I walked up the steps and in to the sheriff's department; my heels clicking against the pavement. I was wearing a dark purple blouse with black skinny jeans, six inch black heels and a bottle of whiskey in my hand that was only three quarters full. I strolled past everyone and down in to the holding cells. "You're not supposed to be here." A deputy said as he rushed over to me once I'd shut the door. "You need to leave."
"Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" I reprimanded before I placed my hands on either side of his face and twisted till I heard a sickening crack. I smiled in satisfaction as he fell to the ground in a crumpled pile. I crouched down and unhooked some keys from his belt and stood back up. I stalked around the corner and walked down the long hallway glancing in every cell but coming up empty.
"Why am I only hearing about this now?" I heard Damon question from further down the hallway.
"Because you can't get involved in this Damon." Liz stated. "He's our lead suspect in a murder investigation."
"Why didn't you call me?" Damon asked.
"Because I called Danielle." Alaric replied.
"You called Dani!" Damon snapped. "When I could have been here in 10 minutes, you ran someone who might not even be in the country! Are you crazy?"
"From where I'm standing, you kinda look like the crazy one." I smirked.
Liz and Damon whirled around to face me as Rick tried to push his head through the bar to see. "Dani." Damon breathed in shock.
"Damon, Liz." I acknowledged as I slowly walked forwards until I was beside them, facing Rick. I chucked the keys at Rick who caught them just before they hit him in the face. "Come on we're leaving."
Just as Alaric went to place the key in to the lock, Liz reached in and snatched them away from him. "Where did you get these?" She demanded.
"Not important." I stated. "Now let him out."
"No, I'm detaining him, for his own good."
"Do you know where I was this morning?" I questioned calmly, my lips pressed in to a thin line.
"No, because you wouldn't tell anyone." Damon snapped.
"I was Miami. I had a lovely beach house; there was booze, sun and sex with gorgeous guys with tanned skin and six packs." I smirked before pursing my lips. "And I dropped that to come here, to get Rick out of jail, so if he doesn't get out of here, I'm going to be really, really upset." I spoke each word clearly and with menace earning strange looks from all three of them.
Damon's posture stiffened as he eyed me carefully. "Oh, please tell me you haven't." He bit out but I didn't have time to reply as Liz spoke up.
"He was shot, Dr Fell used vampire blood to heal him." She explained.
"Dr Fell's the one who shot me!" Rick yelled.
"Because you came at her with a knife!" Liz retorted.
"Yeah, the knife I had found hidden in her things!"
"She had a gun and he had a poxy little knife but yet he's the only one locked up." I clarified. "That seems a little unjust to me."
"He came at her with a knife." Liz reasoned.
"So she says, for we know she could have killed the medical examiner, Bill and attempted to kill Rick and when Rick found the knife she used, she panicked and shot him and is now trying to set him up so it looks like he did it." I stated.
"Well I errm… I don't know." Liz mumbled.
"That's why I called her." Rick said to Damon smugly.
"Are we going to ignore the part where he was one of the killer's victims?" Damon inquired.
"He was practically stabbed to death." I added.
"Well, Dr Fell suggested his wounds could have been self-inflicted." Liz defended.
"She would say that!" I exclaimed.
"You think I stabbed myself!" Rick shouted.
"I don't know what to think." Liz replied. "I've got nothing, except for a murder weapon from your stash and a respected member of a founding family pointing a very long finger."
"She's setting me up, I'm being framed here!" Rick snarled.
"Well, that may be so." She admitted. "But I don't have any proof of that."
"Then we'll find some." Damon reasoned.
"No! Just stay out of this, the both of you!" She snapped looking from me to Damon. "If you get involved you're just going to make matters worse."
"Listen Liz-" Damon started but Liz cut him off.
"Don't make me put you in that cell with him!" She said with finality.
"Saying Rick's a murder is like saying that I'm a vampire." I said.
"You are!" Damon growled.
"No, I'm a hybrid which means I'm only part vampire, like Rick is only part murder. He only kills vampire's, never innocent human beings."
"I'm not changing my mind on this." Liz stated.
"Ugh! I need a drink." Rick groaned.
"Here." I smirked before handing him the bottle of whiskey.
"Yet another great reason why I called her instead of you." Rick pointed out as he looked at Damon.
"Well I need to speak to Rick in private, so If you don't mind." I smirked as I gestured to the exit.
"Five minutes." Liz warned. "And if you even think to try and break him out, I'll make sure he gets life imprisonment."
"Got it." I responded as they both turned to walk away. "Oh, and be careful going around the corner. Don't trip over the dead guy."
"What!" Liz screeched as she ran around the corner and dropped to her knees next to the guy I'd killed earlier. "You killed him!"
"If you're going to point the finger of blame at anyone, I think it should be at the person who's been accused of being a serial killer." I smirked.
Liz stood up then and attempted to storm over to me but Damon grabbed her by the shoulder. "I'll deal with it." He said calmly in her ear. "And I'll make sure that she doesn't hurt anyone else while she's here."
"Caroline told me what Elena did." Liz said through tears. "But that doesn't give you the right to hurt other people."
"And just because you don't know who really killed those people doesn't mean you can arrest anyone, yet that's exactly what you seemed to do."
