The Girl Who Restored My Humanity Book Three (A Vampire Diaries FanFiction)

Chapter 18 - Awakening

~Ally's POV;~

"I didn't do this, Liz." Nathan argues whilst moving closer to the bars of his cell. "You've got the wrong person."
Liz sighs heavily from beside me, implying that she has no idea what to believe right now.
"So, that's it?" Ric asks Liz, sounding less calm as he moves to the other side of her and folds his arms across his chest. "You're just arresting him for something Meredith said after we saved her from an original vampire tonight?"
"No, I'm not arresting him, I'm detaining him." Liz retorts authoritatively, her hands resting comfortably around her belt as she speaks directly to Ric. "Meredith informed me that when she was checking up on you earlier tonight she found weapons hiding in the cupboard under your kitchen sink, the very same weapons that you were supposed to hand in to us just before you were attacked."
I frown with confusion. The weapons were never handed in to the station? Why did Ric not hand them in? As I look to Ric for answers, he appears just as confused as I do, as though he too has no idea why he didn't hand them in.
"Now at the hospital, after you were attacked, you told Meredith that all you could remember was that you took the weapons in a duffel, made a routine visit to Jenna's house and then before you could make it to the station you blacked out..." Liz informs Ric, trying to make him understand her reasoning here. "As if you had been knocked out by someone, maybe someone who knew what you were doing with those weapons."
Nathan would never do that to Ric; he would never do the harm that this attacker has been doing.
"What are you saying?" Nathan asks frustratedly, growing more agitated the more he listens to Meredith's theories from behind bars. "That I stabbed Ric to hide my secret identity?"
Why is Meredith doing this to us? Immediately I recollect my conversation with Nathan, a few mornings ago, where he reassured me that Ric was not the attacker, after considering it very briefly as a result of my nightmares. If Nathan was the attacker, which he absolutely is not, he would not have dismissed my concerns about it possibly being Ric; he would have let me blame him.
"Also, Nathan was with me the night Ric was attacked." I add with desperation in my voice, urging Liz to rule Nathan out as a potential suspect. "We were at the Grill for lunch and by the time we got home Ric had already been attacked... Surely the security footage in the Grill can prove that." Liz looks down for a brief moment, not anticipating that she would have to face Ric and I as well as Nathan today.
"And what about during the time Brian Walters was murdered?" Liz questions with intensity, moving her eyes from the floor to Nathan beyond the bars. "Do you have an alibi for then? Walters was murdered four nights ago, which would be Wednesday this week."
Nathan thinks for a second, back the space of a few days, and I can tell from our silence that myself and Ric are doing the same for ourselves. Gradually, in bits and pieces, I recall that four nights ago was the night that Stefan had threatened to drive me off of Wickery Bridge. I shudder at the painful memory, but also find myself amazed that it was only four days ago; so much has happened since then.
"I was with Ric at the hospital after some hybrid freakshow tried to run down Jeremy with his car." Nathan explains with certainty, gripping the bars of the cell with his hands. "I stayed with Ric until gone midnight. I fell asleep by his side just after eleven and when I woke up I decided it was time to go home. Meredith can even vouch for that, she must have seen me leave!" Despite believing every word that Nathan has said, Liz still seems unsure.
"Brian Walters' time of death was between 1 and 3am." Liz argues calmly, laying out the facts before us. "Way after you left the hospital."
"I went to Jenna's house and slept! Jenna and Jeremy saw me; they can attest to that." Nathan exclaims as he releases the bars and starts to pace in his cell. "I didn't even know who Brian Walters was, let alone have the motive to kill him! Do you really think that I'd have the time and the reason to kill Brian Walters, attack your ex husband, who I also have never met, and then attack Ric in the space of a few days?! For what?!"
"Look, I think that I don't know what to think." Liz declares defensively, her voice growing exhausted but remaining stern. "I've got nothing except murder weapons from your dad's stash hiding in your home and a respected member of a founding family pointing a very long finger." Nathan sighs in exasperation, turning away from the bars of the cell for a moment.
"Meredith Fell has been a great asset to our team with her work at the hospital," Liz adds, now moving her eyes to Ric as she speaks. "She has not only helped save both your life and my ex-husband's, but she has also single-handedly taken over Logan Fell's responsibilities on the council after you put a stake through his heart." Ric exhales and looks down for a moment, clearly not expecting that to be mentioned today, or ever for that matter.
