Chapter Text
The clicking and clacking of your keyboard stabbed at your skull as you stared at your computer screen. The words that you had been typing for the past hour didn’t even make sense anymore, what with how boring the day at the office had been and how many times you had written and rewritten the same four sentences, just trying to make them sound right but failing every time.
The office had steadily cleared out around you, leaving just a few editors doing crunch time before the paper came out the next day and a couple other journalists lower on the ladder like you. You let out a hefty sigh as you ran your fingers through your hair, your elbows resting on your desk as you closed your eyes.
“Why are you still here?”
You cracked open your eyes and glanced over to see your friend Leah, a fellow journalist and the only woman that kept you sane at your job. Her purse and computer bag were adorned over her shoulder, as well as the judgmental look meant for you.
“Working,” you said, very unhelpfully. “Why are you still here?”
“I was just leaving,” she refuted, and she sat down in the chair at the desk next to you. “Besides, I was finishing a call with an important source. You’re the one busting your ass with busy work for a company that refuses to give you a promotion.”
“Leah…” you sighed and shook your head. “Let’s not do this again tonight. What brings you to my coveted corner?”
“Besides my never ending quest of seeking your company, I have something exciting to show you.” She took out her phone and continued to talk while she opened it up. “Well, exciting’s not the right word, but it is interesting. I was scrolling through random articles for fun while I waited for my call to start, and I found—” Leah holds the screen out for you to see, and you squint a little at the bright light, “—this.”
“12th wild animal attack in one month stirs up safety concerns,” you read from the screen, and then you frowned. “That’s weird, but why are you showing me this?”
“Read where it’s from.”
“Mystic Falls Daily…” You trailed off and glanced at Leah. “Are you showing me this because it’s where I’m from?”
“Obviously,” she said, “but keep reading!”
You took Leah’s phone and scrolled down further, eyes skimming through the blocks of text. “They say it’s probably a mountain lion? There aren’t supposed to be any mountain lions left in Virginia. This is sketchy.”
“Right?” Leah took her phone back and gave you a knowing look. “Now, I’m not saying that you should book a flight home and crack this thing wide open to finally get the attention you deserve from Blackwood, but—“
“Leah,” you interrupted, “you can’t encourage me like this. Because you know I will buy a ticket.”
“Why shouldn’t you?” she questioned, throwing her hands up. “You’re under-appreciated here, babe, and it feels like I care about it more than you do. Buy that ticket, get your ass on a plane home, and show everyone here that you’re worth more than any of them!”
You couldn’t hold back your laugh at her dramatics, and you decided to humor her. “Okay — say I do go home. What could this be if it’s not a wild mountain lion, or cougar, or puma, or any other kind of normal answer?”
Leah shrugged. “Crazy shit goes on everywhere. Who’s to say there are no secret serial killers in Mystic Falls? Or drug trafficking rings, or crime lords, or some other insane thing — it could be anything, and it’s resulting in people dying. This has to be a case.”
“Mystic Falls is the sleepiest town I have ever been in,” you refuted. “I can guarantee there are no serial killers lurking around.”
“What do you have to lose?” Leah insisted. “Let’s go through the possibilities — You do nothing, you stay here, and things are the same. You go there and it turns out it is just animal attacks, you end up seeing your family for a little, and then you come back and things are the same. Or, you go there, and you discover some huge case that you get to say you cracked all on your own, and you can write a book on whatever you discover, and you can actually start getting good cases again.”
“I feel like you’re a lot more excited about this than I am,” you joked, and Leah just rolled her eyes.
“But don’t you want to do it? Take all your vacation days at once, and put your degree to use.” She placed her hand on your desk and looked you right in the eye. “It could just be nothing, but it could also be the start of your career.”
You sighed. “Give me time to think about it, Leah. I don’t think I’ve ever made a good decision when I’m sleep deprived and burned out.”
She gave you a smile but stood up anyway. “Okay. But for the record—”
“You think I should do it?” you interrupted playfully, and she laughs.
“Obviously.” Leah patted you on the shoulder as she started walking towards the elevator, and once she hit the button she turned to face you again. “Have a good night. If you decide to make the right choice, text me.”
You rolled your eyes jokingly but waved as she walked into the elevator anyway, and she returned it with one of her own. Once Leah was gone you allowed yourself to heave another sigh and settle into your chair, staring at the ceiling as you tried to think it all through.
You did work for a company that didn’t appreciate you. You did have a lot of vacation days saved up. You did have a newfound need to find out what was going on in your hometown.
“Goddamn it, Leah,” you muttered.
Before you knew it, you were searching Google for cheap flights to Richmond.
