"In here," Stefan stopped his brother before he entered the lounge. "I'm assuming she's not one of yours."
"One of my what?" Damon demanded.
"Look for yourself," as Stefan gestured into the room.
Sitting on one of the leather couches was Vicki Donovan, obviously in transition.
"What the hell?" Damon looked at the new vampire and then at his brother. "Where did she come from?"
Stefan ran a hand through his hair. "Someone left her hog tied at our front door. She was starting to smolder when I found her."
"Can someone please just take me home." Vicki complained. "I don't feel good and I want to sleep this off."
The elder Salvatore looked her over. "Sorry, princess. It doesn't look like you're going to be going anywhere just yet." The teenager huffed at him. "Do you remember what happened to you?"
"I was taking Jeremy to a party out in the woods." She began.
"Shit." Damon threw his hands up in the air. He didn't remember seeing this girl or Jeremy Gilbert in the woods during his frenzy and he certainly didn't remember giving anyone some of his blood but he couldn't be absolutely sure that he didn't.
Stefan watched his brother's agitation for a moment before laying a hand on the older man's shoulder. "I saw Jeremy at school this morning. He was fine." He tried to reassure his brother that at least he didn't eat Elena's sibling. "In fact Elena mentioned that Jer was in a foul mood because of a fight he had gotten into with Vicki."
Vicki affirmed this. "He left almost as soon as he got there. He was pissed with me."
"Then what happened?"
"Well, there was this girl there. I hadn't seen her with the gang before. She said I looked like I could use something a little stronger than what was being passed around."
The brothers both perked up at this. "Then what?"
"We headed away from the party because she said she couldn't share with everyone. She did something really freaky next and cut open her wrist and told me to drink the blood." Vicki stood and started bouncing around the room. "I guess I passed out after drinking her blood cause when I woke up she had someone with her."
"Who was it?"
"That reporter from TV. The one that looks like a Ken Doll."
"Logan Fell." Damon surmised. "Did he say anything?"
"No, he looked really scared." Vicki continued. "Annie had cut his neck and told me to drink from him next."
"First meal." Stefan shook his head. He had briefly met Fell and the Founders party. Elena's aunt didn't seem to care for him and Stef could understand why. Vicki was right in calling him a Ken doll but still he wouldn't wish this on him. "Annie? Was that the girl's name."
"Yeah, Annie or Amy or something. Can I go home now."
Damon frowned. "It would be best if you stayed here a day or two. How about I show you where one of the guest rooms is and you can take a hot shower and rest up before we take to back to your brother."
"Okay." Vicki smiled. "Hey you bit me, didn't you."
"Afraid so."
"I'm hungry."
"We'll see about getting you a snack while you clean up."
Vicki was squared away in one of the guest suites when Damon rejoined his brother in the lounge. Stefan had already poured them both a drink.
"Thank you." Damon picked up his drink sipping it gingerly. "I have some bagged blood stashed in the freezer down stairs. We can spike it with vervain and that should keep her down till we figure out what to do with her."
"What do we want to do with her?"
"Door Number One... we stake her and sink her body in the quarry."
The younger vampire's eyes went wide.
"Door Number Two... we neglect to tell her about her new solar allergy and let mother nature take its course."
Stefan's jaw fell open.
"Or Door Number Three... we teach her how to be a vampire."
"I'll teach her." Stefan volunteered. He liked Matt Donovan and it would hurt the quarterback to lose his sister.
"Going to make her a bunny muncher?" Damon laughed. At his brother's frown, he quickly switched gears. "Bonnie says you gave her a gift today. Thank you for that."
"Thought sharing Zach's stash might help her understand that I just want to get along."
"I think it was much appreciated. She and your Elena are going to be sharing the wealth with a few friends and family."
"I don't think she is my Elena." Stefan frowned again.
"Give her time brother. " Damon refilled his brother's glass. "The only thing that kept you well grounded when you learned that Katherine was a vampire was that she compelled you."
"She never compelled you?" Stefan was curious.
"No, it fascinated me." Damon sat on the couch next to his brother.
"You really loved her?"
"I thought I did." The dark haired vampire sighed. "Maybe I was just in love with the idea of her." he concluded.
Stefan laughed softly. "My evil brother has a romantic side."
"Tell anyone and I'll stake you and sink your body in the quarry."
Still grinning the younger brother raised his hands in surrender. "You're secret is safe." He then got serious. "Honestly, if I had known that she was playing with both of us, I would have stepped aside. I did know you were interested but I didn't realize that she was encouraging your interest along with mine."
"You were compelled little brother. She wouldn't have let you go." Damon wasn't so sure his brother was being completely honest about his feeling toward their maker. "But maybe if we had known, we would have let Father and the rest of the council torch her without a fight."
"Maybe." Stefan's voice sounded far away. "But she's gone now."
"Yeah, she is." Now wasn't the time to explain that Katherine was going to be coming back.
"How come you never told me about protecting Emily's children?"
"It's not like we talked much after we transitioned. Besides, it was my bargain to keep."
"Are you going to tell me what you bargained for?"
"Soon, but not tonight." Damon stood and offered a hand to his brother to haul him to his feet. "Come on, we have a fledging to go drug and a vampire named Annie or Amy or something to find."
The night passed without incident. Logan Fell was apparently a no show at the news studio. There were no new animal attacks and Vicki Donovan slept through the night. The girl took the news in stride that she wouldn't be able to go out during the day. Stefan was just starting to explain the ABC's of vampirism to her when there was a knock on the door.
