catch a break

ATHENA FROWNED AS SHE FOLLOWED CAROLINE OUT OF THE SCHOOL WHERE COUNTLESS OTHER PERIOD-DRESSED STUDENTS AWAITED INSTRUCTION. She shuffled with the fabric of her dress, pulling lightly at the green bow that draped down the front of it. "Are you sure I don't look stupid? I mean, I don't exactly fit the innocent, southern belle look with the whole scarface thing going on,"

"Athena," Caroline sighs at her ex's self-deprecating words. "You look stunning, Stefan's not going to know what hit him. And trust me, no one notices your scar as much as you do, okay? Besides, scars are hot."

The brunette rolls her eyes, but a smile pulls at her painted lips anyway. "I swear, I've never had this much hairspray in my hair,"

"Freshman year would say otherwise,"

Athena's jaw drops and she laughs incredulously, her brown ringlets shifting over her exposed collarbones. "At least I knew when to put the tweezers down, Care,"

The blonde's eyes widen, but she echoes Athena's incredulous laugh as they walk towards the floats. "You're such a bitch,"

"You love me," Athena winks, her eyes shifting to scan the crowd. Almost immediately, her gaze lands on Stefan and she lets out a soft exhale when she feels her face slowly fall in adoration. Standing there, respectful as ever with his arms tucked behind his back, stands Stefan in a suit that she knows is straight from the 1800s.

The smile on his face is nearly blinding, and she sees Damon standing beside him with a smug smirk as he meets her eye and slaps Stefan's shoulder to point to her.

Slowly, Stefan's eyes rise from the ground and span her flowing dress before they land on her face and she sees the glimmer of love shine in them. Caroline nudges her forward out of her stupor and Athena grins like an idiot in love as she approaches him, picking her layered skirts up slightly to bow before him as he offers a hand to her.

" This was the secret dress?" He raises a brow and she nods quietly. "It's perfect. You're perfect."

Damon mockingly gags, earning a chuckle from Caroline, though he quickly gives Athena an approving nod. "Very nice. If it weren't for your terrible manners, you'd fit right in that period,"

"It was all Caroline, of course," Athena gestures to Caroline's dress, which mirrors the drama of a well-off woman from that time. "I wouldn't be doing any of this if it weren't for her, anyways."

Caroline's pale cheeks flush and she rolls her eyes, batting a hand at Athena's praise. "Okay, okay, I have to go get on my float. I'll see you guys later!"

The blonde disappears in a flurry of pressed fabric and curls, and the trio all shake their heads at her constant state of go. Caroline never takes a break, certainly not for her own sake.

Stefan heaves a sigh, his hand skimming her waist. "You ready?"

"Am I ready to stand on a float made by half-ass high schoolers and be stared at while the sun beats down on me for two hours? Absolutely not." Athena huffs, adjusting her curls as she and Stefan begin to walk to the floats while Damon joins the crowd. "Will I do it for you anyway? Of course."

"I'm honored," Stefan grins, chuckling at her eye roll. "You look amazing, you know. You would've fit right in."

"Even with the likes of Miss Katherine Pierce hanging around?"

Stefan hums and he kisses Athena's temple, letting his chin rest on her head. "I'd choose you in any period, Athena. No matter who was there,"

Athena's heart races at his words and she leans into him further with a content sigh as Carol Lockwood bosses students around beside them. "I love you,"

"I love you, too," He tightens his grip on her waist. "In every lifetime."

──────

Athena sighed appreciatively as she walked out of the bathroom at the Grill, finally in normal clothes again. She smoothed her black skirt out and looked across the bar, seeing Stefan talking to Elena in seemingly hushed tones.

With irritation rising steadily along with curiosity, she begins to walk towards them, only to have Damon intercept her. She raises an eyebrow at him, and he sighs knowingly. "Look, Stefan wanted to be the one to break the news to her, so don't get mad, okay?"

"Why would I get mad?" She narrows her eyes. "What is he telling her?"

"That John Gilbert is her biological father,"

Athena's jaw drops and she quickly snaps it shut, only for it to fall open again as she stumbles for words to convey her shock. "You're joking, right?"

Damon hums, looking over his shoulder as Elena's eyes widen with the shock of the news. "No, I'm not. John talked to me last night, and amidst my questions regarding his sudden protectiveness over Elena, he let it slip."

A laugh spills from her lips and she doesn't bother to hide it as her eyes light up with delight. "This is quite literally the best day of my life, of course, that asshole is her father,"

"You're twisted, you know that?" Damon shakes his head in disbelief at the teenage girl, who waves him off with another laugh. "Look, there's something else, too,"

"What?"

"The vampires from the tomb are planning an attack tonight. Anna came to me earlier today and told me, and then she got the hell out of dodge," Damon sighs, watching Athena's face fall. "We need all hands on deck, so if you can get ahold of your– brother? Whatever he is, we'll need him, and Bonnie."

