Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rose POV

It had been exactly twenty seven days since Spokane, and Rose had considered suicide for at least twenty six of them.

The molnija marks she had earned felt like they were searing the back of her neck every time she remembered they were there, and even sometimes when she didn’t. They only served as a remembrance of how much of a failure she was. How she couldn’t even save Mason—her own best friend.

The guilt was like a barbell slamming down onto her chest every second of every day. The weight of it never got lighter, only heavier. Sometimes, in the silence of her room in the dead of night, there was a whisper in the back of her brain. It should’ve been you. You should’ve been dead, not him. Part of her thought that it was right.

The only person who semi-understood her pain was Dimitri. He often sat with her after practice and told her about his first kills, and listened to her talk about whatever she wanted to. He usually steered the conversation away from the goriest parts of Spokane, though. He only asked about her emotions towards the situation, which was a huge relief. Everyone in class only asked her to relive the experience step by step, chop by bloody chop. The talked about it like it was some sort of glorious feat. Maybe it was in some capacity, but it didn’t make it any less painful.

Mason was more than just a casualty of the ongoing war against strigoi, he was a person too. He had hopes and dreams and aspirations—ones that he’d now never get to fulfill. Rose was almost one hundred percent sure that it was because of her own missteps.

Every so often, she swore she was back there, sword in hand and blood staining her body as she saw the light drain from Mason’s eyes. It made her skin itch and crawl like her very being was trying to escape her physical body. Sometimes she thought it would be better if it did.

“Rose. Rose. Roza!” At the sound of Dimitri’s voice, Rose snapped out of her head and back into the gym she was standing in. She didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse.

On one hand, her mind was a vortex of grief and shame, but on the other hand the academy was nothing more of a reminder of her mistakes—the ones that cost Mason his life.

“Yeah?” She said.

She knew that she sounded dazed, and that was because she was. Every minute of every day felt like she was living in a fog. Like she wasn’t really real. Like nothing really was.

“We need to talk.”

Somehow, before he really said much of anything, Rose knew. She knew that he was leaving to go guard Tasha—and she couldn’t even be mad about it. She knew that he had better things to do than listen to her bitch about her problems 24/7—problems that were probably nothing compared to what he had on his plate. Plus, Dimitri had always wanted a family. Maybe Tasha would be able to give him one.

“You’re leaving.”

It wasn’t a question, nor an exclamation. It was a soft statement, one that held no resentment, or anger or malice.

“It’s not fair for us to have to be so close together, yet so far apart like this—especially not when you’re trying to heal. It’s only going to torment the both of us, and we don’t deserve that—you don’t deserve that.”

Somehow, a few minutes later, Rose had ended up on Dimitri’s lap as he carded a hand through her hair. It made her feel cared for—something that she rarely felt these days. It couldn’t last though. Dimitri was leaving. The one person who made her feel whole and complete—who truly understood her—was leaving her, just like everyone else she loved had.

Deep down she knew it would only be a matter of time before Lissa, Adrian, Christian, Eddie—and even Mia—realized the danger she put them in and left her too.

“I’ll be back, probably around graduation. I’ll be back for you. Just… if you find someone else, don’t let me hold you back, okay?” He sounded a bit choked up at the end. Rose didn’t know if it was because he didn’t want to even think about her being with someone else, or if he was just trying to turn her down gently and was trying to think of a nice way to say it. She put her money on the latter, because no one could truly ever want her like that. Especially not after she guided Mason right into a death trap.

Before she could think about it further, Dimitri gently grabbed her chin and tilted her head up to face him. He gazed into her eyes as he gently caressed her cheek.

“I’ll be back, okay? This isn’t goodbye forever. I promise. I love you too much to let you go forever.”

And then he kissed her. It was long and slow and passionate. And, for a second, Rose could pretend that she could have all she ever wanted. That her and Dimitri could get married, and stay together forever, and somehow have as many children as they wanted. That Mason was still there and would be a happy uncle. That she could finally be happy and free from the guilt and the shame and the trauma. But, like all good things, the kiss came to an end and the vision dissipated with it.

As Dimitri pushed her hair behind her ear, he gazed into her eyes. “It’s okay, Roza. You can cry.”

For some reason, as soon as she was given permission, she started sobbing so hard she couldn’t breath. He pulled her to his chest, and rubbed circles onto her back and sweet nothings into her ear.

“It’ll be okay, Roza. Just let it all out.”

They both sat there as she cried, and even after she stopped. They just sat in each other’s company, soaking up the other’s sun, because they both knew that it would be the last time in a long time.

Eventually, with one last kiss, they parted ways. He left for the airport, and she left for lunch. The second they were apart, they felt the emptiness that only the other could fill. And, they would feel that way for months afterwords.

Time flew by in a blur, and eventually it was March 21^st—Rose’s 18^th birthday. Rose didn’t really care, though, because both Mason and Dimitri were gone, and her life felt like it was falling apart.

No one really got it, though. Even Christian, and Eddie, and Mia had semi-moved on. But Rose hadn’t—she couldn’t. She was a robot, and Lissa was starting to get annoyed with her. She couldn’t understand why her friend couldn’t get over Spokane like everyone else could. She didn’t seem to care that it had been Rose who hacked the heads off of the two strigoi, who watched the light drain from Mason’s eyes, who told Mason about the strigoi in the first place.

Rose held no resentment for her best friend, because she knew that Lissa would never be able to understand, no matter how hard she tried. Even though it wasn’t her fault, the truth was that Lissa was a pampered princess. She was a Royal moroi, and just like every member of the moroi and dhampir races, the “they come first” mentality was embedded deep into her brain.

Adrian was sympathetic to her cause, and often came to visit her in her room, talking and listening just as Dimitri had. Adrian had come to realize that he and Rose would never be more than friends, and was more than content to be a friend to her. It was… nice to have a friend like him. Someone who checked up on her, and cared, and at least tried to understand. Sometimes she swore that they were more like siblings than anything else.

They were all sitting around a cafeteria table—Rose, Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Mia, and Adrian. Lissa was trying to plan a party for Rose’s birthday, and completely ignoring her best friend’s pleas for alone time.

“Why can’t you just grow up and get over it?” Lissa snapped. She was loud enough that it caused the entire cafeteria to grow quiet.

As the entire table gasped in horror, Rose quietly grabbed her stuff and slipped away. As she left, she could hear Lissa in the background. “What? It’s time for her to move on, and everyone knows it.”

Once again, Rose reminded herself that Lissa was just being Lissa. She was sheltered, and had no clue what it was really like being that close to a strigoi. To have to kill one. To have a loved one die by the hands of one. It didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, though.

So, when she finally reached her dorm crying and shaking and hyperventilating, she collapsed on the floor and wondered if her life was even worth living anymore.

Then Adrian walked in.

