Damon POV
Having Vicki's blood soothe the pain the vervain caused him. But it didn't help entirely. He bit deeper into her skin, licking her blood clean. After draining her of the delectable, red, juicy liquid, he shoved her aside, leaped over her and dove into the sinisterly murky forest, filled with darkness.
Elena strode over to him, with an air of confidence around her, unwaveringly wanting to get the truth out of him. "What are you?" She repeated, in an annoyed tone. She gazed him from top to toe, at every speck on his shirt, every dust bunny hanging on the loose edges. She watched him warily as he self-consciously dusted off the slight bit of dirt from his clothes, his eyes shiftily darting from herself to the door, like he might make a run for it. Elena folded her arms across her chest huffily and pouted. "Well? You gonna answer me or what?"
"I–" He stuttered, squirming slightly. He looked extremely uncomfortable, which made Elena feel vaguely guilty, but she remembered her goal. She had to make him spit out the truth.
"You," She spat, with a look of abhorrence in her eyes, "never get hurt. Your wounds heals themselves quickly and easily. You change appearances…Your eyes…They seemed so weird when I cut my finger accidentally and the blood emerged. The old man told me, the one we met at the Grill. He saw you in 1953. Michael Fells reported on the news about your Uncle Jasper's death then, and I saw you. In the top right hand corner of the screen. You were there, and you looked exactly the same." Elena treaded over to his side, and stared distrustfully into his eyes.
"You're a vampire, aren't you?"
A look of misery crossed his perfect face, and then despondency hit. His eyebrows knitted together, making him look gloomy, and his eyes crinkled up, his lips pursed. He started clenching and unclenching his fists. "Elena…I wanted to tell you. Ever since we…We got together, but then something kept me from doing that. I was scared. Of what you'd do. I was afraid of losing you, Lena." He said finally, in a quiet, resigned timbre.
"You should've told me. 'Cause right now? You're in more danger of losing me than before." Elena told him, infuriated, and then grabbed her things and stomped away. She felt disappointed. Why hadn't he told her? Why? She thought he could trust her with things like that. "That" was a big issue, him being such a… creature, but she'd have understood his plight. Now? She felt livid that he hadn't told her. That he'd kept it from her all this while. She felt enraged. And then…She felt fearful. He was a vampire. He could do a lot of harm to her. Like Damon…Oh, God. Damon was a vampire. She should've matched things up sooner. Why had she been so foolish?
He caught up with her instantaneously. "Elena, don't go. I'm sorry. I should've told you. Yeah, I should've. I'm so sorry, Lena. Please. Just don't go. I can't lose you." He begged. And he looked so…vulnerable, so weak. So unloved. She just wanted to leap into his arms, and hug him and squeeze him, and kiss him. But she couldn't just do that. He could be dangerous. But…He'd never harm her. He'd never put her life in risk. Of course he wouldn't. He loved her.
"You're a vampire." She reiterated, blankly. Her voice sounded weird – not hers. She felt faint, and had to hold onto him to keep her balance. She felt dizzy.
"Yes, Elena. I am." He said calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay? Trust me." He gazed soulfully into her eyes, and she felt comforted. Consoled. Somewhat. He was there for her. He freaking loved her.
Then her cell phone rang. She let go of him, and rummaged through her pocket and found her phone. "Hello?"
"Elena, have you seen Vicki? She's missing!" Jeremy's voice was filled with panic, and urgency.
"No, I haven't. When did you last see her?" Elena asked. Stefan glanced up at her with concern, and she gave him a "later" look.
"Somewhere near the woods. She wanted to get high, and she took your pills, and I got mad at her and criticized her, and then she told me to go home. Then she went missing!" Jeremy sounded like he was sobbing, the way his words came out in a rush.
"She's okay. She's fine, okay, Jer? Get a hold on yourself. Have you checked with everybody else?"
"I called all her friends, and her family. They haven't seen her." Jeremy replied.
"We'll find her. Somehow." Elena assured him, and hung up, turning to Stefan. "Vicki's missing. Jeremy last saw her in the woods. I'm worried something might've happened to her. Her family haven't seen her around. And Damon…He's out, isn't he?" Elena trembled with fear just at his name.
Stefan laid a hand on her shoulder, pacifying her frazzled nerves. "Yes, he's out there, but the vervain's still in him. He's still weak. But yeah, there's a possibility he might've hurt Vicki. Let's check the woods."
THEVAMPIREDIARIES
They stepped over broken branches and logs, making their way into the dense forests. Elena's heart was palpitating, and her hand was tightened around Stefan's, yanking on him hard. He remained firm, though. He led her through the woods, carefully treading over leaves and such, his gaze flitting around for any sight of his brother.
Then they heard a leaf rustle. Stefan spun around so quick Elena almost fell over. "He's here." He whispered softly, cautiously looking around. Damon was fast. Very fast.
"He's there!" Elena cried out, pointing towards the right corner near a fat tree. "I saw a shadow."
"The tree's shadow, Elena. Quiet now or he'll hear us. He knows we're here, and we can't afford to let him hurt you." Stefan said, as ever cool and collected.
Elena blushed in mortification. The tree's shadow, of course. She was so stupid. "Is he still around here?" She asked softly.
"I think not. Damon moves too fast. He knows I'm on his tracks." Stefan replied.
"Right I am, dear brother." The two whirled around to see Damon, standing, leaning against a tree, a dead-looking Vicki lying at his feet. He licked his ruby red lips, and smirked. "I'm too fast for you, aren't I, Stefan? Too smart. Smarter than you."
Stefan gritted his teeth. "Damon…You killed her. She was innocent. She didn't deserve this!"
Elena assumed he was referring to Vicki, whose neck was practically ripped apart, a disgusting sight. "Vicki…" She whined. "Is she really dead?"
"Who cares? If she is, I've still got Caroline. Stefan, they don't turn into vampires or die that easily. This isn't Twilight. This is very real, unlike those stupid fantasies about Bella and Edward and their forbidden love." He said the last three words with repulsiveness, as if the idea of love repelled him fully.
"Right." Stefan said vigilantly. "Damon, just stop harming people. Don't force me to inject vervain into you again. One more shot, and you will die, I promise you that."
"Oh, dearest brother, how could you say that to your blood relation?" Damon taunted, sneering.
"Oh, you'd be surprised at what I'd do to you." Stefan shot back coolly.
"Really?" Damon asked dryly, picking at a cuticle. He sounded cynical, and bored. "Now, Stefan, I've no time to play games with you. After this bitch has awoken, I'll feed on her again. Or I'll lure sweet Caroline to me…She makes such an obeying girlfriend. Vicki will be like a concubine. Except we're not married. And oh, I don't love her a teeny weeny bit."
Stefan charged at him, outraged. Elena tried to hold him back, knowing he wasn't ready to fight someone like Damon right now, despite the vervain weakening the other vampire. She failed, and almost tripped herself over. Stefan delivered a punch in Damon's face before getting kicked back, falling into a tree. Blood formed at his head, dribbling down his face, but disappeared after seconds.
"I'll get you, Damon. You just wait. And don't you dare harm Vicki further. Or Caroline, for that matter." Stefan snarled, then he beckoned for Elena, and they left, leaving Damon cackling after them.