Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries, it's plot, or it's characters, only the ones original to my story. I make no profit from this, it is purely for enjoyment.
Author's Note: I haven't written fanfiction in many years and don't have much experience with it. However, when I went back to reread my other abandoned story, I cringed hard. It made me want to rewrite it, but then I decided to just start a completely new story with what I think is an improved concept. I'm really trying to map the storyline out ahead of time and with more attention to detail than before, so I hope this turns out better. I do work normal hours so posts likely won't be consistent, it'll just depend on whether I find the time and inspiration to write but I'm feeling good about it so far.
This story is focused on a female OC who becomes integrated into the Mystic Falls gang as a main character. There will be an eventual KolxOC pairing once the plot reaches season 3 events, so romance isn't the be-all-end-all of this fic, but it is a major part later on. The story will stick fairly close to the cannon plot and events with minor changes, with a few larger deviations further in. Please review and I hope you enjoy the story!
Cursed Blood and Bound Fates
Chapter 1
A wrinkle furrowed the brow of a teenage girl as she checked her phone.
Take your time at the fundraiser, and why don't you stay at a friend's house tonight. I'll be working on a project in the basement until late and don't want to disturb you since you have school tomorrow.
Renfri sighed, shook her head, and sent a quick confirmation back to her uncle. She tucked her phone into her back packet before continuing to swipe a sponge across a car sitting in the parking lot of Mystic Falls High School. It wasn't like him to encourage her to stay over at a friend's place; he didn't really comment much on her social life beyond asking how school was and if she was enjoying her chosen extracurriculars and friends. He did it more frequently when Renfri first moved in with him 2 years ago, but he's since lost his deep concern as she'd acclimated to her new life there fairly well–
Despite the loss of her parents.
Renfri Salvatore hadn't been very familiar with her Uncle Zach, and they still weren't close, but they had become comfortable in their routines and shared living space with her dog, Ash, at the boarding house.
She glanced over to a nearby stretch of lawn where the three year old Dutch Shepherd was stretched out on the grass, his silver brindle coat shining in the sunlight peeking through the branches of the tree he was tethered to. A small smile crossed her face as she continued to scrub. Ren knew she would have fared far worse after her parents deaths if she hadn't had Ash; she treasured him.
Her family had been perfectly normal and happy. Her father, Daniel Salvatore, was a trauma surgeon who was a caring and thoughtful father despite the crazy hours he worked. Her mother, Althea Salvatore nee Brooks, had been an animal lover and a veterinarian. Her mother had believed in giving children strong and meaningful names, so when she had decided on a name with a Scots-Gealic origin (her mother was adamant that she must have had Scottish roots due to her and Ren's copper hair and spattering of freckles) that basically translates to "warrior of darkness," her father relented as long as it could be shortened to nickname, and the deal was struck.
Her mother was the one who had insisted on getting her a dog, once Ren was old enough to take care of and train it well, in order to learn responsibility and compassion for animals. Renfri took this to heart and made it her mission to train Ash until he was the perfect companion. Of course, it wasn't easy, but eventually she succeeded after taking obedience classes and working tirelessly. She'd even decided to stick to tradition and teach him German commands. It was her father's idea to train Ash to act as a protection dog, since he was so well trained and a breed suited for it, so she worked with a special trainer to accomplish this as well.
Although her mom and dad had both led busy careers, Ren thought they had been good parents. They had regular family dinners, went on occasional trips, or just sat in the same room doing separate things but enjoying just being together.
That's why it had been such a shock when they were murdered.
Ren had been walking home from the local dog park when she saw the flashing red and blue lights illuminating the night sky. Her heart had stuttered for a second before continuing its normal pace, because there was no way it was for her house just because it was on her street. She'd assumed it was probably for the couple a few houses down that had been arguing loudly lately; maybe someone had called in domestic abuse. But the closer she'd gotten, the more panicked she'd become until she couldn't deny any longer that they were in front of her home.
She had sprinted the rest of the way with Ash close at her side, shoving through the crowd of neighbors on the edge of the lawn, ducking under the yellow police tape, and dodging the arm of the first officer, all while calling for her parents and getting no response.
The officer on the porch hadn't quite been quick enough in catching her waist and dragging her backwards, away from what was now a crime scene. She'd been fast enough to catch a glimpse of the edges of a dark puddle of liquid through the open front door. Fast enough to see the neatly groomed tips of her mother's fingers smearing the smooth line of the puddle's edge. Fast enough to notice the long strands of auburn hair disturbing the surface, staining them scarlet.