“Pack your stuff,” was all he said. She didn’t even think twice before she did.

Rose had known she needed to leave, to find herself outside of moroi society for a long time. Adrian was just giving her the permission—and the final push—to do so. She needed this—she needed to be selfish for once—even if she’d never see Dimitri, or Lissa, or any of her other friends ever again.

Once everything was packed, they left for the main office where Rose officially dropped out of Saint Vladimir’s Academy.

Adrian placed a gentle hand on the small of her back as he guided her to a brand new car. Her eyes lit up as she saw it, because it was her dream car: a black Hyundai Sonata. It was nothing fancy, but it was dependable and her favorite color.

“Are you okay to drive?” He asked her. She looked into his eyes, and a sudden determination filled her. She could do this. She would do this.

“Yeah,” she said. “I am.” He placed the keys into her hand and pulled her into a long, breath constricting hug.

Adrian had taken up training in the mornings with her, so she wouldn’t have to do it alone. It made him way stronger than he used to be. Plus, it was heartwarming, and it started to break the fog for her—even if it was just a little bit.

“The car’s in your name, and you have fifty-thousand dollars in your account right now. Go wherever you want, but keep in contact—and speaking of which…”

He opened the trunk and pulled a brand new iPhone out of it. “I figured you might want one of these. My number is already programmed into it. I’ll dreamwalk you every once in a while, but at least pick up when I call, please.” Rose launched herself at Adrian, and this time it was her turn to steal his breath with a hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered. He kissed her forehead in response.

“You’ll give them the letters?” Rose asked, looking up at Adrian. Her brown eyes were wide and teary. She knew that she’d see him again eventually—even if it were just in her dreams—but it still didn’t change the fact that she was saying goodbye to everything she’d ever known. It was hard, even if it was for the better.

“I will. I’ll wait for the cradle robber to come back before I give him his. I don’t want him thinking it’s a suicide note or something,” Adrian said.

“Don’t call him that.” She giggled despite herself, pulling back just enough to hit him gently on the chest before embracing him once more. “But thank you.”

“No problem,” he said. “Remember, there’s a stake in the center console, one in the glove box, and then there’s one in seat pocket of the backseat and one in your bag. And don’t forget to keep that ring on. It took a long time to figure out how to charm, and it’ll keep you safe from—”

“I know, Dad.” The snark was only half-hearted, though. Her eyes were still teary, but her heart was a little lighter. They hugged one last time. “I’d better go before everyone gets out of class.”

After they finished loading her bags, Rose slammed the trunk closed and walked towards the car’s driver-side door.

“Goodbye, little dhampir.”

“Goodbye, Adrian.”

She was halfway into the front seat before she heard him call out a “Keep in touch!”

“I will!” She responded, before she slid all the way inside and started the car.

She took a deep breath as she drove away. It was bittersweet, knowing that she was leaving he whole life behind, probably for good. But, at the same time, it made her feel more alive than she had in a long time.

So, as she watched Adrian wave to her as she passed through the gates, she realized that she was free. Free from choosing everyone else’s lives before her own, free from the inevitable brutal death she’d have faced if she’d have stayed, and free from the inescapable weight of Mason’s death haunting the entire academy’s campus.

A smile broke out on her face. She was finally free.

Chapter Text

Lissa POV

Lissa didn’t mean what she said at all. In fact, she didn’t even know why she said it. It had felt like a sudden wave of anger had rushed over her, clouding her mind to everything except a blinding, white hot rage.

After things had calmed back down and the cafeteria started to fill back up with mindless chatter, Christian turned to her.

“You’ve been using spirit again, haven’t you?” His tone was hard, accusing. Lissa flinched.

“I was practicing with Adrian before lunch.”

“Lissa…”

“I don’t see what your problem is—”

“You get angry, volatile and depressed after every time you use it. So believe it or not, it’s not just my problem. It’s the problem of everyone you come in contact with.”

Lissa felt her eyes start to water. Just like Rose, she quickly grabbed her stuff and practically ran out of the room. Before she could even think about where she was headed, she realized that she was on her way to the senior dhampir dorms.

She knew that despite how cruel she had been, she needed to see her best friend—and she needed to apologize. She had been so cruel to Rose while she was still trying to heal from everything that had happened in Spokane. Even Christian hadn’t completely moved past it. He was having terrible nightmares, and refused to sleep most nights because of them.

So, after realizing that she had absolutely no clue where the building was and running into the wrong one numerous times, she finally arrived at the lobby of the dorms. She didn’t know how long it had took her to get there, but it had to have been a while. The bell signaling the start of the next class had long since rug, which meant she had been running around for at least thirty minutes. Plus, the campus was huge, and she had to stop to catch her breath numerous times as she wasn’t athletic in the slightest.

The guardian attending the front desk looked up when she arrived, his face contorting into one of confusion.

“Princess Dragomir, aren’t you supposed to be in class?”

“I…”

Her words suddenly got stuck in her throat. She was honestly scared to see Rose, but she knew she needed to apologize. More than that, she knew she needed her best friend in general.

“Where’s Rose?”

Just like that, the look on the guardian’s face changed from confused and concerned to pity and a smidge of sorrow. “She was in her room, earlier. I’m not sure where she is at the moment, though.”

Lissa knew that he wasn’t saying everything, but she nodded and thanked him anyway. She had been surprised earlier when she found out how close the dhampir dorms were to the campus’s edge, but she was even more surprised to find out that there was no elevator in their dorms like there was in the moroi dorms.

She was also surprised to find how… decrepit the place was. There were cracks all along the walls, which were either cement or covered in faded, peeling wallpaper. Some of the windows were cracked, and there were cobwebs, dust and dirt everywhere. There was some form of graffiti in almost every nook and cranny of the stairwell and hallways—whether it was just a crude phrase written with sharpie on the wall or a full on mural that someone had created.

Most of the art centered around stakes or killing strigoi, and it was clearly done by students who were long gone. The dark ink of the marker was faded, and parts of the art had been crossed out or drawn over by other students.

The more she learned about Rose’s living situation at the academy, the more she realized why Rose always insisted that they meet at Lissa’s room instead her own whenever they hung out.

Finding room 206, she knocked on the door, only to find no response. So, she knocked again, and again and again. She still got no response.

Part of her wondered if she even had the correct room number, because the guardian had just said that Rose was in there. But, looking back down at the number written in her notes app, she knew she was correct.

Walking back downstairs, she walked back towards the guardian at the front desk.

“Excuse me, can you open Rose’s room for me? She’s not answering and I’m worried about her.”

The guardian’s gaze softened once again, pity still in his eyes. He rose from his seat regardless.

“Of course, princess.”

They walked back up to her room in silence, and he wordlessly swiped his keycard over the sensor by her door.

“I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” With that, he left her standing alone in the hallway, the door cracked open as Lissa’s hand clenched around the handle.

