AN 2022: Surprise! With the revamp of this fic means moving shit around and making things better. Which means changing the prologue from 3 parts to 4. I'm hoping after this "major" change in the original that it'll be smooth sailing…but who knows. Not me, I'm a chaotic mfer.
Mystic Falls; 1912
Eibhlín gasped in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the cool and misty morning air as quickly as she could.
"Easy." Eibhlín sat up quickly, her head snapping towards whoever was speaking to her in a calm and low voice. Damon was sitting on a tree stump, already getting up. Eibhlín grabbed her head from the sudden pain of just sitting up. "I warned you." Damon muttered with a soft chuckle, walking over and kneeling beside her. Eibhlín looked around, confused.
The two were in the woods…but Eibhlín could have sworn she and Damon had made it back to her house…Maybe Eibhlín tripped from her twisted ankle and knocked herself out. Eibhlín looked down at her ankle, seeing that it wasn't swollen anymore…and without a shoe. Eibhlín's brows furrowed as she looked at her other foot, seeing that it was also without a shoe. Eibhlín tried to remember where her shoes were. Her twisted ankle didn't feel swollen; it didn't even hurt. Eibhlín gasped again, this time because she was in her nightgown.
"I am in me nightgown!" Eibhlín exclaimed, feeling more exposed than she wanted to in the company of Damon. Damon raised an eyebrow back at her before dramatically averting his eyes.
"The scandal." Damon teased, keeping a hand over his eyes to better help the theatrics. Eibhlín glared back at him as he stood up.
"What…what happened?" Eibhlín asked hesitantly as Damon held his hand down for her to take. Eibhlín took it and hoisted herself up. Pain shot through her skull almost instantly when she was standing up, making her stumble from the dizziness. Damon's arm wrapped around her waist quickly, thinking she may fall from the light-headedness.
"You do not remember?" Damon questioned after a moment, keeping Eibhlín tightly in his arms to keep her from falling. Eibhlín only shook her head, shutting her eyes tightly to try and suppress the headache that had suddenly taken over. "Do you know who I am?" Damon continued his questioning, still keeping her close.
"Of course I do, Mister Salvatore." Eibhlín barked back irritably, rubbing her temples to soothe the pain, which seemed to help. Eibhlín groaned, blinking a few times before looking up at Damon and gently pushing herself away from him. A blush ran up her neck. She was in her nightgown and being held by a man in the early hours of the morning in the woods. If her father would see her…When Eibhlín moved from Damon, the fabric of her nightgown caught something underneath the nightgown. Eibhlín looked down and touched the fabric of her nightgown, realizing that she had her purple dress under the nightgown. "And I remember leavin' me house…and Sage and…" Eibhlín began to explain her night and what she could remember of it. Some fragments were missing, but Eibhlín couldn't understand why.
"What do you not remember?" Damon wondered, still acting as if Eibhlín were the dangerous one. Eibhlín stared back at him and breathed out a laugh.
"How am I supposed ta remember what I have forgotten?" Eibhlín sassed back, putting her hands on her hips. Damon rolled his eyes, holding out his arm for her to take. "I do not know where me shoes are, I do not know where we are, and…" Eibhlín began, nearly laughing at her own lack of memories, as well as Damon's arm. As if the two were good friends and not a human and a vampire in the middle of the dark woods…Eibhlín's head throbbed from her lack of memories as the two began to walk through the woods with their arms linked.
"And?" Damon probed, glancing over at her cautiously. Eibhlín scrunched her face, willing herself to remember more of the night that she was apparently forgetting…
"Well…I must have made it home if I am in me nightgown…" Eibhlín theorized, grabbing the bottom of her nightgown and lifting it up slightly as the two walked, letting the purple dress breathe. Eibhlín looked at the little bits of the purple dress she could see, remembering where the blood came from…but not the dirt that was covering her nightgown. "Me father…he was furious." Eibhlín continued, remembering that the two had made it back to her home, and even got to her room, allowing her a few moments to throw Damon into the closet and her nightgown over her purple dress. Her memories became fuzzy and blurred after. Eibhlín shook her head. "I can not…remember anythin' else after I trew ya in de closet." Eibhlín admitted, feeling a sense of dread wash over her from her lack of memories. Damon's silence wasn't helping her anxious mind. "What happened?" Eibhlín asked the question again, looking at Damon for answers. Damon looked over at her hesitantly, which only made Eibhlín's fears cloud her mind. "Damon." Eibhlín demanded, stopping the two from walking. Damon let out a sigh, looking back down to Eibhlín fully. "What happened?" Eibhlín nearly pleaded.
"You are capable of walking, yes?" Damon pondered aloud, not realizing the two had been walking until Eibhlín stopped them. Eibhlín nodded quickly, hoping he would answer her question. "Good. Then I will do my best to explain everything when we get there." Damon concluded, beginning to walk once more, Eibhlín's arm still in his. Eibhlín remained silent for a moment. She doubted he would tell her where they were going if he wouldn't even tell her what had happened. The longer the two walked in the woods, the more sore Eibhlín's feet became, as well as the colder they became.
"Where are me shoes?" Eibhlín wondered out loud, watching her bare feet as she walked, trying not to step on any sharp sticks or pine needles. Damon raised an eyebrow back down at her, looking at her feet as well.
"Not on your feet, I presume." Damon stated seriously, watching as Eibhlín glared up at him for his smart remark. "Do you wish for me to carry you again, my queen?" Damon teased as he let go of her arm and hopped over a fallen tree, turning and extending both of his arms out for her. Eibhlín folded her arms, staring back at him.