-
i just bought a one way ticket to richmond lmao
loml leah: YES
loml leah: when do you leave
tomorrow😭
i’m gonna be sitting in the airport emailing mikayla begging her not to fire me as i use all my vacation days at once on an indefinite leave
am i a bad person if i lie and say i’m going home for a grandparent’s funeral or something
loml leah: do what you gotta do honestly
loml leah: but i’m so proud of you for actually doing this
loml leah: lmk if you actually uncover some huge conspiracy
i doubt i will
but if i do you’ll be the first to know
loml leah: 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
-
You were up early the next day to catch a morning flight to Richmond International — when your alarm went off at 4:30 AM though, you began to regret your late night decision to follow a lead that was most likely insignificant.
But regardless, you packed up a suitcase (as big as you could get it under 50 pounds), a backpack with everything you would need for work, and your laptop bag. You caught a taxi to LaGuardia and spent the ride texting your mother and sister, letting them know that you were coming home for a while. You deliberately left it open ended, hoping that it was enough to get them ready for your arrival but unclear enough so your mom didn’t lecture you on how stupid it was to do what you were doing.
Thankfully, by the time you landed in Richmond at 10, you had a text from your mom saying that she would pick you up. You were grateful for it, but her tacked-on ‘we’ll talk in the car’ had you a little nervous.
You walked out of the airport dragging your suitcase behind you and more than a little disoriented by your sleep deprivation, but thankfully you spotted your mom’s car sitting in a line of taxis and Ubers. You hurried over to her Volvo and, after putting all your belongings in the trunk, all but collapsed into the front seat.
“Someone’s tired,” she chuckled, glancing at you as she pulled out of the line and got back onto the road. “How was the flight?”
“It wasn’t that bad,” you said, taking a second to adjust your seat back to your preferences (all it takes is a couple of years away for your sister to deem this seat her own, you supposed). “It was just… very last minute, so red eyes were the only ones left.”
Your mom hummed, and years of experience told you this was where the trouble started. “Right. So, what is the reason for this sudden visit home, with our only notice being a text at 5 AM?”
“Am I not allowed to come home to see my joyous family for no reason?” You grimaced as soon as you said it — it didn’t even sound believable to you.
She raised her eyebrows. “This is the same daughter that skipped Thanksgiving and Christmas last year because she was too busy ‘uncovering a scandal’. Who was it, the mayor? Did you ever solve that?”
You laughed nervously and scratched the back of your neck. “Um, yeah. He was embezzling money from charity funds for his own paycheck. It was a pretty huge break.”
“Great,” she said, and the sarcasm wasn’t lost on you. “I’m sure telling that to Markus and Jade would’ve made them understand when they cried about how their favorite older cousin wasn’t there.”
You could picture their puppy dog eyes perfectly — that was low.
“Mom, that’s not fair.”
“Oh, it’s not? I don’t think that you missing three family reunions in a row is very fair either, but that didn’t stop you.” At this point, you almost wished you just rented a car to drive home yourself. “I can maybe understand missing one for work, but for your internship? And three years in a row?”
You took a deep breath before you opened your mouth, trying to keep your cool. “Mom, I told you when I got the full position that my hours would be—”
“They would be unpredictable,” she finished. “And I know that. But that doesn’t mean you can just skip out on your family in the name of your latest case.”
“Well, I’m here now.” There was a slight edge to your voice that you couldn’t help, and you looked out the window to avoid eye contact. You were thankful she hadn’t pushed further on the reason for you being here — you didn’t want to tell her it was also technically for work. “How’s Bee?”
“Bianca’s doing good.” At the mention of your sister, a small smile alleviated the tension on your mom’s face. “She got straight A’s for the first quarter, and her counselor says she’s in good shape to go for some top 20s. She’s already submitted her NYU application; said she wants to get in so she can brag to you.”
You smiled. “Kid’s a whole lot smarter than me — if she doesn’t get in everywhere she applies, I’ll be surprised.”
And then it was back. “Her graduation date’s been set too. May 23rd. Make sure—”
“I’ll be there,” you clipped, almost offended that she thought you would miss out on something so important. You bit your tongue on saying so. “Of course I’ll be there.”
“Good.” She didn’t look at you as you sat at a stop light, both of you staring out the windshield. “You just need to ‘be there’ more often.”
The rest of the ride home was done in silence.
-
“Bee, I’m home!” you yelled the moment you walked in the front door, juggling your three luggage items as your mom walked in behind you.
You heard your sister laugh and you looked over at the kitchen table to find her sitting there with a bowl of cereal. “Calm down. I’m right here.”
You rolled your eyes with a smile as you set your things on the floor. Bianca was already up and walking towards you, and you enveloped her in a hug — it was something you had sorely missed doing. “How’ve you been?”
