The next morning, Josie made her way over to the Boarding House. Logan Fell was a vampire. She had to be sure that Stefan and Damon stuck around.

As much as she hated to go through the charade, she had to pretend to be ignorant. And that meant accusing Damon of turning Logan. As she pulled up to the Boarding House, she took a deep breath and prepared for her performance.

She entered the house without knocking, making a loud banging noise. "Damon!" she yelled. She walked into the entrance hall and called again, "Damon! Stefan!" As she entered the living room, she saw Damon having a drink and Stefan coming down the stairs.

"What's your problem, Josie?" asked Damon. "Don't know if you remember, but I had a really shitty night."

Josie just crossed her arms, throwing herself into the role. "Why'd you do it?" she asked. "Is it because he's on the Council? I can't believe I actually trusted you when you said you were holding up your end of the bargain."

"Are you going to fill me in on what I'm supposed to have done?" asked Damon, seemingly unconcerned at Josie's rant. Guess everything seemed like small potatoes now that he thought he'd lost Katherine forever.

"Logan Fell, Council Member, who's been 'out of town' for a while showed up at our house late last night. In the dark. Begging for an invite," said Josie. "And since Stefan's got this whole self-loathing, brooding vampire thing going on. And you swore you were the only vampires in town. That leaves you Damon."

"Logan Fell's a vampire?" asked Stefan.

"Yes," said Josie. "So…?" She looked pointedly at Damon.

"It wasn't me," said Damon, now with a little anger in his voice. "You think I'd turn that waste of space?"

"Well then who did it?" asked Josie.

Stefan turned to Damon. "This is serious, Damon. If you didn't turn Logan…"

"Then there's another vampire in Mystic Falls," finished Damon.

"Another vampire," said Josie. "Great... I think you need to cancel your holiday plans, Stefan," said Josie with a worried look on her face. It was somewhat concerning how good she was getting at lying and faking emotions. Playing Josie Gilbert was starting to become second nature.

"What about me?" asked Damon.

"Are you going to help us find the vampire and stop it?" asked Josie.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Why would I do that?"

"Then why would I ask you to cancel your holiday plans?" asked Josie, rolling her eyes right back.

Damon opened his mouth to retort when the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" asked Josie. "Elena will kill me if she finds me here."

Damon went to go answer the door. "Sheriff," he said, loud enough so that Josie could hear.

Stefan nodded toward an open door and Josie went inside what appeared to be a closet. The old door was so thick she couldn't hear anything through it. Boo.

Why was the Sheriff here? Logan must have attacked someone last night after he'd left the Gilbert House.

After a few minutes, Stefan opened the door. He put his hands to his lips.

"Damon and the Sheriff are talking outside," whispered Stefan, clearly listening to their conversation. "There was another vampire attack last night."

"Logan?" asked Josie.

"Most likely."

"Why is the Sheriff talking to Damon about it?"

"She thinks maybe he can help find the vampire that did it. The rest of the Council is stumped apparently."

Josie nodded. "I should get to school. I'd rather the Sheriff didn't find me here."

Stefan nodded. She left quietly and drove to school.

Stefan texted her during the day to let her know that Damon was trying to find Logan. Since they knew the identity of the vampire, it shouldn't be too hard to track him down. He also let Josie know that he'd talked to Elena about it.

Elena dragged both her and Bonnie into a classroom during lunch to talk to them about the Logan situation. Elena, again, was not happy that Josie had sought out Damon and Stefan alone.

"What were you thinking?" asked Elena, shaking her head.

Josie shrugged. "I thought Damon had welched for real this time. Stefan was there."

"Damon wanted to kill me last night," said Bonnie. "You need to be careful."

"I'm fine," said Josie, dismissively. "Damon's trying to infiltrate the Council. He's not going to kill me."

Josie endured a few more minutes of Bonnie and Elena's lecture before she left. Now she knew how Jeremy felt.

Later, she was at the Career Fair when she saw Logan talking to a group of students. She dialed Stefan.

"Hello?" he answered. It sounded like he was at the Career Fair too.

"Are you at school?" she asked. "Logan's here. He's in the hallway outside the Math classrooms."

Stefan didn't reply, just appeared in the hallway on the other side of Logan. Logan walked up to Stefan, who was followed by Elena.

Josie pulled out her phone and dialed Damon, letting him know where Logan was.

"I'll be at the school soon," he said. "I ran into Logan earlier today, but he got away."

"Did he say who turned him?"

"No. All he wanted to do was talk about how he could walk in the sun and shoot me full of wooden bullets."

"Ouch," she said, walking along the hallway.

"Well, you can give me a kiss and make it better," said Damon. She could hear his smirk.

Josie laughed. "Pretty sure your vampire healing will be better than anything I can offer you."

"What about for my wounded pride?"

