Warnings, angst ahead! But have faith, this is still very much a Damon/Claire story. Hope you like it, tell me what you think!

CHAPTER 8

THE LEXI ISSUE

It was a few days after that disastrous Halloween party and Claire hadn't seen Damon since he had brought her home after. She had also tried to call him but had received no answer. She felt like he was avoiding her but she didn't know why. Claire had also tried to get Emily's necklace back from Bonnie but without results. Short of tear it from her neck, she didn't know how to get it back.

And now she was at the police station, answering her mother's questions about Vicki supposedly leaving town.

Claire sat in front of her mother, her desk separating them. Liz Forbes had found out about Vicki and was now interviewing everyone who could know something about it. It was obvious that she wasn't really buying the story they came up with to cover up the fact that Vicki was in fact dead but for now, all Claire and her friends could do was stick to their story.

"I don't even know why I'm here mom. It's not like me and Vicki were friends."

Liz sighed. "I know Claire but I'm questioning everyone that may know something about Vicki's disappearance."

"She didn't disappear mom, she just left." Claire was using her best 'oblivious, shallow cheerleader' voice. Even her mom would fall for it most of the time. It was a mask she had perfected over the years.

"Hum. And do you where she was going?"

Claire shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? I told you, we weren't friends. Why would she tell me where she was going?"

"Did she tell her brother where she was going?"

"As far as I know she didn't. Listen, I saw her for like two seconds at the Halloween party but then…" Claire raised her hands in the air to indicate that she didn't know where she went after that.

"Is there anyone I can talk to that may know what happened to her prior to her leaving town?"

"The last time I saw her, she was with Stefan and Elena at the party."

"Why was Stefan with her?"

"I think he was trying to help her. Vicki seemed…stoned maybe? She was acting weird. I don't know; and Elena asked Stefan to help her."

"You said Vicki was acting weird. Did you notice any signs of aggression or violence?"

Claire immediately remembered the vision she had of Vicki attacking Jeremy and Elena but her expression remained neutral. "Not that I noticed. But like I said…"

"You two weren't friends." Liz nodded but her expression was blank. "So, you really believe Vicki left town."

"Yeah. I mean. Maybe she's trying to get her head straight. It would make sense, right?"

Liz nodded and stood up from the chair she was sitting on. "Thank you honey. You can go."

"So, do you think she really left?" Claire couldn't help but ask.

"It seems that way."

"You don't seem convinced."

"I'm merely being cautious."

"Okay. I'll see you later at home then."

"Bye honey."

Claire left the room and found Matt and Elena still inside. They all left the station together and found Stefan waiting outside. Stefan blatantly ignored her presence and turned towards Matt, "I was trying to help her, Matt. That's all."

Matt looked at Stefan for a second but then walked away without saying anything. Claire followed after him, leaving Stefan and Elena to deal with their drama.

"Hey Matt." She said once she was close enough to him. Matt slowed down and waited for her to catch up.

"Hey." He looked miserable and Claire felt absolutely awful. His sister was dead and he didn't even know it.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could say something to make you feel better but…I don't really know what to say."

Matt smiled at her, both sweet and sad. "You don't have to say anything. I'm just happy you're here."

"Of course. We're friends, aren't we?" At Matt's nod she continued, "I know I'm not Elena but if there's anything you need, you can tell me. You know that, right?"

"I don't need you to be Elena. I just need you to be you."

Claire smiled at him, feeling awful because of how terribly kind he was. How could someone so kind been dealt such a shitty hand in life? It wasn't fair.

"So, do you want to stuff your face with candies and popcorns and watch some stupid action movie? Or horror. How about a slasher? Or we could play some videogames. I'm good with that, I could totally beat you."

Matt laughed. "Sure. Junk food, slashers and videogames sounds awesome."

Claire was sitting on Matt's sofa, TV turned on and paused at the beginning of 'Scream'. She was just waiting for Matt who was making popcorn in the kitchen, when a terrible headache hit her from nowhere. She cried out and put her hands on her temple to try to alleviate the pain. Images started to quickly take shape in her mind: Lexi – Stefan's best friend – was in town. Claire saw her talking to Damon – both lying on a bed –, their conversation snarky and not particularly friendly.

"Hello Lexi. What an unexpected surprise."

"Unexpected surprise? I think the wrong brother went back to high school."

"How long are you here for?"

"Just for Stefan's B-Day.

