It's Been a Long, Long Time (tvd)

Chapter 29: Masquerade: The Squeakqual

When I hear my phone ring, I speed to grab my it from its pace on my dresser. "Hello?" I drag out.

"Aspen?" The now familiar voice of Alexandra Dame fills my ears.

"Yes!" I try not to get too eager. "Did you figure it out?"

"I believe so. I can send you a picture of the ingredients for the spell via text," she offers.

I jump up and down. "Thank you! How can I repay you? Money? A favor?"

"No need," she assures, "I owe Kol and this is the least I could do. I'll be in New Orleans on Friday."

"Thank you, really."

"Of course. Have a good day, Aspen." She hangs up and I immediately throw on an outfit. It consists of a white graphic tee, denim shorts, black converse, rings, and a few necklaces.

I grab my tote bag and speed to the church. I don't even knock, I just barge into the attic. "Davina!" I rush over to where she is in the bed. "Alexandra was able to find the spell. She'll be in New Orleans in two days."

Davina jumps into my arms and I spin her around. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you for being so kind," she hops down and smiles at me.

I bring her into a regular hug. "I care about you, Vee. Even if that's hard to believe."

⇢⇢⇢⇢

"Love, get ready. We have a party to go to," Klaus announces.

I turn to see him in the doorway of the kitchen. "Theme?" I ask uninterestedly.

"Masquerade."

"Time?"

"7:00."

I nod and he speeds out of the room. I finish making my snack then eat before going upstairs to get ready. Eventually, I decide on a red velvet dress, black strappy heels, a red mask, and gold jewelry.

I descend the stairs, catching Bekah and Klaus' attention.

"You look wonderful, love," Klaus comments. I take in what he is wearing: an all black suit.

"I must agree with my brother for once," Bekah compliments. She is wearing a black gown with a black statement necklace and hair piece.

"You both look amazing. Now," I clap my hands, "shall we go?" They nod and we speed to the abattoir. I stand in between the siblings and we enter.

"Well, this certainly is a fitting backdrop for tonight's events, I must say," Klaus notes. I give him a look of confusion that is answered with one of his signature smirks.

Klaus and Bekah split off, leaving me to be greeted by Marcel. "Aspen! You look absolutely beautiful," he observes.

"Thank you," I respond, "you don't look too bad yourself."

A voice from behind me asks, "What about me?" I turn and see Diego.

"Eh," I shrug. "You look alright."

He scoffs and places his hand over his heart while Marcel places his on my shoulder. "Oof," Marcel grunts.

"You wound me," Diego jokes.

"Nice party, Marcey," I say.

Diego starts chuckling and is slapped upside the head by Marcel. "Easy on the hair," Diego scolds him.

I text Marcel to ask him a question which he reluctantly agrees to. With his approval, I speed of to grab things for Davina.

⇢⇢⇢⇢

We return. Davina is wearing a masquerade mask that covers her whole face, a black dress, silver jewelry, and silver heels. Her hair is in a side braid.

"You look delightful," Marcel tells Davina.

Davina smiles, even though it isn't seen well through her mask. "I appreciate you letting me come. I'll stick by Penny the whole night."

Marcel seems satisfied with her answer and leaves us to go greet other guests. Davina grabs me by the arm and pulls me over to the area where the band is playing. She whispers something to the drummer then grabs my hand. "Please sing with me. I never had the confidence to do something like this. Now that I'm wearing a mask, I feel like I can," she whispers.

I nod and then hear the unmistakable start of Oops!...I Did It Again. I smirk then start, seeing as Davina needs a little push to actually sing. "I think I did it again. I made you believe we're more than just friends."

Davina nervously continues, "Oh, baby, it might seem like a crush, but it doesn't mean that I'm serious."

⇢⇢⇢⇢

Rebekah later finds me and pulls me onto the dance floor for a slow dance. "How are you feeling, Sweets?"

"Alright, I think I'm gonna head out soon if you don't." I had recently taken a tired Davina back to the church attic before coming back.

"Well, maybe we should head out together," she whispers in my ear. The song ends and Bekah and I speed back to the house before we start to kiss heavily. Nothing further than that, but it was nice to feel that intimacy with her.

By now, Bekah and I have showered and changed into our pajamas. We sit by the fireplace, talking.

"Are you happy here?" She asks me quietly.

I sigh. "Yes, it's just... I'm still unsure about my feelings and feel like such a crappy person for stringing you along."

"Hey," she grabs my chin to make eye contact. "You warned me about this. You are not stringing me along. I am taking the chance because I care about you more than you could imagine."

I tear up and mutter, "Stupid pregnancy hormones."

an: I know it's short, but I've finally got inspiration for this story. This is a filler chapter