Vampire Diaries Blood Brothers

~Chapter Fifty Three~

I hugged a thick, gray, fluffy blanket that Damon had found me around my shivering shoulders, my fingers shaking as he set a steaming cup of coffee on the coffee table in front of us. "You're freezing," he observed, perching on the edge of the sofa beside me.
   "I'm... Fine..." My teeth chattered as I leaned forward into the warmth of the fire, goosebumps creeping up my wet arm as it slipped from the blanket. I'd wanted to keep my jacket on, but Damon, who was an expert in leather, told me it was the one clothing material that took forever to dry and that it would only keep me cold. I didn't think it would make much of a difference. The rest of me was as cold as ice anyway.
   "You should've let me take you home," he murmured, rubbing his forehead. "Stefan'll kill me if you catch a cold before your Miss Mystic Falls Pageant."
   "No," I refused, taking the coffee. "I'm not leaving until we figure out how to get Stefan."
   "Something tells me you'll still be here, even after that," he muttered under his breath.
   I ignored him, hugging the blanket tighter around my torso. He was probably right. After this, I couldn't even imagine leaving Stefan ever again. Tears pricked my eyes as I pictured the state of him. He was probably being tortured or something awful. If he's even still alive. "Oh my gosh."
   "What?"
   "Oh my gosh, that's it, Damon." I turned to face him, my cold fingers clutching the sleeve of his back up leather jacket. "Alaric," I urged, hope returning to my voice. "Alaric is the answer."
   "Huh?"
   "Alaric, Mr. Saltzman-"
   "Yeah, yeah, I know who he is. What about him?"
   "When Anna kidnapped Bonnie and me, Stefan didn't save us by himself. He had help, from Mr. Saltzman. He's got this," I breathed, my mouth not quite getting the words out fast enough. "He has this ring, and, when he's wearing it, if he dies from something supernatural, like a vampire, it brings him back to life."
   Damon sat up. "And he's human."
   "Damon," I beamed, a tear sliding down my cheek. "He can get Stefan out."

Damon called Alaric and drove us to the school, wasting no time in getting dry or warm. We were about to get wet again anyway, and besides, Stefan's life was on the line. Time was of the essence and we needed to concoct a plan to get him out. Fast. The back door to the History class was unlocked, just as Mr. Saltzman had said it would be. We headed inside, anxious to get back out there and save Stefan.
   "Well don't you look alive," Damon remarked snarkily, pushing the doors open at his entrance. I rolled my eyes. He'd refrained from being a jerk this whole time, why couldn't he just be that concerned and genuine brother I saw back in the woods?
   "You called me," Alaric reminded him. "And you brought her, so I take it you're not here to kill me again."
   Damon shrugged. "You know, I was thinking that exact same thing, but then again, I do love surprises."
   "Damon," I hissed, scowling before turning to Alaric. "We need your help. I don't know how much Damon told you over the phone, but the vampires from the tomb escaped."
   "Escaped?" He repeated, his eyes wide with shock. "How is that even possible?"
   I shrugged. "How is it even possible that I can't be compelled? Or that vervain burns my skin?"
   He tilted his head. "Fair point. But why do you need me? And where's Stefan?" He added, glancing between Damon and I. "Eva," he faltered. "You're not... You're not hanging out with him now, are you?"
   "I'm standing right here," Damon cut in.
   Alaric ignored him, turning his attention back to me. "Why are you here?"
   I took a deep breath, straightening my posture. "I'm here because Stefan's in trouble. The vampires have him and we can't get him out. Well, Damon can't get him out because the woman who owns the house has been compelled not to let him in," I clarified. "I, on the other hand-"
   "Can't get him out because she's a dumb human," Damon interrupted, smiling like the heartless freak he was. "Now, back to the task at hand," he rolled his head around dramatically.
   "You want me to get you inside?" Alaric assumed.
   "Bingo."
   Alaric leaned back in his chair, contemplating our proposal. I was still angry at Damon for calling me a dumb human, but there was no time to dwell on that now. We had to get Stefan out of there. "No."
   "What?" I shrieked.
   "No," Alaric shrugged. "There was a perfectly good seal on that tomb before you tried to get Katherine back," he pointed to Damon. "As far as I'm concerned, this is your fault and it's not my problem."
   "But Alaric," I pleaded, my words getting caught in my throat. "This is Stefan we're talking about."
   "It's like I said Eva, he's still a vampire. Vampires are bad, no matter how nice they may seem to be."
   My bottom lip trembled as tears threatened to spill. How could he refuse? Stefan wasn't like other vampires, he just wasn't, and I'd bet he never even wanted to be a vampire in the first place. I slammed my fist on the table, a mug that had been balancing on the edge crashing on the floor. Both Damon and Alaric stared at me, surprised by my sudden outburst. "No!" I yelled, not caring whether these two men saw the tears of a dumb human. "I don't care what you say, Stefan is not like that. He is kind and loving and compassionate and if you were in trouble, he wouldn't hesitate to help, even if it meant putting himself in harm's way. He cares more about other people than he does himself and we're not leaving until you agree to help us."
   Alaric blinked, surprised, but unbudging. He shrugged. "Then I guess you'll be bright and early for class tomorrow. The answer's still no."
   "Fine," I smiled, smoothing my hair back. "If you won't help, then I guess I'll just have to go and free Stefan," I announced.
   "Eva," he leaned forward. "You'll be slaughtered."
   I shrugged. "Oh well. At least this time I won't have to be the one to tell Jenna how she lost her niece, or Jeremy how he lost his sister."
   I turned to leave but Alaric reached forward, grasping my hand. "OK," he conceded, sighing as he gritted his teeth. "I'll help. But you have to promise not to go anywhere near that house."
   I folded my arms across my chest, a smug feeling growing inside as I caught sight of Damon's smirk in my peripheral vision. "Fine, I promise. Now let's save Stefan."