1. Fading Like A Flower.

Life has a way of revealing the truth, and the Salvatore pack was no exception. It had been three weeks since Valentine's Day, and Colin had isolated himself, sitting alone in a dim room and drinking. This behavior caught the attention of Number Four, the drunkest of the Salvatores, who decided to join him.

Initially, Colin drowned his own feelings of inadequacy, especially when it came to missing out on opportunities with Mimi. But as they started talking, Colin shared what was wrong with Mimi, and Number Four found even more reasons to drink. He didn't want to feel anything. Despite being one of those who had consumed strong blood and nearly recovered, he longed for a state where this pain wouldn't tear his black, tormented soul apart. They had both been fools. Number Four had once again buried himself in medicine, trying to be just a clinical doctor.

The truth was, Mimi was in a terrible place, and maybe she still was, but he was too weak to see her in that state. Even if he had been Damon, for whom Mimi's well-being was once the most important thing in the world, he wouldn't have hesitated to find her and help her in any way he could. But not him. He was a mere parody of that version, and Mimi, even in her messed up state, had seen right through him. The truth hurt, and the knowledge that she had been suffering something so terrible, as Colin had told him, brought tears to his eyes. Bourbon continued to flow inside him, but the blissful numbness he sought still eluded him.

Number One decided to walk to the kitchen. Mariella was finally asleep, and he wanted a cold drink. He had put on his jeans, even though he could have walked around naked. It was easier to walk when his cock wasn't flopping all over the place. He was ready to ravish Mariella once more, even though it didn't seem to help much. At least he was doing something. 

As he walked past a room, he noticed that the door was slightly open. There were voices coming from inside, but they were clearly intoxicated. He could also smell the scent of bourbon and whisky. Whoever was in there had been drinking, and even Damon himself had considered indulging in alcohol at times. However, his attention had been diverted by Mariella.

Nevertheless, he paused and listened. The slurred voice of the person in room number four caught his attention. It was thick with desperation. When Damon heard the name "Mimi," rage welled up inside him, and he entered the room.

Number four looked at him and said, "You...you have no idea. Don't come here and tell me to move on. She...she should be in my arms, but I'm stuck in this damn castle where she doesn't belong...my baby..."

Damon responded, saying, "Mimi has made her choice. She doesn't want either of us. So, get over it."

Colin, who was also drinking, looked at Damon, his voice slurred as well. "Do you want to start drinking too? Sit down and let me explain why we're drinking. I'm sure you'll join us," he said.

Number one raised an eyebrow and, after taking a deep breath, replied, "I'm not one to drown my problems. I'm someone who deals with them."

Number four interjected, "Meaning, you fuck your mind empty. Let me tell you, that won't solve anything. It'll just make you drink."

Number one sighed. These two drunken individuals were in a deep place wherever they were. But he was curious.

He said, "Fine, let's hear it. What is all this about, and why are you so sure I'll start drinking?"

He sat down, and Colin's voice became calmer, even though he was as drunk as a skunk. Soon, number one took a swig from the bottle of bourbon. Colin's words struck his soul, causing a new wave of pain. They revealed his mistakes and what was wrong with Mimi, and with himself as well. He realized they were all a bunch of idiots, and why on earth did they let this happen? Why did they always hurt Mimi? Maybe, just maybe, this would be the last time. Perhaps it had been one time too many. When Mimi recovered, she would surely see just how much he and the entire pack had let her down. This realization came long before she burned the hive away.

They had just missed the whole damn thing, and Damon soon noticed that the damn bottle of bourbon kept emptying. Prompted by this, he stood up and staggered to the nearest shelf to find some more. It was right for them to lose the hive; they didn't have the right for it. They were just a bunch of fuckers who didn't care about the one who was important. Damon didn't even want to think about what the truth would do to Wulfe, Magnum, or the others that he had poisoned against Mimi during this time.

As Mariella woke up, showered, and proceeded to have breakfast, she didn't really care that Damon had gone somewhere. She went into her potion lab to test out a few ideas that had come to her in her dreams. It was not unusual for her to get ideas while sleeping, even though she rarely slept.

