"He is the most infuriating being I have ever encountered," I grumble as I burst back into Stefan's room.
The younger Salvatore glances up at me as I plop down on the end of his bed, "Try living with him for the past hundred years."
I roll over, resting my chin on the backs of my hand, "We should have beheaded him when we had the chance."
"You loved him, Diana. Even when he left you for Katherine, you still had hope. If I had even suggested killing him, you would've turned against me."
Smirking, I crawl up the bed, trailing my hand up Stefan's leg. When I reach the bottom of his cotton shirt, I slip my hand under, feeling his chiseled stomach as I continue upwards. I let my palm rest on his chest as I run my lips over his jaw, stopping once they reach his ear lobe. Gently, I pull the sensitive skin there between my teeth, holding it for a second before letting go. "I loved you too, Stefan."
Stefan takes my face in his hands, smirking, "It's not the same."
As I roll away, Damon's brother's phone starts to ring. He picks it up, the smirk on his face instantly dropping. On the other end of the line, I can hear a frantic Elena. Her words can hardly be made out through the crying and gasps for air. Stefan stands, collecting a few things, before motioning for me to follow him down the stairs. In less than fifteen minutes, we are standing in Elena's bedroom doorway. She's clutching Jeremy to her chest, tears pouring down her face. Elena's brother appears to be dead.
"He saw the ring, that's why he did it. He knew," Stefan says gently, trying to get Elena to calm down.
From what I've gathered, a very intoxicated Damon came over, trying to work through his feelings. I guess Jeremy tried to intervene and Damon lost it, snapping his neck. Our only saving grace is that Jeremy was wearing one of the protection rings. I'm filled with rage. Damon had no idea Jeremy was wearing that ring. He was acting impulsively and just got lucky. I'd kill him if he'd actually hurt Jeremy. I've taken a liking to the misfit and don't want to see any harm come to him. Elena's brother has been dealt a shitty card in life and wouldn't have deserved to go out like this.
"He didn't see the ring," Elena responds between sobs.
"It's Katherine. She got under his skin. She undid everything that was good about him," Stefan tries to defend his brother's actions, but I can tell he's struggling. You can't justify this kind of behavior.
"There's nothing good about him, Stefan, not anymore. He's decided what he wants. He doesn't want to feel, he wants to be hated. It's just easier that way. He got his wish. I hate him, Stefan."
Stefan sighs, walking across the room to squat down next to Elena. "I know."
Before the two can say anything more, Jeremy gasps, his eyes flying open. He struggles against Elena's grasp, scanning the room. I can see the terror on his face, the inability to remember how he ended up on the floor.
"Is he okay? Stefan, is he okay?" Elena begs, her arms still wrapped tightly around her younger brother.
Stefan takes hold of Jeremy's face, trying to keep him still, "He's okay. Shh, you're okay."
"Damon killed me." Jeremy manages, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion.
Elena kisses the top of Jeremy's head, stroking his hair, "Shh, it's okay."
Rolling my eyes, I step forward. They're going to suffocate him to death if they aren't careful, "Give him some space, guys. The kid just died and came back to life. Let him breath."
Chocolate brown eyes lock onto mine as Jeremy settles down a little, "What are you doing here?"
"We're friends, Jer. Elena called Stefan while I was in the room. I wasn't going to let him come alone. Damon's an asshole, Jeremy. I'm sorry for what he did." Gently, I place my hand on Stefan's shoulder, silently asking to speak to him in private. He stands, following me back towards the door. "Go take care of Elena. I'll watch Jeremy."
Stefan nods. He coaxes Elena up off her bedroom floor, leading her over to the bed. I squat down next to Jeremy who still looks like he can't believe he's alive. Offering him my hand, I let Elena's brother stand at his own pace. Once he's up, I wrap my arm around his waist, the two of us walking slowly towards his bedroom. As I help him into bed, Jeremy looks at me with untrusting eyes.
"Aren't you in love with Damon? Doesn't that put you on his side in all of this?"
I frown, sitting down on the floor by the side of Jeremy's bed. I'm not quite sure how he feels about having vampires around right now and want to make sure I give him the space he needs. Realizing you just died can do weird things to a person's mind. He could be totally fine or completely off his rocker. There isn't any way to tell how Jeremy is going to take this experience besides waiting. "I'm not on anyone's side but my own, Jeremy. I am sorry this happened though. This is my fault."
"No it's not. It's Damon's. He was trying to force Elena into something because he was drunk."
"No Jeremy, you don't get it. I told Damon that he lost me and so he got drunk and came in here and killed you. It wasn't because of Elena or anyone else. He knows that I care about you. This is my fault. If you hadn't been wearing that ring, you'd be dead because Damon and I got into a fight."
Jeremy moves over to the side of the bed, reaching forward and taking my hand in his. He works his thumb over the skin of my knuckles. "Why did you and Damon fight?"
"He kissed someone else...twice. The first time I was willing to forgive him, ya know, brush it off as a lapse in judgment. Then it happened again. He knew I was home. He had to have, but he did it anyway." I explain, keeping my eyes on our intertwined fingers.