"Oh, you mean you didn't come all this way to see me?"

"That's it Damon. After a century I finally realize death means nothing without you. Do me."

"Why are you so mean to me?"

"Uh, have you met you? You're not a nice person."

"Because I'm a vampire."

"But you're only the bad parts."

"Teach me to be good."

Damon leaned towards her, as if to kiss her maybe, but Lexi grabbed him firmly by the neck, chocking him.

"I'm older and that means stronger."

"Sorry." Damon said, out of breath.

"Don't ruin my time with Stefan, 'cause I'll hurt you. And you know I can do it."

"Yeah." He gasped.

Lexi released him and left.

Then she saw another scene. From the way both Damon and Lexi were dressed, it looked like the seventies. Damon was without humanity and Lexi was trying to make him turn it back on. Claire saw how Damon played Lexi, making her believe his humanity was back on and that he had fallen for her, then he slept with her and left her to fry on a rooftop.

Claire came back to reality with a deep breath, almost like she was emerging from underwater.

This was the second time she had a real vision. The first time had happened on Halloween and now this. Not only that, this time she had found out information about Damon's past that she was sure, she hadn't known before. This wasn't just her remembering things she had seen in the TV show. How was it possible that she had made up the fact that she had visions to explain how she knew so much to Damon and now, what she had said was really happening?

"Hey, you okay?" Matt asked her, having returned from the kitchen.

Claire shook her head and decided not to think about this right now. She was here for Matt and that was what she needed to concentrate on. She would think about this later, when she was alone.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Come on, let's start the movie. I know it's a classic but I've never actually seen it."

"Really?" Matt asked, coming to sit next to her on the couch. "I'm sure you'll love it."

"Finally! Where have you been? I tried to call you some many times in the last few days." Claire said as soon as she saw Damon approaching. He had called her to meet him outside the Grill.

"I was busy." Damon replied curtly. He looked…different. Cold. Menacing. Indifferent. A little like they first time they had met and yet not at the same time. Nothing like the Damon she had been used to in the last weeks. That Damon was her friend. He was funny and caring and protective (at least towards her). This Damon looked through her like she didn't matter to him at all.

"What happened to you?"

Damon startled and avoided her eyes. "Nothing."

Claire frowned. "Okay." She decided to let the matter go for now, knowing that she wasn't going to get anything out of him if she kept pestering him. "So, what's up?"

Damon didn't answer. Instead he beckoned for her to enter the Grill. They went inside and chose a table. Finally, once they were both seated and had ordered something to drink (bourbon for Damon, coke for her) he said, "I want you to throw a party here at the grill tonight."

"A party? You mean a party for Stefan's birthday?" Claire asked with furrowed eyebrows. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I have my reasons. So, can you do that?"

"Yeah, of course. But Damon…what are you up to?"

Damon smirked and that smirk scared her. It wasn't his usual flirty or teasing smirk. This smirk was cruel. It was the first time since their first conversation in the Grill parking lot that Claire was scared of him and she didn't like the feeling one bit.

"I need a lot people. Big crowd. Invite everyone. Especially Stefan's BFF."

"So, this is about Lexi." Claire felt her heart in her throat. She was starting to realize he was setting a trap for her.

Damon shook his head with a grin but he wasn't really amused. "Of course, you know about her. Always knowing things that are none of your business. What did your visions tell you this time?"

Claire felt hurt at his words and wondered if Lexi's presence in town had upset him more that he was willing to admit and that was why he was acting like a jerk. "I saw what happened between you two. In New York. Please Damon, tell me you're not going to do what I think. She's Stefan's best friend, if you hurt her…or worse…Stefan is never going to forgive you. And I know that your relationship with your brother is complicated but…you don't really want him to hate you for eternity, right?"

Damon ignored her words. "It needs to be done. I'm going to help solve this town's little vampire problem and you're going to help me."

"But why it has to be Lexi? Please, don't do this. Please. If you do this you're going to regret it for the rest of your immortal life. And I'm not saying that to be dramatic. Eternity is a long time for your brother to hate you."

Damon moved his hand with inhuman speed and ripped her vervain necklace from her neck. Then he looked deeply into her eyes, his pupils dilating in a strange way. Claire knew he was about to compel her then. "You're going to throw a big party here at the Grill but make sure no one knows is for Stefan's birthday. You're not going to say anything to anyone about my plan and you won't try to stop me in any way from killing Lexi. You'll also stop trying to make me change my mind. In fact, you won't even remember the real reason why you're throwing this party. You won't remember that I plan on killing Lexi. And you will try to get the crystal back from your friend Bonnie, even if you have to tear it off her neck. Do you understand?"

