Chapter 21

Cassie walked back to the Gilbert house where Jeremy and Alaric were. She walked into the living room and lay down on the couch.

Alaric and Jeremy just kept playing with their newly made weapons.

"Alaric tell me about yourself." She said.

Alaric glanced up at her.

"Why history?" she asked.

Alaric smiled, "that's an easy one, my older sister Cassandra loved history when she used to babysit me she would read me stories from the past and I fell in love with history."

Cassie smiled. "History is my favorite too." She said.

"Yep" Jeremy said "who do you think helped me with that history paper Ric?"

Alaric looked at Cassie who smirked. "Guilty" she said. "Jer said he needed help with our wonderful hometown history so I directed him to the Gilbert journals."

Alaric nodded.

Jeremy started to put up his weapons and grabbed his sketchbook. He sat on the couch and Cassie laid her feet on his lap.

Alaric sat in the chair next to them.

"Jer" Cassie said, "We need to talk about what happened at the boarding house."

"Ah Cassie do we?" Jeremy said.

"Yes, I have to make sure it doesn't happen again." She replied.

"Don't worry Cass" Alaric said "Katherine already ripped him a new one when you were gone."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yep" Jeremy said popping the p "she taught me how to make that tea too."

Cassie remained silent thinking about her friend and how grateful she was to her.

"So Cass tell me about yourself." Alaric said.

"Um, the usual I guess went to college for a year, then found out I was a hunter and I tried to keep up but I couldn't not with college campuses being a hunting ground for vampires so I dropped out and trained to be a hunter." She said

Alaric laughed. "The usual" he said.

Jeremy started to draw, he looked over at his sister, she was wearing a tank top so he could she her mark, and he started to draw it.

"Cassie used to dance" Jeremy said.

Alaric looked at her.

Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't anything special"

"Not true" Jeremy said.

"And what about you Michelangelo" Cassie asked.

Jeremy laughed "point taken" he said.

The three of them just sat for a while all-content with the silence. Jeremy continued drawing. Cassie was thinking about her training Jeremy and what to do next for him. And Alaric just sat there and watch the two thinking about how much he wanted kids but he didn't dwell on that to long that memory was just to painful.

Mason and Caroline were sitting at the Lockwood's house waiting on Tyler to get home.

"Do you think he broke it? The sire bond?" Caroline asked.

Mason looked at her. "I don't think he would come home unless he did," he said.

Caroline nodded and continued to wait.

Tyler opened the door and stepped inside he was barely in the house for two seconds before Caroline blurred over there and hugged him.

"I missed you," she said not breaking the hug.

Tyler kept hugging her he smelled her hair and it was still the same as before he left. "I missed you too," he said.

Caroline pulled back and the two lovebirds kissed.

"Easy there" Mason said walking in

They broke the kiss. "Mason" Tyler said hugging his uncle "what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help," he said.

"Cassie is back," Caroline said.

"Well that makes more sense," Tyler said.

Mason punched his nephew on the shoulder. "It's not like that"

"I know, I know" Tyler said, "You two are BFF's now it's cool."

Mason rolled his eyes and the three of them walked into the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" Caroline asked.

"Always" Tyler said and he sat at the table "so Cassie is back?" Tyler asked, "How did Elena take it?"

"Not good" Caroline said. "She has been here what a month?" she asked Mason who nodded. "And she still is being terrible to her sister." She told Tyler.

Tyler nodded "that's the Gilbert sisters, they are always mad at each other for something."

Mason and Caroline laughed.

"So tell me what happened with you?" Caroline asked sitting a sandwich and a glass of B positive in front of him.

Tyler launched into his tale of how he broke the sire bond.

Elena sat there in the boarding house, she picked up her phone and called Bonnie.

"Hello" she answered

"Bonnie" she whispered.

"Elena, what's wrong" she asked

"Is it true?" she asked

"Is what true Elena?" she asked getting slightly worried about her friend.

"Did I drive everybody away?" she sobbed.

"Oh Elena," Bonnie said, "hold on I am coming over" she said and hung up.

Elena slid down the floor Katherine's words echoing through her mind.

Tears slid down her face as she thought about everybody.

Caroline.

Matt.

Stefan.

Damon.

Jeremy.

Cassie.

Bonnie walked in and sat next to her friend while she cried.

