REBEKAH
I had decided to wait until we had arrived at the inn before explaining to Mary about her new status as one of the “creatures of the night” her husband had always gone on about. I calmly told her, while looking her directly in the eyes of course, that I was a friend of the family who was taking her away from her horrible existence and her children would be joining her shortly. It wasn’t as much of a lie as I believed, seeing that shortly to a vampire has a much different time span than to a human.
I also gifted her with the lovely bracelet I had acquired for her some time ago. You may ask why Gabriel had not purchased such an important ornament for the love of his life and the answer is simply that he was a fool. Even though several years had passed and Gabriel was warming to the role of vampire quite nicely, he did not believe it was his place to bring her over to the dark side, as it were. As you may recall, until that last fateful missive with tintype proof of her abuse, we both imagined Mary to be living a happy life. I was still romanticizing the human condition at the time, and thought her life must be idyllic; a husband who loved her, a close community, and children to bring her joy.
How does the old saying go? There’s none so blind as those that will not see. I refused to see that the human condition was filled with as many lies and acts of evil as any of our kind. Gabriel was very much like me in that regard and it almost cost him Mary. I, however, also romanticized the idea of one true love and knew Mary to be Gabriel’s, so in case he would ever have the opportunity to be with her again, I didn’t wish for her to be consumed by the sun’s flames before she could be consumed by passion’s.
We arrived at the inn and with as little drama as possible I showed Mary her new nature. Her transition was made smooth through a judicious use of compulsion. I knew she would eventually need to come to terms with it on her own, but why not use all the tools you have at your disposal? The prospective lady’s maids were compensated well for their services and donations to the cause and one actually was offered a job beyond human blood bag. With a new vampire and hire in tow, I set out to return to New York and a most vexed sire.
When I entered the main chamber of the penthouse, having left Mary in the servant’s quarters until I could break the news gently, Gabriel was pacing the room and in a fury. He instantly grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me in anger laced with fear.
“Where were you? You disappear leaving only a note saying you’d return soon and no way to contact you? Have you gone mad? I was worried sick and took every measure to find you. Have you no idea what you mean to me? No. Of course not. I’ve never admitted my feelings to you. Maybe it’s time you know the extent of my affection for you. No, it is much more than affection. It is…”
With this I bring my fingers to Gabriel’s mouth. That beautiful mouth I had longed to kiss and have say such lovely words. In that moment I could have easily done away with Mary and lived my dream, had the life I had always longed for, and don’t for a second think I didn’t consider it. I wanted to be the selfish and self-centered spoiled brat my brother always made me out to be, and yet I couldn’t do it. For once in my life I wanted to do the right thing, no matter how much it cost me.
And so I told my dark angel of my mission of mercy, leaving out some of the more gratuitous details so he did not take wing immediately for Mystic Falls to kill the only surviving parent of the two, young Salvatore brothers. None of the details mattered once I retrieved Mary and brought her to the parlor. Their reunion was exactly as I had envisioned it; breathtaking, loving, and painful beyond all measure. I slowly backed out of the room as tears and kisses were shared between the euphoric lovers and if I had an ounce of logic in my head I would have fled the house for good that evening. Instead I forced myself to listen to their rapturous lovemaking, ensuring I never again thought of Gabriel as mine.
The next morning I arouse and began to pack my bags in order to leave for…I had no idea where. I just needed to get out and away from the caring glances and furtive touches. A sound from the dining room catches my attention and I hustle down to make sure my ears have not deceived me and that voice is not that one who brings me so much joy along with misery. But there he sat, charm and dimples working overtime as he flirted with an entirely too oblivious Mary.
Nik.
I saw the animalistic interest he had in her the moment I walked through the door and what Nik wants Nik gets. I could see that all I had sacrificed to set in motion would be undone by a lilting accent and a penchant for mischief. It turns out that Gabriel in his desperation to find me, reached out to the man I had kept away from him, time and time again. Over our years together, Gabriel and I had occasionally traveled in the same areas my brother inhabited and I made it a point to check in with Nik. Alone. Because we did love each other despite our conflicts, Nik and I always knew how to find each other if ever the need would arise. Gabriel had used that information to invite the devil himself into his new found heaven.
