Echo — Maroon 5

Gianina was shaken awake by a pair of strong hands, they took a grip of her arms rocking her back and forth slowly. The girl swatted her hands, trying to send whoever it was away to no avail. It would be quite a surprise to see he it was when she opened up her eyes.

"Wake up, Gia. I don't have that much time left." The voice spoke, and finally, the girl sighed before finally opening up her eyes and sitting up.

"Mason?" The girl gulped slowly, shaking her head. "My brother is fucking restless, he really wants my humanity back so bad he's getting in my head? It's pathetic—"

"I tied your brother up downstairs, he's not exactly in any place to mind control you in any way." The Lockwood man smiled. "Good to know that I would be someone to turn your humanity on though."

The man reached forward, putting his hand on Gia's, she quickly pulled her hand back, climbing out of bed.

"I don't know how this is possible, but I suggest getting out before I kill you, and this time make sure you're dead." The Salvatore girl made her way to the bathroom connected to her room, reaching for the toothbrush and paste.

"You don't want to do that." Mason grinned, leaning in the doorway. "That might trigger your humanity to come back on, we both know that."

Gianina sent him a glare as she brushed her teeth, tapping her foot as she thought about what in the hell she could do in that moment.

"I'll be downstairs, join me when you're done." The Lockwood man laughed, shaking his head lightly as he pushed himself off of the doorframe and walked down the hall.

After spitting out her toothpaste, and washing up, the Salvatore girl changed into a different set of clothes and walked into the parlor. She wasn't particularly sure what she'd walk in on, considering someone who was supposed to be dead was walking through her house but, this was Mystic Falls. Not like she hasn't experienced weirder things before.

"You've got to be kidding me." The girl woke up just in time for Damon to see her, and think it was her who had tied him up.

"Try again, big brother. It wasn't me." Gianina smiled slightly, finding it funny that after his attempts to capture her, he was the one that was captured.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Mason questioned, stepping forward into view.

"Oh no, Stefan!" The eldest Salvatore screamed loudly, trying his best to escape.

"He's coming." The Lockwood man took Gia's hand and had her speed off as Stefan entered the room, the girl hearing his voice as they left.

When the middle Salvatore left the room again, Mason opened up the curtains, letting it burn Damon who's daylight ring rested on the floor.

"Well, this just got interesting."

•—•

Gianina sighed as she walked towards the Mystic Grill with Mason. She honestly didn't have anything better to do but, following him was getting pretty boring as time went on. Especially since his main focus was Damon, captain of boring.

"So, why the hell do you need my brother again? Didn't you let him go—"

"Why do you care what I do with your brother?" The Lockwood asked with a quirked brow.

"I don't." Gia responded, rolling her eyes as she opened the front door. "Ladies first."

"You are completely different." Mason lost his smile slightly as he walked inside, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Well, when you die, you tend miss the things going on with the people you used to know." Gianina shrugged her shoulders lightly as she followed him, spotting Damon and Alaric at the bar.

As usual.

"Mason?" The Saltzman mans eyes were practically popping his head at the sight of the dead wolf, glancing over at the girl behind him. "Gia?"

"God, I miss whisky." Mason picked up a cup that was sitting in front of the two men as the youngest Salvatore shrugged. He then cocked back after finishing the glass, and smashed it against Damon's head.

"Ooo, bar fight." Gianina clapped her hands lightly, a faint smile on her face as she waved the bartender over to get her a drink. "Surprise me."

"Ow." Damon held his forehead as the bartender slid his sister a drink, the girl catching it in her hand. "Told ya."

"Can we make this interesting? Mystic Falls has been painfully boring lately." The young Salvatore said, sighing out dramatically.

"The old you never had a problem with being boring." Her brother commented, a stupid grin on his face as he received about a million texts.

"Says the guy who just let a ghost smash a glass over his head." Gianina rolled her eyes. "Pot and kettle, brother."

Damon ignored the comment, looking down at his phone.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this damn necklace." The man sighed, running a hand over his face.

"One of you is going to pay for this, right?" Mason looked between the two as he snuck another shot from them.

"They are paying for mine." Gia shrugged, looking over at Alaric and sending him a slight wink.

"Good then, cheers." The Lockwood took his shot, smiling at them both.

"Let's get to it, I killed you. You want revenge? Get in line." Damon said angrily through his teeth, glaring at both his sister and the man next to her.

"Actually, I want an apology." Mason corrected, making Gia and Alaric both laugh.

"Good luck with that." The Saltzman man shook his head, making Damon drag his tongue across his teeth.

"Don't you have a family to haunt? Better yet, haunt Gia. She's right there." The elder Salvatore paused. "You know, your nephew has turned into a mindless hybrid minion and she is a void of nothing but insults and killing sprees."