Claire tried to stop herself from responding, trying to fight but the words left her mouth without her permission. "I understand."

"Good." And with that he walked away without another word.

"I'm just jealous of your restraint. I have none. I delight in hedonism. Speaking of which, what are we doing tonight?"

Damon entered the boarding house and immediately heard Lexi's voice coming from the foyer. Every time he heard her he was reminded of what he did in the seventies. Guilt wasn't something he knew how to deal with. He tried to pretend it didn't bother him but he wasn't even fooling himself. Add to that what had just happened with Claire and he was in a very foul mood. He hadn't meant to compel her but he should have known that she'd understand what he had in mind and tried to stop him, to appeal to his humanity like always. But not this time, he couldn't allow her to sway him this time.

He had also thought it would be easier to keep his distance from her but in the days since the Halloween party, he had been tempted more than once to go see her or at least talk to her on the phone. He was only able to stop himself by reminding himself that he needed to think about Katherine and about getting her out of that tomb.

Seeing Claire today had been hard as well. Even harder than avoiding her for days had been. He couldn't act like he had always done towards her because the more time they spent together and the more she would get under his skin. He couldn't afford distractions. He couldn't afford to have feelings. Only the plan mattered.

Killing Lexi in front of the sheriff would mean getting the Council's trust and that would protect him from them finding out he was a vampire. Having an in into the council meant keeping tabs on their movements and knowing what they were going to do in advance. Yes, Stefan would hate him for a while but eventually he would thank Damon because it would serve to protect him as well and he would be free to be with Elena which was the only reason he was in Mystic Falls.

"Funny you should ask." He said in response to Lexi's words.

Lexi glared at him "Well I wasn't asking you."

Damon continued like Lexi hadn't spoken. "There's a party at the grill. You'll love it. Banquettes, Tacky wait staff. All of Stefan's friends."

"Yeah, I don't want a Birthday party." Stefan replied.

"Well, It's not for you. It's a party party. No one's gonna know it's your birthday. Claire's throwing it."

Stefan glared at him. "After the way you messed with her head and told her who knows what about me, why would Claire be okay with me being at her party?"

Damon scoffed. "Please! Claire is not Elena. Her world doesn't revolve around you. She won't care if you go there or not. It's important for the town to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to blend." Then with a look at Lexi's stock of blood he commented, "I prefer mine at 98.6." And with that he left but not before hearing Lexi trying to convince Stefan to go to the party.

Claire looked around herself with a satisfied smile. The party looked awesome and basically everyone from school had turned up. She found Damon at the bar and went to him.

"Amazing party right?" She said to him with a smile. Damon turned to look at her, glass of bourbon in hand.

"Glad you thought of it."

"Yeah, I just figured with all that's going on lately, we all deserved to have a night to simply have fun. So, are you having a good time?"

"Do you have my crystal?" Damon said with detachment.

Claire frowned. "Not yet."

"Then I'm not having a good time." Damon said before standing up, ready to walk away.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're pissed at me or something. What did I do? Why are you acting like a jerk?"

A strange expression crossed Damon's face but he didn't answer. Instead he simply ignored her and went to talk to Lexi who had just entered the grill in that moment.

Claire raised her hands in the air, exasperated. What the hell was going on with him?

Claire spotted Bonnie and immediately approach her, intent on getting Emily's crystal back for Damon. Maybe he was simply irritated because the one thing that would allow him to free Katherine was still out of his reach. Maybe if she gave it back to him, he would return to behave like usual.

"Bonnie, I've been looking for you. I know I've been pestering you about it but I need the crystal back."

"Why?"

"Well, because it's Damon's. And he gave it to me for safekeeping and I lost it and now he wants it back so you need to give it to me."

Bonnie straighten herself, looking like she was getting ready for a fight. "I can't give it back to you."

"What do you mean? Bonnie, that crystal is not yours. The fact that you found it doesn't mean it belongs to you."

"My grandma said that it found me. It belonged to my ancestor and it found me."

"But it's NOT YOURS!" Claire said, raising her voice in irritation. Why was Bonnie being like this?

"And it's Damon's?"