"I am quite capable." Eibhlín snapped back. Damon raised his hands up defensively before he began walking again. Eibhlín quickly hopped over the fallen tree and followed behind him as quickly as she could.
The two continued walking in silence with Damon leading a few paces ahead of Eibhlín. Occasionally, Damon would glance back to Eibhlín and make sure she was still following, which she was, if not right behind, but a few steps back. Eibhlín cursed under her breath at his long legs. Eibhlín was used to keeping up with her taller family, but she was also used to having shoes on, which helped. Eibhlín's feet were beginning to hurt and for a moment, she wished she took Damon up on his offer to carry her. Eibhlín's memory was fuzzy, but it seemed to be coming back in chronological order. Damon had to follow her when they found a path between the Lockwood's and her own home. Eibhlín did hurt her ankle…but it wasn't in any pain…Maybe Stefan's blood had just taken longer to heal her ankle for whatever reason…Eibhlín nearly bumped into Damon, not realizing he had stopped. Eibhlín let out an annoyed huff.
"Why are we stop-"
"Shh." Damon shushed her, looking around a small clearing. Eibhlín shut her mouth quickly, looking around the small clearing, seeing a patch of dirt that looked as if it had been dug up recently. Eibhlín looked back up to Damon tentatively, unsure of what he was doing, or listening for. After a moment, Damon seemed to relax. "Come on." Damon muttered, already beginning to walk away from the clearing. Eibhlín took one last look at the clearing before quickly catching up to Damon.
"Damon," Eibhlín called his name, trying to walk beside him. Damon finally slowed so the two were by one another and he looked down at her. "Am I allowed ta know where yer leadin' me?" Eibhlín asked. Damon stared down at her.
"It is a safe place." Damon stated casually as he continued walking. Eibhlín breathed out an irritated breath as she picked up her pace to keep up with him.
"Dat does not indicate where dis place is." Eibhlín grumbled as the two walked out from the treeline and onto a small, shady beat-up road. Eibhlín stopped for a moment, looking at the small pebbles and rocks that littered the road. "Wha-" Eibhlín was able to get out before she gasped. Damon had picked her up. Eibhlín glared back at him.
"Well, I thought since you were so keen on consummating a marriage with me…" Damon purred back, making Eibhlín's eyes widen. Damon only cackled at her response. "Oh, Evie, you should have seen your face." Damon laughed, making Eibhlín punch his shoulder. "Ouch!" Damon hissed through a laugh. Eibhlín folded her arms and huffed. "Oh, come now, do not pout, my queen." Damon teased as he continued walking down the road. "If you were truly upset about the fact that we will not be consummating a marriage, we could always practice." Damon continued to tease, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Eibhlín's face grew hotter at the idea.
"You are insufferable." Eibhlín groaned, looking forward. Damon continued to laugh as he walked into a sunlit part of the road. Eibhlín squinted, looking at a small wooden house just up the road, but put a hand over her eyes to block out some of the sun. "It is a little bright dis mornin', aye?" Eibhlín muttered aloud, trying to blink and adjust her eyes to the bright sun. What time was it anyway? Eibhlín was sure it couldn't be that late in the day for the sun to be so bright…Damon's breath seemed to catch at Eibhlín's statement. Eibhlín tried to look back at him, cocking her head slightly in confusion. Eibhlín blinked a few more times, realizing that Damon must have used his vampire speed to get under the porch's shade. "I was ta believe dat vampires do not burn in de sunlight." Eibhlín stated as Damon placed her onto the small porch.
"Yes…well…" Damon trailed off hesitantly, looking around at the road before turning back to Eibhlín. "There is something I should tell you, but you need to stay here for a moment." Damon explained quickly, holding up his hand to indicate that he wanted her to stay where she was before he opened the door to the house and walked in, leaving Eibhlín standing confused.
"De Salvatore's do not like ya in deir fancy mansion?" Eibhlín called into the house, looking around at what she could see of the house. It was small and shabby, but there was furniture inside that didn't look dusty. Damon had disappeared around a corner and Eibhlín couldn't see him. "Is dere a reason ya want me ta stay outside and not inside?" Eibhlín shouted, taking a step closer to the door as it swung lightly in the breeze. Eibhlín let out an annoyed sigh. She was just going to walk in. It was a chilly morning. Before Eibhlín could walk through the threshold of the house, she stopped. Eibhlín's brows furrowed as she tried to push her hand through an invisible force. "Damon?" Eibhlín asked, looking at her hands curiously before she tried to enter the house again, but was nearly forced back due to the invisible barrier that was keeping her out. "Damon!" Eibhlín snapped loudly, feeling irrationally angry at the trick he was playing on her.
"What?" Damon barked back, poking his head from around the corner. Eibhlín gestured at the door, exasperated by the joke he was playing.
"Do not 'what' me. What is dis?" Eibhlín hissed, gesturing at the door irritably. Damon walked back around the corner and looked at her. Eibhlín rolled her eyes, showing him that she could not come into the house by placing her hand up to the barrier and pushing, but not getting anywhere. "Is dis some type of vampire joke? Because I do not understand nor appreciate de humor in it." Eibhlín growled, folding her arms. Damon raised an eyebrow and walked over to the door, leaning against the doorway and towering over her.
"I suppose it could be considered a joke." Damon shrugged nonchalantly. "But I am not sure you should refer to yourself in third person, even if you are implying there is a joke." Damon continued with a soft smile. Eibhlín's brows furrowed in confusion as she stared at him, letting his words run in her mind multiple times.
