CHAPTER 8

Sheriff Forbes woke up slowly and painfully. She could hear steady beeping and tried to turn off her alarm but she couldn't move her arm. The harder she tried, the more panicked she became until she heard a voice.

"Liz, Liz," the voice said. "You need to calm down. You're fine but you're in the hospital."

Damon. That was Damon Salvatore's voice Liz realized before the words penetrated.

"Hospital?" she croaked out and blinked open her eyes.

"Yes, you're in the hospital," Damon said. "Do you want me to get your doctor?"

Liz slowly moved her head so she could see Damon sitting next to her. She realized belatedly that he was holding her hand and she thought that was nice.

"What kind of drugs am I on?" she asked her voice slightly slurred and very rough.

Damon chuckled and squeezed her hand lightly. "The really good ones," he said.

"I feel like I got hit by a bus," the sheriff said her voice slowly getting back to normal. "What happened?"

"We were kind of hoping you could tell us," Damon said. "Well, the deputies were anyway. I'm just glad you're okay. Caroline has been freaking out."

"Caroline?" Liz asked. "Is she here?"

"I made her go with Elena and Bonnie to take a walk," Damon lied easily. "She was driving the staff crazy."

Liz smiled slightly at that. "How long?" she asked.

"Not too long actually," Damon told her. "We found you last night."

"Found me?" Liz said her face clearly showing her struggle to remember. "Wait, I was following a couple of those bikers. I had made some calls and wanted to see what they were up to."

Damon nodded at that. "You were unconscious near Mystic Grille when we found you," he told her. "You'd been beaten pretty badly. I suspect there were several attackers."

Liz nodded slightly at that and winced in pain but before she could say anything else Caroline rushed into the room.

"Mom! You're awake," Caroline said leaning over her mother and hugging her carefully. "Are you feeling okay? Do you need more medicine? I should find the doctor. Where is the nurse anyway? She should have been in here when you woke up…"

"Caroline," Liz said tolerantly cutting off the rant. "Breathe. I'm fine. I will be fine."

"I was scared," Caroline whispered.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," Liz said. "I'm really going to be okay. But I don't want you staying at the house alone while I'm stuck in here."

"Mom," Caroline said but it was plaintive this time.

"She can stay at the boarding house," Damon said smoothly. "Plenty of room."

"Oh, Damon, we shouldn't impose like that," Liz said.

"Nonsense," Damon said. "You'll heal faster if you know Caroline is safe and she'll be safe if she stays at the boarding house."

"That would definitely put my mind at ease," Liz said. "Caroline, is that okay with you? Or would you rather stay with the Bennetts?"

"It's okay," Caroline said rolling her eyes. "I'll stay with Damon if it'll make you feel better."

"It will," Liz confirmed.

Elena, Bonnie, and Jeremy hovered in the doorway and waved at the sheriff.

"Glad you're awake," Elena said.

"Thank you," Liz said.

The nurse entered the room and said, "There are too many people here. The sheriff needs to rest. The doctor is on the way to check on her."

Damon nodded and released the sheriff's hand. "We'll head out," he said. "Liz, call if you need anything. We'll be back later to check on you."

"Thank you, Damon," Liz said.

"That's what friends are for, Liz," Damon said with a smile.

The group arrived at the boarding house to find Alaric waiting for them.

"What happened?" Ric asked as soon as they were all inside.

"A group of bikers attacked my mom," Caroline said and her face vamped out.

"The ones who were in the Grille with us?" Ric asked.

Damon shook his head. "No, they were still there when we left," he said. "But they are all connected. The five that hurt Elena, the five that beat up Liz, and the group at the Grille – they are all together."

"We should go hunt down the rest of them," Caroline said furiously. "We can handle them, Damon."

"Caroline, you can't just go around killing everyone who knows someone who committed a crime," Bonnie pointed out.

Caroline hissed at her and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"As much as it pains me, I agree with Sabrina over there," Damon said. "Though for completely different reasons."

"What?" Alaric asked in surprise.

"I have nothing against slaughtering them wholesale," Damon said with a shrug. "However, Liz was investigating the bikers when she was attacked. If all the bikers suddenly disappear, the deputies are going to get mighty suspicious."

"So we do nothing?" Caroline demanded. "They tried to kill my mother!"

"And you killed them," Bonnie pointed out. "Now, maybe since your mother is sheriff, you should leave the rest of them to the police."

"Yes," Damon said causing everyone to gape at him. "At least for now."

"For now?" Bonnie asked suspiciously.

"Yes, for now," Damon said darkly. "If they try to run or if the police run into a wall, I'm not going to just let them get away with it."

"But they didn't do anything," Bonnie pointed out. "You've already killed the ones who did."

"Bonnie, if this is what they do in Mystic Falls, why do you think they won't move to a new town, one that doesn't have a witch and vampires to protect it, and do the same thing?" Elena asked softly. "What would you say to the girl they trapped in an alley who didn't have Damon to save her from being raped? When we could have stopped them from ever going to her town? No one is asking you to help. But I'm going to trust Damon and Caroline on what needs to be done this time."

Bonnie's gaze moved between the three who had spoken and finally she nodded. Jeremy squeezed her hand and she smiled at him.

"So since you are both staying here now," Damon said looking at Elena and Caroline, "feel free to have a pillow fight in your underwear in the living room. And there's a video camera right there to record the moment for prosperity."

Jeremy let out a chuckle, Alaric shook his head, Bonnie made a disgusted face, Elena rolled her eyes and Caroline shot him a glare. Then Elena threw a throw pillow at him.

"You're aim is a little off," Damon said smirking at her. "Caroline is right there. And you're wearing too many clothes. But if you feel the need to practice…"

"Oh, gross," Bonnie said getting up quickly. "I can't take any more."

Jeremy threw an apologetic look over his shoulder at the group and followed her out the door.

Elena and Caroline ignored Damon and went up the stairs to find a bedroom for Caroline to use while the sheriff was in the hospital.

"You did that on purpose," Alaric said quietly once he and Damon were alone. "You wanted to break the tension in the room."

"Did I?" Damon asked, all innocence. "Or did I just want to watch Elena and Caroline have a pillow fight in their lingerie?"

Alaric rolled his eyes and said, "You talk a good game but you're now responsible for the safety of two teenage girls for the foreseeable future."

"Damn," Damon said. "So much for my brilliant plan to watch a sexy girl fight."

Alaric just shook his head and left while Damon poured another drink and listened to Caroline complain about every bedroom in the house.