By now, Rose should’ve noticed the cracked door. By now, Rose should’ve been at the door. By now, Rose should’ve greeted her. Lissa could only pray that she hadn’t hurt herself or worse. With trembling hands she pushed the door all the way open, only to see that the small room was empty and void of all of Rose’s personal trinkets and belongings.

She knew for a fact that Rose had numerous photos taped to her mirror, ones that she had seen from the numerous mirror selfies that she had taken and sent over the years. So why weren’t they there? Why were there scuff marks and odd bits of tape stuck to the mirror, but no photos?

She carefully opened one of the dresser drawers, only to find that it was empty. She opened the next. Empty. And the next. Empty. And the next, and the next and the next. Empty, empty, empty.

After the shock faded, she collapsed on the floor, sobbing. Rose was gone, and it was all her fault. she had no clue how long she sat there, but it had to have been a long while. Eventually, she knew that she would have to get up. To tell someone so that they could find her. But, for now, she needed a little bit longer to sit and grieve.

Besides, she knew Rose. She’d call to check in, and Lissa could worm her location out of her one way or another.

After a while, her tears had long since dried up, but she was still sitting on the floor, trying to regulate her breathing. That’s when an idea popped into her mind. Adrian, she thought. Adrian would know where Rose was.

Luckily—or unluckily, depending on how she figured it—the same man walked in right as she was about to stand up.

“Adrian! I was wondering where you were. Have you seen—”

“Rose?” Lissa nodded vigorously. “She’s long gone. Asked me to give you a letter; the others too. I don’t think—”

She drowned out his words after that. She was gone. Long gone. Probably not coming back.

She snatched the letter out of his hands. It was pages written in Rose’s signature slanted, messy scrawl. Lissa had once joked that she always wrote like she was in a rush. Maybe, this time she was.

Lissa,

I know you’re probably wondering why I did this—the dropping out of school and bolting the fuck away thing—and I’m sorry for that. For running, for leaving you wondering, and for leaving you . But, in truth, it was for the best.

Everything here reminds me of Mason. The hallways, the dorms, the gyms, the fucking fountain for god’s sake. Remember when Mason, Eddie and I got in major trouble for hopping in and splashing around? You were there too, but only on the sidelines, and you got off scot-free because of it—and also because you’re a princess, but I digress.

Anyways, trust me when I say this has nothing to do with you. Yes, your words hurt me, and yes, I cried, but you didn’t push me away too far, or to do this. I hold no resentment for you, only love.

Truth be told, this has everything to do with Mason and Dimitri. (Yes, him. He was probably the only one who was able to understand what I went through the most—even though he still couldn’t understand everything).

He had been able to talk me through dealing with the guilt of my first kills—yes, they were kills, and no it’s nothing like an “elimination” like they tell us in school.

Lissa, when you kill a strigoi—even though they’re strigoi —it’s like killing a person. Yes, they’re evil, and yes, they’re trying to kill you and whoever the fuck you’re with at the time, but my god , Lissa. Besides the eyes, they look the same as a person. They talk like a person. And, even though they’re evil, they act like a person. And, even worse, they were people once. Maybe they still are, in some way.

Dimitri might not have been able to understand my guilt about Mason to the fullest extent, but he could to some of it.

Lissa, I love you (like a sister, because any other way would be basically incest and gross) (Don’t tell her, but Mia on the other hand…), but I had to leave. I needed to heal, and to find myself.

I’m going to be honest, the odds are that I’m not coming back. After everything, the last thing I want to do is take another life—even in it’s a strigoi’s. And, plus, I’ve realized that I can’t be the one to protect you like I should. What happens if I get sucked into your head mid-battle? What happens if I were to try to save another guardian from certain death, and not see a strigoi coming for you? What happens if I freeze or have a flashback mid-battle because of my PTSD, and I can’t fight for you?

So, yes, I love you. More than I’ve ever loved anything or anyone. A billion-trillion more times than I’ve ever loved myself. But, it can’t be me. It could never have been me.

I’ve only ever wanted the best for you. I would’ve gladly died for you a million times over. In any universe, any time, we always would’ve been sisters—bonded in some way. In any universe, I would’ve died with a smile on my face, just to know that you were safe.

This is me keeping you safe.

This is me keeping me safe.

I love you, and maybe we’ll see each other again. I hope we do.

All my love,

Rosemarie Ellenora Hathaway

Your Soulbonded Sister

Lissa read the letter over and over again, praying that this was all one big joke—an cruel, unfunny prank—and that Rose would come back. She knew it wasn’t, and it caused her complete and utter anguish.

She suddenly burst into maniacal laughter until she was crying—sobbing—again. She hadn’t even noticed that Adrian had left until Christian and Eddie and Mia came rushing in, with Adrian hot on their heels. He must’ve gotten them.

Christian ran right over to her, holding her close as she sobbed until she couldn’t breathe.

“It’s okay, Lissa. We’ll call Guardian Belikov. He’ll know what to do. I’m sure the front office has his number, and—”

“No.” Adrian’s voice cut through the growing tension in the room like a sharp knife. “We’re not calling anybody, and we’re especially not calling Belikov.”

His voice turned hard—disgusted, even—as he said the name of the aforementioned guardian, and Lissa couldn’t understand why. She was almost positive no one could. For some reason, Eddie didn’t seem surprised. Although, he always was extremely observant—so much so that sometimes she almost swore that he might be clairvoyant. It could be… creepy, to say the least.

“And why not?”

“Because Rose wanted to leave. After everything she’s done for you, Lissa, don’t you think it’s time to do something for her? To repay her? To protect her like she’s done for you for her entire life?”

“I quite literally brought her back from the dead, Adrian. If anything she owes—”

“Don’t fucking start with me, princess.” The bite of Adrians words cut her to the core, stabbed her like a knife would. But, what he said next would hurt even worse. “She never asked for that, she would never ask for that. Didn’t you see the letter? She literally told you she would die for you—with a fucking smile on her face, by the way—if it meant you were safe. She didn’t say it but if you had asked it of her, she would’ve killed herself if it meant that you were happy. And all you’ve done since she’s been stuck in guilt and shame and fucking trauma is bitch about the moroi prom and bitch about Rose being ‘different.’

“Newsflash, Lissa: what the fuck do you think happens after you kill someone like that—strigoi or not? What do you think happens after you watch the light fade out of your best friends eyes, and then blame yourself for his death for all of eternity? Did you know she hacked their heads off with a dull sword?”

Lissa’s eyes widened. How the hell had she—?

“You didn’t, did you? I bet that you didn’t know that she was catatonic when they found her. That the only one who could get any sort of reaction from her was fucking Belikov of all people. She wouldn’t leave Mason’s side, because all she was thinking about was that she had to protect the boy’s corpse from being desecrated—his fucking corpse. They basically had to pry the sword out of her hands, and tear her away from his body.