"What are ya-" Eibhlín began before standing frozen in her spot. Vampire joke. Third-person. Vampire. "Ya cannot be serious." Eibhlín said, blinking rapidly, and staring back at Damon, expecting him to laugh. He made terrible jokes. This was just one of them…Right? "Damon, di-dis is not funny." Eibhlín sputtered, stamping her foot. Damon's once laid-back and casual attitude shifted to a much more sympathetic one. Eibhlín felt her heart practically drop to her stomach. "Ya are…ya are serious…" Eibhlín murmured, more to herself than to Damon. Shit. Eibhlín felt unintentional tears begin to blind her vision.
"I know it is a lot to…to understand." Damon began softly, handing her a handkerchief. Eibhlín reached out and grabbed it. Eibhlín stared at the handkerchief for a moment, about to rub her eyes with it before seeing a bloody pattern on it…single drops of blood that were together…It looked like the marks her mother had given her on her arm…Eibhlín looked back up to Damon, who was still looking concerned and much less sarcastic. A memory began to form in her mind.
"You, my very dim-witted human, will forget meeting me; as well as what I did to your arm." Damon. Damon had given her that same handkerchief.
"Ya FECKER!" Eibhlín screamed, making Damon jump as she turned, shaking the handkerchief back at him. "We HAVE met! I knew it! Ya complete and utter DICKHEAD!" Eve screeched, punching him in the arm as hard as she could. Damon rubbed his arm and stared at her as the realization finally took place. Eibhlín rubbed her knuckles from the pain.
"Such strong language from such a proper lady…" Damon tutted back. Eibhlín let out a frustrated yell, going to punch him again, only for Damon to catch her fist in his hand. "And whoever taught you how to punch needs a lesson. You will break your thumb if you keep it curled under your fingers when you ball your hand up." Damon continued to taunt. Eibhlín glared back at him as she tried to pull her hand back, but Damon kept it in place. "Eibhlín, I am sorry." Damon apologized quickly, wrapping his other hand around Eibhlín's fist, now having both hands hold her one. "I did not believe we would meet again…nor did I believe you to begin to transform into a vampire…" Damon continued, sounding regretful of his decisions. Eibhlín stared back at him as mixed emotions continued to bombard her.
Angry. Eibhlín was angry when she looked at Damon. So angry she could kill him with her bare hands. Eibhlín was angry at the fact that she had put so much blind trust in him to not feed on her when he had previously done so and made her forget. But mostly, Eibhlín was terrified of what the future held. Damon had mentioned how vampires' emotions were heightened, and Eibhlín was already feeling that effect…Vampires were also supposed to burn in the sun if they didn't have a magic ring as Damon had, but Eibhlín hadn't burned in the sun…Sure, it was brighter than normal, but where did that leave Eibhlín? Was she a vampire?
"What…What do I do?" Eibhlín whispered aloud, fearful of what the answer was. Damon stared back at her before letting go of her limp hand.
"Live forever or die in the next 24 hours." Damon said after a moment of silence. Eibhlín stared back at him, feeling her heart race. Damon looked back at her, his eyes softening as Eibhlín turned and leaned her hands against the small porch's railing. "I know what it feels like. That feeling of hopelessness…That nothing is ever going to be okay ever again…" Damon explained softly, walking over and standing next to her. Eibhlín reached her hand out into the sun, feeling the gentle tingling slowly turn to a prickling feeling…as if she was burning…
"How did dis happen?" Eibhlín questioned quietly as she pulled her hand back into the shade. "I do not…" Eibhlín mumbled, taking a step back, nearly tripping before Damon grabbed her wrist. With just the small action, Eibhlín was thrown back into her memories of the previous night.
"Séamus!" It was a cry for help. The pain from her ankles was becoming unbearable, but she had to get away from her father. His scream of anger filled the house. Eibhlín had looked back at her father as he began stumbling angrily towards her. If her mother couldn't stop him, she knew she would die.
"Da, stop it!" Her saving grace. Séamus was there to see what was going on, he would help her. He was her big brother and he would protect her from the beast that was their father.
"Evie?"
Before Eibhlín could make it to the stairs, the punch had connected and Séamus had gone silent. Her saving grace was not able to help her. But Eibhlín had made it to the stairs! She was so close; she could feel the cool air on her skin. She just had to get outside. Before she could even take a single step down, his hand had grabbed her wrist.
"Eve?"
"Now ya listen here, ya filthy little soith," Soith. A name Eibhlín was familiar with her father calling her, but this sounded much worse than usual…When Eibhlín was turned around to face her father, the smell of alcohol filled her nostrils and fear began to take over.
"Da, enough!" Maybe she would be safe! Séamus was back to his feet! He would get there in time to save her."Let go of me, ya feckin' bastaird!" Eibhlín had never sworn to her father before, but…if that was the last thing she could say to him…The palm of his hands shoved as hard as they could against her shoulders, and suddenly, she was flying."Eibhlín!" Eibhlín blinked rapidly, trying to pull herself from her memories as warm hands held her face. After a second, Eibhlín felt herself begin to hyperventilate as she was now sitting on the ground with her back against the house. "Deep breaths." Damon. Eibhlín took in a deep breath, noticing her hands were tightly digging into Damon's shoulders. Eibhlín pulled her hands back quickly, not wanting to wrinkle the material, despite it already being wrinkled from just her grip. "I said 24 hours Eibhlín, not one." Damon sassed lightly. Eibhlín stared back at him before letting out a laugh. Damon slowly smiled back.
