Chapter 10: The Turning Point
Logan Fell stands outside the Gilbert House, waiting for Jenna to invite him in the house. She refuses and slams the door in his face. An upset Logan attacks, and kills a woman who passes by at that moment.
Phoebe was up before anyone else the following morning. She hadn't slept much, since that night in the woods. Part of her was glad that Emily had destroyed the crystal, but she also felt bad that Damon wouldn't be able to reunite with the woman he loved. She was also aware that with no way of getting Katherine back, and Stefan's decision to leave, Damon would likely be leaving town. Everyone would be happy about that. Everyone, except Phoebe.
She went down to the kitchen, and made a pot of coffee. She poured herself a large cup, and brought it back up to her room. There she sat on her window seat, and drank her coffee, as she debated what she had been for the past two days. She was debating asking Damon to stay in Mystic Falls. Though she'd never admit it, she liked him, and considered him a friend.
"If I ask him to stay because I want him to, that'll just be a stroke to his ego," she thought. "I doubt it would work, anyway. He's no more likely to admit it than I am. I could give him a multiple choice. If he doesn't actually say he's staying for me and if I pretend not to know; then he'll be able to stay, without having to admit it."
Phoebe sprang up, and began getting ready for the day. She was going to go to the Salvatore house, before school, to talk to Damon. In his room, Jeremy goes through his dad's stuff and an old journal he found. The journal is filled with notes and drawings of strange creatures, something that makes him want to start drawing again. Back in Phoebe's room, she didn't want to miss Damon, so she threw on a random t-shirt and jeans. She didn't even bother fixing the drooping, lopsided ponytail she had slept with. On her way out her room, she ran into Jeremy.
"Woe, where are you going in such a hurry?" inquired Jeremy.
"Uh, I have to run an errand before school," Phoebe lied.
"Okay? Before you go, I was wondering if I could borrow some of your art supplies?" asked Jeremy.
"Uh, sure," answered Phoebe. "You remember where I keep them?"
"In the middle drawer of your window seat," he replied, confidently.
"Yep," said Phoebe, heading downstairs. She called back up, "Help yourself!"
Jenna and Elena came out of their rooms in time to hear Phoebe leaving.
"Where's she going so early?" asked Jenna?
"She said she had an errand to run before school," answered Jeremy.
"An errand? What errand?" asked Elena.
"Didn't ask," said Jeremy, heading into Phoebe's room.
Jenna and Elena exchanged looks of confusion. Jenna shrugged, and went downstairs to get some coffee. Elena gave up trying to think so early in the morning, and went back to her room to get dressed.
Phoebe grew more nervous the closer she got to the Boarding House. What if they already left? What if she was wrong about how Damon felt about her? As she pulled up into their driveway, she pushed these thoughts aside. She was now so nervous; she was almost in a panic. This was a common problem for Phoebe, when she became nervous. She'd somehow get herself more anxious than needed, until she was on the verge of a panic attack. That's about how she felt now. Phoebe flew out of the car, and up to the door. There she began knocking with one hand, while ringing the bell with the other.
On the inside, the boys had been discussing what they were going to do once they left Mystic Falls. When they heard someone frantically trying to get their attention at the door, Stefan went to answer it. Mildly curious, Damon followed. Stefan opened the door to find a distressed Phoebe, and became instantly concerned.
"Phoebe? What's wrong?" asked Stefan.
All Phoebe could get out in response was, "Damon."
Stefan turned back to his brother, "What did you do, now?"
Damon stood in the entryway, confused, "I didn't do anything."
Phoebe saw Damon, and felt a wave of relief wash over her. She held up a finger, while she took a deep breathe, and calmed herself. Once calm, she addressed the brothers, "Sorry, when I get anxious or nervous about something I tend to make myself panicky. Damon didn't do anything; I was just looking for him. I need to talk to him."
The brothers exchanged looks of confusion.
"About what?" asked Stefan.
"That is none of your business," replied Phoebe, walking towards Damon. She grabbed his arm, and pulled him out to the back patio. She called back to Stefan, "No listening with your super vampire hearing!"
Now outside, Damon asked, "What can I do for you?"
"Don't go," she blurted out.
"Come again?" asked Damon.
"Don't go," she repeated. "Don't leave Mystic Falls. I know you don't have a reason to stay anymore, but you can find another one."
Damon looked at her suspiciously, "Why?"
"Well, if you stay then Stefan will stay, and if he stays then he and Elena can be together again. You could also stay because I'm probably the only friend you have in the entire world. Or because playing human on the Founders' Council is amusing," listed Phoebe.
