Author's Note: I am on a roll with getting these chapters done. I mean, it definitely helped that I already had half of this written a while ago, but still. Some sections of dialogue is taken directly from the show, mainly towards the end. You'll recognize it when you see it. I really liked how this chapter turned out, and I really couldn't wait to share it with you guys. I hope you like it as much as I do. Thank you all who reviewed, I'm glad you are happy with the way things are going. I promise, now that the ball is rolling, its just going to keep going, action wise. I don't own the sections of dialogue that are straight from the show, nor do I own any of the characters, except for Hailey.
I can't believe it. I feel like my world is caving in. I sit in bathroom in the far corner, arms wrapped around myself. I can't even convince myself this is a bad dream or a horribly realistic nightmare. His eyes, his...fangs. Oh god, oh god. Oh my god.
"Hailey! Please open the door." Elena's muffled pleas and desperate knocks rattled the door frame. I can't think. I can't move. I can feel the blood on my neck trickling down. I reach up again, feeling the warm wetness pouring out of me. Oh my god. My ragged breath grows louder, but it's deaf to my ears. I can feel my chest heaving.
"I'll do it."
"No Damon, she's already freaking out! You can't just bust the door down!"
Oh my god, Damon!
"Elena, I can smell it, she's going to lose a lot of blood if we don't get in there."
"Hailey please let me in."
Before I knew it, the door burst open startling me.
"Get the fuck away from me!" I screamed frantically clutching my wound. Elena pushed Damon out of the way and kneeled in front of me.
"Hailey-"
"Get away from me!"
"Hailey, you're bleeding, let me help you."
"Oh god!" I screamed over and over again.
I was paralyzed with fear, unable to do anything except rock back and forth.
"Damon she's in shock." Elena called over her shoulder.
"What exactly do you want me to do, Elena?" Damon asked annoyed. He stood in the corner eyes fixated on me.
"Sh! Hailey, everything's going to be okay." Her hand reached out to move my hand and assess the damage.\par
"Don't touch me!" I shrieked. This is too much.
"Hailey, Damon and I want to help you. You're bleeding." Elena replied trying to reason with me.
"He's one of them!" I cried out, tears falling uncontrollably as my body continued to shake. "Oh god, oh god!"
"He's not going to hurt you. Please let him help you Hailey. Everything is going to be alright." Elena grabbed my face gently, begging me to calm down.
This is real. All of it. This is a living nightmare. I was attacked by a vampire. Damon is one, is Stefan one too? He has to be! Elena is dating a vampire! Oh god! I was almost killed tonight. It would have killed me! If Damon hadn't-Damon saved my life. My breathing began to slow to a more controlled level. Elena slowly touched my knee, testing to see my reaction. I didn't react. I sat there staring at the wall mulling over my recent discovery.
"Hailey?" Elena whispered trying to attract my attention.
"I was attacked by a vampire." I said quietly and evenly. It wasn't a question. Elena sat there unsure of what to say. I finally turned my head to look at her.
"Yes."
"You killed him." I looked at Damon now who stood on the other side of the room gauging my reaction. His eyes held no emotion as he watched me. His eyes were like ice.
"Yep," he answered matter-of-factly. Elena shot him a look to which he merely shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, no I didn't, but I will when I find him." He relented. My eyes bore into his.
"Thank you." He nodded his head and walked out the door. I let Elena clean my wound and patch me up. I couldn't move my legs, or my body for that matter. She ran back and forth from the sink, cleaning up my wound and bandaging it. We sat in silence, allowing me to digest everything. Finally, after taping the gauze to my neck, she spoke.
"I know you've been through a lot. There is a lot you need to be filled in about."
"You're not kidding."
"I have to ask you not to tell anyone though. No one can know about this. Please Hailey, I'm begging you."
"How many are there."
"Hailey please—"
"How many are there, Elena?"
"We don't know for sure. He attacked you to get to me. I am so sorry Hailey." She looks so upset.
"How long have you known?"
