The Bourbon Diaries ✢ The Vampire Diaries FanFiction ✢ TVD FanFic ✢ TVDU FanFic

Chapter Fifty-Seven - Cristian Balescu

Three and a half years ago

Mystic Falls, VA

Winifred was leaving the hospital, wrapping her long coat around her as she stepped outside into the cold. She stopped when she spotted Cristian's car.

Cristian remained still, gripping the steering wheel tightly, as he stared back at her. He couldn't deal with this a second time. She'd already unleashed hell on him for taking a photo of the spell from her grimoire and sharing it outside their coven, but if she approached him again, he wasn't sure he could contain his temper right now.

He was prepared for the beating he knew he would receive from his father later. The punishment would have been far worse had it been for anyone else but Stef. It's not that his father had a fondness for her, but he was pleased when they started dating. Cristian wasn't entirely sure why. He knew her heritage---knew there were witches in her bloodline---but she'd never displayed signs of having any magic. She would now, of course, with the ritual performed. Still, it wouldn't go down well with his father if the vampire remained unknown. He had to get the name from Stef and end them immediately. The sooner she transitioned permanently into a witch, the better.

Winifred remained standing in front of Cristian. His headlights were on, so she could only see his outline inside the car, but she just shook her head at him in disappointment and then carried on towards her own vehicle, which she then drove away.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon afterwards, he noticed Stef.

About fucking time.

He sounded the horn aggressively to get her attention. She didn't flinch like he'd expected. He felt mildly disappointed by that. Sometimes it was amusing to frighten her.

As she opened the door and sat down in the passenger seat next to him, he could sense something different about her, though he couldn't immediately tell if the ritual had been completed. "Where's Lyle?" he asked, irritated. If he had to track down that stupid piece of shit, there would be hell to pay.

"He wasn't needed," Stef informed him. "I haven't completed the ritual."

Just like that, he couldn't look at her. Letting him down was completely typical. He faced forward, tensing his muscles, shaking his head in disappointment. This wouldn't do. He didn't like others screwing with his plan. "You will complete it," he decided for her. It wasn't up for debate. "Have you had human blood?"

"Yes."

"Adam's?"

"Yes." He still wasn't looking at her, so she kept her answers brief. If he wanted a conversation, he could damn well turn his head towards her.

He blinked slowly. Took a breath. At least one step had been completed. "You've got twenty-four hours to feed on the blood of a witch---"

"Why don't you offer me your blood for the spell?" she interrupted. She already suspected he wouldn't, she just needed to hear him refuse. "Oh right... because it's dangerous."

So she'd discovered that all by herself, had she? No wonder she stopped it. "If I offered you my blood, Stefanie, then my life would be linked to yours. If something happened to you, I'd be dead too, and I know that's not what you want for me. I need you to stop thinking about yourself for a second, and consider the effect this has had on me. I went out on a limb for you and you're not even grateful. You have the audacity to put me through all that, only to refuse---"

"I fucking died, Cristian!" she screamed at him.

He clenched his jaw, the skin around his eyes tightening in anger, thrusting a finger into her face. "You will not raise your voice at me!" he screamed back. Normally, Stef would have shrunk down into her seat the moment he shouted at her, but this time she didn't, and that made it a lot harder for Cristian to calm down. In fact, she turned towards him, unintimidated and confrontational, which only pissed him off more.