05. You're Undead To Me

"Hey Brayden it's me, again" Caroline said, into the phone, leaving Brayden another voicemail, "It's been three days, and there is still no sign of you or Damon anywhere, the insecure part of me is saying that you've had enough of me, you've decided I'm not worth it anymore so you either left town or are straight out ignoring me, but the logical part of me is saying that something has happened to you and Damon, and honestly, I don't know which part to believe because if you couldn't tell, both of them are pretty shit, just, if you're listening to this right now, please call me, or even text me, just let me know you are alright".

After sending the voicemail, Caroline sat on her bed, her head in her hands, she was seriously worried about the twins, it's been three days since Caroline has seen either of them, it has been three days since Caroline has seen anyone, Bonnie and Elena have tried to contact but Caroline didn't have it in her to talk to any of them, she was still mad at Elena and she didn't want to talk to Bonnie because she knew she would just defend Elena and Caroline didn't want to hear that.

"Please come back" Caroline whispered.

***

Stefan looked through the window of the cellar door, to see both his older brothers, laying on the floor, weak, due to not having any blood in three days.

"Where's our rings?" Damon asked, realising both his and Brayden's daylight rings were missing.

"Won't be needing it anymore" Stefan replied.

Brayden groaned, "How long have we been in here?".

"Three days" Stefan replied.

"What are you doing?" A weak Damon asked.

"During the Dark Ages, when a vampire's actions threatened to expose or bring harm upon the entire race, they would face judgment" Stefan replied, "They sought to reeducate them rather than to punish them".

"You know what will happen if we don't feed on blood" Damon said.

"Both of you will grow weaker and weaker" Stefan said, "And eventually, you guys won't be able to move or speak, in a week, your skin will desiccate, and you'll mummify, a living corpse, unable to hurt anyone, ever".

"So what?" Brayden asked, "You gonna leave me and Damon in this basement for the rest of eternity?".

"I've injected you both with enough vervain to keep you guys weak" Stefan replied, "Once your circulation stops, I'll move you both to the family crypt and then in fifty years, we can all reevaluate".

"We are stronger than you think" Damon breathed out.

"You both always have been" Stefan said, "But none of you are stronger than the vervain, all three of us know it, I'm sorry, didn't have to be this way".

After Stefan walked away, Brayden slowly pulled out his matching necklace with Caroline, holding it in his hand, he slowly started whispering her name, hoping and praying that this works.

"Caroline" Brayden whispered, "Caroline".

***

"The Sexy Suds Car Wash is tomorrow" Caroline said, walking in the school corridors, finally finding a reason to get out of her house, "The football team and the band have committed, well, not all the band, just the ones who can pull off a bikini, I want in-your-face sexy, I mean, it's a fundraiser, for God's sake".

As Caroline was handing the flyers, her eyes landed on Elena's locker, where Elena was talking to Stefan, Caroline knew if anyone knew where Brayden and Damon were, then it was Stefan.

"Stefan" Caroline said, ignoring Elena and turning to the younger Salvatore, "Where are Brayden and Damon, I've been trying to contact them for the past three days, but none of them are answering my calls or texts".

"They are gone, Caroline" Stefan replied, causing Caroline to frown.

"When are they coming back?" Caroline asked.

"They are not coming back" Stefan replied.

"What the hell did you do to them?" Caroline asked, glaring at Stefan.

"Caroline" Elena warned.

"You don't talk to me" Caroline snapped, "You know what, I don't want to talk to any of you".

"Caroline stop" Elena said, stopping Caroline from walking away, "This has to stop Caroline, you have to stop pushing me and Bonnie away, look maybe Brayden leaving is a good thing, ever since you've met him, you've distanced yourself from me and Bonnie".

"I've distanced myself?" Caroline asked shocked, "More like you and Bonnie have been leaving me out".

"We haven't been leaving you out" Elena said, shocked Caroline thought something like that.

"Yes you have" Caroline snapped, "And how is it fair that you get to be happy with Stefan, but when I find the one guy who makes me happy, who looked at me first and not you, I'm excepted to forget about him? How is that fair Elena?".

"Caroline--".

"I'm done with this" Caroline said, "I can't take this anymore, please just leave me alone".

Caroline walked away from a shocked Elena, who had no idea that Caroline was feeling left out.

