12. The Descent

Aria sat next to Rose, infront of the fireplace, while Damon bought the older vampire a blood bag.

"I was born in 1450, that makes me 560 years old" Rose informed the couple.

"Well, if you were a bottle of wine--" Damon started.

"So I can die, I've lived long enough" Rose interrupted.

"You're not dying Rose" Aria said, refusing to let Rose die, "There has to be a way to cure you, there just has to be".

"And if you're gonna be maudlin, I'm just gonna kill you myself, just to put me and Aria out of your misery, come on, it's just a little werewolf bite" Damon said, pouring some blood in a glass for Rose.

"Just a little fatal to a vampire werewolf bite" Rose reminded.

"That's according to legend" Aria reminded, "A pretty unreliable source if you ask me".

"Drink up" Damon said, handing Rose the glass of blood, "Blood heals".

Rose grabbed the glass from Damon and slowly took a sip from it, "Yeah" Rose agreed, "It does feel like it's working".

"Well, let me look then" Aria said, removing Rose's cardigan from her shoulder, both Aria and Damon frowned looking at the bite, it hadn't gotten better, it had gotten worse.

"How is it?" Rose asked.

"Uh, definitely better" Damon replied, "Right, Aria?".

"Yeah" Aria replied, trying her best not to burst into tears, "It's getting better", Aria looked towards the entrance of the living room to see a shocked Elena standing there, "Right, Elena?".

"Um, it's not bad" Elena lied, not knowing what else to say.

"Where's Stefan?" Damon whispered to Elena.

"He left, I need you to talk to him" Elena told Damon, "He's convinced he has to find Isobel, but that's gonna upset Elijah".

"I don't think finding your mother is going to upset Elijah" Aria replied, really not caring about Elena's problems, her main and only focus today was Rose.

"Aria's right, I'm with Stefan on this one" Damon said, "But if you and Aria could play nurse for a little while--".

"It's not necessary" Rose interrupted.

"It is necessary" Aria said, "I was already planning on staying with you anyways".

Damon nodded and walked away from trio, while Elena signaled to Aria, indicating they needed to talk alone.

"Is she going to die?" Elena whispered to Aria, after making sure Rose couldn't hear them.

"It seems like it, the wolf bite has caused something like an infection, and with each passing second it seems to be getting worse" Aria answered, "But Damon's gone to confront Jules, the werewolf who bite Rose, we are hoping she has some sort of cure, I'm also going through Grams's grimoires, Bonnie lent them to me, there has to be something somewhere which can save Rose, I can't let her die Elena, I--".

"Hey, it's okay" Elena whispered, hugging Aria, who had started to cry, "It's going to be okay".

"She can't die" Aria whispered, hugging Elena back and sobbing into the hug, "She just can't".

***

"I hate this" Rose complained, as Aria and Elena lead her to bed, "I'm a vampire, I haven't had a cold in five centuries".

Aria helped Rose sit on the bed and took her cardigan off, "It's okay, I think we all need to experience a small cold here and there".

Rose chuckled at Aria's attempt to lighten the mood, "But we don't get sick Aria" Rose said, "When we die, it's fast and sudden, and it's certainly not drawn out with an illness".

"Rose, shut up" Aria snapped, pulling the duvet over Rose, "We just became friends, you're not dying this quickly".

"Such a human thing to say" Rose said, giving Aria a small smile, "You're lucky you know".

"What?" Aria asked confused.

"No one's ever loved me the way you're loved" Rose said, "Hell, in these past few days, even I loved you, as a friend of course".

Aria let out a small chuckle, tears welling up in her eyes, "I love you to, as a friend of course".

Rose chuckled, "Trevor was my best friend, nothing more, I spent all those years on the run from Elijah, I just never thought it was a good idea to set up roots, the whole idea of family is not exactly compatible with being a vampire", Rose turned to Elena who was silently watching Aria and Rose's interaction, "Why are you so eager to give up?".

"I'm not giving up on anything" Elena defended.

"Here" Aria said, handing Rose a glass of blood, which she gladly took.

"What do you call this whole deal with Elijah?" Rose asked Elena.

"I call it our best option" Elena replied, "Plus, even Aria accepted the deal with Elijah, not just me".