"He's an asshole, Diana, and an idiot. Hey – " gentle fingers curl under my chin, tilting my head up so that I'm forced to look Jeremy in the eyes, " – you're so much better than that."
Lifting the hand Jeremy is using to hold my own, I lay my lips to the skin. Once I'm sitting straight again I give the boy a smile. "Thank you, Jeremy."
He nods, patting the empty spot next to him on the bed before dropping my hand. As I climb onto the mattress, Jeremy pulls out a leather bound book and a pencil. For a while, we sit in silence as Elena's brother works a pencil over one of the off-white sheets of paper. Usually, I don't concern myself in the lives of humans. It isn't worth it. They will eventually die and I'd be left to bear the heartache of their passing for years to come. Yet, as I watch the lead of Jeremy's pencil create a shadowy creature, curiosity gets the better of me.
"What're you working on?"
Jeremy jumps as if he forgot that I was there, "Just something in my head."
"Looks like whatever you've got going on up there is pretty dark."
"I guess," Jeremy answers with a shrug. "I just, this is how I get things out. Not too much good has been happening lately. It's kinda been that way since my parents died."
"Death is hard, especially when it wasn't expected. I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but I don't like lying. Anna and I didn't ever get along. We hated each other from the day we met. I wanted to help her that night. When I saw her in that basement, I was upset because I knew neither of you deserved that. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."
Jeremy sets his things aside, his bottom lip disappearing between his teeth, "You could take me to get that coffee."
I smile, wrapping my arm around Jeremy, coaxing his head down onto my shoulder, "I think I can manage that."
"Also, there's this stupid fair at school. I have to go cause if I don't I'll get an earful from Elena. It's gonna be super lame, but – " Jeremy trails off.
I raise an eyebrow, smirking at the brunette, "Are you asking me to go to a high school fair with you?"
"I knew it was stupid."
Laughing, I rub my hand up and down Jeremy's arm, "It's fine. I'll go with you to the stupid fair. At least with me there you have a chance of it not being totally lame."
"Can I ask another thing?"
"You're taking advantage of my generosity tonight," I chuckle, "but I suppose one more favor wouldn't hurt anything. My ex did kill you."
"Will show me what it's like...to be a vampire?"
I shift around a little so that I can fully look at Jeremy. His eyes are wide, his teeth once again working at his bottom lip. There is desperation there, a want to not have to feel the pain he's currently dealing with. I sympathize with him. For years I felt lost and hurt by a world that only offered me pain. Being able to lock all that away felt like relief. I'd spent years thanking the vampire that turned me. 600 years later, I still don't regret my decision to be turned, but it isn't everything I thought it'd be. You can only keep so much of the pain trapped away. I don't want Jeremy to enter into this from a place of hurt. He needs to be okay with his human life before he can truly know if he wants to live forever, "When you're ready, I'd be pleased to turn you, but not now. You want to be turned because you want to escape. Being a vampire isn't an escape, Jer, it's just another form of prison."
"Don't you like being the way you are?"
"Yes. I wouldn't trade this life for anything, but it's complicated. I don't want you to want this today and then regret it tomorrow. There isn't undo button. Once you're turned, that's it. Besides, I need at least one human friend."
Jeremy blinks back up at me before letting out a sigh. "Fine, but I'm not going to let this go."
Letting out a laugh, I reach over, gently stroking Jeremy's hair, "Anything less and I'd think Damon killing you had changed who you were as a person. Now, sleep, Jeremy, you need it."
Stefan and I arrive home later the next day. Stefan's eyes follow me around the room as I dance to the music playing from my phone. He smirks as I reach out to him, trying once again to get him to dance with me. Things with the younger Salvatore have always been easy. He's there when I need him and understands when I ask for space. In an alternate universe, we'd be perfect for each other. That's just not how things worked out. It's probably for the better. As the song switches to a slower one, Stefan gets off the bed. He pulls me close to his chest, the two of us swaying back and forth.
"I never got a chance to thank you for what you did for Jeremy last night. He needed you and you were there. Elena wasn't happy when you two started talking, but last night proved her wrong. Jeremy's lucky to have you as a friend."
"I thought about turning him, Stefan. He asked and I almost said yes. Let's not pretend I'm anything that I'm not. What Damon said yesterday, about me ruining lives, he's not wrong. Look at what I did to both of you. I'm no better than Katherine, Stefan."
"You are better, Diana. What Damon said was out of anger. You loved both of us and you've never tried to turn us against each other. You were there for Damon and I when we needed you the most. The fact that you said no to Jeremy makes you better than Katherine. I never held anything that happened against you. You were just giving Damon and I want we needed at the time. You aren't as evil as you think, Diana. I'm lucky to have you in my life."
"You don't regret any of it?"
Stefan stops swaying, taking a half step back so that he can look me in the eyes, "Not a second. There's even a part of me that would do it all over again."
I raise an eyebrow, smirking at Stefan, "All of it?"
He chuckles before pulling me into a hug, kissing the top of my head, "Come on, I hear Damon downstairs. We should go check on him before you turn into trouble."
