Her guards were looking quite bored. Yaz shrugged. "Mabli called, there were a few alarms goin' off in the Hospice pods."

The Doctor frowned dramatically and tilted her head. Next came the confused nose scrunch. "That's at the base of the ship. There's no power down-" She stopped and quickly turned, racing down the hall, clutching her stomach still in pain. Yaz was hot on her heels and Ronan behind. They all entered the corridor leading to the assessment area when they saw flashing lights. But the power had been cut for that room. They ran into the room and found everything not a wall in the air, except Astra and her seat. The wind from nowhere whipped harshly and the Pting was trying to crawl along the wall to get closer to her. The wind couldn't be holding him off, but something was making his approach very lethargic. Upon closer inspection, the Time Lord eyes picked up on air distortions around the Pting. Every once in a while the creature would pause in and open its mouth. 

It all halted in a moment when Astra slowly blinked awake. She seemed to have no understanding of the chaos descending around her. She sat up herself and saw the mess with groggy eyes. The Pting lunged with a scream and the brunette turned around with Supernatural speed, catching it around the neck, its legs wrapping her forearm and mouth biting at her fingers. Astra threw him up the hole he must've come through and stepped back. The Doctor masterfully conducted herself through the debris, limping some, and hugged Astra - or tried to - from behind. Astra noticed of course and turned to her, hugging back in relief. She left one hand off the alien's back and looked at the healing corroded burns. Astra kissed the other woman's cheek and whispering in Latin with her hand down the injured stomach. The Doctor gasped and pulled back, glaring and understanding something she hadn't before. The two of them walked back to the doorway, away from the tiny being. 

Yaz immediately hugged Astra once they were close enough. "Thank you for saving our lives," she said with immense weight. 

"What is the situation elsewhere?" the man beside Yaz asked, standing very stiff. 

The Doctor looked at him, the both of them, and made her way between, the brunette tucked under her arm again. "Eve's piloting the ship, Durkas is maintaining controls and signals, you were supposed to be guarding the particle accelerator...." The ship shifted midspeech and the group of five staggered some but regained equilibrium easily. "Mabli, Graham and Ryan are presumably delivering Yoss's baby, and the bomb's going to detonate, so I'm just going to move it away from the anti-matter generator room." Of course, they came to what looked like a regular wall until it opened on its own. The room hosted a massive that kind of looked like a coin case. It made donating more child-friendly in America. "Mind helping?" she mumbled in your ear. 

"Mm, just moving a bomb, huh?" she clarified, trying to catch up with the drama that was the Doctor's life. 

The Doctor smirked down at her, grabbing her sonic on instinct. It lit easily and she seemed surprised, gasping and smiling like a dope. "Clever sonic. Self-rebooting." She pointed it at the bottom of the machine. 

"There's a bomb in this room?" the strange male asked in a strangely calm tone, as if he didn't truly care. 

"Right in here," the Doctor answered honestly. Of course. In a life or death moment, that's when she was unafraid to give all the details. She started circling the machine, scanning the base of it the entire time. "Mabli said that Resus One would terminate the ship if they found a Pting on board. How would they do that? It's too far for missiles. It has to be the same for every Tsurangan Rescue Craft." 

Yaz circled the device in the opposite direction of the Doctor. "It's built in. Self-detonation." 

"Bingo." The Doctor bounced her pointer finger at the woman. "Ten points for Yasmin Khan. And yes, I am keeping score, for all of you." She turned to the man. "Ronan, up your game. Jokes!" she tried to quip at the man. 

"So, we're on a spaceship," Astra seemed to just be figuring out. 

"Yea," the Doctor whispered.

"With a creature that eats-"

"Already been through this, Astra," the Doctor cut her off. "With Graham."

"Yeah, not me, and I have questions!" the brunette snipped with a childish stomp. 

The blonde smirked over at her, thinking her tantrum was cute. She held out her hands and leaned down. "So..." Pressing her fingers to the base, a hidden compartment came out and there was a blinking ascendant inside. 

"You're interfering with a bomb?" Ronan asked. 

"Yes," the Doctor admitted with some weight. 

"Is it going to detonate?"

"Yes."

They were both like robots, answering each other's questions in the same tone. "What will you do?"

"Speed it up. To save our lives."

The man looked behind the Doctor and asked Yaz, "Are you also experiencing comprehension deficiency?"

The Doctor bent down and Astra knelt, watching her. 

"Oh, every day right now, mate," Yaz responded, maybe a little dramatically. 

Astra could suppose she was also 'experiencing comprehension deficiency' but she'd slept half the episode away!

The blonde delicately lifted the bomb from its compartment. "Need to be so careful. Tiny little device. Could blow us all to pieces." Astra stood in unison to the Doctor and the blonde sort of appreciated it. She knew she wasn't alone and Astra likely had the perfect spell on the tip of her tongue. She didn't. Astra couldn't speak a spell faster than a bomb could detonate, but she could wield the energy and now she was picking up on the Doctor's plan. "And I'm going to set it off," the ancient alien added a little too casually. "Ronan, keep guard. Astra, come on." She walked out the door, eyes never leaving the device in her hand. 

"What do I do?" Yaz asked after the two of you. 

