[Episode 32 - The Sacrifice]

A loud thud jolts me awake from my drooly sleep over open books. Quickly grabbing hold of the empty vervain syringe on the floor, I get up and tip-toe towards the kitchen.... Only to see an almost naked History teacher.

"Kat, ahem" Alaric clears his throat, darting behind the marble platform with sheepishly wide eyes.

"Oh, um, Ric..." I pull the dart behind my back and look anywhere except him. "Um, heard a crash-"

My words get cut off when my aunt tiptoes out of her room, with Alaric's shirt and shorts, and nothing else on "That was.... us. Sorry..." she cringes sheepishly.

"It's fine..." I shake my head, still avoiding either of their eyes. Jenna stands at the floor of the staircase as she stammers "We didn't think anyone else was up. But here you are...."

"We were just-" Alaric tries to stammer out an explanation, but just gives up. How can you explain to your student/step-daughter/protege-hunter why he was out?

"Um, Chunky Monkey?" he extends the bowl of ice-cream with a sheepish grin.

"Na, homework to catch up on" I chuckle as he hobbles out behind Jenna "Well, I'm uh, naked, so I'll, uh, go" he rushes up the stairs, making us laugh.

"I'm really really sorry" Jenna covers her face.

"Not as sorry you're going to be when you owe me some homework done" I smirk devilishly. I'm stuck doing not only supernatural work but also school work which keeps piling despite not having any school. It is the Founder's month after all.

Jenna starts going upstairs, but looks behind "I know he's been staying over a lot. Are you, are you sure it's okay?"

"Would you be needing the couch and ice-cream any soon?" I question with a raised brow and crossed fingers behind my back. Alaric deserves happiness after what Isobel put him through, and Jenna needs Alaric to feel like a normal giddy girl for once.

"Nope" she smiles giddily, things are happy between her and Ric.

"Then the Earth will stay on its axis. Sorry, geography paper soon" I roll my eyes.

We hear something close upstairs, making Jenna frown, "That must be Ric... I'll, um... go" she hops up the remaining wooden stairs.

▹▹▹

I walk onto the ground with Caroline when we see Tyler shooting his hoops more aggressively than before. We look at each other before Caroline nudges her cheer co-captain forward.

"What?" I raise my hands in protest.

"Talk to him" Caroline nudges "-he'll just kick another bin around me"

"You don't know that's go-"

"Go!" she pushes me desperately and in a second, I get to know why. Matt Donovan passes by Caroline, lost in his own thoughts.

She stops him, groping for small talk. Deciding that punching around with a werewolf is better than hearing that disaster of a conversation, I run upto Tyler Lockwood.

I hit the ball into my hand with a single move, dribbling it away.

"Hey!" he runs behind me, trying to lock me out of dribbling across anymore. I shoot the hoop and the ball falls gently into Tyler's hands.

"You realise there's almost a full moon?" I lean against the net, giving him his bottle.

"What?" he scoffs "Guardians don't have enough problems? You wanna take on mine?"

He was being snarky, both of us knew it but none of us could have stopped it. Ripping my hair-tie with a huff, I try to make it clear "You're my friend Tyler, when it comes to you, there's no your problem or mine. It's a problem and we need to be prepared. I told you I'd be right there to help..."

Caroline stalks towards us, tying her hair into two ponies "So...? Have you even thought about it? The whole...wolf thing? Do you know what you're gonna do? "

"I have a plan" he avoids our looks.

"....Well...?" I whisper in anticipation. 

"Kind of private"

Caroline looks at me with pursed lips. I shrug and wave a hand towards Tyler, inviting Caroline to do what she wants to do.

The blonde twists the jock's ear, yanking him close, smiling to the passerby's "I'm student council vice president, head of the prom committee, not to mention I single-handedly organized this town's clean up campaign. And you're really gonna turn down my help?"

Tyler gently slaps her hand with a muffled groan saving his masculinity in front of us - two supernatural girls totally capable of kicking his ass "Okay okay"

"Attaboy" I smirk. This drama was so much easier than getting conflicted between my lives.

▹▹▹

Just as we go inside the old Lockwood ruins, my phone rings with a message. The message almost makes my eyes pop out.

