CHAPTER NINETEEN

(act iii)

ANEW

'the return and brave new world'

"I believe that when you love someone and that person loves you in return, you're uniquely vulnerable. They have a power to hurt you like nothing else." ~ Elijah Mikealson

Flashback Start:

I had died; Katerina had turned me into a vampire and broken my neck. I was sitting cross-legged in Death's domain. It felt familiar and safe; it was the place where everything started. Where I became Caroline Forbes and not Anastasia Raven. I never could get rid of my past life; it was always haunting me. Aisha had a strong grip on my mind. But not as bad anymore; I had forgotten her smile and warm presence. With her gone, others came. Liz, Jeremy, Enzo, Davina, Alaric, and Stefan had filled the empty and sad hole in my heart where Aisha was. For that, I was thankful beyond words to my loved ones.

I had deiced to become a vampire early on because I couldn't live without my loved ones, to feel the looming sense of Death over my head every time. I wouldn't be able to hug my precious daughter and my mother, who actually loved me, to feel Jeremy's warmth and Enzo's kisses upon my kiss in the morning, to bask in the innocence of Stefan. Life would be meaningless without them, as in my old life without Aisha.

"My child, you're going to hurt yourself with all that thinking," Death teased me like the cheeky bugger he was. He sat in front of me and gave me a warm smile that a father would give his child. Something I never had in my old life, Father and Mother were always too busy for me. They never appreciated that I never cried as a baby. I excelled in all life and areas of study. Not one bit, but Death did; he was forever proud of me, something that took me a long time to realize and accept. To be unconditionally loved was a foreign thing from my old life, but now in this new life and form, I was loved by so many people. I had a family and many loved ones, a family to call my own.

"I'm sorry, I was just reminiscing," I told him softly as if he would flee at the sound of loud noise.

His smile softened even more, "Death usually does that to people. It's good to see you, my child, even if it's because you're dead," he told me.

I nodded and replied, "I as well. I have missed you, father." My face grew a hesitant expression, "I'm sorry if I failed you. I know you dislike the concept of a vampire since they escape you for a certain time. But I needed this. I needed to be with my loved ones longer, to be stronger, to keep them safe and happy."

He slouched, touched my cheek, and brought my face up, "I could never be upset with you, my daughter. You haven't failed me, and you never will. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. You being a vampire changes nothing. I still love you. I always have, and I always will, no matter what."

I leaned into him and gave him a watery smile. He brought me into a hug that conveyed a thousand emotions and said a thousand unspoken words.

"I love you," I whispered, and he tightened his hold on me and replied, "I love you too, darling."

After a long hug, we parted, and I felt a hundred times better.

"You must have questions," he said after a few minutes of silence.

"Well, yes. Since I'm a vampire now, will I still be able to use magic?" I questioned. That was one of the hardest things to accept, being a vampire. Without magic, it would be much harder to accomplish things.

He nodded, "Yes, your magic is through my powers as my chosen one. You will keep all my gifts while being a vampire. But I've given you another gift, something I think you would love."

I perked up a little bit. Death was indeed the best.

"Your womb is still intact. You have the gift of life. To bring life into this cursed world," he dropped the bombshell. I was silent for a moment, taking in the words and the best gift I could've asked for.

I smiled brightly at him, lunged into his arms, hugged him, and repeated "Thank you" repeatedly. I honestly was thankful. I was scared I would've lost it.

"It's alright, daughter. But with this gift comes a downfall; your womb will be very fertile. You must be careful. Vampire seed can also get you pregnant." He warned me, but I stilled at his words.

Could I really give Enzo his happiness, his deepest desire? Could I give him a child? Truly?

Death nodded as if he heard my thoughts.

I pulled back and let a few tears out. This was all I could ever ask for.

"You've given me everything I wanted. A family, love, and children. Thank you, truly," I whispered softly. I was over the moon.

"Well, a father cares about his daughter's happiness, do they not? All I ever want is for a smile to grace your lips, not a frown," he told me.

I hugged him again, and he held me as I cried more happy tears. "You're waking up now, my dear. I will see you soon," he whispered as I faded from the plain and was brought back home and gasped.

(Hopefully, this was okay. It kinda made me a little sad ngl. She still has her magic and is a vampire. Her womb is intact, and yes even vampires can get her pregnant. I don't really care if this isn't 'realistic,' but it's vampires and a fic get over it.

Flashback End.