"It's your easiest option" Rose retorted, "And Aria accepted the deal, because she wants to live, you accepted the deal because you're ready to die".

"That's not fair" Elena said.

"You really think your witch friend destroyed the moonstone?" Rose asked the two girls.

"I hope so" Aria replied.

"I spoke with Bonnie, I know she had the help of another witch" Elena informed, "I'm assuming it's Elijah's witch, so, no, I don't".

"Well isn't that just great" Aria complained, there was a huge part of Aria wishing that the moonstone had been destroyed, if there was no moonstone there was no sacrifice and channeling, which means her and Elena live, but apparently it wasn't this easy.

"You really are determined to die, aren't you?" Rose asked Elena, knowing all to well, Aria had no wish to die, "At least I ran, Aria's fighting till her last breath, but you're not even trying", Rose slowly closed her eyes, "I'm so tired".

"Go to sleep Rose" Aria whispered, "I'm right here".

Seeing Rose fall asleep, both Elena and Aria slowly went towards the door.

"No, stop, wait" Rose said, catching the attention of the witch and doppelganger, "Tell them to prepare the horses".

"It's alright Rose, go to sleep, it will all be better when you wake up" Aria promised, but even she didn't believe her words.

"Trevor, don't be so stupid" Rose said, making the girls realise she was hallucinating, "We're never gonna make it there before the sun" Rose grunted, "Aria, Aria I need more blood".

Aria quickly grabbed the glass of blood and handed it to Rose. Rose took the glass and took a sip, but immediately started vomiting the blood out, making both Elena and Aria panic.

"It's okay, you're okay, everything is going to be alright" Aria assured, rubbing Rose's back while Elena ran to grab a wet towel.

Before Aria could register what was happening, Rose had speeded towards Elena and held her by her neck and slammed her to the nearest wall, "It's all your fault, Katerina!" Rose yelled, "You, Katerina, you did this!".

"Rose!" Aria yelled, running over to a furious Rose and panicked Elena, "She's not Katherine Rose, she's Elena".

"You betrayed us!" Rose yelled, completely ignoring Aria.

"I'm not Katherine!" Elena yelled.

The veins under Rose's eyes slowly disappeared, and regret immediately was shown in her eyes, "Elena?".

"It's me, it's Elena" Elena whispered.

"Oh my God, Elena, I'm so sorry" Rose cried, "I don't know what's happening to me".

"You're hallucinating Rose" Aria said, taking slow steady steps towards the hysterical vampire, "But it's alright, you're gonna be alright".

"My mind, I'm--".

"It was just for a second" Elena said, hoping to ease Rose's guilt.

"I'm sorry, don't be scared of me" Rose cried, "Specially you Aria, please don't be scared of me".

"I'm not" Aria assured, "I can never be afraid of you, right now you just need to rest".

Aria helped Rose lay back down in bed, "I'm scared" Rose admitted.

"You're not alone" Aria said, "I'm right here with you Rosebud".

"Don't leave me" Rose whispered to Aria.

"I won't" Aria said, "I will stay right here with you".

"Here? Where's here?" Rose asked confused.

"Damon's bedroom" Aria replied, "You're in Damon's bedrooms, you're safe here".

"I wanna go home" Rose cried.

"Tell us about it" Aria said, "Tell us about your home, how was it?".

"St. Austell" Rose whispered, "Thirty kilometers just south of London, all fields and trees and horses".

"Sounds amazing" Aria whispered, as Rose started to fall asleep.

"When you live long enough, everything disappears" Rose said, "So much time wasted, I just wish I hadn't been so afraid".

"It's okay to be afraid sometimes Rose" Aria whispered.

***

Damon entered the Grill and started looking around for Jules, Alaric having informed him of her being here. Finally, Damon's eyes landed on Jules and he started walking towards her when Stefan blocked his way.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked annoyed.

"I'm waiting for you" Stefan replied, "Listen, there's a lot of people here, okay?".

"Well damn, there goes my plan to rip her spleen through her back" Damon said sarcastically.

"Hey, listen I know you're upset about Rose" Stefan said.

"Why does everybody think I'm upset about Rose? I'm fine" Damon snapped, "I don't know if you know this, sometimes vampires die, what I am upset about is that once again Aria has to lose someone she cares about, we both know what death does to her brother, and I'm not letting her go through that again, so I'm gonna have a friendly chat with lady wolf, ease up".

