My Return (Vampire Diaries) (Book Seven)

Postcards from the Edge

Stefan had to take Caroline to the Whitmore Medical Center because she had been starting to desiccate.

Stefan, Valerie and Caroline were in Caroline's room. 

I was watching from outside the window.

Valerie was shocked when she saw that Caroline's had was desiccating. "Well, that's not good."

Caroline was bordering on hysterical, looking at Valerie incredulously. "Yeah, duh. That's why we called you. Can't you just be witchy and fix it?"

Valerie looked at her sympathetically, gesturing to Caroline's bell. "May I?"

Caroline nodded.

Valerie held her hand just inches away from Caroline's baby bump. Her hand glowed red as she started to siphon whatever was happening to Caroline. Caroline's hand started to return to its normal color. After a moment, there was a zapping sound. Valerie reflexively jerked her hand away as if she had just been shocked.

Stefan frowned in concern. "What did you just do?" 

"I didn't do anything," Valerie answered in alarm.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stefan asked.

Valerie looked at them in shock. "I think these babies are sipons... like me."

Caroline was stunned. "What?"

"And, I'm afraid they might be feeding off your blood," Valerie told her. "As in, they're literally siphoning the vampire magic out of your body."

Caroline, Valerie, Stefan and I were horrified by this revelation.

       ~~~~~~~        

Stefan and I were standing outside of Caroline's room, watching Valerie and Caroline when I brought him coffee.

Valerie fixed a bracelet around Caroline's wrist. 

Caroline looked at the bracelet curiously. "What is it?"

"It's a talisman spelled with magic," Valerie answered. "I'm hoping the babies will pull from it instead of you."

"And if they don't?" Caroline asked in a panic. "They still have to bake in there a little bit longer. And I haven't even done the thank you notes from the baby shower yet."

Valerie smiled reassuringly. "If it doesn't work, I'll find something stronger. I won't let anything bad happen, I promise."

"Thank you," Caroline told her.

Valerie nodded. "My pleasure."

"No, really," Caroline told her. "You know, we're not meant to like each other, you and I, which makes what you're doing all that much nicer."

Valerie and Caroline smiled small smiles.

I turned to Stefan. "Maybe the two women in your life can get along after all."

Stefan smirked sarcastically. "Don't even start."

I smiled a small smile, handing him one of the coffees I was holding. "Better start getting used to the coffee. Doctor asked her to stay for observation."

"Well, the desiccation hasn't come back," Stefan told me. "Valerie thinks the babies have been siphoning very slowly for a long time. Caroline just didn't realize it."