"You are naughty, Stefan Salvatore."
He shrugs, before leading me downstairs into the living room. As we enter the room, Damon looks up. He glances down at Stefan and my clasp hands before continuing to empty a blood bag into one of the crystal glasses set out on the table.
"Would either of you care for one?"
"No, thank you," Stefan answers as he moves to lean against the back of the couch. "I'm not hungry. Just ate."
Damon glances over at me, lifting up an empty glass in question.
"Yes please." With everything that's been going on, I've not been able to feed nearly as often as I should. If I'm going to the fair tonight I should be full.
"Aren't you worried that one day, all the forest animals are gonna band together and fight back?" Damon questions Stefan as he hands me a glass filled with blood. "I mean, surely they talk."
"I'm just happy that's a, uh, a blood bag and not a sorority girl supplying your dinner."
The corners of Damon's mouth turn up into smile for a second before returning to a frown as his eyes shift between Stefan and I. "I like this, you walking on eggshells around me because you think I'm gonna explode. It's very suspenseful." Damon turns to look at me. "Are you worried too? I bet I'm your every conversation."
I roll my eyes, taking a long sip from the glass before answering, "As far as I'm concerned, you've already exploded. I just keep hoping that you'll truly go off the deep end and kill yourself, instead of innocent bystanders."
"Ouch!" Damon frowns. "Someone's still upset that I killed her favorite human. News flash, he's still alive so back off."
"Have you heard from Katherine?" Stefan questions, preventing Damon and I from throwing any more insults at each other.
Damon raises an eyebrow, "I think the Lockwoods have a family secret, because the Gilbert device affected them, but vervain didn't. So, they're not vampires. They're something else."
"Is this your new obsession?" Stefan questions.
"Oh, you'd rather some unknown, supernatural element running rampant in our town, fine. I'll drop it."
"I hate to admit it, but Damon's right. If the Lockwoods are something, it's better we know," I answer. I'd honestly rather deal with the Mayor's family than Katherine right now.
Stefan lets out a sigh, "We haven't seen the last of Katherine. You two know that, right? We have no idea what she's up to. We need to deal with that before we go chasing after hunches."
Damon lets out a scoff, refilling his glass with Bourbon, "We know exactly what she's up to. She came back to profess her undying, eternal love for you. So, I'm gonna let you deal with her, 'cause I've have more important things to do, like explode."
"Ya know, this Lockwood thing might be good for you. It'll keep you occupied." Stefan answers Damon before looking over at me. "Diana, since you agree with my brother on this, why don't you two join forces?"
"You're kidding right?" I question Stefan not at all happy with his idea. "I don't want to be in the same town as him, let alone pair up to figure this thing out."
Stefan grins back at me, "It'll give you two time to talk."
Smirking, Damon raises his glass, "Cheers, partner."
As Damon leaves the room I turn to Stefan, letting out a groan of frustration, "I hate you."
"You can't stay mad at him forever, Diana. Besides, this way I know someone's watching him...making sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
"I can stay mad at him forever, and I will. Besides, I can't be on Damon babysitting duty tonight, I have a date."
Stefan raises an eyebrow, "With?"
"Your girlfriend's little brother."
"Diana."
"Stefan," I mock. Not twenty minutes ago he said Jeremy was lucky to have me in his life. Is he really going to retract that statement now that he knows we're going out together?
"Is that a good idea?"
Rolling my eyes, I place a hand on Stefan's shoulder, "He's hurting, Stefan. He lost his parents, two girlfriends, and most of his trust in his sister all within the last six months. Not to mention the recent coming back to life thing. I don't think it'll hurt anything. Besides, didn't you just say that he was lucky to have me in his life?"
"As a friend. I think the last thing either of you need right now is a romantic partner."
"I'm not trying to sleep with him, Stefan. It's just one date," I explain, giving Damon's brother a smile.
Stefan nods, "Just be careful. Jeremy means a lot to Elena. Keep him safe."
I roll my eyes as Stefan goes to leave, "He'll be with me all night, absolutely nothing can go wrong."
Later that night I stand next to Jeremy as he throws a baseball at old milk bottles, trying for the second time tonight to win me a stuffed teddy bear. He throws the ball, just missing the top of his target. I let out a laugh as he turns to me, a look of defeat covering his face like a mask. I'd tried to convince him that I didn't need a cheap fair price, but Jeremy was adamant, claiming that winning stuff like that was a classic, cheesy first date thing to do. He's cute when he's being stubborn.
"Don't worry about it," I insist as we walk away from the booth, our elbows linked. "All these games are rigged, anyway. I bet half the bottles were glued down."
Jeremy grins, leading us towards a food booth, "You're just trying to make me feel better about being awful at all of those games. Damon could have won them."
Letting out a sigh, I stop walking, placing my hands on Jeremy's arms, "Damon wouldn't have even tried to win me a stuff bear. Besides, if I wanted to be here with him, I would be. I don't like wasting my time."
"He's just – " Jeremy starts, but I quickly cut him off.