***

Zach walked towards the cellar when he heard coughing coming from the cellar.

"I'm full of vervain" Zach called out, "I've been putting it in my coffee for sixteen years, my blood will only make you two worse".

"So it was your vervain?" Damon asked, while Brayden ignored Zach and kept trying to get in contact with Caroline, "Good for you, family only runs so deep, huh?".

"We're not family, Damon, only in the most dysfunctional sense" Zach replied, "In fact, I avoided having a living, breathing, loving family because of you two".

"I don't guess I could talk you into bringing me and Brayden a rabbit or something?" Damon asked, "We will settle for Stefan's diet at this point".

"You know I can't do that" Zach said.

"You succeeded, Zach" Damon said, "Me and Brayden are shutting down, you're like your grandfather, he didn't like it when we came to visit either".

"But you both don't visit, Damon" Zach snapped, "Both of you appear, unannounced, reminding me that this isn't my house, that both of you are just permitting me to live here, hell, that you both are permitting me to live".

"That's cause we are" Brayden said, speaking for the first time, "This is our house Zach, you are a mere human who takes care of our house, and as soon as I'm out of here, which I will be, the first thing I'm going to do is snap your neck in half".

Zach scoffed, clearly not believing Brayden, "I came to say goodbye to you two".

Damon suddenly, speeded over to the door and held Zach by his neck, chocking him, "Unlock the door, Zach" he demanded.

Before Zach could unlock the door, Stefan speeded over to them and ripped Zach off of Damon, causing Damon to fall back on the ground.

"Keep it up Damon" Stefan snapped, "More energy you expend, the faster you'll go".

***

Brayden sat in the Salvatore's basement, holding on to his necklace tightly, "Caroline" he whispered, the necklace in his hand glowing dimly, "Caroline".

Caroline sat in her bed, doing the last minute preparation for the car wash tomorrow, "No, Tiki, do not do the one-piece, okay? I've seen it on you, trust me, yeah, we are going for a stripper-pole vibe this year".

"Caroline" Brayden whispered.

"Yeah, maybe we should wash the cars in slow motion" Caroline joked, not realising the necklace around her neck was starting to glow.

"Caroline", Caroline looked through the mirror to see a shadow standing behind, quickly turning around, Caroline frowned seeing no one there, "Ow!" Caroline yelled, looking down at her necklace, which was now glowing and slowly heating up, "Brayden" she whispered, hanging up on Tiki, it didn't take her long to realise why the necklace was glowing, it was telling her that Brayden was in danger, but Caroline had no idea where he was, or how to save him.

"Send me some kind of clue, Brayden" Caroline whispered, holding the necklace in her hand, "Tell me where you are, and I promise I'll find you, just send me some sort of clue, please".

***

"I bet you're feeling pretty good about yourself, aren't you?" Damon asked Stefan, who had once again come to check up on his brothers.

"Not particularly" Stefan replied.

"Liar" Brayden whispered.

"You won" Damon said, "You got the bad guys, now nothing can come between you and Elena".

"Except the truth" Brayden said, "I wonder how Elena will feel when she finds out she's dating a ripper".

"The beauty of you two in there and me out here, is that I can walk away" Stefan said, walking away from the cellar, not wanting to hear his brothers taunts.

***

It was now time for the fundraiser, and after staying up all night and waiting for any clue from Brayden to tell her where he is, but getting none, a exhausted Caroline took charge of the car wash.

"No friend discounts, no freebies" Caroline ordered, "No pay-you-laters, we are not running a charity here".

"No, we are not" Elena said.

"Hi" Stefan said, walking over to the two girls.

"Hey" Elena said happily.

"Uh, the event is called Sexy Suds, you know?" Caroline taunted, still angry at the couple.

"Still angry, huh?" Stefan asked, after Caroline had walked away.

Elena sighed, "Yeah".

***

"Hey, we're out of towels and those shimmy things" Elena told Caroline, who was sitting by the cash register.

Caroline sighed, "I will get some more, mind the money".

Caroline walked in the empty school corridors, and towards the janitors closet to gather the supplies, reaching the door, Caroline frowned when the door wouldn't open.

