anne

05 | Small World

TVD - S5 E14 - Aftermath

• ____________ •

Anne left Henry to his sleep, wrapping her dressing gown lazily on, and going downstairs to scour the Salvatore fridge for something a little more flavourful than blood. But before she could get to the Kitchen, she saw Stefan sitting on the couch, looking deep in thought. 

"Hey."

Stefan looked up at her, knocking himself out of his train of thinking, "Hey."

"What's on your mind?" Anne asked, leaning on her hands which were placed on the back of the couch opposite of Stefan. She glanced at the fireplace to her left, noticing how much wood he'd brought in, then looked at Stefan as he answered.

"Nothing much, just an accumulation of tiny things that keep adding up."

Anne examined Stefan, "You know, I'm a private investigator. Some would say that I'm the best in Seattle," she leaned in and cupped her mouth to whisper, "I say that," which earned her a chuckle from Stefan, then she put her hand down and continued, "So if you ever need help understanding, finding or solving things, gimme a call."

Stefan looked at Anne with slight amusement, "I don't even have your number."

"I don't give out my real number willy-nilly, but I can give you my card—" Anne stopped, realising she didn't have one on her, "Actually, why don't you gimme your phone and I'll put my number in there."

Stefan nodded nonchalantly, "Why not?" He dug out his phone in his back pocket and tossed it to Anne, who caught it and entered her details with routine speed and tossed it back to him."

"Anne Orda," Stefan read out. "I still can't believe I haven't heard about you. You seem... monumental?"

Anne's head shook slightly, "Not in a good way. I'm glad you never heard about me. And I'm glad I'm detachable from those stories."

"How do you mean?"

She winced, staring at the fire, "That kind of reputation, it haunts me enough to have the memories. But to have the experience live on? To have people know who I am and what I've done?" She shook her determinedly, "Never gonna happen."

"You told me."

"Yeah," she sighed, "I tell when necessary. Luckily for me, that is very very rare. As far as I know, you're one of the few Vampires who know I'm alive."

Stefan was now entirely distracted from his previous thoughts, caught up in the mystery of the woman in opposite him. "Who else knows you're alive? Apart from the Mikaelsons and I?"

"Not all of the Mikaelsons know, just Klaus. He's promised to keep my existence secret from Elijah."

"Why Elijah? Isn't he the noble one?"

Anne felt that she was beginning to tell her life story and became uncomfortably self-aware. She stood, "Girl's gotta keep herself safe. Now, I'm gonna make Damon and I some sandwiches, do you want one?"

Stefan adjusted himself from the sudden change of topic and replied, "No, thank you. I should head to bed. 

Anne nodded, adding as he began to leave, "I can't guarantee I can help him if the virus comes from medical origins and not supernatural or of the mind, so please don't take my ego as assurance of success."

Stefan nodded solemnly, frowning at the lack of hope in her words, "You're trying, that's what counts for me. If it's from a medical cause, then there's gotta be a medical cure. We just have to find it, and help him in the meantime."