"For a while now; I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you would get hurt."
"Right, my ignorance really kept me safe, Elena." I snapped, rubbing my temples. It all made sense: Elena's broodiness, Damon being able to show up out of thin air, cryptic answers and secretive behavior, people disappearing...
"Vicki Donavan—"
"Was a vampire. She lost control so—"
"She was attacked to?"
"Yes." Oh god.
"Am I going to turn to?"
"No—"
"That thing bit me Elena!"
"Oh please, that's that Twilight bullshit! If people turned every time we fed from them—"
"Not helping Damon!" Elena yelled.
"Sorry, but come on! You're fine! The bleeding has practically stopped; you're going to be fine."
"Hailey, you have to promise me you won't say anything to anyone." I didn't respond.
"If she doesn't, I'll make her forget, "Damon threatened. "I am too close now to have the Council on my back."
"You can make me forget?"
"That's right sweetheart, this won't even be a nightmare. It will *poof* like it never even happened. You'll continue on oblivious once again."
"Damon, I don't think that's such—"
"Do it."
"What?"
"Please, this is too much to take in, I just, I don't want to know." How do you live like this? Always wondering who is a vampire and who isn't? Who is going to drain you dry in an instant?
"Hailey, messing with your memory isn't good. Caroline—"
"Caroline knows?!"
"She did and we made her forget and I hate knowing that her memories don't completely add up and she doesn't know why."
"What did you do to her?" I glared at Damon who merely smirked back.
"Nothing she didn't let me do." So this is the Damon everyone warned me about. This is the side of Damon that he kept dormant when I was around; an uncaring, insensitive prick. I almost died, and he's acting like it's an inconvenience to be here. A knot unclenched in my stomach when I looked up at him. That wasn't all that Damon was, it couldn't have all been an act. He helped me find a place to live, he saved my life. He had so many chances to kill me, but he didn't. He came here seconds after I called and saved my life.
"You've had all those opportunities, and yet you did nothing. Why?" I asked carefully.
"I have many reasons. Since you won't remember, there is no point in telling you."
I couldn't shake the feeling I was making a terrible mistake. The pit of my stomach tightened the knot reforming. This was for the best. I didn't have to worry anymore. Everything was going to be okay. But what if it happens again? Damon kneeled in front of me placing his thumbs on my temples, his face inches from mine. His blue eyes bore deep into mine. I noticed Elena leave out of the corner of my eye while the same thought kept playing over and over again in my mind.
What if it happens again?
"Wait!"
"What?" Damon looked at me, his face relaxing slightly.
"What happens if I get attacked again?"
"Hope I'm around to save your ass again." Damon smirked.
"Who else knows?"
"Too many if you ask me."
"It's not like I'm going to tell anyone." Damon shot me a skeptical look. "Please! I scream vampire and they'll put me in a psyche ward."
"True."
I reached up and touched his hand that was still cupping my face. "You don't feel that cold."
"Well, there is blood in me, it's just not mine." He flashed me a toothy smile.
"Right," I was terrified, and but Damon eased some of the terror and uneasiness.
"Why did you save me?" His eyes flickered, and I could see a flash of emotions before they were quickly masked again.
"Because, your death would have been majorly inconvenient."
"To your plan?"
"Something like that."
"Gotcha, sorry to throw a wrench in your master scheme," I sarcastically replied.
"And you're back, great. Well since my job here is done, I'm sure Elena will want to share all the gory details with you." He stood up, making his way to the door. I touched the bandage on my neck and took a deep breath. This was going to be a long night.