"Yes. It is. He bought it at an auction or something." She made up on the spot. "It's a 1860's heirloom and it's probably worth a fortune. You can't just take it."

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't, Claire."

Claire opened her mouth in disbelief before a strange urge hit her and she tried to pull it from Bonnie's neck. The thing immediately shocked her though and she retreated her hand. "Ah! What the hell?"

"You were really gonna pull it from my neck. What the hell is wrong with you?" Bonnie said angry before walking away. Claire shook her head and snorted. What was wrong with her? Bonnie stole something that didn't belong to her and didn't even know what the thing did and she was the rude one from trying to take it back?

It was a few minutes later that Claire bumped into Damon once again.

"Where is it?" Damon asked without losing time in niceties. Damn, he was in a really bad mood today.

"Bonnie won't give it to me."

"So? Rip it off her neck."

Claire huffed. "I tried. It shocked me."

"Damn it! Why does it do that? I need that crystal." He looked more and more irritated.

"I know. I'm sorry, I'm trying."

"You're not trying hard enough."

"What the hell is wrong with you today? Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what? These last few weeks I was just trying to be nice because I thought you could be useful to me but you're not. You're just a stupid, shallow, useless girl and you're wasting my time!" Damon said, his words harsh but not loud.

Claire felt tears of betrayal and hurt filling her eyes. She really thought she meant something to him. That they had become friends. But she was just fooling herself. Damon was only using her to get Katherine back.

Then a second later the hurt was replaced by anger and she slapped him without even thinking about it. "Don't ever talk to me like that again! Do you understand? I'm not you're fucking puppet!"

She walked away from him without waiting for a reply, Damon watching her with a look of disbelief on his face. Serves him right.

Damon was still massaging the cheek Claire had hit when she saw Elena watching Stefan playing pool with Lexi.

"Stefan smiles. Alert the media." He said, leaning towards Elena's ear.

Elena turned to look at him. "You haven't given him a lot of reasons to be happy lately."

Damon snorted. "Oh, you're right. Poor Stefan persecuted throughout eternity by his depraved brother; does it get tiring being so righteous?"

Elena glared at him. "It flares up in the presence of psychopaths."

Damon put a hand on his chest. "Ouch! Well, consider this psychopath's feelings get hurt." That Elena thought him a psychopath didn't really surprise him and though he was a little hurt because of that, he was especially upset because of what had happened with Claire. He knew he had deserved the slap. He knew that she was right when she had said that he was behaving like a jerk. But it was necessary. That didn't mean that he hadn't felt like a total ass when he had seen the hurt in Claire's beautiful eyes.

"What did you do to my brother?" Elena's words brought him back to the present.

Damon looked at her in confusion. "I'm gonna need a less vague question."

"When you did what you did to Jeremy's memory of Vicki, what else did you do to him?"

He was still confused. "You asked me to take away his memory of fangs and all the bad stuff. You wanted me to take away his suffering."

"But he's acting different. He seems okay with everything and a little too okay. I mean he's studying; he's not doing drugs; he's not drinking; are you sure you didn't do something else?"

Damon looked at her a little with compassion and a little like he thought Elena was being purposefully slow. "Elena, I took away the suffering."

Claire was walking towards the bar, intent on getting exceptionally drunk when Bonnie walked to her.

Claire tried to ignore her and walked around her but Bonnie grabbed her arm. "Claire wait!"

"Don't talk to me. I'm too upset right now!"

"Don't do that, let me explain." Bonnie pleaded but Claire was not in the mood to be understanding in that moment.

"What is there to explain Bonnie? You got what you wanted...something that doesn't even belong to you by the way and, I get called a shallow, useless waste of space."

"Who said that to you?"

Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What do you care?"

"It was Damon, wasn't it? You know that's not true. Don't let him treat you like that."

Claire snorted. "As opposed to how my best friend treats me?" She didn't give Bonnie the chance to reply. Instead she walked to the bar and ordered a shot of tequila.

Several shots later, Claire stumbled into the table where Matt is talking to a friend. Matt immediately stood up to prevent her from falling to the floor. "Oh hey!"

"I slim-I'm slipped." Claire stumbled on her words. "I slipped."

Matt looked at her in amusement. "Hammered, huh?"

Claire giggled drunkenly. "Well...a very nice but not handsome bartender was very kind to me tonight. Unlike the rest of the global universe." Then she saw the fries on the table and suddenly realized she was starving. "Are those curly fries?"