The police hadn't been able to pinpoint the reason behind it and so it was now labeled a cold case. There was no sign of anything having been stolen or the house having been searched; the only rooms that were disturbed were the living room and foyer where they had died. No evidence was left behind to determine who had done it. The only thing the police could conclude with certainty based on the forensics investigation was that there had been two attackers and that they had been quick and brutal.
Uncle Zach had been Renfri's next of kin since her father's parents had died before she was born and her mother had aged out of the foster system and hadn't known her family. He became her guardian and moved her a few hours further west in Virginia to her dad's home town of Mystic Falls. Her uncle had packed up his brother and sister-in-law's things and put them in storage, bringing Ren's things and anything of her parents that she wanted to keep with them. She'd chosen to keep a few simple but meaningful items close: her mother's perfume bottle, her father's favorite baseball cap, his old college hoodie, family photos, and, most importantly, her mother's ring. It was an old, silver band with a simple yet elegant design etched around its circumference and was very worn. She wore it on a thin chain around her neck, tucked into her shirt, to keep it close.
The sharp bark from Ash jarred her from her memories, making Ren realize she had been washing the same window for a few minutes. She glanced over and saw his eyes tracking a squirrel that was scrambling up a nearby tree and rolled her eyes. Turning back to the task at hand, Ren hastened to start rinsing the car off, letting her thoughts wander back to her Uncle's odd text.
These past few weeks he had seemed somewhat tense, perhaps because he now had two teenagers to mind. Stefan Salvatore, Zach had explained, was Ren's second cousin and had moved in to stay for a while, though he normally lived with his older brother elsewhere. Said older brother, Damon, had recently joined them as well, which seemed to ratchet Uncle Zach's tension up to a ten.
Renfri could see why the young man might be off putting, with his arrogant swagger and intense blue eyes that always seemed to challenge and mock Zach whenever they were aimed at him. Though Stefan immediately showed himself to be a bit reserved and brooding, he looked at Ren with kind yet pitying eyes. Damon only seemed to observe her (and her dog) with amusement and condescension, adding in the occasional sarcastic remark that was capable of either irritating her or pulling a laugh from her lips.
Renfri had seen Damon with Caroline Forbes on multiple occasions, and when she had questioned her friend Elena Gilbert on the matter, she'd seemed mildly concerned judging by the small furrow of her brows. However, she'd shrugged it off saying that they didn't seem serious and it probably wouldn't last, so Renfri was reassured. Although she appreciated Damon's biting humor and found amusement in his blatant teasing of his little brother, he seemed like he would be a shitty boyfriend. Especially to someone like Caroline who was, to put it bluntly, shallow and a bit desperate in the boy department, making her a doormat for any hot guy who showed her attention.
The red-head tucked a loose lock of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear and considered…she hadn't seen Damon in a few days. Stefan had mentioned that his brother was going out of town for a while, but Ren had seen Stefan moving Damon's electric blue Camaro into one of the garages the other day, so how could he have left?
Was Stefan lying about something? And why was Zach trying to keep her out of the house?
Renfri shook her head and hurriedly moved to the next car to clean. Ever since Stefan and Damon came to stay, it's had her Uncle Zach on edge, creating this constant tension and she can't help but feel like they're all keeping something from her and are in on it together, though not quite on the same page. She'd have to get to the bottom of it later when she went back to the boarding house with the excuse of packing an overnight bag and dropping off Ash for the night; she'll confront him then.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Night had fallen and Renfri was back in her t-shirt, jean shorts, and sneakers as she drove herself and Ash back to the boarding house, having just finished cleaning up from the "Sexy Suds Carwash" fundraiser (was that appropriate for high schoolers to be doing? Probably not).
It was time to talk to Zach.
She pulled into the driveway and parked off to one side of the circular driveway, letting Ash out first before heading for her bags.
"Go ahead, boy, do your business."
Instead of exploring the yard for new smells and relieving himself like usual, Ash barked and dashed towards the dog flap Zach had installed in one of the side doors that stays locked. The pale, freckled girl rolled her eyes and followed after her furry companion at a much slower pace through the front door. As she dropped her things in the doorway to the den, she looked around, not finding the dog that had just bolted in there.
She frowned, then raised her voice, "Uncle Zach, did you see where Ash ran to?"
Silence.
He must not have been home…but his car was by the garage? "Uncle Zach?" she called out again, still getting no response.
She began to wander further into the house then paused and called out, "Ash, gib laut!" commanding him to speak. His bark called out from deeper into the halls. She turned a corner and saw an open door that led to the basement.