"An asshole? A cheater? A selfish prick? I can go on and on, Jeremy. Now -" I hand over a few bills, "- forget about Damon, and go get us some popcorn."
I watch as Jeremy walks up to the booth, talking to the guy behind the counter. As Jeremy hands the worker my money, I spot Damon out of the corner of my eye. He strides through the crowd, nudging people out of his way as he continues towards Jeremy. Not willing to let Elena's brother fall victim to Damon's wrath once again, I walk forward, tossing my arm over my date's shoulder. He grins, as our container of popcorn is slid across the counter.
"Jeremy, it's so good to see you alive," Damon announces his presence, words dripping with sarcasm.
Spinning towards Damon, I glower up at him. He doesn't belong here. He needs to leave well enough alone and stay away from Jeremy, his sister, and myself. In typical Damon fashion, he just can't help himself. He needs to come back for more punishment. I'm beginning to think that's the only way he can avoid feeling pain and guilt for the atrocities he's committed over his lifetime.
"Aren't you a little old to be at a high school fair?" Jeremy questions.
"150 years to old," Damon answers back, his gaze shifting from Jeremy to me as he takes a handful of popcorn. "Yet, it doesn't seem like age stopped you from inviting my girlfriend out."
"Ex-girlfriend," I shoot back. "You should go, Damon."
"You're pretty funny cracking jokes when I could, I don't know...blow the whole lid off this thing by telling someone what you really are," Jeremy responds.
"Jer, he isn't worth it," I caution, but it's too late. Damon grabs Jeremy by the arm, leading him around the side of the food stand, away from the crowd. I hurry after them. I'm all for letting boys duke it out, but this isn't an even playing field. There is no way that Jeremy can hurt Damon, not right now at least. Damon's got the upper hand even with Jeremy wearing the protective ring.
"So, please tell me that that was not a threat," Damon snarls, still holding Jeremy's arm.
Jeremy lifts the hand sporting his ring, making sure Damon sees it, "Maybe it is."
Infuriated by Jeremy's cockiness, Damon wraps his arm around the boy's throat, grabbing hold of the hand with the ring on it. "This is what we're not gonna do: we're not gonna walk around like we are invincible when it's this easy for me to end you."
As Damon tightens his grip around Jeremy's neck, I step forward, grabbing hold of the vampire's free arm. I'm able to spin him towards me, giving Jeremy time to stumble out of Damon's reach. Angry blue eyes trail over my face, eventually locking with mine. "You should go, Damon. That isn't a suggestion. Jeremy and I are here trying to have a good night. Ruining it won't win you any points."
Damon slides his hands down my arms, letting them rest on my hips, "You're kinda sexy when you're being protective." He lets his hands linger on my body for a second longer before turning to Jeremy. "If you want to tell people what I really am, go ahead and try." The vampire steps forward, holding Jeremy's ring between his thumb and index finger. "I will shove this ring so far up your ass, you'll really have something to choke on."
"You're an asshole, Damon," I shoot at him as he flicks Jeremy's ring towards him.
The dark haired vampire turns his gaze to me as he begins to walk backwards away from us, "You're way out of his league, Diana. If you ever want to be with a real man again, I'll be at the mansion."
Angered by the interaction, I flip Damon off before turning towards Jeremy. He's standing strait again, sliding his ring back onto his finger. Elena's brother frowns at me, shaking his head. I gently reach my hand forward, not knowing if he wants my touch right now or not. Things between Jeremy and I get complicated when it comes to Damon. I'm not certain that Jeremy believes that I'm done with the vampire. "Jer..."
"I'm fine, Diana. Don't worry about it," Jeremy answers back stepping forward and leaning his cheek into my outstretched hand.
"I'm sorry, Jeremy."
"Don't be. None of this is your fault. Damon was a dick even before you showed up." The brunette gives me a half smile, taking my hand in his, "You up to ride the Ferris wheel?"
"I don't know, Jeremy," I chuckle as we beginning to walk back through the crowd, our popcorn forgotten on the counter, "I'm kinda scared of heights."
Elena's younger brother wraps an arm around my shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."
"You lose again," I laugh as Jeremy and I complete our third rotation on the Ferris wheel. We've entered into a rather intense game of chopsticks. Jeremy has lost every round so far and I'm convinced he's doing it on purpose. The game itself is silly and childish, but it's making the brunette smile and that's all that matters. He deserves to be happy. I just wish my relationship with Damon wasn't making things so complicated for him. The longer we hang out, the angrier Damon will get. Being around me is going to get dangerous for Jeremy. I think somewhere deep inside he knows that. For now, it's easier to not think about those things.
"Damn," Jeremy half frowns, "what do I owe you this round?"
"Hmm," as I'm about to announce my punishment, the phone in my pocket begins to vibrate. "What?"
"I need my investigation partner," Damon's voice sounds from the other end of my cell. "Tyler seems to have entered into a arm wrestling contest. I've not seen him lose once."
"That doesn't prove anything, Damon. Observe the matches yourself. I'm with Jeremy. We're trying to enjoy the rest of our night."