Damon went and sat infront Jules, "Well, if it isn't one of the people I meant to kill" Jules taunted, "I'll have to get that right next time".

"You won't live to see another full moon" Damon threatened, trying his best not to rip Jules heart out for indirectly threatening Aria, "Unless--unless you tell me how to cure a wolf bite, and then I won't kill you".

"Promise?" Jules asked, Damon nodded.

"Yes".

Jules grabbed her purse, making Damon think she was giving him the cure, but instead she placed some money on the table and gave Damon a mock smile.

"Bite me" Jules snapped, getting up from her seat.

Before Jules could walk away, Damon roughly grabbed her arm.

"I'm not afraid of you" Jules taunted.

"Then you are very, very stupid" Damon said.

"How's your friend? Rose? Is that her name?" Jules asked, "Have the chills started? The unbearable pain?".

"If there's a cure, tell me, or start watching your back" Damon threatened.

"Did I mention the dementia? It'll eat away at her brain, soon she'll be rabid" Jules taunted, making Damon worried, as he had left Aria alone with Rose, "You know you should be glad, that when I bite your little human pet, she won't go through all this, she will just die".

"Don't" Damon warned, an extremely dangerous look in his eyes, "Don't you dare threaten Aria infront of me, if you harm even a small hair on her head, then I won't just kill you, I will destroy your entire bloodline".

For a second, a look of uncertainty came over Jules face but it disappeared as quickly as it came, "You want a cure for Rose? I'll tell you the only cure that exists, take a stake and drive it through her heart".

***

Aria and Elena entered Damon's room, with new blankets and sheets, since the old ones were covered in blood.

"We brought some clean sheets and blankets" Aria said, but both her and Elena froze when they realised Rose was no longer in bed, Aria walked over to the bathroom, but Rose wasn't there either.

Both Elena and Aria placed the sheets and blankets on to the bed and ran outside the room in search for Rose.

"Elena, you go check the living room, I'll check the basement" Aria ordered, "Oh and call Damon, tell him he needs to get here now".

Elena nodded and with that both the girls spilt up, with Elena checking the living room, and Aria the basement.

Aria walked down the basement, she froze when her eyes landed on a trail of ripped bloodbags, walking further in, Aria froze seeing the sight infront of her.

"Oh, my god" Aria whispered, her eyes landing on Rose, who was currently drink a blood bag in a animalistic way.

Rose's eyes landed on Aria, and the look in her eyes made chills run down Aria's spine, "Katerina" Rose said.

"Rose, no" Aria pleaded, knowing what was going to happen.

Rose didn't listen to Aria, instead she started to charge towards her, but Aria quickly used her magic and smashed Rose to the wall.

"I'm so sorry" Aria whispered, running upstairs.

Aria ran upstairs and tried opening a closed door but it wouldn't budge, suddenly a rabid Rose appeared infront of her.

"Rose, stop!" Aria yelled, walking backwards while Rose stalked forward, "Listen to me Rose, it's me Aria, I'm not Katherine, I'm Aria, I'm your friend, you're hallucinating, Katherine's not here".

Rose suddenly stopped in her step, and the veins under her eyes started to disappear, Aria gave Rose a small smile, but before she could say anything, Rose let out a huge growl and attacked Aria, she went to bite Aria, but once again, Aria used her magic to push her away.

"Aria!" Elena yelled, running into the room, after hearing Aria's yell.

Elena helped Aria stand and both best friends ran towards the front door, but before they could reach it, Rose stopped both of them and held them both by their necks against the door, she went to bite Elena, but Elena stuck her nails into the infected bite, causing Rose to let go of the two girls.

Aria and Elena quickly ran upstairs into Stefan's room, they locked the door and pushed the dresser against the door, to stop Rose from coming in.

Both the best friends stumbled back and stared at the door infront of them, both scared out of their minds.

Elena ran over to a wooden chair and broke a piece of it, making a makeshift stake.

"Elena, what are you doing?" Aria asked confused and slightly out of breath.

"Preparing myself" Elena replied, staring at the door.

"You're not killing Rose" Aria snapped.