"Come on we're going." Damon said pushing Liz towards the door. He looked over his shoulder then with narrowed eyes. "Clean this up." He motioned to the body before disappearing around the corner.
"What are you doing?" Rick ordered.
"Not important." I deadpanned before saying. "I'm only going to ask this once and remember there's no judging because I'd be a hypocrite if I did… Are you the killer?"
"NO!" He snapped.
"Fine, then I'll speak to Meredith and sort this out."
"Don't kill her." He ordered. "Please, just don't kill her." I shrugged before in a blur of movement lifted up the deputy's body and disappeared out the back door.
I leant against the wall as I waited for her to come out. "Meredith." I grinned as soon as she stepped in to view. "I think we need to have a little chat."
Her heart sped up as she stared at me with slight fear in her eyes but she quickly recovered. "I've already spoken to your sister about this." She tried to walk past me but I stepped to the side and blocked her way.
"Well, unlike Elena I'm not here to ask you nicely to retract your statement." I smirked. "Either you do it or I'll torture you painfully until all the vervain has left your system and then I'll compel it out of you. Your choice."
"You really believe he didn't do it?" She questioned.
"Oh, I know he didn't do it." I said confidently.
"You lived with him for a few weeks, he was your aunts boyfriend and you drink with him sometimes, but what do you really know about him?"
"I know he's kind and he's good. What else is there to know?"
She grabbed my arm and dragged me in to an empty waiting room and shut the door behind us. "Let me tell you what I know. He was arrested for fighting four times before the age of twenty one. When he was at Duke his future wife Isobel filed for a restraining order against him, twice. Although then she married him, so I guess that says more about her." She explained.
"Big deal." I stated. "I was arrested three times before the age of eighteen, twice for drinking and driving and once for hitting a cop while I was drunk out of my mind." I paused for a moment before continuing. "Technically speaking I shouldn't have a license but it helps when your best friends with the Sheriffs daughter. But that doesn't matter; a restraining order to Isobel just means that he was in love with her."
"You drink, he drinks. You've been arrested and so has he. And look how you turned out." She said softly. "You kill people with no remorse, how do you know he's any different?"
"Because I'm a vampire!" I snapped. "Killing is a part of who I am but Alaric's good, he's human."
"How would you know if he's a good person?" She asked. "You took pity on a borderline alcoholic vampire hunter, and you never thought to look any deeper."
"Because I don't have to!" I growled as I took a threatening step forward. "He didn't kill anyone and you know it!"
"You dated a vampire and then you became a hybrid. It shouldn't come as any shock to you that your guardians a murder."
She tried to turn away but I grabbed her arm pulling her back so our faces were inches apart. I let my vampire face show but she made no move to pull away from my grip as she stared me down. "This is the face of a murder. I'm a murder and I can assure you that Rick isn't a murder." I spoke each word slowly and carefully before I let my fangs retract and taking a step away from her.
"You really believe he didn't do it, don't you?" She asked again, her gaze softening. I nodded. "Then I'll fix it." She said as she turned away and opened the door.
"Meredith." I called as she stepped through the doorway. "Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me." She smiled. "I was already going to do it."
"Good, I kind of like you, so it would have been a shame to kill you." I smirked. She rolled her eyes but smiled as she exited the room.
I left the hospital and pulled out my phone and quickly dialled her number. "Hey Bon." I said as soon as she picked up.
"Dani? Where have you been?" She questioned. "You haven't been answering your phone and when I rang Jeremy he said you left days ago to come back home."
"Yeah, I may have gotten side tracked." I shrugged. "But I'm back now."
"Great!" She cheered. "But I'm not there. Caroline and I are staying at Abbeys to help her through her transition. Why don't you come here? You still remember the address right?"
"I would but I kinda need to stay here to get Rick out of Jail, it's a long story. But I'm not really… stable to be around Abbey right now." I admitted.
There was a long pause before she spoke quietly. "You've turned it off, haven't you?"
"Yep." I replied popping the 'p'. "Filled to the brim with negative thoughts and if I have to help Abbey there a 99% v=chance I'll tell her to turn it off as well and come on a killing spree with me."
"Turning your emotions off isn't the solution to all your problems." She said sternly.
"You're only saying that because you're not a vampire, so you can't do it." I smirked.
She sighed. "When Caroline and I get back we'll help you, okay. Just please try not to hurt anyone."
"Yeah, not going to happen." I responded. "I don't need or want your help. I like not feeling, it's great! So just concentrate on helping your mom because I'm fine." Before she could reply I'd hung up. I slipped my phone back in to my pocket and opened my car door and slid in.
I stopped the car outside the boarding house and got out, shutting the door quietly behind me. I pushed open the front door and immediately their voices drifted toward my ears, so I followed them. "Dear diary, a chipmunk asked me my name today." Damon said in a saddened voice making me smile. "I told him it was Joe, that lie will haunt me forever."
"What do you want?" Stefan snapped.
I laughed as I stepped in to Stefan's room. "Don't be rude now, Stefan." I chastised.
He whirled around in surprise and stood there string for a moment, so Damon broke the silence. "Yeah, forgot to mention that. Dani's back in town and she's turned everything off again."
"You should try it." I smirked at Damon. "It would make you so much more fun."