"Gib laut!" she shouted again, and confirmed what she'd suspected; his barks echoed from the cellar, though she didn't know why. From what she remembered the few times she'd gone down there, there wasn't much beyond stone rooms with a bunch of old storage and what she guessed were old cells with Zach's little herb garden in one of them.
Ren quickly trotted down the stairs after the sound but came to a halt at the start of the long stone hallway. At the end, she could see Ash lying down, his silver fur reflecting the lamplight along with a pool of something dark on the ground peeking around the corner.
Renfri froze, then slowly approached, her breath becoming increasingly tight. As she stopped at the corner it all came out in one big woosh at the sight of her uncle lying in a small pool of his own blood, outside a barred door that was swung open, with his neck twisted in a way it definitely shouldn't have been.
She stumbled backwards, her back hitting the rough wall, and slowly slid to the floor as she gasped for air with her eyes wide. Ash came and sat by the girl's side, resting his head on the knees that were tucked up to her chest and gave a high pitched whine. She shakily ran a hand through the fur on his ruff and fumbled for her phone, managing to type in 911. She struggled to breathe normally as the operator answered.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"I need help," she breathed, "I think my uncle's dead. Please send someone!" Her voice pitched up as her throat squeezed tightly around the air coming out. She couldn't take her eyes from the puddle of red laying under ripped flesh.
"Don't worry sweetie, we'll send an ambulance and police right away. Can you tell me the address?"
She gave the address and described what she found as best as she could while trying not to completely panic. She hung up before she realized she probably should have waited on the line with the operator. Renfri was sitting in a daze when it occurred to her that she should tell Stefan, wherever he was. She shakily picked up her phone again, found his name in her contacts, and pressed call. Lifting it to her ear, it rang twice before he picked up.
"Hey Ren, I'm almost home, is everything alright? You don't call me too often," he answered with mild curiosity.
She took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat, "Zach's dead, Stefan. I got home and Ash found him in the basement."
There was a pause. "He's dead? Are you sure?"
A dry laugh escaped her mouth and she snapped, "Of course I'm sure, he's lying in his own blood with his throat torn up, and I'm pretty sure his neck is broken." Her voice cracked, "What the HELL is going on, Stefan!? How did this happen?!"
Stefan sighed and replied, "I'll be there in a minute, why don't you go upstairs and wait there." He paused again and in the background she could hear sirens on the other end of the line, "Did you call 911?"
"Yeah, of course."
Another sigh, "Alright, I'll be there soon," and the line went dead.
He was right, she realized, she needed to get away and stop looking at him. It was just bringing back bad memories and she needed to try to stay calm.
She pushed off the wall and got to her feet, calling "Fuss," to ensure Ash stayed with her as she made her way upstairs. She had sunk onto a couch in the den with the Dutch Shepherd at her feet just as Stefan came in the front door followed by the sound of sirens and flashing red and blue lights of the emergency vehicles approaching. Ash leaned against me and kept his eyes fixed on Stefan as the other teeneager briefly checked the cellar then returned, slowly approaching me with caution in his eyes.
"Did you see what happened or did you just find him like that?" he asked quietly.
"I came home from the car wash, I was helping clean up since Caroline bailed, and Ash ran straight inside. I followed him to the basement, where I found Zach," she gestured in the direction of the basement, "like that."
Ren took another deep breath then looked him dead in the eyes. "Stefan, what's going on? Uncle Zach has been tense for weeks now, he tried to get me to stay at a friend's house tonight, which he's never done, then this happens! Please," she begged, "I know it has something to do with you and Damon; you have all been cagey when talking around me this whole time. I deserve the truth."
Stefan stared at her for a long moment, then nodded.
"We'll talk, but not now. The paramedics and police are here."
From there, the next half hour was filled with Ren and Stefan giving statements to the police and waiting impatiently as the scene was documented and Zach's body was being prepared for transport to the hospital morgue. Sheriff Forbes had made an appearance, looking grave and expressing her sympathies. She worked the scene and left orders with the officers before leaving after getting another call on her radio about a fire in the old cemetery. Stefan told police that he would contact Damon, since he was the only other adult in the house. When he stepped outside Renfri could see through the window that throughout the conversation he looked deadly serious, furious even, before he finally pulled the phone away from his ear.
Of course, that was when Elena Gilbert arrived and got out of her car looking shocked and nervous. Elena saw Ren as she stepped out the front door, clutching her arms tightly, to watch them load a body bag into the back of the ambulance and take off. They made eye contact, Elena with raised eyebrows and Renfri looking like she was in shock.
