A/N: So... there are conflicting dates between TVD timeline and actual dates for when things occur in the TVD world. Because of that, instead of the last chapter (taking place during the 'Haunted' episode) being on Halloween night, it's going to be the day before. That makes everyone being at school the night of the haunted house less confusing, as no one would've attended school on a Saturday ;)
Also, it's important to let you all know that updates are slow because I'm working 2 jobs (sometimes both on the same day). I'm by no means abandoning this story. I just hardly have free time to write.
SHOUTOUTS: thank you to Mikki18, YouKnowWho99, DoodleBugNY, Purdy Girl101, LapisLazuliRose, yazzy97, beautifulwhiterose, caitlynnb, Hypnotist, aby14a, Sanishou, robeccaluangaphay97 for the favorites and follows!
REVIEWS: Purdy Girl101 - I'm so so so so so so sorry it took me so long to get free time to finish this and update! Please don't kill me in my sleep!
Blehlove - I know! I suck! (ignore the fact that I just used that word when this is a vampire fanfic...) BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT here ya go :D
The lights go out and I can't be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have brought me down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead
*Clocks – Coldplay*
Anxious. Confused. Wary. Those were just a few words I could use to describe my feelings as I made my way down a short hallway to a semi-small office.
"Thank you for coming in, Ms. Williams."
Sheriff Forbes was sitting on the other side of the room, leaning forward with her elbows resting on her desk, hands clasped together under her chin. I stayed where I was, just inside the doorway.
"You... you asked to see me?"
"Yes, I have a few questions that I need to ask you. Close the door?"
I bit my lip and did as she asked.
"Um... Did I do something?"
"Please, have a seat, Danica." She offered, gesturing to the two wooden chairs in front of me. I chose the one to my right.
"You just moved to Mystic Falls from Colorado?"
"California." I corrected.
"Only a week before the start of the school year, if I'm not mistaken. Yet from what I've heard, you're fitting in nicely with my daughter and her groups of friends."
"Yeah, they've all been very welcoming."
"I understand you're particularly close to Matthew Donovan?"
"Y-Yes." I said cautiously, now understanding what this "meeting" was: an interrogation.
"What about his sister?"
"Vicki?"
"Are you also close with her?"
"No, ma'am."
"Oh? Why is that?"
The story Damon had Jeremy telling everyone was that Vicki left town, which meant I had to make sure I didn't slip and use past tense. "We just have different, uh, interests. Different hobbies." I explained carefully.
She narrowed her eyes slightly as she leaned back, moving her elbows to the arms of her chair. "You mean the drugs."
'Way to be blunt.'
"Yes, ma'am."
"What's your relationship with Jeremy Gilbert?"
"We're friends."
"Nothing more?" She continued on to her next question once I'd shaken my head in response. "Where were you last Friday night?"
"At the high school for the haunted house."
"Were you with anyone there?"
"At first I was with Caroline, Bonnie, and Tyler. Eventually I left them and met up with Matt, Elena, Stefan, and Vicki."
"So you did see Vicki that night." Uh-oh. Should I have mentioned that part? Too late now.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Did she say anything to you about leaving, or where she might be going?"
"No. She didn't say much at all, just started yelling at everyone and then ran away. I didn't see her again after that."
"What about Matt? Did she tell him where she was going?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
"Who would've known more about what was going on with her before she left?"
"Um... I'd say either Matt or Jeremy."
"Why do you think Stefan Salvatore was involved with Vicki?" Ah, so she'd already spoken with some of the others.
"Elena asked him to help Vicki."
"Why Stefan, of all people?"
"Elena was worried about Jeremy and his relationship with Vicki because of what the drugs were doing to her. She – Elena – must have asked Stefan for help or advice, since they've grown close."
"Does he have any experience in helping drug users?"
"I don't know, Sheriff." I kept my tone neutral. Really, I was wondering what the right answer would have been. "That's something you'd have to ask him."
"What kind of issues would cause Elena to start worrying about Vicki's drug use?"
"Her mood swings were a big problem. One minute, she'd be fine. The next, she'd either break down crying or she'd get extremely angry."
"Did she ever get violent?"
"Not that I know of."
"What do you think happened to her that night?"
"She told Jeremy that she left town."
"And you believe this to be true." It wasn't a question, more of an observation.
"Yes."
"Is there anything else you remember from that night?"
"No, ma'am."
A knock sounded on the door just then.
"Come in." She called out. A deputy opened the door and stepped inside.
"Stefan Salvatore is here."
"Okay. Send him in." She told him. When the officer was out of sight, her eyes came back to me. "That's all I have for now. You can rejoin the others. And Danica? Stick close to town. I may need to speak with you again later."