Josie laughed again. "Just get over here to take your revenge before he hurts someone else." She looked up and saw that Jeremy and Tyler were fighting. "Shit, I have to go."

Thankfully, the Mayor and Alaric were able to break up the fight. The Mayor led Jeremy and Tyler outside. Josie came to stand beside Alaric.

"Where is the Mayor taking Jeremy?" asked Josie. "Is he in trouble again?"

"He and Tyler just had a small disagreement," said Alaric. "We stopped it before it got out of hand."

"Knowing Jeremy and Tyler it could quickly get out of hand again," said Josie, heading for the door. Alaric followed her.

"I said fight!" said the Mayor, pushing Tyler toward Jeremy.

"Whoa, what's going on out here?" asked Alaric.

"Just letting these two kids work it out," said the Mayor. "We're good here. Go back inside."

"I don't wanna go back inside." Man, Alaric was brave. Even in this fake world, the Mayor intimidated Josie. "What I want is an answer to my question. What's going on out here?"

At that, the Mayor fully turned his attention toward Alaric. "Who do you think you're talking to? Do I look like a student?"

"No," said Alaric. "You look like a full-grown alpha male douchebag." Josie's jaw dropped. Balls of steel.

"I'm the Mayor. You don't talk to me like that. I could have your job like this." He snapped his fingers.

"You do that," said Alaric, widening his stance. "Then it'll be you and me in this parking lot, working things out. You cool with that?"

The Mayor looked furious, but he also looked like he didn't want to fight Alaric. "You just marked yourself," said the Mayor. He went inside, followed by Tyler.

"Are you okay, Jeremy?" asked Josie, giving him a hug.

"I'm fine," said Jeremy, hugging her back.

"Good," said Josie, moving back and punching him in the arm.

"Ow!" exclaimed Jeremy.

"What is it with you and Tyler?" asked Josie. "Vicky is gone. Tyler apparently has enough problems without you adding to them."

"He started it."

"He started it? What is this kindergarten?"

With that, Alaric, Jeremy and Josie went back inside the school.

Josie was talking to Bridget and Colin when Stefan showed up. He pulled her aside and updated her about Logan taking Caroline, etc.

"Have you heard from Damon?" she asked. "Is he dead? Like dead, dead?"

"Not yet, but he's a new vampire. He's no match for Damon."

Josie nodded, she saw Elena looking over at them.

"I should get back to my friends," said Josie. "You should update her."

"Can't you do it?" asked Stefan.

"I could," she said. "But when are you gonna stop fooling yourself? You can't stay away. You know you can't."

"I have to try."

"No, you have to stop jerking her around."

Josie saw Tyler walking alone toward the front door of the school. Poor Tyler. She'd forgotten what an ass the Mayor was. "Text me when Logan's grey and veiny," she told Stefan and left.

She went back to her friends and told them she was going home. By the time she walked out of the school, Tyler was talking to Jeremy.

"I thought that was weird with your dad. What he did. Is he like that all the time? Is that what you gotta go through?" asked Jeremy. Ouch. Pity is not what Tyler wanted, she was sure.

"Hey," said Josie, announcing her presence. "I think Jenna was looking for you, Jer."

"Okay," said Jeremy, turning to look at her. "I'll see you, Tyler."

"Sorry about my brother," said Josie, moving forward. "He… means well."

"Yeah," said Tyler, looking uncomfortable. "I gotta go." He turned to leave.

"Wait! I saw your drawings in there," she said. "You're really talented. Every time I try and draw something, it comes out all stick-figurey."

Tyler smiled at that. "I remember. I sat next to you in 8th grade Art."

Josie laughed. "You need a ride home?"

"Sure."

It was pleasant on the ride home. They talked about the Career Fair, school, pop culture. Once you got past the macho exterior (she had noticed the full moon tonight), Tyler was a cool guy. No wonder Josie Gilbert had gone out with him once upon a time.

Tyler mentioned Derek's name in passing when he was talking about football.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's okay. It was for the best." She paused. "So… what about you? Vicky left town. Any new girls in your life?"

"No one special. I'm not exactly a couple person."

Josie laughed. "I noticed. I guess that's why we never worked out."

Tyler nodded. "That and I believe you said I was a first-class jerk."

"Did I say that? I'm sorry. That wasn't very nice of me."

"Maybe you weren't 100% wrong," he admitted.

Josie looked at him, tilting her head. "Do you think there's any scenario where you and I could be friends? Or is it not okay, because you and Derek are friends?"

"I think I can be friends with both of you," he said, getting out of the car. They had arrived at his house. "Thanks for the ride."

Josie smiled. "No problem. Hey, do you like The Black-Eyed Peas?"

"Yeah."

"I have an extra ticket to their concert in Richmond next week. A bunch of my friends are going. You wanna go, as friends?"

