CHAPTER ONE: Pilot
WARNING: slight mention of kidnapping, rape & gore

A CORPSE SUPPOSED, in European folklore, to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth.

What they really mean is MONSTER. Humans, I mean. They classify otherworldly creatures as monsters. How do I know this? Well...

I'm a vampire of course.

- A.S. September 7th, 2009

ATHENA LILITH SALVATORE was 168 years old. 

At the ripe age of 23, she turned into a vampire trying to save her brothers when they did something stupid. It was for love, obviously. It's always love.

That's why she was living in her old house. The Salvatore Boarding House. She's been here for the past four months. Ever since Elena and Jeremy Gilbert's parents died. 

Now though, she was on her way to the Gilbert-Sommer residence with breakfast and Starbucks because she knows Jenna is gonna be a complete mess and two brooding teenagers aren't going to help. 

Slipping out of the car as soon as she pulls into the driveway and turns off her car, she makes her way to the front door. She juggles the food and drinks in her hands as she opens the door-- she needs to remind Jenna to lock that-- and walks to the kitchen. 

"Gilberts', Sommers, I come bearing gifts," she declares loudly. 

Jeremy's eyes light up and he lunges at the coffee and the treat his best friend had brought for him. Jenna shoots her a grateful look, taking her contents. Elena kisses her cheek, snatching her things. 

"You are a saint, Athena Salvatore," Elena says after she takes a sip of her drink. 

Athena smirks, shrugging, "I try." 

Jenna scoffed at her friend. "Very humble of you," she shot the Heretic a small smile. Athena smiled back, winking at her as she took a spot at the counter. Jenna took out money, "lunch money?" She asked her nephew and niece. 

Jeremy looked over at Elena but the girl shook her head, "I'm good." Jeremy plucked both bills and stuffed them in his pocket. Athena whacked his stomach lightly but he ignored her. 

"Anything else?... A number two pencil? What am I missing?" 

Athena looked back at her friend, "don't you have a big presentation today? At like," she glanced down at her watch, "now." 

"Crap!" Jenna pulled the pencil out of her hair and brushed a hand through it.

Athena chuckled softly, "go. I'll make sure these two troublemakers get to school." Jenna gave her a grateful smile, pecking her cheek before leaving. 

Elena sighed and looked at her brother, "you okay?" She asked. 

Jeremy scoffed and rolled his eyes as he passed her, "don't start." He took a sip of his coffee as he went to get his bag. 

Athena rolled her eyes and stood up. Elena didn't seem phased, having gotten used to it. She grabbed her backpack and then the two Gilberts journeyed to the car. 

Elena got into the back while Jeremy sat up front and Athena slid into the driver's seat. "Can you pick up Bonnie too?" Elena asked her friend. 

"Sure, Luv," the redhead agreed easily. She pulled out of the driveway and drove to Bonnie's house while Jeremy put in his earbuds and played his music loud. 

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

"SO GRAMS IS telling me I'm psychic," Bonnie said, "our ancestors were from Salem, which isn't all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like put this woman in a home already!" 

Athena chuckled as the girl continued her story. She had already met Sheila and knew she was a witch but it was funny listening to Bonnie think she was crazy. 

She glanced up to look in the rearview mirror and scoffed through her nose. "Bon," she cut into the story, "Elena left." 

Bonnie glanced at her friend and shook her head, "Elena!" The brunette jumped, her head snapping towards her. "Back in the car." 

"I did it again, didn't I?" Elena asked through a sigh. She closed her eyes, berating herself. "I--I'm sorry, Bonnie. You were telling me that..."

"That I'm psychic now," Bonnie said, holding her head up high. 

Athena smiled. 

"Right. Okay, then predict something. About me," Elena added, looking to her friend. 

Bonnie looked over at her, taking her in. "I see...," she began but didn't finish since a crow flew into the window. 

Athena pushed on the breaks, turning the wheel to avoid another car. Bonnie and Elena let out a shriek while Jeremy put a hand on the dashboard to brace himself. 

The car squeaked to a stop, Athena letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "What was that?!" Bonnie asked, looking over at Elena, "Oh, my God!" 

"You guys okay?" Athena asked the three teenagers. 

"I'm good," Jeremy muttered, slowly leaning back in his seat and releasing a breath. 

