Chapter 24
Alaric and Cassie were growing close, sharing their love of history and bourbon. Alaric started to care for her like he cared for the other Gilberts.
"Ok keep it to the year" Alaric said during there training.
Cassie nodded.
"Lincoln assassination" he asked.
"1865" she said.
Alaric did ten push-ups.
"Kennedy" she asked
"1963" he answered.
Cassie started her push ups.
"What are they doing?" Tyler asked
"Trying to see who knows the most about history." Jeremy asked "its their game, if they answer right the person who asked the question does push ups."
"And if someone gets it wrong?" he asked
"Anne Boylen" Alaric asked.
Cassie paused
"1535?" she answered
"Nope" Alaric answered "1536"
The other boys groaned however.
"We run" Jeremy answered, "If someone gets one wrong"
Alaric waved goodbye as he watched his group take off running.
"Have you heard from Care?" Tyler asked her while they were running.
"No" Cassie said, "Should I have?"
"My mom wants them to do something big to help move from dinner to dancing at the masquerade." Tyler said.
"And" she said.
"They want to do a flash mob" Matt said catching up to them.
"Seriously?" Cassie asked the two boys.
"Well last night they were." Tyler said
Cassie just shook her head "if they do it right," she said.
"Well I know Caroline, and Rebecca seems cut from the same cloth so it's going to be big" Tyler said.
Cassie just nodded and didn't say anything.
They all made it back to the clearing where the boys left to go get ready for school.
Cassie made her way to the studio and saw in fact they were practicing a mob dance. She walked in.
"There is my partner" Skyler said "come to help?"
"Um" Cassie said.
"Please its in three days" Skyler pleaded.
"Skyler, I don't know, we have to practice the ballet and" she said.
"Please" he said.
She sighed, "Fine, tell me what to do"
The next three days flew by for everyone. Cassie and her gang upped their training to make it harder.
Caroline and Rebecca were over at the Lockwood's everyday.
Katherine left after the vampire attack wanting to find out more about them.
The rest of the originals kept quiet trying to fish out rumors about their father.
And Damon stayed in his room thinking about what Cassie had told him.
"I am already choosing you"
He started pacing.
"You don't have to win, you have already won"
He stopped and thought about Cassie, the way she smiled the way she knew him. The way she told him the truth.
He smiled to himself knowing that he had made his choice.
Cassie groaned as she looked for a dress for this thing. Knowing that she was going to have to dance in. she finally picked out a loose gray one that she figured was her best option.
She put on a gray mask and her locket and walked outside to meet Skyler.
"Well look at you," he teased when he saw her.
She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him.
"Ready?" he asked
"No" she replied.
"To bad" Skyler said and he opened the car door for her and the two of them drove off.
Damon finished his suit and grabbed his mask before heading to his brother's room.
"Are you smiling?" his brother asked.
"I am brother" Damon said.
"Why, what are you planning?" Stefan asked
"I am planning on charming and wooing a certain Buffy" Damon said.
"Cassie?" Stefan asked.
"Mmm" Damon said.
"Damon do you know what this means?" Stefan asked.
"That I finally get the girl," Damon sang
"That you have to tell Elena." Stefan said.
Damon sobered up "oh"
"Yep" Stefan said grabbing his mask. "And she has already left."
"Damn it" Damon said.
Stefan laughed at his brother.
"For what's its worth" Stefan said "I'm happy for you."
"I'm happy to" Damon said. "But if you tell anyone I'll rip your heart out."
"Noted, don't worry Damon I won't tell anybody that you have a heart." Stefan said as the two brothers walked out the door together.
When they arrived Damon was sad to see that Cassie wasn't at the table with them. Tyler, Caroline, Damon, Elena, and Stefan all sat together. But Damon couldn't tell you about what happened at the table, but he could tell you exactly what happened at the table in the center of the room.
Cassie sat with that guy, Skyler, from the dance studio and they were having a great time, talking and laughing. It boiled his blood to think that someone else was making her smile.
When dinner finished Damon was ready to dance with Cassie and tell her his decision. But first he needed to tell Elena
"We need to talk," he said to Elena who nodded.
"Later" she told him
The tables were cleaned and everyone was waiting to see what happens next. Caroline left the table and nodded at Rebecca who was sitting with her brothers across the room. Then nodded to Cassie who took a deep breath.
