sink in. Vinny sent back a single ? in response. Do you truly want me to come to you? Because I will happily meet you somewhere.
For a long moment she didn't answer him and Klaus felt the danger in his own words. It wasn't safe with the curse, he knew that. But the biological imperative to soothe her pains was almost as strong as the alarm bells prickling at the back of his neck.
Please. He felt her surge of hope at the idea working out and knew from that second he had been right. There was no going back from this. Klaus began to type out plans on where to meet safely.
I'm coming, Vinny dearest.