PART SEVEN; CHAPTER TWO: THE THAW

WITH KATHERINE sleeping under the same roof as me, I refused to allow myself sleep into unconsciousness last night. Not just for my sake, but for Blair and her brother's too. I kept both ears open attentively last night, listening to everything that was going on. Thankfully Blair's room was just across the hall from me, so I could better keep watch.

I've become so caught up in Blair and the mystery that has become of her that I completely forgot to meet with Elijah last night. By the time the recollection has dawned on me, the sun has just started to rise.

Assured that everyone is still asleep, I jump out the window from the second floor, landing on the grass with ease. I do a quick scan of the area to make sure no one is watching before running away with vampire speed, zooming through the forest until I make it to the middle of town. It's empty, with only stray drunks still wandering about. I walk normal speed up to Elijah's place of stay and enter without even knocking. To my surprise he's in a deep sleep with his head resting upon the small table by the kitchen.

"Elijah," I whisper, shaking his shoulder gently.

He does nothing but adjust his position slightly. For an eight hundred year old original vampire, you'd think he'd be more alert than this.

"Elijahhh," I whisper directly in his ear.

At this he abruptly springs up, literally catching air under his seat as he lifts his head up. He turns to me so quickly in a defensive stance like he's ready to throw a punch, causing me to let out a blaring laugh.

"Good morning, sunshine," I tease, pouring myself a glass of blood from the ice bucket in his room. The invention of commercial ice machines has certainly made it easier to store blood for future use. 

"What the hell, James?" He rubs his eyes as if trying to adjust them to the bright sunlight. "I waited all night for you. Where did you go?"

"Oh yeah, sorry about that." I wince with a smile. "I kind of got sidetracked is all."

"By that I hope you mean you found Katherine," he says as I take a seat in the chair opposite to him.

"I did in fact. The only thing is, she claims she doesn't have the moonstone." I chew the inside of my cheek.

"That could very much be a direct lie. Katherine isn't one to speak the truth," Elijah reasons.

"Yes, I am very much aware of that, it's just I got this weird feeling from her." I pause, trying to find the right words. "Like she had some other motive for being there."

"And what exactly could her motive be besides hiding the moonstone?" Elijah asks.

"I'm not sure, but the family she's staying with might be the answer," I say. "She has something going on between the two Salvatore brothers, like she's manipulating them to achieve some sort of attention or something." 

"It's not out of her character," Elijah scoffs with a shake of his head, reaching over to grab my glass, chugging down the rest of the blood.

"Is it possible she could have traded it? To one of the founding families for her protection?" I raise a brow. "I mean, she doesn't seem very worried that she's staying in the house of a vampire hunter," I mutter while sliding snatching my glass back from his hand, frowning once I realize it's empty.

"What do you mean? Giuseppe Salvatore is a vampire hunter?" Elijah stares at me with shock, as if he feels guilty he's sent me to live straight with the devil.

"Yes he is," I say with a nervous laugh. "That's what this 'hunting' apprenticeship is my friend. Thanks for the heads up." 

"James, you have to get out of there. That's dangerous, I mean what if you blow your cover? You're literally helping a vampire hunter kill vampires!" Elijah exclaims, desperately trying to reason with me. My mind doesn't seem to be aware of the danger however, as I'm more concerned about something else- someone else actually.

"He trusts me Elijah, and I've made my place there. He and the founding families still believe vampires only walk at night, meaning he will never suspect me as one," I say, wiggling my hand with my daylight run on it. "I can't just suddenly leave, especially with those Salvatore siblings living under the same roof as Katherine Pierce," I say, refusing to take his advice.

"What Katherine does isn't up to you James, god knows she's done some horrendous things over the past century. We're not here for Katherine, we're here for the moonstone and that's it. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can get out of this town," Elijah says with worry knowing that the longer we stay here, the more likely Klaus is to show up.

However, Klaus isn't here yet, meaning we still have time. "I'm not leaving those Salvatore siblings alone Elijah, I just can't. They're all innocent, the two boys wrapped around Katherine's sly fingers. You don't even know what she has planned for that girl-"

"Ah, so this is about a girl." Elijah interrupts, narrowing his eyes at me. "When did this happen?"

He stares expectantly at me, his analytical eyes studying me, searching for my falter. I only shake my head, breaking eye contact to prevent him from seeing the truth. However, I'm not so sure what I'm hiding. I just feel the need to stay at that house.