“Busy, but when am I not?” She looked at you pointedly when she pulled away. “What made you come back home all of a sudden?”
You could feel your mom’s eyes on you, and you just shrugged. “I just felt like coming home. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
Your mom sighed and she walked over to the staircase. “I’ll give you two time to talk — I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”
You nodded and looked back to Bee, trying not to focus on the attitude your mom was intent on staying in. “So, how’s school? Still crushing everyone?”
Bianca laughed, and though she tried to hide it you could see her cheeks flush. “I’d say I’m doing good, but not that good. I don’t think I’ve ever been ‘crushing everyone’.”
“Come on,” you deadpanned. “Humble doesn’t get you anywhere — you’ve got to own it.”
She smiled. “Noted.”
You winked at her as you walked over to the pantry, but you groaned when you started to look through it. “Where’s the coffee?” you asked. “Are we really all out?”
“Mom stopped buying it after you went to college,” Bianca said, much to your disappointment. She held up the mug next to her cereal bowl. “We’re a strictly tea house now, apparently. Wanna try some?”
You took her cup and a small sip left you shrugging. “It’s alright. What kind is it?”
“Lemon verbena,” she said. “Mom said it’s good for stress relief — god knows I need it.”
You chuckled a bit. “Sounds like I might need some of that too.”
“It’s in the box on the top shelf,” she supplied.
“I still need coffee to survive, Bee, especially after my flight. And we don’t have any of it,” you said with a sigh. “Looks like I’m already making a stop at the grocery store.”
“If you want me to love you forever, then you can stop at the new Starbucks they built on Main Street,” Bee said. “I need a caramel macchiato if I’m gonna finish this calculus packet by tonight.”
“Sounds like a plan,” you said, and you picked your laptop bag up from on top of the table as you started to walk to the door. “And I can get some work done without Mom nagging me.”
Bianca raised her eyebrows. “You’re here for a work thing?”
You sighed and gave her your best older sister look. “Technically yes, but it’s not official. It’s just something I’m doing off of a hunch. Please don’t tell her — I don’t think I can deal with any more of her grief today.”
Bee mimed a zipper across her lips and threw away the key. You smiled. “You’re the best. I’ll get you extra caramel.”
“I know,” she said with a bright smile of her own. “Have fun.”
“Always do.”
-
It was a quick walk to the Starbucks from your house once you started on your path. Living in New York City meant walking at a marathon pace or getting trampled, and you had adapted accordingly. It was surprisingly busy for this time of day, especially on a Sunday, but you were used to crowds by now.
You ordered an Americano for yourself and held off on Bee’s drink, figuring that you could buy it on your way out so it was still cold for her. You tipped the barista generously, and your drink was ready a few minutes later. You picked your cup up, adjusting the strap of your laptop bag as you walked over to the prep station. You added a sugar packet in and stirred it in, and as you turned around you were just about to put the lid on when someone bumped into you.
You gasped as hot coffee spilled all over your coat, and it took everything in you not to yell out some colorful language. You just managed to bite your tongue as you looked up to see who just ruined your day.
The culprit was an impeccably dressed man, his styled hair the same dark brown as his slightly widened eyes. “I am so sorry,” he said, the words rushing out as he pulled napkins out of the dispenser and handed them to you. “Really, I should’ve been watching where I was going.”
“Yeah,” you breathed, wincing both at your soiled coat and the pain from the heat as you took the napkins and began dabbing at the liquid. “Maybe.”
“Please, let me replace your order.” He spoke with an accent you couldn’t place, and even though you wanted to be mad at him, he had an oddly calming presence about him. (It didn’t help that he’s breathtakingly handsome.)
“Oh, no—” you started, but he was already shaking his head.
“I insist,” he said. “And I can replace your coat if need be.”
“That’s a little much,” you chuckled, and you tossed the now empty coffee cup in the trash in favor of taking off your jacket. You wrapped it around your arms and held it in front of your chest as you offered a small, albeit slightly pained, smile. “But… the coffee would be nice. It’s just an Americano. Oh— and a caramel macchiato for my sister.”
The man nodded and took out his wallet. “Please, have a seat. This won’t take long.”
You hesitated for a moment but he smiled. “It’s alright, I assure you.”
“...okay.” You finally gave in with a slight nod of your head and walked over to the sit-down section of the cafe. You picked a two person table in an empty corner and draped your jacket over the back of your chair before you sat down, taking your laptop out of its bag after.
You didn’t exactly know where you should start with this whole thing, so you did what any suffering writer did and created a new document.
