Lesson (Lucas/Victoria)

To hear him say all this leaves me speechless for a moment and I can't help but smile. I smile softly and kiss him. “When we met, I didn't know how much you would mean to me. How much I would love to be around you and I didn't know that I would fall in love with you. You make my heart beat faster, and I guess you notice it every time you do”, I laugh before I keep talking, “And your touch makes me melt. I kiss your lips and I don't want to stop. I don't want to stop being near you. Anything else seems less important to me, Luke. I always think about how happy I am to have you. And you make me say cheesy things” I say and kiss him again. “I love you Lucas Reid. I love you more than anyone else in this world.”

I smile and kiss her again deeply. I love you too. I let her slide a bit down my body so she's a bit below my height. I kiss her neck lovingly. My hands trail down her back, tracing circles into her smooth skin. I'm so in love with this woman. A hunter and a hybrid. An unlikely pair.

I close my eyes as Luke kisses my neck. It feels so good being near him. I sigh and breath out loud and kiss him back, while my hands are in his hair. I love him so much, I can't even start telling him how I feel. Although he is a hybrid, which means that he is partly vampire. But that is not a big problem anymore. My biggest problem is that he has my heart now and I can't really do anything against it.

I look up as I hear Zeus running into the cave. He stands on the edge of the pool; a note tied to his collar. I groan and kiss Victoria again before gently turning her so she's wrapped around my back. This is my dog, Zeus. He's a German Shepherd. I walk across the pool to Zeus. I scratch behind his ears. Hey buddy. Took you longer than I expected. I look at the scrawl on the envelope. James. My mother's the only person to have ever called me that. That's her handwriting to. Impossible. I take the envelope off of Zeus' collar and open it. I read through the letter and set it down. I run a hand through my hair. This can't be possible. This isn't possible. She's dead. I killed her. She can't be alive. That's not possible.

"Luke? What's wrong?" I say and look from the envelope back to him. I'm worried, because he looks like he saw a ghost. His face is pale. "Luke talk to me. What does this letter say?"

I shake my head slowly. My mother. She's supposed to be dead. I don't understand.

I look at him and raise my eyebrows. I swim to the edge of the pool and scratch Zeus while I'm watching Luke. After a while I take a deep breath. "How do you know that it is from her? What does it say?" I ask him and swim back to him.

I shake my head slowly. No one else knows my middle name, and that's her handwriting. It's a weird mix of cursive and print. No one could reproduce that. I lean against the side of the pool and draw in a breath.

That is odd. He told me that she was dead, and know she is not? I can imagine how he must feel right now. I go back to him and stroke through his hair, while I'm looking at him. "What does it say?" I ask. I don't want to be nosy, but maybe I can help him. I mean this situation is really strange. I know that the last time he saw her was when he got his werewolf gene activated. And when he... defend himself and his brother against his father. He was not himself and things got.... out of control. I just want to help him.

I sigh. That she's proud of me and sorry she's been gone. She says she's been watching me. She knows about Erin and Kendall, and she's glad I found you. She says that she's glad that i've found a woman that'll tell me to shut up and i love you in the same sentence. She wants to see me. She said that I'll know where to find her. I shake my head

I don't know if I'm glad our shocked about war he is telling me. I mean I guess it's nice that she says something so friendly about me and that she is happy with us. But why didn't she contacted Luke a while ago? I'm confused. "Maybe you should meet her and make things clear. If that's what she wants.maybe it helps to hear her part of the story", I say and shrug while I'm looking in his eyes lovingly. "But she is right about one thing, that's for sure: I will tell you to shut up while I'm saying that I love you at the same time." I kiss hm back and look to his dog Zeus. "Hey buddy! You're such a cute puppy!" I scratch his ears.

I wrap an arm around her as she scratches Zeus. I run a hand through my hair.I speak softly. I'm not sure if I want to see her again. It took me years to get over the pain and guilt that I've felt. I swallow. I killed her. I-I know that I did. There's no way. I don't understand. I climb out of the pool and run a hand through my hair. I slam a fist into the rock wall. A sizable hole forms as my hand shatters. Shit. My hand heals in a few seconds. I place both of my hands on the wall and lean my weight on it. I swallow. This doesn't make any sense. She's dead. That's not possible.

"You don't have to. Of course it is hard to get this letter. I just do t get this. I can't believe it." I hug Luke to make him feel better. But I know that the letter and the fact that it is from his "dead" mother made him think about what he did. And what happened to her an his father. "I'm so sorry", I say and close my eyes.

I lean into her touch and close my eyes. My eyes flash open as I hear the sound of my father's voice. Shit, I thought these hallucinations were gone. I back out of Victoria's touch. Victoria, get out of here. You should run. Now. I dig my fingers into the wall and breath in deeply. My father appears to my left. Kill her, coward. She is a hunter. It is only natural for her to die by your hand. I grit my teeth as every bone and muscle in my body pulls me towards Victoria. I dig my fingers deeper. I love her. I will not hurt her. He laughs. You think she actually cares? She's using you to learn about your species. Your own mother faked her death to get away from the monster that you are. Kill her then kill yourself. End you pain. I grit my teeth and groan at the pain. I don't know if Victoria can hear my father. It might have something to do with being a hunter. I don't know. I look insane and I am insane. Victoria go. Now. Please. I grit out.