"Bonnie" she sobbed into her friends shoulder "I'm sorry"

Bonnie just sat there and comforted her friend "its ok, I'm sure everyone will forgive you"

"They they t-told me I had to choose." She sobbed. "Stefan and Damon"

"Well you knew it was coming" Bonnie said "you cant keep doing this to the two of them."

"I know" Elena said "but I don't know who I can stand to lose."

Bonnie remained silent not knowing the answer to her problem.

"And with Cassie" she whispered finally calming down "I don't know if I ever can forgive her for abandoning us."

"She didn't abandon you Elena" she said, "She went and lived her life. Went to college like she was suppose to."

"She should have stayed," she said.

"Would you have?" bonnie asked. "Given up your life, your future, watched your friends leave and grow up. Become the person parents warn their children about?"

Elena looked at her friend "It wouldn't have been like that."

"Yes it would of." Bonnie told her. "Cassie wouldn't of had anybody. She would have been alone."

Elena sat and thought.

"I didn't think" Elena said

"I know" Bonnie told her and she rubbed her back "but know you do."

Back at the Gilbert house Jeremy was almost done with Cassie's mark that was showing. Alaric had a mug of coffee and a book, while Cassie was almost asleep.

"Cassie?" Jeremy asked.

"Mmm" she said.

"What's going on with you and Damon?" he asked.

Alaric put his book down wanting to hear the answer.

"Nothing" Cassie said.

"Oh come on Cass I saw you two kissing that wasn't nothing." Alaric teased.

"I'm not going to fight for Damon's attention with Elena," Cassie said. "The way he stares at her…" she trailed off

Alaric nodded knowing exactly what she was talking about. Then looked up and saw Damon in the kitchen. He turned his head to the side and looked confused at him.

But Damon didn't notice Alaric he was staring at Cassie who was almost asleep again. He had heard what she said.

"But do you like him?" Jeremy asked not noticing Damon in the kitchen.

Cassie stayed quiet. Jeremy, Alaric, and Damon all waited for her answer.

"I think I do" Cassie said "I feel a connection with him but I cant allow myself to feel anymore until I become something more then his backup."

Alaric was still staring at Damon who was frozen in the kitchen after hearing what Cassie had said then blurred away.

Cassie looked around.

"What?" Jeremy asked

"I thought I heard something." She said.

Jeremy just went back to sketching when someone knocked at the door.

"I got it" Cassie said rolling off the couch.

Cassie walked over to the door and opened it. "Damon" she said seeing who it was.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked "out here?"

Cassie looked at him and nodded and stepped out on the porch shutting the door.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Damon had his hands in his jeans and he looked at Cassie.

"I am going to do something completely out of character," he said. "But if you tell anyone I'll deny it cause I'm the big bad brother who doesn't do this."

Cassie stared at him concern and confusion in her eyes. "Damon?" she asked.

"No just here me out please" he pleaded taking a step toward her.

Cassie nodded and noticed how little space stood between the two of them.

"I just told you that you had a right to be upset that I was pulling you along and then you kissed me and it was great really great, but when Elena needed help and she pleaded with me I was lost in how much I love her, but I have started to stop think about Elena as much and I start to think about you like when you answer my question with a question or how we made that drinking game and then today we did it and it was great but" he rambled

"Damon" she said putting her finger on his lips "your rambling"

Damon took ahold of her hand and pulled her closer so no space was between them.

"That's what you do to me Cassie, with Elena I always know what to say or what to do to make it better, even with Katherine I was never at a loss for words but you, " he trailed off

Cassie's head was right underneath his chin so he kissed the top of her head inhaling her sent.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against her hair.

His other hand ran through her hair.

"Your right it's not fair and I understand how it feels to be pulled along." He mumbled.

Cassie rested her head on Damon's chest closing her eyes and allowing the feeling of Damon's hand on her and running through her head.

"I never wanted to make you feel like you're my back up," he said. Cassie pulled her head back and stared up into his blue eyes that were begging for forgiveness.

Cassie put her spare hand on his face "I forgive you" she whispered.

Damon closed his eyes and a breath of relief came out, resting his forehead on hers.

"But Damon I was serious" she said. "I can't continue doing whatever this is anymore. I won't"

"I know" Damon said "and I understand that I need to choose"

He pulled back, letting go of her hand "goodnight" he said and blurred away.

"goodnight Damon" she whispered to the air and went inside.

AN: Well looks like Katherine finally knocked some sense into Elena, and we had a nice bonding moment with Alaric, Cassie, and Jeremy.

Read, Review, and i hoped you Enjoyed this chapter!