"I-ehm, I am sorry…" Eibhlín swallowed a deep breath. "I do not-" Damon shook his head, stopping Eibhlín from continuing just from the small action.
"You should be sorry." Damon said seriously, letting go of Eibhlín's face. "I will not have such an ironic death…having you first be killed from a fall and for me to kill you by saving you from a fall." Damon sassed with a shake of his head as he reached down to help Eibhlín up. Eibhlín let out a small snicker, taking his hand and helping herself up.
"So much help ya were durin' my first death." Eibhlín sassed back, brushing her back off. Damon scoffed back at her accusatory tone.
"If I would have known that you kept vervain in your closet, I would have gladly helped." Damon hissed back playfully. Eibhlín cocked her head in questioning. "It is a herb. Garlic is a myth. Vervain is the nasty stuff." Damon shrugged.
"I do not wish ta die." Eibhlín stated suddenly, making Damon's brows shoot up in surprise. "Ya said dat I could die in 24 hours or live forever. I do not wish to die." Eibhlín breathed out, folding her arms to make herself more confident in her decision.
Eibhlín remembered her mother's warning. The Salvatore brothers were dangerous. But Eibhlín couldn't let her mother win…nor could she let her father win. If she was going to defy them both, she needed to stay alive…and the only way she could stay alive was going through the transformation…whatever that meant, and whatever it took.
"If that is how you feel…what is your opinion on revenge?" Damon mused playfully after a long silence between the two. Eibhlín raised an eyebrow back at him curiously. "Come along, Miss NicBranagáin." Damon said, picking Eibhlín up in a swift movement. Eibhlín huffed. She still wasn't used to being carried…but Damon was making her more comfortable with it. "There is a woman I would like you to meet. The revenge will have to wait until tonight." Damon stated casually as he began to walk with Eibhlín in his arms, swiftly rushing back to the shade of the woods to not irritate Eibhlín's sensitive skin.
"Do I know dis woman?" Eibhlín wondered aloud. Damon attempted to shrug with Eibhlín in his arms.
"Possibly. Marie Bennett is her name." Damon said, continuing to walk. "She is a witch and will make you a daylight ring." Damon clarified. "If you are to live amongst the living, you may as well do so in the sun." Eibhlín stared back at him, feeling a strange excitement enter her chest.
"Will it be as gaudy as yers?" Eibhlín sassed. Damon laughed, stepping over a small branch.
"I could easily let you burn instead, Evie." Damon quipped back cheerfully as he continued walking.
"I dink ya like me too much ta let me burn." Eibhlín chirped back. Damon scoffed.
"You know what? For that, I will find the gaudiest ring for you to have to wear for eternity." Damon threatened, not looking at her as he walked.
"Be nice ta me, I am dead after all." Eibhlín whined in protest, folding her arms.
"Not yet you're not." Damon sang back cheerfully.
"Ya are insufferable." Eibhlín complained with a huff. Damon only laughed.
"Pot and kettle, my queen." Damon cooed. If they were waiting for dark, it was going to be a long day…And Eibhlín didn't mind having to spend it with the insufferable vampire that was carrying her through the woods, despite having been able to put her down as soon as they walked into the treeline.
Eibhlín sat next to Damon as he looked around the tree she was leaning up against. Eibhlín stared at the ring on her right ring finger, letting the speckles of gold within the lapis lazuli sparkle gently in the moonlight that barely reached her. The ring was simple, which Eibhlín was grateful for. Damon had teased her about getting a large ring, like his own, but had returned with a small, dainty thing. The small circular lapis lazuli stone was centered in a reef-knotted silver band. No engravings and no large E in the lapis lazuli. Eibhlín was also able to meet a real witch, which was interesting. The woman wasn't excited to meet Eibhlín, as she seemed to owe Damon a favor or debt of some sort, but Eibhlín was grateful for the help. Eibhlín was also grateful for the new clothes she was given by Marie Bennett.
Eibhlín's purple dress was beyond repair; the crinoline skirt had been ripped out from under the dress, the bottom tulle and fabric were stained with blood and there were small rips in the lace on the back of the dress from the tree she had been thrown against. Marie had commented that some aspects of the dress could be used as scraps, which Eibhlín didn't mind. She didn't want to be wearing the dress anymore and didn't plan on memorializing the fabric. Instead, Marie being both a "fake witch" and a seamstress, Eibhlín was able to find something simple to be fit into while Damon went on a search to the local jeweler to find a lapis lazuli ring.
The new dress wasn't extravagant, and perhaps it was a little humorously ironic because it was technically a mourning dress. Eibhlín was just happy that it had sleeves. Eibhlín was also happy to have shoes back on. Although the previous night was a wave of emotions, Eibhlín almost thought that it all had to have happened for a reason. The funeral, meeting Stefan and forgetting Damon, the setup boxing tent, Sage and finally ending up dead at the bottom of the stairs of her house due to her father having murdered her…it all happened in such a way that Eibhlín knew it would never have happened if not the exact way it happened. Eibhlín looked back over at Damon, who was scoping the front of her house.
"If we are ta wait fer me father ta leave de house, can ya at least tell me what happened after I died?" Eibhlín asked aloud, leaning her head against the tree. Damon looked over at her curiously. "Me father does not usually leave de house until after midnight anyway." Eibhlín shrugged, looking over at Damon. Damon rolled his eyes before pulling out a pocket watch from his pocket to check the time.
