Family Above All

25. Grave Robbing 101

No pairing.

Thank you for the insightful comments. I haven't had time to respond, but I am reading all of them and including them in the plot.

Mystic Falls Cemetery

Monday, April 2, 2012

Evening

Damon and Stefan led the others to the old part of the cemetery.

"This part was established in 1792," Stefan began when they arrived. "Two years after they burned a hundred witches, so the story goes."

Damon surveyed the old, stone graves. The grass was untended and weeds obscured the blackened headstones, but he still knew where Giuseppe Salvatore's bones lay.

"That's true," Damon confirmed. "Emily Bennett told me that. Damn shame that they burned her after we left town. And here lies the old prick himself..."

Damon knocked aside some of the weeds. Time had erased the saying on the bottom of the grave, but the word "Father" was still clear. Giuseppe Salvatore, born October 9, 1810 and died January 23, 1864.

"Ha, I never noticed the date was wrong. Everything went down on September 25, 1864," Damon noticed. "I wonder if the Founders did that on purpose. Too many deaths on that day might have been a tad suspicious."

Stefan grinned, "Cover-ups were Mystic Falls strength from day one. Typical. But so many died who were never given fancy, stone headstones or a spot in a mausoleum."

Elijah set down a lantern although the vampires could all see well in the dark. The full moon would not rise for three more weeks and clouds obscured any stars that may have been visible.

Wordlessly, Stefan crouched down and pulled the weeds after from their mother's headstone. Damon helped him.

"These lands have always been thirsty for blood. It tis a shame that our own fathers were a party to that," Klaus mused. "Elijah, remember when those raiders came near the village. I think that was the only time I saw father happy. Then, he caught me looking whilst I was looking for pigments. I came across a dying warrior. Mikael thrust his blade in my hands and tried to make me kill him. When I wouldn't, he turned the blade on me..."

Elijah handed one of the shovels to Damon.

"I remember that raid, but I don't think you ever told me the rest," Elijah said, pausing to look at Klaus. "You couldn't have been more than ten summers."

"I was nine," Klaus said bitterly. "If only we could bring him back again, so I could kill him again..."

"Let's focus on the task at hand," Elijah reminded him, about to plunge his shovel into the hard dirt. "Sorry, Stefan, you should have the honors."

"You would probably mess up your nice suit," Stefan said, taking the other shovel.

Klaus smelled the air.

"A buck, perhaps?" Klaus announced. "We are getting low on animal blood. Stefan, you stay and help your brother. Elijah, up for a hunt?"

"No, as Stefan mentioned, I am not dressed for it. I forget my mobile in the car. I told Ric I'd call him with news," Elijah said.

Damon was about to say he had his phone, but Elijah vanished into the night. Klaus was already hunting the deer that he sensed.

Stefan guffawed, "They do that a lot. Don't they?"

Damon nodded, "Yeah, it's kinda annoying. Ready?"

"Born ready," Stefan confirmed, as they commenced the digging.