I nodded and left the room, grateful for not only not having to answer any more questions, but also because my phone had buzzed with texts at least five times during the interrogation. All were from Damon.
I was reading the last one when I walked right into Stefan. His hands instinctively grabbed my arms to steady me.
"Hey. How'd it go in there?" He asked, nodding towards the door I'd just come from.
"I stuck to the story, though I don't think she fully bought it."
"I'm sure you did fine. It's her job to be suspicious." He said, with the hint of a smile. "Elena's out there with Jeremy. She's waiting for her turn."
I sighed as I thought of our last conversation. I hadn't spoken to her since the night Vicki died. Or Damon, for that matter.
Guessing what I was thinking of, Stefan's expression softened. "Try to see things from her point of view." He suggested before continuing on his way to Sheriff Forbes' office.
Truthfully, I could see Elena's point of view. As his sister, she didn't want Jeremy to have the pain of losing Vicki so soon after losing his parents. She also didn't want Jeremy to carry the weight of knowing exactly what Vicki was when she died. As his friend, I didn't want those things for him either. But I also couldn't forgive the fact she'd asked Damon to erase it all without consulting Jeremy first.
When I got to the waiting area, I saw Jeremy, sitting with Elena and Jenna, motioning me to him. Matt stood alone, leaning against the wall opposite them and staring off into space. With a quick glance at Jeremy, I sent him a text saying I'd see him later, and walked over to Matt.
"Hey, Matty."
"Hey."
"You, uh... you okay?" I asked awkwardly. What was the right way to approach someone who didn't know the person they were missing was dead?
"Yeah, I guess. I just... I just don't get why she'd bail, you know? I knew things were bad, but... I can't help but think I should've been there more."
"It's not your fault Matt. She just got involved in something that she couldn't come back from. Not here, at least."
"Yeah... Yeah, you're right."
"Danica?" Elena interrupted, voice small. Matt and I turned to face her. "Can I talk to you?"
I didn't get a chance to respond. Matt took one look at her sad expression and walked off to get a cup of water from a water dispenser.
"I know you believe it was wrong –"
"I'm not mad, Elena. I mean, I am, and I hate the secrets and the lying, but I know it's necessary."
"So..."
"So call me later. We'll talk and do what we can to get past this."
She sat back down next to Jeremy, and Matt came back with an extra cup of water, which he handed to me.
"Everything all right? You two have barely said a word to each other all week. Actually, you've been distant with everyone."
"I've just been busy with stuff at home. Ryan's coming for a visit in a few days and I've been finishing up the guest rooms."
"Need any help?"
"No, I'm on the last one. Thanks though."
Stefan rounded the corner a few moments later, and Matt's body went rigid. The deputy who'd announced Stefan's earlier arrival appeared and summoned Elena to follow him to the Sheriff's office.
"On second thought, I could really use a hot buff guy to assist with moving some heavy furniture later." I said, trying to divert Matt's attention from Stefan as he crossed the room and left the building. It worked. Matt relaxed and flashed me that adorable smile that often made me want to swoon.
Eventually, Sheriff Forbes was through questioning Elena and told us we were all free to go. Once outside, there was a second of hesitation before Matt started down the steps and brushed right past Stefan.
"I was trying to help her, Matt. That's all." Stefan called out. I gave him a tentative smile as I went off towards my Tahoe.
I ignored a call from Damon as I drove home, relieved to not see him anywhere outside my house or Elena's. A new text from him told me he'd leave me alone, but only for the rest of the day. I wasn't home for long before the doorbell rang.
"I need a favor." Jeremy blurted out before I could greet him.
"Sure. Come in."
"No, I can't."
"Then what –"
"I need to catch up in school if I'm going to get a decent grade."
"Uh, okay. So, what? You want me to do your homework?" I asked, unsure. To my surprise, he laughed. It was rich, genuine, full, unlike any I'd ever heard from him. I decided I wanted to hear it more often.
"No. Will you just help me? Like, quiz me or whatever?"
"Oh! You mean tutor you?"
"If you don't mind."
"Not at all! When do you want to start?"
"Now?"
It was my turn to laugh, crossing the yard with him as I did so.
Twenty minutes later, we were sitting at his kitchen table with books and notebooks and papers everywhere. I was helping him with his Geometry homework when Jenna joined Elena on the couch. Ignoring whatever conversation they were having, I started checking over the problems Jeremy had already worked on. He had a harder time tuning them out.
"Wanna keep it down over there?" He asked them.
"Why? What are you doing?" Jenna asked, twisting around to look at us.
"Homework." Jeremy responded, not looking up.
"Since when do you do homework?" Elena asked, mirroring Jenna's position, eyebrows coming together in confusion.