"C'mon. Stefan wants us to work together. You wouldn't want to disappoint him."
"It's happened before, it'll happen again," I respond as the Ferris wheel stops to let people on.
"What if whatever the Lockwood's secret is could pose a threat to dear Jeremy. Wouldn't you want to put a stop to that before he turns up dead?"
"Is that a threat, Damon?"
"Maybe. School cafeteria, five minutes." With that the line goes dead.
Letting out a sigh, I shove the phone back into my pocket. Damon isn't going to let this go until I stop hanging out with Jeremy. I don't want to put his life in danger. The only solution is to cut Jeremy off, make him hate me. He won't be safe until I do that. Frowning, I look back at the boy sitting next to me. He doesn't deserve any of this. I should have never gotten involved in his life. I'm only going to hurt him.
"What was that about?" Jeremy questions.
"Damon being Damon," I answer, pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth, chewing on it for a second as I weigh the consequences of what I'm about to do. No matter how I look at it, the pros outweigh the cons. I have to do this. "Look, Jeremy, I like you. Meaning that for a human you aren't half bad. I just don't think right now is the safest time for us to be friends." Leaning forward I kiss Jeremy on the cheek, squeezing his hand. "I'm so sorry. Please never take that ring off."
Before Jeremy can respond, I pitch myself out of the Ferris wheel car. I can't stick around to see the hurt in his eyes. Listening to him tell me he isn't scared of Damon or that things will work out would just be too hard. He can hate me. That'll be better for both of us. As I head towards the school, I shove my hurt into the already overflowing box in my mind. Now isn't the time to deal with feelings.
Damon stands on the outskirts of a crowd of high schoolers, all focused on Tyler and another guy. They've got their hands clasp together, elbows resting on a wooden table in the center of the room. As a bell sounds, Tyler slams the other guy's arm down. A cheer goes up through the crowd as another contender steps forward.
"Wow," Stefan says, coming up behind Damon and I. "You two are lurking now."
I glance over at him, rolling my eyes, "You said you wanted us to figure this Lockwood thing out."
"We're observing," Damon corrects his brother as he slings his arm over my shoulders. I let it stay, not wanting to cause a scene.
"More like obsessing."
"He's got strength," Damon mentions, ignoring Stefan's dig.
"He's a triple – letter varsity athlete, of course he's strong. You're reaching."
"Stefan?" I fake shock as I turn towards the younger Salvatore. "Have you been doing your homework?"
Stefan frowns at me, obviously not impressed with my jest, "I go to school with the guy. We played football together."
Before I can say more, Mason pushes his way through the crowd. He challenges Tyler. The two throw some playful banter back and forth as they set up, interlocking hands. Seconds after the bell dings, Mason has won. The students surrounding the table cheer. Tyler frowns, bowing out. He's obviously not pleased about being upstaged by his uncle in front of his peers.
"It looks like you two have this under control," I remove Damon's arm from around my shoulder. "I'm gonna go."
As I turn to leave, Damon catches my hand, yanking me back towards him. This time he wraps his arm around my waist, holding me to his side. "No, no, sweetheart. We're in this together, remember?"
I glower up at Damon as Tyler asks for a taker for his uncle. Angered by Stefan getting me into this mess I offer him up, "Stefan wants to go!"
Damon's brother looks down at me, raising an eyebrow. I return his stare, shoving him forward a little. I don't care if he doesn't want any part of this. He got me involved and now I'm putting him right in the middle.
"Yeah, sure," Stefan mumbles, stepping into the middle of the crowd. "I'll, uh, I'll give it a shot."
"Get him, Stef!" Damon calls out, squeezing me a little before kissing the top of my head.
"Cut it out, Damon. I don't want your affection. I'm only here so that you'll leave Jeremy alone."
Damon looks over at me. "Don't lie. We both know you're enjoying this."
"No. I'm not."
I turn my attention to Stefan who now has his hand in Mason's, their elbows set on the table. The two stare each other down, waiting for the bell to go off. As it does, the two struggle. Stefan gets Mason's arm down a half inch before the older Lockwood pushes it back up. There is another second of struggle before Stefan's arm hits the table. Either he wasn't trying, or Mason Lockwood is truly more than human. There's no way Tyler's uncle could have won any other way. Stefan's diet of animal blood does make him weaker than a normal vampire, but not weak enough to lose an arm wrestling match to a human.
"You didn't put in any effort at all," Damon hisses as Stefan rejoins us.
Stefan's light brown eyes meet his brothers, "Yeah, actually, I did."
For a second, Damon looks confused. He releases me, crossing his arms over his chest as he raises an eyebrow, "Come with me."
The three of us walk up the hallway a ways before Damon stops, turning towards Stefan and I. "Is he..."
"No, no," Stefan responds quickly. "It wasn't that kind of strength, but it was more than human if that makes sense."
"What is up with that family?" Damon questions obviously frustrated with the inconclusiveness of the situation. "If they aren't vampires, what are they?"
"Oh, maybe Ninja Turtles," Stefan suggests, smirking.
Turning towards Stefan I back hand his arm. "This is serious, Stefan."
