Disclaimer: I do not own ANYTHING *TVD*

…Scarlett hadn't really spoken to Damon after the moment between them while he laid dying just to be saved. She avoided him anyway she could unless it concerned Stefan. Each day Stefan was with Klaus falling deeper into his old ways of being "the ripper", the more Scarlett felt guilty for choosing to leave him to go to Damon. Scarlett, Elena, Alaric and Damon all teamed up during the summer to find Stefan and keep track of him. To stay better into the loop Scarlett moved into the Salvatore mansion into Stefan's room just in case he ever showed up again. Although, they lived in the same house Scarlett made sure she didn't run into Damon & his hot new "girlfriend", Andie Starr the tv news anchor. The only time they really saw each other was when they were following up on a lead they got from Sheriff Forbes. Every time they thought they were getting closer to getting Stefan back they always hit a bump in the road realizing they were one step behind.

Days before school was supposed to begin, Scarlett got a call from Caroline about Elena's birthday party and a lead her mother received about an "animal attack" in Tennessee. After getting dressed into a t-shirt, light blue jean shorts, and brown ankle length combat boots, she walked into Damon's room without knocking to find him standing before her in all his "glory".

Scarlett: Damon…

As soon as she walked in he turned his naked body around to her standing in the doorway. Scarlett was speechless at first. Her eyes slowly made their way up his body. She then walked in to his room, found a towel and threw it to him. He covered up slowly while smiling at her.

Damon: You should learn to knock. What if I was indecent?

Scarlett: I got a lead from Caroline. Hurry up and get your little girlfriend on it so we can find Stefan.

Damon: If I didn't know any better I would think you're jealous.

Scarlett: Good thing you do know better right?

Scarlett walked out of his room. The plan went as just this, Sheriff Forbes would get a lead pass it off to Scarlett & Elena, they would then pass it off to Damon who would have Andie search for an address then relay that back to Damon & Alaric who would go off to check it out. Scarlett would stay behind to protect Elena and also because she didn't want to be near Damon if they were to ever find Stefan. No matter how much she tried to avoid Damon or ignore him, they were connected and even with her feelings for Stefan and Damon sleeping with Andie it didn't change. While Alaric and Damon followed up on the lead in Tennessee that Sheriff Forbes gave them, Scarlett, Elena, Caroline and Tyler set up for Elena's Birthday Party. As busy as Scarlett tried to stay she couldn't stop thinking about Stefan or Damon.

Elena: Stop it.

Scarlett: What?

Elena: You're thinking about Stefan again.

Scarlett: I'm worried about him. He's been gone for two months without a word. And I feel like Damon's been holding back from us. He knows something we don't know.

Caroline: Like what?

Scarlett: I don't know. He's been fighting me on finding Stefan all summer.

Elena: …You're right.

Tyler: Maybe it's because he doesn't really want to find Stefan.

Elena: Why would Damon not want to find Stefan? He wants him back just as bad as we do.

Tyler: Maybe because he thinks without Stefan in the picture he could get Scar back.

Scarlett: Damon knows that's never gonna happen.

Tyler: You did tell him you loved him & kissed him on his death bed.

Caroline: Ty!

Caroline hit Tyler in the arm. Scarlett swung her head around to Tyler.

Scarlett: How…

Scarlett looked at Elena and then Caroline upsettingly. She walked away.

Elena: Caroline that was supposed to be a secret.

Caroline: Sorry!

Elena went after Scarlett. Scarlett went up to Stefan's bedroom where she had been sleeping since the night he left. She grabbed one of his shirts and gripped it tight in her arms and began to sob in it. She sat on his bed finally realizing how much she really missed him. Elena came in and sat next to her wrapping her arms around her to comfort her.

Scarlett: I miss him.

Elena: Me too. …He's gonna be okay. We have to believe that.

After letting out a cry she held in all summer she and Elena sat and talked.

Elena: You okay?

Scarlett: Yea. I'm just so worried about him.

Elena: I am too but I haven't given up hope. He's out there somewhere and I'm sure he misses you just as much as you miss him.

Scarlett: I hope so.

Elena: How about just for tonight we just "try" to have fun like normal teenage girls? Deal?

Scarlett was hesitant but she couldn't deny her best friend her birthday wish.

Scarlett: Deal.