Elena slumped in her seat, nodding her head. "I'm fine," she said. 

"It was like a bird or something. It came out of nowhere," Bonnie explained quickly, trying to soothe Elena. 

"Really, I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life," Elena told her best friend and Athena even though the redhead hadn't asked. 

Bonnie smiles, exhaling, "I predict this year is going to be kick-ass." 

Athena brushed her hand through Jeremy's hair and he relaxed under her touch. She turned back towards the road and continued driving towards MFHS. 

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

ATHENA SAT IN the Mystic Grill with her laptop on the table in front of her. Secretly, she was working on a book that no one knew about. 

"Oh, please. I got all that between third and fourth period. We're planning a June wedding," Caroline Forbes's voice bounced through Athena's ears as the blonde took a seat next to her. 

Athena all but slammed her computer shut, heart jumping. Bonnie and Caroline stared at her, startled by the move. Athena gave them both an apologetic smile, "sorry..." She stuffed her laptop back in her bag. 

Caroline gave her an okay look before changing the subject, "so today, we got a new student." 

Athena tilted her head, "oh, really? I didn't know that actually happened anymore," she drawled. Caroline glared at her, flicking her ear. 

"Shut up," she said as Athena glared back at her. 

Caroline and Athena had a... rocky relationship. When they first met, it wasn't in the way Athena would have liked. 

FOUR MONTHS EARLIER
Athena was driving through the rain, heading into Mystic Falls. Her music was turned off all the way and she was listening to the patter of the rain on her windshield. 

To be honest, she wasn't really paying attention. Her mind was thinking of all the fun memories she had when she was in Mystic Falls the last time. 

She really didn't understand what she was doing back. She just saw Elena Gilbert on her TV when she was watching the news and was... shocked. This young girl looked exactly like Katherine Pierce. 

She was a doppelganger. I wonder what Nikky will think when he gets wind-- A blonde girl stumbled out of the forest and into the road. Athena slammed on her breaks, turning the wheel and sliding across the wet ground and into a tree. 

The airbags ignited on impact and knocked the air out of Athena's lungs. She groaned as a small headache began to form behind her eyes. 

The door opened, "holy shit. I'm so sorry!" The voice said, laced with panic. Athena looked over at her, unbuckling herself. 

The girl was tall, maybe around 5'7" like herself. She had blonde hair that was up in a ponytail, two strands framing her face. She was dressed in dark blue jeans-- which is probably from the rain-- and a black t-shirt. 

Athena slipped out of the car, touching her head when she felt something drip. She winced when she saw the blood coating her fingers. "I'm so sorry... I don't know what I was thinking... I swear, I-- I saw something in the woods and I freaked and ran away when it started chasing me--"

"Woah, calm down, you're making my headache worse," Athena said, lifting her shirt and wiping some of the blood away. 

The blonde looked slightly surprised by the strong British accent before the girl's eyes locked onto her toned stomach, eyes slightly wide before she quickly turned her attention to the wound. "Shit, that looks bad, I'm sorry," she said. 

"You apologize a lot," Athena points out. 

The girl gives her a dry look, "I did just drive you off the road." 

Athena nodded her head, "yeah, you did. You should probably not walk through the woods by yourself--"

"I wasn't... by myself," the girl cleared her throat, crossing her arms, "my friends were with me, and then... they... I got lost." The blonde looks away. 

Athena cocked an eyebrow, "what? Did you stray from the pack?" She asked. She really hadn't meant it to seem snarky but she had just been run off the road by the girl. "Went all lone wolf, eh?" 

The blonde glared at her, "you know, I'm trying to apologize and explain myself and you're acting like a bitch," she said. 

Athena raised both of her eyebrows, "you got lost and then ran me off the bloody road. I think I'm allowed to be a little bitchy." 

hi"Whatever," the blonde muttered, brushing past her. The girl still had her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach, shivering. 

Athena glanced down at the jacket she was wearing then at the girl then at a tree. She wasn't really going to give this random girl her favorite jacket, was she? 

Fuck.

"Wait," she sighed, walking after her. The blonde turned around, confused. Athena shrugged off the jacket and put it around the girl's shoulders, "you look freezing, blondie," she explained softly when she saw the girl's questioning look. 