Two strong arms were wrapped around me then and lifted me up before swinging me around. "It's about time you got back. I was one day away from coming after you."
I chuckled. "You should have, it was great. Miami is beautiful this time of year and so are the guys there." I smirked as he placed me back on my feet.
"Miami? That's where you were?" He questioned.
"Yeah with Kol."
Both of their faces dropped as they stared at me in shock. "Kol?" Damon growled.
"Yeah." I shrugged. "And the Elijah showed up, I think he was trying to make me turn my emotions back on. Oh, and there was Trinity! You know her." I exclaimed looking at Stefan. "She was Lexi's sister."
"You met Trinity?" Stefan asked curiously forgetting momentarily I was with Kol.
"Yeah, nice girl, she's the one who cut my hair."
"Looks great." He complimented. "It defiantly suits you."
"Great?" Damon scoffed. "It looks perfect. Of course, I would have mentioned that earlier but you were too busy snapping deputies' necks and sleeping with Kol!"
"I didn't sleep with Kol." They both raised their eyebrows at this. "And that's not from a lack of trying on his part."
Stefan rolled his eyes before changing the subject. "So are you back for good?"
I shook my head. "I'm here until Rick is released from jail and Elena is dead, then I'm back to Miami."
"You're going to be waiting a long while." Damon stated.
I frowned. "No, I've already spoken to Meredith and she's retracting her statement."
"Well, Elena isn't dying." Stefan clarified.
I smirked. "You keep telling yourself that, Stefan. But your no match against me, all I have to do is both the both of you and you'll be running around hallucinating, she'll be a sitting duck."
"You think Bonnie and Caroline will let you do that?" Damon questioned.
An evil grin spread across my face. "But there not here to stop me."
Damon rolled his eyes. "Now I'm bored." He announced before turning back to Stefan. "Back to the real reason I'm here, before Dani rudely interrupted. I was hoping we could hang, a little brother bonding, well I know we don't actually 'hang out' we team up, join forces to activate our wander twin powers." He smirked holding up his ring as he walked over to where Stefan kept his diary's from all the years.
"What are you doing?" Stefan questioned in annoyance.
"Digging up clues." Damon answered. "Most of the originals are gone but there's still the question of who done it, in town."
"You're trying to figure out who the killer is?" I inquired.
Damon nodded his head but kept his gaze looked on the book case. "Do you remember when we came back from Zachariah's funeral?" He asked Stefan.
"Vaguely, why?" Stefan replied.
"If memory serves, he wasn't the find council member killed that year, or even that month."
"Your point being?" I inquired.
"I'm trying to remember what year it was." He responded.
"1912." Stefan answered.
Damon chuckled before throwing one of the books at him. "So much for vaguely." He leant against the book case with a smirk on his face. "1912, or as I like to call to it, the last time mystic falls had a serial killer on its hands."
Stefan stared at the book in his hands so I let out a sigh before ripping it from his grip. "It feels strange to return home after so long away." I read aloud. "I thought I would never return; certainly not for a funeral." I looked up from the book and looked at them curiously. "So who was this Zachariah? Son? Grandson? Brother? Or nephew?"
"Well, our father knocked up one of the maids during the civil war and she had a son but as far as anyone else knew, Stefan and I were dead." Damon explained. "Family name had to go somewhere."
"Are you sure it wasn't your child?" I smirked. "Because you seem like the kind of guy that would knock up one of the maids during that time period."
Stefan chuckled as Damon glared at me. "Ha-ha hilarious." He said sarcastically. "Let's go get a drink, your humour's annoying me."
"So what does the medical examiner, Bill Forbes and Alaric Saltzman have in common?" Damon asked as the three of us sat at the bar.
I rolled my eyes at Damon's question and waved the incredibly hot bar tender over. "A bottle of tequila and a bottle of bourbon please." I said as I eyed him up and down.
"Anything for you, beautiful." He smirked as he placed them both in front of me.
I tilted my head to the side and leant forward on the bar top. "Anything?" I asked smiling suggestively as I bit my bottom lip seductively. He winked at me as Stefan handed him the money the strolled off to go and serve the next customer. Damon took the bottle of bourbon and filled his and Stefan's glass, the whole time with his jaw clenched shut.
I stared at Stefan's hand as he continuously knocked his ring against the bar top creating an annoying tapping sound. I was just about to tell him to stop but Damon beat me to it. "Will you knock it off?" He snapped, clearly agitated. "Quitting blood cold turkey after a ripper binge might not be the best approach. Every time you play that all or nothing game you eventually leave a trail of bodies. So I was thinking maybe now's a great time to pay our old friend moderation a visit."
"That might not be a bad idea." I agreed. "But the ripper binge has its perks."
"They were all on the founder's council. That's what they had in common." He replied ignoring the both of us.
"Why them?" Damon questioned. "Brain Walters and Alaric Saltzman weren't from founding families."
"You always target the weaker ones first." I answered. "Then the stronger ones run around scared like headless chicken."
"Yeah, but if you're going to slaughter council members at least go A list. I mean, in 1912 at least they killed a Salvatore."
"Which Salvatore would that be?" All three of our heads turned to see Rebekah standing behind us.
"We've covered that part." I pointed out. "And this story is already tediously dull without it having to be repeated."