"No, not why should I stay. Why do you want me to stay?" he rephrased.
Phoebe avoided eye contact, "I told you why. If you stay, then Stefan will stay, and he and Elena-."
"No, that's not it," Damon interrupted. He moved closer to her, and he could hear her heart beating faster. "Why do you want me to stay?"
Phoebe continued avoiding eye contact, "That-that is the reason."
"Look me in the eye and say it," said Damon.
Phoebe looked up at him, and opened her mouth to speak. She hesitated for a brief moment before saying, "I have to get to school."
Damon laughed as she brushed past him, and went inside. He followed her in, and called, "You know, you still haven't answered my question."
"Yes I did," she called back.
"Nope," he disagreed. "And you know what else?"
"Oh, do tell," she replied, sarcastically. She turned back to look at him.
"I'm not leaving until I get my answer," he told her, with a serious expression.
Phoebe could read between the lines. He was agreeing to stay, because she asked him to. Stefan looked back and forth between the two, confused. He became even more confused, as Phoebe became equally serious, and replied, "Then I guess that means we're stuck with each other."
Damon gave her a mild grin, which she returned before leaving. Stefan asked Damon what that was all about, but Sheriff Forbes arrived asking for Damon. She tells Damon that there was a new vampire attack in the town, something that surprises him. Stefan overhears their conversation and asks Damon if it was him. Damon reassures him that there is a new vampire in town and they decide not to leave till they find him.
Meanwhile, Caroline and Matt get closer; something that everyone notices, including Tyler Lockwood, who grills Matt about it. Bonnie is still a little freaked out about being attacked by Damon but she is grateful to Stefan who saved her life. Stefan shows up at school to inform Elena about the new vampire and to be careful till they'll find out who he is. Matt and Phoebe are helping set up for the career fair that night.
"Still wanna be an astronaut?" Phoebe joked.
Matt laughed, "I can't believe you remember that."
"I can remember the tin foil helmet that you wore," she retorted.
"I was 8! Besides, you're the one that made me that helmet," he argued.
"True," she agreed.
Matt hesitated before asking his next question, "So what's up with you and Damon?"
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.
"I've seen you two together. You dating or somethin'?" Matt rephrased, a little leery of the answer.
"No," she answered. "We're just friends."
"Good, because I've heard he's a real jerk," said Matt, relieved.
"He can be," she admitted. "What about you, Matt Donovan? I heard about you and Caroline."
"Aw, man, not you, too," he groaned, playfully.
Phoebe smiled.
"We're just friends. It's not a big deal," he answered.
"No?" she questioned, teasingly.
Matt got serious, and looked her in the eye, "No."
Phoebe stared back into his big blue eyes. She was thankful, when her phone went off. It was Damon. Matt seamed annoyed, when he saw who it was. Phoebe stepped out of hearing range for the call.
"Hello?" said Phoebe, answering her phone.
"Hey, it's me," said Damon.
"Hello, Me," said Phoebe, playfully.
Damon furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, and then caught on, "It's Damon."
"I know. My phone told me," she said.
"You have my number in your phone?" he questioned.
As Phoebe thought about it, she realized then that they've never actually talked on the phone before, let alone exchanged numbers. "Why you gotta make it weird? You have my number in your phone."
"Because I got it from Stefan," Damon defended.
"So did I," she said.
"Okay, whatever. I need your help with something," he told her. "After you left this morning, Sheriff Forbes came by with news of another vampire attack. She asked me to look into it, and I need your help to do that."
"What can I do?"
"I have your ancestors pocket watch, which is actually enchanted to locate vampires. I need you to use it, because I'll interfere with the signal," he explained. "But don't worry, I'll stay on the phone with you the whole time, and if you run into trouble I'll be right there. I just have to keep far enough away so you won't be tracking me, instead of the other guy."
Phoebe imagined that and giggled to herself.
"What?" Damon asked.
"Nothing," she answered. "When do you need me?"
"Right now would be preferable," he told her. "I'm outside the school, now."
"Now?"
"This could take a while, and we need to do it during the day, when he can't go outside," Damon pointed out.
"Right. Okay, we'll need to stop by my house, first," she told him.
"For what?"
"I need to get my vervain. If you're gonna send me out to purposely track down a homicidal vampire, I would feel better if I had my vervain," she explained.
"Fine. Just hurry, you're wasting daylight," he teased.
"I'll be out in a minute," she replied, hanging up the phone. She walked back to Matt, and handed him her car keys, "Can you give these to Elena for me?"
"Sure. Where are you going?" Matt asked her.