I sat in my newly furnished apartment setting up my VCR and DVD player. I feel…domestic. My own house, cable box bills arriving in the mail; I just didn't expect to be living this kind of life so soon. Then again, I didn't expect to be back in Mystic Falls or my every day posse to include witches and vampires. Elena and I talked all night into the morning, she told me about Jeremy being blissfully unaware because Damon spared him from having a complete mental breakdown. She told me about Bonnie, and her mother. That part was probably more shocking than Bonnie being a witch. Somehow, by the end of our talk, I became oddly comfortable with my new found knowledge. If I had to be honest, I'm glad I didn't agree to have my memories erased. There is no way that it was a fluke coming back when I did. I was meant to be here, I had something to do with all this insanity. The next few days continued on normally. Mark, Jeremy and I spent them shopping for furniture, since I would be officially move into my place by the end of the week. Wires and instructions encircled me and my new entertainment center.
"Having problems?"
"Nope," I ignored the voice I had come to know so well as he watched me from outside the window. I crawled under the TV, attempting to plug into the back and the wall. A spark shot out from the outlet and a shriek escaped my lips.
"Invite me in."
"Why?"
"To keep you from burning your house down."
"You helped me pick this place out! You were standing in here a week ago!"
"That was before anyone owned this place. Now you do and you never invited me in."
"Oh gee, I guess I didn't. Come in Mr. Salvatore." I winked, as he rushed to the front door and opened it. The screen door slammed shut with a thud startling me.
"Out of the way," he nudged me aside and went to work plugging everything in and setting things in their place.
"You really know your way around this stuff." I mumbled both impressed and annoyed I couldn't get it to work myself.
"I should be I was around when it was invented."
"Right, forgot, you're old as shit."
"I'm the hottest old guy you've ever met."
"True. I've never seen you naked, for all I know you could have a Dorian Gray face, but a saggy body."
"Care to find out?"
"And ruin the illusion? Nah, I'll pass." I flopped down on my couch, enjoying the view. I seriously doubt there was anything saggy about Damon.
"Big plans tonight?" Damon asked plugging in the cable box.
"Nah thought I'd set up everything and have a movie night."
"What are we watching?"
"Who said you were joining me?" I smirked stretching out across my couch. My couch! Ugh, it is so weird to say.
"You love my company, who are you kidding." True, I do.
"Yeah, yeah whatever," I giggled slightly when he plopped down on the sofa, throwing my legs over his lap.
"So, what are we watching?"
"I don't know something on VHS."
"I can't believe you still have these. You need a serious upgrade, woman."
"Hey! Don't hate on my VHS' they are amazing."
"They're ancient!"
"I like ancient!"
"Thanks babe," Damon grinned, winking at me. Wow I walked right into that one. I scoffed, snuggling deeper into the sofa. I keep expecting Jeremy to wander downstairs and mutter about us being gross.
"What the—these are all Disney movies! No way. You better have something else in here, it will be a cold day in hell before I willingly sit through, 'Beauty and the Beast' and…'the Aristocats'." He sneered, picking up each case. "Aha! 'Pulp Fiction'." I rolled my eyes, before taking it from him, and popping it into the VCR; settling back into my spot, legs strewn over Damon.
"So what really brings you here?" As nice as this was, I doubt Damon just stopped by to watch a movie with me.
"We're tracking down the vampire that attacked you and Elena, and we think that we can draw him out." I stiffened. I can only assume where this is going.
"Continue."
"You and I are going to 'chaperone' the fifty's school dance tomorrow. If both of you are there, he would be able to resist coming after one of you."
"Did you figure out how he even got in?" I asked, quietly.
"He posed as a pizza man and one of you must have let him in." Oh my god. Well, welcome to the paranoid side of knowing, I'll never invite anyone in again, or order pizza again. Okay, that's a lie, but he's standing on the porch. This son of a bitch is not going to make me afraid of my own shadow. He's going down.
"Count me in."
I stood primping in the mirror, waiting for Damon to show up. I really need to invest in a car. I looked like Rizzo with long brunette hair. My hair was curled into long ringlets, my makeup heavy, bordering on slutty, and an all black ensemble and heels. The piece de resistance was my 'Pink Ladies' jacket I had from a past Halloween.
"You're not going to dress up?" I asked seeing Damon's reflection in my mirror. "Also, knock, knock. Oh Damon, good to see you, come on in."