"Danielle." She smiled. "You're back. Maybe Nick will stop moping around now."
"At least he took the hint after the fifth returned call, these two" I gestured to Stefan and Damon. "Couldn't decipher the message."
She laughed as she took the seat by Damon. "And you've cut your hair, less Katherine and Elenaery."
"I know." I smirked. "It's great right."
"Your family used to own the logging mills, did they not?" Rebekah asked Damon.
"Why do you need to know that?" I inquired confused.
"Just learning the town history, I did grow up here after all."
"You know you don't have to disguise your true motives Blondie Bex, if you want more sex, just ask for it." Damon smirked as he took a sip of his drink.
"Not enough liquor in the world." She retorted.
"Oh come on." He whined. "It was too good for you to be this hostile." Stefan leant over me then and grabbed the bottle of bourbon before standing up and refilling his empty glass.
"Sit down and stop fidgeting." I said sternly as I narrowed my eyes at him. He reluctantly sat down but then he started to shake him leg. I clenched my jaw before placing my hand on his knee and squeezing till I heard a faint crack. Stefan's face contorted in pain as he let out a groan. "Are you trying to piss me off?" I questioned. "Because that's exactly what you're doing."
"You'll have to excuse them." Damon said to Rebekah. "Dani's turned her emotions off again and Stefan's jonesing for some O positive."
"I'm not jonesing." Stefan stated.
"Well, whatever it is, it's annoying the hell out of me." I replied.
Rebekah chuckled. "I like this Dani. The old one was great but this one's fantastic."
"That's personal opinion." Damon muttered glaring over at the bar tender who was smiling your way.
"Be careful Damon, you sound jealous." I smirked.
"Hmmm. There are two of them and two of us." She smiled suggestively. "That's a brother each."
I smirked. "But the question is who get what brother."
"Not happening." Damon stated.
"Oooh, bagsy Dani." Stefan said with his hand raised.
"No way, we're not doing this." Damon spat.
"Yeah, but if technically speaking we were, then I want Dani."
"Why do you get Dani?" Damon questioned.
"Because you've already slept with her." Stefan pointed out.
"So, I've slept with Rebekah." Damon argued.
"Precisely, so I get Dani. You've slept with them both, so it's only fair."
"You both know how to make a girl feels special." Rebekah said sarcastically.
I smirked. "You can have them both." I offered as my gaze wandered over to the bartender a few feet away. "I have my sights set on someone else."
Stefan winced. "Hurtful." I chuckled as I rolled my eyes.
"Hmmmm, delicious." Rebekah agreed smirking as she looked at the bar tender.
I wiggled my eyebrows before turning back to Damon's stony expression. "So, this killer, did they ever catch them?"
"Nope." He answered popping the 'p' and downing the rest of his drink before refilling it. "They rode it all off on vampires."
"Maybe it was vampires." Rebekah suggested taking the bottle of tequila from me and pouring some in to her glass before passing it back.
"Yeah, maybe it was a vampire, Damon." Stefan stated staring straight at Damon.
"Don't think for a second you didn't cross my mind too, brother." Damon retorted. "But these murders weren't your style, were they?" He smirked before adding. "Plus there were no other vampires circling then."
"Well, there was one other vampire." Stefan clarified. "Remember Sage?"
"Oooh right, Sage." Damon smirked as realisation dawned on him. "Speaking of great sex."
"I knew Sage once." Rebekah piped up. "Trashy little thing."
"Do you really think that Sage killed all those founders back then?" Damon asked Stefan.
"Town questioned every grown man in mystic falls, probably never occurred to them that a woman could have done it." Stefan explained.
"It probably was a woman, because if we're being honest a man would never have been smart enough to get away with it." I chuckled.
"That's a little sexist." Damon pointed out.
"But true." I smirked.
"So tell me more about your old relatives. I heard they teared down half the woods to build this town." Rebekah said as she went to grab the tequila bottle again but Damon reached it just before.
"Easy there lushy pants." Damon replied getting up out of his bar stool and grabbing the bottle of bourbon as well. "It's been a hoot and a half but it's 'people that live at the Salvatore Boarding house' night and you weren't invited."
Stefan and I both got up from our seats and followed after Damon. Damon strolled over to the dart board and set the bottles down on the table. Stefan and I sat down while Damon picked up the darts and started to play. "So, let's just say that Sage was killing everyone back in 1912." Damon mused as he hit the bull's-eye. "Who the hell's doing it now?" Stefan let out a breath of air as he closed his eyes and rested his head on his hand. "It's not the psycho doctor Fell because she's a woman."
"Now who's being sexist?" I said as I stood up and took one of the darts from him to play as well.
"There's no way she could stab three grown men." He pointed out as he threw another dart but before it reached the board Rebekah caught it between her fingers.
"A woman could easily kill a man."
"Rebekah and I are prime examples of that." I smirked.
"You're both vampires, that doesn't count." Damon replied.
"I happen to remember when you and Stefan were gunned down and the sheriff was torturing you to get information on how you walk in the sun then I showed up and shot one of the deputies killing him, oh and I seem to recall being human." I explained as I sat back down beside Stefan and started drinking greedily from the bottle.
"See, you just need the right motivation." Rebekah smirked as she threw her dart.