"Don't call me blondie," the girl muttered but she had a darker pink tinge to her cheeks, "but thank you." 

Athena nodded and took a step back. The situation was getting far too intense for the redhead so she cleared her throat, "now, lone wolf, you should probably go find your pack." 

The girl pursed her lips, "right..." She didn't move. 

Athena cocked an eyebrow, "you do know the way, right?" 

The girl glared at her, "of course I know the way!" She huffed and looked at the woods again, "just... never mind. Have a nice night, Weasley." 

Athena stared at her for a moment, "did you just call me Weasley because I have red hair?" She asked, giving the girl a dry look. 

"Yep." 

"Okay Looney Lovegood," Athena drawled. 

The girl narrowed her eyes, "It's Luna, you dipshit. Looney is offensive."

Athena crossed her arms, smirking, "you seem like the person who would call someone that behind their back."

The girl gasped, offended, "how dare you! You don't even know me!" 

"I don't have to, you have the aura around you."

"Oh, please, what aura?" She spat. 

"The I'm-so-much-better-than-everyone-else aura," Athena said, "and the I'll-do-it-myself shit which is probably how you ended up out here."

"You know what, screw you!" The girl snarled, spinning on her heel and walking away. 

Athena smirked, "you wish, Princess." 

The girl threw the middle finger over her shoulder.

PRESENT
It doesn't matter now though. Caroline and she now have that love-hate relationship. One minute they can be all buddy-buddy and then the next, they will be in a shouting match. 

"The new student's name is Stefan Salvatore," Caroline broke through her thoughts, setting down her cup, "your brother."

Athena's whole demeanor changed. She tensed up, eyes hardening, jaw ticking. "A new student?" She asked, her voice rough. 

Bonnie and Caroline shared a look at the change. 

"Uh, yeah," Bonnie said, turning her gaze back on Athena. Matt walks over, asking to talk with the Bennett girl and Athena gets lost in her thoughts again. 

Her brother was here. He was in town meaning Damon probably was close behind. Their stupid rivalry will always bring them back to her, fuck. Why was he here?

He was going to screw everything up. She built a good life here. She has a home and now her brother was here... he always screwed her life up. 

"Does he know about what happened to your uncle?"

Athena looked over at Caroline, blinking out of her daze. "Um... I don't know," replied when the blonde's question registered. She hasn't spoken with her brothers in a long time, twenty years maybe? Why would she speak to them now?

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked, pressing her cold hand against Athena's forehead. The redhead flinched away and Caroline quickly retracted her hand, "sorry."

Athena sighed, shaking her head, "it's fine," she murmured. 

"Um, hey, we interrupting?" Caroline and Athena both looked up when they heard Elena's voice. They were both surprised to see Stefan standing awkwardly behind her. He was staring at Athena intensely as if trying to decipher something.

"No, not at all," Caroline replied quickly, smiling at her friend and the piece of meat behind her. Athena shifted uncomfortably when the two sat down across from them. Bonnie joined them since her and Matt's conversation was over. 

"Athena," Stefan said with a small, forced smile, "I was going to surprise you this morning but you were already gone." 

Elena cut in with a small laugh, "I'm afraid that's partly my fault. She brought us breakfast and coffee this morning," she told Stefan. "Sorry to ruin the surprise." 

Stefan looked over at Athena surprised, "wow. You actually did something nice?" He chuckled. The group but Athena joined in. 

"It happens rarely," Bonnie joked, nudging Athena. 

The redhead gave her a forced smile, "yeah..." She looked back at Stefan, "sorry I didn't get to see you this morning, and you were met with an empty house." 

Stefan hummed, nodding, "yeah it was weird not having Uncle Zach to greet me," he said, his look getting more intense.

"Damn mountain lions," she agreed, swallowing. 

"So... you two were born in Mystic Falls?" Caroline interjected, seeing how tense Athena was getting under Stefan's gaze. 

Her brother turned his attention to the blonde, nodding his head. "Mhm. And moved when we were still young," he explained.

"Um, your parents?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow. Athena didn't talk about their family, she hated lying, and creating lies was just... exhausting. She's had to do it so much already. 

"Our parents passed away," Stefan said and his eyes bounced over to Elena. Athena knew what he was doing. She knew he was doing the same thing she was except he was far more obsessed. 