"The leather jacket was definitely a fifties statement, I just look so good in it, I wear it every day. I'm not trying to relive my high school days. Also, it's cute that you act like you care." I don't care so much as know he is totally going to abuse this privilege. In the same token, waking up to find Damon in my house? Yeah, that would be so terrible. If this Katherine chick weren't in the picture, I would totally pounce on the opportunity. "Come on, we have to go." He sighed impatiently, dragging me out the door.
"Let's go kill this son of a bitch."
School dances used to be a lot more fun, probably because I wasn't trying to scope out any deadly vampires. I stood alone on the edge of the dance floor, scoping out the faces hoping to recognize him. My sister and Stefan danced in the middle of the floor, occasionally checking their surroundings.
"You must be Elena and Jeremy's sister. I'm Alaric Saltzman, their history teacher." I tall man with dirty blonde hair greeted me, holding out his hand.
"Hi! It's nice to meet you, Jeremy talks about you a lot. Thanks for giving him another chance to get ahead in school."
"Absolutely, Jeremy's a good student." A slightly awkward silence overtook us, and I casually looked away, doing another quick scan of the dance floor. Nothing. Looks like this guy isn't taking the bait. Alaric was still standing next me, contemplating what to say next. The internal struggle is written all over his face.
"Did you need something, Mr. Saltzman?"
"Call me Alaric; you're not one of my students." I smiled.
"Hailey, I didn't know you were going to be here."
"What can I say; I'm a sucker for the decade dance." I replied motioning to my outfit.
"Me too, I went to school here. Fun fact, they also have a sixties and seventies dance." She nudged Alaric. So I know why Jenna's here.
"Well, I'll leave you two to it, I'm going to go chaperone, and by chaperone I mean embarrass my siblings and our friends." I smiled wickedly, "It was nice to meet you Alaric. See you later, Aunt Jenna." I winked making her blush and give me the stink eye.
Spotting the girls across the dance floor, I made my way over.
"There's an idea," Bonnie glowered.
"I'll help." Caroline replied, both staring at Damon, clinking their drinks.
"What's an idea?" I asked, I can only imagine what they're saying. It seems I'm Damon's only fan.
"Killing Damon," Bonnie said simply, taking a sip of her punch.
"And ruin your dress?" I offered, gesturing to her knock out ensemble.
"Who said anything about getting dirty?" Bonnie replied. I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of her drink.
"Hi Bonnie, wanna dance?" speak of the devil. Her face darkened, giving him her deadliest glare. She wasn't kidding about wanting to kill him.
"I'm out of here."
"Please give me another chance," Wow, he almost sounds sincere.
"Back off, Damon," Caroline growled, following Bonnie.
"Where did they go?" Elena asked, walking up with Stefan.
"I don't know." Damon shrugged.
"The smooth operator here drove them off." I nudged Damon, who sneered lightly in their direction. I can't tell if he is actually bothered by their animosity.
"What did you say to them?" Stefan asked.
"I was perfectly polite." I nodded in confirmation.
"A real gentleman this one," Stefan snorted, irritation boiling under the surface, his eyes never leaving Damon.
"Elena," Damon sighed making another attempt. "Would you like to dance?" You must really love getting shot down, man. Please continue to ask everyone in this room who hates you.
"I would love to." Whoa, what?
Damon smirked smugly at Stefan. Seriously dude, are you trying to get punched in the face? This is why everyone thinks you're a dick.
"May I have this dance?" She turned to Stefan holding out her arm. Oh! Burn! I gasped, suppressing a laugh with my hand. Stefan returned the smug look, leading Elena out onto the floor.
"If the point was to set yourself up for failure, then you were very successful, like, overachiever status."
"Shut up and dance with me." He replied, grabbing my wrist.
"Shut up and dance with me? Really, Damon? What happened to all the pleasantries?"
"You already like me; I don't have to kiss up." He smiled, pulling me into a slow dance.
"Ew, gross, I hate you Damon." I mocked.