Smoldy: ur sister is crazy, saving her ass

I frown, suppressing a groan "Tyler, just search for anything else you might find, I have someone to kill"

"What happened?" Caroline and Tyler both sync.

"Somebody is going to die at my hands. Sorry," I smile sheepishly at the duo "I have to go... I'll be back later, I promise"

Before they can protest, I speed out in a whoosh.

▹▹▹

"Where the hell is Damon?" I hear Stefan pace down in the Fell's tomb.

"Busy saving my stupid sister's ass" I jump down in a huff "She took Rose to the Slater dude for more information about Klaus the sniffer"

His eyes widen as he steps to go out but I push him back, tying my hair in a bun "You, won't have the head start he has. And pray tell" she looks around at him and Bonnie "-why in the name of heaven are you doing this?"

He hesitates, avoiding me as he looks to the dark-haired witch "We can't wait, we have to get him out of there..."

"Get who out?" I frown. Before my best friend can answer, Katherine Pierce steps into vision behind the invisible barrier.

But that's not what shocks me. It's my almost unconscious little brother hanging off by her hand, bleeding by the neck.

"Jeremy!" I run forward, only to be stopped by Stefan "Viv no! Don't!"

"She won't kill him" my eyes widen. She can't. She won't. 

"Oh I won't Letta" the older vampire sneers with a smirk "I'll just torture him until your nasty witch get m out of this nasty little dust cage"

"No! She's not strong enough...!" Jeremy groans out, making me struggle more against Stefan's hold.

"Really?" Katherine mock-frowns at her new blood-bag "Then maybe you can get me out" she throws the bulky Guardian book out towards the girl who was her sister in her past life.

Betraying her for the moonstone just made her take back every step she made for this Kat.

"Letta could do magic in her days, read up Kat, tick-tock" she yanks the littlest Gilbert out of our sight.

"What are you doing Stefan? Why would you try to steal the stone from her! It was safe inside. Now, my brother is inside with her!" I all but shout, picking up the ancient book with trembling hands.

"I was going to do it but Jeremy snuck in! We'll get him out Vivi"

"No" I glare at the younger Salvatore, feeling anger burn up "I'll get him out, you're probated". Why does he make me feel so angry! Why couldn't he run it by me? I'd waited all this while to tell them that Elijah will be alive just because of this.

They can't just keep it in their pants. The lot of them. She was trying hard to hold things together but not one thing stays in its place when she's busy mending the other side.

▹▹▹

Apparently, Bonnie had put a spell on me to temporarily hold my witch side because she thought I was having enough trouble with my werewolf-cursed side. That's another news to us - killing Mason transferred his werewolf gene to me. So all I have to do is kill a human.... and the next full moon I'll have to be a howling wolf.

Frankly, I'm thankful to Bonnie. She practically sealed my sanity with that. But just as she lifted the spell locking my witch side, I felt power, even the air felt like a firework.

But why couldn't the spells be in English? Or even French? Why Latin!

"Phes-Phe-Phesmatos Salves Nas..." I stutter"Ex Malon, Terra M-Mora, Terra Mora Vantis Incan-incandis, Vasa Quo Ero Signos...?"  I look at Bonnie in question.

"It's alright, I guess, you stammered a lot, but you're learning..." the Bennett witch judges, still surprised as to how me - her best friend, whom she had known since childhood, can read Bulgarian.

"God...!" I groan, feeling her temples throbbing "Do you know how hard it is to read when you're new to magic and the spell you have to say is Latin written in Bulgarian?!"

Stefan kneels in front of me, outside the tomb "Look, Bonnie can do this-"

"Are you blind Stefan Salvatore! Bonnie " I point to the witch with wide jade eyes "-is not strong enough! It took Grams, her and me to keep the seal lifted for a minute. I want no one dying. Now shush!"

I close my eyes and recite it again "Phesmatos Salves Nas Ex Malon, Terra Mora Van-Vantis Quo Incandis, Et Vasa Quo Ero Signos, okay, Phesmatos Salves Nas Ex Malon, Terra Mora Vantis Quo Incandis, Et Vasa Quo Ero... Signos"  I open my eyes to receive an affirmative nod from Bonnie.