"It is only five minutes until midnight." Damon stated, showing Eibhlín the pocket watch. Eibhlín now rolled her eyes.
"What, is me death a long tale?" Eibhlín sassed back, folding her arms. Damon sighed, looking around the tree again. "Do ya not have super hearin'? And super speed? I bet ya can catch dem if dey try and run." Eibhlín whined. Damon sighed before he sat back down beside her.
"Well, after I was finally able to get out of your vervain-infested closet, I had missed some events. Like your death." Damon said, gesturing to Eibhlín, wanting her to feel guilty.
"If I had known dat vervain was in me closet as well as de fact dat it's dangerous ta vampires, do ya really dink I would have shoved ya in dere? With me dad as angry as he was?" Eibhlín snarled back. "Now continue de story, ya baby." Eibhlín said with a snarky attitude. Damon tutted back, but Eibhlín nudged his shoulder.
"Very well, your majesty." Damon taunted back with a smirk. "I got out of your closet while your family was at the bottom of the stairs. Your father had already begun to wrap your body into a sheet while your mother was cleaning up the small pool of blood. Probably where your head hit and smashed open." Damon shrugged casually making Eibhlín shiver. "Was your father a-"
"Criminal? Probably." Eibhlín grumbled back, interrupting Damon before he finished asking the question. "And me mother was probably a big help with clean up before as well." Eibhlín said, leaning her head against the tree once more. "She was always so adamant dat dings be cleaned before we moved." Eibhlín continued, thinking of her childhood for a moment.
"Well, they did a pretty good job in cleaning up your murder." Damon continued, ignoring Eibhlín's silent reminiscence of her past, thinking for his own part. "I was able to follow them out to a little clearing. We went by it earlier today." Damon admitted, looking over at Eibhlín for a moment. Eibhlín's brows furrowed as she remembered.
"Where ya told me ta shush so rudely?" Eibhlín pondered aloud, remembering the small clearing, where a dirt patch looked like it had been recently dug up.
"Yes, that exact one." Damon chirped, ignoring Eibhlín's snide comment. "I was still pretty weak by the time I was fully able to catch up and see what was going on." Damon confessed, looking off for a moment as if remembering the scene himself. "Your father had just finished digging a shallow grave, barely even a foot under before he tossed you into the hole." Damon continued, looking back at Eibhlín with a softer expression. "It was not very hard to dig you back up." Damon said with a shake of his head.
"Why did ya dig me up?" Eibhlín asked softly. "How did ya know I would wake up?" Eibhlín continued, pulling her knees up to her chest. Damon breathed out a calm breath.
"To turn into a vampire, a human must have vampire blood in their system." Damon explained. "Stefan fed you some of his blood to keep you from dying from Sage's attack, which healed you of your wounds." Damon elaborated, tapping his own neck on the same side Sage had bit Eibhlín. "Minus your ankle, it would seem." Damon sassed, nodding down at Eibhlín's foot.
"Was me ankle supposed ta heal as well?" Eibhlín wondered, pulling up the bottom of the black dress a little, looking at her healed ankle. Damon gave an unsure glance back at her. Eibhlín stared at her foot, gently moving her ankle back and forth. "Ya did not know if I would wake back up, did ya?" Eibhlín muttered, still staring at her foot.
"No. No I did not." Damon shook his head, looking back over at Eibhlín. "But…something about you…Everything about you made me believe that you would not die without a fight." Damon chuckled with a smile. Eibhlín smiled, finally looking back up to him.
"So…how do I…" Eibhlín trailed off, trying to think of the best way to ask how she was supposed to bite, or feed, from her father. That was the revenge plan; Eibhlín's father killed her, so Eibhlín would become an undying vampire by her own father's blood. Damon looked back over at her with a raised eyebrow as Eibhlín made a face to try and bring out fangs. Eibhlín had felt a sharp pain in her gums as the two had walked back to the outskirts of her house from where her fangs were, but as the night became darker, the pain began to subside.
"You will need to smell blood first." Damon said through a laugh. Eibhlín glared back at him, folding her arms.
"Ya can do it without smellin' blood!" Eibhlín retorted angrily. Damon rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"Yes, well, I have also been a vampire for…oh, 48 years now. You learn with time, Evie." Damon teased, showing off his own fangs. Eibhlín stuck her tongue out at him, reaching and grabbing Damon's jacket pocket for his watch. "A little grabby, are we?" Damon sassed, placing his hand over Eibhlín's to stop her from taking his watch. "Am I rubbing off on you, Miss Evie?" Damon continued to taunt playfully. Eibhlín scoffed, staring into his eyes.
"Ya wish." Eibhlín muttered back, quickly snatching the watch with her free hand. Damon only chuckled at being outwitted. Eibhlín stared at the clock. It was past midnight. Eibhlín leaned over Damon, ignoring how warm he felt with how cold she was becoming, as she tried to see around the tree. Her house seemed…quiet.
"Do not tell me you are getting cold feet now, Evie." Damon muttered, practically into Eibhlín's ear. Eibhlín huffed back at him, shoving her hair behind her ear and sending him a glare.
"Of course not, Mister Salvatore." Eibhlín barked back irritatedly. "I will not let me father be what kills me." Eibhlín snapped, sending a glare back at Damon before looking back to her house, nearly willing her drunken father to leave. Eibhlín felt Damon staring at her before she pulled herself back around the tree with a sigh. "I suppose some days he is less punctual with when he leaves de house." Eibhlín admitted.