Damon frowns at his brother, the wheels in his head still spinning, "You're not funny."
"Or, no, zombies. Werewolves."
"Werewolves?" I question, glancing between the two Salvatore brothers. That's the first suggestion that's actually seemed halfway plausible. "They supposedly went extinct centuries ago, but then again so did vampires. It'd explain the strength, Gilbert device, and vervain."
Damon looks at me, smirking. I can tell he's pleased with this suggestion.
"What?" Stefan questions, worry in his tone. "What are you up to?"
"Well, since there are no more werewolves and combat turtles don't exist..." he trails off, heading in the direction of a male who happens to be standing in the hallway.
"I said Ninja Turtles."
"Hey you," Damon calls to the mystery male.
The guy turns to the dark haired vampire, scoffing, "I have a name."
"No one cares," I respond, walking up behind Damon. "What's the plan?"
"Thought you didn't want any part of this," Damon responds as he grabs hold of his victim's shoulders.
Shrugging, I cross my arms over my chest, "I'm intrigued."
Damon smirks, turning his attention to the boy, "I need you to pick a fight with someone, kid named Tyler Lockwood."
"Damon, don't do this," Stefan cautions.
Spinning around on the heel of my Converse, I curl my fingers around Stefan's arm. He doesn't get to play the good guy in this scenario. "You're the one who encouraged this. You don't get to pick and chose when Damon's obsession comes and goes. We have to live with the consequences of your suggestions."
"Get him mad," Damon continues as I turn away from Stefan. "Don't back down, no matter what he does, okay?"
"I won't back down," the guy repeats.
"I know you won't," Damon says, patting the guy on the back before sending him off.
"You do realize someone's going to get hurt, right?" Stefan asks, trying to be the voice of reason.
"No, someone's gonna get mad, as in rage."
Stefan shrugs, "And what's that gonna accomplish?"
"That Tyler kid is incapable of walking away from a fight. Let's see who intervenes. Maybe it'll be the ambiguously supernatural, mystery uncle." Damon responds before disappearing up the hallway.
"What happens if Tyler ends up killing that kid?" Stefan questions.
I raise an eyebrow, "You really think it's going to come to that?"
"Just tell me."
"Well, according to all the legends, he turns. But, if any of the vampires I've ever talked to are right about the extinction, he'll spend a few months in jail waiting for a self – defense trial. Werewolves don't exist anymore, Stef, our kind made sure of that," I respond before patting Damon's brother on the shoulder and walking up the hallway.
As I round the corner I see Damon on the linoleum floor. His eyebrows are furrowed together, eyes set on something that isn't there. "You forget how gravity works or just decide you needed a nap after all that villain work?"
"Ha. You come up with those jokes alone or did you have help?" Damon questions as he stands, walking back up the hallway towards me.
"All on my own, thanks."
Damon raises an eyebrow, "I'm impressed. Now isn't really the time though, we've got bigger issues?"
"Like the fact you still haven't left town?"
"No," the vampire responds back, frowning. "This is a Katherine level problem. As in she killed Caroline while my blood was still in her system so now blondie is in transition."
"I'll go get Stefan. Go find Elena."
"Meet in Alaric's classroom?" Damon questions as I turn back in the direction I just came from.
"See ya in ten minutes."
I hurry back through the school and outside, following the sound of Stefan's voice. When I find him, he's crouched down next to the guy that Damon compelled. As he stands I wave.
"What's going on?" Stefan questions, walking towards me once he's finished with the human.
"I'm going to go play the superhero, thought you might wanna join." I respond as I lead the younger Salvatore back towards the school.
"What now?"
I let out a sigh, pushing open the door to Alaric's classroom, it looks like I beat Damon in finding my target. "Katherine killed Caroline, but don't worry she's not dead, well technically."
"You mean –"
I cut Stefan off as Damon and Elena walk in, "We're adding another vampire to our happy little family."
"How did this happen?" Stefan questions as he walks over to Elena, leaning on the windowsill.
"I gave her my blood and Katherine obviously killed her. "A" plus "B" equals – " Damon trails off, crossing his leather clad arms over his chest.
"But why?" Elena questions, frowning.
"Because Katherine is a manipulative, nasty little slut."
I turn to Damon, resting my hands on my hips, "Just now coming to that conclusion?"
"Stop." Stefan steps in. "Focus."
"Caroline said that Katherine had a message for all of us...'game on'." Damon relays.
Stefan scrunches up his nose as he thinks, "What does that mean?"
"It means she's playing dirty and she wants us to know," Damon offers up.
Elena lets out a sigh, leaning her head against Stefan's shoulder, "But why Caroline?"
"She was an easy target," I explain, trying to think like Katherine. "Katherine knew none of us would be watching her cause we thought she'd be safe at the hospital."
"Caroline must be out of her mind. She has no idea what's happening to her," Stefan says, starting to pace. He does this when he gets stressed. Lately, I've seen him doing it around the house. Katherine being back is having a bigger effect on him than he's letting us know.
"Oh, I think she does. All of my compulsion from the past started wearing off the minute she was in transition." Damon says with a smug smirk.