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I had woken up surrounded by the worried expression of Kat and Enzo. Being a vampire was much different than a human. I could hear everything and see everything. I felt stronger and more alive than I had ever felt. But with the gift of eternal life came the everlasting quench of blood. It wasn't as strong as I thought it would be. I had placed a lapis daylight ring on my finger and a lapis necklace on my neck. I had prepared them a while ago; I was always prepared. I wouldn't be getting taken advantage of, vampires always wore rings, and it was obvious. 

But when I woke up, I was in my original form, Anastasia. Did death give me another gift? Had he given me my old body back?

Enzo had given me a glass of blood from the freezer in the basement. It tasted divine, more than I thought it would be.

By now accomplishing my goal of being a vampire, I had a plan to enact. A devious plan to hopefully scare the doppelgänger and be free from the attachments of Caroline Forbes.

Enzo and Kat had taken it upon themselves to teach me the inner workings of being a vampire. To run, probably, to compel humans how to feed without making a mess. It was fun and quite exhausting.

Jeremy and Davina had been surprised that I was now a vampire. Jeremy had begged Enzo and Kat to turn him, but they said he was too young. He would be better off turning eighteen and then getting turned, or he would be stuck in a sixteen-year-old body. Something he realized and agreed that waiting would be better, but he was definitely jealous.

Davina had mixed feelings; she didn't mind I was a vampire, and she didn't mind the concept of vampires, but she then realized that her 'parents' wouldn't age and would live forever while she wouldn't. Davina didn't want to be a vampire. She loved her magic too much to turn. So she turned to the thousands of grimoires in the library for a solution. Ways to slow down aging so she could be with us for longer. She poured over the books for night and day.

Stefan didn't mind at all and was quite happy. He wouldn't have to be so gentle in bed anymore. His mind was forever in the gutter, he was seventeen, so it wasn't a surprise. But he also felt terrible because he didn't see what was so great about being a vampire, but he was slowly opening up to the idea there were pros to being basically immortal. He could be with his loved ones forever and truly forever.

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Timeskip ~ The Next Day

Anastasia 1st POV:

I was a woman on a mission who had to talk to Liz, my mother. She didn't know about me becoming a vampire, so I had to tell her. I didn't know what her reaction would be. In the show, she took a long time to fully accept that her daughter was a vampire, not a monster. 

Hopefully, it will go better than it did in the show. I was ready to tell her everything, besides the being in a show thing, because she didn't want to fry her mother's brain and have an existential crisis and question her existence. But I needed to tell her about being reincarnated. She needs to know that I'm not her real daughter.

I also had to fake Caroline's death, it would be an annoying process, but it had to be done. I was sick of being Caroline Forbes. I wanted to be Anastasia Raven. I was over this façade, pretending to be someone I wasn't. 

Money won't be that much of a problem since everything I had earned with the business was in Liz's name. All I needed to do was create an illusion of Caroline dying, but the funeral would be annoying. The backlash would also be irritating. 

People were bound to ask questions about the new black-haired Hispanic woman that was living in the Forbes Mansion. I would act as Caroline's cousin who visited for her funeral. There would also be questions about how she was dating the late Caroline Forbes's boyfriend, Jeremy. Elena would be the most suspicious person since she didn't know about my other form. Not that it mattered much since she would die soon, even if that would destroy the plot. Fuck the plot. 

I would have to keep it on the dl for a while and make it believable that we fell in love over the poor death of Caroline. But it would be worth it in the long run. No one knew about Caroline and Enzo dating due to the age gap between Elena and Alaric. There wouldn't be any problems with Stefan since it was new and people thought we were good friends. 

Jenna wouldn't be upset since she already knew about my other form and would be okay with it. I was also happy about finally being Anastasia because I wouldn't need to be in school and could just create a new id and birth certificate and compel a few people. Get my degrees back and the lot.

"Hey, everything okay," Liz asked, setting a cup of tea on the table. I nodded and replied, "Yeah, I just had a few things to tell you."

She nodded and took a sip indicating she was listening."Don't freak out, but I died and came back into this body. It's called reincarnation. I'm not really Caroline Forbes; I really am Anastasia. It's not just a random glamour; it's what I really looked like. I'm sorry for taking over your real daughter's body. I didn't expect it. Also, Katerina turned me, so... I'm now a vampire, but I still have my magic. Also, my womb is okay and not destroyed like what usually happens when being a vampire." I dropped the truth on her bluntly; better to just rip off the band-aid. 