"We'll leave that to your discretion," Astra commented back, just loud enough for her to hear. The Doctor didn't need loud noises in her already super ears lest she jolt. She turned back to her girlfriend and rested her hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry you've been dealing with this with me unconscious." 

"Couldn't be helped," the Doctor responded off-handedly. 

"Okay..."

The witch was cut off by quick footsteps joining them. "I decided if we were about to die, not that I think we are," she added to the Doctor so she didn't get offended and start arguing. "I'd rather be around someone from my home, you know." 

"That's funny because we're all completely different by Earth's standards," Astra quipped. "But yeah, friends rock, kinda thing." 

"You know what's funny: I'm normally the one defusing the bomb," the Doctor added as they turned a curve. She held out her sonic, holding the bomb with one hand. She used her magic wand to open the door to a little room. She set it on the floor and turned to the brunette. "Pick a number between 1 and 100." 

Perks of trusting someone, you could say the first thing that came to mind. "37."

A smile perked up her face before she turned to the bomb and sonicked it." A prime. Interesting." It started beeping and the Doctor left the room. She pointed to an alcove. "Get in that corner," she ordered. The younger females obliged and they all sort of huddled together. 

"What was the number for?" Yaz asked, confused. And honestly Astra was confused too. And hungry. 

"Number of seconds before the bomb goes off. I moved it forward a bit." 

Astra hated when the Doctor explained late. "What?!" she yelped, surely attracting the Pting more. "Why didn't you say that? I would've picked a bigger number!"

The Doctor looked at her girlfriend with slight concern. "No, it's a good number, 37. Atomic number of rubidium, human body temperature in Celsius, ooh and Kepler-37b is one of the smallest planets I've ever been on. Had to have the TARDIS expand her shields so I could breathe and not float away." Was her defense mechanism story time?

"That's how you flirt? You compliment by number, my very small number. It's gotta be already halfway gone!" She pushed the other two girls behind her and held up her hands. She wanted to create a shield, but the Doctor put a hand on her shoulder. Of course, the thing had already gone after her once. With a groan, she kept her magic dormant, trying to make herself as small as she could with her energy. She would just have to catch a bomb explosion and try to make a magic wall really quick. 

Yaz turned to the blonde she was squished in a corner with. "I'm really trusting you on this bomb, but I don't know what you're doing."

"Think of the Pting as a mouse, and the bomb as a piece of cheese." Yup, analogy time. 

"A very large piece of cheese about to explode and take us all with it," Yaz quipped back. 

"It's not a perfect analogy, I'll admit. Astra could've picked a bigger number!" she yelled defensively. She walked out into the hall, looking up the other way because they were in a dead end. "Where is it? Come on." As the beeping sped up, she returned to the pod and looked down at the bomb. "As the bomb gets closer, the energy's building, getting ready to blow. The Pting must be attracted to that, surely." She turned back to the two of you and the three of them huddled back in the corner at Astra's gesturing. She also put herself back at the front. She must really believe she could protect them from the vacuum of space. "That's what I've been working on this whole time. Oh, please don't be wrong. I'd be so embarrassed."

"And dead," Yaz added. 

The little thing came walking up the hall, chewing on a power coil. 

The Doctor gloated from the corner she was stuffed in, "I'm not bad. Admit it. I'm not bad. It's all in the timing." The Pting turned to look at the girls, hissing at them. His already big eyes dilated when fixed on Astra. "Not her, mate," the Doctor scolded firmly, arm peaking around the witch's side to hold her midsection. Then she softened her voice so he'd listen. "Get some'n you can actually eat." She nodded to the bomb, pointing a little. The little monster tilted its head at the energy that couldn't defend itself. The ship was trembling more now. Whatever was controlling it was failing. "Really, get a shift on."

Stumbling in, the Pting hopped over the door sill, picked up the bomb and finally swallowed it whole.

"Whoa," Astra toned. 

"Wait for it," the Doctor added and ran forward, sonicking the door shut. The inside of the Pting blew and it relaxed, floating around the room with a calmness. "Absorbed every bit of energy. One massive, massive hit. Bye-bye, Pting. Intruder ejected." She pressed the button with a two-fingered salute and the outer airlock hatch opened. The Pting was sucked out. "First problem, gone. That should keep it fed for a very long time. Still not home and dry, though." The ship jerked again and the Doctor fell against the door, Astra and Yaz grabbing a wall. The blonde led them through the halls again and they entered another room where a lady dressed in white was laying on the ground, not moving. "Eve!" the Doctor called and the women fell around the woman. 

Yaz set a massive machine in her hands that Astra just noticed down on the ground. "What happened?" she asked the man hooked up to the base at his feet. 

"Her heart couldn't take it. She gave me control," he croaked out. 

The Doctor gave Eve a once-over. "Do you know how to do this?" she asked the man. 

"I'm a Cicero. I studied for this." The Doctor stood and walked over to stand with the pilot. "We're coming into Resus One. Resus One, request emergency assistance landing. Bringing her in safe," he called out, likely over his headset, though Astra couldn't see how he keyed up. 

"Thank you. Both," the Doctor bade to the man then to the body. 