Caroline turned around hearing a whoosh behind her, she slowly stepped forward and looked down the corridor in confusion, seeing nothing, she turned around and gasped seeing a sick and pale Brayden standing behind her.

"Salvatore basement" Brayden whispered, letting Caroline know he had heard her.

Once Brayden disappeared, Caroline ran out of the school, she was waiting for Brayden to tell her where he was, and now she knew, Caroline wasn't going to wait a second in saving him.

***

Caroline parked her car at the driveway and quickly ran out and into the Salvatore Boarding House, entering the house, Caroline realised she had no idea where the basement was, but suddenly while she was passing a door, Caroline heard Brayden's voice, without wasting any time, Caroline opened the door and ran down the stairs.

"Brayden?!" Caroline called out, "Damon!?".

Caroline finally reached the cellar door, looking through the small window, she was shocked seeing both Brayden and Damon laying on the ground, looking extremely sick and pale.

"Oh my god" Caroline whispered, she went to open the door, when suddenly Zach ran and held the door, preventing Caroline from opening the door.

"You have to let them out!" Caroline yelled.

"No!" Zach yelled, "They are dangerous!".

Damon, having enough of Zach, speeded over to the door, and pushed it open, he snapped Zach's neck, while Caroline ran into cellar, towards an unconscious Brayden.

"Brayden" Caroline said, shaking the vampire, but getting no response in return, "Brayden, please wake up".

"He needs blood" Damon informed, trying his best not to attack Caroline, "He used all his energy in trying to contact you". 

Caroline looked down at her wrist then at Brayden.

"Caroline, don't" Damon warned, realising what Caroline what was thinking, "He hasn't has blood in three days, he won't be able to stop".

"I trust him" Caroline said, using a small rock near her to make a small cut on her hand, then putting her hand near Brayden's mouth, "Come on Brayden, drink".

It took a moment, but Brayden eventually smelled the blood and started drinking Caroline's blood, Caroline hissed in pain but nonetheless let Brayden drink.

"Brayden, stop" Damon called out, realising his brother wasn't planning on stopping anytime.

Listening to his brother's voice, Brayden finally realised his surroundings and what he was doing, causing him to quickly let go of Caroline's wrist.

"What the hell Caroline" Brayden snapped, his voice still a bit raspy.

"I'm fine" Caroline assured.

"Well, I'm not" Damon said, "I need to get out of here before I end up biting your Princess".

Without waiting for a response, Damon speeded away.

"I could have seriously hurt you" Brayden said, slowly standing up.

"I trust you" Caroline said simply.

"Caroline, I don't think you realise what could have just happened" Brayden snapped.

"I realise you could have killed me Brayden, I'm not an idiot" Caroline snapped back, "But I had no other way to wake you up".

"You could have gotten me a blood bag" Brayden argued back.

"I don't know where your blood bags are" Caroline replied, as Brayden bit into his wrist.

"Drink" Brayden ordered.

"I'm fine Brayden" Caroline assured.

"Caroline, I drank a lot from you, just be quiet and drink" Brayden said.

Caroline sighed, she knew there was no point in arguing with the man infront of her, so she just nodded and drank from Brayden's wrist.

"Happy?" Caroline asked.

"Very" Brayden replied, as he grabbed Caroline's hand and took them out of the cellar, where he saw Zach's dead body, "Damon?".

Caroline nodded, not looking at the body, it was too gross for her, "So, what now?".

"Now, you go home" Brayden replied, as he and Caroline walked upstairs.

"But--".

"Thank you for coming to help me and my brother" Brayden interrupted, "But now, I need you to go home, I know Damon's going to do something to get back at Stefan, whose going to come after me and Damon for Zach's death".

"But you didn't kill him" Caroline said confused.

"It doesn't matter" Brayden said, "If one twin makes the mistake, both of us get blamed, right now, things are about to get real messy, and I'd rather you not be here to see it, once things are cooled down, I'll call you".

"Promise?" Caroline asked.

"I promise, princess" Brayden replied.

***

Presenting 1x05 of The Vampire Diaries . . .

How was the chapter?

Thoughts on Stefan keeping Damon and Brayden locked up?

Thoughts on Brayden communicating with Caroline through the necklace?

Thoughts on Caroline saving both Damon and Brayden?

Thoughts on Caroline feeding Brayden her blood to wake him up?