Scarlett and Elena got ready for the party together. Before they knew it the entire Salvatore mansion was filled with people from their school. While everyone enjoyed themselves drinking and dancing, Scarlett just stood in the corner with a red cup full of bourbon observing everyone. She couldn't believe this was her life now. She was once the most popular girl in school and now she couldn't feel more distant from that life. She couldn't stop thinking of finding Stefan and when Alaric & Damon came back with no trace of him again she decided to do things her way. She knew Damon was hiding something from her so she went searching through his room while he was out picking up Andie from the station. She wanted to know what Damon thought he needed to hide from them especially her so there was no place she hesitated to look. While she was looking through the bathroom she found Andie's black silk nighty on the floor near the shower. Scarlett's temporary jealousy took over and with the glare from her stare the nighty she held with the tip of her two fingers was burned to ashes that now covered a section of Damon's bathroom floor nearest the shower. She continued looking through Damon's things for whatever he was hiding. She opened up one side of his closet and looked through pockets and boxes. There was no limit to wear Damon would hide things (moonstone in soap dish). Scarlett dug deep into his favorite black leather jacket was a picture of him and Scarlett at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant staring into each other's eyes smiling as they danced. It was a great picture that brought back those same exact feelings at that point in time. As soon as Scarlett glanced up and saw the other side of Damon's closet door full of clippings of "victims of animal attacks" around the country, the same exact leads they were getting from Sheriff Forbes to track Stefan. Damon had been tracking Stefan without her. As she was looking through the clippings Damon walked in his room pissed about something, but Scarlett was too upset herself to care. She wanted answers.

Scarlett: What the hell is this?

Damon: Ugh! I don't have time for this right now Scarlett. Just get out.

Scarlett: You've been holding out! You've been keeping track of Klaus' victims. You had leads all along. Why would you keep these from me?

Damon: Because they're not Klaus' victims! They're Stefan's!

Scarlett looked at Damon in complete disbelief. These people couldn't really have been killed by Stefan, not her Stefan...could they?

Scarlett: …You're lying.

Scarlett touched the clippings, closed her eyes, running her fingers through each clipping to see how each victim was murdered…by Stefan. She took her hand off and opened her eyes. She looked over at Damon with sadness and heartbreak in her eyes. He could see it and he could feel it.

Damon: Stefan flipped the switch. He's a full blown ripper. He's never coming back…not to you, not to me, not to anyone!

Damon knew his words hurt Scarlett as she silently walked out the room dropping their picture to the floor. Damon picked it up when she left and felt even guiltier. She went back to Stefan's bedroom and sat there thinking to herself. She looked over and saw a picture of them together and she told herself she'll find him. Later that night she called Alaric and Elena and told them she was seeking out Stefan without Damon. She was going to find him by herself. She started tapping into her powers to figure out the trail Klaus was taking them on. Klaus never did anything without a reason. He was searching for someone or something in Tennessee. Once Scarlett figured out what Klaus was up to and where he was going to be next she wanted to immediately go to Damon, but just as she had been furiously ignoring/avoiding him, he had been doing the same to her. Instead she relayed the information she gathered to Alaric and Elena and decided to go track down Klaus and Stefan by herself once she found out where they were heading. Alaric convinced her to let him go with her. Scarlett and Alaric set off into the Smoky Mountains where their latest lead came from. While in the woods Scarlett carried a t-shirt of Stefan's that she put a spell on to locate him. The humidity was high and the sun was shining through the open spots of the trees. Plus besides the locator spell, Alaric seemed to know his way pretty well around the woods.

Scarlett: Y'know you're pretty good at this. Almost too good. Past boy scout?

Alaric: Not just any boy scout. I was the best. I still have all those awards to prove it.

Scarlett: Alaric Saltzman, the boy scout. I would pay to go back in time and see that.

Scarlett looked down at Alaric's hand as he passed her a bottle of water. He was wearing John Gilbert's ring again. She smiled.

Scarlett: You put it back on.

He looked down at his ring.

Alaric: Yea. Elena guilted me into it.

Scarlett: I'm glad you decided to put it back on. I know you think you're a lousy adult and your irresponsible and maybe even a drunk, but you also care about us more than anybody ever has. I think I can speak for Elena and Jeremy as well when I say we are really lucky to have you watching over us.

Alaric held back a smile. He felt very appreciated at that moment.

Scarlett: I'm gonna go cool off by the lake.

Scarlett walked down by the lake in her white tank top, blue shorts, and sneakers with her huge backpack. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and then began to rinse her sweaty face with the cool water from the lake. She took off her tank top and was just in her sports bra when her heart began racing and her insides began to tingle. Before she could put together what was happening she was grabbed from behind and thrown in the water. When she stood up and wiped her eyes to see she saw Damon standing there.

