Tom’s eyes widened at his daughter’s words, and he let out a small gasp of surprise. “She is? Wow!!” A smile pulled at his lips as she snuggled closer to him, but part of him knew that the tears and fear she felt not long ago would more than likely make another appearance before the night was over. His heart broke for his little girl. He was supposed to protect her, but here they were in the hospital. “You think? We’ll head home to snuggled into bed in a bit, but first -” he said, the curtain gliding in & out of the way as the doctor entered. “We have to hear what this nice doctor has to say about your arm, okay?”
🎁~~for my muse to try & guess what yours got them for christmas .
Stefan caught the box as Silas slid it across the table. He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at the elder doppelganger. “You got me a gift? Why?” He was still bitter that the other locked him in a safe, letting him drown countless times before he managed to get out. “Is it bourbon?” He asked, dumbfounded, unable to think of what Silas could have possibly gotten him for Christmas.
Tom stuffed his car keys in his pocket, freeing up another hand as he rummaged around. “Are you hiding your food? You need to eat something, and I can’t find any food in here,” he asked, glancing back at the woman. He cocked his head to the side at her question, sitting back on his feet once more. “Well, there’s Dopplegängers, for one. That’s the least weird thing,” he shrugged, failing to mention that he, in fact, was one. “Then there’s vampires and witches. It’s pretty weird, honestly,” he again failed to mention that he was once kidnapped by a witch to hide his existence from other witches. He wasn’t really afraid of it all. Sure, it freaked him out, but he wasn’t scared of what happened to him.
Cara laid back down, idly scratching at her eyebrow, “Yeah, there won’t be any food in there. Food tends to take a backseat to work most of the time. And when I do get a chance to eat, it’s whatever’s in a motel vending machine or at the local diner.” As he began to explain what he’d witnessed, she echoed, “…Dopplegangers. I don’t follow.” Then he continued on to mention vampires and witches and that was more her speed. “So you know what’s out there, you’ve been pulled into the supernatural world before. How did it happen? Did it have something to do with a patient?” It seemed too… complicated to be something he just ran across during a call, though. Maybe he got pulled in through a family member or a friend, or maybe he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She could relate.
A grimace pulled at Tom’s mouth. Yikes. “Oh, okay. I have some food in the car, I can grab it in a bit,” He said, scooting closer to the woman. “Not my patient. I guess I was the patient?” The inflection in his voice made the statement sound more like a question, and he really did question the statement. “I was kidnapped and put into a magically induced coma by a witch to hide me from some other witches called Travelers because I am a dopplegänger. A shadow-self. A near perfect copy of another from thousands of years ago,” Tom explained, staring off behind the woman as he spoke. “Geez, you probably think I’m crazy,” he muttered, readjusting so he was sitting normally on the dusty warehouse floor.
Allie remained silent, her lips pursed as they walked. As they made their way toward their destination, she thought about everything he’d mentioned. He was right, but there was no way she’d ever admit that, especially not to a stranger, even if he did save her life. She walked with her arms crossed, the blanket pulled tight over her shoulders.
As they entered the motel room, Allie quickly claimed a bed after flicking on the light. It had been days since she slept on a cot in a shelter, even longer since an actual bed. She sat on the edge, watching the mysterious man in the dim lighting. “You know, I do worry about not having the supplies, about getting an infection, about money. I worry about it all.” Allie’s voice was very matter-of-fact, and her eyes didn’t meet his, but practically bore a hole in the wall. “But that burn? That burn was going to grant me undeniable access to shelters, at least until it was healed. That would have given me a chance to shower on a regular basis, maybe even find a job and get the ball rolling. So yes, it would have been the cause of so much worry. But it also had the chance to open so many doors.”
Once they were in the room, he walked straight back to the bathroom, retrieving a towel and then sitting down on a chair. He pulled his pant leg up, pressing the towel to the bloodied, burned skin as he listened to the woman speak. His reply was a simple, “I know.” Because he did know. He had grown up living hand to mouth, struggling to make ends meet for both him and his father, always trying to prepare for the inevitably illness, or injury, or extra expense that could put them under.
Which was why, as the woman explained that the wound that he took was her long-term ticket into a shelter, he put the towel down and grabbed the room’s small pad of paper and pen. He wrote down a name and address, ripping off the sheet and then passing it to her. “There’s a church on 5th.” One that regularly hid mutants, and was run by a pastor who was as good a man as he’d ever met. “You can get the same help there, and you don’t need the burn to get it. I just need to make a call.”
Allie was taken aback when the man said he knew. “What do you mean ‘you know’? How could you possibly know?” She asked as her fingers found the smooth skin that had been previously covered in a burn. How did he take her burn? So many questions flew through her mind and his words pulled her from her thoughts. She took the paper and held it between two fingers.
