A life in the shadows

15

"So what was that?" Caroline asked as she interrogated Matteo at the boarding house. Both Elena and Damon were there. Siobhan had continued to follow them overhead. Matteo was sitting with a sketchbook as he tried to sketch the thing that attacked him.
"Uh, well, I honestly don't know." He replied.
"But there's something we're missing?"
"Hey, blondie, what happened?" Damon asked.
"Matteo fell out of the sky."
"Siobhan has a powerful kick." He said a little quickly.
"What?"
"When we train, we more or less fight each other."
"Train for what?"
"We usually train to get stronger and be able to protect ourselves and others." Siobhan walked in just then.
"Matteo." She said. "Hi Caroline, Elena, Damon."
"Siobhan." Damon nodded his head.
"I thought you didn't know what happened?" Caroline frowned. "But then you said Siobhan kicked you. Wait a minute- you never said she kicked you or that you were training. You just stated facts that she can kick hard and that you do... train. So what happened?"
"You're really smart." Siobhan said.
"Will you guys tell us what happened?"
"They won't." Damon spoke up. "Not if it has anything to do with their job or whatever."
"So you do understand." Matteo smirked at his brother. He closed his sketchbook.
"You draw?" Damon asked, casually.
"Occasionally." Matteo said slowly. He looked at his brother suspiciously, for good reason as Damon quickly tried to snatch it. Matteo kept an iron grip on his book. "No, Damon. Bad, Damon."
"I just want to see."
"They're private, Damon. It's not like Stefan's journals, that you can rifle through at any time."
"They're drawings. It's not like you've drawn your girlfriend nude." Damon scoffed and when Matteo didn't say anything, he widened his eyes. "You have nude drawings of your girlfriend in there."
"Not in there, Damon." Siobhan teased with a cheeky grin. "Don't worry, you won't see it anyways."
"Well now I'm curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat." Matteo rolled his eyes.
"Good thing I'm not a cat. I'm a little more resilient."
"Damon, I don't think you've met Siobhan. She'll kick your ass."
"I bet I could take her." Damon grinned.
"Oh, kiddo, I could kick your ass using only human abilities."
"Wanna bet?" He stood.
"Fine. You're free to use your vampiric ones."
"Fine. Bring it on."
"Wait-" Matteo paused. "Let's clear some space, and let me get my phone to record this."
"What?" Caroline gaped.
"Hey I want to record Damon's butt getting kicked. I could send it to Stefan, he'd get a good laugh out of it. He could sure use one, hanging out with Klaus and all."
"What if Damon hurts her?"
"I have total faith in Siobhan. Damon doesn't stand a chance Caroline. You'll see." Matteo smirked moving the chairs and tables out of the way. He got his phone out of his pocket. "Okay, all set. Take it a little easy on him."
"I'm fighting human strength and speed. I am taking it easy on him." She sighed at Matteo's puppy eyes. "Fine, I'll be nice."
"No need. I'm not my brother." Damon chuckled. "Let's do this."
"Go!" Matteo called taking a step back Damon circled around Siobhan before launching himself against her, but he saw it coming. She sidestepped a tenth of a second earlier and she flipped him over on his back. She took a step back and let him up. Damon narrowed his eyes and tried to shove her against a wall, but she dropped to the ground and rolled between his legs.
"Try to punch me, at least." She sighed.
"What the hell?" He grabbed her arm but she jumped on his back, surprising him so he let go and jumped off before sweeping his legs from under him and bending his arm behind his back.
"Your arm will break if you move it, Damon." She told him. "Do you yield?"
"No." He grunted, pulling it so that it broke and sped away from her. He popped his arm into place and shook it off.
"I can go all day, Damon."
"So can I." He grit his teeth.
"Uh oh."
"What's with the uh oh?" Matteo questioned Caroline.
"Damon's mad. He's stronger when he's mad."
"She can handle him. I trust her."
"How are you not worried?"
"I've been sparring with Siobhan for over a century. I've seen her up against others. She's one of our top three fighters."
"Who else is?"
"Killian and I." Matteo told her.
"Who's number one?"
