[Episode 12 - Children of the Damned - 3]

I take in a deep breath once again as Stefan and I dig our way into Giuseppe Salvatore's grave. I can't even begin to fathom how sad and morbid it would be to dig up your father's grave. Even if he was never such a figure in Stefan's life, I can understand if Stefan feels demotivated to do this. 

Elena holds the light with her other hand and I wipe off a drop of sweat that has gathered on my temples, not in exhaustion, but in nervousness.

"Elena. I can do this on my own..." he tells my sister and for once, I agree with him, though I haven't been able to stop the supernatural world clawing it's way upto her life, I don't want to put her into such matters willingly.

"-And I said I would do whatever I can to help."

"I know, and I appreciate that, but-"

"This town is my home, Stefan. My friends and family are here. You're here. I don't want that tomb opened any more than you do." Elena explains and even in the dim light, I can see the resolve my sister has to stand by Stefan's side, for better or worse.

I take another breath and dig the shovel deeper, but the first inch of soil is all my shovel goes through before it clinks and the sound vibrates along the hole we have dug and through the night air. 

I look at Stefan and Elena focuses the beam onto the source of the sound. We dig deeper and Stefan takes out the metal lid of the coffin of his father, a man who despised vampires so much that his son grieved being a vampire for his sakes. 

In, lie Giuseppe's bones, pale and morbid, clutching a thickly bound book.

Stefan stills for a second and retrieves the grimoire with shaky hands. I place a sympathetic hand over Stefan's dirty shoulder and it is then that I look at the tears in his eyes. Elena calls down "Is that it?".

It is then that I see Stefan do the hardest thing one could have to do, he swallows the visible lump in his throat and looks up only after composing himself for Elena. He raises his voice "Yes"

 He lands out of the hole with a jump but before he can lend a hand to me, I hear the very voice I hoped would not find out "Well, what do you know?" Damon lilts "This is an interesting turn of events".

I try to climb out of the hole but keep slipping down. I hear the conversation.

"I can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry..."

"So am I. For thinking for even a second that I could trust you!" Damon snarls out.

I find a footing in a strong rock and place my foot there cautiously. I begin to climb my way up. "You're not capable of trust, Damon. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself..."

"Of course I was going to do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan-" I reach out to the top and grunt as I get out. Damon casts a hurt look to me. "You-" he mutters angrily.

"You had me fooled..." I grunt and look around, Stefan is on the opposite side of the hole and Elena stands at the head of the hole. I walk to Damon, as he looks to his brother, not even acknowledging me "So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out." He points to Elena.

"You won't kill her" I state. 

I wasn't even sure why I was so confident because the next second, I'm thrown back into the hole and I hear Elena grunting. I hear flesh tearing and muffled grunting. Worried and angered, I jump just as Stefan did earlier and find myself beside Damon. 

Damon, who's holding my sister by the neck. Blood dribbles down her mouth as she fights. Before I can lay a hand on him, he threatens "Give me the book, or I'm snapping her neck. And you and I will have a vampire girlfriend"

"Damon! Don't you dar-"

He looks to me tauntingly "Dare, what, Kat? Snap your sister's neck-" he tries to tighten his grip on her and I screech "No!"

"Let her go first-" Stefan pleads, fear evident in his eyes that glean with helplessness in the flame light.

"The book!" Damon demands, his knuckles resting painfully close to Elena's chin, ready to actually twist her neck.

"You're not getting it until she's he-"

"You, don't get to speak" he growls at me "I don't trust either of you to give the book otherwise"

"You just did the one thing that ensures that I will..." Stefan whispers.

Damon doesn't let go of my sister but his hold on her visibly gentles. He glares and nods down to the ground - a signal to Stefan. Stefan sighs shakily. 

Slowly, cautiously lowers down and places the old book on the ground. His eyes never leave his brother's, and mine don't leave his fingers. Damon rests his nose on Elena's head, his glare never leaving us.

