34. Small Talk.

As I opened my eyes, I still felt incredibly tired. I remembered the bloodlust, the drugged freaking baby bottle, and then everything went blank. I had no idea how long I had slept, but I was still wrapped up damn tightly and it took some time for me to fully open my eyes and assess my surroundings.

I found myself in Damon's arms - this must be number two. He was asleep, holding me, but his eyes were moving beneath his closed lids as if he was dreaming. I tried to move a little, but I was tightly wrapped and groggy.

I reached out to Mariella through our hive and told her, "I'm awake and in number two's arms, but he's still sleeping. I'm wrapped up like goddamn a burrito."

Mariella responded, her voice was mildly amused, "You should try to sleep more. You've only slept for 30 hours. Damon wants to make sure that nothing happens with Bran. I think he saw it in your mind and it freaked him out as well as, Wulfe, Adam, and Charles. So number two and the others have been keeping you safe."

I replied, "Come help me get unwrapped a bit. I have limbs, you know."

She said, "Okay, I can come, but it's up to number two if he allows me to free you. But seriously, try to sleep some more."

I wasn't that tired, well, maybe I was, but my desire to be free kept me awake. I was not really thinking why everyone was so hellbent keeping me asleep.The door opened and Mariella and the wolves entered, waking up number two.

He muttered to himself, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

I squirmed a bit and Mariella explained, "Mimi woke up and wanted to be unwrapped, but you were sleeping, so she asked me for help. See for yourself."

He looked at me and gently scolded, "My love, you're supposed to sleep and rest. You're still on the brink of exhaustion."

I tried to wet my mouth and said, "Please unwrap me, I want to move my limbs."

He chuckled and said to Mariella, "Alright, you three, come here and give me a kiss, and then leave. I've got this."

Each woman kissed him passionately, but he kept me in his arms and didn't let me move much.

He patiently waited until they left and then he looked at me, saying, "I owe you so much, we all do. You're the one who set us free. But now, my love, you really need to rest. I'll free you a bit, but don't overexert yourself. You need to conserve your strength."

I nodded and replied, "Okay, I just want to be able to move on my own. I feel completely numb. There's one memory that came to mind earlier, but I'm not sure if I should share it."

Number two asked, "What memory?"

I smiled and said, "Do you remember when we were at our house and I playfully licked your fingers, causing you to stop? You then threatened to put heat on me, and we ended up having sex in the forest."

He smiled and said, "Yeah, that sounds familiar. So, what's your memory?"

I smiled tiredly and replied, "Do you remember when I complained about a pinecone digging into my ass? It was true, and for some reason, I decided to keep that pinecone. I put it in my pocket and later preserved it in resin. I still have that pinecone, and it really did hurt."

Number two laughed and said, "Oh, baby, we have to keep it safe. Let's find a secure place for it. You have to show it to me someday. I can even cast a spell on it so it will last forever."

I told him, "It wasn't a small pinecone, you know. It really hurt, but you're just so good at what you do it wasn't too bad. It was one well-fucked pinecone."

Number two simply smiled and carefully unwrapped the blanket around me, ensuring no cold air entered. He then pressed his bare skin tightly against mine, creating a skin-to-skin contact.

He whispered, "Wrap your arms around me, close your eyes, and just sleep. I'll be here. You're safe, completely safe."

I let sleep take over me once again. I truly felt safe, listening to his heartbeat and catching a whiff of his passionfruit scent, which seemed even sweeter now, as if he was discovering an additional part of himself. His emotional side.

As number two gently lulled Mimi back to sleep, he smiled in the darkness, thinking about the pinecone incident. He knew that better times would come when that brave pinecone would receive the honor it deserved. He held her tightly, feeling her frail body.

She had lost a lot of weight, and they hadn't told her yet. She had truly sacrificed her own body. It became evident a few hours after she fell asleep and relaxed – her body was frail, weighing only about 30 kilos. However, they continuously administered energy shots to maintain her body temperature and metabolism, preserving her limited resources.