“You’ve been so caught up in yourself that you didn’t notice that Rose was fading away. So yeah, I got her out before—”

“YOU TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME?” Lissa screamed.

She knew that Rose wasn’t an object, and therefore couldn’t be owned or taken away from her like some toy. But, that was her best friend, goddammit. Her fucking guardian. How could he? How could he betray her like that when—

“I didn’t do anything except give her the freedom she needed. And, for the record, she was going to kill herself if she stayed.”

“No. She wouldn’t have. She couldn’t have even thought about… She would never—”

“I found a suicide note, and razor blades and pills when I searched through her room about a week ago. I took it all away before she could do anything. She got pissed, and then cried herself to sleep. She acted fine the next morning but I knew that she wasn’t—I still know that. So, yeah, maybe I did ‘take her away from you’ like you said. But I put her first, something you can never say you did. I mean, didn’t you only bring her back for yourself? So you wouldn’t be alone? So you would have her as your future guardian, because of how dedicated she was to you?”

“Adrian, I—” He ignored her, holding up a hand as if he was telling her to shut up.

“Listen up princess—and listen carefully—because I’m only going to say this once: if you tell Belikov before he steps even a toe back on campus, I’ll kill you myself, death sentence or not. And do you wanna know why?” He took a step forward, looked her in the eyes and got right up in her face. “Because she’s my fucking sister in every way except blood. And if you consider her as the same, you’d respect her wishes to not be found, to leave this world behind for good, and to put herself first for once in her goddamned life.”

With that, he stormed out of the room—and for once, Lissa thought that that he was right.

Chapter Text

Season 2 Episode 15

Part 1

Rose POV

After days of driving, Rose finally arrived at her destination: Mystic Falls, Virginia. From the pictures she’d seen online, it seemed like a quaint, charming, quiet little town. Which was exactly what she needed after all she’d been through.

She’d put a deposit on an apartment and registered for school electronically—because she’d be damned if she didn’t finish her schooling. She wanted normal, so she was getting normal.

Besides all that, she needed to find a job. While fifty-thousand dollars was a lot of money—more than she’d ever owned in her life, at least—it wouldn’t last her for the rest of her life. Especially if she wanted to go to college, which she did. Plus, once again: she wanted normal. Getting a job was a part of that.

So, arriving at her new apartment complex, she pulled out the two suitcases and a singular backpack that she had packed her whole life into, and walked into the lobby.

The landlord greeted her with a smile, handing her her keys without much fanfare or many words.

As she walked towards the elevator, a man came barreling towards her, face stuck in his phone like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He didn’t bump into her, but when she went to instinctively take a step back, she ran into her suitcase and started to fall. She would’ve, if the man hadn’t caught her.

When she looked up at him, her breath caught in her throat. He was gorgeous, with brown hair and a perfectly tailored, expensive looking suit. But, more than that, she felt like as soon as he looked in her eyes, everything clicked. Like her soul was merged and reformed with his somehow. Like her whole life was about to change, and he would be the center of it.

It startled her, but seemingly not as much as it did him. The expression only stayed on his face for about a fraction of a second, before a charming smile took it’s place.

“I’m so sorry to startle you. I really should watch where I’m going,” he said, helping her right herself. “I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new to Mystic Falls?”

She let out a shaky breathe, internally cursing herself for being so easily rattled. Old Rose wouldn’t have fallen. Old Rose would be more confident. But she wasn’t the old Rose anymore, hadn’t been for a few months.

“Uh… yeah. It’s my first day here.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I just moved here a little bit ago, myself.” Rose smiled at him, slightly relieved that she wouldn’t be the only new face in this tiny town. “Let me help you with your suitcases. It’s the least I could do after the trouble I’ve caused you.”

“Are you sure? You clearly have somewhere to be…”

“It’s no trouble, I assure you.” With that, he grabbed her suitcases for her, and started walking towards the stairs.

It had astounded her, that her whole life could fit into two semi-large suitcases and a backpack. But then she remembered that most of her belongings had been bought by Lissa’s parents before they died, and that the things that weren’t bought by them were bought by Lissa herself. Lissa only had a small monthly allowance that she mostly spent on herself, and Rose had never had more than fifty dollars to her name at any given point in time. Not before Adrian had so generously given her fifty-thousand fucking dollars. She’d never be able to thank him enough.

As Rose followed the mystery man, slightly confused as to why he wasn’t going for the elevator, he answered her unspoken question. “The elevator’s broken most of the time, so the stairs are typically the best bet if you don’t want to get stuck in there. To be completely honest, I wouldn’t even go in there if you think it’s working.”

Rose nodded as he opened the stairwell door for her.

“Thank you,” she said. “For the advice, and for holding the door. It’s nice to see such a gentleman in a world where chivalry is supposed to be dead.”

The man laughed, and Rose was pretty sure it was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard.

“I try to keep it alive,” he said. “I’m Elijah, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Elijah. I’m Rosemarie—but I typically go by Rose,” she stammered a bit over the last part. She wasn’t sure why she gave her full name—the one she typically hated—to a stranger, but it felt right that he knew. She didn’t know why, and part of her was a little bit freaked out by it.

“That’s a lovely name, although you wouldn’t mind if I called you by your full name, would you, Rosemarie?”

Something about how he said her name sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. Suddenly she wasn’t sure if she actually hated her full name anymore, because she could listen to him say it all day.

She stuttered a bit as her brain tried to reboot. She settled for a lame, “Yeah, totally,” as any other thoughts besides “Climb him like a tree” left her mind.

She swore she could see a faint smirk on his face after that.

“What floor are you on?”

“I’m apartment 307.”

It was dangerously close to her old dorm number, but she decided to try to forget about it. She wanted—no, needed—normal. The word forget was playing over and over again like a mantra as they arrived on the third floor.

“What a small world. I’m apartment 308,” there was a kind smile on his face as they stopped at Rose’s apartment door.

“Thank you so much for your help. I would probably be trapped in the elevator right now if it wasn’t for you.”

“It was my pleasure,” Elijah said, the smile still playing on his face. “Where did you want these?”

“Oh, sorry. I can take them—”

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t see this task through?” He joked.

Rose laughed, the first full, actual laugh she’d had since Spokane.

“Alright, you can come inside if you really want to. Just put them wherever—I’ll deal with them later. I’ve got to find somewhere to get food before I do all that.”

He dropped the suitcases next to the couch. The main reason that Rose chose this complex in particular—besides the fact that it was cheap—was the fact that it was fully furnished.

“Well, I’m supposed to be meeting with someone to tour the town and to do some research for a book I’m writing. If you wanted to come along, we could get food afterwards? I also have a few types of chips at my apartment if you want something to tide you over.”

