CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN
[77]
song: rip to my youth by the neighbourhood

DAISY WATCHES AS THE PARAMEDICS pulled the gurneys from the ambulances. The red and blue flashing lights still circling around and reflecting off the walls of the hospital.

She hunkered down a bit in the front seat of the car, not sure why she was trying to avoid being seen, as no one was going to question why she was sitting in the parking lot. Maybe she felt the need because she knew what was going to happen next, which would most definitely raise quite a bit of suspicion.

It was odd, seeing the blood covered gurneys rushed inside one after another. She was too far away to really see the details- but knowing that one of the people being rushed inside was Kai, made her unnecessarily anxious.

When everyone was inside the hospital, she turned the car back on. She glanced around, making sure there weren't any on lookers as she drove out of the parking lot and towards the paramedics entrance where everyone just went.

The lights of the ambulance had been turned off, although the feeling of emergency still lingered. Daisy leaned over to the passenger seat, where blood still stained the leather seats. She opens the glove box, pushing the insurance papers around until she located a napkin that was probably leftover from a drive-thru trip.

The thin paper didn't do much to soak up the blood on her hands, but it got that sticky feeling to go away. Next she wiped down the steering wheel, and the radio- before she clicked a bunch of buttons until music started.

She hadn't had a lot of time to adjust to the changes that twenty two years bring. She'd noticed the cars, the business signs, the clothes- but the music was by far the worst difference of all.

Every station was playing the same three songs- all equally as annoying as the next. She kept clicking the skip button, awaiting for something, anything better than whatever Call Me Maybe was.

Eventually, as the music drowned out and static replaced it- she found herself sitting in the car listening to white noise instead.

She picked up the napkin again, although she probably wouldn't even consider it a napkin- it was more like a thin piece of cheap toilet paper. She kept wiping her hands over and over, as she was too aware of the dry blood.

She couldn't do much without soap and water, and instead she was just wiping them raw, until the sticky feeling was replaced with pain.

Dropping the napkin on her lap, she leans back in the seat, letting out a frustrated sigh. She flexed her fingers over the steering wheel, trying to stretch out her sore body as much as she could.

She craved sleep, or a bed, or just a bit of time to rest. Ever since they'd been here, it's been constant going. She knew they didn't have any time to waste- but she wished they did. She never thought she'd miss wasting time after twenty two years of doing only that.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the paramedics door swing open. She looks up, startled at first, but she relaxed when she saw Kai walk out, still covered in blood, with a passed-out Josette in his arms.

Daisy quickly got out of the drivers seat, opening the back doors for him as he approaches the car. "That was fast." Daisy says, helping him lift the body into the back.

He wipes his hands, examining his sister who lay with her eyes closed in the row of seats. Daisy kept her eyes on Kai, her brain urging her not to look at Josette. "The twins have the knife, I told them to meet us at the cemetery where we saw Damon and Elena."

Kai nods. "And they're coming alone?" He says, walking over to the passenger seat.

"Mhm." Daisy responds.

Her hand lingered on the car door, her brain continuing to tell her to shut the door and not look at who Kai had dumped in the back seat- but she did anyways.

She saw her friend. Unconscious, about to be driven to be who knows what- tortured? She didn't know what came next. Was she clueless because she was too afraid to ask, or was she clueless because Kai didn't know what came next either?

Maybe it was better she didn't know. She knew she was doing what she had to do. She only felt this way because at one point- this woman was her friend. She should feel like a stranger, but she didn't. And she painfully wished she did, or else staring at her right now- knocked out- wouldn't hurt so bad.

Daisy slammed the back door shut before she let her thoughts burrow any deeper. Rejoining Kai in the front, she sat in the drivers seat and started the car.

Kai was searching threw the glove box for something that would clean up the mess of blood that he was covered in. Daisy felt bad for using the only napkins, as she really only had it on her face- while Kai's entire face was practically red.

"We can go to a drive thru. If we order food they'll give us napkins." Daisy suggests.

Kai narrows his eyes at Daisy, then to Josette in the backseat, before returning his gaze to Daisy. "Yeah, that's a great idea. This won't look suspicious at all." He says.

Daisy sends him a fake smile. "I was joking." She says.

Kai laughs softly, buckling his seatbelt. "No you weren't."

Daisy puts the car in drive, shaking her head slightly. "No I was not." She muttered, agreeing.

—

Daisy sat on the stone floor, trying her best not to let the fact that she was sitting in who knows how old mausoleum get to her head. It smelt like mothballs, and everything was covered with at least two inches of dust. The only light she could use came through a small stained glass window, and the creaked open door that led to the outside woods.

She leaned forward a little bit and glanced out the door, to see Kai talking to the twins- he had a large stick in his hand that he was using to draw something in the dirt with.

Daisy scoffed, before redirecting her attention to the task at hand. She yanked on the chains, making sure they were sturdy and weren't gonna unlock unless a key was used.

