Chapter Six

As always, I own no rights to TVD. All that's mine is the OC of my creation and the plot line.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting or following.

To all the guests who reviewed. Thank you.

JamieAnnieCarter thank you for reviewing.

SweetieCherrie thanks for reviewing.

shadowednight1 thanks for reviewing.

MusicalLover17 thanks for reviewing.

thanks for reviewing.

madstar95 thanks for reviewing.

Myaxx thanks for reviewing.

ThePhantomismyLove thanks for reviewing.

Z0mbieMart thanks for reviewing.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your support. It makes me want to write more.

Some of you asked why Arianna isn't showing more signs of her illness. Well it's because right now she's basically running on adrenaline and anger. Have you ever been that angry with someone or angry at a situation, that it blinds you to all else? You just let your raw emotion take over you. That's how she feels at this point in time.

She has waited to see Damon Salvatore for a long time. She has been waiting to look at the man who killed her sister and for that reason, she is ignoring her illness. But it will catch up to her soon.

Arianna leaned into Matt as they walked into the ballroom.

"Are you okay?" he asked quickly, his voice laced with concern. "We can leave if you want?"

She stopped to look at her brother and lifted a finger to smooth out the frown line between his eyes, "Mattie I'm fine. The Donovan kids finally did good. We managed to get invited to a ball! We got dressed up and we both look elegant for once. Let's forget about me being sick." She grasped his hands between her much smaller hands. "Vicki would be damn proud to see us here and we are going to stay and make her proud."

Matt sighed but she could tell that she was wearing him down. He was the caretaker of the sisters. He had always tried to be the man of the house and now Arianna wanted him to find his happily ever after. She saw the looks that Rebekah had given her brother. There was such possibility between the two of them. Arianna wanted Matt to be loved because she wasn't going to be around for much longer. Matt didn't need to be alone.

"Fine, if you insist." Matt smiled and it was a flash of his regular endearing grin that lit up the room.

Arianna looked around the busy room for Rebekah and saw the Mikaelson sister staring at them. The ballroom was filled with the upper crust of Mystic Falls but Rebekah shone like an emerald under the bright lights. "Let's get going Matt. Rebekah is waiting for her date."

Matt flushed a brilliant red as his sister's words sunk in. "She doesn't like me like that," he muttered.

"Yes, she does," Arianna grinned. "You both get these silly totally into each other looks when you are together. So just go with it."

Matt took his sister's hand and tucked it back in his arm. "Tonight seems to be a night to put aside old fears then."

Arianna smiled at him as they walked but her mind was still a flurry of thoughts as she watched the Salvatores lead Elena Gilbert up a set of stairs to the second floor of the house. The three were obviously up to something.

"Hello Rebekah," Matt whispered huskily as he stared at the blonde. "You look beautiful."

Arianna was pulled out of her musings at the sound of pure happiness in her brother's voice. She looked at Rebekah who was blushing furiously. "Hello Bekah." It was instinctual, built from years of habit. Arianna leaned into Rebekah and hugged her.

The blonde was a little stiff but eventually she relaxed into the hug and returned it.

Arianna flinched a bit as she felt Rebekah hug her too tight. "You need more practice at hugging Bekah. You must not break a person's bones while hugging them." She felt the blonde girl immediately pull away.

Arianna saw Rebekah frown and she was troubled, she didn't want to hurt her new friend's feelings. "You just need to practice more. I think you must be rusty when it comes to giving hugs."

"Yes, I think I am," Rebekah replied with a smile.

"Well, then Matt and I will just have to keep hugging you until you get the hang of it," Arianna glanced at her brother who if it was at all possible, blushed even more. "I'll leave you two alone. I want to get something to drink." What she wanted to was to escape to the second floor and follow Damon Salvatore. It would be an opportunity to attack him when he least expected it. Arianna was planning on toying with him a little; she wanted him to fear her.

Even if she was a mere human girl facing a vampire, she had nothing to lose. She was dying anyway. She would let her anger and need for revenge lead her way. She didn't care if she died, as long as she took Damon Salvatore with her.

"Do you need to take…" Matt trailed off. He looked enquiringly at her.

"No Mattie, I did it before we left the house," Arianna replied. He was worried about her medication. The doctor had given them specific instructions about how often she needed to take her meds. The pills were more painkillers at this point. They weren't curing her. They just took the pain away a little. She couldn't tell her brother the truth though. That right now, her need to kill Damon was giving her something to live for. Even if it was for a little longer, she would hang in there until she avenged her sister. Vicki deserved that much.

"Okay then," Matt said.

Arianna left then. Her adrenaline fueled escape paused briefly when she saw Carol Lockwood. Her savior in a designer gown. The petite girl walked up to the older woman who was greeting guests. "Mrs. Lockwood?" she said softly.

Carol Lockwood turned around, her politician face on display. But it faded as she looked at her son's friend. "Nikki?" she asked as she took in the Donovan sister's appearance. "You look so pretty."

Arianna couldn't help the flush that blossomed across her cheeks, it was a true compliment if it came from such an elegant distinguished woman. "Thanks Mrs. Lockwood. But please call me by my middle name. I don't want to use Nikki anymore. It doesn't seem right without my sister around."

Carol sighed as she remembered the rumors that had done the rounds regarding Vicki and her son. "Okay, Arianna." Her eyes softened as she spoke. "How are you doing? Are you okay?"

"That's why I wanted to talk to you," Arianna replied. "I want to say thank you for everything."

Carol waved a hand, "It was no trouble." Money was not a problem for her.

Arianna knew how much the hospital had cost. "I appreciate it. Thank you for helping me."

"Is it true though?" Carol asked hesitant now, she wasn't good with emotions.

"I'm afraid so," the younger girl replied. Her lower lip trembled. She could only talk about her life expectancy for so long; it was threatening to break her strong resolve. "I don't have much time."

Carol put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm so sorry."

Arianna shook off her melancholy, "What can I do? It's the cards I was dealt with. I just plan to make the most of the time I have left."

"That's the spirit Arianna," the mayor smiled. "Come visit me soon please."

"I will, I promise," the younger girl agreed, "I have to catch up with Tyler." She nodded at Carol and left quickly, her heart racing as she crept up the stairs. She thanked her luck that she made a quick getaway. She needed to find the Salvatore brothers and Elena Gilbert.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a man walk up to the mayor. All she saw was the side of his chiseled jaw and a well cut suite. His thick dark hair fell over the collar of his suit perfectly. He felt, looked so familiar. But she shook it off.

Rebekah's point of view…

She heard every word that the Donovan siblings spoke. Her heart broke a little as she saw the love between them.

If only her siblings treated each other with such care.

What hurt the most though was that her fears were realized. Her friend was ill. Why did everything that Rebekah loved have to be taken from her? She had just found her oldest and dearest friend. Her mind swirled with solutions.

Could she come clean and tell Arianna the truth? That she was an original vampire. She could offer to turn the young witch in order to save her.

And then Arianna had hugged her. Rebekah had resisted the feelings at first. No one touched her like that. With such fondness and genuine kindness. The original felt so much that she had hugged Arianna back. It was much too hard and over Arianna's shoulder, Matt frowned so Rebekah had let go.

Humans were so very fragile. Rebekah wanted to ask Matt questions as Arianna left but then he looked at her with those magnetic blue eyes and her mind stopped working for a while.

Can you figure out who it was that Arianna almost recognized? : )

I'm changing events a little.

You will see why.

Please review. Thank you.