Liz just spits tea back into the cup and looks at me wide-eyed. "What. The. Hell! What do you mean you're not my real daughter? I gave birth to you, clothed you, fed you, and looked after you. Of course, you're my daughter! But being reincarnated or whatever, it actually makes a lot of sense. Wait! Does that mean I'm getting grandkids soon? No, and no. You're way too young to have kids despite looking older and probably older." Liz just rambled and yelled without taking a breath.

"Just take a breather," I told her, wanting her to calm down. But I did chuckle a little at the grandkid thing. 

"Tell me everything!" Liz demands, so I do. I tell her of my old life, leaving a few things out like I killed many people. How I died but slightly modified. I didn't want to see the disgust on her face especially pointed at me. I told her everything up to the events of Kat turning me.

It was a stressful and long conversation but overdue. It took a while for her to adjust to the idea that I overtook Caroline's body, but she grew to love me and needed space, which I understood. She was a little freaked out that I wasn't really 16 but in my twenties, but that didn't stop her from treating me like a kid. She was a little upset about the idea of me faking Caroline's death, but she understood. She didn't want me to continue the lie that was Caroline Forbes. After everything was on the table, she went to her room to have her space and think.

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Timeskip ~ The Next Day

Liz was slowly coming to terms with the whole reincarnated and now a vampire-thing, but she didn't stop me from setting up the illusion of Caroline dying in a fire at the house. Since she was the sheriff, she sorted it out with the station. A little compulsion helped get it in order. It was chaotic, but Caroline Forbes was now officially dead. 

The 'funeral' was set for two days, it was going to be beautiful. The boys were getting their tears ready. The gang had all been informed that she wasn't really dead but was faking it to live her life as Anastasia. None of them knew why she was going to all this trouble to be Ana, but they didn't ask, knowing how much it meant for some reason.

Anastasia Raven had 'come' to visit after hearing the tragic news of Caroline's death. Elena hadn't met 'me' yet, but it would be interesting to see the crocodile tears on that one.

Kat was having the time of her life organizing my funeral, say what you want about the girl, but she knew how to throw a good party.

Being a vampire was exciting and fun. Me and the boys, Jeremy, Alaric, Stefan, and Enzo, celebrated with a night out in the next town over. The party started when we got home, drinking blood and having sex. It was a night to remember, especially for Alaric since it was his first time with the others.

Even Kat joined in the festivities. She and Enzo got on like a house on fire. Stefan tried to stay away, but he just couldn't. He still liked her, even if he wanted to hide it. They had talked about everything that happened the other day, and Kat even apologized. She did whatever it took to get him back – they were cute.

Davina had gone to Tyler's for the night, and he was stuck on babysitting duty because, well not the best thing for a young girl to walk in on an orgy.

We all ended the night with everyone in my massive bed. The smell of blood and sex clung to our bodies and the wall. It was amazing until I got a hysterical and sobbing Tyler on the phone, asking me to get there. At first, I thought something had happened to Davina, but his father was the root of it.

So, Enzo, Jeremy, and I came running to the Lockwood Mansion to see what was happening and to see if Tyler and Davina were okay.

The plot had tried to fix itself, and Mayor Lockwood was in a car accident from coming from the office to home. A drunk driver had veered off the track and killed him. Tyler was upset but secretly grateful, he hated his father, but that didn't mean he wanted him dead. He still loved him despite his aggressive and mental abuse. The wake and funeral were set in a few days, The new Mayor, Carol, wanted it finished and done with it. The whole Lockwood family was upset, and the people were too.

Two people had died that day, and only one was coming back.

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Timeskip ~ Few Days Later

Tyler had slowly been getting better after hearing the news of the death of his father, Richard. The wake was now happening; Caroline's was yesterday. People grieved; she surely was amazing, sure she was a bitch, but she helped out the community a lot with its events. After hearing the news, my classmates left flowers, candles, and cards in my locker. But they moved on after a few days like people do. Elena acted upset, but I knew she was slightly happy with my death, and I couldn't blame her. I did kind of steal her boyfriend, and we weren't friends.

Katerina was at the party pretending to be Elena while antagonizing Damon as she should. Elena was clueless about it happening since she was running late since John was in the hospital.

I stood next to Tyler as he welcomed the guests for his father's wake. His brother, Mason, was meant to arrive soon. Kat had told me about her old plans for the ritual and him.