"I'm sorry," Elena told him, looking sympathetic. 

Athena scoffed through her nose, their parents were pieces of shit. Their mother abandoned them and their father tried to kill them. They're better off dead. 

Stefan looked over at her, trying to read her. 

"Any siblings besides Atty?" Elena asked. 

"Atty?" Caroline blurted out and all attention turned towards her. The blonde flushed a light pink, "sorry." She looked down at her drink. 

Athena let her eyes linger on the blonde. "Stop apologizing," she whispered, squeezing the blonde's side gently. Caroline jumped a bit, shooting her a glare. 

"None that I talk to," Stefan answered Elena's question with an almost sad smile. His eyes bounce over to Athena who looks away before their eyes can meet. 

"So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow," Caroline says, trying to appear casual as she bats her eyelashes. It kind of makes Athena sick and she suddenly wants to stab her eyes with her fork. 

"It's a back-to-school thing at the falls," Bonnie adds, smiling at the boy. 

Stefan turns his gaze away from his sister and towards Elena, "are you going?" Despite the worry that gnaws at his stomach, he decides to speak with her later.

"Of course she is," Bonnie beams, looking at her best friend. Sometimes, Athena feels as though Bonnie and Elena forget Caroline was also their friend. Especially with how they act around her at school. 

Elena looks over at Bonnie, lips pulling into a smile. She looks down at the table, brushing her hair behind her ear as she glances back up at Stefan. 

He stares back at her with a soft smile, mesmerized. 

Athena really is going to throw up.

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

ATHENA WALKS INTO Stefan's room. She has a newspaper in her hand, showing a dead couple on the front who were "mutilated by animal". 

"Are you in control?" She asked, her voice hesitant. 

Stefan turns a sharp look onto her, "this was an animal attack," he states.

Athena stares at him unimpressed, "I'm serious, Stefan."

"So am I," Stefan shoots back, glaring at her, "they probably died the same way Zach did."

Athena gulps, heart thrumming underneath in her chest. Her blood pulses underneath her skin, feeling trapped suddenly. 

"I have it under control. I don't want to stir up any trouble, Tina," he says. 

Athena shakes her head, "you already have. Coming back here was a mistake." She drops the newspaper onto the table and walks out, unable to look at her brother for another second.

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

SHE HIDES AWAY in the forest. She stays far away from prying eyes and horny teenagers. She resides in a tree, sitting on a branch that's ten or fifteen feet above the ground. 

She stares at the sky, head resting against the rough bark of the tree behind her. As she sits, she thinks about what has happened over the past couple of months. 

Her mind focuses on one thing specifically. 

Zach.

"Zach! Zach, stop! Please... Zach!" 

Her mind likes to torture her. She has to come to realize. It does in the most horrid ways. 

In her sleep, during the day, in the middle of the night. She gets thrusted into a reality and then ripped from it and she feels... she feels as if she's lived it. Like she had been reincarnated but she stays in the same body, grows up the same way every time. 

A toxic household. Abusive parents. Betrayal. Death. 

She buries her head between her knees, releasing heavy breaths. Her head begins to hurt and she thinks it's because she is actually thinking but the dull throb behind her eyes is all-to-familiar.

A body collides with Athena's own, hard, and they both fall from the tree. For a second, the wind is knocked out of her, a sharp ringing blocking everything out as her eyes blur. 

Then she's on her feet, eyes bloodshot and black as her fangs elongate. She hisses at the vampire who was glaring at her with absolute hatred. A witch stands behind him, head tilted up like he's fucking superior.

Athena stands up straight, face going back to normal as she realizes who they are. She's seen them before. Granted, the witch is older now and the vampire still looks young and healthy-- besides the pale skin and deadness to his eyes.

"I don't know what you think you'll gain here," Athena speaks, voice leveled, "my friend isn't here and he won't come for little ol' me." 

The witch sneers at her, "we know we can't kill Klaus but we can kill you. You aided him in killing the ones we loved--"

"You were kidnapping innocent children and raping them. We rid the world of a few monsters, I think I had a damn good reason," she interrupted. 

The witch's eyes flare in anger, blasting her into a tree. The hit doesn't affect her. She disappears in a flash. 