"It's nothing Elijah, I just can't allow innocent people to get hurt. I'm tired of watching the humans suffer because of us."

"For eight hundred years you never once cared about the humans and what we did to them as long as it meant destroying Klaus. Tell me, what has changed James?" Elijah asks, ready to listen. I'm just not so sure I'm ready to talk.

"Nothing's changed Elijah, I still am adamant on taking down Klaus. I just think there's a more appropriate way to do so." I shrug casually.

"As in appropriate you mean safe?" Elijah questions. "Because there is no safe way to destroy an Original James. There is always going to be that chance that something can go wrong. There is always going to be an exception."

"Are you saying that girl is an exception?" I say with an offended laugh. "Between you and Lexi all I've heard in the course of a couple centuries is how much I've wasted my life being consumed in this revenge. Now at the slight mention of a girl you're telling me to stay focused?"

"That's not at all what I'm saying James," Elijah says with a sigh, leaning in closer to me. "What I'm saying is you better figure out what this girl means to you before Klaus does. Just because we've been holding leverage against him for so many years doesn't mean he can't suddenly hold leverage against you. If you really care for this girl- and I'm not saying that you do- you might want to think twice about letting her into your life."

"I thought it was you who said I had no life," I mutter lowly.

"James, that's not what-"

"No I get it Elijah, I understand what you're trying to say okay? I really do, but let's just focus on what we need to do. I'll keep an eye on Katherine and do my part there while you do your part here in town," I snap with aggravation, keeping my clenched knuckles safely at my sides as I stand up.

"James wait!" Elijah shouts, springing up from his seat.

"Goodbye Elijah," I mumble bitterly before slamming his door on the way out of the apartment.

∆ ∆ ∆

THREE MONTHS LATER

It's been a tedious three months since Elijah and I last spoke. Neither one of us have made any attempt at communicating with one another, and frankly we have gone our own ways in the town, blending in. We're still persistent on finding the moonstone, but we each want to proceed in a different way.

Giuseppe has taken me out each morning to practice fighting, using various weapons such as small cross bows and small wooden stakes. I seem to be impressing him for the most part, as we've already gone on small hunting missions about reported vampire sightings. Every time I'm alerted of a sighting I conclude it to be Klaus. Most of the time it turns out to be some newbie too high on blood lust to know any better. The thing is, if there are a bunch of newbies running about, that means there's gotta be some sort of mastermind behind all the turnings.

Thankfully today is my day off as Giuseppe is at a founding families meeting.

In addition to hunting, I've also kept an unintentional distance between Blair and I. For the past week it's been nothing but faint smiles and small conversations between one another whenever we pass down a hallway.

Although I hate to admit it, a small part of me feels as if Elijah's words are right. If I become unfocused now while we're so close to finding that missing piece in our revenge scheme, all could fall apart. That is why I opted to turn my humanity off so many times in the past, as I refused to let my emotions get in the way of destroying Klaus. I know that Blair is not just any other girl, and I know I have to be careful with what I'm doing.

Now is not the time to fall into anything, let alone love.

It just so happens that whenever my eyes meet her icy blue ones, I find myself rethinking everything all over again, questioning myself.

I sit in my room of the Salvatore house, sitting at the desk adjacent to my bed. I tap my quill pen against the blank sheet of paper before me, wondering what I should say in my letter to Lexi. Just as I'm about to give up, there's a loud knock on my door.

"Come in!" I shout without looking up.

The door creaks open, the rusty hinges squealing loudly. I lift my head from the desk but don't turn around, already knowing who it is based on their light footsteps.

"Hey," Blair greets rather shyly.

At her voice I turn around, ignoring the small voice in the back of my mind that screams for me not to become close to her. I may be wrong, but that voice sounds exactly like Elijah's, giving me more reason to ignore it.

"Hey," I smile, giving her my full attention. "Everything okay?" I notice her uneasy expression. She always looks like she's hiding something, the wall she built still hiding her true self, but today I feel as if something is causing her to slip.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assures me, stepping into my room. "I just really need to get out of the house. Since my father is away, I was thinking maybe I could show you around town?" she asks, her hands folded behind her back.

Before even thinking, a smile creeps onto my lips as I nod quickly.  "I would love to," I say, standing up and following her out the door.

She leads me down the rubble path heading from her house, the gravel kicking out from underneath our feet with each step I take. "So how do you like it here? My father treating you alright?" she asks, making conversation as we walk side by side.