Finally, true to his word, Damon lets go of my sister, slowly at first, but completely in a few seconds - the scariest of my life. She immediately staggers and jumps over the grave into the arms of Stefan.

I let out a sigh and look to Damon who holds the Grimoire carefully as if it might let him down after all this fight.

We have.

We turn to walk away, Stefan and Elena huddled together, walking arm-in-arm. I give a lasting look to Damon and sigh. 

▹▹▹

"I need some ice-cream. And probably a day without Damon either killing me or rescuing me" I mutter as I lean against my couch and Stefan looks up immediately.

"O no no. I-I didn't mean it that way. God! I'm sorry Stefan..." I stammer out.

Elena sighs and stands up, "I'm gonna go get some aspirin and maybe some sleep... Am I supposed to feel like this?" Stefan looks apologetically "It will pass out of your system by tomorrow. We'll stay together until then..." I smile reassuringly at her and she sighs while going upstairs.

"Are you okay?" I ask Stefan the moment I hear my sister's door open upstairs.

He frowns "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You shouldn't have to dig up your father's grave... I saw you, you didn't like it one bit. Then you thought you loved Katherine and watched her apparently die, only to know she's been alive all along..."

Stefan sighs and rests his head back "Damon's right. This uh, is my fault..." Ignoring the protests of my limbs, I get up and slide down to the ground beside my best friend's knees. 

"Tell me..." 

He sighs "Y-You don't have to, Vivi... It's, a lot of baggag-"

"I want to. No best friend of mine sleeps with a pit in their conscience" I look at him and he gives me his palm. I take it and the onslaught of guilt cripples me.

The dim light flares over the nestled figures of a slender woman and a young man. Katherine kisses Stefan again and again and finally bites into her lover's neck. But as soon as his blood reaches her skin, it sizzles and Katherine coughs and spurts as she stumbles onto the floor. 

Stefan kneels beside her, shocked and clueless "Katherine! Katherine!". The door opens with urgency and they see his father "Go get the sheriff. Tell him we have a vampire-"

"What? No!" Stefan tries to help the girl sit up but she's too weak.

"Do as I say, son!" Giuseppe shouts "Nothing that you feel for her is real. She's a vampire, Stefan! A monster! I fed you vervain hoping that it would expose her"

"How did you know?"

"Your sympathy for their plight. I didn't raise my sons to be so weak!" He throws his son a shirt.

"The sheriff, now. Go, quickly! Now, son!"

Soon, men take away Katherine who is weak and muzzled. Stefan and Damon run to one of the carts but they're too late. Stefan stops his brother "Damon! Damon! Stop! I'll help you. We'll get her bac-" Damon shoves Stefan away, almost in tears and anger.

"Help me!? Don't you think that you've done enough? You promised you wouldn't tell him!"

Stefan starts running behind his brother "I didn't think this would happen!"

The cart with Katherine starts speeding. Damon tries to run behind the speeding vessel while Stefan watch as Katherine goes off to her death. Damon looks at Stefan with anger and helplessness. He yanks him by the collar, his eyes showering sparks of rage.

"You. You did this. This is your fault!"

My eyes open wide as I take in a breath.

He looks to me with muffled sadness and I shake my head as I stammer out "I-It wasn't your fault Stefan. Y-You were compelled to, to like her. It isn't..." I trail off. 

There's only one thing I can do to erase that guilt. I avoid his gaze. I take support from the strong hand as I getup and I feel a slight pit of dread form within me. Stefan looks to me, surprised. I took his guilt and I've never felt lighter. All I want is for him to not be let down by his guilt, or at least a part of it now.

Confused by my sudden thoughts, I shake my head "I'm gonna take some aspirin too... Elena, uh- is probably in the room... So, good night" 

I walk upstairs as fast as I can with my weak body and go into our room, I look for some aspirin but I don't find it. Elena's nowhere and I look to my right only to see the window wide open and pills strewn all over he floor. I look around in panic and shout "St-"

I am knocked out.