After making sure they were in place, she leaned back- sitting opposite Josette. She was still passed out, her eyes peacefully closed as her head leaned forward.

Her eyes trailed over to the chains she'd just put her in. She knew this was coming, it was unavoidable. Kai had to merge with Josette- it was him or her- and Daisy would always choose him but still she felt terribly guilty.

She hated it. She hated the choking feeling she got in her throat, and the pit that grew in her stomach, and that feeling of anticipation of the unknown. She wanted to turn off the feeling, and let Josette be another pawn. But it was never going to be that easy.

A soft inhale of air startled Daisy, and brought her out of the thoughts that silence brought.

Josette was awake. Her eyes first adjusting to the bright lights, then her dizzy mind adjusting to the last effects of whatever Kai used to sedate her.

Daisy was frozen, petrified. She couldn't move. She didn't want to be here, she didn't want to talk to her or see any of this happen- but here she was, sitting barely a foot across from her.

They met eyes. First, Josette's eyes were calm, as she was still adjusting to her new surroundings. Then, she was confused. Then, her eyes grew wide, a mix of realization and panic.

Daisy could've passed as a mannequin, she couldn't bring any of her muscles to move.

Her eyes were the same, and looking into them, the past twenty two years were nonexistent, and they were both teenagers again, eating lunch in the cafeteria.

"Daisy?" Josette spoke so quiet, that her words could've been mistaken as an exhale.

Why was Daisy's instinct to hug her? They were practically strangers. They weren't even that close in high school. They only knew each other for a few months and-

"Daisy." Josette repeated, just as quiet. Daisy realized her eyes must have faltered, as when Josette said her name again she looked back up to meet her eyes. Josette glanced out the doorway to where Daisy's eyes previously lingered, before turning back to face her. "You have to let me go." Josette swallowed.

Daisy narrowed her eyebrows slightly, letting out a small, shaky breath. She felt her brain telling her to ask Josette why. Why should I let you go?

She craved answers, she craved someone- anyone- to tell her if this was the right or wrong thing to be doing. It felt right- it felt like she was saving Kai- but at what cost?

Josette must've seen Daisy's gears turning, or else she wouldn't have said that in the first place. Josette saw a vulnerable girl, who still had the capacity for good.

But why did being good have to mean losing him?

Daisy clenched her jaw, straightening her back and refocusing. "She's awake." Daisy says, without breaking eye contact with the woman in front of her.

Josette's eyes widen farther, and panic began to fill the air as she yanked and pulled against the chains bound to her wrists. She frantically glanced around the mausoleum, as if finding a different exit would help her case. "What the hell did you do to me?!" Josette yells, not to anyone specific.

Daisy rises to her feet, shaking the dust off her hands, as Kai walks back inside. "I haven't seen you in eighteen years, you can't muster a hello?" Kai frowns.

The twins walk in behind him, avoiding eye contact with the older sister- guilt, real guilt, shadowing their usual stoic expressions.

Josette, still struggling against the chains, looks at her siblings confusedly. "What did you guys do?" She asks, worried.

"What you should've done eighteen years ago." Olivia responds.

Josette shakes her head. "It's not gonna work, Kai. I don't have my-"

"Magic. Yeah, I got that." Kai says, bending down to Josette's level. He opens up his jacket. "You stored it in this—" grabbing the knife from his pocket, Josette only has a split second to panic before it's plunged into her arm.

Daisy looks away, swallowing harshly as she tries to tune out the screams of pain that came from Josette. "What the hell?!" Lucas yells.

Daisy glances up at him, and in the process, catches Olivia staring at her. Not staring at her in any form of resentment or anger, more with pity. She could see that this was hard for Daisy to watch, and she hated that she was that easy to read.

Daisy looked away, redirecting her attention back to Kai and Josette, even though she could still feel Olivia's eyes linger on her.

Kai stabbed her again, and Daisy tried not to flinch. "It's not working." Kai says, in a slight panic.

"Okay, okay. Enough." Lucas says, stepping forward and latching onto Kai's shoulder.

Kai stood up quickly, grabbing onto Lucas shirt and pushing him into the nearest wall- where he held the knife up to his throat. "I was willing to kill you when your brain was the size of an acorn." Kai says, narrowing his eyes at his brother. "You don't think I'll do it now?" Kai whispered.

"Whatever." Lucas says, pushing Kai off him. "I'm not watching this." He glanced at everyone with an ashamed look before walking outside.

Daisy scoffed, as Kai began to laugh. He looked at her and shook his head. "So, dramatic." Kai says.

And although Daisy was laughing along, she wished that she didn't have to watch this either.

Kai bent back down to Josette's level. "I put my magic in there by choice, taking it back is also my choice." Josette says, though her words sounded hard to get out. "Unless, I bleed to death. Which will happen in the next thirty minutes. Wouldn't it be ironic if you accidentally killed me before the merge ceremony?" Josette says, laughing.