Elijah looked hopeful, but Rose was somewhat hesitant. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the thought of Dimitri lingered. Like part of her was certain she her thoughts were making her unfaithful to a relationship that never really existed but was over nonetheless. But, then she reminded herself of Dimitri’s parting words, and how there was literally nothing going on between her and Elijah—yet, her brain interjected—and so there was nothing to be worried about.

“I really wouldn’t want to intrude…”

“Nonsense; what’s that saying? The more the merrier?”

Rose laughed again, before deciding to throw caution to the wind. “I’d love to. But if you really don’t mind, could I have a few of those chips?”

Elijah’s expression shifted to something akin to pride, which slightly confused Rose. She chose to ignore it and assume that she was reading it wrong. It would make no sense for him to feel prideful, of all things, because she accepted food from him.

“Of course,” he said. “Follow me.”

_________________________

It was a few minutes later, Rose was snacking on Ruffles as Elijah drove towards the center of town. It was technically within walking distance of their building, however they were supposedly going to be visiting places that were miles apart from each other—and Mystic Falls’s downtown area—and so a car was the best choice for transportation.

“So, who’re we meeting with?” Rose asked.

She was currently holding in a yawn and resisting the urge to fall asleep. Even with her starting school again in a couple days, she hadn’t full adjusted to the typical human sleep schedule yet. She wasn’t going to complain too much, however, because she was finally going to be able to be in the sun more often. The lack of sun was the main downside to being in the Moroi world. Well, that and a shortened life expectancy.

“A woman named Jenna Gilbert. Carol Lockwood—the mayor—pointed me in her direction when I first made an inquiry about the towns history.”

Rose nodded, another nod threatening to burst out of her. “I hope she doesn’t mind me tagging along.”

“If she does, we can leave.” His words were firm, final, and they woke Rose up in less than a millisecond. Because why did it really matter all that much?

“Elijah, it’s not that big of a deal if she doesn’t want some random high schooler tagging along to something that I wasn’t invited to.”

“You’re in high school?” His eyes darted towards her for a second, before focusing on the road again.

“Yeah, I’m here to finish out my senior year. I’ll probably take a gap year to work before heading off to college.”

He nodded, seemingly mulling something—or many things—over in his head.

“When’s your birthday?”

“A couple of days ago—March 21^st. I basically turned 18 and skipped town.”

For a second Rose couldn’t help but think of the academy, of Lissa, and Adrian, and Dimitri, and Mason. And, because of that, she missed the way that Elijah looked at her. Like she was the most precious thing in the world that he needed to protect. She didn’t need protecting though—she could do it herself.

“Are you safe?” Was the next question, after a moment of silence.

“I am now.” Was all she said in response.

She didn’t say that she wasn’t sure how long she’d stay that way. She didn’t say that she wasn’t sure how long it was until some Strigoi found her and tried to kill her, and ruin her new, normal life. She didn’t say that she wasn’t sure if she was going to get found, and dragged back to Moroi society, and be forced to play guardian again.

Elijah nodded, thinking again.

“If you need anything, I’ll be right there.” He cut the engine and handed her his phone. She was only slightly shocked that they had arrived already. “Put your phone number in.”

She hesitantly took the phone and typed it in, saving the contact as “Rosemarie (Best Neighbor Ever)”. He laughed when he saw it, and told her it was true.

She was pretty sure that this wasn’t how neighbors typically acted. Sure that normal neighbors didn’t get this closet his fast. But, then again, she had never lived in a small town before, only in big cities or in a gated boarding school.

Suddenly, he was beside her, opening her door. She blamed it on her zoning out, but she was positive that he moved at a speed that wasn’t possible unless he was at least a dhampir. But even then, it was suspicious. He didn’t look like a Strigoi, but she knew she could never be too careful.

Regardless, she took his arm when he offered. She was a sucker for the gentleman act, that much was true.

It didn’t take long for them to reach where a redheaded woman was standing. She couldn’t have been older than 25 years old, and was completely gorgeous. More than that, she looked not only kind, but normal. So nice and normal that Rose hoped that the woman would be open to hanging out with her again, even though she was barely 18.

“Jenna, it’s nice to see you again. I hope you don’t mind that I brought someone.”

“The more the merrier,” Jenna said, smiling. “I’m Jenna Gilbert, local people pleaser and grad student. What’s your name?

“Hi, I’m Rose, Elijah’s new neighbor.” She awkwardly waved, not quite sure what else to do. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Rose. I’m gonna be honest, this tour’s definitely gonna be beneficial to you too, seeing as you’re new. I’ll make sure to throw in some normal tour stuff too. For example, just across from us is the Mystic Grill. It’s the only decent sit-down food-place in town, as well as a local hang-out spot for the majority of the town. Most people eat there if they’re eating out, but personally, I go there to people watch.”

Rose smiled, because it seemed like Jenna was going to be an easy person to get along with. She could only hope that people her own age would be like her.

“That’s where we’ll eat after the tour,” Elijah whispered in her ear while Jenna rambled on. The other woman wasn’t looking at them at the moment, and so Rose had the time to respond.

“Shouldn’t you be paying attention?”

“I can multitask.”

Rose could practically hear the smirk in Elijah’s voice. Rose almost opened her mouth to snark back at him, but Jenna turned around before she could.

“Any questions so far?” She asked.

Rose and Elijah both shook their heads.

“Perfect,” She said. “So first things first, I was thinking that we head towards teh western edge of the town first, because that’s where…”

Rose did her best to keep paying attention, but all the information blurred together after a certain point. It didn’t help that history had never been her strongest subject.

She did her best to interact and seem as interested and un-tired as she could, though. She answered every question about herself as honestly and unsuspiciously as she could.

The one thing that did catch her attention, however, was that the so-called “founding families” of the town were seemingly frauds. It didn’t really matter that much though, because from what she’d gathered, the “founding families” were a big deal around town, no matter what the truth was.

Just as Elijah and Jenna had arrived at the tail their discussion about the founding families a man could be spotted walking towards the in the distance.

Rose couldn’t get a good glimpse of his face yet, due to the distance, but she could vaguely hear the final words of the other two’s conversation.

“Well, I bet it was the men who made a big deal about being founders back in 1860. Men are very territorial,” Jenna said.

Elijah, seemingly having noticed the same man that Rose had, subtly wrapped an arm around the dhampir’s waist and pulled her closer to him.

“Yes, they are,” he agreed.

The unnamed man had finally arrived close enough to stand next to Jenna, she introduced them.

“Elijah, Rose, this is my friend, Alaric Saltzman. Ric, this is Rose and Elijah.”

Rose could tell that there was a lot more than just friendship going on between Jenna and Alaric, and she could also tell that it was very complicated.

“Rose, Ric will probably your history teacher when you start school next week,” Jenna said.