Later, they were all standing in a room with Eve Cicero written in an alien tongue on the outside of the room. Astra stood beside the Doctor while a lady she hadn't seen yet seemed to be the authority onboard explained to the Doctor what was going on. They must've talked. Well, enough for the Doctor to leave the kind of mark she did just by talking to someone. "They, er... they say quarantine scanning and craft detox should take no more than three hours, then they'll admit us to the facility. They're booking your teleport to Seffilun, as soon as you've spoken to the investigators." 

The blonde had one of the brunette's hand in her own, the other behind her back. "Thank you, Mabli. I'll be sure to tell them how brilliant you were." She used her free hand to hold Mabli's arm. 

"You all were. Light in dark times," she commented gratefully. 

Astra was so confused, but got the gist. She knew the woman wasn't talking about her and she couldn't help but marvel at what the time traveler did wherever she went. Mostly, because she found trouble wherever she went. "People prevail. Hope prevails," the Doctor commented. She was such a sap. Astra couldn't help but smile at her. 

The male pilot who was apparently related to the now-dead impromtu... pilot spoke to the stiff man who also seemed to have been close to the dead woman. "What happens to you now, without her?" the pilot asked. 

He of course did not react, despite the information he was about to admit. "I've come to the end of my service. There is only shutdown." Oh, Astra's God. He was really a robot?!

"I'm sorry, Ronan. I wasn't always kind to you," the man confessed. 

"No."

"You gave her great service."

Ok, Astra was bored again. But, then, she knew nothing of the backstories here. 

"As did you," said the robot. 

"Will you incant for her?"

"It would be my honour."

The Doctor brought Astra forward with a joined hand. "Could we join you?" she asked. It seemed it would be her honour as well. 

"Please," the family member obliged. 

The robot began what the Doctor and all the rest who knew the words joined into: "May the saints of all the stars and constellations bring you hope as they guide you out of the dark and into the light on this voyage and the next, and all the journeys still to come. For now and evermore." 

Y/N’s eyes opened and she slowly sat up, her hand coming to her head as her dream replayed in her head. She wondered if what happened really, truly happened but with her lack of thirst, she found her question answered and her hand moved from her head to brush against her lips. The feeling of his blood flowing down her throat replayed in her head and her eyes closed as she remembered the taste so vividly. A slight flush was shown on her cheeks but she quickly waved it away, her eyebrows furrowing as Damon stormed into the room.

“Where is he?” He asked and she stood, her hand coming up to his arm but he brushed her away, his eyes searching the room.

“Who are you looking for, brother?” She asked, “Stefan?”

“Yes, Stefan! He’s not answering my calls,” Y/N patted her pockets for her phone, quickly picking it up from the table as she spotted it and she dialed Stefan’s number, her head tilting as it rang for a moment before going to voicemail. “Apparently he’s not answering you either. Fine. Time to check with Elena.” “Wait! I’m coming with!” Y/N called and she quickly grabbed her coat, looping her arms through the sleeves as she jogged to catch up with Damon. As the two made their way to Elena’s, Y/N asked Damon what was going on, her eyebrows furrowing as she realized how much she missed. According to her older brother, there was a mysterious vampire hunter around, which Y/N did happen to know about but decided not to share that with her brother, wondering if that was why Stefan was meeting with Klaus. When they arrived at the Gilbert residence, her eyes widened as Damon just walked in, leaving her to stand outside the doorway for she had not been invited in. Her hands leaned against each side of the doorframe, her mouth opening to call out to her brother but she rolled her eyes as he was already up the stairs, hearing him and Elena speaking. She looked around the part of the house she could see, sensing it out and she realized that Jeremy, the younger Gilbert wasn’t actually home so he wouldn’t even be able to give her permission to walk in. With a huff, she turned away and her eyes searched the neighborhood, the annoyance quickly growing as Damon and Elena spoke of their night out drinking but Y/N chose not to bother inserting herself into that situation. Last time I did, it literally killed me, she thought to herself and she contemplated leaving when the two barged out of the house. 

“The hunter has hostages at the Grill,” Damon said to her quickly and she nodded, following behind as the two made their way to the grill, “And Stefan is playing sergeant.”

“What do you mean?” Y/N asked but before Damon could answer, her phone rang and she placed it to her ear once she saw Stefan’s name, “Stefan? What’s going on?” 

“The hunter has Matt, Jeremy and April. I’ll meet you guys at Alaric’s apartment,” Stefan said before hanging up and Y/N stared at the screen for a moment before looking up at them.

“To Alaric’s apartment,” Y/N said and she gestured for Damon to lead them, making him roll his eyes before he started walking, “We need a game plan, brother.”

“Oh, so you take his side now?”

“What is with you two and sides? Are the hostages not friends of yours? One of them being Elena’s brother? Sure, Jeremy can come back with the ring but what of Matt and this April? You may not care, Damon but are they not important to Elena?” Damon’s eyes narrowed at his little sister’s words before looking at Elena, who gave him a look that basically agreed with everything Y/N had said. 