Tyler smiled. "Sure."

She smiled back and pulled away.

Maybe Tyler wasn't such a bad guy. And remembering his storyline, she could try and stop him from triggering the curse. Plus, he had the moonstone. It wasn't a horrible idea for them to be friends.

Once she got home, she texted Damon and he replied, saying Caroline was okay and Logan was dead. Breathing a sigh of relief, she got into bed. And for the first time since she arrived, she forgot to say a silent prayer that she'd wake up in her real bed the next morning.

When Stefan called her the next day, asking if she'd seen Elena, Josie realized she must be on her roadtrip with Damon. She played ignorant with Stefan and when she saw him talking to Bonnie at school (probably about a locator spell), she walked in the other direction. Same with Jenna's calls and texts. No one had been hurt when Elena went with Damon, so Josie didn't want to get involved.

She was shooting pool with her friends after school when Damon walked into the Grill. She saw Alaric there as well, giving Damon the side-eye. She wondered if he'd figured out that Damon 'killed' his wife.

She was watching Bridget take a shot when she doubled over, gasping as another vision hit her. She saw Lexi with her boyfriend, walking hand in hand in Rio de Janeiro. They both looked happy, clad all in white, as they joined the throngs of people on Copacabana Beach, ready to ring in the new year.

"Josie, are you okay?" asked Tracy, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah…." Josie replied, rubbing her head. "Just this headache. I… I didn't get much sleep last night."

Bridget, Tracy and Colin looked concerned, but seemed to buy her explanation. Josie appreciated that it was a happy vision, rather than one of death and destruction. Though New Years was before Founder's Day, so both of her visions involving Lexi could still come true.

Josie excused herself and retreated to the restroom to catch her breath. After a few minutes, she came out and decided she needed a drink. A real drink. She walked up to the bar, ordered a diet coke, and turned to Damon.

"Have fun in Georgia?" she asked, leaning on the bar.

"Some," he replied. "Aren't you going to yell at me for kidnapping your sister?"

Josie shrugged. "Elena's fine. Besides, it does sound like you scared away that other vampire…"

"Stefan doesn't see it that way."

"Stefan's hardly one to judge." Seriously. Considering he was a ripper, Stefan's holier-than-thou attitude was a bit hard to take at times.

Damon smiled at that. Josie knew he thought she meant the Katherine look-alike secret.

"I don't suppose you could compel him to slip some Jack Daniels in there?" she asked, eyeing the very virgin diet coke the bartender had just delivered.

"I could," he said. "If you sit and drink it with me."

Josie smiled and shook her head. "Okay."

He turned and compelled the bartender.

"So… No clue as to who the mystery vampire could be?" asked Josie, sitting on the stool beside him. She honestly couldn't remember who that vampire had been.

Damon shook his head. "Whoever turned Logan is still a mystery."

"So why are you still here?" she asked, playing the ignorant Josie Gilbert. "Sounds like Katherine has become a permanent addition to the tomb. Shouldn't you be in Mykonos or Ibiza, partying and screwing your sorrows away?"

Of course she knew why he was still here. There was another way into the tomb.

"Mmmm… let's just say I'm intrigued by the mysterious vampire myself," said Damon. "Ibiza will still be there when I'm done here." He took another drink. "Besides, this town isn't completely without its charms." He looked her up and down blatantly.

Josie rolled her eyes and finished her drink. "Well we could use your help to find the other vampire."

"Wait," said Damon, grabbing her arm. "Have another drink with me."

Josie bit her lip, considering it. She was feeling pleasantly warm from her Jack and coke. She'd been so stressed out lately. Between dumping Derek and the show drama and her fruitless witch-hunt. Just being Josie Gilbert was exhausting. She really, really wanted another drink.

"Okay," she said, sitting back down. One more drink turned into several. And before she knew it, she was, well, not drunk, but very tipsy. When the other patrons started noticing, Damon took her out of the Grill and put her in his car.

"I don't want to go home," she said, frowning. "That's where all the drama lives."

So, Damon drove them back to the Boarding House, telling her he'd make her some coffee. However, when they got there, she made a beeline for the booze and she and Damon had another few rounds.

Damon put on some music and they were dancing and just generally having a good time. One minute they were dancing and the next, they were kissing. She blinked and he had her flat against the wall, her legs wrapped around him, grinding into her.

She was out of control and she knew it. She just didn't care. She was so sick of the drama of this world. She missed home. Her real home. Where she could date normal people and be happy. Where her parents were alive and her siblings were normal. Where she could just be herself and didn't constantly have to pretend to be someone else. It felt so good to be out of control.

She reached down and tried to undo Damon's belt. She had managed to get it open when the world blurred crazily and she found herself in Damon's bedroom. He hastily removed her clothes as well as his own and pushed her back on his bed.