"I like to see us all as winners."
"Matteo's being modest. He's our top fighter. Don't try to protect my ego, Matty." Siobhan scowled before ducking from Damon's swing.
"I was not."
"Then stop being so humble."
"I'm not."
"Uh, yeah you are." She quickly sent a kick to Damon's stomach and he flew back.
"I thought you weren't using your strength."
"I didn't." Damon stood again and ran at her, and held her against the wall by the neck. She grinned before punching his abdomen and jumping on his back again, climbing higher onto his shoulders wrapping her legs around his neck. "Do you yield?"
"No." He grunted. Siobhan wrapped her legs around him tighter effectively choking him. "Fine, I yield."
"Attagirl." Matteo smiled as she hopped off his brother, and over to him. "Damon, you okay?"
"Yeah, except for my ego."
"Don't worry, Siobhan could take on anyone and win."
"Except you."
"You've beaten me at times, Siobhan."
"Thrice. Out of the thousands of times we sparred." Matteo stopped as something occurred to him. "We need to call Ollie or Jessie."
"Why?" Elena asked.
"I can't call my friends?"
"Sorry." She looked down sheepishly.
"It's fine. If you guys want we can all have dinner later? You can invite your mom, Caroline, and your brother, Elena."
"Matteo can cook. He's a really good cook." Siobhan's eyes lit up.
"Thanks, darling." He smiled at her.
"Since when could you cook?"
"Since I used to cook for you and Stefan when you were young."
"I don't remember."
"What do you even remember from our human life?"
"Dad pestering you to get married to Caitlin Forbes."
"Oh, don't remind me."
"My ancestor?" Caroline asked.
"Yeah, you look a little like her."
"What was she like?"
"Um, she was... uh, confident, uh, pretty, she was very smart."
"Don't sugar coat it, no offence Caroline she was a total bitch."
"Damon!" Matteo said.
"You didn't like her."
"I thought you never lied?" Caroline asked.
"I didn't. She was hard to get along with, sure, but she was very beautiful, very smart, and a confident, strong young lady."
"So why didn't you like her?"
"Uh, she could be a bully, and Stefan and her own younger sister were her main targets."
"Oh."
"If it makes you feel better, you remind me a lot more of her mother. She was kind, smart and independent. She helped people out, and she never had anything against vampires, not really."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She was there for me a lot. And you are a lot like her. Not to mention Caitlin got her looks from her." He smiled at Caroline softly.
"Did you know any Gilberts?"
"My best friends were Gilberts." Matteo looked over to Elena. "William and Eliza Gilbert."
"What were they like?" She asked.
"Will- he was the best friend I've ever had. He was loyal, to a fault. But he died young, when we were ten."
"I'm sorry. How?"
"Animal attack. It was actually a vampire. It brought Eliza and I closer. She was the sister I never had. They were twins, so before Will died, she and I were kind of close. I mean she was more so my best friends sister than my friend. But then when he died, I spent all the time I could with her. I made a promise on his grave that I'd look out for her. She lived a happy, long life. Married one of the kids from school only he took her name since she was a founding family and there was no one else to carry the name. She was a real badass, you'd have loved her."

"So you're..?" The sheriff asked that evening as the Salvatores and Siobhan, the Gilberts, and the Forbes sat at the dining table.
"Damon and Stefan's older brother, yes."
"I wasn't aware there was another."
"I didn't know he was alive until about a month ago." Damon said. "You don't have to worry about him, Liz. He's nothing like me."
"You're vampires." She stated and Matteo wanted so badly to correct her. Picking up on this, Siobhan slid a hand over his under the table.
"If you're a long lost Salvatore, then who are you?" Jeremy pointed his fork at Matteo then Siobhan.
"I'm his girlfriend, Siobhan." Elena lowered Jeremy's fork, scolding him sending a quick apologetic look to Siobhan. Matteo looked over to the kid, there was a small haze of magic around him, he could feel the energy of ghosts lingering around him, two in particular. He must've died and been brought back, Matteo had seen this before. It was more common than one would think. Matteo's phone rang. He looked at it- it said Jessamine.
