White Mountain ( Andrew || Irene )

Everything in that moment was impossibly vivid, down to the crimson specs that stained my fists. Something was haunting me, urging me to fight - and I wanted to, without this primal urge. And in all honesty I didn't know the guy's face, nor his name - but he was being an asshole. Elena Gilbert was a sweetheart, so why would anyone trash talk her? In my mind she was regarded as a sweet, gentle person - a friend. Once that douche bag said something about her, I lost it and swung. With a big thud he hit the ground - and within moments he was back up, and the roles were reversed. Fists were in a fury as we hit each other, and for once - I felt like I had the advantage. With some sudden surge of power, I threw him off which caused him to take several paces back - then boom. I rushed him, until I hit something which lead to a groan of pain, and gasping for air - with a mixture of warm liquid staining my clothes.

As I stepped back, I was in horror - that douche had been impaled by an exposed, stray iron rod during our fight. And in an instant, a surge of power went through me, which made me drop to my knees - and I could feel: stronger, my sight improved, and I felt... more limber. My reaction was much worse - I took off to my jeep - hopping into it and peeling rubber, as I left the parking lot. As I came to what seemed like a never ending red light, I pounded my steering wheel with my fist, over and over again. I even tugged on my mirror and looked at my reflection, my eyes - where were not normal - had a golden glow to them, then it faded away, seconds later. My throat seized up as I realized what had happened - I had triggered my curse, and then I began to panic - because I had blood on my hands.

The drive home wasn't as bad as I had previously thought, because I came to terms with what I was, more or less. As I leaped out of my car, I noticed my body had landed a significant distance from the Land Rover. With my backpack on my back with one strap, I vaulted forward and rode the elevator to the sixth floor. When I came to my room I used the key Irene had given me, and walked in - shutting the door behind me. As I let out a burst of speed, I leaped onto the couch and sprawled out while a scent overpowered me. The thought of being a werewolf slipped my mind - I could smell her, and she smelled unbelievably sweet, almost like it was dangerous. I called out to her to let her know I was home, but shit - I still had blood on me, so I threw the blanket that hung over the back of the couch, over me.

"Hey mom.... I'm home - sorry I was out so late..."

The noise of Andrew opening the door reached Irene's ears almost instantly, but she decided to wait until he wanted his presence to be known to appear. She guessed it wasn't easy to live with a vampire. Privacy was hard to get when even a closed door or a human-silent entrance couldn't keep the noise low enough for it not to be noticed.

She heard as he made his way to the couch, but her attention instantly perked up as she noticed that he was moving too fast for a human. Maybe it wasn't Andrew? Irene shook her head at herself, half chuckling at her paranoia. She probably hadn't been paying attention enough, that was all. Not everything was some kind of problem or danger, she just had to learn that.

When Andrew called out to her, she ran to the living room, her paranoid side telling her that something wasn't right. It didn't matter how hard Irene tried to ignore it, she always ended up listening to it. She wanted to find out what it was, but she would have to be careful. She didn't want to scare or creep Andrew out.

She smiled as she saw her son laying on the couch, a blanket covering him. Nothing was wrong, she'd just been paranoid. Leaning against a wall, slightly relieved, Irene tried to remember what she had been planning on doing before Andrew showed up.

"Hey Andrew!" She greeted him, a small smile coming to her lips. Andrew had been her son for some time, but she still got happy every time he got home and she remembered that she had a family, a son who she loved. "Not a problem. I was actually just heading out."

Then two things hit her. The first was that sweet, intoxicating smell with which she was so familiar. Blood, human blood. And the second thing was the way Andrew was talking. Something wasn't right, she knew it. Her instinct and her paranoid side had been right. Something definitely wasn't right. The two things combined led Irene to a conclusion she just didn't want to reach, she didn't want to believe that it could have happened, she just didn't. The mere idea was already too terrible to bear, if it was true, then she just didn't know what she would do.

"Is that blood I smell?" Irene asked, hoping against hope that she hadn't identified the smell properly. "Andrew, is everything alright? What happened?"

I cursed myself mentally as Irene noticed something was not right. I guess there would be no reason to hide it now, if she could come to terms with what I was now, then so could I. With one quick motion I sat up on the couch and moved the blanket off me, exposing the blood that was all over me. There was no hiding the fact that my curse was triggered, hell - even I couldn't lie to myself any longer. But the more and more I looked over at my mother, I felt like crying - I had ruined any plans of being immortal, well without Klaus' help. My body shook at the mere mention of that, and a sire bond to someone that I didn't even care for - that scared me. With my right hand I rubbed the bridge of my nose with two fingers, as I tried to formulate a way to tell mother without freaking her out.