"Fine, will you have this dance with me, Hailey?"
"Oh, I guess so." I sighed, pretending to be bored. I wrapped my arms around his neck, playing with the ends of his hair. "One won't be too bad."
We danced like that for the entire song. It felt right, and strangely, I felt safe. If we did encounter this bastard, I knew Damon and Stefan would take care of it.
The song ended, and I reluctantly pulled away. "Not too bad, I didn't peg you for much of a dancer, but you exceeded my expectations." I poked fun, smiling up at him.
"I'm good at a lot of things." He replied shrugging.
"Like what?" Wow, okay Hailey, way to be coy. I love flirting with Damon. He actually goes along with it. Looking over his shoulder, I notice Elena on the phone, looking deeply unsettled. She stood, looking around nervously, before resting her eyes on Jeremy. Oh no.
"Be right back, we might have something." I replied to Damon before taking off after Elena. She was walking towards the hall, disappearing quickly behind the door. Throwing off my heels, I speed up after her. "Elena! Wait up!" I called after her.
"He's here! Behind you!" she called over her shoulder. My heart started thudding in my chest, and I chanced a glance behind me. That son of a bitch, strut behind me, he smiled at me and winked when he made eye contact. A mixture of fury and fear washed over me, and I sped up, following Elena. I rounded the corner to see Elena, pulling desperately on the chained up door.
"Through here!" I called, throwing open the door to the cafeteria. The smile on his face made me sick, as he rounded the corner. This is just a game to him. Dammit guys, where are you?
"It's locked!" Elena panicked, pulling on the door on the other side of the cafeteria. The doors burst open behind us. Shit! Shit! Shit! There has to be another way out. Before I could turn around, Elena screamed. Gripping her by her hair, he picked her up effortlessly, and threw her on a table. Weapon, weapon, got to find a weapon! Pencils! I snatched up a bunch of pencils left on one of the tables, just as he was gunning for me. Before I could strike, I was flipped in the air, and slammed into the wall. Picking me up, he jacked me against the wall. Everything went white, for a second, and I could hear his feral growl in my ears. I took the pencils, and shoved them into his stomach as hard as I could. They made a sickening sound as I drove them through, and he growled in pain, before throwing me to the ground and rounding on Elena. She had the same idea as me, and I cringed as a pencil went straight through his hand. He fell to the floor in pain, allowing her to scramble away.
"The mop," I yelled, struggling to my feet. Elena broke the mop in half, ready to drive the son of a bitch through. No! He caught her hand, seconds before, snatching the makeshift stake away from her. Shit. Shit. Shit. He threw the piece behind him, snarling in victory. We both screamed, as he reared back, ready to tear into her neck.
A blur burst through the door, yanking him back and throwing him across the room. Stefan heaved, glancing at Elena, making sure she was okay. She nodded quickly, as Stefan advanced on the son of a bitch. I let out the breath I was holding, allowing my head to collapse against the wall.
"Hey, dickhead," and brother number two has shown up. "We don't want to kill you. We just want to talk." He rose up his hands in peace, glancing over at me. I nodded at him, breathing heavily, trying to pick myself up. The vampire only smiled at him, before turning towards me. My eyes widened and my heart dropped into my stomach. Damon threw the makeshift stake to Stefan who plunged it into him not a foot away from me. He dropped down to his knees, staring up at Stefan.
"Now you feel like talking?" Stefan asked him and Damon circling him. Holy shit! Elena and I stared at each other, mouths agape, and eyes wide.
"Screw you." The vampire spat. Bad move, man. Stefan plunged the wood farther into his stomach, causing him to growl out in pain. It was sickening to hear.
"Wrong answer," Stefan seethed, twisting it further.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because it's fun," he smirked before glancing at me. I shivered slightly, standing further against the wall. Damon smirked at his reply and rolled his eyes.
"What do you want with them?" Stefan interrogated further, continuing to torture him.
