Scary Beginnings (TVD FANFIC) 1/2

10: Sacrifice Prep - PART I

A WEEK LATER

Elijah was quick to follow through on his end of the deal, sending a message through the channel that we were all praying Klaus responded to before the next full moon. Rose and Trevor didn't come by for a second chance, so I was only left assuming Elijah told them they were good and safe to live their lives. In the meantime, a family road trip was planned to New Orleans to track down a despicable enough werewolf to complete the ritual--my eyes rolling at the fact it was V's idea while she stayed back to catch us a vampire...

"How big do you think the car is?" Bailey complained once we'd finally reached our destination.

"Big enough to fit an average-sized body in the trunk," Care shrugged, climbing out of the cramped vehicle and stretching with a groan.

"No-matter the gender?" Bailey raised a brow.

"No-matter the gender(!)" Care snarked back.

"Can we not have this argument again, please?" James groaned, already regretting joining the trip rather than staying behind to practice with Bonnie. "Can we just find somebody before I blow my last remaining brain cells..."

"I still don't know why I had to come..." Bailey huffed.

"Because werewolves aren't welcome here, remember? V would be a pariah if she set foot on this cobble, but you are a regular human. No-one will notice, except the wolves..."

"If you say so...Where do we even start in this place?"

"Didn't Vanessa write you guys down a list of possible werewolves while she went on her vampire hunt..." Caroline's tone dipped, a fake smile presented as a small huddle of possible tourists past.

"Have you seen the list?" My chuckle was dark, completely void of humor.

"No, but..." the chuckles only continued--"What? What is it?"

"This is the list," James handed her a neatly folded square from his back pocket. Care's eyes bulged as she unraveled the A3 piece of paper, "Yeah...V doesn't like many people. And she's also going through this weird phase of believing only a select few lives hold any value--"

"Select few?" Caroline squeaked.

"Don't worry, you're one of them..." I offered her arm a pat--"I think..." I knew she caught my mutter, her eyes widening a fraction further, but she didn't comment on it. "So, where do we start?"

"Well, seeing as the only accessible wolves in town are cursed. I say we split up to resolve the issue--" James declared.

"Split up?" Bailey panicked.

"Yup. I'll go track Sabine, Scar can get Celeste's bones considering she's the most clued in on New Orleans, and you--my dear twin--can convince Eve, or any untriggered wolf in the bayou to work with us."

"Why me?" She complained.

"Because you're the only thing here they won't hate--they may not completely trust you, but they definitely won't hate you..."

"What about me?" Care raised a meek hand, the first Lynch I'd ever met seeming to have forgotten her presence.

"Oh," he frowned. "I guess go with Bailey, make sure she's safe--but stay out of the way, just in case the wolves get scared off."

"Okay," she forced up a chirpy smile, trying to push away the awkwardness of the moment. I gave her a sympathetic smile in return.

"Great," James' hands clapped, "Off we go, then."