Alaric looked surprised at hearing that Rose was still in high school.

“Nice to meet you, Rose,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what’s a kid like you doing hanging out with us old folks?”

“Oh, I’m new in town, and Elijah’s new neighbor. He invited me down here, and I though since I don’t really have anyone I know in town right now, that it might be nice to make some connections.”

“Your parents aren’t in town?” He asked, confused.

“Considering I ran away as soon as I turned 18, they aren’t and hopefully never will be.”

“I’m so sor—”

“It’s fine,” Rose said, playing it off with a kind smile. “You couldn’t have known.”

Elijah tightened his grip slightly, not that Rose noticed. She was too engrossed in conversation to feel the change in pressure or to see the glare that he was throwing Ric’s way.

An awkward silence lingered over them before Elijah spoke next. “You know, I’m pretty curious about the freed slave property owners. Some say, you know, the descendants of the slaves are the true keepers of American history.”

“Well, I only brought the surveys. I got that list in the car. Just give me a sec. Rose, you wanna come with?”

It was at that moment that Rose was truly starting to become aware of the tension between Elijah and Ric.

“You know, I think that would be a good idea.”

The two girls sped away, before the tension between the two men got brought to a fever pitch.

“How complicated is it,” Rose asked when they arrived at the the redhead’s car.

“Very,” she replied, looking at Rose with a small grin. “Although, I don’t think it’s as complicated as you and Elijah are about to get.”

Rose’s brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means he likes you, and there’s gonna be a lot of pushback from every stuck up person in this god-forsaken town. Although, I will say, ignore all of them and you’ll be fine.”

“He’s doesn’t…it’s not—”

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recognized how unlike herself she had become—tripping and stammering weren’t things she had really ever done before. But, at the forefront of it, her thoughts were focused on Elijah. Elijah, Elijah, Elijah. There was no way he could ever like her like that, right?

He was probably mid-twenties, and she was a depressed 18-year-old. But, then again, those facts hadn’t stopped Dimitri. But, once again, her and Elijah had just met only hours before. That just made the probability of any romantic connection go down to approximately zero—unless you’re soulmates, her brain supplied. Rose almost laughed out loud at the notion. Soulmates weren’t real. It was impossible.

Her thoughts got interrupted by Jenna’s barely stifled chuckle.

“Sure,” Jenna said, dragging out the syllable. “But he’s basically clinging to you and definitely giving you heart eyes, and you’re almost right there with him.”

Rose was basically stunned to silence, because she didn’t think that she was that obvious.

“Chill. Trust me when I say that you’ll work it out. I don’t know how, but in the span of a few hours, you’ve got that man wrapped around your finger.”

“I don’t think I did anything?”

“You didn’t. Some girls are just irresistible, and we—” Jenna motioned to the two of them, “are two of them.”

Rose laughed, glad for the older woman’s lighthearted demeanor. Even if she did have some ridiculous notions about her relationship—or lack thereof—with Elijah.

“We should probably head back now,” Jenna said, slamming her car door shut. “Those two look like they’re about to kill each other—and now Elijah’s walking over here. Oh, he’s so beelining straight for you.”

“Jenna!” Rose exclaimed.

She was laughing again, and she was pretty sure that this was the best she’d felt in months. She was never more positive that leaving the academy had been the right idea.

“You know,” Elijah said, walking up towards the girls. “I think I’m getting a bit… peckish. I was thinking after this next stop we should head over to the Mystic Grill?”

Rose’s stomach growled, as if on cue. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. I could go for a burger or something.”

“Oh that definitely sounds good right now.”

“Well then, it’s settled. One more property, and then lunch.”

Chapter Text

Season 2 Episode 15

Part 2

Elijah POV

“What do you mean you’ve never had a chocolate donut?” Rose asked, absolutely flabbergasted.

Elijah grinned, but he was torn inside. He obviously couldn’t tell her the truth, not yet at least—and certainly not with Jenna sitting right next to them. But, the fact of the matter was that as a thousand-year-old vampire, he really had no reason to eat junk food.

He might just have a reason now, though.

“You could say I’m something of a health-nut.”

He watched as her face lit up, and he swore that he’d never seen anything more beautiful. She was gorgeous, that must was for sure. Inside and out, there was nothing not to like about her, from her long dark hair to her brown eyes to her kind, witty personality.

“Well, maybe we could work out together some time?” She said.

He noticed the slight blush on her cheeks, and it made him feel things he hadn’t felt in centuries. Although, that was to be expected since they were soulmates. The bond would be pulling them towards each other, making them want to be near each other as much as possible.

“Only if you introduce me to these donuts you rave about so much.”

“Deal.”

Elijah pulled out his wallet, and placed what was definitely way too much money on the table. He felt a sense of pride at the way Rose’s eyes widened at the amount. He wanted her to know he could provide, as archaic as the notion was. But more than that, he wanted to provide.

He had a feeling she could take care of herself, but he didn’t want her to have to worry about it. He wanted her to know that she could always depend on him if she wanted to—and he wanted her to.

“Holy shit,” Jenna said, breaking his train of thought. “I knew you were wealthy, but I didn’t know you were that rich. Not to be the cat that curiosity killed, but how rich are you?”

His lips lifted into a slight smirk, as much as he tried to keep a blank face.

“Let’s just say I’m fairly well off.”

“That seems like the understatement of the century,” she muttered, and he could hear Rose’s laugh ring out.

It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard, other than her voice. It was perfect, she was perfect. He knew that without a doubt, that even without the bond he would’ve been attracted to her. She was just that enchanting.

Before anyone could say anything else, Jenna groaned and rolled her eyes, pointedly staring in the direction of Ric, Damon and Andie Starr.

“I don’t know if I want to know what they’re plotting, but I’m going to find out anyways,” she said. “I’ll be right—actually, I could use some backup. Anyone wanna join me?”

“I’m game,” Rose said.

She slid out of the booth after Jenna, and Elijah followed. He would follow her to the ends of the earth—not that she knew.

Eventually, he would explain everything to her. The fact that they were soulmates, the fact that he was a vampire, the fact that he had a megalomaniac brother who had daggered his other siblings, placing them in a deep sleep, the fact that his siblings were her soulmates too. Everything.

“Hey, guys,” Jenna said.

“So I hear you two had quite a meeting of historical minds today,” Damon said, not bothering to greet her back.

The tone of Damon’s voice irked Elijah. The younger vampire tended to pretend that he knew everything. He didn’t.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

There was an awkward pause before Alaric got up and slapped some money on the table.

“Well, as much as I’d like to continue this, I’ve got papers to grade.”

Andie, the girl who Elijah could tell was very much completely under Damon’s thrall, spoke up. “No, you know what? We should continue this. Let's have a dinner party.”