"So no humanity turned me into you? Shocker." Gianina spat back, rolling her eyes.

"That's why i'm here, to help them." Mason smiled, leaning in closer.

"I don't need help. Focus on Tyler, he's basically a dog, a puppy dog, and one of the dumb ones." The Salvatore girl reached across the counter, grabbing a bottle of alcohol as she poured it in her cup.

"Well, sorry to break it to you, buddy, but Tyler can't be helped." Damon glanced at the only woman at the bar. "As for my sister, I think we've all given up on her, and her old cheery disposition. Neither if them are going to get any better, at least not while Klaus is alive. Which is always."

"I love when people talk about me like i'm not here." Gia ignored the cup below her, drinking straight from the bottle.

"Not exactly, not if you found a weapon that could kill him." That little comment peaked the Salvatore girls interest. With Klaus dead? The hybrid army would belong to her.

"Weapon?" Gianina raised a brow.

"There is no weapon that—" Damon stopped upon noticing Mason's cocky expression. "What do you know?"

"I know you need to apologize." The Lockwood responded.

"You've got to be kidding." The elder Salvatore made it seem like apologizing would be the end of the word.

"How hard is it to lie." Gianina laid her head on the counter, shaking her head. "Men."

"Are you incapable of remorse? Just apologize!" Alaric yelled.

"You're right. I didn't have to kill you. I do a lot of things I don't have to do." Damon's apology was the saddest thing anyone has ever seen but, it worked either way.

"That's good enough." Mason laughed to himself. "Come on Gia, we have to get going."

"Fun." The girl responded sarcastically, jumping up from her chair. She figured the man would show her the weapon first, seeing as they used to care for each other and everything.

"Where the hell are you going?" Damon questioned.

"Meet us at the old Lockwood cellar, bring a shovel, and come alone." Mason instructed.

"What, are you trying to bury me alive?" The Salvatore shook his head, resting his hands on the counter.

"Don't tempt me." The Lockwood wolf replied.

"That was a threat, brother."

•—•

Gianina checked her nails as Damon entered the cave. Their relationship had never been the best but, after she sacrificed the girl he loved, it was safe to say the bond between them was pretty shattered. Actually, he grew a hatred for her.

"I'm surprised you showed." Mason commented as he lit a lantern to light the way.

"You put a snag on my only other Klaus lead and even though I know Gia knows where he is, she's not helping." The Salvatore man glared at his sister, fixing his jacket as he walked closer to them.

"If I knew where Klaus was, I wouldn't be hanging with you two, he's way more interesting." The girl shrugged as they looked at her completely offended. "Just saying."

"Anyways." Damon shrugged. "I'm highly motivated."

"Mikael?" Mason questioned, handing the other man a lantern.

"Who the hell is Mikael?" Gia looked between both of them, wanting an answer.

"None of your business." Damon looked back towards Mason after answering.

"That plan didn't work out so well, did it" Mason laughed at that, shaking his head.

"How do you know more than me?" Gia shook her head. "I might technically be dead but i'm still fucking alive."

"There's not much to do on the other side but sit around and watch other people screw things up." The Lockwood man shrugged his shoulders, walking further towards the dark.

"So you stalk us? How nice." Gia followed after him, Damon close behind.

"What are we looking for?" The Salvatore asked looking over his sisters shoulder.

"There's an old Lockwood family legend about a weapon that can kill an original vampire and like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried." Mason tried to break down the brick wall with a sledge hammer but barely left a mark.

"Lockwoods." Gia folded her arms over her chest.

"Oh, come on, give me the thing, move, I got it." Damon, being the show off he is broke the wall down within seconds, revealing a small passage behind it.

"Go for it." Mason suggested as the trio stared through the hole.

"One of you first." The Salvatore man replied.

"What, you think i'm leading you into a trap?" Mason questioned, raising an offended brow. "Offensive."

"Oh god, i'll go." Gianina pushed them both out of the way, and climbed inside carefully. "Idiots."

The two men followed behind, both of them climbing into the cave after her. The trio began to walk down, the dark and cold vibe to the cave making them all very cautious of what was to come. Especially Damon who did not trust either of the people that he was with.

"Which way?" The older Salvatore asked as they reached a clearing, one that spread two ways.

"I don't know, flip a coin." Mason shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"So much for this plan." Gianina mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be all-knowing?" Damon questioned, scrunching his face up slightly.

"I'm a ghost, i'm not god. Turn left." Mason suggested, waving his lantern.

"He's going to go right now, I hope you know that." Gianina commented, feeling the Lockwood mans hand on her lower back.

"Yes, yes I am." Damon headed towards the right cave entrance.

"You have trust issues, anyone ever tell you that?" Mason asked, Gia hearing a suspicious creaking in the wall as she stepped back.