"So, how are you feeling?" I asked him softly, smiling at the random people walking around his yard.

Tyler sighed next to me and ranted, "Alright, I guess. It's just been a hectic few days sorting out the wake, the funeral, and getting our affairs and finances in order. Mom's been a wreck, nonstop drinking. It's getting sad. Never knew how much work needed to be done when someone died. I don't know how you're doing this."

I chuckled slightly, "Yeah, death is a lot of work for everyone involved. I'm just glad you're okay. Your mom will get better, trust me. I'm sure Davina wouldn't mind baking another cake for you guys."

Tyler laughed slightly, "That little gremlin is a menace in the kitchens." His face grew serious for a moment, and he asked, "Why are you doing this? Faking your death?"

I sighed, and my smile slipped from my face, "Tyler, this may not make sense, but I never felt like Caroline, the blonde hair, the smile, the pale skin. It just didn't fit, so I changed and am happier in this body. She needed to die so I could live."

He nodded a bit awkwardly, "Okay, I'm sorry."

I side-hugged him and patted his shoulder, "It's alright. I'm glad you asked"

We then saw a black Ford drives down the driveway and out jumped Mason Lockwood, Richard's brother.

"Mason?" Tyler questioned. 

Mason walks up the stairs, and Tyler snarks, "So the black sheep returns."

Mason looks at Tyler with surprise and asks, "Tyler?"

Tyler just nodded and tightened his hold on my side. He was annoyed, it seems.

"What happened to you? In my mind, you're twelve years old," Mason asks.

"Then that's two years older than the last time you saw me, Uncle Mason." Tyler snides.

They look at each other silently, and then they hug. Mason slaps his back and says, "Good to see you, man."

Tyler nods and says, "Yeah, good to see you too."

They let each other go, and Mason looks at me and smirks, "Got yourself a good-looking one, Ty."

Tyler gags loudly, "Ew, no," he says, making me shoot him a raised eyebrow. He panics for a moment, "I mean, your banging, but no way am I fighting the others."

I roll my eyes and kiss his cheek, "I'm joking, Ty."

Tyler huffs, and Mason just watches us with a weird look.

Tyler looks at him and tells him, "This is Anastasia. She's Caroline Forbes' cousin. She came down for her funeral. We're really good friends, and that's it." 

I smile and shake Mason's hand, and Tyler catches the smirk on his face and says, "She's taken, man, wouldn't go there."

"Mason Lockwood," he introduces himself and throws an annoyed look at Tyler. 

"I know," I say. Mason nods and looks to Tyler with a sad look, "What happened to Care. She was such a good kid to babysit".

I smirk slightly, and Tyler continues with the cover story, "She died in a fire, man. It was fucked"

Mason nods slowly, and I jump in, "How about I show you around?"

Mason nods, and we leave an annoyed Tyler stuck on door duty. "I am sorry about your brother," I told Mason softly; he didn't need to die. He might've been rude and slightly abusive, but he stopped. 

Mason nodded slowly, "Thank you, I'm sorry about your cousin. She was an amazing girl, from what I remember, very smart."I nodded, spotted Jenna in the crowd, and a smirk grew.

 "Thanks," I said, steering him to Jenna. Was I playing cupid? Yes, yes, I was. Jenna deserved a nice guy, and Mason didn't deserve to be manipulated. Kat had cut him loose after I told her I would set up the ritual and help her get her freedom.

"Jen!" I called out to her, and she turned to me and smiled brightly. "Ana, hey," she greeted and hugged me. She let go and looked at Mason and gasped, "Mason? When did you get here?" she hugged him tightly.

He chuckled and hugged her back, and I smirked at her behind his back. she rolled her eyes and pulled her tongue out.

"Jenna, you look great," he said, pulling her back and looking her up and down. 

She blushes slightly and swats his arm, "Thanks, so do you. Still a charmer, I see." She says.

He smiles and smirks, "Only for you."

She rolls her eyes, but I can see her red cheeks.

I took that as my cue and left and found Davina with Bonnie and Damian's arms wrapped around her.

"Hey, guys," I greet. They all look up from their drinks and smile at me. "Oh, thank god you're here. This is so boring," Davina whines, latching onto my arm.

I laugh and ruffle her hair. "I know, blossom, we'll leave fairly soon."

She sighs, and I look to Bonnie, and she asks, "How's Ty? He says his fine, but I don't buy it."