In her dark and quiet potion lab, the herbs smelled and the magic hummed in the air. Time had lost its meaning, and Mariella was in her own little world. Hunger was not a problem for her, as she was an energy creature. She used her energies to keep her body going, and soon the feeling of hunger subsided. She hummed under her breath as she mixed one more potion base. It slowly reached the perfect consistency, thick as it should be. She would use this base in so many different ways that she hadn't even thought of yet.

Finally, Mariella emerged from her potion lab and noticed that she had spent over a week in there. It was a little weird that Damon hadn't come in and made her eat, but then again, he had been all over the place. Sometimes he needed her to stab him with a long machete, or he would lie under her with his legs spread and let her fuck him senseless while screaming his name. Maybe Damon had gone to cook, or perhaps he had gone to the wolves to make them chant his name, too.

She walked to the main kitchen, but it was empty. Weird. No one was making any food, and maybe there was a match on TV or something. She went to the fridge and noticed that her shelf hadn't been filled at all. Meaning no one had cooked any food all week long. Even weirder. But she wasn't going to ask about it just yet. She had portions that could be warmed up by the spell, so she got her food and drinks, made a lot of coffee, and started to eat. 

The food was excellent as always, and while she savored it, she couldn't help but think about her potion bases. She was eager to show them off to either Wulfe or Damon; she loved to boast about her potion-making skills.

Just as she was nearly finished eating, Wulfe walked into the kitchen. The pain on his face caught her attention, but what surprised her even more was the scent of alcohol emanating from him. His bloodshot eyes, unkempt clothes, and desperate expression told her that Wulfe had turned to drinking. Mariella didn't say anything yet. Perhaps it was the darkness in Wulfe's eyes or the bright blue sparks crackling in his fingertips, but she could sense that he was on the edge of something.

Mariella felt that she should call someone to assess the situation. She pondered over who would be a good candidate, and Samuel came to mind. He would be calm and clinical enough to understand why, as Mariella had sensed through their pack bonds, they were resorting to drinking. Over half of the Salvatores were indulging in alcohol, including Magnum, Colin, Alaric, Murdock, and Dexter.

Mariella wanted to put a stop to this drinking and encourage everyone to talk it out. The reason was more or less obvious - Mimi and what she had done had deeply affected them all. However, there had to be better ways to deal with this than drowning their sorrows in alcohol.

Wulfe went to the fridge, took out a few meals, and sat in his usual spot. He looked at Mariella but remained silent, at least for a moment.

Then, in a voice barely audible, he asked, "Why can't I change the past? Why was I so cruel to her? I wasn't there for her when she needed me, and now... it's too late."

Mariella responded softly, "You're talking about Mimi, right? You obviously know something that I don't. Care to share? What has driven you to drink?"

Wulfe shook his head, resembling a sullen teenager. Mariella sighed and reached for her phone.

She sent a text to Samuel: "Over half of the pack is drinking. Something has happened involving Mimi, and even Wulfe, and Damon number one, is drinking. Is there any possibility for you to come and assess the situation? We are at the Castle of Ireland. Mariella."

Hoping for a response from Samuel, even just a brief one, Mariella hoped it would provide some insight into what she should do next.

A few minutes later, a reply came, saying, "I will be there in 25 minutes. Don't do anything. I will check on the situation. I will also bring Da with me. He is good at helping with things like this. -S."

Mariella wasn't sure if Bran could be of any help, but she was becoming desperate. As Number One had discovered her worries and their actions, he had started to flood the bond between them with self-hate. Soon, the other Salvatores had also become aware of the situation, and Mariella could feel how many of them blamed themselves for whatever Mimi had gone through.

Mariella sat in her spacious living room, which had a huge fireplace, but there was no fire as no one had lit it. They were in another room. She hadn't gone in, knowing that they were in the room she had once envisioned as her private library. She had placed books there that had been confiscated from Mimi, supposedly because it wasn't good for her to read too much.

But now she wondered if it had just been another excuse to take something away from Mimi. She remembered Mimi's fury. She knew Mimi had a point. She and Damon had taken everyone away from her. To her, they were just jealous brats.