And with all the seriousness that I had, I spoke trying to keep it in my voice - but I felt like it was losing its luster, once the words actually escaped. "Not to sound like an asshole, mom - but if I am covered in blood.. something isn't right. I killed someone, not even intentionally, we fought - and he said something about Elena, because we became friends... somewhat. And it ticked me off, and I just started fighting. And then something within me, which I think was my curse, kept telling me to fight harder - and in a rush, I ended up impaling him on a steel rod.... I am so sorry mom, I really am - " My voice cut out as I dropped my head into my hands, trying not to show how much anguish this was causing me. I was supposed to be a vampire, and of all things to happen - I became a werewolf, I had succumb to my primal urges as a beast and killed, and I felt so ashamed of myself - felt like Irene wouldn't love me anymore. Everything was crumbling around me, and I couldn't even show how upset I was - I was still in complete shock at the situation.

Though Irene didn't want to believe what Andrew was telling her, she knew she had to. She had to because if she didn't believe it, then how could she ever help her son? It would be too selfish of her to leave him alone to deal with what had just happened because she didn't want to believe it, and she cared about Andrew. Being selfish was not an option.

A werewolf, Andrew was a werewolf. The images of the gruesome transformations she'd seen flashed before her eyes, and Irene felt like hugging Andrew and never letting go. Nothing like that could ever happen happen to her son. The thought of the pain he'd have to bear was terrifying, but no more than the thought of the fact that she would never be able to be with him while he was turning without running the risk of being bitten. If life had an undo button, she would have pressed it. Andrew couldn't have triggered the curse, it was too terrifying to happen.

Sitting down beside her son, Irene hugged him. She'd never hugged a werewolf before, and she hadn't thought she ever would, but it didn't matter what he was, he was still her son. He would always be, no matter what.

"It's okay, honey, it's okay." She soothed him. She'd never called anyone honey before, really meaning it, either, she realized. That was most definitely a day for first times. "You have nothing to be sorry about, not when it comes to me, anyway."

I wrapped my arms around my mother as she held onto me, it made me smile. I planted a kiss on her cheek as I hugged her tighter, not fearing her strength anymore - I wanted her to actually hug me, not just restrain her true strength. Mother always helped with anything I needed, and I felt soothed instantly - and I believed her. I felt like it was actually okay, and I wanted to believed that - but I couldn't I was a monster. Not like a vampire, they were beautiful - I was a monster, a werewolf - a furry monster that killed mindlessly. Words wouldn't help me here, I just kept holding onto mother - still unable to show I was upset, maybe lycanthropy was in the way of my emotions, and honestly - that didn't bother me. I whispered into my mothers ear, trying to be as calm as possible - for the both of us. "How is it okay, mom? I can kill you with one bite now.... That scares me that I could lose you so easily. And I have to be sorry, that is the biggest mistake I ever made. I should have never killed the guy, and now I ruined our plans of living together for other. The only way that happens now is if.... that Klaus guy... if he turns me."

Irene hadn't thought of it that way. Andrew really could kill her with amazing ease, and that scared her a bit. She'd seen what a werewolf bite did to a vampire. It was gruesome and terrifying, definitely not a death she wanted for herself. But she couldn't show Andrew how much that idea scared her, not when he was already scared of it. There was nothing he could do about what he'd become, so there was no point in scaring him further.

"But Andrew, you won't. You won't purposefully bite me, you don't even have how to. I can take care of myself, don't worry." She tried to soothe him, hugging him even closer. A part of her was afraid that she'd hurt him, but another was telling her that she needed to have him close to her, because having him become a vampire was like almost losing him. It didn't matter what species he was, vampire; werewolf; hybrid; human; he'd always be her son and she'd always love him, but she still felt like she had almost lost him.

"It was a mistake, but it happened and there's nothing you can do about it. Wandering around near that forest was one of the biggest mistakes I ever did, but I learned to live with it, and I know I have nothing to be sorry about. I didn't have to know what would happen. And you didn't have how to control yourself. Your werewolf gene took over." Irene wasn't sure if she'd ever told him the story of how she was turned, but it seemed to fit the context. She wouldn't mind telling him if he asked, even though she'd hardly ever told anyone.

"Do you... Do you want Klaus to turn you?"

Her sincerity had to all be falsified, even if she did have good intentions. No vampire could really put up a fight against something that with one scrape of a tooth, could kill them within a matter of hours. I wrapped my arms around her tighter, following suit as I tried to show her that I wasn't weak anymore. She didn't have to hold back with me anymore, I was as strong as she was - well maybe not, but hell - I could rip a human in half. I was perplexed though, that is how she was turned - wandering around a forest? Mother never told me this, and I assumed it bothered her, that is why I respectfully never asked her. But hell, I had told her what I did - so maybe she saw it only obligatory to tell her tale, and that soothed me somewhat. Pulling away from the hug, I cupped Irene's face in my hands, trying to keep her looking right at me as I spoke to her. "Mom, you don't have to tell me that.... If it bothers you, I mean the being turned thing. And I lost control because I hadn't eaten or slept properly, my body was giving into the primal urges. That was totally my fault, mom - I could have prevented it. And Klaus turning me... that would make us be together forever, and free me of the pain... But, I would have to deal with a sire bond, or attempting to break it.... It seems worth it, but at the same time... I don't know. What do you think?"

