BORN TO DIE, stefan salvatore [1]

29 - BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

BORN TO DIE
BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

ALL MADELEINE COULD THINK ABOUT WAS STEFAN. She tried not to blame herself but she couldn't help but think of him trapped in that tomb with Katherine all because her and Bonnie weren't strong enough. Madeleine knew she had her doubts about her own magic but she had never doubted Bonnie's. Not being able to break the tomb spell was a wake up call. Madeleine spent the whole night studying her grimoire. She didn't even remember falling asleep. She woke up the next morning, not changed out of her clothes or even a duvet covering her with her grimoire sprawled open on the bed. She wanted to fix this. She needed to. With the looming threat of her curse on her mind, she needed to know that she could fix these things. That she could be good and be powerful. Right now she was only one of those things.

Madeleine woke up by the sound of the front door closing. She stirred and groaned as she stretched. She looked at the clock that read 7am. As a self-employed researcher, Madeleine's father never spent much time out of the house. He spent most days in his room, researching mystical items and supernatural customs. Despite being in the same house, Madeleine rarely spent time with her father. As of late, he had began to branch out of his comfort zone as he met with Alaric to discuss their mutual interest in the occult. Under Madeleine's suggestion, Daniel had actually become friends with Alaric. 

Madeleine changed her clothes from the ones she wore last night and refreshed herself by washing her face and reapplying her makeup. She went downstairs to find her father in the kitchen in jogging gear she didn't even know he owned, guzzling a bottle of water.

"Take up some new hobbies?" Madeleine asked.

"Ric and I have started running together." Daniel said through gasps.

"Since when do you run? For fun?" Madeleine asked her father, the archaeology nerd who never left his study.

"Since Ric started teaching me self-defence."

Madeleine's eyebrows raised. "Since when do you do self defence?"

"Since I asked him to teach me."

"Dad, you don't have to do this for me."

Daniel shook his head with determination. "I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for me. It's not up to you to protect me. I may be human but I can still defend myself and you. Ric is teaching me hand to hand combat and how to use his weapons. It's something I should've done a long time ago."

"I don't want you more involved than you already are." Madeleine knew she was beginning to sound like a broken record but it was true.

"It's not your decision, Mads. You are involved therefore I am involved. You've been kidnapped twice and I haven't been able to do a damn thing about it. I will learn to defend us." Daniel had both his hands on each of her shoulders. He looked her in the eyes. He wasn't wavering.