The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

Mariella was feeling frustrated.

"Maybe you should go back to being little Miss Perfect and not waste my time. That is a gun, not baking equipment," Murdock's sharp voice woke her up, and she gripped the rifle just right, or at least she hoped she gripped it correctly.

Murdock grunted as she took a better grip on it. She looked through the scope.

Murdock sneered, "Are you looking for a movie or trying to shoot someone?"

She pulled the trigger. The gun barely moved in her hands, and she kept looking through the scope, seeing that she missed again.

Murdock said, "You did not take the wind into account, missy. Do better."

Mariella did. She had been with Murdock now for a week. Their initial meeting had been very mild compared to this, and this week had been grueling. She truly knew that she was no good at this, but she got better. It would take time, and now she understood it did not help her so much when Damon gave her information on her mind if she had not ever done it. It was clear that her muscles had no idea what to do. This would take time and a lot of it, but she was ready. This was hard, but then again, this was something completely new that she had never done before. 

Wolves enjoyed their different PR missions and as for damons, they were wherever they needed to be and their bond was strong. Damon made it clear to Mariella that she didn't need to understand everything he was doing, as it might only confuse her. This made Mariella smirk in her mind, knowing that Damon did not know what she was planning and practicing.

Her schedule was quite packed. Murdock was expected to give the go-ahead, which would require a week's time with Magnum coaching. Mariella both anticipated and feared this. Following that, there would be an in-depth interview with Jarod at some point, and when it came to her magical abilities, Wulfe would see her in action.

She felt more than ready, remaining focused and taking into account the wind, following Murdock's instructions. She took her shot, nearly hitting the middle of the target. Murdock only grunted in response, which Mariella knew meant she had to prove herself again.

Upon returning home in the evening, she felt tired and her muscles were tender. She could smell the gunpowder and metals from her practice. She quickly changed into less fancy clothes, as she often had to lie on her stomach in various parts of town to practice shooting at targets placed at long distances.

She remembered how tough her previous teacher, Mimi, had been in the operating room, and compared to her, Murdock seemed relatively easy, even though he sneered at her. Mariella was just relieved that Mimi wasn't her current teacher.

When she mentioned this to Murdock, he smirked and pointed out that Mimi wasn't teaching her - he was. He also mentioned that Mimi was in India, participating in fight clubs, and had left her twins in the care of Alaric. Mariella got the impression that Mimi's five had grown defiant and were not listening to her as much anymore.

It was time for her to meet up with Magnum. She had gotten quite many times from Murdock ripping the new asshole to her, and she had just gotten better. It would take time and she would not be a sniper at first. She could leave that to Mimi. She had her gym bag with her and she had put now more appropriate clothes. She knew just how fast Magnum was and she had done a few spells ready, and she had a few bracelets, loaded with Mimi's rage, giving her hell of a boost. This time, she had made a few things ready. 

This was another building, and Murdock had given her the address. She had to go to the eighth floor, where the room number was 66. She walked up to the door, opened it, and went inside. It was yet another gym, and Magnum was already there, ready for her. He was wearing a t-shirt that showcased his muscular body. Shorter than Damon, he was more muscular, but exuded confidence. His brown hair was short, yet thick and tousled. His dark eyes, darker than Adam's or Charles's, were almost black. Magnum had thin lips and a firm mouth. His features didn't give away his origins. His skin was fair, and clean, with a hint of stubble, giving him a dangerous look.

In the gym, there was only one bag hanging from the ceiling, a fighting mat, and not much else.

Magnum said, "Fine, get ready to show me, sweetie pie. Do you have what it takes?"

Mariella lowered her bag, took off her coat, and walked up to the mat. She had hidden some bracelets on her wrists, making them seem like tattoos.

Magnum walked up to the bag, kicked it hard and fast, making it swing, and then said, "Repeat that."

Mariella went to the bag and kicked, but the power struck through her hip, and the bag remained in place, almost making her limp.

Magnum commented, "Sloppy. Let me show you, sweetie pie. Look at this. You're just like a hummingbird, thinking you're better just because you're not human."

He demonstrated it slower, and when Mariella tried again, she felt like her hip joint was out of the socket. It was still sloppy, and she had to do it again.

It took the whole day. She had to practice that one kick over and over again until it started to work out a little more. But, by God, she was sore. She went back to the house, took a bath, and was there for a few hours, trying to get her very sore muscles to work a little better, knowing that tomorrow would be the next move. She had tried to boost her kick with energy, but Magnum had a device that stopped her from using her powers, and even her spells were neutralized. She had to rely on her body, not on magic.

Although she was sore, she was more than ready. She knew Mimi had returned from India and was busy with sniping and more clubs, saving the world. It would be some time before she would meet Mimi, but she had enjoyed this. She was not as impatient as Damon, and the mere thought of Damon being taught by Magnum was somewhat hilarious.