"You just don't give up do you?" Stefan stated annoyed.
"Why are you so grumpy?" Rebekah asked.
"He's on a master cleanse." Damon answered.
"Trying to be a better man and all." I added. "Which, in my opinion is over rated. No one falls for the good guys anymore. Because bad is so much sexier."
"You know, you were so much more fun in the twenties." Rebekah stated looking at Stefan.
"You rile him up." Damon defended. "He's testy when he's being self-righteous."
"I'm not being self-righteous, Damon." Stefan clarified. "I just don't want to slaughter innocent people anymore."
"Okay, fair enough, my mistake." Damon responded taking a book from the jacket he'd brought. "You used to be self-righteous."
Damon chucked the book at me which I caught easily. I unwrapped it and flipped through the pages. "Dear diary." I read. "Damon's lost his way, though I have pulled my own life together, he continues to waste his."
"Ouch." Rebekah smirked before ripping the book from my grip. "His bitterness consumes, he is nothing but blackness and bile. Ooof judgey." She chuckled before placing it down on the table.
"Wow." Damon smiled with his eyebrows raised. "Sounds like you Dani."
"Ha ha." I spat.
"If I'm being honest you didn't seem like much fun either Damon." Rebekah reasoned.
"I wasn't." Damon agreed. "The woman I loved was stuck in tomb and wasn't getting out for a hundred years."
"The woman that turned out to only love your brother." I smirked. "Ouch."
Damon narrowed his eyes at my comment but only added. "I wasn't having any fun at all."
"That sounds like Sage alright." Rebekah agreed as we listened to Damon's story.
"How did you know her?" Damon questioned.
"She was obsessed with my brother Finn." Rebekah answered. "About nine hundred years ago."
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
"What?" Damon asked. "Creepy suicidal guy?"
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
"STEFAN!" I snapped, slamming my bottle down on the table causing it crack and the last bit of liquid to spill out. "Do you like having two arms?" I questioned, he nodded hesitantly. "Good, then I suggest you stop because I am two seconds away from ripping your arm off! And it'll be the arm with you ring on it so you'll burn in the sun!"
"Alright." He announced getting up and pulling on his jacket. "I need to get out of here."
"Of course." Damon smiled as I stood up and pulled on my black leather jacket. "But first admit you're jonesing."
"Damon-" Stefan started but Damon grabbed him by the collar.
"Admit it." He ordered.
"Fine." Stefan growled. "I'm freaking out! I'm ready to eat the entire wait staff! Why do you need to hear me say it?"
"Because I'm feeling a little self-righteous myself."
I moved forward and pushed Damon back. "Enough." I commanded.
Stefan stormed through the exit so I quickly followed after him. "The moderation thing might not be so bad." I offered. "That's how they get people addicted to crack off drugs, they give them that drug and it helps them get off it."
"No!" He spat. "I don't want to do that!"
I stopped walking then and let Damon and Rebekah catch up. "So he doesn't want to drink human blood." Rebekah stated as we slowly followed after Stefan.
"He has an eternally guilty conscience." I replied.
"Funny, when I knew him in the twenties he had no conscience at all." Rebekah smirked. "Another one of the things I liked most about him. You can't possibly think he can survive without feeding."
"Oh, on the contrary, he's determined to live his life from one extreme to another." Damon responded. "He's a stubborn one my brother. I think we're going to need to some help on this one."
I smirked as I woman just in front of us exited her car. "Maybe she could help."
Damon blurred forward and compelled her not to scream before letting his vampire face show and biting down in to her neck. It took two seconds for Stefan to smell the blood and blur towards him. He pulled Damon back and let the girl stumble to the ground. "Stop it!" He snarled as his eyes locked on to the blood dripping from her neck. Rebekah and I stepped forward and we each grabbed an arm and yanked her to her feet.
"Sorry brother." Damon apologised. "It's dinner time."
"Have a bite." I offered as I brushed the girls hair away from her neck.
"What are you doing?" Stefan questioned.
"Tough love, Stefan." Damon answered simply. "You're not going to survive this cold turkey thing, you never do. So, it's time to get that monkey off your back."
"No." He breathed out.
"Feed Stefan." I encouraged.
"Or I'll let those two have their way with her, they'll kill her."
"You know we will." Rebekah smirked.
"Then her blood will be on your hands." Damon stated.
"Or you can just have a little drink and save her life." I reasoned.
"Come on Stefan." Damon said. "You were the one that said you didn't want any more innocent life slaughtered. Save her. Go on, have a snack. You eat, I'll erase. Hell, I'll even heal her for you."
"Why are you doing this?" He questioned. "You know what blood does to me."
"You let it control you." I stated.
"You always have." Damon added. "We're just here to help you to learn how to fight it."
"This is rubbish." Rebekah said as she locked eyes with me. Rebekah and I nodded before letting our vampire features take over. But just as we were about to bite down on either side of her neck she was ripped from our grip. He stared at her for a moment before letting his fangs lengthen and bite down.
"We've got it from here." Damon told Rebekah.
"But I was just getting started." Rebekah whined.
"Scram!" Damon ordered. "No one likes a lurked."
"You're a real asshole." She spat.