Athena nods, already running scenarios in her head. "I'll call him,"

"And, uh, if you are any closer to figuring out how to use your, you know," He gestures to her vaguely, but she catches his implications. "We could probably use it tonight."

She sighed warily, wishing that they'd had even a moment for her to sit down and tell them what was going on with her. She had no purposeful intentions to keep things from them, but they'd been so worried about the tomb vampires and Katherine showing up that she never found the right time to tell them.

"I'll try," She murmurs, watching Elena part from Stefan and rush outside the bar into the lively night air. She sidesteps Damon, heading for Stefan with all sense of humor gone from her gaze. "We need to find Alaric."

Stefan looks at her, nodding silently as he takes her hand and pulls her towards the door. As they step outside, Damon following close behind, Athena looks up at Stefan with a glimmer of sympathy in her eyes. "I know you don't like this,"

Her words draw his gaze downwards to her, and he raises a dark brow at her, prompting her to continue. "All of this. The killing, the lying, the fighting. You don't like it, I get it,"

"Athena,"

"It's okay," She stops abruptly, resting a gentle hand on his chest. "You deserve to have an easy life after everything you've been through, and I know that I shouldn't promise these sorts of things, but I promise that one day, we'll have it easier."

Stefan lets out a shaky sigh and nods, not trusting his words. His heart pulses with the love felt for the brown-eyed girl standing before him with a supportive smile and a hopeful look in her gaze. For the first time in a long time, Stefan actually believed he could have a peaceful life one day.

"Hey, Ric!" Damon calls out to the teacher as he catches up to them, and Stefan and Athena break from their sentimental moment to grab the teacher's attention.

"Yeah?"

"Come here," Damon pulls him along, picking up the pace as the four of them hurry through the crowds. "You keep those nifty little vampire weapons in the car?"

The man nods, looking at Stefan and Athena worriedly. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Because this square is crawling with tomb vampires. I think we might need a stake or two," Damon mutters, looking at the crowds of people suspiciously.

Alaric's eyes widen but he quickly schools his expression, looking around at the unfamiliar faces in the town square. "Yeah, got it,"

Athena pulls her phone from her pocket as Alaric heads towards his car, quickly dialing Josh's number. The phone only rings twice before he answers and she takes a short breath of relief. "Hey, are you still with Bonnie?"

"Uh, yeah," Josh shuffles on the other end of the line. "She's comforting Elena, or whatever."

"Well, we have a problem. The tomb vampires are here and they're planning an attack on the founding families which happens to include Elena. We need you and Bonnie, so get rid of her."

"Get rid of her like kill her, or–"

"Do something!" Athena exclaims exasperatedly. "And then meet me and Stefan by the stage."

"We'll be there soon,"

Athena hangs up the phone and stuffs it in the pocket of her coat, giving the brothers beside her a reassuring nod. "Bonnie and Josh are coming as soon as they handle Elena. Mayor Lockwood is about to take the stage for his speech, and he's probably first in line to be taken care of. Stefan and I will find him, Damon, you need to find the device."

Damon nods and heads in the direction Alaric had taken off in, and Athena grabs Stefan's hand, pulling him towards the stage as Mayor Lockwood is greeted with applause.

"For 150 years, Mystic Falls has been the kind of town that everybody wants to call home. Safe, prosperous, welcoming. And we have the founders to thank for that. That's why I'd like to dedicate this evening's fireworks display to their legacy."

Applause breaks out at Mayor Lockwood's announcement and Athena looks around, immediately seeing a handful of glaring men and women she assumes are tomb vampires.

"Enjoy the show!" Mayor Lockwood grabs for Carol's hand and the two begin to leave the stage, making Athena and Stefan change their direction towards them.

Fireworks explode in the sky above them and Athena wishes she could take the time to enjoy them.

"Athena," Stefan's voice breaks through her thoughts and she looks over her shoulder at him. "How long has it been?"

She furrows her brows. "What do you mean?"

"Isobel had twenty-four hours to get the device to us, and she hasn't returned it," Stefan looks around, more worried than before. "If she hasn't returned it,"

"She doesn't have it," Athena finishes his thought, frustration filling her eyes quickly. "Mayor Lockwood looked scared. That means the Council is planning something,"

"It's John," Stefan pulls her closer to him, looking around the celebration as fireworks go off above them. "John is going to activate the device for the Council."

Right as Stefan finishes his sentence, a high-pitched whine of noise echoes through the air, and Stefan and Athena both falter in their rushed strides. Athena cries out as Stefan falls to his knees, clutching at his head.

Her eyes roll back in her head slightly and she looks at Stefan, who's reaching for her despite his pain. "Athena!"

A set of arms grabs her from behind and she cries out, kicking her legs out as she watches someone grab Stefan and pull them apart. "Stefan!"