Daisy was a bit taken aback by Josette's response. Daisy never really thought she had it in her to stand up for herself- especially when held at knife point. But a few decades can really change a person.

Kai ran his tongue over his teeth, thinking. He then stood up, and took a breath. He glanced at Daisy, then to Olivia. "We're going to find a bandage." He spoke. "While you figure out how to put the magic in this knife, into our sister." He handed Olivia the knife, then turned around to face Daisy.

"You go. I want to talk to her." Daisy speaks up, lifting her gaze from Josette to meet Kai's.

He nods, glancing in between Daisy and his sister, before turning back around. "Preferably before I get back. I'd hate to dull it by slitting your throat." Kai frowns, before stepping outside.

Silence once again resumed over the mausoleum. There was only the wind that shook the outside trees, and the quick pants of breath from Josette as she tried not to panic over the wound on her arm.

Daisy turned to Olivia. "Leave."

Olivia scoffed, shaking her head. "No way."

Daisy's expression was cold, unreadable. It made Josette uneasy, but she also knew Daisy wouldn't do anything to hurt her- she'd leave that to Kai. "It's fine, Liv. Just wait outside." Josette swallows, and refocuses back on Daisy. "It'll just be a minute."

Olivia gave Daisy a stern look, but Daisy just stared back- unintimidated. Eventually, Olivia left, but she wasn't far. Daisy could see her blonde curls out of the corner of her eye as she waited outside, sat against a tombstone, knife in hand.

"What happened to you?" Josette asked. Daisy couldn't tell if it was genuine concern, or if she was disgusted.

Daisy's expression stayed the same- completely blank and emotionless. "Stupid question." She responded.

Josette clenched her jaw, desperately trying to recognize the girl in front of her. "You cut your hair." She remarked. It felt like a thought she accidentally let slip out her mouth.

Daisy scoffed. "Yeah, and you aged twenty years." She spoke, bending down to Josette's level.

Josette swallowed, trying not to make it so obvious that she was examining Daisy's many scars. "I don't know what you want me to say." She said. Daisy didn't know either.

Daisy must've caught on to Josette's darting glances on her face. "You can just ask." Daisy says. Josette didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. Daisy answered. "Kai and I weren't the only people there."

Josette's eyes began to fill with worry. "He didn't do this?" She questioned.

Daisy shook her head quickly. "No." She couldn't believe she'd even ask that, but he also did just stab her repeatedly in the arm- so maybe it wasn't that much of a stretch.

Josette stiffened. "Then who did?"

Daisy looked at her with confusedly, trying to gage the shift in tone. "There was a coven—" Daisy trailed off when Josette let out a quick shaky breath, looking away from Daisy's eyes.

Daisy tilted her head to the side a bit, that confused look still on her face. Josette looked paler than she was two seconds ago, and she couldn't meet Daisy's eyes. "Josette?" Daisy says, urging her to look at her again. Josette reluctantly turned to face Daisy again, desperation and pain in her eyes. "Th—" Daisy cut herself off, realization hitting her. "Josette?" She questioned again, but this time in a more accusatory tone.

Josette shook her head slowly, speaking calmly and hesitantly. "I didn't think you'd ever come across them." Josette let out.

Daisy quickly got to her feet- the thousands of accusations and questions she had for her all gone with one simply sentence. She had her answers. She knows what she did. Her blood ran cold. She instinctively brought her fingers back up to the scars on her cheeks.

Memories flashed through her brain. The feeling of nails being hammered into her palms. Being hung up on display, beaten and stabbed. The desperation for a quick moment of peace that only death would bring, only to be woken back up and brutally killed again. For what, power?

"You put them in the prison world?" Daisy looked at Josette, malice in her voice. "Knowing I was there? Knowing what they are and what they can do?" Her voice trembled with anger, as blood rushed to her face. "What they can do to me?" She couldn't cry, she was too angry- but she was in that split second before you burst into tears. "What they did do to me?!" She quickly gestured to her face, making Josette at the sudden movement.

Josette shook her head quickly. "I didn't know what else to do— I wasn't thinking." She said, regret and guilt filling her eyes.

Daisy wanted to laugh at the ridiculously stupid excuse. But all she felt was rage. A knot grew in her throat, and she wanted to do to Josette what they did to her. She wanted to scream, and rip her hair out— but she didn't.

She was completely calm. Her eyes were empty and lifeless, as her breathing slowed. That was when Josette began to panic. Daisy let her gaze slowly trail out the door, before beginning her walk outside to get Olivia.

"Daisy—" Josette said, the chains rattling with her movement. "Daisy, please. We can find another way to do this."

Daisy stopped in the doorway, not bothering to turn back to face Josette as she responded. "I don't think I want to find another way."

a/n
jo and daisy reunion finally !!! lmao sorry 😸
hope u enjoyed ! also this is not edited or reread literally at all bc i'm too tired sorry for typos
- jane