"Let's do this" I get up, avoiding Stefan's hand for help. I'm still furious.

We link our hands when something metal touches my palm "What's that?" I frown.

"I'm, uh, channelling from this..." she shows the article, giving the Guardian an idea.

"Wait..." I remove my Guardian charm, holding it just like the Bennett "Now I'm ready"

"Viv-" Stefan and Bonnie protest at the same time and I silence them with a staunt jaw flex.

We begin chanting, and I get the foreboding sense of deja vu. By the third incantation, my head starts to hurt like it did on Founder's day with the device. I clutch my eyes tighter, our grip on each other's hands becomes weaker.

I feel a sudden sharp pain in my temples, making my eyes fly open. But Jeremy is stuck inside.

No, I have to go on, I tell myself. I chant through crowded yellow eyes, feeling something on my lips.

"You need to stop!" she hears a faint voice "Kat! Bonnie!"

Some invisible force weakens my in the knees all at once. I fall down, the stone of the necklace in my hand almost dull gray.

"I-I can't, I can't do it. I ca..." my eyes begin to get heavy and out of control. I feel Stefan hold, hand over my cheek "Viv! Vivi! Don't black out, listen!"

"Give her some sugar! Or, or, or chocolate!" I hear Rina yell.

Soon, a small toffee is shoved into my half-conscious mouth.

A while later, I wordlessly get up, leaning against the far wall beside Bonnie who luckily didn't almost faint like myself " I'm not strong enough" she concedes "Even with help, I can't do it"

Katherine, no longer concerned of her supposed sister, smirks "Ahhh, that's too bad, I'm still hungry" she lets her fangs grow out, ready to bite into the hostage Gilbert's neck.

Stefan Salvatore, as many might know, has a very bad habit - he's a hero too often. Led by his natural instincts, he rushes inside the tomb, throwing Jeremy out in the heat of the moment "GO!"

Just after his actions, do I realise what he truly did. 

My gaze falls onto the Petrova vampire's smug face, who was stuck inside - alone before, but now with the company of none other than her favourite boy toy - Stefan StuckInATomb Salvatore.

▹▹▹

I hug Elena just as she gets out of Damon's car on the driveway "Thank God! You're okay? You're okay!"

"I'm, uh, perfectly fine Kat..." she staggers.

"Good" I withdraw with a glare "WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING!"

Both of them cringe at my voice and Elena defends herself, or tries to "They're spoiling everyth-"

"Of course they will!" I yank both the people inside "They think they're protecting us Elena, but they're not. That doesn't mean you RUN OUT TO OFFER YOURSELF!"

"Um, hello... I'm standing right here" Damon glares.

"You shut up Damon Salvatore! It's because of you Katherine has a tomb-mate!"

"What?" Elena's gasp makes us both turn to her from their argument. I sigh in frustration "Stefan's in the tomb".

▹▹▹

Matt walks off the Forbes' driveway just as I pull over "Hey Matt, what's wro-...."

Caroline and Tyler are on the porch, each with a look. "Stop!" I get out of the car just as Matt gets into his "It's not what you think it is! Matt listen!" I insist.

But people do judge a book by the cover, so Donovan speeds off with a disappointed heart.

"Where were you?" Caroline asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I dealt with something, and then I worked on some spells. Maybe I can help Tyler" she pushes past them with the book in her hand.

"I can't, I can't go through the transformation Kat..." Tyler gulps. "Hey...." I gets up, "What did you find?"

Caroline shows her a diary "Mason chronicled his first full moon... There's a disk too. But" she holds it away from the Guardian "You can't watch it here".

They both turn their eyes to the pacing Lockwood.

"Tyler! Tyler..." I hold him by the shoulders "I can take your pain away then" I hook him in with the assurance.

"No one can do anything!" he turns to me, amber eyes spitting his fear and anger.

I cringe back, "There's no way to escape it Tyler... Mason went through this, he was around you, if he can do it, so can you"

"You don't understand do you? Every bone in my body will break!!" he lifts the couch up like a chair, letting it thud down to the floor with an exhale.

He runs out, leaving.