"I gotta finish this. I'm way behind and I have a quiz tomorrow so..." He spared them a glance.
"What do you think?" Elena asked Jenna. "Alien?"
"Some sort of replicant." She answered.
"He can hear you." Jeremy stated. I had to fight back a laugh, especially when he looked up again and glared at them in annoyance, giving them a sarcastic smile.
It took half the night, but Jeremy finished every assignment and studied for his US History test. I honestly couldn't fathom why he'd turn to me for help. I was pretty sure I only had a 'B'. Maybe he was just sick of failing and thought that would be better than nothing.
Bonnie called me the next day and asked me to go with her to check on Elena, despite my saying that Elena was fine when I left last night. Jenna let us in when we got to the Gilbert's, and we found Elena laying in bed on her side. Bonnie knocked on the door as we entered her room.
"You up?" Bonnie asked her.
Elena thought for a second before sighing. "No." She responded with before rolling to her back and throwing the covers over her head. Bonnie and I glanced at each other and then marched over to the bed, sat down on either side of Elena, and pulled the covers away.
"No! No!" Elena complained.
"Why haven't you called me back?" Bonnie asked softly.
"I'm sorry." Elena offered halfheartedly, sighing again.
"Are you gonna stay in there forever?" I questioned.
"Yep."
This time, Bonnie sighed. "Move over."
Elena scooted closer to me to give Bonnie enough room to lay down next to her. Bonnie propped her head up with her hand as she looked at her best friend.
"I'm officially worried. What's going on?"
"I'm tired of thinking... of talking... I –"
"Can we get a one-line version so we can at least pretend to be helpful?" I asked.
"Stefan and I broke up." Elena answered.
"I'm so sorry." Bonnie exclaimed.
"Are you okay?" I asked, getting a glare in response. "Right. Stupid question."
"I know I've been kind of MIA when you need me the most. I suck." Bonnie frowned.
"You wanna make it up to me? Get my mind off of it." Elena challenged us.
Bonnie hesitated before perking up. "Just remember you asked for it!" She said, jumping out of bed and shutting the window.
"Is this the part where you explain what you've been doing with your Grams all week?"
"Trust me, it'll be easier if I just show you."
She grabbed a pair of scissors and picked up one of Elena's pillows, tearing it open.
"Hey!" Elena protested. Bonnie ignored her and shook the feathers of the ruined pillow.
"Be patient."
"Okay."
"I need to swear you to secrecy." Bonnie stated, face and tone serious as she sat back down with her legs crossed.
"It's kind of a bad week for that kind of stuff." Elena warned.
"No, swear, 'cause I'm not supposed to be showing you this."
"Okay, I swear." Elena gave in.
"Dani?"
"I swear." I agreed.
"There's no windows open, right?"
"Right." I confirmed.
"There's no fan... No air conditioning..."
"None. Wh-what are you doing?" Elena asked, growing impatient.
"Grams just showed me this. You're gonna love it. You ready?"
Upon our nods, Bonnie straightened up. She held a hand out over the pile of feathers and started concentrating hard on them. After a few seconds, she started moving her hand up, and a feather floated up after it. She brought her hand back down, and the feather echoed the movement. It fell back on the pile as she pulled away.
"Holy crap!" I whispered.
"Bonnie, what's going on?" Elena demanded.
Bonnie smiled and let out a deep breath before raising both hands over the feathers. Just as before, her hands came up while she concentrated. About ten feathers started swimming in the air in between the three of us. Again, Bonnie let the feathers fall after a few seconds. The smile never left her face.
Elena and I both let out a sound of surprise when half the feathers soared up around us, dancing around on their own. Bonnie's arms rested on her legs. This was being done purely with her mind and will.
"It's true, guys. Everything my Grams told me. It's impossible... and it's true. I'm a witch."
Elena and I locked gazes, and without a doubt in her mind, she spoke for the both of us. "We believe you."
Bonnie exhaled loudly, relaxing now that her secret had been accepted.
"So what now?" I asked her.
"I keep learning. Grams only just started teaching me how to do stuff. Up until two weeks ago, it was all boring history lessons."
"Okay, hold that thought. I need a minute. I'm – I'm gonna go get us some drinks."
Elena left the room and I took the chance to use the bathroom. Only, it wasn't empty when I opened the door. Jeremy was stepping out of the tub, with a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body. Water dripped from his hair, landing on his skin.
"Oh my gosh... I'm so sorry!" I practically screamed, tearing my eyes from his chest. I was mortified. Half a minute sooner, and that towel would not have been there.
"No, it's – it's cool. I'm done in here." He chuckled, going to his room and shutting the door behind him.
