anne

11 | Atlanta Assassination Squad

TVD - S5 E17 - First Act

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After a very long drive to Atlanta, where they switched to Anne driving—a little too fast, they pulled up to a 'Thumbs Up Diner' where they got into a booth and looked at the menu. Five minutes passed, an irritating phone call to Sloane transpired, and then a sweet elderly waitress came over and asked them if they had any orders yet.

"Yes, thank you. We'll all have a coffee, and I will have a... Cream cheese special. Caroline?" 

The blonde turned her attention from her phone to Anne. "Huh?"

"What do you want? It's on me."

"Oh, um..." She shifted in her seat and her forehead creased in thought. "No, it's okay, I'll just have the drink, thank you."

"Alrighty, Enzo?"

"Hmm..." He inhaled deeply, scanning the menu until he found something to point at decidedly. "I will have the steak and eggs, thanks love."

The waitress scribbled in her notebook, "And would you like toast or a biscuit with that, sir?"

"Neither, thanks, I'm watching my carbs. Gotta stay fit for the ladies," he winked to Caroline, who rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

The old woman faced Anne, "And what bagel would you like with your order, honey?"

"Surprise me."

"Perfect," she smiled. "It'll be out soon, I'll get your drinks now." 

They all said 'thanks' and the woman walked away. A couple of minutes later she returned with their drinks and departed again. The trio sipped on their cocktails and Enzo stirred up conversation about killing Stefan's Doppelgänger, Tom Avery. Caroline's fuse was running short with Enzo, so Anne tried to wrap up the conversation.

"Try not to think about who he is, think about what he is."

Caroline slapped the menu down on the table and sat upright. "Don't you think I know that? Trust me, I've got this," She convinced herself, her body recoiling into her seat. "I can do this, it's for Stefan, so I will do whatever needs to be done."

Enzo wasn't persuaded, so he pushed. "You may think you're ready, but trust me, you're not. At least not in cold blood. You have to be prepared to kill on instinct and without second thoughts. Second thoughts lead to third thoughts, which lead to fourth, fifth, and sixth thoughts. And before you know it, you've given them your security number and all your finest pairs of lace underwear out of pity."

Caroline was irritated that no one had faith in her ability to do what Vampires do best, but even she knew that deep down it went against her personal nature. She stared out of the window in defiance, feeling at war with herself.

"Look, it's hard," Anne tried, "But the alternative is Stefan dying, which you clearly couldn't live with—"

"Oh, yeah?" the Blonde began to bite, "And what would you know about killing for life? Because that's what I'm doing. I'm—" She stopped herself, sinking into herself again. "I'm taking a life, to save one. As if I have the right. What would you know about that?"

"More than you know."

Caroline's eyes flicked over to Anne, as if to try and study her response deeper, but the waitress came with their drinks, so she let that line of dialogue dissipate. 

::: ::: :::

All the way back in Mystic Falls, a sex-hungover Damon sat at a bar with Tyler and Matt, drinking his breakfast.