Matt turned towards his friend (What was his name? Chad or something. He was on the football team.) "Coffee for the drunk girl." Chad left and Claire sat down in his place.

"Bad night huh?" Matt asked in understanding.

"The worst." She said while munching on a fry. "Am I shallow?"

Matt looked at her with confusion. "Who told you that?"

"It doesn't matter."

It looked like Matt wanted to ask more but then he simply decided to answer her question instead. "The truth? I thought you were for a long time. But you're so much more than the blonde, airhead cheerleader that you sometimes pretend to be."

Claire smiled at him. "Thank you, Matt. You're always so sweet. And you have such pretty blue eyes. So pretty." She sighed dreamily while looking into his baby-blues.

Matt blushed a little and laughed uncomfortably. "Damn, you're going to have the worst hangover tomorrow."

Claire giggled. "I know. It's going to S-U-C-K!" She sing-sang the last word. Then she became serious once again. "Can I go home now?"

"I'll take you! Come on. You're okay." Matt lifted her up from her seat. "Hold still, Hold still."

They were just about to reach the door when Damon appeared almost from out of nowhere in front of them.

Claire groaned. "I don't have your damn crystal! Just leave me alone!"

Damon looked at her for the first time all day with a hint on emotion on his face. "Are you drunk?"

"And If I were? It's none of your business! Leave me alone! Come on, Matt!" Matt had stayed silent during the brief interaction between them and luckily, he didn't ask any questions while he basically dragged her outside. Damon didn't try to stop them and for that, Claire was grateful. She didn't have the strength to go another round with him.

Just her luck, her mother was outside. Claire wasn't really in the mood for a lecture, not tonight.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Sheriff Forbes asked Matt.

Claire glared at her. "Like you care."

Liz looked both in disbelief and anger. "She's drunk?"

Claire giggled again. "As a skunk."

"Are they serving you in there?" Liz asked and Claire nodded her head with a silly smile.

"I'll take her home. It's on my way. I haven't been drinking." Matt immediately intervened.

"I would appreciate that, Matt, thank you." Liz thanked him before turning to Claire. "You and I will discuss this later."

Claire snorted, not particularly caring. "Can't wait."

Matt helped Claire getting under the covers. "You gonna be okay?"

"Not really." Claire said with a pout. "Do you ever feel like there's not a person in the world that loves you? I mean, I have my mom but…well, it's complicated. And I have Elena but she's so caught up with Stefan that…and Bonnie…we had a fight today. She's changing. She's different now because…" She shut up before revealing too much. "And my dad is…well, not here. I thought I had Damon, that he was my friend but…but he's not. He only cares about Katherine. It's always about Katherine."

Matt sighed. "I'm your friend. I'm here for you."

Claire smiled at him. "Thank you Matty-blue." Matt grimaced a little at the nickname but didn't protest. "I just wish…"

"What?"

Claire shook her head. "No. No more wishes. It was a wish that got me into this mess in the first place."

Matt looked at her confused but didn't ask. Instead he bid her goodnight, intent on leaving.

"Wait!" She stopped him with a hand on his forearm. "Please...don't leave me alone."

Matt hesitated a little then he awkwardly climbed onto the bed next to Claire's. Claire put her head on his chest and was soon fast asleep.

Damon climbed over the window and entered Claire's room, unable to resist checking up on her after seeing her getting drunk because of him.

He was so distracted by what had happened with Stefan earlier and by thoughts of Claire that he didn't even realized there were two heartbeats in the room and not one.

Damon stood at the foot of Claire's bed and watched her sleep in the blond quarterback's arms. The same emotion he used to feel the times he saw Katherine flirting with Stefan or the time she had taken him to the Founder's party filled his chest now. Jealousy. It left a sour taste in his mouth.

He was relieved that the room didn't smell like sex or nothing would have stop him from killing the blond guy for taking advantage of her.

Just a few nights ago there was him on that bed, watching her sleep next to him. He tried to remind himself that it was better this way. That Claire deserved someone human like her, someone normal. That she was just a distraction, that all he cared about was Katherine but it wasn't really working. The prominent thought in his mind – that, if he hadn't behaved like he did, there would be him on that bed with her now – couldn't seem to leave him alone.

He watched her for a few more seconds, a slight frown marrying her fair features before he jumped out of the window, intent on finding someone for dinner and that would help him forget.