That didn't stop Eibhlín from being anxious. As the moon began falling, Eibhlín began feeling her emotions dampen…What was causing her father to stay in the house? Surely her death that he caused wouldn't interfere with his drunken ways…Eibhlín could feel herself growing weaker the longer the two simply waited for something to happen. Eibhlín wasn't sure if Damon could still read her mind, but he soon stood up, reaching and helping Eibhlín from the ground not long after Eibhlín's own thoughts of the time growing shorter popped into her head.
"Come on." Damon muttered, beginning to lead Eibhlín towards her home. Eibhlín followed, but with every step she took, it began to feel as if she had run for miles without a break. "Evie." Damon stopped in his tracks, or maybe he had slowed down with Eibhlín, but Eibhlín could only blink and see that Damon had both of his hands on her cheeks, pulling her face towards his. Even in her weakened state, a small warmth filled Eibhlín's chest. "You are not dying tonight, do you understand me?" Damon growled lowly and seriously. Eibhlín could only nod in agreeance. Damon didn't look mad, but rather worried…which only made Eibhlín's anxiety skyrocket. Damon quickly rushed the two up to the front of the house before he quickly bounded up the stairs and through Eibhlín's front door.
"Damon, ware are ya doin'?" Eibhlín hissed out quietly, nearly using all of her energy to climb up the stairs to the porch to get to the front door. When she stood in front of the opened archway of the front door, the same invisible force that stopped her from entering the house Damon had taken her to that morning was now stopping her from entering her own house.
"I will be right back. Stay there." Damon instructed quickly as he suddenly disappeared into the house by flittering away.
Eibhlín liked how Damon explained how vampire super-speed worked; in a manner of flittering about. Eibhlín ignored her wandering mind, feeling as if it was taking up her energy. Eibhlín leaned against the porch railing, desperate to keep herself from falling to the ground. What a cruel irony it would be if Eibhlín were to truly die. Her father would kill her in a drunken stupor, and her father would kill her again by not drinking. Eibhlín heard a low grumble from behind her. Eibhlín closed her eyes for a moment, ignoring everything that she heard and focused on keeping herself from dying. Eibhlín jumped and turned around when Damon had suddenly flittered through the front door with her father gripped around his neck as well as having his mouth shut by Damon's other hand. Eibhlín felt her heart race as she saw the anger in her father's eyes…and then he looked at her.
"Ei-Eibhlín?" Her father stuttered her name out as Damon let go of his mouth but kept his collar tightly in his grip. Eibhlín looked at her father, frozen with fear before Damon turned him around roughly. Even with Damon being shorter than her father, the big, burly man spun easily towards Damon.
"You are not going to make a sound. You are not going to run." Damon compelled the older man, practically snarling out the commands. Eibhlín watched her father nod obediently. Damon swiftly bit his neck. Eibhlín let out a gasp before the smell of blood hit her nose. The sharp pain in her gums that had nearly vanished was back. Damon pulled the man over to Eibhlín and smirked down at her. "You still need help with those fangs, veiny eyes?" Damon chuckled lowly, but Eibhlín couldn't process what he was saying.
In the next moment, Eibhlín had latched onto her father's neck and began drinking his blood. The more she drank from him, the more her whole body seemed to come alive. Eibhlín would have thought her father, being the bitter old man that he was, would taste differently. His blood did taste different than Sage's or Stefan's, but it had the same sort of sweetness to it. Did vampires have preferences? Human blood had always tasted like copper to Eibhlín, but when she first tasted Sage and Stefan's blood, it was different. Eibhlín barely noticed the pressure around her neck as her mind was flourishing. Eibhlín's eyes shot open once she realized that she was being picked up off the ground by her neck. Eibhlín looked down into the angry eyes of her father as he attempted to choke her. Eibhlín wasn't used to being so close to the man without being engulfed in fear, but as she looked up at the man who had his hands wrung around her neck, there was no fear anywhere in her body.
Eibhlín grabbed her father's wrists and pulled them off of her neck. For the first time, Eibhlín was able to pry his hands from her throat without struggling. Eibhlín's feet hit the porch. When she looked up at him, his eyes lit up with a slow realizing fear. The same eyes that Eibhlín had, only much darker…the same freckles that matched Eibhlín's only in their spontaneity. Eibhlín was her father's child, and as she looked up at him without a worry in her body, the disgust began to shift into humor. Eibhlín was now a monster. Eibhlín was now fully like her father. The slow laugh that left Eibhlín's lips caused more fear to enter her father's soul.
"Ailís!" Her father screamed, but soon, Eibhlín's near cackling drowned his call out. "AILÍS!" His voice became more desperate as he screamed louder, leaning up against the house, holding his bleeding neck as he slid down the side of the house. Eibhlín felt all of her emotions shift at once as she leaned against the railing of the porch to keep herself steady from the sudden onslaught of emotions. Why was she crying? Why did her heart feel like it was going to beat out of her chest? Why was she shaking?
"Eibhlín?" Damon. Eibhlín blinked back at him as he stood next to her, his hand slowly patting her hand as she held onto the railing. Damon didn't say anything else as he looked at her with worry. Eibhlín nodded back, taking in a shaky breath to try and reassure him that she was okay. Footsteps pounded in Eibhlín's ears.