I shrug, "I think he's actually pretty good, he didn't really like him, and they didn't talk that much. It was a strained relationship, but he'll get better. We just have to be there for him and try to distract him."

Bonnie deflates slightly and nods. "I saw Mason, bout time he shows up," she comments.

"Yeah, sadly, he was here for Kat, but he's trying to be there for Ty. It's going to be hard when he turns. He says he wants to turn, but I think it's going to be hard on him when he kills."

She nods and says, "He's too sweet for it, honestly." 

We all nod and look at him; he is talking to some expensive-looking lady. 

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Tyler 1st POV:

I was hanging with the guys in the old man's office. It was strange to be in here, he never let anyone in here, but now people just walk in and out. We were passing around a nice bottle of Whiskey, courtesy of Enzo.

I sit on the couch and sigh, "This is a drag. Today's been a big day of sorrys from people who really don't give a crap."

Enzo chuckles a little, "It is a good wake, though, better than the ones back in my day."

Jeremy laughs, "You're so fucking old." Jer sits on the couch next to me and pats my shoulder. "I remember when my dad died, I had a house full of strangers telling me what a great guy he was. Anyway, I know how hard all this is." He says softly, passing me the nearly empty bottle.

All I wanted to do was just get wasted, not feel anything. To stop hearing the stories and the lies about how great he was.

"The difference is, in your case, it was true. My dad was a dick," I reminded him. People never saw what was happening behind closed doors. Luckily Ana took care of it; without her, I can't even imagine how my life would be. Boring, sad, and full of anger, I reckon.

"Yeah, he was, but so was my dad. He fucking cut up dear Enzo here. He was full of hatred for a species he never understood," Jer said, looking down at his clenched hands.

Enzo sat silently and quietly said, "I never blamed you, Jer, so don't be going and hating yourself."

Jer looked up at him and gave him a sad smile.

This conversation just got sadder, so I walked to his desk, grabbed his flask, and shook it. "He always kept this on his desk. First drawer. Never left his side," I said, reminiscing.

"Your dad had a worse alcohol addiction than my father ever did," Enzo said, laughing.

I smiled at him and took a sip, "Cheers to shitty dads," I said, putting it up like a toast.

Jer laughed and toasted the whiskey bottle, "To shitty dads."

Enzo just watched us with his arm on the couch, so I handed him the flask, and he took a sip and toasted. "Your dad had a taste, Ty," he commented.

I chuckled, "Yeah, he did." I said softly.

We were telling a few jokes about our fathers, trauma dumping if you will until Mason strolled through. He looked around the room; his eyes flickered to Jer, Enzo, and the flask and the empty whiskey bottle.

The room was silent, "Didn't know you had friends, Ty, especially older ones," Mason said, looking at Enzo.

Enzo rolled his eyes while Jer tried to stop the laugh from coming out of his fat mouth.

"Yeah, well, you've been gone a while," I said, looking at the flask in my hand.

Mason sighs and asks them, "You guys got somewhere else to be?"

Enzo and Jeremy looked at each other and got up; Jer patted my shoulder, and Enzo nodded in reassurance. Then they left, leaving me with Mason.

He reached out for the flask, and I gave it to him, and he took a sip and gave it back to me. I looked at him with surprise and bafflement. I would have thought he would take the flask.

We sat in silence, passing the flask back and forth.

I was happy that I had friends and family to have my back.

_____________

The wake was all wrapped up, and Jeremy had gone home while Enzo and Alaric were at home with me, warming up my bed. Stefan and Kat were next doors talking and doing other things that didn't need words. Alaric had been busy with work and sorting things out. He didn't stay long at the wake since he didn't really like the guy. Elena and Damon had quickly gotten together, knowing that Stefan and Katherine didn't care about them.

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Timeskip ~ The Next Day; Raven Mansion

With all the grief and sadness that had been hanging over everyone's heads, it was good that some fun was finally showing itself. It was Davina's 15th birthday, and it was going to be epic. Balloons and streamers were all over the place, and a table full of presents was no doubt expensive presents. Music was echoing throughout the household, and the smell of food wafted through the air.

Enzo and Jeremy were cooking up a storm in the kitchen, preparing food for the birthday girl. Kat, Bonnie, and I were helping Davina get ready whilst the others were finishing the last pieces of the party. Some of Davina's friends were on their way. She was a social butterfly, always making friends no matter where she went.