She could envision his expressions as Magnum would call him sloppy, or Murdock telling Damon that he doesn't know what he has in his hands, that it's a rifle, not a baking implement. It would do the world good for every Salvatore, and she was determined to make it happen. This time, Damon wouldn't just walk in and demand to be part of it. He would have to prove his worth, and only then could he truly understand what this was all about.

Mimi's expression when there would be Salvatores in the base would be perfect. And maybe this would be a way to make Mimi part of the pack again, but this time, it would be a whole new idea. The responsibilities wouldn't just be Mimi's; fleas would be a pack's job, not just Mimi's. The day would come when there wouldn't just be an office for Mimi only, but for Damon and Mimi.

Mariella felt the need to bring Mimi and Damon back together, although she didn't understand why. She believed their love could withstand any challenges, and she was confident that sharing her life with both of them would be perfect for Mimi. Mimi was the creature of love, meaning she needed true and honest love in her life, and Damon was destined to be hers. Even if it would be just number four, Mimi should be Salvatore, not Springcove. 

After this week, Mariella was about to meet with Jarod, whom she hadn't spoken to much before because Damon was always jealous of him. However, now that they shared the ability to be pretenders, Mariella hoped Damon would get to know Jarod better. Jarod had been a threat to the relationship between Mimi and Damon for a very long time and despite that, Jarod had been there for Mimi, no matter what.

She was curious about him and wanted to get to know him because deep down; she saw Jarid as an asset, not a threat, and an old powerful vampire like Damon would probably have his uses for Jarod. After all, that Magnum and Murdock had told her, Jarod was the best living lie detector that there was. The future seemed full of possibilities, and Mariella felt more alive than ever. Despite feeling sore, tired, and hungry after a strenuous workout, she was eager to continue and learn the next move from Magnum.

She heard the giggles of the wolves when they got home from their internships. Mimosa was working in a bakery, while Shadow was working in a florist. She loved flowers and such. She hadn't said anything about what she was doing. It wasn't time yet, but it would come. If wolves wanted, they would be part of the fleas as well and then when they all would be in, if there would be time to save the world, they would do it as a pack, not just Mimi and she would not spend herself to nothing. 

Mariella stepped out of the bath and dried herself and her now shorter blonde hair. She looked different, but the change was good. It was time for Damon to see that she had a mind of her own. She was not a doll for Damon to dress and groom. She put on one of Damon's t-shirts. It was loose and comfy, and as they were married, it was not forbidden for her to borrow his shirts. She had a little mischief in her mind, knowing that Damon didn't really like half-used clothes. She would use the shirts and not wash them, so he would smell that she had used them. She knew how to fold them so Damon would not find out they were being used. Not at first. Oh, what the glorious little 1-0 she would do to him too.

She had heard a few stories here and there, including one that Mimi had once told her about how she and Damon met. He had left one of his shirts for her to wear so he could smell her scent on it. She had used it, then gotten snatched by Krycheck and been imprisoned for ten weeks. It had been a time when Damon had learned that he was a "teeth" vampire. Damon had worn that shirt, smelling Mimi and Mimi had also told her just how many pillows she had thrown into the garbage over the years when Damon had drooled all over them when he had slept alone when Mimi had been injured, being tended in medbay. 

Mariella realized they had both fallen asleep, but she had never paid attention to whether Damon had been drooling or not, as he was usually the first to wake up and then he would wake her up. When Mariella looked back out of pure curiosity, she couldn't help but feel disgusted at seeing Damon sleeping behind her, drooling all over her hair. When he woke up, he just used a spell to clean her hair and didn't say anything. The thought of her hair being drooled on all night was gross.

Later, when she was to get Mimi and Damon back together, there would be a vampire wedding as well. She wasn't sure what that would entail, but somehow Mimi was supposed to be Damon's vampire wife since Mimi was super strong and it seemed right for a strong old vampire like Damon to marry Mimi again. Mariella couldn't wait to see Mimi's expressions.

She thought about the upcoming wedding and wondered if she could reconcile Damon and Mimi. If she managed to bring them back together, there might be a wedding. Her last wedding was a somewhat hazy recollection as she had been drugged up to her eyes. It was just how Damon controlled his women. Number two had been very nasty when he had threatened to kill all the witches they had encountered if she even tried to show them that she had been drugged. And those nights, stabbing, slashing, bleeding – it was just the way Damon unloaded some part of himself. It was just one thing that she and the others had to tolerate. They were immortals; they could take it, never die, and pain was just a sensation to be tolerated. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny that these were the kinds of weddings Damon desired and needed, and they seemed to be a perfect fit for their pack.