I was still flustered when I returned to Bonnie and told her what happened.
"You're cute when you blush." She giggled.
"So not funny! That was so embarrassing! What if I'd seen... I wouldn't be able to ever look at him again." I groaned when her amusement grew. Elena came back, empty handed, sitting on the edge of the bed. Bonnie and I turned towards her.
"Where are the drinks?" I teased her.
"Huh? Oh, I forgot."
"It's weird huh?" Bonnie asked, knowing her revelation was causing her friend to be so dazed. "After all this time joking about being psychic. I really am a witch."
Elena let out a chuckle. I started playing with a feather.
"You guys don't think I'm a freak now, do you?"
"No!" I answered automatically.
"Of course not!" Elena agreed. "Bonnie, I just... I don't understand though. If your Grams asked you to keep all this a secret, why did you tell us?"
"You're my best friend. I can't keep secrets from you." She explained.
"And secrets will only hurt our friendship." She directed at me. "Besides, I know I can trust you."
Immediately, I felt guilty. Elena did too, from the looks of it. Here we were, holding on to a major secret of our own while Bonnie shared the discovery of her powers with us.
Around five, I returned home to an unfortunate sight: Damon sitting on a porch chair, feet propped up on the railing.
"'Bout time. Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you?"
"Well, that'll teach you to stop by unannounced. Or ever, for that matter."
"I had no choice. You don't call, you don't text..." He joked. I rolled my eyes as I unlocked my door.
"You ever gonna invite me in?"
"Nope."
"Rude." He mock-pouted.
"You'll survive. What do you want?"
"To come inside." He glanced over my head.
"Not happening." I stated. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I came to see if you'd accompany me to a party at the Grill tonight."
"Caroline's party?"
"Her party, my party. Whatever. I need a date."
"And your first choice was me? I'm flattered."
"What is up with the hostility?" He asked, acting shocked and hurt. "You've been like this since we met. I thought we were friends."
"I make it a point not to be friends with murderers."
His playful attitude hardened. I'd apparently pissed him off.
"If I remember correctly, I stopped you from dying and transitioning." He reminded me. "I'd say you owe me."
I didn't say anything. His expression became pleased again.
"So should I pick you up or meet you there?"
I sighed. "What time should I be ready?"
Damon came back an hour later. I'd been ready and waiting on the porch for at least fifteen minutes.
"Let's get this over with." I said, climbing into his Camaro.
"If I'd known it only took a party to get you looking so edible, I'd have compelled Caroline into this a while ago."
I scowled as his usual smirk appeared.
"I didn't wear this for you." I gestured to what I'd changed into. It was a teal dress with a square neckline, scoop back, and full circle skirt. My hair was in its natural state of curls. Adding to my vervain necklace, I'd chosen two types of jewelry: a white gold ring chain bracelet that had three small diamonds (one at the wrist, one resting on the knuckle of my middle finger, and the last placed in the middle of my hand), and a pair of diamond stud earrings.
"Don't tell me this is all for the quarterback?" His tone of horror made me scoff. "Or for Baby Gilbert?"
"What? No. It's not for anyone. And Jeremy's not a baby."
Damon chuckled, but didn't say anything for the rest of the drive. Relief flooded through me when we pulled into the Grill's parking lot.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, once we were inside. I'd seen Bonnie and was starting to walk over to her table.
"All I agreed to was coming with you. We're here."
"As my date. How would it look to everyone if we spent the entire night apart?"
"Like I'm not here against my will." I offered.
"What if I promise to be nice?"
"I'll believe that when I see it." I answered, not at all convinced he could do it.
"Please?" He asked, surprising me. His light blue eyes never left mine.
"You have an hour."
He led me through the crowds of party-goers and compelled someone for their seat at the bar so we could sit next to each other before waving the bartender over. Using more compulsion, he ordered us drinks.
"Bourbon, neat, and..." He paused, looking at me. "a Sex on the Beach."
I raised my eyebrow and gave him a questioning look. He shrugged.
"You look like a girly drink kind of girl."
"Um, thanks?"
"Amazing party, right?" Caroline asked, dragging out the second 'a' while striding up to us.
"It is." I agreed. "Great turnout."
"Glad you thought of it." Damon responded with a fake smile. Caroline looked lost but recovered a second later, never losing her triumphant smirk.
"Well, are you having a good time?" She asked.
"Do you have my crystal?" Damon countered.
"No."
Damon dropped the happy look. "Then I'm not having a good time."
He looked behind her and stood up, dragging me with him.
"What crystal were you referring to?"
"That," he started, "is none of your business." I noticed then that we were headed straight for a girl with extremely long and extremely straight golden hair. I was certain I'd never seen her before. He let me go when we reached her.