“Whatever,” Damon muttered after a moment and Y/N did a walk of the building that stood at the perfect spot to look at Mystic Grill, Damon and Elena going up to the apartment. The youngest Salvatore moved ever so quietly around the area, not wanting to get too close to the Grill but she explained that no one besides them and their friends knew she was here, so the hunter wouldn’t be looking for her. She mainly wanted to gauge any traps the hunter might have placed outside, not heading to the apartment until she was sure there were none. When she walked up the stairs and looked into the open doorway, her eyes widened as she saw Stefan gently laying Damon onto the couch.

“What the Hell did you do??” Y/N cried, pushing Stefan slightly as she knelt next to Damon and she looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed. 

“I can’t trust him to do what I need him to do, Y/N. He will wake up after a while, hopefully when Klaus’s hybrid gets Connor.”

“Your way? You can’t trust him when he was the one struck by you?”

“Please, Y/N. I am only asking for you and Elena to trust me,” Stefan said, looking into her eyes and she searched his, finding none of the answers she was searching for. The only thing she was sure of was that he was hiding something. She narrowed her eyes but spoke nothing more, turning away as she knelt back by Damon.

“Do as you wish, brother,” Y/N muttered and Stefan sighed before he left, heading to Mystic Grill. Elena stayed for a moment, Y/N sensing her presence behind her and she let out a sigh after a while, looking over her shoulder. “You’re not going to disobey Stefan and follow him?” Y/N asked simply and Elena seemed to consider her options before taking a step towards her. 

“Why do you hate me?” she asked and Y/N scoffed, shaking her head as she stood up, turning towards the doppleganger. “Is that funny to you?”

“Hate you?” Y/N asked, “I know nothing of you, Elena. There is nothing for me to like or hate. All I know is that, even if Stefan and Damon try to kid themselves by saying it’s different, I see 1864, the year Katarina Petrova came and ruined my life. Sure, Elena. You’re different. That is very clear by how hard you cling to your humanity but you know what hasn’t changed? The effect you have on my brothers. I said when we met that I watched them fight over the same woman and I left because I couldn’t stand it. I still can’t.”

“I…Stefan never mentioned you-”

“Yeah, I know because when I left all those years ago, I told them I would never forgive them for dragging me into the mess that that bitch made. Unlike Damon and his petty game of making Stefan miserable for Katherine turning him as well, I couldn’t stand to see my brothers change into what they were. I grew up with two loving brothers, Elena. Damon always spoiled me with his love and his attention, always protecting me and reminding me that I was not to settle for any man. Stefan was father's favorite but he was there for me the instant he was needed. When Damon left to serve, Stefan stayed by my side and helped me through the sadness. He filled the loneliness. I loved my brothers more than anything, Elena. They were my everything and one woman was all it took for them to toss me aside. They ignored my warnings, both too busy fighting for her attention to pay me any mind and then we were all dead. Because of her. I was forced to be a vampire. Because of her. So forgive me, Elena if I cannot seem to stand being in the same room as you when you share her face. You only remind me of the life I lost.”  Y/N let out a deep breath, her eyes closing as she tried to calm her anger, opening them once again when she heard Elena sniffle. In typical newly turned vampire fashion, Elena was unable to control the tears that slowly fell from her eyes as Y/N’s words hung in the air, the youngest Salvatore running a hand through her hair.

“I’m sorry…” Elena said softly and Y/N looked away for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed as she sensed Damon stirring. Another deep breath, her emotions at bay and she looked up to meet Elena’s eyes.

“The only difference I notice,” Y/N said, “Is that, unlike Katarina, you seem to be wanting to choose Damon.”

“I-” “It doesn't matter to me. Choose who you wish, Elena Gilbert. I will be here this time to pick up the pieces of the brother you break. I will not let that same face ruin my brothers again. Wipe your tears now. I will do my best to see you as someone different but forgive me if it takes some time. I only came back because I missed my brothers but it is very clear they both care for you which means, to an extent, I do too.” Elena nodded, wiping at her tears and she left to follow Stefan, sensing Jeremy being hurt. Y/N sighed, her eyes turning back to Damon, who was now gone and she walked towards the window, moving the blinds to stare at the grill. Left behind once again, the youngest Salvatore held her place on the sidelines. 

“That…was fucking sad,” Y/N jumped, whirling around, “Whoa! Whoa! Sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I was literally there when you told Death it wasn’t a good idea to surprise a vampire.”

“Are you…a talking raven?” Y/N asked aloud, mostly to herself, her face showing her confusion and she took a step back when it hopped forward, its head bobbing back and forth before bowing. 

“I am a talking raven, yes. I know, it took me a bit to get used to it too. I’m Matthew, newly appointed raven to Dream. It is a pleasure to officially meet you, Y/N.” 

“Uh…the same to you?” She said but her tone came off as more of a question before her mind actually processed his words. “Wait, raven of the Dreaming? Of Dream? Was it not um..what was her name?”

“Jessamy, yes,” Matthew aid and Y/N tried not to show her discomfort at how alive the raven seemed, nodding his head with his words, “She was unfortunately killed when the boss was imprisoned..” “Ah, yes. Death told me about that too.”

“You seem to be pretty close to the boss’ sister.”

“She’s like..the only friend I have, really…which sounds really pathetic when I say it out loud,” Y/N chuckled to herself, shaking her head before she bent down, offering her hand. Matthew’s head tilted before he jumped up, his talons perched on her fingers as she stood back up, her other hand coming up to gently touch his head. “Oh, you were human..”

