ALMOST IS NEVER ENOUGH | TVD [4]

XXI • REQUIEM FOR A DREAM

twenty-one. requiem for a dream

Salvatore Boarding House

Minerva gasps, in surprise, as she wakes up from falling asleep on the vintage three-seated couch in the spacious parlor room; she looks around at her close surroundings and sees Bonnie, Isaac, Enzo, Caroline and Alaric on the other side from her spot on the couch and her cousin sighs in relief.

"Minerva? Are you okay?"

"Nice and slow, love." Lorenzo advised her, smiling warmly.

Caroline checks on her best friend, comforting her, "Hey, how you feeling?"

Minerva avoids eye contact with them, "I don't know. Just feel, different."

"Different?" Bonnie repeated, frowning, truly puzzled and doubtful.

"Well, considering you were on death's door, that's probably a good thing." Isaac told her for intentional solace, smiling warmly at his cousin.

"Okay, I feel thirsty and I'm starving." The young banshee uttered.

"I'm on it." Alaric said as he starts to walk away to the kitchen.

"I'll get you a glass of water." Caroline goes the same way her loyal fiancé went to get what her rescued best friend wants in the kitchen.

"Okay." Minerva simply replied as she watches them both go.

"Hey." Bonnie mentioned gently, remaining concerned by her health.

"I actually think I want a bourbon. Neat." Her best friend requested.

Isaac scoffs in disbelief, "Nice. Not that I'm forbidding, but are you sure?"

His younger cousin looks up at him from her seat, "Did I freakin' stutter?"

Enzo chuckles, "There's the banshee I know." He walks over to the mini bar, pours the bourbon into a crystal glass and hands her a glass of bourbon.

"Okay, just go easy on that one." Isaac advised her gently.

"Right, okay. What should we drink to then?" Bonnie asked her curiously.

Minerva smiles, "New beginnings, of course." She raises her glass of drink, smashes the glass on her best friend's head; leaving her unconscious on the same couch, stunning Enzo and Isaac before they can react to her violence, that she breaks both of their necks and kicks the older vampire's body into the lit fireplace and looks shifty as Enzo's body is burning in the fire.

Caroline walks into the parlor room and sees Enzo's body burning in the fire and Bonnie and Isaac's unconscious state on the carpet floor, "Oh my God. No!" Minerva sneaks behind her friend and decapitates her with a metal bar.

Damon opens the front door, looking as he gets in, "What's happening?"

"Nothing's happening, mate. That's the problem. Minerva won't wake up." Enzo told him as he is standing perfectly well and not burned by the fire.

It is revealed that Minerva has actually not woken up as Caroline, Isaac, Alaric, Bonnie and Enzo are gathering around her unconscious form on the vintage long couch. Almost impatiently, Isaac starts pondering in front of the lit fireplace, concerned for his one and only cousin, while Damon walks over to the mini bar, pouring himself a glass full of strong bourbon.

"Rayna screwed us. She failed to mention that by giving Minerva her life, she was actually giving Minerva her lifestyle. So now when Minerva wakes up, she's going to be Rayna 2.0. And does that gift begin with a very long nap? I didn't get a chance to ask as she burst into flames. And before you ask, no, I did not get a chance to interrogate her little shaman friend, because he vanished at the same time. Just great." Damon drinks the strong liquor.