Whatever It Takes {Two | Alaric Saltzman}

Do You Remember the First Time?

With Alaric's right hand in both of hers, Abigail asked, "How does it feel?"

"Oh, it hurts. A lot. But this morphine drip, it's the next best thing to vampire blood." When he turned his head to look at her, words didn't seem like enough. "I'm so sorry, Bea."

"No, no, no..." She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. "Ric, I'm just glad that you're okay."

"Well, isn't this cute?"

She stayed exactly where she was, half on, half off of the hospital bed, waiting for his lips to meet hers, even as he looked at Damon. 

"Hey, buddy."

"So, she wanted them back..." Damon pushed half the buttons on Alaric's heart monitor, sending obnoxious beeps through the speakers. "But now they're gone and she can only remember all the terrible things I did to the people she cares about. So, let's pick up where we left off, Ric. We were on a roll."

Alaric made room for Abigail to lay on her side next to him as she said, "I really don't think you should be playing with all that stuff."

He pulled the ophthalmoscope off of the wall to look at Alaric's eyes as if he knew what he was doing. "I turned Caroline into my own personal blood juice box, I turned Matt's sister into a vampire, and threatened to kill Bon Bon a couple times."

Alaric scoffed. "More than a couple."

"Subjective." He shined the light in Abigail's face. "Sometimes, I was being funny."

She pushed his hand down. "You killed Stefan's best friend at his not birthday, birthday party."

"Unfortunate coincidence."

"And then you snapped Jeremy's neck when Elena said she'd never love you. Right in front of us." She watched him pull open a drawer of intubation supplies. "Also turns out she now thinks it's your fault I'm a vampire."

"On second thought..." He plopped down in the chair next to the bed. "Let's focus on all the charming, heroic things you obliterated from my girl's mind."

"God." Alaric forced his eyes shut, tightening the hold he had on Abigail. "If I could take it all back, I would."

"I know, and listen, despite the fact that my long list of dastardly deeds involves killing you, I'm glad you're alive."

"Thanks, man."

"Yeah." He tapped hard on Alaric's shoulder. "Although if you had actually died a vampire instead of becoming human again, your compulsion would have gone away, and Elena would be mine again."

"Hey. Really heartfelt. Appreciate it."

"Now she's stuck with only evil me memories forever and ever."

"If you kill him, he is dead for good this time," Abigail said. "And I will not hesitate to rip your head off. Got it?"

He reached across them to yank the heart monitor patches off of Alaric's chest, making the monitor flatline.

She jumped to her feet. "Not funny, Damon!"

"It was pretty funny."

Jo entered the room, obviously confused by the scene in front of her. "Good morning."

Pulling Abigail back to his side, Alaric sighed out, "I don't know if this is a good time."

"Just a heads-up, doc." Damon moved to stand next to her. "You're gonna be in real high demand with a bunch of vampires who want to be human again if you could repeat that little healing trick that you did at the border with Ric last night."