Cassie stood up on the table.
Everybody started looking around.
Caroline started the music.
The dancers started to dance.
But Damon only had eyes for Cassie as she leapt, turned, and danced.
But he wasn't the only vampire whose eyes never left Cassie.
When the studio had finished everybody stood up and clapped.
"And that ladies and gentleman is the signal that it is time to dance" Rebecca said standing up.
The people Carol had hired for the dance started to move the tables.
Cassie had slid away to the kitchen to catch her breath.
"That was exquisite love" a slightly accented voice came behind her.
She turned around to see Klaus.
"Thanks" she said smiling.
"You know I haven't seen that level of partner work since I saw the international youth ballet company did The Black Swan about three years ago" Klaus said.
Cassie didn't say anything but continued staring at him.
"It was the first time in a long time I had seen such a truly outstanding performance the star danced both parts as well as I have ever seen them, so I sent the young women a locket with vervain in it so no vampires could interfere with the amazing career I saw this women having." Klaus said softly taking a step closer to her.
Cassie grabbed her locket. "I never knew who gave it to me it just showed up with a single rose and a note." She began "it said this locket will keep you dancing"
"For it would be a shame for someone who could take my breath away to never dance again." Klaus finished.
"That was you?" she asked
Klaus nodded "I searched Ballet Company after Ballet Company to find her again."
Cassie giggled, "I had black hair back then, it would have been hard to find me," she said
"Why didn't you make a career of it?" Klaus asked. "When you danced it was passionate and innocent, strong and gentle, and all of it was beautiful."
"Life" she said in a whisper "life got in the way"
Klaus tilted his head "your parents death?" he asked.
Cassie shook her head no "maybe someday I'll tell you," she said.
"I look foreword to that day." Klaus said.
Cassie smiled and stared at Klaus. "You know if anybody else tried to talk to me the way you do, with all of your nicely placed adjectives, I would have slapped them by now." She told him.
"Do they bother you?" he asked concerned.
"Not when you say them," she answered honestly. "Because I know you mean it, from what I can tell your not one to compliment much."
"You would be correct," he said.
"But you know who you should compliment." She said.
"Do tell sweetheart," Klaus said.
"Your sister" she said, "she helped planned this party, and it was her who called the studio, she poured her heart into this party."
Klaus didn't say anything for a while. "She knows the party is good," he said
"She knows that she thinks the party is good, but she doesn't know how her brother who she loves and adores feels about It.," she retorted
Klaus was once again stunned into silence. "Does she really not know?" Klaus asked.
"Its nice to here it every once and a while, especially from family." Cassie answered.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"Because with family sometimes its easy to forget." She answered honestly.
Klaus smiled at her "you know if anybody else talked to me the way you do, with your honesty and calling me on my crap, I would have killed them by now."
Cassie laughed. Turned to leave the kitchen.
"Go find your sister Klaus" she said as she walked out.
Cassie walked back out on the dance floor and saw Alaric.
She walked over to him. "You look uncomfortable" she said.
"Are you laughing at me?" he asked.
Cassie nodded her head. "Yep, I never figured you for a party person."
"I'm not, your mom Isobel was, she dragged me to all kinds of events" Alaric said.
"Really?" she asked.
Alaric nodded "I'll tell you about her, I know you never got to meet her."
Cassie smiled "thanks, I would like that."
She handed Alaric a glass of wine. "Here, its nothing strong but maybe it will help"
Alaric laughed "thanks" he said taking a drink of it.
Cassie waved goodbye and tried to find some her friends when someone grabbed her hand and twirled her into she crashed into someone's chest.
"Damon" she said looking up "what can I do for you."
Damon grabbed her hand and put the other around her waist, the two of them swayed back and forth.
"I need to talk to you." Damon said
"Ok, so talk." Cassie said.
"Not here, meet me in ten minutes in the back by the bridge." He said.
Cassie nodded. Damon kissed her hand and then left her standing on the dance floor.
Did he choose? Is it me? Is it Elena? Those three questions raced through her head while she walked back to the Lockwood's bridge. Her heart racing in anticipation.