"So I'm told." He smirked. Rebekah huffed before turning on her heel and leaving. Damon grabbed Stefan's shoulder then. "Come on, that's enough. You're going to drain her." He pushed Stefan back but Stefan only charged forward again.
I blocked his path and pushed him further back as Damon healed the girl. "Be careful Stefan." I warned. "You're wasting perfectly good food." I stepped towards him and slowly leaned in. He stayed in a frozen stance as I seductively licked the trail of blood from his chin and then sucked his bottom lip in to my mouth, clearing away most of the blood. "I can see why you didn't want to stop." I smirked as I pulled back. "She was delicious."
"What are you doing?" Stefan and I both turned our heads to see Elena and Matt standing there. "Dani?" She questioned in shock. Stefan reached up and with the back of his sleeve wiped away the last remnants of blood.
"Relax Elena." Damon said with his hands raised. "It's just a little experiment there's not need to make this more dramatic than it needs to be."
"Let's just go Elena." Matt said softly.
"Or let's not." I smirked. "What do you say we have dessert, Stefan?" I said as an evil grin spread across my face as my eyes stayed trained on Elena.
"What?" Stefan whispered in confusion.
"Let's kill her." I suggested. "I know you want to. You can see it in your eyes every time you look at her. Help me kill her Stefan."
Elena's heart started to beat rapidly as her hands started to shake in fear. Just as she was about to turn and run I blurred forward and grabbed her spinning her around so her back was to my chest. Matt tried to rush me but I pushed him in to the car parked at the side of the road and he fell to the ground. I let my eyes turn amber as Elena struggled in my grip. Damon had compelled the girl to leave and was now standing beside Stefan. "Don't do anything stupid, Dani." He warned.
But I ignored him as I gazed at Stefan. "Help me kill her and we'll make it fast. Otherwise, I'll drag it out for days."
When Stefan made no move I rolled my eyes and bit down roughly catching Elena's carotid artery. "WAIT! STOP!" He yelled as him and Damon both took a step forward.
"You know you want to Stefan." I smirked as tears leaked out of Elena's eyes. "Can't you smell her blood? I bet you can almost taste it."
Stefan took another step forward as his eyes locked on to the blood. The veins were slowly pulsating beneath his eyes so Damon placed a restraining hand on his arm. "Dani stop now!" Damon spat as he punctuated each word.
"Please Stefan don't!" Elena cried out. "You're better than this! Don't be like her!"
"Elena, you're only making it worse." I laughed. "He likes the fear, he likes the chase." I whispered in her ear as Matt pulled himself to his feet. Just as he was about to rush me again I said. "If you value your life I wouldn't do that. I like you Matt, it would be a shame if you had to die for the sake of Elena." I looked back up at Stefan then just as the whites of his eyes bled to red. "So, what's it going to be Stefan?"
He went to launch himself forwards as he opened his mouth to reveal his canines but Damon swung him around and threw him in to the wall. A growl tore from my throat as I bit down in to Elena's skin again but then my hair was pulled back and I was slammed in to the wall. Damon's red eyes stared back at me as his hand tightened around my throat. "Matt get Elena out of here now!" He roared.
Elena scrambled to her feet and Matt grabbed her arm before they started to run down the street. "You just ruined my meal." I pouted.
"Do you have a death wish?" He hissed.
I laughed as I twisted his hand until the bone cracked and pushed him back. "No, the question is do you have a death wish? Next time you do anything like that I'll kill you. Are we clear?" I seethed.
"Crystal." He groaned as he pushed the bone back in to place.
I looked around and sighed. "And I suppose congratulations are in order. We just lost Stefan."
The music played softly in the background as his lips attacked mine. I ran my hands up his naked chest as I started to trail my kisses down his neck before biting down. He let out a moan and pulled my body closer to his. The front door opened and Damon stormed in. I lifted my head to smirk at him as his cold eyes locked on to mine. "Don't stop." Lewis the bar tender from earlier groaned. I bit back down but then he was tore from my grip.
"Get dressed and leave now!" Damon seethed as he compelled him. I pouted as Lewis picked up his shirt and jeans and ran from the house slamming the door behind him. Damon's eyes glanced over my bra and pants clad body before settling back on my eyes. "Seriously?" He spat. "I've been out searching for Stefan and you've been here having sex!"
"No. We never got that far." I corrected. "Thanks to you."
"So that makes it okay?" He growled as he took menacing steps towards me. "Stefan's probably already ripped a household to pieces."
I rolled my eyes at how dramatic he was being. "Stefan's upstairs. He's fine. Didn't want to speak to me but he hasn't had any more blood."
"Why the hell didn't you call me?"
"I was kind of busy." I answered with a shrug.
He shook his head in anger before storming off and leaving the room. I sighed as I walked over to the table and picked up a bottle of Damon's bourbon. I poured some in to a glass just as a soft melody drifted to my ears. My curiosity won over so I slowly made my way out of the room to where it was coming from. I raised my eyebrows in surprise at what I saw. Damon's fingers were gently gliding over the keys off the piano. "I always presumed that piano was just for show." I said as I made my way over to him but he simply ignored me. "You never told me you could play."
"You never asked." He replied.
"Just like I never asked you to compel away your love confession."
He chuckled as he shook his head lightly. "I was wandering when you'd bring that up."
