2016 August Collection

Request - Kai Parker, Stefan Salvatore and Valerie Tulle "The last dance"

When she entered the huge ballroom a smile spread across her face. This was what she had dreamed of while being stuck in that prison world. This was how she had imagined her life to be. It was also the life she had wanted to share with her daughter or son, even though they had never gotten the chance to be born.

"Quite impressive this whole thing." Stefan raised his eyebrows and he tightened his grip around her trembling arm. "A little old fashioned, but still." He smiled and Valerie smiled back at him.

It would take time before she and the other heretics would be adjusted to the modern times. She was surrounded by so many things she didn't understand yet and she was certain a lot more in the world had changed than she was aware of by now.

"Wasn't there this thing where old things were totally cool again these days?" Kai grabbed Valerie's other arm and he grinned that grin she had somehow started to like.

Valerie knew what everyone was saying about Kai. She was aware of what he had done to his family, but she was also aware of what he was and how his life must have been. She felt a little sorry for him somehow and if she could make him feel a little better by being his friend, she would do so.

"I'm certain that every girl in town would have killed someone to get an invitation to this ball." Stefan rolled his eyes, but from what Valerie had understood from this new world he was actually speaking the truth.

The world had changed, but the people in the world had clearly not. There were still wars and girls still dreamed of going to a huge ball in a pretty gown with a handsome man.

It was what she had dreamed of, years ago when she and Stefan had met and he had managed to make her smile. Secretly she was still dreaming of that shared future, even though she knew that a little family of their own was not within reach anymore. Maybe just the two of them would be enough. She hoped just the two of them would be enough.

"If those little serial killers need any help, you can always give them my phone number." Kai smirked and Valerie grinned too, but the grin quickly disappeared when she saw the silhouette of the man she had thought was dead.

"Julian..." Her heart started beating in her chest, her skin started sweating and her head started turning. She wanted to run away from this place as soon as possible, but it felt like she had totally forgotten how to run.

"You're with us, Valerie, nothing can happen to you." Stefan placed a hand on hers and he clearly tried to force her to walk, failing hopelessly.

"If that man comes anywhere within a ten meter radius I will fry his brain and heart." Kai smiled, but Valerie couldn't smile back and couldn't tell him that Julian didn't have a heart.

Every time she closed her eyes she could feel his feet and hands in her stomach. She would have been a mother by now and Stefan would have been a father. The child she had carried had not even gotten the chance to be born and sometimes she was haunted by an image of them telling her that she should have been more careful, that it had been her fault.

"Come, let us help you to get out of here." Stefan placed his hands on her shoulders, but Valerie shook her head.

She couldn't get out of here, she couldn't move, she couldn't breath, she couldn't be in the same room as that monster.

"O no, I know that look..." Kai looked up at the vampire behind Valerie. "She is going to pass out and you'll have to carry her out."

Valerie wanted to whisper that she would be okay, that she was fine, but then she saw nothing but blackness anymore. Her knees were no longer capable of carrying her and she felt a pair of strong arms lifting her up.

"It's okay. I've got you." Stefan pressed her to his chest and he started running, away from the man who had taken his child, away from the man who had turned Valerie's life into a real nightmare.