Scarlett: Damon! What the hell are you doing here?!

Damon: Here to save you.

Scarlett: I don't need you to save me and I don't need you here!

Damon: You seem pretty happy to see me.

Damon folded his arms across his chest hinting to Scarlett. She looked down at her chest and her nipples were hard from the rush of the cold water. She quickly covered her chest by crossing her arms knee deep in lake water.

Damon: Let's go. I'm taking you home.

Scarlett: I'm not going anywhere with you.

Damon: You plan to find Stefan out here on the night of a full moon where wolves are known to roam? Did you even think this through?

Scarlett: I thought of Stefan.

Damon: …Get out the water Scarlett.

Scarlett: No.

Damon: Get your ass out the damn water now!

Scarlett: Go to hell Damon!

Damon could see Scarlett wasn't budging so he joined her in the water. Alaric and Elena just stood by watching the two of them.

Damon: What the hell are you trying to prove?

Scarlett: I'm trying to save Stefan.

Damon: Has Stefan even tried to contact you since he left on his killing spree with Klaus?

Scarlett: No but that doesn't mean anything. Klaus could be holding him against his will, making him do things he obviously doesn't want to.

Damon: Then how come he called Elena?

Scarlett felt like she was punched in the gut. She had no idea that he called Elena. Why wouldn't he call her? Maybe this was just Damon's little tricks to make her leave.

Scarlett: You're lying.

Damon: Am I?

He knew that hurt Scarlett just as much as it did to tell her. She knew he was telling the truth but she just didn't understand why Stefan wouldn't reach out to her. Why Elena? She shook her head disappointed.

Scarlett: …Why are you even here? I thought you're mission to rescuing Stefan was over. You know since he killed your girlfriend and all. Or did you just come here because Elena asked?

Damon: Why does it matter why I'm here?

Scarlett: Because all you ever do is ruin my life!

Damon came in closer to her. Their eyes met as they stood face to face in the middle of a lake. Scarlett was immediately breathless and speechless. Her heart raced as well as his.

Damon: If I'm always ruining your life then how come you kissed me and told me you loved me?

Scarlett looked in his eyes and then down at his lips. She swallowed slowly before speaking again. She moved her eyes back up to his.

Scarlett: I'm not leaving here without Stefan. I dare you to try and stop me.

Scarlett swam pass Damon and got out the water grabbing her things near the lake. Damon rolled his eyes knowing he couldn't leave Scarlett. Powerful witch or not he was going to protect her even if it meant risking his life again. The three of them followed Scarlett back into the woods where her and Damon continue to throw snide comments at each other.

Scarlett: Elena I can't believe you told him where we were.

Elena: I was only trying to help.

Scarlett: Were you also trying to help when you decided not to tell me that Stefan called you?

Elena didn't know what to say to comfort her already hurting friend.

Scarlett: …Yea.

Alaric: Were all supposed to be working together. We all want to find Stefan.

Scarlett: We can't be too sure about that.

Damon: When did you get to be such an annoying, self centered child?

Scarlett: The same time you became an annoying, self centered prick.

As they were walking a man with blood coming out of his eyes in pretty bad shape came running toward them.

Elena: Oh my God.

Alaric: It's a werewolf.

Scarlett: How? It isn't even a full moon yet.

Damon: Something's up.

Alaric: Let's just back away slowly.

As soon as they took a step back the wolf in human form went straight for Damon. They went rolling through the woods as Damon tried to fight him off. Scarlett froze into a panic. Suddenly, her every thought became Damon. Alaric shot an arrow at the wolf but he still kept trying to kill Damon. Elena used a vervain grenade but burned Damon instead. Scarlett used her powers throwing him off Damon into a tree and then snapping his neck. Elena then ran over to Damon to check on him.

Elena: You okay?

Damon: Yea. I'm fine.

Scarlett was relieved but she was still worried. Wolves usually traveled in packs so that meant there were more out there and once the night fell and the moon was full…Damon didn't stand a chance. She could feel death in the air. She looked up at the trees and it was like they were telling her to go.

Alaric: Scar?

She kept on looking at the trees. She closed her eyes and saw what would happen if they didn't leave.

Alaric: Scarlett?

She looked at the three of them.

Scarlett: Damon…get up.

He was so confused but he listened. As soon as he stood up the human wolf woke up ready to attack Damon again, but this time he was quick. Damon held him against the tree in a chokehold.