“Who apparently died in his sleep before Lucienne turned me into a raven,” Matthew said, “How did you know?”

“Vampires can get into the minds of humans quite easily. I merely wanted to pet your head but I felt myself able to look into your thoughts so I only guessed. What’re you doing here if you are the Dream Lord’s raven?”

“He sent me to check in with you,” Y/N’s eyebrow raised as she looked into his eyes and a smirk fell on her lips as she stared deep, searching the raven’s mind, “What are you doing?”

“Testing something,” She whispered before her pupils dilated, “I don’t think I needed to do this so my apologies for overstepping, but why are you checking on me?”

“The boss wants to know if you are experiencing any changes from your visit last night but he didn’t elaborate on what happened and he also just wanted me to show him how you were doing in general,” Matthew said before shaking his head, “Whoa, what was that?”

“A vampire thing,” she said, the smirk on her lips as she continued to stare deeply into the raven’s eyes, raising her arm up a bit, “I appreciate your concern, Dream Lord but next time come yourself instead of spying with your raven. Goodbye, Matthew.” She said, using her compulsion once again and Matthew flew off her hand, his wings flapping gracefully as he flew out the window Y/N opened. Her eyes followed him as he soared into the sky, curious how he got to the Dreaming that way but she smiled to herself as she recalled his words, knowing Dream was looking through the raven to see her. Her fingers brushed against her throat, not feeling the usual dryness of hunger and she noted how long it had been since she awoke. The longest I have ever gone without wanting a drink, she thought to herself before her eyebrows furrowed, the smell of blood suddenly filling her nose. Using her vampire speed, she ran towards the source of the smell and into the forest, stopping when she heard the sound of a shovel. She walked slowly, her hands using the trees to balance her against the rocky ground until she sucked in a breath, hearing Elena’s sobs. In a random open area, the Salvatore brothers turned briefly to look at her before turning back to Elena who was attempting to create a grave, the body of the hunter laid next to her. 

“Well, shit,” Y/N whispered, running a hand through her hair and she took a deep breath before looking at her brothers, all three nodded before taking action. Stefan took Elena in his arms, Damon taking the shovel from her and Y/N knelt beside the hunter, her hand hovering over the bloody bite that Elena left on his neck. Damon finished digging the grave as Stefan took Elena away and Y/N rolled the body into the hole, the two burying the body together. 

“What’s the plan now, brother?” Y/N asked and the older looked at her as she rubbed her dirty hands on her jeans, having used them to move the dirt back in place, “Elena did the very thing that Stefan so badly wanted to avoid.”

“It’s a part of being a vampire,” Damon muttered, his eyes staring at the grave, “Like I told him, there is no case of a vampire having existed without killing at least one person. At least he was a dickhead so she shouldn’t feel that bad about it.” He smirked over at Y/N who shook her head as a chuckle escaped her lips, the two making their way back to their home. “I’m sorry, Y/N.”

“For what?” Y/N asked, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked up to meet her brother’s eyes, seeing the sadness in his bright blue irises. His hand reached over to grab hers, his fingers brushing over her daylight ring which also held the Salvatore crest and he took a deep breath before looking back up at her.

“Stefan and I have to be the worst brothers in the world…” “You heard what I said to Elena,” Y/N said and he nodded, making her sigh. Only now did she realize that of course Damon would’ve heard some, if not all, of what she had said and she felt the embarrassment creeping in as she recalled her words. “I-There’s really no need to apologize- I didn’t mean-” Y/N couldn’t form a complete sentence, her stuttering continuing as she pulled away, wanting nothing more than to vampire speed her way out of there. She hadn’t meant to let her emotions get the better of her, spewing all the built up emotions she had locked away all these years. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she violently wiped them away, swatting Damon’s hand as he reached for her.

“Y/N-” The younger sister shook her head, refusing to look as her older brother reached for her again, letting out a yelp as he gripped onto her wrist, pulling her into a hug. His hand was quick to cradle the back of her head, her eyes widening, “I am so sorry.” He whispered against her hair and she sniffled, feeling the tears fall as stood in his hug, his arms holding her tight. 

“You may not believe me at the moment and I would understand if you didn’t,” Y/N heard Damon speak in her head and she closed her eyes, clinging onto him as she hid in his chest, “I know history is repeating itself as much as I’d hate to admit it but we will be different, little sister. You are home, we are all together and we will do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”

“Okay,” Y/N whispered, nodding her head slightly and Damon gave her a squeeze before pulling away, cupping her cheeks before using his thumbs to wipe her tears. Her blue eyes looked up to look at his, smiling as he placed a light kiss to her head before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The two walked home where Stefan waited, his arms opening to take Y/N into a hug, making her giggle as they swayed slightly in the doorway. 

“Where’s Elena?” Y/N asked, looking up at Stefan who sighed before pulling her into another tight hug.