"Well maybe that's why Meredith is setting Nathan up in the first place..." Ric suggests in an agitated voice, clearly honing in on his anger at Meredith. "Revenge for what I did to a Fell."
"Well, that may be so." Liz argues, her raised voice clashing with Ric's. "But I don't have any proof of that."
"Well," I propose calmly, in attempt to diffuse the tension. "We'll find some and-"
"No." Liz interrupts aggressively, no longer wording things in a delicate way as she looks from myself to Ric. "Just stay out of this. Both of you... You, as well as the high chance of your vampire friends, getting involved is only going to make matters worse. You need to leave and let me do my job." Leave? We can't just leave Nathan here overnight. Not for something he didn't do.
"Liz," Ric insists more sensitively, in the realisation that we are getting nowhere with anger. "Listen-"
"Don't make me put both of you in that cell with him." Liz snaps abruptly, her hands dropping from her police belt. "You two, living in that same house where the weapons are, could well be next to be detained... So, you can either leave now and let me get to the bottom of all this or you can spend the night in the station with Nathan. It's your choice."
Ric and I share a look, one of stubbornness but also one of momentary surrender; we're no help to Nathan if we're locked in that cell with him. As I look to Nathan, who now takes a seat on the uncomfortable looking bench, I offer a reassuring nod of my head in his direction.
"You won't be in there long, Nath." I assure him with a sad smile, hating that I have to leave him to help him. "I promise."
"Yeah, just hang in there, alright?" Ric adds, releasing his grip on one of the bars of the cell. "We'll be back, whether Sheriff Forbes likes it or not." He gestures for the doorway with his head, to which I then nod and reluctantly follow him to leave the station.
As I take one last glance over my shoulder, Liz sighs tiredly whilst Nathan, sitting in silence on the bench, lowers his head into his hands.
We'll get you out of there, Nath. Whatever we have to do.
Whilst Ric and I exit the hallway, and move towards the foyer to leave the station, I feel the most hopeless I have ever felt at the end of a day. In spite of how rough days have been in the past, I have always had Ric and Nathan to make everything feel better; they are my home. Yet, as we quietly leave the station, I am painfully aware that my big brother will not be at home when I get there, which makes today ten times more unbearable than any other.
"I know Liz said to stay out of it but we can't just leave him there like that." I explain in a trembling voice, unable to shake the anxiety away this time. "We have to come up with a plan." Ric retrieves his car keys, fiddling nervously with one of the keyrings as we exit the station.
"Usually I wouldn't encourage going against the Sheriff's orders but..." Ric says quietly, gradually starting to walk with determination from beside me. "This is Nath we're talking about. He shouldn't be in that cell right now." His voice sounds consumed by worry, which I strongly relate to more than he knows, and despite being sure of Nathan's innocence there doesn't seem to be much that we can do until tomorrow morning. As of tomorrow, we'll be ready to make sure Nathan gets released.
"Hey." A familiar male voice calls from behind us, sounding almost out of breath. "Elena called and told me what was going on." As we turn around we are greeted with Damon, who approaches us with concern in his icy blue eyes and with haste in his step. How did Elena know? Instantly I remember Ric calling Jenna earlier, whilst I drove us here in the car, and my question already has its answer.
"I got here as soon as I could." Damon says with an apologetic look in his eyes whilst stopping a metre or two away from us. "What's going on?"
"I'll, er, let you guys talk." Ric excuses himself, touching my arm reassuringly before starting to walk away. "I'll be in the car." I nod in agreement, grateful for him abandoning us in case this gets ugly out of nowhere. For the first time, in a very long time, being alone with Damon feels awkward, bordering on uncomfortable.
Damon and Alexandria together. Damon with his hands around my throat. Damon killing Abby. All of these unpleasant thoughts force their way into my head, acting as a reminder of my reasons for feeling angry with him.
"Ric's doctor Meredith seems to think that the mystery attacker is Nathan." I explain sadly, forcing myself to laugh to disguise the stress. "Ric was supposed to hand in his weapons, but he didn't. So Meredith has this crazy theory that Nathan attacked Ric to keep the weapons from reaching the station so his prints wouldn't be found on them... Liz is keeping him in overnight. Ric and I are gonna find proof that he's innocent so we can get him out of there as soon as possible."