"Ádhamh?" Eibhlín felt her heart race again, despite it having slowed down for a moment with Damon now by her side. "Ádhamh!" Eibhlín turned as she watched her mother run out the front door and kneel beside the burly man who coughed out blood. Eibhlín watched as her mother's eyes looked up and into her own. Her mother gasped, her hand going to her rapidly beating chest that Eibhlín could hear very clearly. Was that what Damon was listening to when the two were walking? "Eibhlín?" Eibhlín felt Damon's hand entwine with hers, but she couldn't take her eyes off the scene in front of her. Her father let out a wheezing cough. "Ádhamh, mo ghrá…" Eibhlín felt as if her heart was being squeezed. Her mother had only ever called her father mo ghrá once prior…and that was because her father was supposed to die. The first time Eibhlín had heard her mother say it was back when they still lived in Ireland when a sickness swept over the country when Eibhlín was only a child. Now, as her father sat coughing up his own blood, the endearment left her mother's lips once more. My love.
"Ailís, dese monsters tried ta kill me!" Her father hissed, still holding onto his bleeding neck. Eibhlín felt wood crack under her grip from the railing that she hadn't realized she was still holding onto. Damon's hand squeezed hers gently to keep Eibhlín a little grounded.
"Tried ta kill ya?!" Eibhlín snapped back angrily. "Ya did a fine job in killin' me yerself, ya fecking bastaird!" Eibhlín screamed, ripping her hand from Damon's as she took a step toward the two. Eibhlín froze when her mother flinched at her approach.
"Dat is enough, leanbh." Eibhlín stared back at her mother. "Have ya not done enough already?" Eibhlín stared back at her mother as Damon stayed where he was left. "I warned ya, did I not?" Her mother snapped louder and more forcefully. "I warned ya ta stay away from dem Salvatore brothers." Eibhlín watched her mother come undone, as her usual calm and strict demeanor was gone in the blink of an eye. "I warned ya, and look what ya have done, ya cailín dúr!" Eibhlín watched as her mother stood up, not bothering to wrap her robe neatly around her like she usually would. Eibhlín stood her ground, despite her beating heart. "I said ya would regret it fer de rest of yer life!" Eibhlín winced at her mother's volume as she screamed the words at Eibhlín. Every emotion had been heightened since she transitioned but Eibhlín hadn't expected so much pain to bombard her so quickly.
"Mother I-" Eibhlín tried to get out as her mother stomped up to her. A dark scar was on the side of her head. Eibhlín's heart beat rapidly. Had she done that? When she shoved her out of her way to escape her father? Eibhlín flinched when her mother slapped her, but the pain was not even bad, or at least not physically bad.
"I want ya ta leave and never return." Her mother snapped a lot more quietly as she stood her ground before turning to return to the side of her dying husband.
"Ya were no saint." Eibhlín spat out feeling anger fill her veins. "Ya helped him hide me body in a shallow grave." Eibhlín explained angrily, gesturing behind her. "Ya wer just waiting fer de day I died, waitin' fer him ta kill me." Eibhlín barked out, feeling her eyes begin to water as her heartfelt so tight in her chest as the words she had always wanted to say came spilling out. "Ya could have just left me in Boston. Maybe den, none of dis would have happened." Eibhlín snarled, going to turn before her mother whipped back around, digging her fingers into her arm and making Eibhlín face her mother.
"Ba chóir dom a bheith maraithe agat nuair a bhí tú i do leanbh." Eibhlín felt her heart nearly stop at the dark words that spilled like venom from her mother's tongue. "Ach tá do chinniúint i bhfad níos measa. Anois beidh tú ag siúl ar fud an domhain mar chréatúr undead gan grá do theaghlach." Eibhlín stared at her mother before she let out a sharp laugh.
"Níor thug tú grá dom riamh, mar sin ní bheidh mé caillte." Eibhlín snapped back, pulling her arm from her mother's grip. "Ya have no power over me." Eibhlín chuckled, looking at her arm to see her skin begin to heal from her mother's nails.
"Yer brother believes ya ta be dead." Eibhlín froze at the realization. "And as long as I am alive, he will never find out de truth." Eibhlín stared back up at her mother. "Leave now and never return and ya will still be de sweet deirfiúr leanbh he grew up with…and not de monster ya became." Eibhlín sucked in a breath as her mother turned and walked back to her husband. Eibhlín couldn't help but take a step back, missing the step down from the porch. Damon caught Eibhlín quickly, making sure she was able to stand on her feet. Eibhlín felt tears begin to fall down her cheeks.
"Eibhlín?" Damon asked softly. Eibhlín stepped back again, looking up at Damon and feeling far more broken than she wanted to admit. "Come on…" Damon said, nodding back towards the trees. Eibhlín nodded as Damon's hand entwined with hers and the two flittered away from the house. As the two stood in the woods, Eibhlín pulled her hand from Damon's and rubbed her eyes from the tears that were continuing to spill. "That could have gone better…" Damon muttered truthfully, pulling his handkerchief from his pocket and rubbing his own mouth, which Eibhlín hadn't even noticed had blood on it. Eibhlín stared back at him, not saying anything. "It could have gone worse though." Damon shrugged, walking over to Eibhlín. "Do you wish to know a secret, Miss Evie?" Damon mused aloud as he gently turned Eibhlín's face towards him. Eibhlín raised an eyebrow, wishing he would continue, as Eibhlín wasn't sure she could talk currently without sobbing. "I never wanted to become a vampire." Damon confessed as he wiped Eibhlín's mouth of her father's blood. "You were able to make that decision for yourself." Damon said, not sounding bitter, but not sounding happy about the comment. "That decision came from my little brother." Damon muttered, despite the trace of sadness that crossed over his face when he said 'brother'. "He could just not live by himself…" Damon mumbled, wiping Eibhlín's face without noticing the blood was gone. Eibhlín grabbed Damon's wrists and pulled them from her face, as they were becoming rough the more upset he was getting.