“She’s at home with Jeremy. She wanted time to process and we decided some family bonding time was needed,” Stefan said, his chin resting on her head and Damon placed his hand on Stefan’s shoulder. “We play nice for one night for now, little sister and when we’re done helping Elena, we promise another one. Sounds good?” Damon asked and she giggled, nodding her head as she wrapped an arm around each of them, all three disappearing into the house. As they all worked to clean all the paper that were sprawled across the room, Y/N could feel eyes and glanced at the window, a smirk on her lips as Matthew perched himself on the window sill outside. She gave him a wink before turning back to her brothers, giggling as Stefan threw some paper in her face and she was quick to grab a pillow, using her speed to throw it. Stefan caught it with ease, smiling at her but he let out a grunt when another pillow flew his way, making Y/N laugh for a moment before one was flown at her. The two looked at Damon who was smirking proudly at his sneak attack but that quickly fell when they grabbed the pillows he threw. “Get away from me,” He said sternly but his younger siblings didn’t listen, all three using their vampire speed to fly around the house, pillows in hand. Thuds from pillows flying and laughs filled the Salvatore household as the siblings had their little pillow fight. For a moment, when Y/N leaned against a wall hiding and letting out a breath, she was brought back to when all three of her brothers were back in the mansion that was their home in 1864. Y/N felt the scene vanish, the hallways dissolving into the ones in the manor, her jeans and shirt being replaced with a casual dress that puffed around her waist. Her hair was waved down her back and as Stefan and Damon rounded the corners, they too were dressed how they did back when they were mortals. Y/N smiles as her brothers approached her and she was suddenly thrust back into the present, the memories of the past vanishing in a storm of sand. Sand. 

“Elena needs us,” Damon said suddenly, though his tone showed his hesitation to say so as he look at his phone screen. Stefan and Y/N looked at him with furrowed brows and he sighed softly.

“Why did Elena message you?” Stefan asked

“I don’t think that’s the right question, brother,” Y/N said and she placed her hand on his arm, “Is she alright?”

“She stabbed Jeremy. No time to explain. Let’s go, Stefan,” Y/N could see the pain in Stefan’s eyes but he followed Damon nonetheless, Y/N brushing her brothers off before they could apologize.

You roll your eyes. “I’ve been spending too much time with Stefan, that’s my fault. Can you at least explain why your bottle of bourbon has fallen out of favor and been hurled across the room?”

Damon follows your line of vision to note the shards of glass clustered on the floor, fallout from the bottle’s impact with the wall. “Ah, that. Well, none of us are perfect, and I happen to be blessed with what some people might call anger issues, so the bottle had to go.”

Under your reproachful gaze, he sighs and throws up his hands. “Fine, I’ll fix it.”

You wait until he pulls himself, slothlike, from the couch and stumbles over to the glass shards. Damon picks each dagger-sharp piece up like it’s the hardest of burdens to bear, tossing them in a nearby receptacle.

“There? Do I get an award for best brother of the year?”

You laugh. “Stop killing people every other day, and we can talk about that.”

Damon grumbles. “Your standards are too high.”

You cross the room to grab a coat and pull on some shoes. “Yeah, yeah. See you later.”

You reach for the doorknob, but Damon appears out of nowhere, blocking your avenue of escape thanks to his unnatural speed.

“Hold on a minute. Where are you going?” He asks, and you give him a look.

“Out. I was talking to Liz Forbes and she says she’s got a new deputy sheriff who moved here from Beacon Hills, California. I was thinking about taking a trip down to meet the guy.”

Damon frowns, tapping a finger against his replacement bottle of bourbon. “Beacon Hills. Where have I heard that name before?”

You let him suffer in silence for a few moments, then give him the answer. “It’s got a reputation for being just about as supernatural-heavy as Mystic Falls. From what I hear, they’ve got enough werewolf packs fighting over the same turf to give Klaus Mikaelson a holiday.”

Damon nods slowly, although the frown remains. “Why the hell would someone move here from Beacon Hills? That’s a long flight just for a new job.”

You tilt your head towards the door. “That’s why I’m going to check him out. Could be nothing, Liz said he seemed like a nice guy on the phone, but I figure a little advance warning couldn’t hurt. Worst case scenario, he’s a hunter fresh from a werewolf killing frenzy who decided to try his luck here. Best case, he’s just some guy who got sick of rent prices.”

Damon shrugs, moving to the side so you can reach the door again. “Best of luck in figuring him out. Want me to tag along?”

You toss him a grin over your shoulder as you unlock the door. “I planned on talking to a person, not a dead man, but thanks for the offer.”

Damon chuckles as you leave. “Any time!”

The trip over to the sheriff’s office is quick, and soon enough you’re heading inside. Sheriff Forbes appears to have been waiting for you, as she walks over to you with a smile.

“Y/N, it’s good to see you. Thanks for stopping by.”

You nod. “Yeah, no problem. I appreciate you telling me about this.”

She lifts a shoulder. “He seems like a nice guy, but in a town like this, I feel like it wouldn’t hurt to double-check. He’s in my office filling out the last of the paperwork, but he should be out in a moment or so.”

Like clockwork, the door to Liz’s office opens and a young man steps out. He appears to be in his early twenties, with close-cropped dark hair and bright green eyes. He nods at Liz, then studies you a little closer. He’s one of the cuter potential hunters you’ve seen, but you’ve long since learned that appearances can be deceiving.