He kissed her hungrily while his hand drifted down to the apex of her thighs. "You're soaked," he smiled on her lips. "I want to see if you taste as good as you smell." And then, his lips left hers and made a wet trail down her torso, over her stomach and to her core.

He didn't waste any time sucking her clit into his mouth and she moaned loudly, gripping the sheets for support. He brought his hand up and plunged two fingers inside her, setting a steady pace as he sucked and flicked her clit in unison. It didn't take long for her to start contracting around his fingers, screaming out her release.

He let her ride out her orgasm on his fingers before putting them in his mouth and sucking them. Her eyes darkened at the sight and she decided she wanted a taste too. She sat up and pushed him on his back.

She leaned down and licked his length in one long stroke. He let out a groan. Smiling, she took him in her mouth and started moving up and down. He let her continue for another minute or two, then he pulled her off and, in a move that only a vampire could achieve, picked her up and impaled her on his dick.

She let out a gasp and a loud moan. He felt amazing. She was nearly there to a second orgasm. She started bouncing up and down, bracing herself on Damon's chest. He smiled and pulled her down for a kiss.

Before she knew it, he had rolled them over, still inside her and was pounding into her. He was kissing her and she moaned into his mouth as her second orgasm washed over her. He followed soon after, groaning as he emptied himself inside her. He dropped beside her, rolling onto his back.

She felt a slight twinge of guilt when she thought about how much better Damon was in bed than Derek. Not sated, he took her two more times before they both succumbed to sleep.

When she awoke, the sun was up and Damon was still sleeping beside her. She groaned when she tried to lift her head, vowing never to drink again. She tried to silently slip out of bed, but Damon's arm shot out and she found herself flat on her back with Damon hovering over her.

"Good morning," he said, swooping down to kiss her.

"What's good about it?" she asked, grumpily, holding a hand to her head.

"I can show you," he smirked, bending down to kiss her neck.

"Ugh, not until the world stops spinning and I don't feel like vomiting," she said, pushing on him.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Why don't you take some?" he bit his wrist and offered it to her. "And then we can continue."

Josie wrinkled her nose. Gross. Though it was tempting, she felt awful. She hesitated for too long and the wounds healed. He rolled his eyes, bit his wrist again and practically shoved it in her mouth. It tasted… odd, but she managed to keep it down long enough for the blood to work its magic.

"Hmm…," she said, reaching up to grab his face and pull him down for a kiss. He took her two more times before they finally climbed out of bed.

"This is just between us," said Josie, grabbing her purse. "Oh god, Stefan didn't hear us you think?"

Damon smiled and came up to her, grabbing her by the waist. "I think the people down the road heard us. Well they at least heard you."

"You don't think he knows it was me?"

Damon shrugged. "Not necessarily. Why?"

"Because I don't want anyone to know. Elena would kill me. She saw what you did to Caroline."

"That's completely different," said Damon, frowning.

"Yeah," said Josie, absentmindedly touching her neck. "I mean, not that I want you to or anything, but why didn't you?"

"Bite you?" finished Damon.

Josie nodded.

Damon shrugged. "I knew you didn't want me to."

"And Caroline wanted it?"

"I didn't give a fuck what Caroline wanted."

Josie was surprised at that. She knew that she had some Elena-adjacent protection. But there was something else she saw in his eyes that she didn't anticipate: respect.

"Well, I… appreciate it. Is Stefan home? You have to drive me to the Grill. My car is still there."

Thankfully, they didn't run into Stefan when exiting the house. When they got to the Grill, she turned to him and he pulled her in for a kiss. Damn, she could feel herself getting excited already. Ugh, she needed to stop this. Why had she agreed to drink with him last night? She knew that, if he offered, she would be coming back for more.

"I've got to go," she said, before it got out of hand.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I'm going out with some friends. But afterwards I'll be sleeping in my bed. All alone with just my pillow for company," she said, hoping he'd take the hint. This was just for fun. Some… stress release. Until she made her inevitable escape.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind. "Well, maybe I'll come and keep you company."

And he did. From then on out, he kept Josie company most nights. They kept quiet most of the time, though she suspected that Stefan knew what they were doing.

They would have sex, talk for a bit, then he would leave and she would have the bed to herself for the night. She was surprised to realize that Damon was quickly becoming a friend. He told her about his past, Katherine, his hopes for the future. She shared with him too. What she felt comfortable sharing, at least.

And all the while, she knew it was wrong. So wrong. She knew it wasn't love or even affection. She didn't really know what it was for him (they never talked about that). For her, it was… escape. A chance to forget her fake life for a while.

Whenever something crazy supernatural happened, or she had a stressful day at school, or another witch-lead went dry, she took some comfort in knowing that night she'd have an insatiable vampire buried deep inside her, making her forget over and over again.