They didn't place her in the medbay, but in close care instead. She needed to feel safe because her willpower was so depleted that she had very few ways to control her impulses. If she got scared, there was no telling how she would react. So this was the best option - keeping her safe and letting others take care of her body. He wasn't sure if it was a hive thing or just plain and simple love for her, but it felt so right.

He knew that each of the Salvatores was ready to do this. They all yearned to hold her and help her because each one of them had felt her pulling them out of the darkness. Annaliese's influence had been like pitch-black oppression, but her love and power had set them free. Of course, they had gone to Mariella for her calming understanding and love.

And then this happened - love for Mimi. Number two wasn't ready to go to the Azores without her for months to come. He knew she might be a little overwhelmed, but the change was a part of living and she shouldn't be coddled in a certain way. Meaning, let her withdraw just because it was easier for her. They had the right to love her, and it was high time for her to accept her feelings for each of them. She needed to embrace her love and not be afraid or try to deny it.

Number two kept her close, giving her a piece of his soul, just like he wanted. He let his true love flood into her, allowing her soul to feel it. He knew that ever since that spell done by Freya and others, when it became clear that there was love between Mariella and one of them, true love was needed to break the spell. Mimi had become withdrawn and didn't dare to hope for love.

She blamed herself and believed she wasn't worthy of love, thinking she wasn't the one with true love. What she had been through that spell was a twisted version, the worst version she could conjure up. It was partly a defense mechanism against the spell. Wulfe had explained it to them. It was her pretender side, and a part of her recognized it was a spell, so it wanted to sabotage it by making her everything but what the spell wanted her to be. 

Wulfe had warned them she would likely become tangled up in knots over that spell in the future, and many times she would give in to her neurotic side and overthink things. He just knew her that way, and she was stubborn in a way that made her believe she was at fault or somehow dysfunctional.

So, patience and assertiveness would be required to show her that she was worthy of love. The spell had not revealed her true self, but rather a twisted version meant to sabotage the spell and save everyone.

Number two groaned in his mind as he thought about his magic lessons. He wasn't very skilled at shaping his magic, and this had distracted him from his training. But they would get back to it. Wulfe wouldn't let them slack off too much. He had no idea what they would do after this, but he wanted to be free. He wanted to see Annaliese die, but he had no clue about Mimi's plans for the last party. Annaliese had been furious, and no one knew what she would try to do.

Time would reveal all. A road trip, karaoke night, and seduction all sounded nice. And getting rid of the power that the creature in his arms possessed would be a relief for her, at least a little bit. The power must be incredibly strong now. He was greedy. It had been a long time since she had been unloaded, yet she still clung on. He was certain that the whole pack would be needed this time when and if they finally unloaded her.

Number two increased the power and frequency of the energy he was giving her, including love energy, which seemed to have the quickest effect. He remembered something about her being a creature of love, so it made sense. He didn't want number one to return too soon, but if he did, he could take care of Mariella.

He looked at Mimi. Their history went way back. Even though his memories were from number one's perspective when he was trapped in that jewel, he still wanted to have those old memories with Mimi. The time number one spent with Mariella before being set free from the jewel didn't interest him as much.

Maybe it was because Mariella clearly belonged to number one, much more than Mimi ever did. But then again, who could tame this force of nature, this wild creature who clung to him like a drowning person holding onto a lifesaver? She was truly something else.

Number two allowed his mind to wander and realized that Mimi represented a creature that humans could possibly evolve into someday, a supercreature. Her unique DNA, with its six strands that constantly changed, set her apart from the rest of the pack, though they were close enough. It was somewhat sad that she was the only one of her species, but at the same time, it was fitting for her to be the one and only.

Mimi had her own set of issues, and number two let his mind wander further. Number one, being ever pragmatic, rarely entertained "what if" scenarios, but number two allowed himself this indulgence. What if Mimi had never met him and instead lived with Adam and Samuel? What would she have become, and how much of her potential would have been suppressed? But then again, would her life have been better without Damien's corrosive influence?

