A life in the shadows

11

Siobhan flew to the boarding house to see Katherine give Damon the cure. He drank it. She sighed in relief before heading back to Matteo.
"He's okay." She said, heading straight for Matteo. She held a glass cup out to Klaus, gesturing for him to pour a little blood. Once he did she sat Matteo up, putting the glass to his lips. He shook his head. "Damon's okay. I saw it."
Those words seemed to do the trick and Matteo drank the blood. Within a minute Matteo was back to his normal self, and he stood up, embracing Siobhan. She let him hold her before stepping away and slightly nudging him to his brother.
"Stef-"
"We'll see each other again, one day. We've handled a hundred and forty six years. We can handle another few." He said, clapping his brother on the back.
"Klaus, if you-"
"Your brother isn't the one you should worry about." Klaus smirked
"Klaus-"
"See you around, Matt." Klaus said. He started towards Klaus and Stefan.
"It's okay. Don't blame yourself, Matty." Stefan said hugging his brother. "You should go to Damon. See if he's okay and all. We'll meet again one day. Besides we can keep in touch. There are such things as phones."
"And what makes you so sure he won't look for us, Stefan?" Klaus said, hinting that it would be a bad idea.
"Cut the crap Klaus. You are not going to cut communication between my brother and I."
"As long as Damon doesn't know." He said.
"I don't lie. And he's bound to bump into me talking to Stefan at some point and ask."
"Can't you do that thing you do?"
"What thing?" Matteo furrowed his brows.
"That thing you do where you avoid certain questions so that you don't have to lie?"
"I don't do that."
"Who's Kaia?"
"Stop changing the subject."
"See, you're doing it."
"No, I'm not. Currently we're talking about you blackmailing my youngest brother with saving his older brothers not my private life."
"You'll see it, Stefan." Siobhan's phone started ringing and she picked it up.
"Matteo." She said showing him the phone. The caller ID said Kaia. His eyes widened and he shook his head in terror.
"Go." He told her. "Very far. Away. Please?"
"Sure." She laughed at him walking out.
"Go with her, we'll be fine." Stefan told him.
"Please don't make me." Matteo begged his younger brother.
"Who was it?"
"Scariest person I've ever met." He gulped. "And I've met a lot of scary people."
"What? I thought I was the scariest person you met."
"Sure, of course." Matteo replied condescendingly. Stefan snorted.
"What do you mean by that?" Klaus asked, offended.
"You should talk to Damon before you leave." Matteo told Stefan.
"I'll see you, brother." Stefan said, before gently nudging him towards the door.

Matteo met Siobhan in the woods, where she sat on the mossy ground.
"Hello, darling." He greeted sitting opposite her.
"I miss this." She said. "I miss the feel of the damp leaves under my palm. I miss the feeling of peace I get when I take a minute to sit and connect. That's one thing I hate about this world. There's not many places you can sit and catch your breath. It's all pollution, people, roads."
"I know what you mean." Matteo smiled. Matteo cupped a drooping flower and closed his eyes in concentration. The flower slowly stood upright until it looked healthy. "Back home all you have to do is step outside and you'd feel it all."
"Kaia's extremely pissed."
"What did she say to you, earlier?" He questioned.
"She said you'd better be there the next time she calls. I'd give you till tomorrow morning latest to figure out what to say."
"Well, I'm dead." Matteo said.
"Do you still have any feelings for Katherine? Any whatsoever?"
"A part of me, a very small minuscule part, will always care for her. She was the first woman I ever loved, but I'm not in love with her, and I never will love her again. She came between my brothers and I, killed me, was the reason they had died. So you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Because you, Siobhan, are the only woman I am in love with."
"I love you, Matteo." She smiled. She took his hands in her own and closed her eyes. "I have kept a pretty big part of my life hidden from you. I have a huge secret."
"I know." Matteo replied. "Don't feel obligated to tell me. I am here for you whenever you feel ready. I will never judge you."
"You might not feel that way when I tell you." She frowned.
"Siobhan, I've been in love with you for so long, I don't remember when I fell for you. I might not have admitted it to myself before, because I was kind of afraid, but I know what I feel for you. You could tell me anything and I would still love you, because I love who you are."
"I understand why Kaia actually likes you."
"Because I'm handsome, good looking and charming?"
"Because you're the best of us all. She doesn't want to lose you to this world. It's probably why she tried so hard to keep you away from your brothers."
"I will go back, you know? I love my brothers to death- I do, and I always will, and they've found their home here, but Mystic Falls hasn't been my home since I died." Matteo shifted and something crinkled under him. He put his hand in his back pocket and only to pull out the note Emily had written to him.
"What's that?" Siobhan asked.
"I had forgotten about this." He said opening it. "When Bonnie was communicating with the ancestors to find a cure, she was possessed by an ancestor witch I knew when I was human. She wrote this for me. It's in Latin."
"What does it say?"
"I know you have a shaky alliance with us witches-" he read out, "but unlike your comrades you've never treated our descendants with hostility. For that we owe you. I'm sorry we could not aid you with your brother, but if ever you need anything, you shall have our help. Centuries ago, a witch cursed one of your own, and you've been wary of us since then. I hope you believe me when I tell you, it was the act of one desperate witch, afraid of her own child. We will stand with you when you need it most."
"Like I said, Matteo, you're the best of us all."