She stared at the man’s handwriting, and part of her wanted to ignore the man but she knew he was trying to help. She hated when people tried to help her. She was a grown woman, and she could take care of herself. “Why-” Allie started, wanting to ask why he was helping her, but stopped herself, accepting the help. “Thank you. For helping. I know you could have ignored me, but you didn’t. So…thanks.”
“There’s always going to be others, and I know that. It’s not going to stop me from helping people,” Tom said matter-of-factly. “I’m never really safe, anyway,” he added, remembering his first encounter with the supernatural and the existence of witches and dopplegängers, not to mention that he was a supernatural being himself. “You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve learned about in the last few years. Things I thought were only in scary stories I was told as a kid,” he rummaged through the duffel as he spoke, looking for a granola bar or some sort of food.
“You’re a good man,” Cara softly said, “But people like Lilah… They need you out there doing your job, fighting to keep them alive, so you shouldn’t take any unnecessary risks.” Especially not on her behalf. He then added that he was never really safe, and her brow furrowed in confusion, “What do you mean?” Surely being a paramedic wasn’t that dangerous – tonight’s events excluded. Her confusion only grew as he continued to speak, and she murmured, “You would be surprised by what I believe. …What is it? What did you see?”
Tom stuffed his car keys in his pocket, freeing up another hand as he rummaged around. “Are you hiding your food? You need to eat something, and I can’t find any food in here,” he asked, glancing back at the woman. He cocked his head to the side at her question, sitting back on his feet once more. “Well, there’s Dopplegängers, for one. That’s the least weird thing,” he shrugged, failing to mention that he, in fact, was one. “Then there’s vampires and witches. It’s pretty weird, honestly,” he again failed to mention that he was once kidnapped by a witch to hide his existence from other witches. He wasn’t really afraid of it all. Sure, it freaked him out, but he wasn’t scared of what happened to him.
While Tom was thankful to have his keys back, he wasn’t ready to leave her just yet. “I can’t do that. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone, especially not after you just lost consciousness. I’m staying at least until you eat something and increase your intake of fluids.” He sat back on his heels once more, his hands folded around the keys in his lap. “You can’t convince me otherwise. Now let’s get some water in you,” he smiled, despite the grimness of the overall situation. Tom reached into the duffel and pulled out a few bottles of water, cracking the first open and handing it to her.
Cara had no intention of telling the man the truth about what had happened to Lilah and subsequently to her; she did everything she could to avoid dragging innocent human beings into the supernatural world. She did, however, have to figure out the best way to scare him off for his own safety. So she said, “The man who did this to Lilah, who turned my own weapon around on me… I stopped him, but there are others. There will always be others. You’re not safe with me.” Then he was passing a bottle of water off to her, and she half sat up, using the arm on her good side to support her as she took a drink of water.
“There’s always going to be others, and I know that. It’s not going to stop me from helping people,” Tom said matter-of-factly. “I’m never really safe, anyway,” he added, remembering his first encounter with the supernatural and the existence of witches and dopplegängers, not to mention that he was a supernatural being himself. “You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve learned about in the last few years. Things I thought were only in scary stories I was told as a kid,” he rummaged through the duffel as he spoke, looking for a granola bar or some sort of food.
This man – his demeanor, his accent, his forwardness. Everything about him intrigued Stefan. “ If we’re being choosy, I’m more of a AB+ guy. Though, I much prefer my food and spirits separate, ” he replied, sliding fluidly into the booth, interested as to what the rest of the night might bring.
Klaus slid into the booth across from his new comrade. His arms outstretched over the backs of the cushioned seats, making him look at home as though he were sitting on a throne. ❝ Fair enough. It’s something I’ve been dabbling with recently and though I’ve yet to really find a winner, I think there’s potential. ❞
With one hand, he gestured for one of the usual girls that hung out at the club. She was draped in beads and pearls with a fun-loving smile on her face. ❝ Join us, ❞ he instructed as she sat down next to him, her eyes drinking in Stefan. She hadn’t even needed to be compelled to do so. ❝ Stefan, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine. Amelia. ❞ His eyes swept over her as he continued to talk, a predatory look in them. ❝ She’s an AB+. ❞
Stefan’s watchful eye followed Klaus’ movements, his brow raised as the other invited Amelia over. His eyes glanced over her face and traveled down her body & back up, zeroing in on her neck. “ Amelia, ” he drawled. “ Welcome. ” Stefan’s eyes flicked back to Klaus as he mentioned his favorite.“ She’s marvelous, truly. May I? ” He asked, keeping his eyes on Klaus but tilting his head to the woman in question.
Cisco backup 