Number two didn't think so, as he fondly recalled all of those wonderful times they had shared together - the weddings, their love, their life as a couple. Mimi wouldn't have been safe from Krycheck and Sark. Time passed as he continued pouring his love into her, contemplating his little fantasies or possibilities, but he just couldn't find a happy ending for her. Perhaps it was all meant to be, but still, it was also meant to be that they were destined to be together.

He remembered the first time he ever laid eyes on her, at Nick's. She had been human back then. In that one room, as he searched for a free space, she had raised her head from that bed, heavy with sleep, and her dark eyes had looked straight into his soul, creating an instant connection. He couldn't shake that image from his mind for quite some time. And then, when he saw her while shopping, those eyes... But something held him back. 

Their journey had been long and challenging, at times seemingly impossible. But here they were, on the other side, and things would eventually be okay. They would even have some good times. He longed to take her to the bedroom and keep her there for a month or two, awakening their inner sex beast and fucking machine personas. But that time would come later.

For now, they had work to do. They needed to put their affairs in order, maintain their status as secondary leaders, and ensure that Mimi didn't make all the decisions all the time. She needed to learn that there were other leaders as well. Number two didn't see it as impossible for some of them to go to Europe, acting as troubleshooters and using portals to assist. Of course, Mimi had acquired many new houses during their time in the other realm, so they had plenty of places to settle in.

Suddenly, the door opened, and it snapped him out of his thoughts. Number one, four, Mariella, and Wulfe entered.

Number one spoke up, saying, "What's the situation? I think we should examine the young lady to see if there's anything that requires more aggressive treatment."

I stirred from my sleep as a cold draft brushed against my skin. I curled up, feeling someone holding onto me and murmuring comforting words. I opened my eyes to see number two cradling me in his arms, while number four ran his hands over my body. I felt weak and exhausted.

Wulfe's voice came from the other side, saying, "Rest, unicorn. Let these two check on you. You know how they are, control freaks. So you can continue sleeping."

Irritated, I replied, "Why does everyone keep pushing me to sleep and then not let me rest? Instead, they poke and prod me."

Number two reassured me, "We're just checking, my love. Do we need to do more? You see, you've used up a lot of your body, but it wasn't immediately obvious. We need to make sure there's nothing serious about preventing your recovery."

This was the same caring version of him that had taken care of me after the incident with Petra. Number four grunted while number one stood a little further away, his arm around Mariella's shoulders.

Number Four spoke up, saying, "No organ damage, they're functioning, albeit sluggishly. Keep working on her. What you're doing is effective, albeit slow. Just let us know if you need a boost or if someone else should take over."

Number Four looked at me with gentleness, knowing that he would be the next to hold me in his arms. I could feel Wulfe stroking my hair, while Number Two pulled me closer to him. I noticed a muscle in Number One's jaw twitch, but Mariella pressed herself closer to him, creating an interesting dynamic to witness.

I nestled myself more comfortably in Number Two's embrace. Feeling mischievous, I sent Rednex's "Hold Me For a While" into his mind. He listened for a minute or two, smiling. Still feeling playful, I sent Roxette's "Things Will Never Be the Same" into Number One's mind.

He furrowed his brow, looked at me, and tersely said, "You should conserve your energy instead of trying to arrange karaoke in our minds."

Mariella asked out loud, "Oh, did you send a song for this one? He's grumpy because Number Two still has time with you. This one needs to eat and take a shower. What song will I get?"

I agreed and sent Mariella the song "Fred Come to Bed" by E-rotic, which seemed to be the perfect choice for her. To my surprise, she smiled. Number One looked at her sharply, realizing my intention. He needed some release, rather than worrying about me or letting his jealousy consume him.

Wulfe was quicker than I was, as the song "Nothing is Over" by Sunrise Avenue began to play in my mind. I smiled at him, appreciating his sense of humor. I sent him Nirvana's iconic song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in return.

He whispered to me, "Right. Now, Unicorn, try to sleep again. You need to rest and recover. Don't worry about anything. We've got you."

I closed my eyes, still feeling tired, and the last thing I heard was NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me," sent by Number One. I drifted back into unconsciousness, unsure of why or if someone had done something, but I fell asleep quickly. Resting and recovering until the final party.