Chapter six

You can't have her.

"This isn't right!" The voice shouted, I couldn't figure who it was, it sounded so angry, full of pain. Part of me didn't what to know who they could be talking about; I couldn't feel anything, as I couldn't figure out what was happening.

The sound of footsteps echoed in my head, they stopped, "No, this is your fault," I knew the charm in the tone, the fact it was making my insides swim, "Stefan you made this happen," I couldn't believe it.

My eyes snapped opened to the sound of my alarm buzzing me out of sleep, I couldn't help roll to one side turning it off, my head felt dizzy. I couldn't believe they'd come back; part of me didn't like the feeling, to know something, but not know anything.

Getting out of bed I didn't want to be there again, feeling my hands into my hair turning on the shower I couldn't be letting these visions get to me. I didn't want to be the girl who was crazy and seeing things in my head that I couldn't explain to anyone.

The shower didn't help, part of me wanted to know more, it would always be the same thing I would see and hear, but every vision would bring a new puzzle piece to this growing mystery. Even if I was still confused to what it could mean, all I knew it that some how it involved the Salvatore brothers.

"Daphne, breakfast," Gina's voice sounded better than it had in a long while as I looked over the mirror to myself. My hair waved down my back, I'd gone for wearing jeans and a button down blouse in rose tint pink. I quickly glanced over my reflection before rushing down the stairs with my school bag and jacket. "You look lovely," Gina added when she looked me over.

"How's school going?" Daniel asked while looking over the morning paper, I sat down looking to my breakfast. I know for my dad to ask that it was trying to get to something else; the school was just an easy way to start a conversation with me.

Placing some syrup onto my pancakes I looked up to Daniel as he kept watching me, "Schools good, I got an A on my last science pop quiz," I kept my tone neutral, trying to keep his eyes, trying work out what he was worried about, it wasn't too hard to see it written on his face.

Gina sat the other side of me, she coughed lightly, and I didn't know that my father and me were having a staring contest, or I put it that way, but it was hard to know with him. "I was thinking, this weekend, we do something." She smiled, it was that smile to calm herself, "As a family, it's a been a long time since we did something as a family…"

Both Daniel and me stared at her, the fact the last time we did anything as a family I was only ten, we went to a picnic that I said I didn't want to go to. Well to make a long story short, there was a storm, a big one that ended up making a pile up that our car was lucky enough to get out of. "Are you sure that is a good idea?" Daniel asked Gina as he folded his paper up.

"Yeah, I have like tones of school work to do," I added while slowly starting to eat breakfast keeping my eye on the time. I think it was the fact I really didn't see anything good coming from family time. "I would love to, but school is important for me to get into a good college…" I replied.

Gina sighed, "I just feel we done spend enough time together," she got up from the table, I glanced to her, for a brief second I thought I saw something, it was hard to explain, but to what most people would call a baby belly. I blinked and it was gone, feeling my eyes going back to the clock on the kitchen wall. "Are you alright dear?" her eyes focused on mine.

"Fine, I just got to get to bus stop," I moved from the table, again I had to rush away from my family, not because I didn't care, but how can you tell your own mother she's pregnant when she doesn't even know it yet herself.

The first time in months I was sitting alone on the bus the whole ride to school. When Tiffany got on, she walked right by me to sit alone. I didn't even know how I was going to handle her after everything. It wasn't that I wanted to shake her with everything I had to convince her that I didn't like Stefan that way, or that I wished for everything I could of turned back the hands of time and never spoke to Stefan in the first place.

I kept turning around to look at Tiffany's face on the other side of the bus, her eyes were focused out the window, I didn't want to lose her, but what else was there for me to do to prove to her that I wasn't getting into anything with Stefan.

I felt Tiffany push past me as I'd made my way into the school building, part of me wanted to say something when she rushed by me, but my voice wouldn't make a sound. I knew that she needed to time to come to terms with what was going on.

Stefan was standing by my locker when I got there, I felt my eyes catching onto his, "I really wished you'd stop this," I said opening my locker door, I didn't want to focus on him, part of me didn't want him to answer the questions.

"I'm sorry about Tiffany," his voice a low, his eyes avoided mine and I knew why, a part of him felt bad that he didn't feel the way Tiffany felt, but was Damon right with saying that Stefan had a crush on me. "If you want I can talk to her." He added finally meeting my eyes.

"I think it's best you don't," I closed the locker door, it was getting harder to look at Stefan without questioning myself about what was he planning with Damon if he was planning anything at all. "Really, all I think you should do is leave me alone," I closed the locker after taking out my book I needed, my eyes kept on Stefan's for a moment, "It's just you're creeping me out," I now turned on my heels walking away, I didn't wanted to be mean, I just wanted some space to work things out for myself.