The vampire frowns and looks every which way, trying to find her. The witch opens his palm, a ball of fire flaring up. A gust of wind passes them and they both flinch, spinning in opposite directions. 

The vampire looks up, opening his mouth to warn his mate but he's ripped from the ground and taken into the trees before he has the chance.

The witch grabs a stick and snaps it, holding the sharper end at the ready. He looks around in the darkness, searching for any sign of the vampire. 

A body falls in front of him, landing on the ground in front of him. The body is nothing short of mutilated. His throat is torn out, head barely holding on by a thread. His chest is torn open, heart laying by his shoulder. The witch can see the top of his ribcage as blood oozes out. 

The witch stumbles away in shock. His mate was about 300 years old, he shouldn't have been so easily taken out by a 168-year-old vamp. 

Warm breath hits his neck causing him to freeze. He may have come into this confident but Athena Salvatore was not a force to be reckoned with. 

In ways, she was worse than Klaus Mikaelson and the vampire has been around for a millennium. 

A hand wraps firmly around his throat from behind, a body pressing against his back. "You witches think you're so much better," she hisses into his ear, breath hitting the shell.

He chokes, trying to shift away from her. She holds him more firmly against her. 

"Everyone thinks they are so much better than I am," she drawls, voice deadly calm and alluring, "they underestimate me." She lets him go, walking around him. 

She wipes her bottom lip with her thumb and licks up the excess blood. She turns back towards the witch who is paralyzed in fear. 

"Hello, it's nice to meet you," she smirks, deadly and seductive, "can you tell me where I am?" Her famous lines, the ones that draw in her victims. "I don't know how I got here, but I-- I think I'm starting to understand." 

She appears in front of him, pinning him to a tree. Her eyes are bloodshot and black as dark veins pulsate under her eyes. 

"I don't belong among the angels and darling that's just fine with me," she says before his heart is in her hand and he slumps down. She lets him fall, dropping his heart on the ground. 

Her face goes back to normal and that's when she hears the ruckus from the party.

"Somebody, call an ambulance!" She hears Matt yell in panic. She speeds towards the commotion, forgetting she had blood pretty much everywhere. 

The sight that greets her isn't one she wanted to witness. Vicki lays on a picnic table with a bite on her neck, leaking blood with Jeremy, Matt, Tyler, and Elena surrounding her. 

Her eyes quickly find Stefan as she pulls her coat closer to hide her bloodied clothes and hands. He's staring at the blood with want and Athena knows it's time to go.

She hurries towards her brother, gripping the lapels of his jacket and dragging him away. He stumbled, holding onto her hands. 

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

ATHENA STANDS IN front of Stefan, hands, and clothes drenched in blood that wasn't her own. He's staring at her in shock and confusion. 

"You came after me for killing that couple, which I didn't by the way, and here you are attacking teenagers?!" He demands, his shock and confusion turning to anger. 

"Of course not! That wasn't me!" Athena defends herself, "I ran into some trouble, I had nothing to do with what happened to Vicki." 

Stefan glares at her before his eyes drift to the open balcony as a crow appears. Athena spins around, finding a man standing there. 

"Damon," Stefan says, voice curling in annoyance. 

"Hello, brother. Sister," Damon greets with a smirk, sauntering into Stefan's room like the arrogant git he is. 

"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?" Athena drawls, unimpressed with her little brother's obnoxious presence. 

"Wait till you see what I can do with the fog," he says, turning a smile on his older sister. 

"When did you get here?" Stefan interjects, frowning.

Damon's smile grows. "Well, I couldn't miss your first day at school. Your hair's different. I like it. Atty, loving the bitchy attitude," he winks. 

"I've always been like this," she deadpans, "but I guess you wouldn't remember, it has been 15 years." 

Damon nods his head, shaking his head, "thank God. I couldn't take another day of the nineties. That horrible grunge look? Did not suit you," he says to their brother, "remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads."

"Why are you here?" Athena asked, not buying any of this shit.

"I miss my little brother and big sister," Damon said, feigning offense.

"You hate small towns," she deadpans, "they're boring because there's nothing for you to do other than do someone and drink them dry."

Damon shrugged, "I've managed to keep myself busy." He eyes Athena's attire, smirking, "it seems you have to." 

"Sod off," she snapped, "unlike you, I had a reason. You wanted to cause chaos and destruction." 