"Where's my brother?" Damon asked her. Obviously, he knew her.
"He said he'd meet me here." She told him, taking me in.
"Buy you a..." He trailed off when she walked away, pulling me with her by my wrist.
"Hey! What are you –"
She came to a halt. "Can you honestly say you want to spend time with Damon Salvatore? Trust me, that's not someone you should get involved with. I would know."
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
She held her hand out. I hesitated before shaking it. "Lexi. Best friend of Stefan. Leader of the 'We hate Damon' club."
"Danica, er, Dani. Are you a... um..."
"You can say it. Vampire. And yes, since 1680."
"Oh my God. Wow. Well, thanks for, uh, saving me, I guess." I said, thrown off by her confession.
"Anytime." She flashed a brilliant smile at me before traipsing over to the bar. I started to walk in the direction of where I'd last seen Bonnie and Caroline but changed course when I noticed Jeremy sitting in a booth alone.
I slid in across from him. "Hey. Didn't expect to see you here."
"I didn't expect to come."
"I'm glad you did." I smiled at him.
"Hoping for a repeat of earlier?" He asked slyly, laughing when my face turned red.
"Stop. I'm still recovering from that."
He shot me a wry look. "It wasn't that bad, was it?"
"No! I – Look, you're attractive. I can admit that much. But we're friends, so it's awkward. Isn't it?" I had to force my mouth shut to cut off my rambling. This just made him laugh again.
"Attractive, huh?" He teased. "You're not so bad yourself."
A waitress came up to us and placed a tray of shot glasses in front of me. Each one held a different shooter.
"I didn't order these." I told her, looking at Jeremy to see if maybe he'd convinced her to bring him alcohol.
"Don't look at me." He said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Compliments of the gentleman at the bar." She explained before walking away.
I glanced over and received a small wave from Damon right before he downed his whiskey, getting an immediate refill. I pushed the shooters aside.
"Aren't you going to drink those?" Jeremy asked, eyeing them.
"No. You want 'em?"
He nodded and started reaching for what looked like a JägerBomb. Suddenly, Damon was right next to me, a hand on the table and the other on the back of the booth's seat. He leaned in towards Jeremy.
"Leave." He compelled, before sitting next to me. Jeremy slipped out of the booth and disappeared into the sea of people.
"What the hell, Damon? Quit doing that!"
"Doing what?" He asked, playing innocent. "Interfering with you flirting with your friends?"
"I wasn't flir–" I took a deep breath, letting that subject go. "You said you'd be nice."
"Yeah, well, I've changed my mind. I don't want to be nice today."
"Of course you don't." I growled, grabbing the shot Jeremy had gone for. If Damon was going to keep popping up throughout the night, there was no way I'd be staying sober.
"I still have half an hour with you. That's the deal."
"And why should I honor my end of this 'deal'?" I asked, swallowing another shot. It tasted like apples.
"You're so mean to me." He said, sticking out his bottom lip. "I'll tell you why: for your own gain."
I gave a dry chuckle. "Oh, please explain."
"Here are the benefits of being with me: You're with me. I could go on, but I think I've made my point."
"You're such a headache."
"Let's dance." He suggested, standing up and offering me his hand.
"Do I have a choice?"
"No." He shrugged. Against my better judgment, and with the help of the last two shots, I stood and placed my hand on his. He wound his fingers through mine.
Thankfully, the song blaring from the sound system was fast-paced, meaning I didn't have to be too close to him. I found myself quickly getting lost to the beat.
"You should drink more often. You're fun when you loosen up."
"Keep coming around, and I'll be an alcoholic." I half-joked. The song ended and a new one began. I was just falling into its rhythm when Damon disappeared. Glancing around, I saw him with Caroline. Under normal circumstances, I would've been pissed at him for even going near her.
However, in my slight alcohol-induced haze, my attention switched to another scene that seemed more appealing: Matt and Jeremy playing a game of pool. Before making my way over to them, I took a minute to enjoy the sight of them smiling, laughing, having a good time. The moment was ruined when Vicki's death replayed in my mind. Shaking the image away, I walked over and gave Matt a hug from behind as Jeremy bent over the table to make a move. Matt lifted his arm over my head and rested it around my shoulders, pulling me to his side.
"Hey, D.W. Where have you been all night?"
"Oh, just around."
"Around with Damon?" Jeremy asked. His facial expression wasn't upset exactly, but he wasn't happy with the elder Salvatore. Matt, however, was shocked.
"Damon? Stefan's brother?"