"The creepy doc that uses vampire blood to heal her patients?" Damon asks in a low voice, sounding just as confused as the rest of us. "Since when has she been qualified to frame people for murder?" As I shrug my shoulders, I feel the awkwardness fade ever so slightly, which is no doubt from us sharing the same outrage for my brother being locked away like this.
He doesn't have to be here, but he is.
"I have no idea." I reply exhaustedly, averting my eyes from his as I keep my voice low. "Liz wants us to stay out of it but I'll be damned before I let Meredith set my brother up for something that he didn't do."
"Well, I could always just rip out Dr. False Accusation's throat, or maybe her tongue..." Damon suggests with a twisted innocence in his smile, making it impossible to tell if he is joking or not. "I could chew it up into little tiny pieces and feed it to the squirrels." He makes a little nibbling noise from in front of me.
"Just stay away from her, please?" I ask desperately, aware that he is definitely capable of killing Meredith. "Last thing we need is more accusations flying around."
"Fine." Damon surrenders, his hands flying upwards in defence. "Have it your way." I sigh and look down, words failing to escape me as our conversation withers out.
"You know you could thank me," Damon adds suddenly, a false smile lighting up his face. "I saved Elena tonight. You're welcome." Agitated at his failing to see the bigger picture, despite it only happening earlier tonight, I feel frustration simmer in my blood.
"Look, I know you were left with very few options," I say whilst lowering my voice, trying not to argue with him outside of the station. "But you saved Elena's life by turning Bonnie's mom into a vampire so you can understand why I'm not jumping at the opportunity to sing your praises right now."
"I had very few options because of the Original family, the very people that you keep trying so desperately, and moronically, to protect." Damon retorts with frustration, closing the space between us as he speaks. "So you might wanna dial it down on the righteousness."
I fight the urge to shout at him, to let all of this pent up frustration out, and instead resort to biting my tongue.
"I'm not gonna apologise for trying to see the good in people, Damon. I did it with you for months when we first met." I argue unashamedly whilst forcing my fists into the pockets of my dress. "It just wouldn't hurt for you to show some compassion, especially for Bonnie after what happened tonight."
"Yeah, I know. You're right. Her and her mom must be really hurting right now..." Damon responds with a sigh, his icy blue eyes piercing into mine. "Should I send lasagne?"
"Okay," I say impatiently, admitting defeat as I brush past him to continue walking down the street. "Now you're just being an ass."
"I'm an ass, Ric hates my guts, you can't stand to look at me..." Damon calls over, no longer caring if anyone hears our conversation. "The Earth is back on its axis." I frown and turn to look at him, despite every reason I have to keep walking, and within seconds I feel this sudden and overwhelming sense of hopelessness dawn on me. Will we ever fix this?
"You know, you can pretend you don't care about any of this all you want... What happened this morning, what happened with Alexandria, what you did to Bonnie's mom..." I explain with sadness swelling in my throat, now trying to force my words out as quickly as possible. "But if you keep pushing me away by doing things that hurt me, and not at least having the decency to apologise for it, then this - us - it isn't gonna work."
Damon stands across from me, staring silently with his jaw clenched and his eyes broody, and before I can stay long enough to pity him I slowly turn on my heel and force myself to leave. The tightness in my chest loosens ever so slightly, like a huge weight is slowly being lifted, and although it would be easier to just move past what has happened without an apology or explanation I know this time that I can't. As much as I hate fighting with Damon, I know that I have to stand my ground for once, especially after all the times I have overlooked being treated poorly and forgiven too easily because I am used to this type of behaviour. When I reach the end of the sidewalk, I stop outside of Ric's Range Rover Vogue and take a deep breath. As I finally get into the passenger seat of Ric's car, I sigh and rest my head into the back of the chair.
"You okay?" Ric asks, waiting for my response before he starts the car. "That conversation looked pretty heavy."
"Yeah, uh, I'm fine." I answer honestly, feeling somewhat hopeful despite the lingering pain in my chest. "I took your advice and told him how everything was making me feel and that if he keeps going the way that he's going there isn't gonna be a relationship left to save." Ric smiles sympathetically, appearing proud but apologetic that it has reached this point.
"I know it might not feel that great right now but..." Ric says reassuringly, whilst moving his eyes away to the windscreen. "You did the right thing." I nod in agreement, forever grateful for his wisdom and support in moments like this; he's always there for me. Ric finally starts the car and pulls away from the curb, taking us temporarily away from the station until we have solid proof that Nathan is innocent.