"Diary" I beckon, fast. Caroline hands me both the diary and the disk with vampire speed.

Drained of all my Guardian energy, I run out before Tyler can walk away to his car "You shouldn't be driving now Ty... Get in" I grit out.

"Go to hell!" he spits. Fear can make one do anything. It makes Tyler get angry.

"Tyler Lockwood!" I shout "You get in this car right now!" He huffs and continues walking, making me glare at the back of his head.

Rolling my eyes with a huff, I run to him and jump on his back, smacking his head "Don't, don't you, don't you listen! Huh!" I punctuate every annunciation with a hard smack, making him struggle.

"Fine!" he growls, eyes still flicking amber in the night.

▹▹▹

Every time I close my eyes, all I can see and hear are Mason's pained groans, shouts and screams.

I gasp as my eyes fly open, amber clouding over. My trembling fingers wipe the sweat beading on my scalp. 

I check the time. 

12:03. 

My gaze swivels to the necklace resting at the v of my neck.

After the power I channelled today, it's almost gray-blue - a fascinating change if you ask me, but a dangerous one. 

Sighing, I remove the pendant and place it on my nightstand where my favourite picture stands. Stefan Salvatore, for once in his life, smiling and carefree. It was the one that I clicked on his birthday.

The younger Salvatore held my back pinned to him as we belted out Bon Jovi. I can't even remember the song. I just remember seeing him happy. Lexi is no more. And I'm the only old friend Stefan has. And he's stuck in the tomb with my previous life sister.

Letting out a whine, I cast a look at my sleeping sister.

I snatch a coin and study it "Heads?" she whispers to herself.

You're going into the tomb

"Tails?" 

You're staying in.

......Tails.....

"Well, I guess that's it" I groan.

▹▹▹

"Pstt, psst, Stefan" I nudge him, making him jolt up with his vampire face "Easy, it's me" I whisper, the sibilant scaring away the chirping of crickets.

"Viv?!" he whisper-shouts, "what are you doing here! Get out!" Stefan takes my hand tightly, trying to lead me out. It was not safe for me to spend a second in here with Katherine alive and breathing. Only, he didn't know how wrong he was.

"The fuck?" I jerk his grip off me with a hard look "I'm staying. See? I brought blankets!" I twist around to show what were under my other arm.

He continues pushing me out "Katherine's in here!"

The supposed-to-be threat makes me scoff "You do know that she's hanging onto every word and twitch we're making right? If she wanted to kill me, she would have done it already. Wouldn't you have Rina?" I shout.

"She's right Stefan" Katherine's smirking form emerges from behind the curving jagged stone wall "I'm not going to kill Letta, I need her alive and well"

"Fuck off Katherine" Stefan grits out, continuing to push me out.

"Go home Vivi"

"I tried you moron!" I burst, turning behind with my torch. Katherine long ago retreated farther into the tomb.

"I fucking tried to sleep in my sweet soft bed at home. But I couldn't! You know why? Because I fucking need a friend who'll get what I'm going through right now"

"I do understan-"

"Do you? Huh! DO you?!" she pushes him to the wall with tears in her eyes.

"My baby brother almost got killed. My sister's ready to get herself sacrificed. My previous life sister is being a vampy bitch for god knows what reason that came up in the last 24 hours. My best friend is stuck in a tomb with her. Tyler needs to turn into a dog in a few days and I don't know how to help him. And Bonnie and I can't get this goddarn seal lifted" I kick the stone wall with vengeance but end up grunting in pain.

"Fuck!" I seeth, skipping on one foot, trying to clutch onto the blankets I brought "So yes. I wanna have one decent night's sleep without supernatural hijinks! Can you shut up now!"

For one whole minute, Stefan Salvatore doesn't utter a word. Then, he extends his cold hand, slipping the blankets from her arm to under his.

"Okay"

I look to the roof with gratefully rolling eyes "Thank you"

He puts an arm over my shoulder, hugging me tight to his side like he did before everything else came in the way.

"Goodnight..." I mumble, burying my head deeper into his shoulder. The last thing I feel, is soft skin on my forehead leaving a moist print.

Then it's all dreamy slumber.