Then, stakes plunged into her brother from all sides.

"Did you know that would happen?" Gianina grinned. "If you planned that, it's kinda hot."

"I wish." Mason smiled leaning in towards the girl as Damon yelled.

"Mason? Gia? A little help here!?" He screamed.

"Mood killer." Gianina rolled her eyes. "Maybe later."

She sent a wink his way before walking towards her brother, breaking the wood in half and taking it out of him with ease.

"You're welcome, brother." She smiled as he winced, acting like a baby, as usual.

"Good thing she was here." Mason laughed, folding his arms as Damon straightened himself out.

"What's your deal man? I killed you. I jammed my fist into your chest. I ripped your heart out. There's no way this whole buddy-trust act is real." The elder Salvatore said.

"You know what the other side is like? We're all alone. We watch the people we left behind and we regret our decisions. That's it. I had to watch Tyler get upset that I left him, I had to watch Gia cry her eyes out, and I tried to call out to them but I couldn't—"

"Wait. You what?" The Salvatore girl shook her head, looking back to the day after he died. "You called out to me?"

"Yeah?" Mason raised a brow. "So?"

"I heard you." Something about that made her whole mood shift, the girl was angry? Remembering the way Damon had killed someone she cared about. Angry that she wasn't able to do anything about it.

Mason smiled slightly before continuing his speech, "Look, I can't change what happened to me but maybe I can change what happens to the people I care about. I don't need revenge, Damon. I need redemption."

The Lockwood man walked away, looking almost sad as he did. Gia didn't want to be with her brother in that moment, instead, she felt lime being with him? It was all very confusing to her.

"Mason, could you wait?" Gianina teacher forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Is dying really that bad?"

"It's worse when you go through it." The man nodded, putting his hand on hers. "Thanks for caring that I was gone, not many people did."

"I uh—..." Gianina cleared her throat, snatching her hand away. "Whatever."

"Okay, i'm good now." Damon came up behind them. "Let's go."

The three headed down the tunnel further until they reached an entrance, neither of the Salvatores being able to get through. They tried to push their way in, yet, it wasn't working. Mason got in with ease, smiling at himself slightly.

"God, this is not happening." Damon tried to push his way though even more, his sister giving up completely.

"What now?" The Lockwood man asked, squinting his eyes to look around.

"We can't get in, it's like someone hasn't invited us in." The elder Salvatore glared at Mason. "You better wait."

"Let him go ahead, maybe there is more booby traps." Gianina commented, looking at the ground, her brain feeling all fuzzy.

"I'm not stopping because you're stuck." Mason replied, continually walking further away. "I'll let you know what I find."

"Yeah, right." Damon answered back, rolling his eyes.

"You're just going to have to trust me." The Lockwood man walked off, smiling slightly.

"Be careful!" As soon as Gia said it, she placed a hand over her mouth, not understanding the action.

"What the hell was that?" Damon raised a brow, looking at his sister.

"I don't know." Gianina stared into nothing as she bit the inside of her cheek, tapping her foot on the ground.

"So, what's going on?" The elder Salvatore yelled, ignoring his sister after noticing Mason had stopped talking.

"It's in—" the sentence was never finished, the only sound being the mans lantern dropping onto the ground.

"No, where'd you go?" Damon looked around with wide eyes. "Mason, Mason!"

"Mason?" Gianina felt like her heart had dropped. "Mason!?"

•—•

Tears ran down Gia's face as she sat in her car. She knew what was happening, her humanity was back and she had no idea how. So, she went to the one place that she always thought she could go.

The Salvatore girl got out and walked towards the three that stood next to the house. She made her way up carefully, making sure not to wake anyone else up until she reached the top. Then, Gianina reached forward to open the window, falling through the opening.

"Gia?" Jeremy raised a brow, pulling his headphones out of his ears. "Listen, if this is about whatever they are all planning I—"

"It's me, Jer. The real me." The Salvatore girl got up to her feet. "I—..I don't know what or how it happened."

The Gilbert boy got up from his bed, walking over and lowering himself to her level.

"I'm so sorry." Tears ran down the girls face, almost uncontrollably. "About Jenna, about us, about everything, i'm so sorry—"

"G, it'a okay." Jeremy reached forward, wrapping his arms around the girl as he kissed the top of her head. "Please just breathe."

"It's all my fault, I—.. i'm such a bad person and I." She placed a hand over her mouth. "I killed so many people, no.. no."

"I'm here, and I can help you but first you have to breathe." The Gilbert boy sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry..."

Author's note:
Here's a new chapter! I know it's been awhile so I wanted to put something out for everyone. It's pretty long and I apologize that it's unedited but I will be going back to edit it.

Least favorite friendship Gia has?

Hope you enjoyed!