To keep from slapping it off his face, I shove my thumbnail between my teeth, chewing on it. Now is not the time for Damon's snide comments. We need to figure out what we're going to do about Caroline before she starts eating her classmates.
"We have to find her," Stefan says, taking the words right out of my mouth.
"Yup," Damon starts, standing, "and kill her."
Elena's eyes grow wide as she springs forward towards Damon, "You're not gonna kill, Caroline."
"She knows who we are. She's officially a liability."
"No." I spin back towards Damon, grabbing hold of his shoulder. "She knows who you are. She doesn't know about Stefan and me. You aren't killing Caroline, Damon. Just use this as an opportunity to leave town. Let Stefan, Elena, and I take care of Caroline."
"Caroline, of all people, will not make it as a vampire. Her mother's a vampire hunter." Damon says, his blue eyes lingering on mine for a second before he addresses Stefan and Elena. "Guys, come one, we all know how this story ends, so let's just flip to the last chapter and –"
"It's not an option," Elena cuts Damon off.
"No?" the vampire questions, sitting back down on top of Alaric's desk, "Your silence is deafening, Stefan. Wait, wasn't there a school carnival the night you staked Vicki? Huh. Talk about a town where history repeats itself."
"Shut up," I hiss. "Either do it yourself or I'll make you."
Damon smirks back at me, raising an eyebrow, "Threat or promise?"
Before I can say more, Stefan stops his pacing, "We're not gonna kill her."
With that Stefan grabs hold of Elena's hand, walking over to me. He offers his other, eyes set on Damon. Without a second thought, I curl my fingers in between the gaps in Stefan's. Damon frowns at me as Stefan, Elena, and I walk towards the door.
"What happened to not getting involved in the affairs of humans, Diana?" Damon calls out after me.
Instead of answering, I keep my eyes set on the lockers in front of me, letting Stefan lead me up the hallway. Once we're outside the vampire drops Elena and my hand, walking out in front of us. I can tell this decision is eating him up inside. On one hand, Caroline is Elena's best friend. Killing her would ruin Elena. Caroline also doesn't deserve that fate. She's the way she is now by no fault of her own. The girl should be able to live out her life to the fullest. I would have never admitted it, but Damon did have a point as well. We've all got our hands full with Katherine. Bringing a new vampire into the mix could easily spell disaster. Knowing Stefan, he's weighing the pros and cons of everything, trying to come up with a solution where everyone wins and Elena stays safe.
"You agree with Damon, don't you?" Elena questions Stefan. When he doesn't respond she frowns. "Stefan."
Stefan lets out a long sigh, his fist making contact with the ticket booth we're walking past. I quicken my pace. Right now is not the time for Stefan to be getting angry. I don't want to, but I'll take him down if I feel like his mental state is going to effect us saving Caroline's life.
"Stefan, hey." Elena reaches out, placing a hand on Stefan's shoulder as he turns to look at her.
"Damon's right, not about what we should do, but about what's going to happen. Katherine all but signed Caroline's death certificate."
Elena's face is a mask of worry, "We can't let it end that way."
Reaching forward, I place my hand over Elena's. "We don't. Caroline can come live with us until we can convince Bonnie to make a ring. I'll come up with some lie to tell the sheriff. Once Caroline can go in the sun and we've taught her how to control the urges she can return to her old life."
"And what if Katherine decides she wants Caroline dead?" Stefan challenges.
"We've dealt with Katherine before, we can do it again."
"She's doing this because of me, isn't she?" Elena questions, her eyes flicking between Stefan and myself.
Stefan sighs, running his fingers through his hair, "Actually, she's doing this because of me."
I roll my eyes. Leave it to Stefan and Elena to try and figure out the reason why Katherine decided to be her usual, bitchy self. "As fun as this blame fest is, we don't have the time right now. We need to find Caroline before Damon does."
My words seem to pull Elena and Stefan back into the current situation. They both nod, the three of us taking off into the crowd once again. After a few minutes of walking, Stefan stops. He slowly turns back in the direction we came from. I watch the veins under his eyes bubble to the surface, retreating almost as quickly as they appeared.
"What? What do you hear? What's going on? What is it?" questions tumble from Elena's lips, one blurring into the next.
"Blood," Stefan finally answers. "I can smell blood."
The vampire grabs hold of my hand. Seconds before he takes off through the crowd, I curl my finger's around Elena's wrist, tugging her along behind us. We round the corner just in the nick of time. Damon has Caroline in a hug, a stake raised above her back. Stefan springs into action, shoving Damon away from the blonde, tossing the stake away from them.
Caroline is shaking; blood covering her lips and chin. Her eyes are wide and frantic, tiny sobs escape from her open mouth. Opening my arms, I slowly walk forward. Caroline is fragile right now. She needs to know that she's okay and that there is hope for her future. The blonde's tiny frame collides with mine as she begins to sob. I gently rub her back, trying to calm her down. She's spiraling right now, and even though I'm old and have acquired strength over my years, I'd be no match for a new vampire.