"Uh, yeah." I confirmed, wondering what Jeremy's issue with Damon was. Without the knowledge of Damon being a vampire, there wasn't any reason for Jeremy to have any negative feelings towards him. "He offered me a ride here and then bought me some shots."
"And you danced with him."
So Jeremy had been watching us after being forced away by compulsion. The question was why? Before I could ask, Matt spoke again, changing the subject.
"Still need me to come by tomorrow?" He asked, pulling away from me to take his shot. He managed to pocket a ball.
"If you could." I'd forgotten that I asked him to help me set up the rest of the last guest room in my house.
"One condition: You feed me."
I laughed. "Okay, not a problem."
"No ordering food, either. That's cheating." He continued.
"I'm guessing there's something specific you have in mind."
He laughed. "Well... That chicken you made for everyone a couple of months ago was delicious."
"If I make that, you'll be doing all the heavy lifting alone." I warned him.
"Not if I have some assistance." He hinted, giving Jeremy a pointed look.
"Yeah, sure." Jeremy shrugged. "Consider it payback for helping with my homework."
Matt challenged me to a game of pool after beating Jeremy, which I accepted. After losing to him, Jeremy and I played each other. I won fairly quickly and was about to suggest a rematch when Stefan and Lexi appeared and claimed the pool table. Jeremy mumbled something about Jenna texting him to come home before he left. Matt mentioned finding a booth and ordering food, but Lexi spoke up before I go with him.
"If you don't mind, Danica, I'd really like to get to know you better."
I didn't have a chance to decline because Matt just shrugged and walked off. Instead, I crossed my arms and watched as she began to rack the balls.
"Look, if you're going to warn me to stay away from Damon again, don't bother. I don't think it's possible." I declared.
"Take it from someone who's known him for a few decades, and known of him a hell of a lot longer than that: he's not safe."
"Lexi's right, Danica. There's... there's no good left in him." Stefan added.
"You're wrong." I disputed, thinking back to when I'd first met him. Sure, he'd admitted his main goal was to kill me, but he never acted upon it. Even when he bit me the night that he killed Tanner, killing me hadn't been his intent. In fact, twice now he'd given me his blood to heal me, once when he didn't really need to and then to save my life from both death and transition.
"How can you be so sure?" Stefan asked, expression almost pained.
"I – I don't know how to explain it. I just can be." I knew it was a lame explanation, but it was all I could offer. Those few moments between Damon and me seemed too personal to share.
Lexi set her pool stick on the side of the table and then skipped to my side. She linked her arm with mine. "Okay, enough with the serious talk. Let's get some drinks!"
Walking right up to the bartender, Lexi ordered two shots of tequila before looking at me expectantly.
"I don't want anything." I said, answering her unspoken question. As we waited for the shots, Lexi peered over my shoulder.
"Make that three." She told the bartender. He paused, seeming to scrutinize her.
"I need to see some ID."
Lexi's expression darkened. She lost her smile as she leaned closer and locked eyes with the man. "No you don't." A second later, the guy looked away and starting reaching for the shot glasses.
"That'll be, uh –"
"Free." Lexi supplied, again staring into his eyes. "And you're throwing in a fourth for my friend right here because... well, because she's so damn hot!"
"No, Lexi, really. I don't want anything. Let's just get what you asked for and go." I said, almost begging. I glanced around, hoping no one noticed her using compulsion. She ignored me.
"On the house." The bartender said, adding a fourth shot of tequila to the others.
"Thanks!" Lexi said, back in the chipper state she was in moments ago. She held one of the shot glasses out for me, raising an eyebrow when I didn't take it. Realizing she wasn't going to give up, I sighed and accepted it. She gathered the remaining three in her fingers. I hadn't paid attention to where she was leading me until we stopped at a table.
"Ah, the famous Elena."
"Towel girl." Elena sighed.
"I've been called worse." Lexi admitted, handing a tequila shot to Elena. "Here." She set the last two on the table.
Elena's expression turned to confusion. "I didn't know that you guys could drink."
"Oh yeah! It helps curb the cravings. But it makes for a lot of lushy vamps." This got a chuckle from Elena.
"You know, I've never seen Stefan drunk. He always seems so..."
"Uptight?"
"Yeah. But not with you."
"Well that's the benefit for knowing someone for over a hundred years: you can just... be yourself."
"Yeah, he can't be himself with me."
"Well, not yet. The first step was him telling you. The rest comes with time."
"You seem so sure." I remarked. Lexi smiled as she shifted her stance so that half of her back was leaning against the table. This way, she could look back and forth between Elena and me.
"The love of my life was human. He went through what I imagine you're going through: denial, anger, etcetera... But at the end of the day, love really did conquer all."