Elijah wanted to roll his eyes. More than that, he wanted to get out of this conversation. More than that, he wanted to get Rose away before she was invited too. He knew that Damon surely had only the worst of intentions, and he didn’t want her to get caught up in the fray.

“Ooh, my girl. Full of good ideas. I'll be happy to host. Say tonight. Maybe?”

If Elijah had thought they were up to something before, he was sure now. Especially if Damon was the one hosting. If it were hosted at the boarding house, he would have the home field advantage. Something that he’d certainly use against him.

“It's good for me. Jenna?” Andie turned her focus to the redhead.

“I don't know if tonight works.” Alaric said. He clearly wanted nothing to do with this.

Jenna looked towards Rose. “You wanna go?”

“I really don’t want to intrude…” She said.

Elijah wrapped an arm around her waist, glaring at Damon. He was glad that Rose was trying to decline the invitation. He wanted her far away from Damon. He was almost positive that he was going to turn his attention to her next, if only to get under Elijah’s skin.

The younger vampire smirked. “Nonsense,” he said. “A friend of Elijah’s is a friend of ours. All you have to do is show up, maybe wear something pretty.”

Elijah could feel the way Rose tensed, could see the look of discomfort that flashed across her face for a mere millisecond. She covered it up quickly—so quickly that he was sure he was the only one who noticed it—but she looked like she had wanted to crawl out of her skin. Maybe she could tell that something was off with Damon, or maybe it was just the comment about her prospective outfit that set alarm bells off in her brain.

It didn’t matter to Elijah. In fact, all it did was further cement his decision to dispose of the bastard after he was no longer of any use to him.

Considering that he could no longer kill Klaus, he might as well end Damon’s pathetic life already.

“Uh… sure, then?”

“Well then, I’d say I’m available.”

Everyone turned to Elijah. He wanted to sigh in annoyance, but he decided against it. He needed to keep his demeanor neutral… for now, at least.

“It’s be a pleasure.”

Damon looked like he had just caught all the rats that had been infesting his house as he spoke next. “Well then, it’s settled. I’ll see you all at seven tonight.”

It was then Elijah realized that he was feeling an emotion he hadn’t experienced in centuries: fear. Not for himself, but for Rose.

He realized that if it came to it, he’d have to reveal himself to protect her. He just hoped that it wouldn’t, because he couldn’t lose her. Not yet, not ever.

_________________________

Rose POV

Rose was anxious. It was a feeling that she had grown accustomed to as of late, but it was uncomfortable nonetheless.

Something was off with Damon. Very, very off. He screamed danger to her, and she’d be a fool to ignore her instincts. So, if she was debating on wearing combat boots and shoving a stake in one of them, it was purely for her own protection.

But, as she stared herself down in the mirror, she came to a realization. He hadn’t had any red rimming his eyes. And, even if he did, how would it look for her to murder him in front of who knew how many humans.

If he was going to try something—which she was sure he was—she’d have to use his own weapon against him. It wouldn’t be pretty, but at least she knew how to defend herself and wasn’t too out of practice.

All in all, she had decided to wear flats instead.

A knock sounded at her door.

“Coming!” She yelled out.

She finished pinning her hair back into some kind of fancy hairstyle that Rhea—Lissa’s mother—had taught her once upon a time. She couldn’t really remember the name, only that it was something french and intricate enough that it was hard to do without any help. It didn’t matter though. All that did was that her hair was secured and that she looked good enough to go to some fancy dinner-thing with Elijah’s frenemies or whatever they were.

She smoothed her dress one more time as she locked eyes with herself in the mirror. If she were being honest, she had no clue why some idiot would put a stupid mirror right next to the stupid door. And, if she were being really honest she was this close to breaking.

She hated that she still looked like herself while Mason looked like—and was—a rotting corpse. She hated that the only dress she had that was the right type of fancy was the one that Lissa had bought her for the 18^th birthday party she had never wanted to happen. She hated that she was such a disappointment to everyone. She hated that she was a failure. She hated that she was alive. She hated herself.

Another knock sounded, and she vaguely heard a muffled “Are you okay?” through the door. Just like that, she was… not fine, but better.

It terrified her how it only took even a whisper of Elijah’s voice to make her feel calm, collected, sane. It used to be like that with Dimitri, and it all fell apart anyway.

She didn’t want another relationship like her and Dimitri’s, didn’t want another relationship period. They’d just leave in the end. Walk away, because she was nothing, and move onto bigger, better things. Things with people who weren’t her.

The thoughts swirled around her mind, until her hand grasped the door handle. It felt like there had been some cosmic shift through the atmosphere. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt like everything had changed—and would continue to change—ten times more than it had. It felt stronger than whatever had happened to her when she saw Elijah for the first time, but she felt that whatever it was had something to do with him. But, more than that, it put her at peace. She felt slightly whole again, for the first time since Spokane.

So, when she opened the door, and saw Elijah’s face again, she smiled. Not a half smile or a faked, small grin to make it seem like she was a normal kind of happy. No. This was a mega-watt kind of smile that could light up the entire galaxy if she wanted to.

Something about that made her terrified too. The fact that she felt so connected to him. The fact that seeing his face made her feel ten times more butterflies in her stomach than had ever appeared when Dimitri was there. But, more than that, the fact that she didn’t want him to leave more than she had ever wanted anyone to stay.

And, somehow, when he smiled back—a smile somehow even more dazzling than hers—she knew he’d stay. She knew he felt the same. She knew she’d be okay.

It would be okay.

Chapter Text

Season 2 Episode 15

Part 3

Rose POV

“I never knew you had tattoos.”

It was an attempt at small talk, something meaningless to talk about while they got to know each other better during the short car-ride to the Salvatore boarding house. But it wasn’t just a meaningless comment to Rose, and it had every muscle locking up like she was frozen solid.

“I do.” Her voice was almost icy in tone, carrying a bite that seemed to shock Elijah.

She could see him glancing at her from her periphery, and it made her want to crawl under a rock. She didn’t want to talk about them, didn’t even want to think about them. Because talking about her Molnija Marks would make her think about how she got them, which would make her think of Mason, which would make her think about death in more ways than one.

“I apologize,” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She sighed. “It’s fine. I just—I got them after a friend died. They remind me of him, y’know?” Elijah nodded along as she spoke.

He glanced at her again, but that time Rose met his gaze. And that time, the look on his face seemed to betray the fact that he knew something. Something much more than whatever she had thought he knew, at least.

“I see.”

And then it was quiet again, and Rose was left alone to reckon with an uneasy feeling.

Elijah knew something, Damon was probably going to try something violent, and as for Rose: she was probably going to do something relatively stupid that would hopefully pay off, as per her usual style.

Except this time, she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to. Because her usual self wasn’t actually herself anymore. It had felt like she had been replaced by a different girl entirely, like she was an alien in her own skin.