The leather on the chair she sat in felt cool beneath her fingertips, and she idly traced the creases and dips. This was her chair, yet Damon had never even wanted to sit in it, as his chair was supposedly much better. If only she were Mimi, then Damon wouldn't hesitate to take the chair away from her. But she wasn't Mimi. She wasn't a force of nature. She was just a freaking sheep.

The soft sound of footsteps interrupted her thoughts, and the zingy smell of citron and the tanginess of grapefruit indicated that Cornicks had arrived.

Bran walked in first, smiling gently, and said to Mariella, "Don't worry, my child. We will go and check on the situation, and then we can get an idea of what the crisis is. You didn't know that Colin was sick, did you? Samuel guessed that he didn't tell you or Damon."

Mariella replied, "Nope, I had no idea. Colin arrived here on Valentine's Day, but I haven't seen him at all. He is one of the drinkers, but the Salvatores have been sending me signals about how much they hate themselves. Wulfe too. It has something to do with Mimi's situation."

Samuel approached Mariella and asked her to share more details with him. A few minutes later, Samuel's expression changed.

He shifted his gaze to the floor, glanced at Bran, and muttered, "No wonder. If this is it, damn, I can't really blame them. But drinking won't help in this situation. Alright, let's go in and then I'll figure out where they are."

Mariella admitted, "I have no idea what's going on."

Samuel replied, "I'll explain once we've convinced them to stop drinking and confront this mistake."

Mariella nodded and observed as the men walked away. Bran looked at Samuel with a puzzled expression, but it soon became clear that Samuel had communicated something to him through their bond. Bran shook his head in agreement. Mariella sighed, feeling left out of the loop. 

A few hours later, Samuel returned with Bran. Mariella was still seated, accompanied by the wolves, also with Elena, and Katherine. None of them knew the reason behind the commotion.

Samuel had changed into a set of scrubs at some point, and Mariella watched as he approached her and said, "Come on, let's go to the medbay. It's time to run a few tests on you, too. It's not pleasant, but we need to check your values as well."

Mariella was puzzled, but she stood up and followed Samuel. The wolves stayed behind, and Samuel didn't say anything else as he swiftly led the way to the medbay. His footsteps echoed through the hallways. Although Mariella hadn't frequented the medbay much, she could tell that it was still functional.

Upon entering the large hall filled with patient beds, a sterile medical scent greeted her nose. She noticed that the lights were on, and several Salvatores lay in the beds. Bran also wore scrubs and was adjusting or replacing bags of fluid for the men. They were still recovering from their drinking, and it would take some time, fluids, and rest to flush the alcohol out of their systems.

Samuel guided Mariella onto the examination table and explained, "We will be conducting several tests. First, we'll start with some blood tests, followed by slightly more unpleasant ones, like a spinal tap. It's necessary to monitor your levels."

Mariella nodded and asked, "Can someone please explain what is happening here? Why have you all turned into heavy drinkers and why the self-destructive behavior?"

Colin, from the nearest bed, replied, "Alright, princess, I'll tell you. Soon enough, you'll wish you could drink. You see, Mimi isn't well. She's suffering from a severe condition that makes normal vampires want to end their lives. I've treated vampires with this condition before, and even with my best efforts, 30% of them end up killing themselves."

Mariella interjected, "But Mimi is immortal. She can't die. What exactly is this condition?"

Colin continued, "I don't have an official medical name for it, but let's call it Vampires Emotion Nullification Obsessive Mental Syndrome, or VENOMS for short. When Mimi started drinking the blood of that energy sorceress, it overstimulated her brain, pushing it into overdrive. It wasn't an official addiction to blood, but rather an addiction to the sensations it provided. That blood gave her an intense impulse in her brain, and her brain craved more of it. For most vampires, the solution is to drink blood and prey on others. But in Mimi's case, it wasn't enough. You drank that blood too, but since you only had one bag, the effects were less severe for you. In short, Mimi's brain was constantly seeking more sensations, and when that need was satisfied, she felt good, but when she lacked it, she became irritable and unstable."