"Damon needs my help with something."
"He can't wait until after school?" Matt questioned.
"Unfortunately, no. It something he can only do during the day and it may take a while, so…"
"So why not wait 'till the weekend?" Matt pushed.
"It has to be done today. That's all I can tell you," she answered. Phoebe stood on her tip-toes, gave her friend a peck on the cheek, and headed out to Damon.
Phoebe uses the Gilbert Compass to track down where the vampire was hiding; while Damon kept his distance, since he interferes with the signal. However, he stays on the phone with Phoebe the whole time, just in case something happens. It takes a while, but when Phoebe locates the vampire, Damon shows up in a flash.
Taking the device from her, and placing it in his pocket, he told her, "Thanks for your help. You can go home, now."
"Thanks for the permission," she mumbled, following him closer to the building.
Damon stopped, and looked at her, "What are you doing?"
"Coming in with you," she replied.
"No, you're not," he disagreed.
"Yes, I am," she argued.
"Phoebe, it's too dangerous," he countered.
"I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine," she said, confidently.
"How can you be so sure?" he asked.
"Because I have you," she replied. She could tell her answer surprised him. He hadn't expected her to have such confidence in his ability to keep her safe. To even trust that he would keep her safe. "Now, do you want to keep standing here, arguing, or do you want to take care of our vampire problem?"
Damon's eyes narrowed, "Fine. But you stay with me, and you do as I say. I say run, you run. Got it?"
Phoebe gave a casual salute.
Damon, followed very closely by Phoebe, walked up to the door. He turned the handle until the lock broke, and the door opened. Normally at this point Damon would've held the door open for Phoebe; but given the circumstances, they entered together. They'd barely stepped two feet inside, when Logan Fell shot Damon, repeatedly.
As Damon fell to the ground, he told Phoebe, "Run!"
Phoebe, reluctantly, headed for the exit, but found her path blocked by Logan. She backed away, slowly. Logan moved towards her at equal pace. The two didn't stop until Phoebe backed into Damon.
"Sit," said Logan, gesturing for her to do so.
She sat down on Damon's left.
Logan then warned them both, "I have tons of these little wooden bullets, so nothin' funky."
"You don't wanna do this. Trust me," said Damon.
Logan shot him once more.
"Aah! Ow!" cried Damon.
Phoebe jumped, and flinched at the shot.
"That's what you get," said Logan, calmly.
"For what?" asked Phoebe.
"He made me like this," replied Logan.
"I killed you. I didn't turn you," said Damon, pulling the wooden bullets out of himself.
"See, I know what you and your brother are," began Logan. "I've been watchin' the two of you. I knew you'd show up here, and I'm glad you did, because I have some questions."
"Me first," said Damon. "Who turned you?"
"How should I know? The last thing I remember is I'm about to stake your brother, and then you grabbed me. That's it," replied Logan. "Until I wake up in the ground behind a used-car dealership on highway 4. Somebody buried me."
"It happens. Ow," mumbled Damon, still picking out the wooden bullets.
"You bit me," argued Logan. "It had to be you."
"It doesn't work that way, Twilight," Phoebe snapped. "You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die."
"And I didn't do that," Damon added. "Some other vampire found you. Gave you their blood."
"Who?" asked Logan.
"That's what I wanna know," replied Damon.
"Dude, it's not like the welcome wagon was waiting with a Bundt cake and a handbook. It's been a learn-as-you-go process," said Logan. "You know, one minute I'm a small-town on-the-rise news guy, and next thing I know, I can't get into my house, because my foot won't go through the door!"
"You have to be invited in," said Phoebe.
Logan narrowed his eyes at Phoebe, "I know. I live alone."
Damon snickered, "That sucks."
"So now I'm at the Ramada watchin' pay-per-view all day, eating everything in sight, including housekeeping," Logan continued.
"It could be worse," mumbled Damon.
"All I can think about is blood and killing people," said Logan. "I can't stop killing people. I keep killing. Heh heh. And I like it! I'm conflicted."
Phoebe slowly turned her head to look at Damon, as she asked, "Wait, so that's a vampire thing, not a you thing?"
Damon gave her a funny look, "No it's not a me thing. All vampires are like that. Including St. Stefan."
"Sorry, I didn't know. Before now, you were the only vampire I knew that enjoyed being homicidal," Phoebe apologized. She had a thought and quickly changed topic. "Hang on; I thought you said the cops only found one body."
"I left one. I was tired," explained Logan. He gestured behind him as he continued. "But I've been hiding the rest of the bodies. They're right back there."