Matteo and Siobhan went back to the boarding house, to go see Damon.
"Hey, you go to your brother I'll meet you in your room later, yeah?" Siobhan said. He nodded and walked to Damon's room. He knocked on the door.
"Hey brother." He said, walking in.
"The point of knocking is so that whoever's inside can decide to tell you whether or not to come in." Damon rolled his eyes.
"No it's to let the person know you're there or whatever. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Katherine came with the cure on time. I heard you got bit too."
"Yep."
"I also heard you wouldn't drink the cure until you knew I was okay."
"Sounds about right."
"Why? I mean, the cure was free for you. Stefan would've still be paying for me. You still would've made sure I was okay."
"I didn't care. You're my priority. You were dying. I wasn't going to take the cure while my brother needed it. Needed it more than I did, anyhow. The bite didn't take effect as quickly on me as it did you."
"How did you find the cure?"
"Bonnie and Siobhan. Two different sources pointed us towards Klaus. So we went to Klaus and it turned out his blood's the cure."
"What did your girlfriend do?"
"Ask around some of her sources." He shrugged. "The usual."
"What does Klaus want with Stefan?"
"He wants a friend."
"What about you?"
"Part of the condition of the cure was that I stay and Stefan go."
"He's forcing you to stay?"
"Well actually he's forcing me not to go with or follow them. So I'm staying with you."
"Why doesn't he want you around? Aren't you two friends?"
"I think it's cos he wants to be evil and doesn't want me to stop him from killing." Matteo said. "I'll get someone else on them."
"Someone else?" Damon was baffled, he could barely understand what his brother was trying to tell him.
"I have friends." Matteo said.
"Elena mentioned you worked for some supernatural association."
"Not exactly."
"What are you? Vampire Buffy?"
"Seriously? Buffy jokes? I thought you were better than that, brother."
"I have a way of disappointing expectations." Damon grinned. "So wanna tell me what's up with the supernatural FBI?"
"Firstly, no. Secondly, we're not supernatural FBI."
"So what is it?"
"Where's Elena? She go home?"
"No, I think she's in Stefan's room. With him being gone, now, and all."
"Sorry." Matteo said, softly.
"What for?"
"I won't say it."
"Matteo." Siobhan said from the door, holding out her phone. "It's Kaia."
"What?" He asked. She shrugged and passed him the phone. Matteo walked out of the room and out of the house.
"So you're dating my brother." Damon said. "What's he been like, the past hundred and forty odd years?"
"I don't think there's a word to describe him." She let out a laugh. "He's kind to everyone, smart, understanding, loyal beyond a doubt. He can't sing, but he can dance really well."
"Sounds like the old Matteo."
"He's a lot different now, more experienced, but he's still your brother, and there's nothing he wouldn't do for you."
"Why didn't he come back?"
"You don't think he tried? He wasn't allowed. So he had other people check in on you guys from time to time. It was all he could do."
"Matteo joined a cult?" Damon frowned.
"Cult? Oh god no! It's not a cult."
"So what is it?"
"Look, I can't actually tell you anything about it, so let's change the subject."
"Who's Kaia?"
"A friend. Teacher."
"Do you love my brother?"
"I've loved him as long as I've known him." She said.

Matteo stood outside patiently as Kaia yelled over the phone.
"You were irresponsible, and you went against orders!"
"Well actually, I didn't go against orders. I got an alert to a vampire who would need my help. It was my mission and so I came to help her. I didn't plan it, and my brothers being in this town was a coincidence."
"Cut the crap, Matteo. You know seeing your human family is forbidden."
"Technically they're not human."
"Do you really think now is the best time to be a wiseass?"
"Sorry, ma'am."
"I understand you suffered a werewolf bite."
"Thank you for letting us know about the cure." Matteo said sincerely. "I appreciate it."
"There's still protocol, Matteo. You have to come back and that's an order."
"But-"
"Your charge will be fine for the next few months. Besides, Siobhan will be there, and I will be sending Killian over too."
"You can't take away an assignment. Especially not when I've already started it."
"Yes I can. At least temporarily. We have to make sure the bite didn't severely affect you, Matteo. Protocol, remember?"
"Kaia, please-"
"I'm sorry, Matteo, but my word is final. I expect you here by tomorrow morning. 7am latest."
"Yes, ma'am." He said, defeated.
"I'll send Killian on his way now. You can fill him in before you come out."
"Yes ma'am." Matteo said, almost robotically.
"I'm sorry, Matteo."
"I'll see you tomorrow, ma'am." He replied.