Elena slowly walks forward, her hands held up in front of her. The instant the brunette comes into her vision, Caroline begins fighting against me, trying to get away from her friend. "Get away from me! You killed me."
"No. No, Caroline, that wasn't me. You know that. That was Katherine."
Caroline looks up at me, tears welling up in her eyes as she looks back at Elena. "No! Then why does she look like you? Why did she do this to me?"
Elena turns to Stefan who is still standing between Damon and the rest of us. "Stefan, we need to get her inside."
Stefan turns his back on his brother, walking over to us. I let my arms fall from Caroline, handing her off to the younger Salvatore. "It's alright, Caroline Come with me."
"She will die. It's only a matter of time." Damon calls out.
"Yeah, maybe so, but it's not gonna happen tonight," Stefan answers back, glancing over his shoulder at Damon.
"Oh yeah, it is." The dark haired vampire springs forward, grabbing the stake off the ground.
Stefan spins Caroline around, shielding her with his body. Elena jumps in front of the two, her chest heaving. This is my family now. We may be dysfunctional, but I love these people. They've accepted me into their lives. I can't let this happen. Lunging forward, I grab hold of Damon's wrist. Ocean blue eyes meet mine as Damon turns his head to see who has grabbed him. His face softens, arm beginning to tremble.
"They're my family, Damon. Don't."
Damon lets the stake fall from his hand, his other placed over mine. He takes in a shaky breath before stepping backwards. "Whatever happens, it's on you three."
I nod, turning back to Stefan, Caroline and Elena. They all look relieved. Yet, things quickly move from bad to worse as Bonnie appears from around the corner. Her chocolate brown eyes are wide as she takes in the scene in front of her.
"Caroline? No you're not. You can't be." The witch runs over to Caroline, placing her hand on the blonde's arm. She quickly pulls it back as if she's just received an electric shock.
"Bonnie. I – Oh god, Bonnie," Caroline starts to shake again, tears spilling down her face.
"I can't believe this is happening."
"Come on. Don't pout about it. We've got a body to bury," Damon says as he returns to our group, a shovel thrown over his shoulder. He glances at the dead guy, shaking his head. "Sucks to be you, buddy."
Bonnie turns to Damon, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly, Damon lets out a cry of pain, clutching his head. The vampire drops to his knees, writhing in pain. The hose connected to the building switches on, water running down the asphalt towards Damon.
"I told you what would happen if anyone else got hurt," Bonnie says.
"I didn't go this," Damon grunts.
"Bonnie, it wasn't his fault," Elena announces.
"Everything that happens is his fault, Elena," Bonnie shoots back, never taking her eyes off of Damon.
"Bonnie, what are you doing?"
Fire erupts down the line of water, engulfing Damon's legs in flame. He screams in agony, trying desperately to pat out the fire that is working its way up his body.
"Bonnie!" I call out, trying to break her concentration. I may hate Damon, but he's part of my messed up little family. I don't want to see him go out like this. Nothing that happened tonight is his fault. Caroline being a vampire is Katherine's doing. Damon only gave the blonde his blood after Bonnie told him to. Despite everything he's put me through, I really do love Damon Salvatore. "Bonnie, stop! You'll regret this."
"Bonnie, stop it!" Elena calls out her eyes dashing between Damon and the witch. "You're gonna kill him." The girl takes one more, quick look over at the vampire writhing in pain on the ground and jumps over the fire line, her body crashing into Bonnie's.
Untrusting brown eyes turn to Elena, "Why did you stop me?"
Uninterested in their argument, I move over to Damon. He's propped himself up on his elbows, breathing heavily as he stares at the spot where the fire was burning not seconds ago. As I approach, blue eyes lock onto mine. I kneel down next to Damon, rolling my sleeve up. Gently, I place the skin there against Damon's lips. He's weak. If he doesn't drink the injuries he's sustained from the fire won't heal. "Drink."
Damon shifts around, pulling himself into a sitting position as he wraps his fingers around my arm. As his teeth sink into my flesh, I can feel my life source leaving my body. Damon drinks sloppily, ruby red blood running down over his chin, dripping onto his pants. After a minute or two he pulls away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Why'd you help me?"
"I didn't want to hear you complain for the rest of the night," I answer back as the vampire rests his head on my shoulder.
"That's not what I meant. There was a point, a few seconds before Elena broke Bonnie's concentration, where my whole body went numb and I felt nothing," Damon explains, his finger tracing over the spot on my wrist that he just fed from.
"How could that be me, Damon? I'm not a witch," I respond, the conversation Bonnie and I had at the Lockwood house playing through my mind.
Damon sits up a little, his eyes meeting mine, "Why'd you do it?"
Letting out a sigh, I shrug. "I don't know. This doesn't change anything though. You still hurt me. I still can't trust you."
"Diana," Damon grabs hold of my hand as I move to get up. "I'm sorry, for everything. I've been acting like a dick lately."
I shake my head, "I don't want to hear it, Damon, not unless you really, truly mean it."
Damon's face contorts, a look of pain covering his face. "I do."
"I don't believe you."