"You're kidding," mumbled Damon, as he looked.
"They're just pilin' up," Logan added.
Phoebe stared at the bodies in shock, then at Logan.
Logan looked at Phoebe, hungrily.
Damon noticed this and extended his arm, protectively, across Phoebe's lap. She instinctively grabbed his hand.
Back at the school, there is a career fair where Jeremy sees a sketch that Tyler drew. He tries to talk to him, but Tyler gets aggressive and they end up fighting. Tyler's dad separates them and takes them outside where he asks them to fight and solve their differences. Alaric, who followed them outside, stops the Mayor from making the two boys fight.
Back at the warehouse, Logan sits down and tells Damon, "It's my turn to ask questions. Why am I so overly emotional? All I can think about is my ex-girlfriend. I wanna be with her and bite her and stuff."
"Well, you probably love her," answered Damon. "Anything you felt before will be magnified now. You're gonna have to learn to control that."
"What about walkin' in the sun?" asked Logan. "I'm a morning person. You can walk in the sun, which by the way is pretty cool. The council'd never suspect you."
As Logan rambled, Phoebe carefully removed Damon's ring, and concealed it in her hand.
"That's not in the journals," Logan added.
"What journals?" asked Phoebe.
"The Founding Fathers, they passed down their journals to their kids," Logan answered. He added, anxiously, "Come on, man, ya gotta tell me. How can you walk around in the sun?"
The only response Damon gave was, "Who turned you?"
Logan became agitated, "How do you walk in the sun?"
"Who turned you?" Damon repeated.
"You know, I've been really nice so far. But I will kill you," Logan threatened.
"Then you'll never know," said Damon.
"I have things to do, people to kill. I guess I'll be needing a little head start," Logan responded. He dragged Phoebe to her feet by her falling ponytail, and cocked her head to the side, exposing her neck. He kept the gun fixed on Damon, and threatened, "I'll ask you one more time, and then she's dinner. How do you walk in the sun?"
"Don't tell him, Damon," said Phoebe, calmly.
"Let her go," Damon snarled.
"Answer my question," Logan demanded. "Or you can kiss your girlfriend here goodbye."
"Damon, I swear to God, if you tell him we are done," said Phoebe.
Damon became very confused, "What?"
Phoebe used her eyes to indicate for him to look at her hands. She was exchanging Damon's ring for the vial of vervain that was in her pocket.
Damon followed her lead, and played along, "Phoebe, he'll kill you if I don't tell him."
Phoebe opened the vial, and emptied the herb into her hand, as she replied, "I'm well aware of that, Damon, but I can't let him walk in the sun."
"And I can't lose you," replied Damon. What neither of them knew was Damon actually meant it.
Phoebe reached up, and slapped the vervain into Logan's face. Logan released her to grab his face, and Damon charged. He sent Logan flying, then picked up Phoebe, and flitted out of there.
At the school fair, Elena catches up with Matt asking him about Caroline and telling him about Stefan. Stefan interrupts them and he tries to update Elena about the new vampire when Jenna comes and tells them that Logan is at the school. Stefan, who knows that Logan was supposed to be dead, realizes that he is the new vampire and leaves to find him. Elena asks what is going on and Stefan asks her to take Jenna and go. Elena understands his tone and leaves, telling Jenna not to talk to Logan.
Damon brings Phoebe straight home. He makes sure she's okay, and tells her to stay inside where she's safe. Phoebe waits for him to leave, then takes a quick shower (to wash off the grime and Damon's blood). She then heads for the Career Fair at the school. No one had seen her, nor heard from her in hours. Thankfully, Jeremy and Elena had ridden with Aunt Jenna, so there was a car for her to drive there.
Meanwhile, Logan asks Stefan how he can walk in the sunlight and he threatens to expose him if he won't tell him. Stefan steps up to him and he leaves. Caroline announces to her mother that she wants to be a broadcast journalist, but her mom is not impressed stating that Caroline doesn't even read the paper. Caroline leaves, upset and Logan confronts the Sheriff for whom he believes is the one who buried him and covered his death. He threatens her and then leaves, while Sheriff calls for back up. Logan sees Caroline outside and offers to drive her home. Matt sees Caroline getting into Logan's car but he doesn't see that Logan knocks her unconscious before they drive away.
Damon calls Stefan, as he changes out of his bloody clothes.
"Logan Fell's a vampire, and when I find him again, I am gonna destroy him limb by limb," said Damon.
"What happened? You okay?" asked Stefan.
"No. I'm not okay," replied Damon. "I was ambushed. I was shot. He tried to eat Phoebe. And now I'm vengeful."