Liz clears her throat. “Thanks for finishing those, it’s always good to have a record for these kinds of things. Y/N, this is Jordan Parrish, our new deputy sheriff.”

Jordan extends a hand to you, and a moment later, you shake it. “It’s nice to meet you, Jordan. I’m Y/N, Y/N Salvatore.”

Jordan cocks his head curiously to the side. “Salvatore, huh? I swear I’ve heard that name before.”

You hope your smile doesn’t look too much like a grimace. “Mystic Falls is rich with genealogical history. The Salvatores were one of the oldest families here, you might have seen the name on a few buildings around town.”

Jordan nods slowly. “That must be it. Well, if you’re a friend of the sheriff’s, I’d like to be a friend of yours.”

Your smile loses its edge. “I think I’d like that as well.”

A phone rings from Liz’s office, and she turns towards it. “Excuse me a moment while I answer that, will you? It’ll be just a second.”

The two of you nod, and Liz hurries to pick up the phone. The second the door to the office closes behind her, though, Jordan looks at you with a new sort of determination.

“Excuse my candor, Y/N, but I’ve barely been here a couple of hours and I’m already noticing things about this town that don’t seem quite right. You seem nice enough, and I wouldn’t mind having allies in uncertain territory. Do you know anything about Mystic Falls that you think I should know as well?”

Jordan’s gaze is deep, and seems to see straight through you. He must know about the vampires; certainly their existence, if not the fact that you’re one too. No one asks questions like that if they don’t know. However, you’re hesitant to reveal yourself until you absolutely have to do so.

You swallow hard. “I don’t think so. I mean, people can be secretive, but I think that just comes with familial pride. Have you heard anything to make you think otherwise?”

Jordan doesn’t answer at first, and when he does, his words are stilted, as if he’s carefully choosing what to say. “I’ve heard a few rumors. Can I count on you to tell me if I hear anything else?”

You nod, but you’re saved from a response by Liz returning from her office. You take this as your excuse to leave, and Liz walks out with you. You swear that Jordan’s eyes don’t leave you until you’re gone from the room, and even then, he could be staring at you through the very walls.

Liz speaks to you under her breath. Apparently, she must be picking up on your need for secrecy, or perhaps Jordan asked her the same sorts of strange questions.

“So, what did you think? Is he a vampire?”

You shake your head cautiously. “I don’t think so, but I don’t think he’s human. Something about his heartbeat was a little off. The beats were stronger than a human’s typically are. He’s not a vampire, but he’s something. I don’t know what yet.”

Liz sucks in a breath. “Shoot, I was worried about that. Should I find excuses to keep him out of the office for a while?”

You consider this. “I don’t think so. Besides, if he isn’t working, he’ll be looking into things, and I’m afraid to leave him searching for too long. I think all we can do is wait and see how things turn out. I’ll talk to Caroline and the others, make sure they stay on guard.”

Liz nods. “I’ll tell you if I see anything strange.”

You do your best for a reassuring smile. “Thanks, Sheriff. We don’t know that he’s a threat just yet, but it can’t hurt to be ready for anything.”

Despite your attempts to relieve Liz’s stress, you can’t seem to shake your own. On the way back to the Salvatore home, you get a call from another friend. This time, it’s Bonnie, and she sounds nervous. You change your course, and end up meeting her in the woods near the old Salvatore crypt. Not the best choice of scenery, given your already rampaging nerves, but at least it’s quiet.

Bonnie looks relieved when she sees you approach. “Thanks for meeting me. I didn’t know who else to call.”

You nod. “Yeah, anytime. What’s going on?”

Bonnie glances around to make sure there aren’t any errant hikers who could possibly overhear, then turns back to you. “I had this dream last night. It was one of those dreams when you can’t tell if you’re awake or asleep because everything feels so real it’s crazy. I can’t remember a whole lot from it, but I do remember that someone was coming, someone powerful. Someone who was so connected to death that they might be forged from hell themselves.”

You let out a slow breath. “That’s not the best thing I’ve heard all morning.”

Bonnie shakes her head. “I did a spell to try and see if there was anyone new in town, and I picked up on something. I think they’re here now, but the second I tried to look closer, something found me and abruptly broke the connection.”

Your brow furrows. “I didn’t think someone could end your spell without your approval.”

Bonnie spreads her hands. “They can’t. Whatever this thing is, they’re far more powerful than the typical vampire. The last thing I got from the spell is that this newcomer was near the sheriff’s station, and Damon said that you were stopping by this morning.”

Your eyes widen. “Yeah, because there’s some guy who moved here from Beacon Hills. Do you think the threat could be the new deputy sheriff?”

Bonnie bites her lip, thinking. “It’s the only option that makes sense. I think I want to try the spell again, see if I can draw him here. You’ve seen him face to face, so do you mind stepping in to help me locate him?”

You nod, holding out your palm face-up. “Absolutely. Let’s figure this out.”

Bonnie takes your hand, closing her eyes and starting to chant under her breath. The ground seems to rock under your feet, a wind surging up out of nowhere to rustle the leaves on the trees. Your clothes whip under the force of the sudden gale, but Bonnie keeps going. You do your best to think about Jordan, all that you’d seen this morning. You keep him firmly in your mind, and the spell deepens.