Her eyes flicked over to me. "That doesn't apply for all vampires though." She said, tone warning. I knew she was referring to Damon, but I didn't feel like explaining once again that there was no reason for caution. I wasn't about to try dating Damon.
Instead, I pointed to the still-full shot glass in Elena's hand. "Are you gonna drink that?"
"Oh, uh... Go for it." She said, clearly flustered by Lexi's advice. She watched as I drank the tequila. "I'm scared." The confession was directed at Lexi.
"But you're here. 'Cause you're crazy about him. I get it, okay? I mean, what's not to love?" She asked, looking over at where Stefan was currently playing a solo game of pool. "Listen, take it from someone who's been around a long time: when it's real, you can't walk away."
Through with the romantic guidance, Lexi finished the last shot and began making her way back to Stefan. Elena stopped her long enough to say, "Hey Lexi, it was really nice meeting you."
Free from having to stay by the vampire's side, I hung out with Elena until she decided to join Stefan at the pool table. Once she walked away, I surveyed the remaining party-goers for any remaining friendly faces. I couldn't find Bonnie, Matt, or Jeremy, so I decided to grab one last drink before leaving.
I was sitting at the bar, stirring a stick around a Washington Apple when someone sat down on the stool next to me.
"You know, for someone so popular, you seem to be alone an awful lot."
"I'm not in the mood, Damon. Between knowing about vampires and keeping that knowledge a secret from my friends, I don't have the energy to deal with your appearances every time I start to relax."
"Oh, come on. You know you live for our little chats. Besides, I don't "appear" simply to annoy you."
"Then why? What do you want from me?"
"Your company. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy spending time with you." He answered. I studied his face to see if he was lying. He was smiling, but was also completely serious.
"All right, the shots are a bribe." A voice interrupted. Shots were placed in front of Damon and me. I looked up to see Lexi glaring at Damon. "I need you to answer a question to prove my point to Danica: What are you really doing in Mystic Falls?"
"Have you tried the brittle?" Damon asked, instead of answering Lexi. His smile had vanished the second she uttered the first word. "It wins awards."
He downed one of the shots, undoubtedly more tequila, and her glare intensified.
"Cut the crap."
"Okay." Damon conceded. "I have a diabolical master plan."
"What is it?" Lexi asked when he didn't elaborate.
"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be very diabolical, now would it?"
I just sat there, silently watching the exchange between them. A voice in my head told me there was a history between the two that was long and complicated.
Lexi took a deep breath, and her eyes snapped to mine. Her face took on a mixed expression of shock, confusion, and wonder. I grew nervous when she didn't say anything or look away.
"Uh, Lexi? Why are you staring at me like that?"
After a moment, she seemed to recover, although she was still staring at me in surprise. "How did I not notice earlier?"
"Notice what?" I asked, starting to get freaked out.
"We're not the only ones with a secret. You just don't know it yet."
Damon's attention shifted from me back to her.
Suddenly, Sheriff Forbes marched up to us, followed by a couple of deputies. She injected Lexi with some type of clear liquid, and Damon and I jumped up at the same time.
"What are you doing?!" Damon asked the sheriff. I didn't pay close enough attention to realize he was faking his bewilderment. All I could focus on was Lexi gasping, as if she couldn't pull any air into her lungs.
"Thank you for the vervain." Sheriff Forbes said, ignoring his question. "Now if you'll excuse me."
In a hurry, she led the deputies, both holding Lexi up by her arms, out of the restaurant.
"Do us both a favor," Damon turned to me and pushed me back down on to the bar stool. "and stay here."
Stay there? Yeah, not likely.
As soon as he disappeared, I headed towards the exit, only to be met with two more officers blocking the way. One of them held out a hand to stop me from passing through.
"Can't go out this way."
"Are you kidding me?"
"What's going on?" Stefan asked, joining me. Elena was right behind him.
"They won't let anyone leave." I told him.
"What happened?" Elena asked.
I lowered my voice. "They shot Lexi up with something. I don't know what. But it did something to her."
"Vervain." Stefan explained. "We gotta find a way out."
"There has to be another exit."
"Back door. Through the kitchen." Elena instructed. She took a step only to be brought back by Stefan.
"You can't come with me. Stay inside. Please." He added when she was about to protest. She sighed and nodded, but gave him a look that clearly told him she wasn't happy about being left behind, but didn't advance any more.
We managed to sneak through to the kitchen without anyone noticing us. He'd started to tell me to stay put as well, but my glare was sharp enough to cut off any argument he may have made.
Once outside, we ran around the building towards the parking lot. Upon hearing gun shots, I picked up my pace, knowing Stefan was holding back so that I could keep up with him. Sheriff Forbes and Lexi came into view just as Damon came out of nowhere... and staked Lexi.