"Sit still, blossom, or I'll burn your ear off by accident," I told her, curling her beautiful brown hair.

Davina huffed. She was jittery with excitement; this was her first birthday, and she actually celebrated with food, presents, and people. It wasn't some measly day where the coven would come by to check on her magic progress or her parents would make her cook her own dinner whilst they went out drinking.

"How about this one?" Kat asked, shaking a nice purple dress she found in the back of Davina's closet.

We all looked over at it and shook our heads. "Why do I have to wear a dress?" Davina asked, rolling her eyes at the dress.

"You'll look nice in a dress, Vina. You gotta dress up for these types of events!" Kat called out, jumping back into her closet.

Davina looked at me with 'puppy dog' eyes, and I shrugged. "You can wear whatever you want, blossom. This is your day; never let anyone tell you otherwise," I whispered, patting her shoulder, and put the curler down on the table since I was done.

Davina nodded and got up, and went to look for something to wear with Kat. I sat next to Bonnie with a smile on my face, seeing my daughter happy.

"You look so carefree now, with her, I mean. You truly love her, don't you?" Bonnie asked, putting away her makeup brushes.

I nodded, "Of course I do. I see her as my real daughter. I thought by now you would stop questioning my love and loyalty for my loved ones." I told her.

"No, I just think you make a good mother, better than mine. Seeing you and she makes me want that and have my own daughter." She told me seriously, watching Davina and Kat throw clothes at each other.

"Thank you, Bon. Your mother didn't deserve such a beautiful and kind daughter." I told her, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her close to me, "Also, no children for you till you are at least 20! Your way too young!" I told her with my best mom's voice.

Bonnie giggled, "Of course, mom. I'm sure we'll see a little Raven running around here sometime soon, considering your womb still works," she said, nudging my side.

I laughed and squashed my cheek into hers and mumbled, "Maybe, we'll see. I'm just happy with what I have right now and that Enzo has a choice."

Bonnie nods and hugs my side quietly.

A few moments later, Davina walks out in a nice white dress, which flows around her knees.

"You look gorgeous, darling," I told her, untangling myself from Bon and walking over to her. I took her hand and spun her around, "Like a true princess," I told her, making her laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Kitty doesn't have such bad taste after all," she said bashfully.

I looked over to a smug leather-cladded Kat and raised an eyebrow, "She has the best style out of us all. Not surprised since how hot she is," I told Davina looking at Kat, who smiled at me.

Davina groaned and said, "Stop flirting with Kat. I don't want to be late for my own party!"

I nodded and asked the girls, "Can we just have a sec? I need to give something to D".

Katerina and Bonnie nodded and left the room, leaving just an excited Davina and me.

"You didn't have to get me anything. You've done a lot for me. You all have," She told me softly.

I hummed and brought the two boxes from my bag and brought her over to the bed. We sat in front of each other, and I said, "My mother gave me this when I was your age. Her mother gave it to her, and she gave it to me, so now I'm giving it to you."

I gave her the ring box, and she opened it with a gasp. Inside was a beautiful silver and gold ring with a red jewel in the middle. The Raven ring. 

She hastily put it on her right ring finger and looked up at me with teary eyes and jumped on me, and hugged me, "Thank you so much. For everything." She thanked me, and I patted her back.

"It's fine, blossom, don't cry," I told her, wiping her wet cheeks. She nodded and pulled away, and looked at the ring with a fond look. "I'll never take it off!" she declared and then said quickly, "Besides the shower, I don't want to ruin it."

I nodded and passed her the necklace box, and said, "Alright, here this is from just me. It's not an heirloom like the ring, but it'll help you channel your magic. Just hold it and think of happy times, and it'll help you concentrate."

She nodded and opened the box and brought the crystal closer to her, and inspected it with a smile on her face. "It feels familiar, the magic, I mean. Is it yours?" she asked, looking at me.

I nodded, "Yeah, I imbued my magic into it to give you a boost. Jeremy and Enzo helped make the chain. They are good with their hands," I told her.

Davina wiggled her eyebrows at me at the last comment, and I rolled my eyes. "Thank you, it's beautiful, and so is the ring. I'll thank Remy and Zozo when I get the chance," she said and handed me the necklace back.

I twirled my finger, and she turned around, and I clipped the necklace onto her slender neck. "Now, come on. You've got guests to entertain, food to eat, and presents to open," I told her, patting her hair.