I look at Luke and see tht he is in pain. He talks to someone that I can't see. So he has hallucinations like I had every time I saw a supernatural creature. "Luke I will not leave you here like this! Let me help you!" He knew that I was stubborn. And I would stay, no matter what he said or did. I want to help him. Somehow. I step back and look at him.

I shut my eyes tightly before opening them again. I can feel my eyes turning yellow. I shake my head roughly and the yellow dissipates. Kill her. She is weak. You are weak. End both of your supherings. I blur myself hard against the wall to weaken myself. I feel a few ribs crack. I push myself to a standing position again. I can feel my canines growing again. Shit shit shit shit. Victoria, please. You have to leave. Now. I don't want to hurt you. I growl out. I groan as my ribs snap back together. Kill the girl. Do it. Do something right for once in your life you coward! I grit my teeth. She needs to leave now before I snap. I can't always control this.

I can see that Luke looses more and more of control of himself, and I also know that it could end bad for both of us. I can see that it takes him all of his strength not to attack me and I guess I make it worse by standing here rather than helping him. Without looking back, I start running as fast as I can out of the cave directly through the woods. I run and run, but I can't remember where I have to turn to get to his motorcycle. I look around. I don't har any weapons with me and I'm just wearing the bikini he gave me. I would be easy to attack so I have to hide somewhere... I can hear him coming closer. Shit.

I gasp as my body's taken over. My mind's no longer my own. I'm aware of what I'm doing, but I have no control. I have no control whatsoever. I blur to Victoria and stand in front of her five feet away. The voice that comes out of my mouth is not one Victoria's heard. It's one of hate and pure darkness. Where are you going, babe? Abandoning me when I need you most, huh. I pick up a piece of dirt and rub it between my thumb and forefinger. Unsurprising. EVeryone abandons poor Lucas James Reid. Killed my own parents, fought in war as a failed effort to redeem myself. Went through one marriage and a "love" before you. WHat makes you think I give a damn about you? I hate myself for the words coming out of my mouth. They aren't mine. I just hope she can realize that. What makes you think you're not another one of those "loves" of mine that I throw away after a few months. I look her dead in theeye. Why should I think that you give a damn about me? Why should I believe that you love me? For all I know you could be using me to learn more about my kind. Using me. As so many have. Why should I beileve a word you say? I clasp my hands behind my back.

I swallow while I try to convince myself that this is not Luke who's talking. I know it's not him but the words that come out of this mouth seem so realistic, as if he means it. And it makes my heart hurt.
"Luke you are not yourself, please try to listen to me", I say and look at him. I will not give up on him. "Luke I love you and you know that! Please try to fight against this thing that makes you say that. I had hallucinations too, remember? When I ran away for not trying to kill you? And I gt my tattoo? Do you remember? The first time we saw each other? I know it seems to hard and impossible but I know you're here and I know you can hear me. You have to fight against it. I know you're strong enough!" I look in Luke's eyes and try to ignore the things I heard. But I can't forget them, even though I know it wasn't him who said it.

I blink slowly as if seeing her for the first time. Victoria? Instantly I feel a blinding pain in my head. I sink to my knees and hold my head. I groan. I bilnk slowly and concentrate on the humanity I have. The love I have for Victoria. She holds me to this world. She keeps me grounded. The pain dissipates. I look up at her and breath heavily. I'm sweating like crazy. I'm sorry. I run a hand through my hair and lean back against the tree.

I run to Lucas and look at him. "Are you alright? Luke?" I'm worried about him and that's the only thing I care about. If he is okay or not. I sit down next to him and take his hand. I don't know if he still is hallucinating but I have the feeling he is himself again. I swallow and breath out loudly. I look back to him. " Luke talk to me. Say something. Anything. Just say something so I know you are yourself!"

I run my rthumb over the top of her knuckles. A half hearted smirk forms on my lips. Surprising. Normally I'm told to shut up. NOw you want me to shut up. Damn you're confusing. I shake my head exaggeratedly and run a hand through my hair. I rest my other hand to cup her cheek. I run my thumb over the line of her cheek bone. You shouldn't have stayed. You should've run. Why? Why would she endanger herself. I'm not worth it.

"Why? You seriously ask me why I stayed?" I raise my eyebrows and look to him. "Don't you know how much I care about you?" I sit in front of him and kiss him. "I wish I could have done more for you... but I didn't know how." I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes.

I wrap my arms around her and hold her to me. I love you so much. You did enough. I speak softly. You brought me back. I've never been able to fight it before. I shake my head slowly. Erin couldn't. Kendall couldn't. You did. You stopped me. You got through to me. I pull back from the hug and cup her face in my hands. I look at her lovingly. I love you. So incredibly much. I stroke her cheekbones softly with my thumbs and kiss her lovingly. I press my forehead to hers and let my eyes stay closed. She saved me. She brought me back from the brink. She didn't give up on me.

I smile at him and kiss him back. "I love you too, Luke" I say looking at him lovingly. That he is himself again is enough for me to be happy. "I know how hard it is to fight hallucinations, I mean you were there. It's not a nice feeling to have them" I give him a small smile. I am wondering what exactly caused him to have hallucinations. The letter? Thinking about his mother? "By the way, where is Zeus?", I ask and look at Luke.