Chapter 7 – Surprises

Third Person P.O.V.

"What do you mean it's about Silas?" Stefan said while pacing back and forth in front of Damon and Elena.

"Stefan… you're his doppelganger." Damon said as gently as he could.

Stefan stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look Damon in the eyes. He stalked straight up to Damon. The one good thing he thought about him and his brother was that he was taller than Damon. Only by one inch but still, he was still taller.

"What the fuck do you mean that I'm his doppelganger?" Stefan said, well, yelled at Damon.

"Well," Damon started, shocked at how angry Stefan was. It wasn't like he suspected Stefan would greet him with open arms, but Stefan had the look of hatred in his eyes. And it scared him. "Silas showed up at the boarding house and basically reviled himself to all of us."

After a few seconds of silence, Stefan laughed. He laughed really hard. Damon did not appreciate that. Here he was, worried about his little brother and Stefan had the nerve to laugh.

"What the hell is so funny, Stefan?" Damon said.

"How do you know it wasn't another trick?" Stefan said after he finished laughing.

"Yeah, I thought about that." Damon said.

"And?" Stefan asked.

"The truth is I have no clue what's real and what's a trick. But I wasn't going to take any chances about this."

Stefan didn't know what to say about any of this. He looked at Elena, who was staring at someone behind him. He turned around and saw Clara and Jack up at the stage talking about next week's Karaoke night. They were trying to give Stefan some privacy while he talked to Damon. But Elena was staring hard at Clara. Oh, you have to be kidding me, Stefan thought to himself; don't tell me Elena is going to be jealous. She made her choice and I accepted that, so she has absolutely no right to be jealous.

Damon looked over at Elena and saw that she was staring at the girl on the stage. He must have thought the same thing as Stefan because he got a very grumpy look on his face. The three of them stood in an uncomfortable silence before Stefan cleared his throat and brought their attention back from Clara. Elena looked at Damon with an ashamed look on her face and Damon just looked upset. Stefan thought they could all use a drink.

"Hey, Clara, can you come here please?" Stefan said over his shoulder. Clara jumped off the stage and walked over to Stefan. "I think we're all in need of a drink. So could you please make us one?"

"Sure." She said after a short pause. She walked past Damon and Elena, giving them a brief glance, and towards the bar.

"Thank you." Stefan said after her. "So, what are we going to do?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"I have no fucking clue, Stefan!" Damon yelled, upset at Elena not at him. Damon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then said in a calming voice, "Silas said he had a plan but needed time to carry it out. I don't know what that means; he was very vague about his plan."

"Stefan!" A female voice called from the entryway. Stefan looked over and saw Lexi standing there. He ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her. Lexi picked Stefan up and spun him around, both laughing. Lexi suddenly got a very serious look on her face. "Don't you ever take off on me again and not tell me where you're going." She punched his arm, half joking, half serious.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I have some people I want you to meet." Stefan grabbed Lexi's hand and walked her over to the bar. "This is Clara." Stefan said introducing Lexi to Clara. Lexi extended her hand to Clara. "Oh, so this is Clara. It is so nice to meet you." Lexi said to Clara then looked at Stefan.

"And I'm Captain Jack Harkness; who are you?" Lexi turned around and saw Jack standing right behind her.

"I'm Lexi, Stefan's best friend." Lexi said, shaking Jack's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Lexi"

"Don't start." Stefan said, annoyed.

"I was just saying 'hello'." Jack said to Stefan.

"Relax Stefan. He can say 'hello' all he wants." Lexi and Jack were staring in each other's eyes. Oh come on! Stefan thought, Am I the only one not getting any?

"Hey Stefan, I could use a hand with the drinks." Clara said.

"Sure." Stefan walked behind the bar and grabbed several shots of tequila and carried them to a table.

"Alright everyone, shots of tequila." Clara said as she carried the other shots to the table and passed them out.

"To new friends." Jack said lifting his shot glass up in the air for a toast.

"To new friends!" Stefan, Clara, and Lexi said raising their glasses in the air. Damon and Elena just drank theirs without saying anything.

"I would like some more." Elena said to Clara.

"I'm sorry but I used the last of the tequila." Clara replied.

"I said I would like some more. Go out and get some if you have to." Elena began to compel Clara. Clara just stood there with a strange look on her face.

"No. Its two o'clock in the morning I'm not going anywhere for some cheap liquor. And if you want it some badly, than go get it yourself." Clara grabbed the empty glasses and went to the bar to clean them. Jack followed her and Stefan, Lexi, Damon and Elena just stood in shock. Clara wasn't compelled. Does that mean there is vervain somewhere in the city? And if that's true, then does that mean the city knows about vampires?

Stefan looked at Clara. She wasn't wearing any jewelry besides studs in her ears and a small gold ring on her right middle finger. Stefan was confused. She wasn't compelled. How could she not be compelled?

"Hey Stefan, can I talk to you? It's important" Jack said as he came around the corner and walked up to Stefan.

"Yeah, sure." Stefan said still staring at Clara. Jack and Stefan went to the next room. Jack pulled out a chair and sat down. He then motioned for Stefan to do the same.

"We need to talk." Jack began.

"About what?" Stefan was confused. He felt like a little boy about to have the "talk" with his father.

Jack took a deep breath. "I don't know exactly how to say this," he began. "Stefan… I know what you are." Stefan just sat there staring at Jack.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about." Stefan finally said after a long pause.

"Yes you do know Stefan. I know what you are because I'm the same thing." Jack said.

"You mean you're a…"

"Yes." Jack said revealing his fangs.

"How long?" Stefan asked

"I was born in the 19th century in New York. I don't remember much about who turned me or how I became a vampire. All I remember is one day I woke up after being shot in the chest and I was a vampire."

"When did you realize I was one too?"

"The first night we met. I can kinda sense other vampires. Like a sixth sense. It's pretty cool actually."

"What about Clara?" Stefan asked, he needed to know.

"No, Clara isn't a vampire. She doesn't know about us and I want it to stay that way. You see Stefan, she's like my little sister, and I want to protect her from stuff like this."

"Then are you the one who gave her vervain?" Stefan asked Jack.

"No. She doesn't need any. For some reason, Clara can't be compelled. I don't know why. She just can't. Imagine my surprise when I found out." Jack laughed at the memory. Stefan just sat there. Jack was a vampire and Clara can't be compelled.

Well, this is a surprise.