Damon greeted Bonnie and Elena with a smile. "Ladies, to what do we owe the honor?" He said as he ushered them in. Elena kept her distance from Damon while Bonnie gave him a warm hug.
"I have a huge favor to ask?" the witch pleaded.
"As if I could deny you. " the vampire responded. He then noticed how ill at ease the other girl was. "Stef is in the dining room with Vicki if you'd like to see him, Elena." The brothers had let the people with a need to know in on Vicki's dilemma the night before .
Elena nodded as she excused herself, leaving Bonnie and Damon alone.
"So what would you have of me, little witch?" He said while playing absently with one of her curls.
"Its Caroline." Bonnie began. "I know you can't compel her to tell you who did this to her, but can you compel her to forget what was done to her?"
"I should be able to soften the blow for her."
"Thank you. When can you do it?"
"Do you have something with vervain in it for her to wear afterward?"
"I do. "
"Then let's go back to your house and you invite over the Barbie and I'll make her world all pretty and pink again."
Elena had driven herself and Bonnie to the Salvatore house so Damon just let his brother know he was taking Bonnie home handle something. Stef had a couple vervain syringes in case Vicki got out of control so Damon wasn't concerned about leaving. On the way to Bonnie's, he made a side stop at the grocery store. The girl lifted an eyebrow as she watched the vampire choose produce and a few other items.
Realizing Bonnie's confusion. "We won't have time for dinner out before the Halloween carnival so I'll whip up something that can cook while I talk with Caroline."
Once at the house, Bonnie called her fellow cheerleader while Damon rubbed spices into pork chops and set them to roast.
Bonnie sat silently while Damon talked with Caroline, He "explained" to the blonde that she had a bad experience with the guy she had been dating but she deserved to be treated better and she was to avoid the jerk at all costs. Damon nodded to Bonnie so that she could place a small silver locket around Caroline's neck.
"Caroline, your best friends Bonnie and Elena went to a lot of trouble to get you something very special." Damon impressed upon the girl. "You should never take it off."
"I will never take it off" Caroline repeated.
"Good girl. Now there's a party tonight. Run home and get your costume ready and be careful who you talk too."
"Alright." Caroline smiled. She stood and hugged Bonnie. "Thank you for the present." And she skipped out the door.
Bonnie turned to Damon. "That's amazing. A total attitude adjustment."
"That's nothing. She wanted to forget whole thing." Damon headed back to the kitchen. "Its harder when you're convincing someone to do something they'd rather not. Now you should go get changed while I finish the risotto."
"What about you?" She looked over the man's street clothes. "Aren't you wearing a costume?"
"I'm already a vampire." Damon smirked. "I don't need anything else. Now scoot."
The table was set and the food out of the oven by the time Bonnie returned to the kitchen. "It smells delicious."
"Its nothing special. Just rubbed pork chops, risotto and a salad." Damon tried to sound modest. "Next time, I'll have more time."
"Next time?"
"Next time." He handed her a glass of wine.
They ate companionably. Bonnie wished that Emily's grimoire had not been lost . Since Emily had made the Salvatore daylight rings, the spell must have been recorded within the book.
"Its probably for the best if Vicki's movements are limited until she gains some control."
"Why do you say that?"
"When he fed properly, Stefan was every bit my equal in strength. I couldn't have wrestled the ring off his finger if I taken a mind to and now I wish I had." Damon contemplated. "Maybe if I had tried it, Stef wouldn't be in the spot he's in now." His phone rang at that moment.
"What's up brother?"
"Vicki got away from me."
"What? How?" Damon switched to speaker phone so that he wouldn't have to repeat to Bonnie.
"Elena left right before sundown to get ready for the carnival. I took Vicki into the yard to let her get used to her speed and strength." Stefan took a breath. "Elena isn't dealing as well as I had hoped and I wasn't paying enough attention to Vicki."
"And she ran off." Bonnie completed his sentence.
"Yeah."
"Okay, " Damon planned. "Bonnie and I will head toward the Grill and her home. You head toward the school."
"I'm sorry, Damon. I should have been able to catch her."
"Nothing to be done about it now, brother. Let's just get her contained before she hurts someone and draws attention to us." Damon then clicked off his cell. "So much for a fun filled evening."
Bonnie shrugged. "Does seem like the odds are always against us having fun."
Vicki was not at the Grill and neither she nor Matt were at the Donovan residence. So Bonnie and Damon headed to the school. They were too late. Stefan had to stake the new vampire. Vicki attacked Elena and tried to hurt Jeremy. Sadly Jeremy had seen everything.
Damon looked at the graying body. "I'll take care of this."
"What are you going to do with her?" Elena asked.
"I'll take the body and dump it."
"You can't just dump her. She deserves to be buried." Elena began to argue.
"Perhaps we should bring her to her brother and explain exactly what happened to her." Damon was losing patience. "I'm sure that will go over real well."
"Asshole." Elena yelled as she went to slap him.
This time he was ready for the strike and caught her hand in mid swing. Reminding the human that she was bleeding, he sent her home to take care of her brother.
Bonnie went with Elena, Jeremy and Stefan back to the Gilbert house. Jenna was out for the evening and Jeremy headed directly to his room, slamming the door.
Damon found the trio sitting on Elena's porch when he returned from disposing of Vicki. Looking at his brother, "Next time, we choose Door Number Two."
Not understanding, Bonnie grabbed Damon's hand. "Can you have a talk with Jeremy? Like you did with Care?"
Damon nodded and turned to Elena. "What do you want him to know?"