"Is Phoebe okay?" asked Stefan.
"She's fine. He didn't hurt her," answered Damon. "But when I find him..."
"Well, there's no need. He's here at the school," said Stefan.
"You're kidding me. Why the hell is he there?" asked Damon.
"He's workin' the crowd," answered Stefan.
"Well, I'll be right there," said Damon, hanging up.
Elena and Stefan looking for Logan. They ask Matt if he's seen him, and he tells them he just saw him leave to bring Caroline home. Elena is terrified and Stefan leaves to find Caroline. Phoebe arrives after Stefan's gone to help Damon rescue Caroline from Logan. She makes the rounds to let Aunt Jenna, Matt, and Elena know she's okay. She tells Jenna the same thing she told Matt, earlier. Damon needed help with something, so he called his only friend.
Logan calls the Sheriff to tell her that he has her daughter and threatens to turn her into a vampire when Stefan and arrive. Damon shoots him with wooden bullets and sends Stefan off to take Caroline home. Damon informs the Sheriff where they are via the radio, and then he starts interrogating Logan trying to find out who turned him. Logan still says he doesn't know, but the moment Damon is about to kill him, Logan tells Damon that he and the vampire who turned him have another way to raise the vampires who are trapped under the Fell's Church, including Katherine. Damon is shocked, but he wants to believe him and, while the Sheriff approaches, he asks Logan to knock him down and make it look real. Logan throws Damon aside and escapes.
After taking Caroline home, Stefan gets back to school to find Elena. He tells her that they can't be together. Phoebe notices the tension between the two. Stefan notices her, and asks her about what happened with her and Damon that day. Phoebe promises to tell them both the whole story on the way to bring Stefan home.
Stefan drove, Elena rode shot gun, and Phoebe told her story from the backseat. She'd finished telling it, by the time they reached the Boarding House. Stefan said his goodbyes, and exited the vehicle. Elena watched him, longingly, as he walked up to the house. Phoebe had an idea.
"Hey, Elena? Would you mind driving home? I'm kinda tired," asked Phoebe, making herself yawn.
"Yeah. Sure," said Elena. She opened her door, hopped out, and closed the door.
Stefan turned back to see what was going on.
Elena noticed, and stopped in front of the car to explain, "Phoebe's tired. She's had a long day, so I'm gonna drive.
Stefan nodded in response.
While her sister took that moment to explain to Stefan, Phoebe crawled into the driver seat, and locked the doors.
Elena snapped her neck around to find Phoebe behind the wheel, "Phoebe? What are you doing? I thought you were-."
Phoebe cracked the window enough to be heard, "You and Stefan need to stop avoiding your problems, and deal with them. Short of asking Damon to help me lock the two of you in a room together, this is the best thing I can think to do."
"Phoebe, this isn't funny, unlock the car," said Elena.
Phoebe said nothing more on the matter. She rolled up the window, and drove away. Neither Elena, nor Stefan, was happy about what Phoebe did; but her plan did work. Elena tries to convince Stefan that he is not responsible for what is happening in her life since her life was painful way before his arrival. Stefan is not convinced though and he walks away. Elena shouts at him that she loves him. Stefan, hearing that, runs back to her and kisses her. The two of them get into the house and sleep together for the first time.
Logan heads to his car to go meet Damon, but he runs into Alaric. Alaric warns him to stay away from Jenna, because she deserves the best. Logan makes fun of him and then tries to attack him, but Alaric stakes him in the heart and kills him. The Sheriff finds Logan's body and calls Damon to thank him, thinking that it was him who killed him. Damon, who was waiting on Logan at the Fell's Church, is in shocked hearing the news and has no idea who might have killed Logan.
Back in Stefan's bedroom, Stefan leaves the room to bring Elena something to drink, leaving her alone. Elena starts walking around the room checking on Stefan's things when she sees Katherine's picture. She is in shock seeing how much she and Phoebe look like her and she immediately leaves. She texts her sister to come get her, so Stefan can't overhear. She walks far enough away from the house, and waits for her sister. Stefan comes back looking for her, but he can't find her. He sees the necklace he gave her on Katherine's picture and understands that Elena saw the picture.
Phoebe continues to text her sister as she drives. Elena tells her how they made up, but then she found a picture of Katherine. Phoebe doesn't understand why that would freak her out so much, until Elena sends her a picture of Katherine. Phoebe stares at the image in disbelief. When she looks up at the road, there's a person standing in the middle of it. She does her best to avoid hitting them, but fails. After hitting the person, the car begins to roll, landing upside down.