We both got up and walked down to the party, hand in hand.

I watched her walk off to her friends and thanked them for coming. I turned to get a drink, and Enzo handed me an already-made vodka lemonade, and I kissed his lips in thanks.

"She looks happy. I'm glad we took her in back in NOLA," Enzo said, leaning his head on my shoulder.

"I know, it makes me want another kid. They grow up so quickly, so she'll be finished with school and off with some boy traveling the world," I said sadly.

Enzo blew air into my ear by sighing, "She's got a few years before that, don't worry, darling. Plus, we can always just go upstairs and make one," he murmured, kissing my neck, tempting me like usual.

"Another time, love. We've got guests and a hungry birthday girl to feed," I told him, pushing his head away from me. He rolled his eyes and went to help Jeremy place the food on the table. I went over to the present table and stacked them neatly because they were all over the place. I stopped when I heard Ric walk over to me.

"Hey, haven't seen you for a while," I told him, looking over at him.

He sighed and took a sip of his bourbon; it never leaves his hand, I swear. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. The school has been busy with the carnival thing, and I've got a lot of work to mark. It's worse since you're not at school anymore." He said, wrapping his arm around my waist.

I leaned into him, "It's fine. I'll just visit you at the school during lunch or something. We can all hang out and eat lunch together sometime."

He kissed my hair and said, "That sounds nice. The party looks great, though, very teenage". I laughed a little and said, "You think? We were all going at it today getting everything ready". 

He nodded and said, "So I had an idea, and just tell me if I'm overstepping, and I'll understand." I looked at him and became serious. I nodded for him to continue. "It might be a little fast, but I was wondering if you've got a lot of empty rooms, and since we don't see each other a lot. I could maybe move in? You cannot if you want. I understand it's fast. I just want to be close to you and the others." He said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. 

I let out a breath and smiled. "I thought you were going to ask something worse since the dramatics. But I would love for you to move in. I'm sure Enzo won't mind, and Davina likes you." I told him, kissing his lips.

He just nodded vigorously and said, "Cool. Cool. Cool" 

I shook my head, kissed him again, and walked away, leaving him to mumble about random things.

I walked over to Enzo and Stefan, who were drinking and laughing, "He finally asked, it seems," Enzo said, looking at Alaric. 

I just nodded and ate a chocolate biscuit. It didn't taste like how they usually tasted like; being a vampire does that. 

"He looks like he's going to burst," Stefan noted, looking at Ric bemused.

I looked over at him and shook my head. "He does. Enzo go over to him and talk to him. Calm him down," I told him, and he left Stefan and me alone. 

"So... I heard you and Kat are getting friendly again," I told him, and he smiled softly. "Yeah, we had a big talk about it and came to terms. A lot of apologizing happened in and out of bed. We're finally in a good spot again. I hope that's okay," He informed me, looking down at me.

I looked at him and said seriously, "Of course, Stefan. I'm not the boss of you; no one is. I'm glad you've patched things up because I was thinking of inviting her into the fold".

Stefan takes another sip of his drink and raises an eyebrow, "Oh really?" he asks.

"Yeah, we need another girl. My pussy is going to be destroyed after a night of fun. So we need Kat to balance it out." I reply nonchalantly.

Stefan nods then spits out his drink, and races to wipe his face, "What!" he says.

I just laugh and walk away to find someone else to annoy and embarrass, maybe the birthday girl?

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Timeskip ~ Later that Night ~ The Carnival

We were all at the carnival the school put on for some charity to celebrate Davina's birthday. The boys were trying their hand at the games to beat each other and win the biggest teddy bear.

The party was good and the company even better.

Damon and Stefan were catching up while watching the wrestling competition. Tyler was winning, obviously.

"He's got strength," Damon comments watching Tyler win another round.

"He's a triple-letter varsity athlete. Of course, he has strength. You're reaching." Stefan mocks.

Mason then arrives to arm wrestle against Tyler. "Enter the uncle," Damon comments theatrically.

"That's ridiculous," Stefan snides shaking his head. Mason then beats Tyler using his werewolf strength.

"Okay, he's the champ. Who wants to go next?" Tyler admits his defeat and asks the crowd. Damon then speaks up, dragging his brother under the bus, "Stefan wants to go," he calls out.

The Lockwoods then look towards Stefan, who gives up and says, "Yeah, sure, I'll...give it a shot."

