Tiberius Salvatore: The eldest brother

29

"Hey, have some bourbon. It'll help you forget." Damon offered. Elena made a face, showing her disdain. "Yeah, it's strong. You know I can help you forget, too. At least the memories you don't want to keep."
"No. No compulsion. I need to remember. All of it." Elena turned to Rio. "Um, Rio. I know you pretty much hate me, but I wanted to thank you. About what you said to Klaus. I'm really sorry about it. I know he was a good friend of yours. I- I'm sorry."
"Yeah me too." He poured himself a drink. "But I meant what I said. Klaus shouldn't have blamed you for not being able to keep himself in check and not be a dick. But you know- this doesn't suddenly make me all team Elena. I'm still just not in the game."
"You stood up to Klaus. He'll probably be gunning for you. Who knows, he might compel you to be his friend."
"Which is why I'm always on vervain. Vervain a day, keeps the compulsion away."
"You totally just made that up!" Damon argued. "Besides what if you're not on vervain because he got you off it."
"I'm smarter than that, Damon. I can't be taken off it. Besides that's why I have back up." He rolled his eyes.
"I stole it back for you." Damon said after a moments silence, holding up Elena's necklace. Rio took this as his cue to go. Charlie and Anya were sitting in his room on a laptop, presumably shopping online.
"How did it go?" Charlie asked. He sighed and shook his head.
"That bad?" Anya raised a brow.
"It's just for 40 or so years this guy was my friend. He did stupid things sometimes, but he reminded me of Damon and Stefan. He was like a brother to me, and I basically spent more time with him than my real brothers. Literally Stefan was around 17 and Damon 25 when I left. But they were the brothers that I helped raise. They were my brothers and he threatened their safety." Rio sat down on the edge of the bed. "I never thought that I'd be this pissed at him. I can never hate him, I know that. I can never hate him with the intensity my brothers or anyone else does because he's still a part of my family."
"No one has the right to tell you to hate him. No one can. You have a big heart Rio. And anyone who tells you not to use it obviously doesn't know you very well. And Klaus crossed a line. But you've always had hope that he could come back. Don't give up on that hope. I have experienced first hand what kind of person Klaus used to be. You haven't changed him, but he is different. You've been a good influence on him." Charlie soothed. "Don't give up on him."
"I know." He sighed.
"Come both of you." Charlie said. "This is for you, Rio, but I think it'd be a good place for Anya to see."

Rio soon came to the conclusion that his wife was taking him to the ruins of his old childhood home.
"So where exactly are we going?" Anya asked. He didn't blame her, Charlie was being secretive but he knew the way to his home.
"My old childhood home. Or at least what's left of it." He answered. "It's hardly a surprise if I know the way there already."
"So that's not a surprise?" Charlie said, pointing ahead. His eyes widened.
"For a place that stood here way over a century ago, it's so called ruins look good. Really good." Anya said.
"These aren't the ruins Anya. It's the actual place. Wow, this- this place is. It's my actual home. When do you do this?"
"This was your anniversary present. But then I had amnesia before it was ready and yeah. Jess was supposed to come round when it finished. She was supposed to come to the boarding house. But of course we weren't there. We were in Europe."
"Aww that's so sweet. Rio got you a car and you had his childhood home rebuilt. How did you know what it looked like?" Anya asked her mother.
"Well he showed me his home from his memories over time, so I pieced together where each memory happened and then got a full picture and the rest is history. Now come on. You can give me a tour. I'm bound to have missed out a few bits and pieces. You can tell me where I went wrong. Besides, he didn't just get me a car. It was super romantic. It started out with notes and then sent me to a witch who then showed me the car which contained a beautiful bracelet and a bunch of sweets and chocolate and some blood- hidden. He bought me this gorgeous blue evening gown and payed for my hair and beauty. Then took me to a restaurant-"
"The best one in my opinion. I couldn't find any better."
"That was also one of mine, and agreed to adopt, which was something I'd always wanted. A child."
"Oh. Are you still going to?" Anya asked, in a small voice. Rio realised her tone sounded a little self-conscious.
"Anya. The child was never about replacing you. To your mother, you could never be replaced. Yes- after all this is over, we'll probably adopt, but you'll always be your mother's daughter. And of course you hold a special place in my heart. I've never quite met a kid like you."
"What, you've never met another witch born 900 years ago who was often in a magically-induced centuries lasting coma?" Anya said in a mock surprised tone
"Exactly. Who would've thought?"
"Anya. He's right. You'll always be my daughter. The one who I lost but found- eventually. My first child. No child will ever replace you- you'll just have a younger sister. A baby sister. Alright?"
"Yeah. Now how about that tour."