"It's quite pleasant actually." I smile, my hands stuffed in my pockets. "Already feels like home."

She looks over at me with her brows furrowed in disgust, causing me to crack a smile. How is it even possible for one to look so exquisite while expression a form of disgust? 

"What?" I say with a chuckle.

"You actually like it here?" she asks incredulously.

"I mean, your presence makes it more enjoyable," I tease, watching as her cheeks flush, her smile still hanging strong on her lips.

"I guess your presence here isn't half bad either," she admits, looking down at the ground as she walks. "It's a lot more welcoming than the last guess we allowed into our home," she mutters, not aware that I can hear her.

"You mean Katherine?" I ask, pushing further into the list of topics Blair rarely speaks about. I believe if I can get her to open up about these problems, she might be willing to let down her wall for me. For that I would be honoured. "That's what you're upset about right?"

"How can you tell?" She looks over at me, biting her lip nervously.

"She makes me uncomfortable too," I admit, hoping to branch another connection, expanding the amount of things we have in common. "I'll have you know Blair, I won't allow her to destroy your family. I can promise you that," I assure her confidently.

She smiles up at me for a few seconds before speaking her mind again."I guess it's not so much me I'm concerned about, but rather what she's doing to my brothers," she says so selflessly. The way she speaks to protect her siblings yet again reminds me of myself and how much I would be willing to do to protect my sister.

"As soon as she came they swooned over her. Before my brothers and I were so close, and now we barely speak. They've changed so much, and I just find myself feeling so..." she trails off, lost for words.

"Alone," I speak, filling in the blank.

She looks over at me with such gentle yet understanding eyes, I find myself lost for breath for a second. "Yeah, alone." She nods.

"I know how you're feeling Blair, I really do. I have a sister," I tell her, surprised by myself that I'm telling her this.

"You have a sister!" she exclaims rather excitedly. "Where is she?"

When I falter to respond, she clues into what I'm thinking. "You're here to protect her, aren't you? You feel as if moving away from her is for her own good? That your life is too dangerous for her?" she says, referring to the hunting. I find myself feeling self conscious, as if she can see the darkness inside my mind. I wonder if she can see the darkness that flows through my veins, as if it follows me like a shadow.

"Something like that," I reply grimly, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Invite her here James, to Mystic Falls," Blair suddenly suggests out of the blue.

"What?" I choke a laugh. "I can't do that." I refuse with a shake of my head.

"Why not? I can see you are a good man James, and I can assure you there is no safer place for her than right beside you," she says honestly, not a single doubt in her voice. I wonder if she feels safe around me too.

"You think so?" I question, letting the thought sink into my brain.

"I know so." She nods. "My father trusts you, so I have no doubt he'll allow one more guest in the house."

I cock my head to the side as we walk, thinking about what she's suggesting. I never actually thought about inviting Lexi back into my life, as I forced her out of it to protect her. "I'll think about it."

"Good," Blair says with a small smile, taking a step ahead of me once we enter the centre of Mystic Falls.

"Welcome to downtown Mystic Falls." She holds her arms out to the sides, spinning around once. She spins so freely, a smile glued upon her face and for a moment I find myself questioning if this is the same Blair from the Salvatore house. The Blair in front of me now seems so different than the one I first met. This one seems happier, more carefree. I can't help but wonder if she feels trapped in that house, her true personality shining through now that she's outside without the presence of her father or Katherine.

"This is the busiest part of town," she says. "And that way is to the market." She points to the left. "And that way is to the industrial buildings, like the factory and school." She points right to another path leading father down the forest.

"I see. Perhaps you could draw me a map later with your exquisite art skills," I say with a smile, once again causing her to blush. She blushes so often that I'm starting to think that rosy pink is her natural skin colour.

"Maybe," she says with a deep rooted laugh, the one that comes straight from your core.

We make easy conversation as we wander around town. Blair buys a few apples at the market and insists that we explore longer, but as it gets darker I itch to get back. 

She juggles some the apples in her hands as we walk along the gravel path back towards her house, one of them slipping into my hand. "You know, there are some pretty fancy dishes you can make with just an ordinary apple," I say as I toss the apple up in the air. 

"Oh yeah? Are you Chef Branson now?" she teases, snatching the apple away before it can hit the ground. 

"He is an excellent chef actually," Elijah suddenly says, appearing behind us.