"I'm sorry, please excuse me. I have to take this. I'll just be a moment." He said and walked out of the room and the house. Once outside, he looked around before shooting into the air. He went higher and higher until he was sure Damon wouldn't be able to hear him. He picked up. "Hey Jessie."
"Matteo, hi. Listen, Olly and I have been looking through the archives for that creature you sketched. You said it was ghostly, with a banshee's scream, except it wasn't a banshee?"
"Yeah."
"There's two things it could be. A banshee's spirit who was never avenged. Or a banshee looking for a host."
"What?"
"You know how banshees are like parasites who deposit their power into a female baby, the host, sometimes hitching a ride with the baby until she can handle the power?"
"Yeah."
"Well, before the banshee finds a human, she goes searching for the perfect host."
"But they go after babies. Banshees never go to human adults."
"True, which is why there's a higher chance you've encountered a wronged banshee's spirit."
"Right, thanks Jessie."
"It's Jessamine, Matteo."
"It's Matt."
"When are you guys wrapping up?"
"Should be done in a few weeks, but I think I'm gonna have my vacation here."
"Virginia?"
"You know I usually go to London, but I've asked Killian to head off the Institute for now-"
"Killian? Hates your guts Killian?"
"I think he might be warming up to me a little now. Anyways in the middle of a dinner party, so I should go. I'll talk to you later,"
"Alright, bye, Matteo."
"Bye Jessie." Matteo hung up and dove back down, he stopped when he was a few feet off the ground noticing a figure. It was Damon. Matteo silently landed on the boarding house roof. He smirked as Damon looked around for him, confused. "Looking for me, brother?"
"Why are you up there?" Damon jumped up and reached the roof.
"So that nosy people don't try to spy on me? You forget, Damon. I'm not easily spied on." Matteo jumped off the roof, gently willing the wind to carry him down before walking back in.
"So Matt," the sheriff started. "What brings you to town?"
"That's a no-go area, Liz. Trust me, I've tried." Damon said walking in.
"Actually, if I may have a moment of your time later, there is something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Um, sure." She replied.
"Thank you. Now, I do believe it's time for dessert." He said standing up.
"I'll help." Siobhan stood, following him into the kitchen.
"It was Jessie." He told her as she headed straight for the fridge, "on the phone."
"How was she?"
"Annoyed I called her Jessie."
"What do you expect? Only Olly gets away with calling her Jessie." She laughed. Matteo walked behind her, and snaked his arm around her waist, kissing her neck. She giggled. "What are you doing?"
"Appreciating my girlfriend." He said.
"Points for being cute, but you're going to make me drop this tiramisu!" She said. "So behave."
"I love you." He smiled at her.
"Babe, I love you too." She grinned back. "But people are waiting for dessert."
"Fine." He sighed, reluctantly stepping back. He brought out the dessert plates and some forks, and walked back to the dining room.
"Hey," Matteo sidled up to Elena. "Did your brother die recently or something?"
"Yeah, the night you guys were cured from the bite. How'd you know?" She asked him.
"I've seen it before, he has the same look on his face."
"Look? What look?" Elena asked.
"Coming back to life with nothing to balance the scales has severe consequences."
"What consequences?"
"It's different for everyone. He'll be fine, but you should be there for him. Let him know you're there for him. It's all you can do."
"Will you talk to him?"
"Me?" Matteo asked.
"Yeah, I mean, you seem to be a good guy, and despite all your secrets, Damon keeps singing your praises. And you just said, you've known someone who's gone through this. Maybe you could relate to him more. We've lost a lot, Jeremy could use more people in his corner."
"It'd be my pleasure." Matteo smiled. "I didn't think you much liked me."
"I don't like your secrets. In my experience, they've never worked out well."
"My secrets aren't mine to tell, Elena. I'm sorry, but I can't."
"Why did Emily like you so much?"
"I met her on several occasions. She'd help Katherine and I meet up,"
"And the other witches?"
"I don't know. I've run into a lot of witches in my life. I suppose I must have met their descendants or something. Witches are extremely protective of family. You help their family, you basically help them."