Five minutes went by until she started to get chilly so she walked back to the mansion to get her jacket she left upstairs.
Damon walked by Elena.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked.
She nodded and the two of them walked upstairs and into an empty room.
"Is something wrong Damon?" she asked.
Damon looked at her; tonight she was the exact opposite of Cassie. Elena had on a tight black dress on with a matching mask, where Cassie had a loose grey one on. Her hair was straight, while Cassie's hung in her naturally curly state.
"Its about you having to make a choice." He said
"Damon" she said running her hand through her hair "not tonight ok, it's a party."
"No listen" he interrupted "I'm telling you, that you don't have to make a choice anymore."
"What?" she asked confused.
"You don't need to choose between Stefan and me anymore because I made my choice." He said.
Elena felt a rush of emotions; rejection, sadness, jealousy, and anger especially anger toward her sister how dare she take him away form her.
"Oh" she said.
"So go run off with Stefan into the sunset." Damon said.
Elena heard her. Desperate to keep Damon she asked him a question.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Positive" he replied without missing a beat.
Her footsteps were down the hallway.
"Can I get a goodbye kiss for old times sake." She asked innocently.
"I…. Elena" Damon said at a loss for words.
Elena cast her eyes to the floor then peered at Damon through her lashes.
"Please" she whispered soft so only he could hear.
Damon walked over to her and pulled her close. One hand ran through her hair as he leaned in close for the kiss.
Elena grabbed him and the two of them shared a deep intimate kiss.
She looked over her shoulder to see her sister staring there watching them before leaving silently.
The two of them parted.
"Thank you" Damon said.
"For what?" she asked confused.
"It just doesn't do it for me anymore which is crazy because there was a time I would of done just about anything to get a kiss like that from you." He said
"What changed?" she asked.
"I don't have to do anything to earn that kiss from your sister," he said
Damon turned to leave the room.
"Damon" she called
He turned back to her.
She smiled "good luck"
Damon smiled back at her then went to go find Cassie.
Cassie hurried back down the steps forgetting her jacket. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. How stupid had she been to think that she would actually get picked over her. That he would want her.
She made it back to the bridge about thirty second before Damon did.
"Cassie" he said sounding excited. He grabbed both of her hands so she was facing him.
"Its ok, you don't have to tell me I know." She whispered pulling her hands from his.
"What?" he asked confused "I thought you would be happy?"
"I hope you and Elena are happy together." She said turning her back to him; he would not see her cry.
"I'm lost" Damon said.
"I saw you two upstairs making out when I went for my jacket, and you have her lipstick on your face" she said.
Damon shook his head and turned her around. He kissed her trying to put how he felt about her into the kiss.
Cassie closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in his kiss for two seconds before she stepped back into reality.
She slapped him.
"Damon you can't do that anymore, you made your choice and I am not some sort of Elena replacement for when she isn't here" she said softly
Damon was confused and angry didn't she understand how he felt about her? He was letting his anger get the best of him. As he thought about what she just said he couldn't help but laugh. That was what he liked about her, the fact she wasn't like Elena.
"Cassie" he said laughing, "You could never replace Elena"
Her breath caught in her throat, and those five words sent her heart into a million tiny little pieces.
There was two moments of absolute silence between them before the ice-cold reality of what Damon said dawned on him.
"Wait Cassie" he said.
But it was two late, she was gone.
Cassie ran to the bathroom trying to hide because there were no stopping the tears now. She pulled off her mask and sunk to the corner and cried.
He followed her trying to get to her using human speed so no one would see his superhuman speed. He turned the corner just as she shut the door. "Cassie" he called through the door "please that's not what I meant, please just listen to me" he pleaded. But she didn't answer all he could hear was the sound of her crying.
Damon was panicking, something he hadn't done since he was human, he was searching for the only person that could help him.
"Caroline" he cried out when he found her "I need your help" he pleaded.
Caroline was with Rebecca, Matt, and Tyler. All three of them where scared at the look of panic and how he was pleading.
"Please" he whispered.
Caroline nodded knowing the fact he used her real name and not some nickname that something was off.
The two of the walked away from them but Rebecca followed them wanting to hear if something was wrong.
"Damon" Caroline said, "What's wrong"
"I screwed it up Caroline, bad" he said pacing.