I quickly worked to assuage any of Nik’s concerns as to my health and happiness, giving a truncated version of the unfolding events that led us to today. With smug self-confidence, Nik imposed on Gabriel’s good heart to allow him to stay and see for himself that his darling sister was well. There was nothing innocent about the way he looked at Mary as if she were the tastiest treat in a confectioner’s window. Gabriel noticed it as well, but assumed he had no cares as Mary surely would never go willingly with Nik. My brother has never needed his victims to volunteer for their own downfall. He was more than willing to take without compunction.
After three days of suffering through the agony of not knowing when the viper would strike within our home, I went to Nik with an offer. One in which he had attempted to get me to agree to several times in prior years. I would join him in his travels and never again leave his side as long as we left that evening. I would be his constant companion or whatever else he would wish of me as long as he ignored his growing fondness for the raven-haired temptress.
And so we parted ways, I and my most favorite progeny. The last man I was sure would ever own my heart. Gabriel and Mary vowed to go to her children once they were both adults and could be made to understand and forgive what had happened with their mother. And in Damon’s case, with his father. There was no way to bring children into a vampire’s life and it was most logical to receive regular updates as to their upbringing and wait until the most fortuitous moment to tell them they had more parents to love them than they thought.
It was with this thinking that the years passed. I made sure never to cross paths with Gabriel and Mary, unsure if Nik would get it into his head to go after her again. I also received written updates in regards to the boys who soon were becoming handsome men. I was the one to hear first of their fate from my most loyal spy within the Salvatore household. How brief and how wrong four simple words could be.
Mary’s boys are dead.
I didn’t bother to check in with the now married couple, but the last I heard, they had fled to Europe in order to escape any memories of children they would never have a chance to know. I assumed it was for the best and hoped they would find some peace in their travels and decided that was the last I would ever hear the Salvatore name.
I never would have made a good clairvoyant.
I had decided to wait until we had arrived at the inn before explaining to Mary about her new status as one of the “creatures of the night” her husband had always gone on about. I calmly told her, while looking her directly in the eyes of course, that I was a friend of the family who was taking her away from her horrible existence and her children would be joining her shortly. It wasn’t as much of a lie as I believed, seeing that shortly to a vampire has a much different time span than to a human.
I also gifted her with the lovely bracelet I had acquired for her some time ago. You may ask why Gabriel had not purchased such an important ornament for the love of his life and the answer is simply that he was a fool. Even though several years had passed and Gabriel was warming to the role of vampire quite nicely, he did not believe it was his place to bring her over to the dark side, as it were. As you may recall, until that last fateful missive with tintype proof of her abuse, we both imagined Mary to be living a happy life. I was still romanticizing the human condition at the time, and thought her life must be idyllic; a husband who loved her, a close community, and children to bring her joy.
How does the old saying go? There’s none so blind as those that will not see. I refused to see that the human condition was filled with as many lies and acts of evil as any of our kind. Gabriel was very much like me in that regard and it almost cost him Mary. I, however, also romanticized the idea of one true love and knew Mary to be Gabriel’s, so in case he would ever have the opportunity to be with her again, I didn’t wish for her to be consumed by the sun’s flames before she could be consumed by passion’s.
We arrived at the inn and with as little drama as possible I showed Mary her new nature. Her transition was made smooth through a judicious use of compulsion. I knew she would eventually need to come to terms with it on her own, but why not use all the tools you have at your disposal? The prospective lady’s maids were compensated well for their services and donations to the cause and one actually was offered a job beyond human blood bag. With a new vampire and hire in tow, I set out to return to New York and a most vexed sire.
When I entered the main chamber of the penthouse, having left Mary in the servant’s quarters until I could break the news gently, Gabriel was pacing the room and in a fury. He instantly grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me in anger laced with fear.