Athena's eyes squeeze shut as she tries to block out the painful noise, but the pain is far too much to bear. She feels something prick her neck and she shakes off the uncomfortable feeling as she sees Alaric knock the deputy out and grab Stefan from him. The teacher reaches for her, but she shakes her head, still struggling against the man dragging her. "Take him! Go!"

Stefan stumbles towards her, and Alaric pulls him back. "Athena, no!"

"Go!"

──────

Athena wakes to someone shaking her and she sits upright with a pained gasp. Her hand shoots to her chest to calm her racing heart, and when her vision clears she sees Damon's worried gaze. With a glance around at the unfamiliar surroundings, Athena lets out a choked whimper at the sight of the unconscious bodies filling the cellar and the roaring flames filling the small space with smoke.

"Oh, god, what happened?"

"We have to go," Damon whispers, his body aching from the vervain as he sways on his knees. "The building's on fire."

She reaches for his arm, pulling herself upright despite the way her head throbs and her vision splits. "Stefan,"

"He's not here," Damon mutters, leaning most of his weight against the wall as he tries to pull Athena to her feet. "Why did the device affect you?"

She whimpers as flames heat her skin unbearably. "I can't explain here,"

"Athena!" He yells out, stopping the girl from bursting into hysterics. "We're about to die here, so you might as well just tell me,"

The teenage girl cries out as a hot flame singes her skin and she pushes herself towards Damon, who stumbles back to catch her and pull her away from the flames. "My name! It's all in the name,"

He furrows his brows, shaking his head. "I know your name, Athena."

"No," She shakes her head, looking up at him helplessly. "Damon, I'm Athena."

Damon's eyes widened as realization hit him. "Oh,"

"I know," She cuts him off, looking at the fabric of her dress that had burned into her arm with a wince. "I know, I know it's insane. But I promise I'm not lying, if– if we get out of here, I'll tell you everything, I swear."

Damon nods, and she lets out a short sigh of relief that turns into a cough as smoke fills her lungs. "Stefan?"

Athena's spine straightens in fear. "No, no, Alaric got him, he wasn't in here,"

Damon shakes his head, pulling Athena along with him. "Let's go, we have to go,"

Athena looks around confusedly before her gaze lands on Stefan, who pulls them both against him and rushes them out of the burning building. Athena stumbles as they come to an abrupt stop, cold air slapping her in the face as she struggles for her footing on the solid ground.

"Oh, god," She hears Bonnie's frantic voice and relief floods her as Stefan's arms pull her upright. He turns her to face him and brushes her tangled hair off of her tear-streaked face, letting out a shaky sigh as he pulls her against him in a bone-crushing hug she collapses into.

She pushes up onto her tiptoes and buries her face in Stefan's neck, shoulders shaking with soft sobs.

──────

Athena gently runs a brush through her wet hair as she walks down the stairs of the boarding house, still a bit weak from the smoke inhalation. Her arm had been carefully wrapped by an EMT on the scene at the fire, despite Athena's insistence she'd be fine, she could see the fear in Stefan's eyes and did it for him.

A soft sigh echoes into the still silence of the boarding house and she wonders where Stefan went while she was in the shower.

"Stefan? Where are you?"

She turns the corner towards the study and her grip on her hairbrush falls lax as she sees the image before her. The familiar, infuriating face of Elena Gilbert smashed against her boyfriend's lips as he tried to pull away from her.

Furiously, Athena rushes towards the girl and taps her on the shoulder, making her startle and turn around. "You bitch," Athena draws her fist back and slams it into her face, hearing the sickening crack of her nose as she makes contact.

The curly-haired brunette falls to the ground, unconscious, and Stefan stumbles away with a gasp.

"How– how did you know?" He looks at Athena with wide eyes, and she furrows her brows.

"Know what?"

"That it was Katherine,"

Athena's clenched fists slowly release and she looks at the unconscious woman on the floor at her feet. "I didn't," She looks back up to Stefan, eyes still hardened with fury. "I thought it was Elena."

Stefan's chest heaves with shocked breaths as he stares at the ghost of a woman he thought he'd never see again. "She just– she was there all of a sudden and– and then she was kissing me,"

"I know, Stefan," She looks at his panicked form, still eyeing the vampire at her feet warily. She'd somehow gathered enough strength to knock her out cold, which was alarming in itself. Before she can continue her reassurances, her phone rings and she pulls it out of the pocket of her sweatpants. "Hello?"

"Athena? It's Sheriff Forbes,"

Athena's heart plummets to her stomach and she steps away from Katherine and Stefan with already-trembling hands. "Liz? What's– what's going on? Is everything alright?"

There's a shaky sigh on the other line, a brief pause as the woman collects herself. "It's Caroline. There's been an accident."

──────

author's note; season 2 here we come,,, also Katherine and Athena are gonna be... interesting

originally published; 12.13.20. 

edited: 11.30.23.

- liz