Breathing ∞ Kol Mikaelson [1]

[25]

If there was one thing Emma hated, it was awkward silences. However, in life, you always discover that enduring the things you hate are better than the alternative. And in this situation, the alternative was for her to be the first one to speak. Emma certainly wasn't about to swallow her pride and do that.

Instead, she chose to endure the tension of sitting at the dining table with her mother with the only sound echoing through the silence being crickets in the background. Well, there weren't actually any crickets, but if they were in a movie it would be the perfect soundtrack for a scene. At least until her mother spoke up.

"We need to talk about yesterday, Emma." Marissa's voice was stern. Emma knew that tone. Whenever she was being trouble as a kid, or rebelling as a teenager, it would come out. And every time she'd pipe down and listen to her mother.

"And what would you say if we did talk about it?" This time might be different.

"I'd say I understand. This whole world can seem interesting and intriguing, it can draw you in. But it's dangerous. You couldn't possibly imagine how much." Marissa spoke in a patient tone, hoping to make her daughter hear what she was trying to tell her.

A part of Emma wanted to point out that she is actually more than aware already. But then she thought better of it. If she was asked to elaborate, she might as well pack her bags. Especially after yesterday's ball and Kol and Damon's outbursts right in front of her. Luckily, her mother had yet to go to the hospital and her she paid it a visit.

"And I'm sure Rebekah can be nice and friendly, but that family... They're more dangerous than any other vampire you might meet in town." Marissa added on, making Emma raise an eyebrow at her mother in a questioning manner.

"Alright, so you want to keep me away from all of this. These things you've known about since '06 if dad's journals are anything to go by. So why in the world do you bring us here? A small town crawling with supernaturals?" Emma couldn't help but ask. Out of all the things that she wondered, and many of them were big questions, this one was what made the least sense.

"Because of Meredith Fell." Marissa admitted.

"My doctor? What does she have to do with any of this?" Emma questioned, unable to comprehend what the doctor treating her condition had to do with their move. Until things started falling into place in her mind. The Fells were a founding family, they were on the council and knew all about vampires. And their blood. "Oh my god, you kept doing it didn't you? Even after we left New Orleans and whoever Marcel is, you kept giving me vampire blood, didn't you?"

She remembered reading about it in her father's journals. The blood which had power to heal any open wound, fix broken bones and cure illnesses. She read about how it could heal the scarred lung tissue for certain period before the strain made them return. How it could prolong the prognosis for pulmonary fibrosis...

"Emma, it's what's keeping you alive. You have to understand that." Marissa pointed out. Emma couldn't help but scoff. Because ultimately, it was the most hypocritical thing she could have imagined.

"You protested dad's idea of making me a vampire, but ultimately you kept risking that happening. What if I got hit by a car? Had an embolism again? Anything can happen at any moment and then where would I be?" Emma questioned. "You should have at least told me, let me know what could happen."

"You're right. I should have told you, but now that you know, you understand how careful you have to be. If you-" Marissa started, her tone turning more optimistic as she thought she was getting through to Emma. However, quite the opposite was happening. The only thing that was getting through was realisation of what her mother expected from her.

"So what you're saying is there's no discussion about this? No question on whether I want to do it, to keep taking the risk?" Emma questioned, the displeased look in her eyes making Marissa pause in surprise.

"Emma, if you stop, you'll die. The disease will catch up to you sooner or later. There's no discussion to be had about that. I'm your mother, and I think this is what's best." Marissa once again returned to her firm voice. She was willing to talk and discuss certain things, to give Emma the answers she must want after all of this, but this was not something she would budge on.

"You're right. You are my mother, and as long as I'm a minor I suppose you do have that power to make decisions about my health." Emma's chair scraped against the floor as she stood from her seat, unwilling to stay here any longer.

And while her words sounded like she was relenting, like she was giving up the fight, both women knew it wasn't that at all. The hidden meaning in her words was clear as day. Whitin less than a week, the decisions wouldn't be up to Marissa anymore. And as she watched her daughter storm out of the house, the realization of it made the Park woman's blood run cold.

Sometimes Emma regretted her temper and her pride. This was one of those times. Not because she snapped at her mother. Although, while she didn't feel bad about it, now that she had calmed down she had an easier time understanding why her mother did what she did. It didn't make it any better, but at least she understood the motivation behind it.

The real reason Emma regretted her temper in this situation was because she didn't get to ask all of the questions that still screamed in her mind. Like what happened to her father? What were the cryptic reasons in his journals for why Marissa refused to have Emma turn at any point in her life? How did she keep getting the vampire blood even when they weren't in Mystic Falls where a doctor approved it?

And as if the argument with her mother and the unanswered questions weren't enough, Emma's day had gotten even worse after she was forced to switch seats and get as far from the bar as possible at the Grill after hearing the words "original sex" coming out of the mouth of her history teacher. That was certainly something she didn't want to know, even though it did explain why Rebekah never got back to her last night about how her conversation with Matt went. It was safe to assume the answer was 'not good'.

As she doodled in her notebook, Emma reached out her hand and brought her cup of tea to her lips only to be met with disappointment. It was empty. Letting out a small sigh, she looked around hoping to flag down one of the waiters. However, seeing none of them on the floor, she decided it would be quicker to just go over to the bar and order it there. Seeing that Mr. Saltzman was no longer on his phone, Emma hoped the coast was clear.

Luckily it was, as she placed her order with the bartender and waited, Emma pretended not to notice the history teacher and her doctor. Meredith Fell was one of the last people she wanted to talk to today. However, that didn't keep her from listening in on their theories about the town's serial killer and the possibility of whoever it was being a vampire.

"Oh, come on, now. Let's not go blaming the new family in town just because you lot have got yourselfs a killer at large." And then the familiar British accent sounded off right in between the adults and Emma herself. "Don't mind us. My brother and I are just here to let off some steam. Right, Kol?"

"Jesus. Can I please get that to go?" Emma asked the bartender quickly. The universe truly was against her today.