"Why did you do it?" I inquired as I set my empty glass on top of the piano.
"I was trying to be selfless." He shrugged.
"And yet all you ended up being is selfish." I replied nonchalantly.
"How so?" He questioned softly as he stopped playing as I sat down on the bench beside him.
"You made me fall for you." I answered. "And then slept with Rose and Andie right in front of my face."
"You were better off without me." He responded. "You were safer."
"Really?" I smirked. "How did that work out?"
He chuckled. "You're still alive, aren't you."
"Just." I smiled before adding. "And besides you tried to protect me by pushing me away but as soon as Chase showed up and showed interest you wanted me again."
He shrugged. "We've already had this discussion on how I'm jealous and obsessive."
"The jealously was never really the problem." I smirked. "That was actually a turn on." He rolled his eyes. "The look in your eyes when I kissed Stefan." He stiffened and the glass in his hand cracked. "When I was flirting with the bar tender." I shifted my body and leaned in closer to him. "It was sooo… sexy." I breathed out.
He moved his head slightly and caught my lips with his. He blurred us across the room and slammed me in to the wall. My hands roamed his chest and I ripped open his shirt sending the buttons flying everywhere. Our lips never parted as we stumbled up the stairs and in to his room. "God I've missed this." I moaned as I undid his belt.
"God I've missed you." Damon groaned before his lips were back on mine again.
I reached down and pulled my vibrating phone from the pocket of my discarded jeans. Damon was sleeping soundly beside me the sheet resting low on his hips. "Hello." I answered as I slid out of the bed and quickly tried to dress.
"Danielle, its Liz."
"Is Rick being released yet?" I asked.
"Meredith handed in a letter from the county coroner's office correcting the time of death of Brain Walters." Liz explained. "I'm smart enough to know that you had something to do with that but the letter has been authenticated so Alaric's free to go. Can I rely on you to come pick him up?"
"Thanks Liz." I smiled. "I'll be there in ten." I hung up then and placed my phone back in to my jeans.
"Where are you going?" I pulled my shirt over my head and turned to see Damon propped up on his elbow.
"Rick's been released, I'm going to pick him up."
"Are you going to come back?" He asked hopefully.
I shrugged. "Probably."
Just as I went to walk out the door he grabbed my arm and pulled me back in to a searing kiss. "I love you." He said softly as he pulled back.
I took a step back as I eyed him curiously. "This doesn't mean we're back together, you know?"
"What?" He questioned in shock as he sat up completely staring wide eyed at me.
"We had sex. That's it, Damon."
"But-" He started but I cut him off.
"But nothing." I stated. "I'll see you later Damon."
I didn't bother to wait for his reply, only strolled out of his room shutting the door behind. As I walked past the parlour I saw Stefan sat on the coffee table staring at the fireplace. "Rick's in the clear." I announced as I walked past but like Damon had done earlier he ignored me. "So you're just going to ignore me now?"
No response.
I walked around and stood in front of him. "I'm sorry okay." I admitted. "I used you to help get my revenge on Elena. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the blood."
"So you only did that to hurt Elena?"
"No, the first part was for you. You can't let the blood control you Stefan. You let it rule decades of your life and then you spend the rest brooding about it! That's no way to live Stefan." I explained. "Elena hurt me and I wanted to hurt her and I'm sorry I used you to do that."
He chuckled softly as he stood up so we were eye to eye. "Even with your emotions turned off you still care enough to try and help me."
"You're my best friend." I answered simply. "Even if I was dying I'd still put everything on hold to help you. So like it or not I'm staying by your side Stefan. Whether that's helping you control it or ripping people to shreds with you."
"Why?" He whispered.
"Because you're like my family." I admitted. "And because I need you just as much as you need me."
"Elena will understand. I'll even tell her it was my fault. I'll say Rebekah compelled you if it will make you hate me any less."
"I don't hate you." He clarified. "I couldn't hate you. Like you said, you're like family."
I smiled. "And though it may not seem like it, soon you'll be the king of moderation."
"And you'll be the queen of caring." He added.
"Yeah, I don't see that happening but whatever helps you sleep at night." I smirked.
He rolled his eyes but just as I went to walk away he spoke. "I dug in to the old family archives from the 1800s."
"What did you find?" I asked.
"Nothing from 1912, they never did arrest anyone for the murders but they did get a confession ten years later."
"Who confessed?" I inquired.
"Your ancestor, Jonathon Gilbert's daughter, Samantha. They assumed she was crazy and locked her up in an insane asylum."
"Then what happened?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "The trail ends there. She was a founder and you know how they like to protect their own."
"Samantha Gilbert?" We both turned to see Damon fully dressed leaning against the doorway with a frown on his face. "That's very weird."
"Why?" Stefan asked.
"Because I'm pretty sure I'd already killed her." He answered.
"So you think this Samantha Gilbert is still alive and running around mystic falls killing founders?" I questioned confused.
Damon shook his head. "It's not possible, if she became a vampire, we'd know about it."
"Then she must have had a ring that brought her back to life." Stefan reasoned.
"She was a Gilbert and they're passed on through the generations so she must have." I said.
"Yeah, but even if she had a ring, she wouldn't be alive today." Damon pointed out as he grabbed another bottle of bourbon. "It doesn't protect her from old age."