Most of my lessons I kept trying to focus on the teacher, but when the lunch bell rung I didn't expect to see Tiffany, I had gym class after lunch with her, part of me wished she'd stop being silly and talk to me, maybe get over the crush that Stefan seemed to return, or the way it was going, maybe he did have a crush on me.

"Are you planning on having anyone join you?" Damon's voice snapped me out of my train of thought, I'd always sat on this beach at lunch, but it seemed he tracked me down. His eyes looked bright today, he kept smiling.

I'd pointed to the space moving to give him some more room, but he opted to sitting closer to me, I kept my eyes on his as I pulled apart my lunch like always. "How long has Stefan been talking about me?" I asked him, I had to know, part of me needed to know the truth.

Damon was quiet for a while; it was as if he was keeping me in suspense. "Well, I'd only say he mentioned you last week," he then looked into my eyes, "Why are you scared of my brother?" he asked, I focused on his pupils. He kept focused on me while I blinked feeling awkward.

"Ok," I started studying his eyes, "I'm not scared of Stefan, he just seems a little," I tried to think of the right words, "I don't know," I added while trying to keep myself focused on the conversation apposed to seeing Tiffany making her way across the court yard towards another bench to eat her lunch.

"A little what?" he asked me, I stopped staring at Tiffany to look at Damon again, he was watching me closely, and I didn't understand what was wrong with these brothers.

I inhaled, exhaled, and sighed, "He creeps me out a little," I tried to sound concerned about it; I didn't want to insult his brother. I was just worried for his well being. Damon broke into a laughing fit, as I sat there staring at him, "What?" I asked trying to not laugh myself.

"No, it's just the way you say that," Damon controlled himself, he kept smiling, that made me feel more relaxed in his presence. "So I was thinking, you got any plans this weekend?" Damon's question caught me off guard as I did a double take.

Part of me wasn't expecting the question, but that was it, he was just asking my plans as I relaxed. "I don't know, I would normally meet up with Tiffany, but I doubt that will happen, plus my mother wanted to do a family weekend, I doubt that too." I felt my hands kept playing with my lunch, talking with Damon had made me forget to eat, so I quickly popped a piece of my sandwich into my mouth trying to focus on eating, not getting expectations.

It was silence for a while, I kept eating my lunch while glancing over to Tiffany, and part of me wasn't good at figuring out how to act. "Well, how do you feel about spending the day with me?" I felt his eyes burning onto mine.

I kept still for a second, "Well it all depends," I replied, smiling brightly I couldn't believe I was actually Flirting, but with a senior. "So what will we be doing?" I asked finishing off my sandwich. I closed my lunch box hearing the lunch bell going, I got to my feet looking down to Damon trying to ignore the pounding in my chest. "Let me know after school," I finally started to walk away, a part of me grinning to myself trying my hardest not to look back at him.

Getting into the changing room, I could see Tiffany was looking at me, she kept her eyes were focused. "So who was the guy eating lunch with you?" she asked folding her arms across her chest.

"Damon," I replied moving to my changing area, I didn't want to give his surname, it was nice to hear Tiffany's voice, for now I wanted to make her see that I wasn't interested in Stefan, so she'd stop blaming me. "He's a senior," I added with a wiggle of my eyebrow starting to get ready for gym class.

"A senior," Tiffany exhaled, she started to get her gym clothes out of her locker, her eyes going over mine, I could tell she'd completely forgot the fact she was upset, but now she had something to brighten her mood, "And what does this senior Damon want from you?" she asked bumping my hip with hers.

I couldn't help but blush brushing a piece of stray hair behind my ear, "A date, this weekend," my voice dropped.

"Oh ignore me, I mean he is a class A hunk, you need to go," her voice low trying to ignore the other girls entering the changing room, her eyes still bright as we changed in silence, I still didn't know what I was going to say to this date idea, for now I was going to work these brothers out.

I couldn't watch, yet as I kept looking across the hall all I could see was the waving red hair of Daphne as she leaned against her locker, Damon. I couldn't believe he was doing this to get under my skin, my eyes narrowed.

"So, what have you thought about this date?" I could tell she was happy, the flutter of her heart that she'd never know that Damon was keeping track of, I could hear it clear as if it was right beside me.

Damon moved closer to her, I wished for everything to just stop this, I kept still, "Well, how about me and you, day at the pier, can get to know each other," he kept that charm, I knew that charm was a mask for the evil that he kept inside, the fact he was enjoying this because it bothered me.