"If I don't, then she's going to kill us" Elena snapped.

"No" Aria disagreed, "She's not herself right now, give it a few minutes, she will return, we are not killing her".

"Aria--".

Elena went to speak, but a bang on the door startled both the friends, "Aria, I know that it's you and not Katherine, Aria please, I need your help".

Unable to see Rose in pain, Aria proceeded to walk towards the door, but Elena grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"She's in pain" Aria whispered, tears streaming down her face.

"She will kill you" Elena reminded.

***

Aria and Elena sat in Stefan's room, both girls too scared to face Rose.

"Do you hear that?" Aria asked suddenly.

Elena looked at Aria in confusion, "Aria, I don't hear anything".

"Exactly, it's too quiet" Aria said.

Elena and Aria exchanged a look, both the girls stood up from their place and slowly started walking towards the door, Aria put her ear against the door but she heard nothing, Elena and Aria then moved the dresser that was blocking the door and slowly stepped out of Stefan's room, the makeshift stake still in Elena's hand.

Both the girls slowly walked into the living room, but there was no sign of Rose, suddenly they felt cold air, turning around, they froze seeing the front door wide open.

Elena held Aria's hand and both the girls started walking towards the open door, when suddenly they felt a presence behind, causing both the girls to gasp and turn around quickly, only to see Damon standing behind them.

"Damon" Aria whispered relieved, seeing the older Salvatore back.

"You okay?" Damon asked Aria, frowning seeing her panicked state, "Where's Rose?".

Elena shook her head, "We don't know".

***

Before Damon and Aria could go find Rose, Liz called the couple, telling them there has been a vampire attack, Damon and Aria knew exactly who it was, so they wasted no time in getting there.

"Hi" Damon greeted, walking over to Liz.

"Thanks for coming so quickly" Liz said.

"We were close by, so what happened?" Aria asked.

"A vampire" Liz replied, pointing to a dead body near the dumpsters, "Luckily, one of my deputies discovered the body before anyone saw him".

"We have to secure the area then" Damon said.

"Don't cause a panic, but let's move this party into the cafeteria" Liz ordered her deputies, she then turned to Damon and Aria, "I'll take the east side of the school, you both go west?".

"Sounds like a plan" Aria said, really hoping her and Damon find Rose before Liz.

Damon grabbed Aria's hand and the couple ran off to find Rose before she ended up hurting anyone else.

***

Damon and Aria were looking around for Rose, when suddenly they heard glass smashing and a girl scream, without wasting time Damon and Aria quickly ran over to the girl, only to see Rose drinking out of her.

"Rose, stop!" Damon yelled, placing Aria behind him to make sure Rose wouldn't hurt her.

Rose charged towards Damon, causing both the vampires to fall to the ground with Damon on top of Rose, trying to restrain her, "Rose, Rose, it's me, it's Damon" Damon said, "It's Damon, it's Damon".

Slowly the veins under Rose's eyes disappeared and reality started to sink in, she turned to her left to see a boy and girl dead, "Did I do this?" Rose cried, "Oh my god, I didn't mean to hurt anybody, I never wanted to hurt anybody".

Aria quickly kneeled beside Rose, "We know that Rose, trust me, we know you didn't mean to hurt those people, just relax".

Rose looked at Aria and sobbed, the things she did to Aria, flooding into her head, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry".

"Shhh" Aria comforted, tears welling in her eyes, "I'm not mad at you, don't be sorry".

"Come on, let's get you home" Damon said.

"No, I don't have a home, I haven't had a home in so long" Rose cried, "Oh, make it stop, please, make it stop, I hate it, make it stop".

"Come on" Damon said, picking Rose up in his arms and taking her towards his car.

***

Rose slowly opened her eyes to see Aria standing infront of her.

"Hey" Aria whispered, a small smile on her face, "I tried a spell on you, for a few hours you shouldn't feel any pain from the wolf bite, but the other side effects might still be there, I don't know how to get rid of those".

"Thank you" Rose whispered, grateful that Damon and Aria were doing so much for her, "And I'm really sorry Aria".

Aria gave Rose a small smile, "Don't be sorry Rose, you went on a murderous rampage, Damon goes on that every other weekend, I'm used to it".

"She's not wrong" Damon said, entering the room with Elena behind him.