WHAT IS GOING ON IN MYSTIC FALLS?
wild animal attacks in a town that shouldn’t have any wild animals — something weird is going on and it’s your job to figure it out (not really. this might get you fired from your job actually. but that’s okay.)
talk to the police — see if they’ll actually be helpful and give you anything to go off of
this will probably not work, they don’t like giving info to journalists. do not depend on it
ask around town, try and find out if anyone’s seen anything sketchy — people can be cooperative but there’s a lot of stubborn people in this town
talk to the principal at mfhs, use alumni status as leverage
maybe try and get an assembly under the guise of educating about public safety — long shot, but would give a wider reach to the school as well as get contact info out there for kids to give clues
“What are you working on?”
The man’s voice brought you back as he set the two drinks on your side, and you noticed that he had a cup of his own. You pushed your laptop half closed, shifting your attention to him.
“Just planning out some research,” you explained as you picked up your cup, letting the heat from your coffee warm your hands. “Getting started is always the hardest part — I hoped a place like this would help me get into it.”
“Has it?”
You gave him a sideways smile. “I don’t know. I think it was going to go well until this guy bumped into me and made me spill my coffee.”
“Ah,” he said, and you were thankful that he played along. “That’s very unfortunate. That man should’ve been far more careful — I’m sure he’s very sorry.”
You chuckled, and he smiled. “I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I’m Elijah.”
“Elijah,” you repeat, and you like the way his name sounds in your mouth. You told him yours, and he nodded.
“It’s a lovely name. It suits you.”
“Thank you.” You knew by now it had been far too long since you’d flirted or been flirted with, because Elijah’s simplest praises were sending heat to your cheeks.
He seemed to notice, but he was polite enough not to mention it. “So, what brings you to Mystic Falls? You’re a new face.”
“My work,” you gestured at your laptop. “I was actually born and raised here, but… it’s been a while since I’ve been back. I was at NYU for four years, and then I stayed in the city for the job I got. It’s a little weird being back here, though.”
“I can imagine,” he said, and he took a sip of his own drink. “Cities can be very overwhelming after a certain time, especially New York.”
“These questions are very one-sided,” you pointed out. “What is there to know about you, Elijah?”
He shrugged. “An awful lot. What do you wish to know?”
You pursed your lips as you stared at him, and then you nodded. “What brings you to Mystic Falls? You look far too sophisticated to be in a town like this.”
Elijah raised his eyebrows, but he looked amused. “‘A town like this’?”
You rolled your eyes with a slight chuckle and gestured. “You know what I mean. This is a small, sleepy town in the middle of Virginia. You look like someone I’d see in an expensive restaurant in New York.”
“I suppose I’m here for heritage,” he said after a moment of contemplation. “My family is from here, and so I come back here every so often to remember where we’ve come from.”
You nodded, and you were about to ask another question when your phone buzzed. You took it out of your pocket and shook your head at the messages.
bee🐝: i know you said that you were gonna do work there but i am desperate need of caffeine lmao
bee🐝: i don’t wanna rush you buuuuuuut i’m totally rushing you
You chuckled as you looked at your phone and you gave Elijah an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry — it’s my sister. I’ve gotta get home with her drink before she completely crashes.” You closed your laptop and put it back in your bag, but as you reached to pick up your cup, his fingers encircled your wrist. It didn’t startle you, which you thought is strange — his whole presence was alluringly disarming.
“I’m sure she’ll be okay for a while longer,” he said, his touch feather light as he looked you in the eye. “Please— stay and chat for a bit.” His voice was velvety smooth, and you were sure that was the only reason that his strange offer almost sounded enticing.
“I’m sorry,” you said, moving your arm back to your side and giving a slight shake of your head. “I’m just on a tight schedule after this — a lot of research for my job.”
Elijah stared at you for a moment more, something unreadable in his expression, before he offered a small smile. “It’s quite alright. I didn’t intend to distract you from your work.”
“It’s fine,” you said with a smile of your own. “It was a welcome distraction. Thank you for the coffee — I hope you have a good day.”
“Of course. You as well.”
You felt his eyes on you the entire walk out, and it caused a slight chill to run down your spine. When you stepped onto the street outside, you glanced over your shoulder at the window only to see that the table you and Elijah occupied was empty. He wasn’t on the street with you, so you didn’t know where he could’ve gone.
You brushed it off as you started to walk. He was dressed like a businessman, so it was likely he was on the way to work or a meeting when he bumped into you.
You texted Bee that you were on your way home, and though you initially planned to head to the library, the exhaustion from your poor flight choices and even poorer sleeping choices was starting to get to you.
Besides — it was your first day back home in… forever. You didn’t have to start working right away on a case that probably wouldn’t even garner anything. It was more likely that a wild mountain lion just showed up in town and started mauling people than a serial killer.
You sighed. Nothing happened in Mystic Falls.