At Twilight (TW/TVD Crossover)

Chapter 15

Y'all not to be a fanfic writer cliche but the last two weeks were ... not great. My grandpa, my last living grandparent, fell into a coma and eventually passed. On top of other drama in my house and my period rolling in, I haven't been in a editing and updating frame of mind. But here we are. This chapter is pretty long and I'm very happy with it, even though I edited it half asleep. Hope you are too <3 <3

Chapter 15

It was finally time to head to happy hour. Jennifer Blake, also a new addition to Beacon Hills High's English department, had invited Caroline to the local (read: only) bar in town. The distraction couldn't have come at a better time. Her sleep, the little spurts she got, was rife with muddled flashes of Isaac Lahey running for his life from an unknown pursuer meshed with memories of her running for her life.

She needed alcohol and something other than the yawning silence of the manor. Noise, people, laughter, comradery, community. She would take a bar fight at this point. Anything to stay out of her roiling mind.

Caroline felt a presence behind her and let an excited smile curve her lips.

"Did you know your last name had Irish origins, Ms. Forbes?" A crotchety voice sounded from the open doorway. Her smile quickly dropped.

She spun to face the specter she'd successfully avoided until this point. What was this man's obsession with her last name?

"According to Google, yes."

"The name Forbes is also synonymous with hunting. Did Google tell you that? Has been since a sector of the family in Ireland made the trip to the new world, only to find their new home overtaken, overrun, and being terrorized by bloodthirsty monsters." He arched a brow at her, and she arched hers right back.

He continued after an awkward pause she made no attempt to fill. Dramatic as she was, she knew a performer when she saw one, and she would let this one crash and burn. If only she had some tomatoes handy. "Now, the Irish are a fighting people, and the Forbes clan was no different. They banded together, discovered all they could about the creatures that would, in the centuries following, become their mortal enemy, and hunted them down like the abominations they were. But, as vermin tend to do, they had already multiplied and continued to do so." His cloudy eyes pierced hers. "According to legend, of course. We know how history gets convoluted as it's passed down. I mean, according to this version, the Forbes' mortal enemies were vampires. Can you imagine?" He released a grim chuckle that chilled her.

"That's very interesting. Why the history lesson?" It didn't surprise her she'd never ever heard any of this before though she refused to let him see her curiosity. She knew her father hailed from a long line of vampire hunters and not much more. She'd never been allowed to learn more from or about her father other than he considered her an abomination that needed eradicating.

"I take my role as an elder seriously, Ms. Forbes. It's my job to educate those in the dark about their history and purpose."

She dropped his stare to continue packing her day bag. She didn't like what she felt he was implying, and she'd never been a fan of riddles.

"If you'll excuse me, Principal Argent, I better get going."

"Ah, yes. Well, don't let this old man hold you up. I heard of your plans with Ms. Blake. It's good for a young woman to have other young women to spend time with. Certain characters around town are too unsavory for the likes of you."

Did he mean Derek? When had he even seen her with him?

Caroline exited her classroom and left the unsettling encounter without another word, heading for the main doors. She'd unpack it all later, after copious amounts of alcohol, fried food, and blood. A sigh left her. Days like this, she wished she still drank from the vein. Nothing else compared.