"And Jonathon Gilbert only made two of those rings." Stefan responded.
"Jeremy has one and the others…" I trailed off as the three of us look from one to the other.
"Alaric's." Damon finished.
"I need to go." I announced as I slowly made my way out of the room. "If it is Rick I'm going to be having serious words with him. He promised me he didn't do it. I'm going to kick his ass if he did do it."
"Dani!" Stefan warned.
"I was only kidding." I reassured before looking at Damon. "Give Stefan a motivations speech, I've already said mine but it wasn't as moving as I'd like so it your turn."
"You say jump, I say how high." He replied sarcastically.
"Someone's in a mood." I said smirking. "The sex was too good for you to be that hostile." I mocked before disappearing from the house.
After I'd picked Rick up from the station I drove him home. Noticing a car parked on the side I smirked. "Is Elena home?"
"Don't." He pleaded as we both exited the car. "Please not tonight. Just be civil."
"I'll be on my best behaviour." I grinned.
"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it." He replied as he opened the front door.
"Oh, shut up and go and have a shower, you stink. I'll make coffee."
"Yes, mom." He mocked before trudging up the stairs.
I rolled my eyes before walking in to the kitchen to see Matt and Elena sat at the kitchen table. Matt handed Elena what looked to be one of the old journals so I quickly intercepted and swiped it from her hand. "I'll take that thanks."
Thy both jumped up from their chairs and stared at me. "What are you doing here?" Elena gasped.
"I'm on Alaric patrol. Oh, and I'd sleep with both eyes open because I'm staying the night." I smirked.
I flicked open the journal and smiled as I read the first four words on the page.
Property of Samantha Gilbert.
"You can stay at mine." Matt offered Elena.
"That's a pretty bandage." I smirked looking at her neck.
"That'll be great." Elena nodded furiously as she rushed past me and up the stairs.
"You've changed." Matt said softly.
"Yeah, so would you if your sister tried to kill you." I retorted.
Elena came back down the stairs then with a shoulder bag flung over her shoulder. Matt walked past me then with a sad smile. "Elena wait." I called. She whirled around her eyes reflecting the fear she felt. "Stefan had nothing to do with today. It was all me, partly Damon" I shrugged. "but mainly me. There, now you can go." She stared at me for a few moments but nodding and leaving.
I poured the coffee and set it down on the table before starting to read the journal. "What are you reading?" Rick asked as he came in and sat down across from me.
"Old family journal." I answered.
"Any juicy family secrets." He smirked.
"It's Jonathon Gilberts granddaughters and she apparently went just as crazy as he did. Gilberts have great genes."
"Well, at least Elena and Jeremy have something to look forward to." He joked.
I laughed. "At least I miss that, by being dead and all." The doorbell rang so I got up to go and answer it. "Meredith." I greeted. "Hey, come on in." I stepped aside and let her in just as Rick peeked his head around the corner.
"Dani! What are you doing?" He questioned.
"Oh, relax she's the one that got you out of jail, be grateful."
"She's also the one that put me there." He pointed.
"Well, you two clearly have some things to talk about, so I'll leave you to it. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." I walked away from them just as they started arguing and continued to read the journal. I flicked through the pages that had been completely scribbled out and was unreadable until I found a page that I could kind of make out the words on.
I don't feel like myself, I'm losing time, as though I'm going mad.
I stopped reading as Meredith and Rick stormed in. She placed a load of folders and sheets on the table before handing Rick one of the folders. "Like the sheriff said, the victims were killed with your weapons."
"Yeah, but I was attacked." He defended placing the folder back down.
"With your own knife." She pointed out. "A wound that could have been self-inflicted."
"That's impossible." He argued. "I think I'd know if I were killing people."
"Would you?" She questioned. "Have you had any blackouts? Incidents of lost time?"
I frowned at that and looked back down at the words in the dairy.
I'm losing time
He hesitated before finally saying. "You're insane."
"No." She said with a shake of her head. "But I think you might be. You were a ring that lets you cheat death. How many times before it changes you?" Rick's face paled as he slowly sat down in the chair. "I think you're sick and I want to help you. This has happened before, almost a hundred years ago."
"In 1912." I spoke up as I placed the journal on the table. "Samantha Gilbert, she confessed to the murders ."
"You believe her, don't you?" He asked.
I nodded. "It's the ring." I stated. "It's gonna be. Most of my ancestors go mad, people die and the only thing in common is that they all wore that ring." I pushed the book towards him and watched as a slight realisation dawned on him.
"I'm the killer?"
Thank you to Number1Stefanfan, susl, Destined2RunWithTheWolves, TheElegantFaerie, SombodyWhoCares, Cupcakelover56, Hottie292, HayatoxAkemi, psycho17, grapejuice101, HoneyGee08, storylover3, Aarolye, KimmyWSmith, Luli Cullen, Maddy Love Castiel, Stefanie, JasmineChyanne, smiling steph, kykyxstandler, .twilight, dragonrain618, Stefanie, Karropp, Stefanie, TVDDamonSlover, tvdlover for reviewing you guys are awesome. And a special thanks to Stefanie for reviewing 3 times!
Sorry for the long update, I've been really busy with exams and stuff.
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