All of a sudden, you hear a sound split the clearing. It sounds like a growl, not like that of a werewolf but worse, far more frightening. A pair of glowing eyes appear in the woods, along with the scent of charring smoke. Bonnie drops your hand and ends the spell, but it’s too late. The monster is here.

It steps into the clearing, and through the gaps in the branches, you can see it. This is Jordan Parrish, but he’s different. His gaze burns with fire, and he walks with the weight of something utterly inhuman. Jordan spreads his arms and he bursts into fire, illuminating fangs erupting from his mouth.

Bonnie gasps. “He’s a hellhound.”

You don’t know much about hellhounds, but if it scares Bonnie, that’s not a good sign. Jordan turns towards the sound of Bonnie’s voice and hurls a handful of fire towards her. Using your vampire speed, you manage to pull her out of the way just in time, and set her down on the other side of the clearing.

Jordan charges, but you block his path. The fire on his arms burns you, but the skin is already starting to reknit. You stand your ground, and call out to him in the hopes that he can still hear you.

“Back off, Jordan! We’re not trying to fight you, just figure out what you are.”

The beast that was once Jordan Parrish snarls, but you can see it starting to revert back into a human. It closes its eyes, and when the lids open again, the fire is gone. A few moments later, all traces that Jordan had been anything other than his usual self are gone, other than a persistent smell of smoke and the fact that his shirt is now riddled with holes from the sheer force of his fire.

He eyes you suspiciously. “What are you? No human can heal like that.”

You want to laugh. “You just erupted in fire, and you want to ask what I am?”

He nods. “Yes.”

You sigh. “Fine. I’m a vampire, Bonnie’s a witch. We know you’re a hellhound, but why are you here?”

Jordan seems to accept this. “I needed a new place to stay, and something called me here. A lot of death has taken place in this town, hasn’t it?”

This time, you do laugh. “That would be an understatement, but yes.”

You remember that you’re not alone, and glance over at Bonnie. “I think I can take it from here. Can you tell Elena and the others that we’ve got a new friend?”

She nods, looking faintly disturbed by what you’ve just seen. You can’t entirely blame her.

When you glance back at Jordan, you notice that he’s regarding you with a faint smile. “You can take it from here?” He asks, repeating your words.

For some reason, you feel the need to defend yourself. “Yeah, as long as you’re not trying to set the rest of us ablaze. Want to head back to the sheriff’s station? I’d love to see you try and explain to Liz why you had to leave in the middle of the day.”

Jordan nods, grinning. “I’m assuming people don’t have as many problems with mysterious disappearances around here. What’s your story, by the way? Were you checking me out this morning because you thought I might be another vampire?”

Your mouth falls open. “I was not checking you out, I was making sure you weren’t a threat. It’s a reasonable concern, thank you very much. I’ve been a vampire for a while, and that’s just what you do.”

Jordan accepts this, although he’s still wearing that same smirk. “So what do vampires do? Other than eliminating threats, of course.”

You narrow your eyes at him, but he appears to be sincere. “Drink blood, cause problems, all that. My brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore, are also vampires. We all turned back in 1864 thanks to some vampire named Katherine who liked both of them at the same time. She always bothered me. We could have been amazingly good friends, but she seemed to think that she could win over my brothers by making an enemy out of me. It was so annoying.”

Jordan chuckles. “Well, she was wrong there. I’m not sure I’d like to ever have you as an enemy.”

You hum in approval. “That’s what I thought. Anyways, what’s your story? Hellhounds don’t just turn up out of nowhere.”

Jordan’s expression turns contemplative. “No, they don’t, do they? I came here from Beacon Hills, but you already know that. I had a good group of friends, mostly werewolves, but I helped them fight their latest bad guy and there just wasn’t much reason for me to stay, especially after–”

His voice trails off, and you get the feeling that there was another reason contributing to Jordan’s departure, perhaps centered around a breakup. This shouldn’t make you happy, but for some reason, it does.

Jordan continues a moment later. “Point is, I wanted a new start, and this place seemed interesting enough so I came. I have to admit, you guys do a good job of staying undercover. I had a few suspected vampires that I’d heard about before, but they fit in well. Out of curiosity, most of the vampires seem to be enrolling themselves at the high school. Why don’t you?”

You give a delicate shudder. “If I’m cursed to stay on this earth for so long, why would I waste my time in high school? Regular humans already hate it, and they only have to go through it once. There’s no good reason I should subject myself to it over and over again. I don’t understand how my younger brother finds the motivation to do it, but I suspect it has something to do with Elena Gilbert, his latest crush.”

Jordan grins. “I can understand that. Does this mean you haven’t found a suitable crush to keep you in high school?”

You arch a brow. “Absolutely. Why do you ask?”

Jordan shrugs a little too casually. “No reason. If you’re free, though, I might not mind getting a drink sometime. It would be nice to spend a night with someone when you don’t have to lie about being a human.”

You break into a broad grin. “Jordan Parrish, are you asking me out?”

He’s smiling too, now. “Maybe. Are you saying yes?”

You pretend to consider this. “I think I am. See you at seven?”

“Sounds perfect,” he says, and you can’t help but agree. Perfect indeed.

requested by @thornyrose463