(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen

It's not good news to come out of the day in the end. Whilst Esther has been dealt with, it is not without casualty. Alaric. Whatever it was that has been going on with him, has turned against them, has been proven to be a very worst-case scenario. This whole week has been an absolute shit show. A disaster. Outside of an old tomb in the cemetery, Daphne stands with Damon on one side and Jeremy on her other. Damon holds her hand tightly, it hurts but she knows he needs it. He jokes and mocks and snarks about the people around him, but she knows how he feels about Alaric. How much this is going to hurt him. Jeremy sniffles but he is fighting his emotions, his fingers brushing against Daphne's as if he wants to hold her hand but at the same time wants to remain strong. Caroline, Tyler, Matt, Bonnie, and even Meredith have gathered too. A show of support and grief. The people that Alaric has touched and bonded with during his time in Mystic Fall. Those that are still alive, anyway. Daphne wonders what Jenna would think of all of this. If she and Alaric would have made it this far. It's tough to think about because it makes her think of others that haven't made it this far. Elena leaves the tomb, followed by Alaric, whose eyes soften as he takes in the people gathered here for him. He looks at each of them. Tears gathering in his eyes.

....

Once everyone else departs, all but Damon, Daphne moves towards where he sits against the wall of the tomb with the white oak stake and a bottle of whiskey. Damon lets out a breath before he looks up at her, he tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it just comes across as pained. He's in pain. And she has nothing that will help him. Cheating death is not something her magic is meant to be used for. Those spells are corrosive on a soul. Alaric has already had enough issues with his soul to be subject to more, and there is no guarantee that he would even survive those aspects.

"Do you want me to stay?" She asks him, he shakes his head.

"No" He whispers and gives her a soft look. "So much for our celebration" He counters, she shrugs a little and strokes his cheek.

"He's going out to protect the people he cares about" She reminds him. "Pretty noble" He scoffs and leans into her hand against his cheek.

"He's still going" He mumbles, upset that he is going to lose his friend today. He kisses the back of her hand before she leaves. She doesn't have the same connection to Alaric as the others have, but that doesn't mean she isn't saddened by this turn of events. The last few days have been days of loss. It's not easy to be a resident of Mystic Falls it seems. It does make Daphne wonder though, if she had never come back here where things would stand. If she had taken one of the job offers she got. Kreacher would likely still be alive, she knows that much. She rubs the heels of her hands into her eyes as she is hit with the loss of the days. She lets out a shaky breath and then lowers her hands. Jeremy and Elena are going to need comfort. Alaric was important to them. She can do something. She can comfort them in some way.

........

At the Gilbert house, Daphne is not greeted by the sight she thought she would be. She expected some weeping, definitely some tears, but that is not what she finds. Instead, she finds Elena and Jeremy in the old spare room, talking among themselves. Jeremy turns when he notices Daphne before he then moves towards her.

"Maybe you can talk her out of this" Jeremy whispers to Daphne who frowns at him.

"Out of what?" She asks him, he sighs and glances at Elena.

"She wants to redecorate the room" Jeremy answers. "Right now" Daphne turns a look on Elena.

"What?" She asks, moving closer to Elena as Jeremy throws up his hands and leaves Daphne to the talk-down, believing that Daphne will have better luck at this. "Elena..." She starts and then lets out a breath. "Alaric..."

"Don't" Elena stops her and shakes her head. "I don't want to stop and think about it" She explains, her voice breaking. "I need to do something else, something to keep my mind busy....something to just.....so I am not thinking about it" Daphne softens a little. Perhaps there is more in common between them than she thought. Daphne likes to have her mind occupied to escape her emotions and feelings when they get too much.

"Okay," Daphne whispers. "Let's do it the old-fashioned way....the muggle way" She offers, Elena looks at her surprised but nods, wanting to do this, and wanting to do this with her sister. Magic is not going to help here, she has to help the muggle way, to draw it out, to give Elena as much time as she needs to process it.