"She looks like Katherine, and she just looks fun." Damon's smirk fell. This disgusting bastard needs to die. I looked at Elena, who looked thoroughly disgusted, with which part I'm not sure; probably all of it.
"You knew Katherine?" Damon questioned, speaking for the first time of this whole process. Of course that would peak his interest.
"Oh, you thought you were the only ones. You don't even remember me." Wait, hold on a minute.
"Tell me how to get into the tomb." Damon demanded, crouching down in front of him.
"No." Stefan jiggled the stake, making the vampire groan in pain. "The grimoire." The what?
"Where is it?" Damon asked anxiousness laced in his voice.
"Check the journal! Jonathan Gilbert's journal." He relented, finally. Stefan and Damon glanced at each other, having a silent conversation.
"Who else is working with you?" Stefan demanded.
"No, you're going to have to kill me." He said defiantly, almost too calmly. I crossed my arms, looking away. Damon motioned to him, standing back and smirking. Wrenching the stake out of his stomach and plowing him in the heart. Elena jumped forward, as if to stop it. What the hell don't stop it! That sick son of a bitch attacked us, because he liked it and reminded him of his ex girlfriend. I'm sorry, but he needs to die.
"Wh-wh- how are you going to find the others now?" Elena cried.
"He had to die." Damon said flatly, looking at me. I nodded.
"Elena, he's been invited in." Stefan reasoned softly. We all stood in silence, allowing what we learned to sink in. I may not know everything that is going on, but what I do understand is: This Katherine girl is a carbon copy of my sister. She is a vampire stuck in a tomb, has dated Stefan and Damon as well as this sick fuck, and the only way to get her out is in my ancestor's journal. Right, this isn't getting one hundred percent more complicated. A noise broke us out of our silence, causing slight alarm. Wow this looks bad. We're in a school, after hours, in a restricted area, standing around a dead body.
"Go ahead, I got this." Stefan nodded to Damon. Nodding, he made his way for the door, snaking an arm around me, leading me with him.
"You okay?" He asked me, eyes sweeping over me.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little banged up; took you guys long enough."
"Communication would be helpful. We're the pencils your doing?"
"Both of us," I smiled proudly. It wouldn't have done any good, if they hadn't shown up, but at least I can think on my feet.
"Impressive."
"Thanks." I grinned. Rounding the corner, we see Alaric walking quickly down the hall. I blink, and Damon is standing in front of him. Shit. What are you doing?! Don't kill Jenna's date. I held my breath as he stood there questioning him. Apparently he passed the test, because Damon walked around him, back to me. "We're good for now, but we'll have to keep an eye on him." I chanced a look behind me to see Alaric a little shaken up.
"So what is this grimiore?" I asked. If I'm going to be involved, I at least want to know everything, especially this Katherine woman.
"An ancient spell book," he said, not looking at me. I stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"It's supposed to open up the tomb that has Katherine trapped inside."
"I'm assuming she's a vampire."
"You would be right. She was imprisoned back when we were still alive, and I'm going to get her out."
"You're hoping if you let her out, she'll leap into your arms and you'll go riding off into the sunset?"
"More or less," Damon responded. My stomach clenched, but I shook it off.
"So you and Stefan are going to get this grimoire and let her out."
"More me, less Stefan, he doesn't want me to let her out."
"Why not?"
"It's complicated. He claims I can trust him, but I'm not sure."
"Looks like you'll have to wait and see. I don't know how much help I'm going to be, but I'll help you any way I can." Even though I really don't want you to either; if it will make him happy though, I guess I'll help him out. Damon stopped suddenly, turning me around, facing him. He examined me, looking for any falseness in my claim. I stared back evenly, willing him to trust me.
"Why, what do you have to gain out of it?"
"I'm your friend, Damon. If this will make you happy, then I want to help you."
"You're not so bad, Gilbert." He relented, wrapping his arm around me, leading me back to the car.
"Thanks, I guess."
Author's Note: Well, what did you guys think? Leave a review and let me know!