Rose sighed and turned to Elena, "I'm sorry Elena, I don't like taking human life, I never have".

"You shouldn't be here" Damon told Elena, he knew Rose wouldn't attack Aria but she would attack Elena for her resemblance to Katherine.

"It's the worst part about it, the hunt" Rose said, "The need to kill, the thirst, the pleasure it brings you afterwards, I wasn't meant to be evil, it hurts".

"Well, then stop talking about it" Damon snapped, walking away from Rose.

"Damon's a lot like me" Rose told Aria, "He wants to care, the minute he does, he runs away from it, except when his with you Aria, don't let him stop caring".

"I won't" Aria whispered.

"I'm sorry for what I've done today" Rose said to Elena.

"I know" Elena whispered.

"And you need to fight" Rose said, "I know that you're scared, so is Aria, but she's fighting, and you need to do the same, if not for yourself then for your best friend".

Suddenly Rose started coughing, causing Aria to kneel beside her and help her out.

"Mm" Rose said, "Why are you so nice to me?".

"It's a human thing" Aria cried.

"You can never forget it" Rose said, "What it's like to be human, it haunts me, but it's the only thing that's kept me going, doesn't hurt as much anymore".

Aria gave Rose a small smile, when suddenly Rose started yelling in pain.

"Damon, I don't think my spell worked" Aria said, slightly panicking.

"Go" Damon order Elena, while running over to Rose.

"Aria, Damon--".

"Just go, we got this" Damon snapped.

"Oh my god, make it stop! Make it stop!" Rose cried, while Damon and Aria tried to help her.

Elena gave the trio one last glance before she ran out.

"Oh, I can't take it anymore, please, stop" Rose cried.

***

Rose was laying in Damon's bed, with Aria and Damon sat either side of her.

Rose sighed, "Who'd have thought you'd be a nice guy?" Rose told Damon.

"Hm, I'm not nice" Damon replied, "I'm mean, I like it".

"You lie" Rose retorted.

"Shh, shh" Damon whispered, "Just sleep, just sleep".

While Rose slowly fell asleep, Damon grabbed Aria's hand and both of them went into Rose's head.

Rose opened her eyes, only to see herself surrounded by trees and horses, she was in her hometown, Rose ran down the hill where she saw Damon and Aria sitting, Rose went and sat on the other side of Damon.

"This was my favorite place to come as a girl" Rose said, "How did you know?".

"Aria told me" Damon said.

"Figured you'd want to come back here" Aria said.

Rose gave Aria a smile, "Thank you so much".

"Anytime" Aria said.

"Wait, does that mean I'm dreaming?" Rose asked the couple.

Damon shrugged causing Rose to laugh, hearing Rose's laugh, a smile came over Aria's face.

Rose took a deep breath and soaked in the smell of her town, "This sun is so warm, I miss this, I miss being human".

"Humanity's not all it's cracked up to be" Damon said.

"I had friends, I had a family, I mattered" Rose said.

"If you didn't matter, we wouldn't be here right now" Aria said.

"No" Rose said, shaking her head, "But you do Aria, both of you do, and Damon whether you want to admit it or not, truth is you've built a life in Mystic Falls, with your brother, with Aria, I spent 500 years just existing".

"You didn't have a choice" Damon defended, "You were running from Klaus".

"No, there's always a choice" Rose said.

"You know, you are ruining our perfect day with your strange philosophical babbling" Damon said, making Aria and Rose laugh.

Rose held out her hand for Aria, "I'd like to enjoy the fresh air, will you enjoy it with me?".

Aria smiled and placed her hand into Rose's, "Of course".

"Would you?" Rose asked Damon.

"For a while" Damon replied.

Both Rose and Aria placed their head on Damon's shoulders, all while not leaving each other's hand.

"Thank you" Rose told Aria and Damon.

"What for?" Aria asked confused.

"The pain's gone" Rose informed.

"I'm glad" Aria whispered.

"Will I see them again?" Rose asked suddenly, "My family?".

"I think you will see whoever you wanna see" Damon replied.

"That would be nice" Rose said, "Maybe I'll see Trevor too, I'm not afraid anymore", Aria and Damon both gave Rose a sad smile, "But before I go, I need you both to promise me something".