But maybe it was time to retrace her steps, even if it was just for a little bit.

_________________________

Elijah POV

Rose was a dhampir—specifically an ex-novice, if the lack of a promise mark was anything to go by.

It all made sense, he supposed. She was strong, yet clearly traumatized. Even though she tried to put on a brave face, the trauma was almost encoded in her DNA, it seemed. From the way she flinched anytime someone got a bit too close to her just a bit too suddenly, to the way the chill of death seemed to linger around her like a dark cloud.

But still, he was astounded at the fact that she had two molnija marks, yet no promise mark. From what he knew, it was unheard of for even a guardian to eliminate any strigoi until at least a few years after they graduated. Most never even got the chance to do so, or the luck to survive the encounter.

He would bring it up, one day, at least. But that moment was not the time, nor the place. They had just met barely twelve hours ago, and they were on the way to a metaphorical lions den.

Not that Elijah couldn’t easily eliminate everyone in the house if he wanted to—because he could. But a distressed Rose would distract him from his duty to protect her. And even though she could clearly protect herself, being in a state that emotionally draining would hinder that ability, as well.

And so, as he opened the car door for her, he wondered if she had brought a stake with her. He hoped that she had. Even if it wouldn’t do much in the way of killing a vampire—because even out of all the types of materials only wood would work—it would still be a means of protection.

Especially since it would have the same effect on any vampire as a dagger would on an original. In fact, from what he had pieced together, Klaus had forged the daggers a similar fashion to how guardians’ stakes were made.

Elijah knocked, one arm placed lightly around his soulmate. Damon needed to know that she was under protection, and Elijah needed the reassurance that she was still there with him.

At the very least, he had the piece of mind that Rose was safe from compulsion. He had convinced her to wear a necklace dipped in vervain. It had hurt him to hold it, but the look on her face when she received made it all worth it.

The door suddenly opened, and there Damon stood. He was smirking, and Elijah was debating on informing him that he knew that exactly where his brother and the doppelgänger were.

He decided not to, and instead said some meaningless pleasantry that made Damon nearly twitch at the sharply-edged formality of it all.

“Thank you for coming,” he said, opening the door just a bit wider. “Please, come in.”

Rose went to step forward, but Elijah held her back. She looked at him in confusion, and so he turned to her. “Just one moment,” he said.

He turned back to Damon and stared him in the eyes, enjoying the way the younger vampire was trying not to squirm.

“Can I just say that if you have less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider.”

Rose tensed by his side, but otherwise seemed completely unsurprised. He wasn’t either, considering she had already been seemingly skeptical of Damon’s true intentions since they had met. He was almost certain that she was skeptical of his true nature, as well.

“No, nothing dishonorable. Just getting to know you.”

Elijah nearly sighed, because of course he had to have been right. Damon was easy to read, and the over-the-top charade he was putting on was betraying his true intentions.

Elijah hummed, pretending to be appeased. “Well, that’s good.”

He and Rose walked through the doorway just as Jenna appeared.

“Rose, oh my god you look gorgeous.”

Rose laughed and did a little twirl to show off her dress, and Elijah looked at her with an affection so strong that he was barely convinced that it should even be possible to have.

“An old friend got it for me,” she said.

“Well whoever it was did a damn good job picking it out for you.” Jenna appraised. “C’mon, Andie and I are avoiding all the testosterone in the kitchen.”

Elijah smiled as Rose looked back at him.

“Go ahead,” he said. “I have to talk privately with Damon anyway.”

She nodded. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

And then she walked away. His eyes followed her all the way down the hallway until she disappeared into the kitchen. And then he turned all his attention to Damon.

“I’m sure you know about the deal Elena and I have?”

“Sure do,” Damon drawled.

“Well then, I’m sure you’re aware that if you so much as make a move to cross me, I’ll kill you and I’ll kill everyone in this house.”

“Except for Rose?”

Elijah’s face hardened, but he avoided the question. Damon didn’t need to know anything about Rose, as far as he was concerned.

“Are we clear?”

“You didn’t—”

Elijah rammed a hand through Damon’s chest, gripping his heart as if. He was about to rip it out of his chest.

“I said: are we clear?”

“Crystal,” Damon gritted out.

Elijah grinned. “Well then, I’m glad we’re at an agreement.”

_________________________

Rose POV

“So, Rose, what made you choose Mystical Falls of all places? I mean, this place isn’t exactly fun-central.”

Rose snorted at Andie’s words. When she wasn’t around Damon, she was actually… kind of cool.

“Well, it seemed like it was a small, quiet town, and I kind of need a place like that right now.”

“Are you safe?” Jenna’s question was instantaneous, and it almost made Rose smile. It was nice having someone care about her so much, so quickly.

“I am now,” she said.

“So why did you even leave in the first place?”

“Andie!” Jenna gasped, turning to her old friend in horror.

“It’s okay,” Rose said, giving her best version of a gentle smile. She knew this was Damon’s influence peaking through. And if the man wanted the truth, he would get the truth. Plus, she wasn’t about to lie to Andie or Jenna regardless.

“A friend of mine got murdered in front of me during a school trip, and it’s not like there was really anyone tying me to the academy enough for me to stay after that. So, after awhile I just left, y’know?”

Jenna set down her stack of plates with a clatter, and the one Andie was holding would’ve been shattered on the floor if Rose hadn’t caught it in time.

“Oh, Rose,” Jenna said, walking over to her.

“It’s fine,” Rose said. Her smile was watery this time, and she could almost see Mason standing in front of her for a second. Then his outline was gone, and she felt alone again.

“No, it’s not,” Andie said. “I don’t know what came over me, I’m so sorry.”

Jenna and Andie threw their arms around her, and for a second, she didn’t feel so alone anymore.

“How’s the food going—oh… is everything okay in here?” Rose laughed at Alaric’s concerned expression. The poor guy.

“It’s all good now,” she said.

“It would be even better if you’d help set the table,” Jenna said.

As she looked at Andie, Rose could tell that she wasn’t the only one trying not to laugh at the way Alaric, who very much looked like a kicked puppy, quickly agreed.

Within a few minutes, Andie called everyone to the dining room for dinner. And as everyone appeared, Rose had beyond what could be considered the typical average “sinking feeling.”

Because Damon had changed shirts, Elijah had a speck of blood on his sleeves, and everyone was clearly at odds with each other.

And, in that moment, Rose was almost considering calling a cab and getting the hell out of there. But with one quick look at Elijah, she reconsidered. Because he seemed to want her there, and although they barely knew each other, she felt that she could at least try to stay.

Plus, Jenna was there, and Rose was almost certain that leaving her alone with her shitty boyfriend would be breaking girl-code.

So, Rose decided that for better or for worse, she was staying. She just hoped that she didn’t regret it.