I whip around so quickly I nearly send the apples flying from the bag in my hand. I wasn't expecting to see him for a while. In all honesty I thought he left town, no longer interested in taking down Klaus. "Elijah," I say as an informal greeting.

"Hello James." He only smiles, glancing over at Blair. "And who might this be?" 

Blair looks expectantly at me, staying quiet as she notices how uneasy I have become. She senses something is off. "Ah, this is Blair. Blair, this is Elijah, an old friend of mine," I introduce them.

Elijah sends Blair a nod while she expresses a smile, standing firmly at my side. "What are you doing here Elijah?" I ask, discretely glaring at him without allowing Blair to see.

"I just wanted to make sure you two were okay. Apparently there's been a lot of new comers in this area, the population increasing," Elijah speaks only to me, wanting me to inference his words.

"Do you think they're trouble?" I ask casually, allowing him to read between the lines.

"I can sense so, yes." He nods slowly.

If there's been an increase in vampires, that means the chances that Klaus will soon follow is almost guaranteed; it's just a matter of when.

"Perhaps that's why Blair's father has been so busy lately, with all the new people moving into Mystic Falls," I suggest. If there are more vampires, the council will no doubt be aware of it. That means Giuseppe will want my help taking down these vampires which offers a perfect opportunity to take Klaus down.

"Most likely," Elijah agrees.

It's comforting to find that even after three months of no talking, we're still able to communicate openly. I guess that's the kind of friendship Elijah and I share.

"I think Blair and I will get going now," I say, instinctively reaching for Blair's hand without even thinking. She latches on strongly, trusting me to lead us out of there.

Elijah's given me all the information I need to be alert and prepared. We've been disguised in Mystic Falls so easily for the past three months, but now I know that's all about to change.

"It was good to meet you Blair," Elijah says as we turn around.

"Nice to meet you too." She smiles over her shoulder.

We walk at a faster pace as we head in the direction of home. I've reached a whole new level of awareness, putting myself on edge. Before at the thought of Klaus coming into town, I would have been happy, excited even but that was before I had something to lose. Now I had something I cared about, something he could easily take away from me. That's part of the reason I refuse to allow Lexi back into my life.

"Who was that man?" Blair questions, her hand still holding mine.

"An old friend," I reply succinctly. 

She suddenly stops walking, her hand escaping my grasp. "That's a lie." She catches me. "I saw the way you two interacted. It was like you were hiding something."

I take in a deep breath, preparing to be completely honest with her when suddenly there's a crack of a branch somewhere in the empty forest around us. My vampire hearing picks up the source of the sound so easily, my hand reaching out and gently pulling Blair to the ground behind an old, massive log.

"What-"

"Shhh." I hold a finger up to my lips, motioning for her to be quiet. Up ahead stands Giuseppe, standing in front of some man. The closer I look however do I realize this man is pinned against a tree by several metal pegs.

Blair follows my gaze and spots what I'm looking at, staring at the scene with wide eyes. I use my hearing to pick up a few stray words, nothing but pleads and cries of help coming from the man. I quickly realize that this is an interrogation, Giuseppe using his weapons to pin a vampire against a tree, demanding answers.

I hold my breath as Giuseppe walks towards the man with a wooden stake, driving it directly into the heart of the vampire. Blair gasps and quickly covers her mouth with her shaking hands, having just watched her father murder someone.

"Oh my god. Why did my father just kill that man?" she gasps, tears collecting in her eyes from the disbelief.

I purse my lip before sighing, realizing that there is no better moment to tell her the truth. I'm done with compelling her, done with hiding the truth just to protect her. I've seen the way she handles herself, the way she stands her ground around Katherine. I feel confident that she can handle the truth.

My only concern is how that is going to make her feel about me. Despite every inch of me that wants to compel this memory away from her mind,  I know I have to be honest with her. I know I'll have to handle the fact that she'll no longer see me as a friend.

"Blair, there's something you should know about me. About your father's job."

∆ ∆ ∆

I don't think there's ever been a point in my life where I've been so open, not even with my own sister. After we returned home, I told Blair everything.

I told her about me and my sister. The real reason why I didn't want her in my life. I told her what Elijah and I have been doing for several centuries, why we hate Katherine and why we were so on edge today at the news that more vampires were fleeing to Mystic Falls. I told her about her father, and the kind of job he had me doing. The only thing I didn't tell her was that Elijah and I were still hunting for a moonstone Katherine was supposed to have; that wasn't relevant at the moment.