"Hey," I was shaken from my eves dropping, my eyes going to Tiffany, as she was standing right in front of me. It took me a while to focus. "Look, I want you to know, that Daphne isn't into you, and you shouldn't stalk her." Her eyes focused on mine, it seemed the perky girl wasn't just that, I kept still, I'd lost focus on Damon and Daphne and as I peeked over Tiffany's big blonde hair, I'd noticed they'd gone.

"Look it's not that," I kept my voice calm, I'd no idea where Damon could of gone, but all I could hear was chatter of high school kids, and I had given up any hope of getting Daphne's answer. "Damon is my brother, and he's not a good guy, in fact, he's a very bad one." I started to walk away, but I knew Tiffany would follow me.

She did, it was funny how I moved to avoid her, she managed to keep up, "Stefan, wait!" she shouted through the crowds, her hand grabbed onto my arm, "What do you mean bad?" Tiffany looked worried, I'd expected it, but for now there wasn't much I could say to her, not that is was simple to tell her my brother was a vindictive vampire who will rip anyone's throat out without a second thought.

I stared down into Tiffany's eyes; I couldn't believe I was going to do something I'd not done in a long time. "Tiffany, you will crash Daphne and Damon's date, you will then tell me everything…" I could see my compulsion was working on her, I knew that Damon would know I compelled her, but maybe if I was lucky he'd not think I'd snoop that low just yet. "What did I ask you Tiffany?" I focused; it was a long shot of this working.

"Follow Daphne and Damon, tell you everything," her voice was bewitched, easy to know that it was working, and I sighed.

"Whoa, I zoned," Tiffany laughed when she was back to herself, she didn't even remember the conversation, "I'm gonna miss my bus," she rushed off before I could brush my hands over my head feeling horrible for what I've done.

I wasn't sat home alone for long, I'd hear him pull up before he'd even stopped the engine, I couldn't keep myself still, I was feeling like everything in me wanted to hit him, I wanted to beat him, but I couldn't it would prove he was getting to me.

So I sat and looked to the door feeling his every footstep, my eyes connected with his as he opened the door with a smirk. "Waited for me, how sweet brother," he closed the door softly; it was as if he was enjoying the moment, taking in for all it's worth.

"Something like that," I replied getting to my feet slowly, it took everything in me to keep calm; I had to try and make that this wasn't making me want to tear his head off. "So."

"Daphne is a adorable," he cut me off, he walked over to the kitchen for the coffee machine, "I find that she likes me, a lot." He raised his eyebrows, I could tell it was his way of provoking me, but I wasn't going to bite. "It's going to be a nice day, taking her to the pier," he continued, he started to make a fresh pot of coffee. "I mean it took a drive home, a promise to pick her, meet the folks," he then smirked even more, the one thing that would be perfect to Damon. An invitation into her home.

"Damon, is it worth it?" my question snapped out, I couldn't control it as I wished I didn't say anything. "You can have any girl, and this one,"

"Isn't easy to compel," he finished my sentence, "I tried, and failed, so when did you give her Vervain?" he looked seriously to me, for a moment I could of laughed, but I kept serious.

The fact we'd both tried to compel her, I only did it to try and keep her away from Damon, but I knew why he'd do it. "No, I've not, I've not gotten my hands on anything with Vervain since you made it clear what you'd do if I did…" I kept my voice serious, but if Daphne had a way of getting past the compulsion.

Damon twirled a mug in his hand before shrugging, "Well guess I am going to have fun finding out." He started to pour himself a coffee glancing back to me, "Stefan, remember one thing, don't think of doing something stupid," he didn't even look at me while talking, I knew what he meant, but for now I kept still. "I could simple just, well you know what I can do," he finished pouring, he walked passed me, our eyes meet for a second.

"I won't let you hurt."

"Stefan, just tell me what is so special about her? And I'll leave her," his stare was still intense on me. I looked away from his gaze, "fine, then I guess I'm going to be having fun Saturday." He sipped the coffee finally walking to his own room leaving me making sure I was going to find out about Daphne before him, and protect her what ever my brother had planned.

A/N: right before anyone new reading this, and sees the 'immune' to compulsion, please don't start getting into the ' that isn't real' and start calling Daphne a Mary Sue, cos I have an answer to this, trust me... So just bare with me here, cos I know what I'm doing... Ok feel better getting that out the way.
Cos writing this, I'm thinking, This isn't right, but the yes, there is always method in the madness...
XoXo
Emy