Irene shook her head as Andrew said that she didn't have to tell him how she'd been turned. She needed to tell someone, and if she couldn't even tell her own son, who she loved more than she loved anyone alive, then who would she tell? But she supposed that that wasn't the best time for her to tell him, though she most certainly would if he asked.

"It's okay. Whenever you want to hear it, just ask me." She told him, meaning each and every word in the sentence. She swore to herself that she wouldn't keep finding excuses not to tell him, she'd just get it out the minute he asked her to.

"Maybe you could, but how would you have known what would happen, Andrew?" Irene asked him, hugging him even closer. She knew she was probably seeming like an overprotective mother at the moment, but she didn't really care. She needed to keep him safe and even though her hugs weren't going to really protect him in any way, they were the best she could do. Not only that as they showed how much she cared about him, and she hoped they made him safer.

"I think that it might be better for you to turn into a hybrid. It's less pain in the long run, isn't it?" Saying those words was almost painful for Irene, but she knew she had to say them. Telling him to do something that would cause him pain, as breaking the sire bond was going to be painful if it was done the way she thought it was, was hard, but he needed to know what she really thought. "But you should do what you think it best."

I nodded at her reply to the changing thing, maybe she had wanted me to know. I felt bad, but I really didn't care to know - it was her business, not mine - and I didn't want her to blab anything she didn't want to tell anyone else, to me. She was beyond concerned for me, and even with Irene - I still wasn't use to it, it was irritating but felt nice at the same time. It was hard to believe, my theory about changing that is. I had let the curse get a hold of me, it was like a voice in the back of my head telling me to do horrible things - and I usually ignored it. But I shook it off as I replied to my mother. "Because I could have, mom. I had it under control... But when I get angry, the beast takes over and spoke to me - literally. My subconscious was begging me to kill him, to rip his throat out - to let my inner beast flow free, and I was going to... But. I didn't want to, but it turns out primal urge is greater than common sense."

Her hug was tight, but it didn't hurt - even in the least bit. At least she wasn't holding back as much as she had been previously, and that was nice. I tightened my grip too, trying to show her how much she meant to me - that no one could replace my mother. But that warm fuzzy thought was interrupted, when she said maybe I should become a hybrid. She wanted me to be even more dangerous to her, be one of Klaus' lackies? If I became that, I could kill her even quicker and wouldn't think twice about it, if Klaus told me to. But she was right, I would be in less pain - after I broke the bond, which would be excruciatingly painful. And her last comment, about doing what I thought best was confusing. Did I want to kill my mother with a bite slowly, or be able to do it quickly? That bothered me, but I knew what I had to do - I needed to become a hybrid, it was plain and simple. Choking back any fear or regret, or any sort of emotion in my voice - I spoke to mother. "It would take away the pain... but I would only bring the pain back after I shifted a few hundred times to break the bond, or however many is necessary. After that spree of excruciating pain I would be fine - but only until after that. I mean I want to do it, be stronger than ever - be a vampire still, even if it is only half. But at the same time, the fear of being able to be told to kill you - with an enhanced werewolf bite.... That scares me, because I can't fight back if Klaus orders me to hurt you, not while I am signed on for the sire bond..."

Irene knew better than most how big of a hold that primal part had, and how it was stronger than common sense. It was stronger than anything other than other primal urges. Some people managed to control it even when it was strong, but it took a lot of practice. Sometimes she could also hear it talking to her, telling her to kill, to rip someone's throat out, and she often did what it told her. But still, she decided to stop arguing. She'd probably only make things worse, trying to convince him that it wasn't his fault. Once Andrew had cleared his head, she'd bring that up again.

She was enjoying the tight hug Andrew was giving her, even though it was a constant reminder of what had happened. It was nice and warm, and it gave her the feeling that she would never lose him.

"But why would he ask you to kill me? I'm nothing to him, I'm no threat. And either way, having to shift every full moon would be just terrible. I've... I've seen the transformations and... Really, it isn't something you'd want to go through every month. I'm guessing you have to shift to break the sire bond, but after that, you'd never have to shift again, you wouldn't have to live with the full moon always there, just a few weeks ahead." Irene said, mentally shaking her head clear of the gruesome memories that had once again filled her mind.