Then she spied Stefan who had turned to face her after ending the call. She marched up to him and spoke in a frantic whisper, glancing around warily. Renfri couldn't quite hear what she had said but watched as Stefan's eyes widened before returning an intense stare of his own and replied quietly. They had a brief but tense exchange, but were clearly aware of others' eyes on them and trying to tone it down.
All of a sudden, Elena's body locked up in response to something he had said. She then shook her head and turned sharply, hustling back to her car. Stefan looked pained and took a step before he paused and looked around, deciding against following her just then. He turned to approach the officers again and seemingly convinced them to finish up and leave, saying that he and his older brother would deal with the paperwork tomorrow. The officers nodded and set off immediately, oddly quick to comply with his request. We watched their squad car follow Elena's down the drive before finally standing in the awkward silence that was leftover from the previous events of the evening.
He turned to Ren with a serious yet sorrowful gaze and pleaded, "Ren, I know we need to talk, and we will, but right now I need to see Elena first."
"What, are you serious? You—" she began to protest but he quickly jumped in.
"I promise I'll be back soon, but this is important as well," he assured her. His eyes watched hers and waited for her to reluctantly nod, walk back inside, and close the door before speeding away.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Renfri had huddled up on a couch in the den with Ash lying on the floor below her for about 15 minutes before the dog's ears perked and he sat up, alert eyes trained on the front door. A few seconds later, the teenager's broody cousin came in. He sat down on the couch across from her as she straightened in her seat and stared at him, silently waiting for whatever explanation was to come.
It was far from what she expected.
Stefan glanced at the bracelet on her left wrist that her uncle had given her a few weeks ago. He pointed at it and asked, "Do you know why Zach gave that to you?"
Her eyebrows went up and she replied, "He said it was an early birthday gift. Why? What does that have to do with anything?"
He shook his head, "It's for your protection. The herb that's in the charm is called vervain; it protects your mind from being manipulated by vampires…like me and Damon."
The girl sat in stunned silence for a full thirty seconds while he scrutinized her face which shifted quickly from confusion to disbelief to anger. Finally, she spoke.
"Are you fucking kidding me!? Is this a joke to you, Stefan?" she gritted out between her teeth and fisted her hands on her knees.
The other 17 yr old ran his hand through his hair before calmly responding, "No, this isn't a joke, Ren. It's real and it's serious. Damon and I aren't your second cousins, we're your ancestors. We lived here as humans when the original founding families settled here in the 1800s. Another vampire, Katherine, turned us into vampires in 1864." Ren was dumbfounded that he was actually going on about being a vampire, and in a serious tone, at that.
"You can't seriously expect me to believe this, can you? You're crazy." She got up and started to walk away in anger, but in the next second he was standing in front of her. She froze and gasped while Ash stepped next to her and barked a warning, "H-how did you…?"
Stefan put his hands out in front of him and hurriedly said, "Vampires are real, Renfri, and I am one." Even as she shook her head in panicked denial he continued, "Yes, and I can prove it. Look at my face and stay calm, I'm not going to hurt you."
She was still breathing fast when her hazel eyes watched the whites of his turned dark red and black veins surged underneath his eyes. Her eyes bulged and jumped down to his mouth where she could see the tips of both upper eye teeth had become elongated and sharp, peeking out from under his top lip. Her uneasy breaths became full-on gasps as she took a shaky step back and Ash began barking and growling in earnest with his ears flattened back on his head, paws planted firmly in front of his owner. Then Stefan's face changed and he took a step back while glancing at the canine guardian, looking perfectly normal again.
Renfri touched Ash's fur and muttered "Nein," quieting Ash who ceased barking but stayed firmly in a protective stance.
"Ren," he said carefully, "I would never hurt you. I only feed from animals, not people."
The shaking girl attempted to regulate the air going in and out of her lungs to a more normal rate, she couldn't afford to pass out from hyperventilating right now. Then something occurred to her and her eyes found his again.
"What about the animal attacks, were those—"
"Damon," he finished for her, dropping his hands to his sides, "he killed those people, not me. He feeds from humans, most vampires do, and he enjoys it. I choose not to; I don't want to be like that."
She eyed him momentarily then asked, "Do you…or, does Damon always kill the people he feeds from?" and Stefan considered briefly before shaking his head.