Caroline stepped in front of him and put her hand on his shoulders.
"Tell Me," she said.
"I said something to Cassie and it came out wrong and I didn't mean it and now she is crying and it's my fault," he said
Caroline nodded.
"Please help me," he pleaded, "I don't know what to do"
"Where is she?" she asked.
"Upstairs bathroom" Damon said
Caroline nodded and started up the steps seeing Rebecca she motioned for her to come with her.
"Thank you" he called.
She stopped and turned to him "don't thank me yet," she said
"Cassie" Caroline called through the door. "Sweetie it's me and Rebecca"
Rebecca opened the door and the two girls stepped in.
"Oh Cassie" Rebecca said sitting down next to her and hugging the girl.
Caroline went to the sink and got paper towel wet so she could help clean the make up off of her.
"He chose Elena," she said sobbing.
Rebecca looked at Caroline.
"Cass I need you to listen to me." Caroline said. "Damon came and found us, he was panicking and said that he said something that he didn't mean."
Cassie hiccupped. "He said I could never replace Elena, and was laughing," she whispered.
"Oh sweetie" Caroline said sitting on the other side of the older girl and held her two.
"I thought, when he said he needed to talk, that he, picked, me," she whispered. "He was so happy I thought"
Rebecca rubbed her back and looked to Caroline who had more experience in this department.
"Ok so we need chocolate," Caroline said.
"And alcohol" Rebecca added.
"Girls night at your house" Caroline said.
Cassie shook her head no and dried her tears "no, you guys worked so hard on this dance there is no way I'm tearing you guys from it."
"There will be other parties," Rebecca said.
Cassie started to clean up her make up.
"Its fine" she said "I'm going to head home and get started on the chocolate and alcohol idea, you guys come over when the dance is done." She said
"Are you sure?" Caroline asked
Cassie fixed her hair making it so that, she looked a bit flushed but other wise she looked the same as when she got there, no one but the three of them knew how much she had been crying. "Ya" she said.
Rebecca gave her one last hug and Caroline followed suit "ok" Caroline said, "We will be over later"
"But if you drink all the good stuff before I get there I will be mad" Rebecca said jokingly.
Cassie half laughed, "got it" she replied.
And the three of them walked out of the bathroom.
"My jackets in there." Cassie said as the two girls walked down the steps.
Someone was standing in the shadows and watched the three girls leave the bathroom. He walked in and grabbed the grey mask sitting on the counter before blurring away.
Cassie grabbed her jacket and went back to find her mask. But it was gone. Caroline or Rebecca must have grabbed it she thought to herself.
"Cassie" Skyler said behind her
Damon was sitting in the kitchen by himself waiting for some news from Caroline.
"Who would of thought Damon Salvatore wouldn't have a girl on his arm" a heavily accented man called behind him
"Hey Sky not now, I'm going to go home." She said walking past him.
"Cassie" he called again "I can't stop"
Cassie looked back at him confused "stop what Sky?" she asked
Damon saw him "I had your girl for a while" he teased the man who sat next to him.
The man laughed and took a drink of Damon's drink. "Yes you did, and I killed her for that."
"Is that why you are here?" Damon asked, "to kill me?"
"I have to" Skyler struggled as he took a step toward Cassie. Cassie turned to run but it was to late, Skyler had already pressed a cloth to her mouth and she started to drift off. Unconscious.
The man laughed. "No Damon, not yet. I'm here to tell you that now I have your girl" he said.
Damon looked at the man confused.
The man stood up and put a familiar grey mask next to Damon and blurred away.
"Put her in the trunk" the man said to Skyler
Skyler nodded and did as he was told.
The man walked over to Skyler "thank you for your help"
Skyler nodded once more. And the man snapped his neck.
Sklyer fell down dead.
Damon picked up the mask, her sent hit him.
"Cassie" he gasped and he blurred around the entire house. She wasn't there.
He blurred outside and saw her car was still there.
"CASSIE!" he yelled.
But still there was no reply.
AN: Cliffhanger! Come on guys did you really think it was going to be that easy Damon and Cassie?
What do you think about Klaus and Cassie's past?
the dance the studio did was the dinner flash mob from Step Up Revolution if you wanted to know.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Review and tell me your thoughts!