Mariella remarked, "It sounds like a typical addiction. You always want more, but it's never enough."

Colin nodded and explained further, "But when someone sees her as just an addict without understanding the underlying condition, they throw her into captivity. This type of hyperstimulation burns away your serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. You had it easier. Wulfe got injured during a mission because those two bags affected him, making him sloppy and careless, craving more adrenaline. You were captured during that mission because you were also seeking your high, not as much as Mimi, but still."

Mariella nodded, still fully engaged in listening to Colin.

He continued, "Now, when your brain becomes overactive, your neurotransmitters are depleted, and your system is unable to recycle them properly. In this syndrome, you lose serotonin, oxytocin, and most of your dopamine for a while. It renders you unable to feel if it becomes severe enough."

Mariella whispered softly, "So, you mean Mimi can't feel anything?"

Colin replied, "Yes, the first emotions to disappear are positive ones like love, trust, and affection. They are also the last to return. Negative emotions like hatred, self-loathing, and despair fade away, but when the brain starts recovering, they are the first to resurface. That's why so many people end up taking their own lives. The patients are in a very dark place once they begin to recover. It's not a permanent state, but the recovery process is incredibly difficult. It takes a long time for positive feelings to naturally reemerge. Maybe you've noticed that you crave sensations, anything to feel. It's a natural response because as long as you can feel positive emotions, your body and mind are healing. The only way to heal is to keep on feeling."

Mariella covered her mouth, unable to fathom what it would be like to not feel anything and then have all the negative emotions flood back. They had been right. If she had known this, she might have turned to alcohol as well.

Wulfe spoke in a quiet voice, filled with raw pain that Mariella had to resist the urge to go to him and offer comfort. "I was supposed to be there for her, no matter what. Instead of helping her, I'm here, feeling like a damn loser and a fake. I don't know what state she'll be in, but one thing is certain: she knows that I lied when I told her she wouldn't have to walk alone on the boulevard of broken dreams."

How could they have missed this? What could they do now? Were they even recovered? Questions flooded her brain, and she felt a pinch of unease as Samuel took a sample of her spinal fluid. It hurt, but at the same time, it made her feel something, and she recognized that feeling. It meant that she wasn't fully recovered yet; her body and mind still craved sensation.

Damon spoke up, saying, "She destroyed the hive because she was ill, and I completely missed it. I missed the whole damn thing. Why didn't I delve into her mind? I should have scanned her thoughts right from the beginning."

Colin tried to calm him down, saying, "Take it easy. You're still not fully recovered, and as you can see, it takes time. Besides, you were also ill. I was sick too, and the link I had established between myself and Mimi in order to catch any signs of this or anything else she might have had, didn't work."

He showed his wrist, revealing scars and scabs.

Samuel retorted calmly, "Colin fell ill in India. It took my team weeks to pull him through, but being the stubborn old creature that he is, he chose not to say anything."

Colin added, "If only I had spoken up, maybe I would have been okay. Or if someone had noticed the abnormal blood, I could have told you. I'm one of the five doctors in the world who have experience in treating these cases."

Mariella asked, "What's with the spinal taps?"

Samuel explained, "We've taken them from everyone, just to monitor your progress. I am checking your serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin for a start and a few other indicators, too. It's obvious that your levels will still be abnormal, too low. This way, you'll have evidence for yourself. Time and perseverance are the only things that help. As for Mimi, well, I have no idea what state she's in, where she is, or how fast or slow she'll heal."

Mariella nodded, trying to be compassionate towards herself, but at the same time, the mere thought of Mimi being stuck in that state of depression for who knows how long was horrifying. When she looked into Damon's eyes, she knew he felt the same way. There had to be something they could do for Mimi. 

She was still unsure what the future would hold, how Mimi would recover, and what this would to do her. The mere physical side. Surely if one is lacking important neurochemicals in one's brain, it affects on physical health, and then all the negative emotions, cause stress. Now Mimi is not that well equipped to handle extreme stress. her enzymes, her health, all the facts flooded so many things in Mariella's mind and her stress was increasing too.