"Not always, but he certainly has no compunction about killing people," he warned. "I hadn't seen him in 50 years until he came to town, but based on what I've gathered, I'd say right now he doesn't care if he kills people. You need to be careful and avoid him as much as possible. I don't trust that he's here for a good reason and it's dangerous for you to be around him, family or not."
Renfri nodded slowly, her head whirling. She gulped and managed, "Okay, I guess I believe you. I believe you don't intend to hurt me and that it was Damon that killed those people. But what about Uncle Zach? Who killed him?"
Stefan frowned, "Damon did, but it was my fault that it happened. I had locked Damon in the cellar downstairs with Zach's help and was starving him to make him weak so he couldn't hurt people anymore."
Ren's eyebrows went up, realizing that this was why Damon hadn't been around and why she had seen Stefan moving his car.
Stefan continued, "Zach was watching him while I was gone, and he somehow got out. It looks like Damon bit him, but Zach was drinking vervain so he couldn't feed from him. Vervain is like poison to vampires; it burns and incapacitates us, as well as prevents compulsion of the mind. When Damon tasted it in Zach's blood it burned him, so he broke his neck and escaped."
Renfri looked away and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths at this revelation. Stefan's eyes softened and he took a step toward her.
"I'm so sorry that this happened. I tried to take care of him before anyone else got hurt, but I failed. Ren, I promise that I will protect you. I won't let him hurt you." He put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, pulling back again when Ash let out a low growl at the contact. The animal clearly didn't trust the vampire around its master since he had revealed his predatory nature so blatantly.
The girl slowly inhaled and exhaled one more time before looking back, seeming a little more stable. "Alright, Stefan. I guess…," she glanced away again, her lips thinning, "...shit, I don't know what to say." Finally, she decided: "I won't tell anyone about this, if that's what you're also worried about," to which he nodded gratefully.
"It's not just for my safety, but yours as well, Ren. There are people here that still remember that vampires exist; the founding families formed a council to protect the town from them and sympathizers in 1864. It's still around, so we'll have to be careful." Her brow furrowed but she nodded in acknowledgement.
"I'll keep your secret, Stefan, and please keep me in the loop so I'm not walking around ignorant about these things; I'd rather know so I can deal with it in my own way, if it comes to it."
He nodded, "Sure, I can do that, you deserve as much."
Renfri finally felt her heart rate returning close to normal, though not quite. "I'm going to feed Ash then go to bed, I'm exhausted," she muttered and turned for the hallway.
"Wait," Stefan called. She half-turned and raised an eyebrow warily. "You should be aware, Elena knows what I am, she came here tonight to confront me about it."
Ren's eyebrows shot up, "You told her?"
He shook his head though and said, "No, she put the pieces together on her own and wanted answers directly from me. She isn't taking it well, though. I'm hoping I can talk to her tomorrow once she's had time to process it." He paused, looking down then back up before adding, "If she's willing to talk, do you want to join us? It might help you feel less…alone in this."
She considered it carefully before nodding, "Okay, just let me know in the morning…I think I need tonight to process as well, honestly."
He nodded again and mumbled, "Of course."
She turned and continued on to the kitchen, with Ash quick to follow behind with his ears swiveled to keep tabs on the newly revealed teenage vampire.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
As his (however many greats) niece left the den, Stefan allowed himself to breathe a little easier. It had gone better than he expected, honestly, considering she had found Zach's dead body and hadn't completely lost it when he revealed who did it and why. He figured he should leave her alone for now and give her some space to come to terms with it all. He would go hunting before turning in for the night, he decided, and slipped out a side door and into the woods.
Soon after, the front door opened and in waltzed Damon, looking far less gray and pasty than when he had left the boarding house hours earlier. As he stepped into the foyer, he smirked as he tuned in to the sounds in the kitchen; the bits of dog food clinking into the metal dish, the normally relaxed teenage girl forcing herself to take deep, steady breaths but failing when they stuttered into a wet sob.
He heard the whispered, "What the fuck?…Vampires are real and I'm living with them, related to them." Another harsh breath was forced out of her mouth in dry amusement while she sat on the floor of the kitchen with her dog, "this is insane…but it's fucking real."
Damon rolled his eyes, inferring that Stefan had let the cat out of the bag. The fact that the girl hadn't run away screaming was either a point in Stefan's favor for his attempts in persuading her to trust him or it was a strikingly clear indication of the girl's naivety and lack of self-preservation. He decided to keep an eye on her, it could be interesting to see how it played out.
Damon smirked to himself when he heard footsteps coming back down the hall from the kitchen. By the time she turned the corner and headed for the stairs, he was already gone.
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