"I…I had an inklin'." Eibhlín admitted, thankful to be distracted by the ever rapidly changing emotions. "When I said I did not want ta die, ya had dis look on yer face." Eibhlín continued, remembering the surprise on Damon's face at how sure she was about not wanting to die. "Do you know any Irish, Mister Salvatore?" Eibhlín pondered, rubbing her face once more of any stray tears. Damon shook his head.
"I have heard it spoken, but I have not learned anything besides the basics…as well as words that are very similar to English." Damon said truthfully. "You seem to use the word bastaird quite a bit." Damon teased gently. Eibhlín huffed out a small laugh. Eibhlín knew Damon would be curious as to what was said when she and her mother spoke in Irish. Damon was the only person in the entire universe that Eibhlín would consider a friend…If she could even call him a friend. Was he a friend or was he a reluctant bystander…
"I knew she never wanted me…and she confirmed it. She said she should have killed me when I was a baby." Eibhlín began to translate the Irish for him. Damon's brows show up at the comment. "She said dat me I will not have de love of me family because I am undead now…" Eibhlín continued, ignoring Damon's shocked expression. Eibhlín sighed. "I am not fond of dese changin' emotions, Mister Salvatore." Eibhlín complained, looking back at him. "I had not realized how…heightened dey would be, nor de fact dat I would feel every emotion dat is humanly capable of within such a short period." Eibhlín grumbled at the switching of emotions. Damon chuckled.
"You wanted this." Damon shrugged with a soft smile. Eibhlín rolled her eyes back at him.
"I know." Eibhlín hissed, rubbing her temples, and paced a few steps. "What am I ta do with me family?" Eibhlín asked, turning back towards Damon. "What happened with yer family when ya turned?" Eibhlín inquired. Sorrow flashed over Damon's features quickly, almost too fast for Eibhlín to notice.
"My family was dead, so I did not have to worry about what happened with them." Damon shrugged casually. Eibhlín ran a finger through her curls to try and help herself think as she began to pace again before she froze in her spot. Damon stared at her, curious as to what made her stop her pacing.
"Séamus." Her brother's name was whispered aloud as she remembered. Eibhlín turned and walked up to Damon quickly. "I do not wish fer me brother ta know what I am." Eibhlín said sharply up at Damon.
"Your mother-"
"Said he dinks I am dead, yes I know." Eibhlín snapped hastily, annoyed that Damon would even interrupt her. Damon's eyebrow raised challengingly, but Eibhlín ignored it. "But I do not trust me mother. But…mind control…dat I can trust." Eibhlín muttered, thinking out loud as she looked up at Damon, expecting him to understand where she was going with her train of thought. "I…Ya can mind control-er-compel him ta not remember me, aye?" Eibhlín asked quickly, looking up at Damon desperately.
"Evie, I am not sure-"
"I know it is wrong, but I-"
"Eibhlín." Eibhlín stopped her frantic moving around when Damon grabbed her shoulders and kept her in her place. Eibhlín stared back at him. "I will handle your family's memories…But I will need you to stay with Marie while I do so. So she can keep an eye on you." Damon rushed out the sentence, practically seeing Eibhlín wanting to jump to conclusions. Eibhlín nodded reluctantly after a moment. "Now, take a deep breath." Damon instructed, taking a deep breath himself and letting it out slowly. Eibhlín followed. "And if I need to warn you, Marie is a witch, so do not try and cross her…or feed on her." Damon warned with a playful wag of his finger. Eibhlín rolled her eyes.
"I dink I can control meself just fine." Eibhlín muttered, folding her arms. Eibhlín tried to hear Damon's heart rate, but couldn't. Eibhlín didn't mind…Her heart would be a dead giveaway that she wasn't sure how well she would do as a vampire…But the thought of what a literal witch would do to her if she even tried anything made the worry a little less intense. It was going to be a long learning curve, but at least Eibhlín had an eternity to master it as a vampire…
Translations:
Mo ghrá- My love
Leanbh- child
Cailín dúr- stupid girl
Ba chóir dom a bheith maraithe agat nuair a bhí tú i do leanbh - I should have killed you when you were a child
Ach tá do chinniúint i bhfad níos measa. Anois beidh tú ag siúl ar fud an domhain mar chréatúr undead gan grá do theaghlach - But your fate is much worse. Now you will walk the world as an undead creature without the love of your family
Níor thug tú grá dom riamh, mar sin ní bheidh mé caillte - You never loved me, so I will not be lost
Deirfiúr leanbh- baby sister
AN: Hello! Here is an extra update for being dumb and not doing this earlier when it was ready. With present and flashbacks! Yehaw to vampirism.
AN 2022: Boarding house in lowercases cause im a bitch. Also, don't me for making things up. If you have a problem with the plot and plot holes, you can take it up with my lawyer. Also.
RIP Eve saying "Dinner and a movie, boys, I'm not some ditchable prom date." It's a good line, but no one can do it like Bobby. Anyway! Hope you don't mind the mix around! And if you do! SEE THE LAWYER COMMENT, I'm doing this for free and for fun and I love everyone who even looks at this thing. Anyway. I love you all! 5k to 8k!