I gasped as the full impact of what just happened hit me. Damon had just killed Lexi. A scream threatened to escape my lips, and was muffled by Stefan as his hand clamped tight around my mouth. He wrapped his other arm around my stomach and pushed himself up against the concrete wall, holding me securely against his body.
When I was able to control myself again, Stefan let me go, and we waited until Damon and the sheriff hid Lexi's body in the trunk of her squad car and went back inside the Grill. The second they were out of eyesight, Stefan pushed away from the wall and stalked off in horrified anger. I followed after him without realizing what I was doing or why. I just knew I had to do something to calm him down.
"Stefan. Stefan!" I called out to him. When he didn't respond or stop walking, I ran the short distance to him and grabbed his arm, bringing him around to face me.
He pulled his arm back. "He killed her. He killed Zach, he killed Tanner, he turned Vicki; I have to kill him!" He turned and starting walking away again.
"No, you can't do that!" I exclaimed, trying to keep up. He rounded on me.
"Why are you trying to save him, Danica?! He's never gonna change. Don't you see that?! He's never gonna change!"
"I'm not trying to save him. I'm trying to save you! You have no idea what this will do to you. Please, Stefan."
"Everywhere that I go, pain and death follow. Damon follows me. No more." He said, tone fierce and final.
"Stefan, please! Please just – just talk to me. Let me be here for you. Talk to me. Talk to Elena!" I begged him, again making him turn towards me.
"No." He said, decisive, assertive. "Elena was right to stay away from me. And you need to too."
Unable to do much else, I watched him leave. Before long, Elena appeared at my side.
"They're letting everyone leave now." She explained, checking out the parking lot. "Where's Stefan?"
"Gone." I managed to say.
She cocked her head to one side as she took in my appearance. I don't know what she saw, but it alarmed her enough to usher me to her SUV. I was silent the entire drive to our houses. It wasn't until she pulled up to the curb and put her car in park that I broke down and told her everything that had happened.
"You're right. He can't kill Damon. That would destroy him." She nodded in agreement once I was finished. "But we need to figure out how to get rid of Damon."
"Look, I'm tired. I just want to shower and crawl into bed and try to forget everything that happened for the rest of the night." I got out of the car and cut across her front yard to mine without looking back.
I froze in fear when I stepped up onto my porch. A small standard shipping box marked from Riley was sitting in front of the door. This wasn't what caused my panic. A second box was resting across the arms of one of the porch chairs. It was a long black delivery box, the kind generally used for flowers. Tied around the middle was a purple ribbon.
Picking the boxes up on my way inside, I set them on the dining room table. I opened the package from Riley first, using a knife from the kitchen.
It was a wooden keepsake box. In the center of the lid was a picture of Riley and me at her dad's house. Her name was engraved in the top right corner, while mine was in the bottom left. Next to her name, it read "best bitches", and the word "forever" was by mine. There were various gifts inside the box, including a spoon with the words "cereal killer" etched into it, a ring with a small decoration of a piece of bread with a heart-shaped peanut butter smear, half of a friendship necklace that looked like it read the first half of each word from the box's cover (minus our names), and a journal with a laser-engraved wooden cover with a design of a sun and moon overlapping. On top of the sun and moon, the cover read:
tell me the story
about how the sun
loved the moon so much
he died every night
to let her breathe
A full grin broke out on my face. Riley had always been a random gift-giver. It was part of her charm. The smile fell when I placed the top back on the box and moved over to the black box.
The reason I'd been alarmed was because the carton and the ribbon color choice were so familiar... because I'd often gotten flowers from a certain ex-boyfriend in the same combination.
With trembling fingers, I pulled off the ribbon and opened the box. Wrapped in cellophane was a bouquet of deep purple, almost black, roses. A message was written on a plain white card.
'I will always find you.'
I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Adam had found me. But how? I made Ryan swear not to tell anyone where I was. Except for Riley, of course. And I trusted her not to tell Adam. She knew everything that had happened between us. The only conclusion I could think of was that he'd followed me here. And that's when it hit me.
The night of the Founder's party.
I'd seen Adam. Or at least I'd thought I did. Which is why I'd called him to see where he was. Had he lied, and been in Mystic Falls this whole time? If so, what was he doing? Watching me? My friends? I shivered from the thought.
One thing was clear: if Adam was here, then it was time to tell someone, anyone, maybe even everyone, about my past.
So who would it be? I wasn't as close with anyone as I was with Matt and Jeremy, both of whom I'd already shared a piece of the truth with. Considering the whole Vicki situation, it wasn't right to spring this on them now.
With a sigh, I made the decision to keep it to myself just a little longer...