Damon: Run!

Elena and Alaric took off back to the cars while Scarlett hesitated.

Damon: Go.

Scarlett: No.

Damon: Scarlett!

Scarlett looked around the woods and with a force of her powers made a tree collapse to the ground. She snapped a sharp branch off and lunged it right into the guy's head through the tree behind him slightly missing Damon. Damon let him go and let his body drop to the ground.

Scarlett: Let's go.

Scarlett and Damon took off into the woods trying to catch up with Alaric and Elena. While running Scarlett tripped over a branch falling to the ground. When she looked up she was face to face with an oversized full formed werewolf. Damon stopped running.

Damon: Scarlett don't move.

She could feel the hot breath melting her face as he breathed in and out. Suddenly there was a rock falling off of the wolf's head turning his attention to Damon.

Damon: Run!

Scarlett got up and ran away as the wolf launched at Damon and they went rolling down a hill. Scarlett raced to the car where Alaric and Elena already were.

Alaric: Where's Damon?

Scarlett turned around shocked to see that Damon was no longer behind her.

Scarlett: No. He was supposed to be behind me. I have to go back for him.

As she turned to go back Alaric grabbed her arm to stop her.

Alaric: Damon can take care of himself. Let him handle it.

Scarlett: You don't understand…I can't leave him.

Scarlett pulled away from Alaric and went running back into the woods to look for Damon as night fell. She searched panicking like she was never going to find him until she just stopped.

Scarlett: Okay. Just calm down. You can find him. Just focus.

She took a deep breath and she focused on Damon. With her eyes closed she began walking in the direction where she sensed Damon. She concentrated only on him. When she finally stopped she slowly opened her eyes and there he was before her.

Damon: I thought I told you to run.

She was relieved to see him but she tried not to show him. A part of her was still upset that he was there to stop her from getting to

Scarlett: You were supposed to be behind me. What happened?

Damon: Let's just get out of here before any more werewolves hop out and try to kill me.

Damon and Scarlett went walking away together. As they walked away Scarlett felt like someone lurked behind the trees watching. She felt him. When they got back to Mystic Falls Scarlett stopped Elena on her porch before she went into the house.

Scarlett: (sad) What did he say?

Elena turned around to her.

Elena: Stefan?

Scarlett: …Yea.

Elena: He didn't say anything. He was just quiet on the phone.

Scarlett: Did you say anything to him?

Elena: Yea. I told him to have hope... and that we love him and to hold on.

Scarlett nodded her head.

Scarlett: I'm glad he called you.

Scarlett walked off the porch.

Elena: Scar!

She turned back around to Elena.

Elena: Why don't you stay here tonight? We could stay up late and talk and eat banana splits.

Scarlett: …I think I just wanna be alone tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Scarlett got back in her car and drove to the Salvatore mansion. She changed out of her sweaty, dirty clothes and got in the shower. Once she got out and walked back into Stefan's room in just a towel, Damon was there sitting on the bed. Scarlett looked at him as she stood there in a towel.

Damon: …I was wrong.

Scarlett looked at him confused.

Damon: Stefan can be saved.

Scarlett finally put it all together. Everything that happened in the woods…

Scarlett: He was there.

Damon: He saved me.

Scarlett pushed her hair back and held back her cries.

Damon: He told me to focus on keeping you and Elena safe. …He still loves you and he's still fighting to protect you.

Scarlett: Yea well…it seems like he's made contact with everyone except me. He doesn't want me to find him.

Damon knew she was sad but he needed to ask her one more thing that had been on his mind since they left the mountains.

Damon: Why did you decide to ditch the grand plan to save Stefan in the mountains?

Scarlett: …Just leave it alone Damon.

Scarlett went over to the top drawer where she kept some of her clothes and began searching through it.

Damon: I'm not gonna leave it alone. Tell me.

Scarlett: I'm tired Damon.

Damon walked over to her and shut the drawer making her look up at him.

Damon: Why?

Scarlett stared into his soft, heartbreaking eyes for another few seconds before catching her breath and answering him.

Scarlett: I didn't want anything to happen to you.

Hearing that gave Damon the hope he had been looking for since he and Scarlett broke up. She still cared about him…maybe even still loved him like she used to. Scarlett turned away from him and walked over to the door gesturing for him to leave the room. He was hesitant to just leave her alone knowing that she was still upset about Stefan, but he was now on a high knowing that although she was upset about Stefan she still thought of him. He walked out and she slowly closed the door behind him.