I walk over to Tyler's side, and we bet against each other who'll win. "Mason will win," I tell him, and Ty shakes his head, "No, why, Stefan will win." I just shake my head. Never bet against a 'seer.'

Stefan and Mason then join hands and start the comp.

"Get him, Stef!" Damon cheers from the side like an amateur cheerleader.

"My brother over there thinks I can beat you," Stefan tells him, and Mason shakes his head with a cocky smile and says, "Your brothers are wrong."

They start to wrestle and push back and forth, and Mason beats him, leaving a surprised Tyler and Stefan.

I just smugly look to Ty, who rolls his eyes and hands me a ten-dollar note.

Stefan then rejoins an annoyed Damon, so the usual.

"You didn't put in any effort at all," Damon tells him angrily.

Stefan shakes his head in surprise and tells him, "Yeah, actually, I did."

Damon then drags Stefan into the hallway and 'quietly' asks, "Is he...?"

Stefan shakes his head, "No, no, it wasn't that kind of strength, but it was more than human if that makes any sense."

Damon angrily sighs, "What is up with that family? They're not vampires. What the hell are they?"

Stefan rolls his eyes and jokes, "Ooh, ah, maybe they're um.. ninja turtles!"

Damon gives his younger brother a deadpan look and tells him, "You're not funny."

Stefan continues the joke and unknowingly hits eureka, "Or no, zombies, werewolves."

Damon sighs and angrily tells him, "No comedic timing at all" he shakes his head at his brothers' stupidy.'

"No, he's right there, werewolves," I call out, leaning on the wall behind them.

They look at me, and Damon seems surprised at my appearance.

"Anastasia?!" Damon breathes out, scared. "How can you be so sure?" he asks suspiciously.

"The Lockwoods have been werewolves for generations. It's a curse. You have to do something to unlock it, like becoming a vampire. You have to kill someone to become a werewolf, only if you have the gene, of course." I informed them it was tedious, but I didn't want Tyler to accidentally kill someone just yet. He would sort it out on his own terms.

Damon silently listens to my explanation and asks, "Well, why haven't I seen one before?"

I roll my eyes and explain, "Because they usually stay out of cities and supernatural business and live in more rural areas with mountains and shit. Hunters and vampires have been killing them off because of the mortal enemy. There's not many left".

Damon just nods and looks back to the Lockwood duo, who are talking.

"Don't do anything. Leave them be. Seriously, Damon, werewolves don't concern us," I demand. I'm over him digging his nose into everyone's business and creating problems.

Damon innocently nods and then speeds off, leaving me alone with Stefan.

"God, I want to kill your brother sometimes," I tell him shaking my head at him.

Stefan sighs and says, "My brother gives that impression to a lot of people. He's annoyed, broken, and very angry at the moment with the Kat thing. He's getting better with Elena, though, showing his humanity."

"Yeah, sure. He's on his last strike, you know? If he kills or does something else to one of my circles, then I will kill him. I know he's your brother, but some people just shouldn't stay alive." I replied sadly; I didn't want to kill Stefan's brother, but I would do it if he left me with no choice. Damon was dangerous in fuck up everything dangerous.

Stefan sighs and nods but doesn't say anything on the topic of his brother's death. 

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Hey guys I'm back from my break! Sorry for the long ass break, I didn't expect it to be this long but I was moving in back home and fixing the house up and all that shit. Everything is finally settled down, Christmas and my 18th have gone and I got my learners done last week after trying like 6 times. So everything is going good so I started writing this chapter. It was supposed to be out a few days ago but i got hooked on some fic and had no motivation to finish it. But I hope you guys enjoy it and all the fucking fluff!!

Hopefully, there aren't any plot holes with the death of Caroline and becoming Anastasia. i now think it would've been easier to just make her an OC instead of reborn but whatever. I love to make life harder for myself, it's called self-destructive tendencies lol. I'm trying to organize a schedule for my fics but it's hard because I have quite a few out and I'm super fucking lazy and unmotivated half the time. I'll try to organize one and stick to it better.

My apply fic, METANOIA is out so go check it out! It's a young justice and Percy Jackson crossover so pretty pumped to start writing.

Poll: Who's gonna be the first one to get her pregnant and how? She'll have a few with the others so they won't be left out. I'm thinking Klaus after the Hybrid Ritual...I've planned a legacies sequel if people want to read that after Killer Queen – it probably will be pretty short.

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