A Quiet Life in Mystic Falls

Ulterior Motives

"No, no, no," she said pulling out of his grip. "I can't be a vampire." She panicked; she whipped around and ran back up to the room she had slept in, dove into her bag, rummaging for her wand.

There was no warmth in her beloved wand. Herea the others coming up.

"Accio book," she pointed to the shelf.

Nothing.

"Lea..." Stefan said gently.

"Accio book! Accio BOOK! ACCIO BOOK! AC –" Azalea dropped to the floor sobbing. No.

No. No. No. No.

The brothers kneeled on the floor beside her, holding her as she cried.

"How did it even get in my system? How?" she said wiping her eyes after crying for a few minutes.
"Katherine maybe?" Stefan suggested. "She could have been slipping it into your food, she doesn't know you come back... But Lea... You need to drink," Stefan said gently.

"No,"

"If you don't, you'll die," Damon snapped.

"Exactly if I die in transition, I have a shot of coming back human!" she argued.

"Azalea..." Stefan said gently. "I don't think that'll –"

"I have to try! I have to see. We know it won't kill me, kill me – maybe it will work. I've beat the odds before..." I told him.

"What if you don't, what if you wake up still in transition?" Damon snapped.

"Then I'll turn... I didn't see them Damon... I didn't notice last night somehow, but I didn't..."

Damon felt his heart drop at the crack in her voice, he pulled her into a hug.

"I can't not see them and not have magic, I can't."

"Shh," he soothed, stroking her hair. Once the brothers had coaxed Azalea back off the floor, she began to pace in the dark room she had slept in. Stefan went downstairs to ask Elena to leave, and call for some back up. Damon stayed and watched his friend carefully.

Azalea found herself able to hear parts of the conversation downstairs.

"Stefan, she needs friends right now," Elena argued with him. There was a stabbing pain in her jaw, as if it new that Elena was human, and had the blood she needed to turn. She closed her eyes, pressing her lips together as she rubbed the area.

"She has lots of friends, that aren't also temptation," he told her gently.

"Oh, right... can you tell her I'm here."

"Of course," he said. She stopped listening, and looked over at the closed blinds, then to the door.

"Is it worth killing me? Seeing if we can speed up the –"

"I think your best shot is to 'naturally' die in transition. The blood is still probably in your system right now. You may just be in transition again."

"Also, we are not killing you, or letting you kill yourself." Damon said his eyes narrowed at his friend. She sighed, running her hands through her hair.

A blur of long blonde hair whooshed into the room hugging Azalea tightly.

"Caroline," she said melting into her friends' arms.

"I am so sorry this happened to you." she said. "Stefan told me about the magic, and the not seeing people, and the plan. I am here for you. I will stop you if your will power caves." she held her friend close, stroking her red hair. Azalea sniffed, nuzzling closer to Caroline. The sweet smell of her vanilla and peach perfume comforting.