"What?" Damon asked.

Rose grabbed Damon's hand and placed it in Aria's, "Promise me, that no matter what happens, you both won't let go of each other, the kind of love you both share, it's very rare, and only a few lucky people get to experience it, promise me you both will always be there for each other, Aria promise me you won't stop fighting, not just for yourself, but also for Damon, because he won't be able to survive without you".

"I promise" Aria whispered, "I promise I won't stop fighting".

"Good" Rose said, she then turned to Damon, "Promise me you won't do anything stupid to push Aria away from you, she's the best thing that has ever happened to you, don't lose her to your stupidity".

Damon chuckled, "I'll be an idiot to let a girl like Aria go".

"Yes you will be" Rose teased, making Aria laugh.

In the real world, Damon slowly opened his eyes, he saw Rose peacefully sleeping and Aria's eyes were also closed, she was still in Rose's head, Damon grabbed the stake beside him and placed it over Rose's heart.

"Aria, I'll race you to the tress" Rose said, standing up.

"Oh it's on" Aria said, also standing up.

Both Aria and Rose laughed and started running to the trees while Damon looked on with a sad smile on his face.

Aria gasped and opened her eyes, only to see a desiccated Rose laying infront of her, Aria knew this was needed but that didn't mean it didn't hurt, seeing a dead Rose infront her, Aria couldn't stop all the tears from spilling, Damon rushed over to Aria and quickly pulled her into a hug.

"She's gone Damon" Aria cried, "She's gone".

Damon didn't say anything, he just tightened his hold on Aria while staring at Rose's dead body, a few tears slipping from his eyes as well.

***

After showing Liz Rose's dead body, and giving Rose a proper burial, Damon went back to the Boarding House, he entered the living room and saw Aria sitting infront of the fire with no emotion on her face, without saying anything, Damon went and sat next to her.

"Is the council off your back?" Aria asked.

"Yeah" Damon whispered.

"That's good" Aria whispered, "Did you--Did you bury--?".

"Yeah" Damon said, "I buried her, gave her a proper burial, like the one she deserved".

"I would've been there but I--".

"I know" Damon whispered, lacing his fingers with Aria's, "You don't have to explain to me, I know".

Aria placed her head on Damon's shoulder, "You know, I didn't except you to come home tonight".

"I wasn't" Damon admitted.

"Then why did you?" Aria asked.

"Because I realised if I'm hurting so are you, and it will selfish of me to leave you here to suffer while I'm out killing people" Damon said, "I know I'm selfish, but I can never be selfish with you, I promised Rose I would do right by you, and that's exactly what I plan to do".

Aria didn't say anything, just tightened her hold on Damon's hand. 

"I miss it you know" Damon whispered, "I miss being human".

"I know you do" Aria said, "I saw it in your face when Rose was talking about being human".

"I don't know why I'm admitting this to you" Damon admitted, "There's literally no point in me admitting this now, it's not gonna make me good, make me adopt a puppy, Aria I can't be what other people want me to be, what you want me to be".

Aria lifted her head up from Damon's shoulder, "What exactly do you think I want you to be Damon?".

"Good" Damon replied, "You want me to be good, you want me to be selfless, be the hero, but I can't Aria, it's just not in me".

"Did I ever say that to you?" Aria asked, "Did I ever tell you to change? No, I didn't Damon, you want to know why, because I fell in love with you when you were out murdering half of this town, you might think you're not good, you're not selfless, you're not a hero, hell even everyone else might see you that way, but me, I see the good in you, I see how selfless you are, and despite everything you do, you're the hero of my story, so don't say you can't be what I want you to be, because you're exactly what I want you to be, you're Damon Salvatore, for the whole town you're a evil homicidal vampire, but for me you're my everything, no matter what anyone says, I need you to promise me you will never change, because I love you the way you are, and nothing's ever changing that".

Damon stared at Aria for a second, he couldn't believe he had manged to get someone who loves him so much, who doesn't want him to change, she loves him with all his flaws, and Damon couldn't be anymore grateful.

Damon quickly grabbed Aria and pulled her into a kiss.

"Don't leave me, ever" Damon whispered, attaching his forehead to Aria's.

"I wouldn't dream of it" Aria replied.

***

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