“Where were you? You disappear leaving only a note saying you’d return soon and no way to contact you? Have you gone mad? I was worried sick and took every measure to find you. Have you no idea what you mean to me? No. Of course not. I’ve never admitted my feelings to you. Maybe it’s time you know the extent of my affection for you. No, it is much more than affection. It is…”
With this I bring my fingers to Gabriel’s mouth. That beautiful mouth I had longed to kiss and have say such lovely words. In that moment I could have easily done away with Mary and lived my dream, had the life I had always longed for, and don’t for a second think I didn’t consider it. I wanted to be the selfish and self-centered spoiled brat my brother always made me out to be, and yet I couldn’t do it. For once in my life I wanted to do the right thing, no matter how much it cost me.
And so I told my dark angel of my mission of mercy, leaving out some of the more gratuitous details so he did not take wing immediately for Mystic Falls to kill the only surviving parent of the two, young Salvatore brothers. None of the details mattered once I retrieved Mary and brought her to the parlor. Their reunion was exactly as I had envisioned it; breathtaking, loving, and painful beyond all measure. I slowly backed out of the room as tears and kisses were shared between the euphoric lovers and if I had an ounce of logic in my head I would have fled the house for good that evening. Instead I forced myself to listen to their rapturous lovemaking, ensuring I never again thought of Gabriel as mine.
The next morning I arouse and began to pack my bags in order to leave for…I had no idea where. I just needed to get out and away from the caring glances and furtive touches. A sound from the dining room catches my attention and I hustle down to make sure my ears have not deceived me and that voice is not that one who brings me so much joy along with misery. But there he sat, charm and dimples working overtime as he flirted with an entirely too oblivious Mary.
Nik.
I saw the animalistic interest he had in her the moment I walked through the door and what Nik wants Nik gets. I could see that all I had sacrificed to set in motion would be undone by a lilting accent and a penchant for mischief. It turns out that Gabriel in his desperation to find me, reached out to the man I had kept away from him, time and time again. Over our years together, Gabriel and I had occasionally traveled in the same areas my brother inhabited and I made it a point to check in with Nik. Alone. Because we did love each other despite our conflicts, Nik and I always knew how to find each other if ever the need would arise. Gabriel had used that information to invite the devil himself into his new found heaven.
I quickly worked to assuage any of Nik’s concerns as to my health and happiness, giving a truncated version of the unfolding events that led us to today. With smug self-confidence, Nik imposed on Gabriel’s good heart to allow him to stay and see for himself that his darling sister was well. There was nothing innocent about the way he looked at Mary as if she were the tastiest treat in a confectioner’s window. Gabriel noticed it as well, but assumed he had no cares as Mary surely would never go willingly with Nik. My brother has never needed his victims to volunteer for their own downfall. He was more than willing to take without compunction.
After three days of suffering through the agony of not knowing when the viper would strike within our home, I went to Nik with an offer. One in which he had attempted to get me to agree to several times in prior years. I would join him in his travels and never again leave his side as long as we left that evening. I would be his constant companion or whatever else he would wish of me as long as he ignored his growing fondness for the raven-haired temptress.
And so we parted ways, I and my most favorite progeny. The last man I was sure would ever own my heart. Gabriel and Mary vowed to go to her children once they were both adults and could be made to understand and forgive what had happened with their mother. And in Damon’s case, with his father. There was no way to bring children into a vampire’s life and it was most logical to receive regular updates as to their upbringing and wait until the most fortuitous moment to tell them they had more parents to love them than they thought.
It was with this thinking that the years passed. I made sure never to cross paths with Gabriel and Mary, unsure if Nik would get it into his head to go after her again. I also received written updates in regards to the boys who soon were becoming handsome men. I was the one to hear first of their fate from my most loyal spy within the Salvatore household. How brief and how wrong four simple words could be.
Mary’s boys are dead.
I didn’t bother to check in with the now married couple, but the last I heard, they had fled to Europe in order to escape any memories of children they would never have a chance to know. I assumed it was for the best and hoped they would find some peace in their travels and decided that was the last I would ever hear the Salvatore name.
I never would have made a good clairvoyant.