It felt so odd to be honest with someone while having no intention of compelling them to forget afterwards. It was just a given that when you are a vampire, the deep dark secret is to remain hidden; if it is exposed you were supposed to kill them like prey.

That was how vampires have gotten by so secretly for so long, killing humans that suspected something. Any killing would be covered up with the excuse of an animal attack, the blame being passed off to the wolves. If they knew the truth it would be taken as a threat and pose a risk to vampires the same way the council is now preparing to fight the vampires. However, in the case of telling Blair the truth, I know it's something different.

Not only do I trust her, but she deserves to know. She was robbed of her brother's attention for so long, and it's only right that she understands why. Secretly vampires have been invading and changing her life for so long, and maybe I can bring her some peace of mind as to why.

I realize now this is the first time I've been so openly honest to a human about what I am. I have never told another human what I am.

"Is it hard?" she asks quietly, sitting at the top of my bed while I sit at the foot, awaiting her reaction to everything. So far she's been quiet, but that is to be expected as she comprehends it all. "Being around me, I mean?" she clarifies.

"No," I reply honestly. "I've been around long enough that I know how to control my hunger," I say quietly, slightly embarrassed.

"Do you ever hate what you are?" she questions. I can't help but realize all her questions are revolving around me, and how being a vampire makes me feel. I would've thought she'd be more concerned about her own safety.

"Everyday." I stare down at my hands. "That's why I hate that man Klaus so much. He's the one that turned me and my sister."

"So you and Elijah, you believe Klaus has come into town?" she questions.

"I believe he will show up in a matter of months, if not days," I sigh, dragging a hand down my face as I stand, going to lean against the wall.

"Hey," Blair whispers, coming to stand beside me. "Thank you for being honest."

I only nod, my head tipped down as if I'm embarrassed to look into her eyes. I'm scared to see how they'll look at me now. Before they were so kind and bright, but now I suspect they'll be filled with fear.

"James, look at me," she says more firmly, her hand placed below my chin.

She forces my head up, giving me no choice but to lock eyes with her. I find my stomach untying from a knot as I realize her eyes still look at me like they always did. In fact, it seems as if her eyes are completely deprived of any fear.

"Are you not afraid of me?" I baffle, staying in my place as she continues to inch closer to me.

"They say we fear what we do not understand; I do not fear you James, because I understand you," she says so gracefully, full of so much intelligence.

Just like that I'm lost for words, the entire English vocabulary vanishing from my mind. I stand still as she embraces me in a comforting hug, her human touch seeming to set off a million fireworks inside my body. I realize now that this was the feeling I was missing with Rose, the feeling like I was about to burst.

With Rose I never felt that, which is why we remain friends. But as Blair rests her head upon my chest and I wrap my arms around her body, I feel as if I'm a cannon just about to explode with absolute joy. There's a comforting warmth spreading through my body because of her human touch.

I've pushed any opportunity of human touch, comfort or love out of my mind for so many years that I thought it was never going to be a possibility in my life. I never even so much as attempted at love because I never saw the point. Now, with Blair within my embrace, I feel entirely foolish. I realize now that I never wanted love, because I had never experienced love.

I guess fate was just waiting to hand me the one who I was meant to fall for, knowing that she was going to catch me.

"Goodnight James." She smiles, releasing me.

"Goodnight," I whisper, my mind still in a daze as if her touch is some sort of drug.

Blair heads towards the door leaving me standing there, my whole body cold from where she touched me moments earlier. Already I miss her embrace, miss her eyes and her mind. It's just like someone has ripped away a part of me. Thankfully that part of me is just across the hall.

As Blair heads across the hall to her room in preparation for bed, I return to my desk and pick up the quill. Without even thinking I begin writing, the words flowing out of my brain so effortlessly. That's the thing with the truth; when you speak it, there's nothing to hold back.

I write to Lexi unlike I have ever written to her before. The words come flowing out so fast, I have a hard time writing them on paper. In my letter I invite Lexi to come back to Mystic Falls, invite her back into my life. As I stuff the letter into an envelope, I realize I may not be doing this if a certain somebody hadn't knocked on my door this morning.

In this moment I realize I have come across something; I have come across something that is capable of pulling me out of the the darkness, capable of ripping the darkness from my veins. Perhaps Blair is the light that was meant to pull me out of this bottomless pit I have dug for myself.

Perhaps Blair is meant to save me.

___________________

[complete & edited: 08/22/17]