"Ooo, the same reason you killed Zachy?" He challenges, raising his eyebrows tauntingly as a smirk slides onto his face. 

Her face drops, walls flying up. "You left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you," she changes the subject. He only stares in response. She shakes her head. 

"Why are you here now?" Stefan demands.

"I could ask you both the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answers can be summed up to one little word... Elena." Athena and Stefan both stand straighter. "She took my breath away. Elena. She's a dead ringer for Katherine. Is it working Stefan? Being around her, being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?"

Stefan glares at their brother, lips curling into a sneer, "she's not Katherine."

Athena shakes her head and blocks out their squabble. She doesn't step in until Damon starts pushing Stefan. "Damon, back off," she snapped, getting between her brothers and shoving Damon back. 

His eyes flare with anger and he shoves her backward or at least tries to. She doesn't go very far. "Let's go straight for that blonde you hate! Huh?! Let's do it! You and me!" 

Something inside Athena snaps. She lunges at him, falling through the window and taking him down with her. She lands on her feet, glass littering the floor. Damon was gone. 

Stefan appears by her side. 

"I was impressed," Damon said, "I give it a six maybe a seven." He shrugged his shoulders, "missing style, but I was pleasantly surprised."

I'll show you style, she thought. She appears at his side, kneeing him in the stomach. He hunches over and she swings her arm down. Damon falls to the ground with a groan. 

She raises her foot as he turns onto his back, beginning to get up only to stop short when her shoe hovers over his neck. "I feel as though you are forgetting who exactly is the oldest," she says, staring down at him with fury in her eyes. She leans over so she can get a clear view of his face, "and who exactly is more powerful, brother."

She drops her foot and pulls him up by the jacket.

"I won't allow you to wreak havoc, Damon, not this time," she says, lips pressed firmly in a line. 

"I take that as an invitation, big sister," he gasps, still wounded from his previous injury that his sister ensued. 

Athena's eyes darken significantly, dropping him. "Even after all these years, you boys can't move past your stupid, childish rivalry. You've cared more about that than you have me or each other. I had begun to hope that I'd finally get my brothers back, but now I know, I'll always be second." She steps over Damon and walks back towards her house,

"Welcome home, Little Brothers."

┍ ∞ ○ ∘ ɹǝʌǝɹoɟ puɐ sʎɐʍlɐ ∘ ○ ∞ ┙

ATHENA NEEDED A break from her brothers. So she came to the Mystic Grill after she had washed up. 

Surprisingly, she found Bonnie and Caroline tucked into a booth with coffee. "Are you sober yet?" Bonnie asked the blonde who looked exhausted. 

Athena walked over to them, sliding into the empty seat as Caroline lifted her head, inhaling. "No," the blonde exhaled. 

"Keep drinking. I gotta get you home," Bonnie said, not unkindly, just tiredly. She frowned, "I gotta get me home."

"Why didn't he go for me?" Caroline asked, lifting her head up to look at her friend. 

Athena tilted her head, "Is this really what we're talking about when a girl literally got attacked like half-an-hour-- forty-five minutes ago?" She asked but was ignored, like usual. 

"You know, how come the guys that I want never want me?" 

Bonnie shook her head, "I'm not touching that." She gets up and goes to get more coffee. 

Caroline looks at Athena who was already staring at her, "I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing. And... Elena always says the right thing. She doesn't even try! And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything. And I try so hard, and... I'm never the one."

Athena sighs, "it's not a competition, Princess."

Caroline glances up at her, cerulean eyes wide, "yeah, it is."

Athena sighed once more and set her hand on Caroline's, "what do I have to do to make you feel special?" She asked softly. 

Caroline stared at their hands for a moment before looking up at her. Her eyes strayed to Athena's lips and stayed there for a long second before flicking back up to her eyes. 

Then Caroline kissed her. 

The porcelain mug slips from Bonnie's fingers and clashes with the ground, shattering.

AN: Hey everyone! Thank you for coming to this book. If you hadn't, go check out my Lizzie Saltzman book-- The Lost Heir --and thank you for reading. 

Don't forget to comment and vote. 

Constructive criticism is welcomed and if you have any ideas for future chapters, let me know!

Word Count: 5066
Finished: October 28th, 2021
Edited: