"Look, I'm all for you keeping tabs on him because it's one less thing I have to get done, but you need to be careful, Caroline. A werewolf bite can kill a vampire and it won't be a pretty death." I explain to blondie as she continues to peruse the vegetable aisle. I only agreed to go shopping with her as a way to get away from things for a while. Now, dealing with the inevitable death of the girl my brother loves sounds peaceful compared to the hour we've already spent in this overly crowded supermarket.
Caroline picks up a bag of grapes inspecting them for a minute before placing them back on the shelf, continuing to push her nearly empty cart, "He's going to be chained up. He won't be able to get free. I just feel bad for him. He's really freaking out about this."
"Don't start letting emotions get involved in this. He's dangerous. You aren't supposed to be there for support," I shoot back, beginning to wonder if blondie is really up for Tyler duty. We can't have any of us getting bit right now. "You aren't supposed to be his friend."
Elena's friend rolls her eyes, grabbing a ticket from the red machine sitting on a counter filled with meats, "How's the whole moonstone de-spelling, saving Stefan thing going?"
"Not great," I mumble back, crossing my arms over my chest as I lean against the glass cabinet, "Elena is trapped inside her house so she doesn't fulfill her ridiculously stupid suicide mission. Jeremy and Bonnie might as well be stuck too because we can't just leave her alone. I think Stefan has lost all hope. He's told both Diana and me that this whole mess is on us now. Who knows, maybe he likes being in there with Katherine."
Caroline nods along to my story, only pretending to listen as she begins telling the clerk her laundry list of an order, "How are you and Diana doing?"
"Better than ever," I think of the blonde vampire, left with a kiss and a promise to return home as soon as I could. The taste of cigarettes now lingers on her lips, reminding me of New York and her never-ending love for things that are no good for her. We're closer now, drawn together by our mutual concern. Funny how the threat of her long-lost family blowing into town and killing us all is what it took to get over the fear and mistrust left between us. I love her more than anything. "Look, Caroline, I have to go. Be careful with Tyler. If you need anything, please, call anyone but me."
Diana is stretched over the couch, nose buried in the book I've been trying to finish for the last few months. Soft cotton is draped over her thin frame, a deep crimson offsetting her slightly tanned skin beautifully. Olive green eyes shift from the story to me as I lift her legs, setting them down over my lap. "How was shopping with Caroline?"
"Dreadful," I answer back, snatching the paperback away from Diana, dog-earing the page she is on, an entire chapter ahead of the leather bookmark I use to secure my spot.
The woman in front of me nods her understanding, "And Stefan?"
"Equally dreadful," I let out a long sigh, wishing that anyone else could be handling the situation at hand. "He was less than thrilled about our plan to keep Elena from turning herself over to Klaus."
Diana stands, striding towards the front door, "Well, I'm sure he didn't have any ideas of his own." The vampire laces up black sandals as she talks. "For now, he'll just have to trust that we know what we're doing. I promised Bonnie I'd relieve her of Elena duty at one."
"I'll go with you," I offer, once again getting to my feet. Despite the monotony of fixing all of Stefan's problems, I won't waste an opportunity to spend time with Diana. We're growing closer, things are beginning to feel as they once did. I don't want to lose the momentum. Not to mention I loathe the idea of her spending any more time alone with Jeremy than needed.
Diana lets herself in, pushing the Gilbert's front door open without any hesitation. Together, we follow the sounds of the TV into the living room. Elena is sat on the couch, eyes fixed on the colorful cartoons flashing across the television screen. "You should really lock your doors."
Elena shoots us a side-glance, shifting her body away from Diana and myself. So in return for saving her life, we get the cold shoulder. How ungrateful. "Oh come on, pouty."
When Stefan's girlfriend says nothing in reply, Diana moves, resting her elbows on the back of the couch, lips close to Elena's ear, "At least give us some points for ingenuity."
Elena bats Diana away, turning to look at me, "Do you two think this is funny?"
"Yes, Elena," I answer as Diana returns to my side, her arm snaking around my waist. "We find hilarity in the lengths we've had to go to repeatedly save your life."
The brunette scoffs, twisting around further. She draws herself up on the couch in order to try and assert some dominance over the conversation, as if she gets a say anymore, "What did Stefan say about this?"
"He had a good laugh," No point in saying that my brother doesn't agree with my unorthodox ways of keeping the damsel in distress away from impending doom.
In typical Elena fashion, she challenges, trying to poke holes in the current plan, "And what did he say about Elijah being alive?"
"Look Elena, the less Stefan has to worry about right now, the better," Diana steps in, staring down the girl sitting in front of her. "He'll drive himself insane if he knows he's stuck down there and you're not one hundred percent save up here."
Jeremy rounds the corner, smiling as he sees Diana, "Bonnie just left. She's still on moonstone duty."
"And I'm on Elena patrol," I answer as the younger Gilbert flops down on the couch.
Elena's brother nods, eyes shifting from Diana and I to the TV, "So who's on Tyler Lockwood and the full moon?"
"Vampire Barbie asked me if she could do it," I respond, giving Diana a shrug as she elbows me in the ribs, obviously not approving of my distribution of tasks. "Tyler won't be a problem."
From the couch, Elena seems to be trying to do math in her head, eyebrows furrowed together as she counts on her fingers, "Hold on a second, tonight's the full moon?"
"Yes," brown eyes grow wide as the realization washes over Elena. Apparently, somebody hasn't been paying much attention to anything outside her own bubble, "but you were too involved with your suicidal tendencies to notice." Before Elena can rebut this, my phone begins to ring. "What?"
"Sheriff Forbes has officially declared Mason Lockwood a missing person," Alaric answers.
More problems. Here I thought Mason was gone and out of our lives for good. I should have known that the asshole would be back. There's no one else to delegate to anymore, meaning I'm going to have to handle this one. "What? Why?"
"Some girl from Florida showed up on the Lockwood's doorstep looking for Mason," Ric's tone stays even, the sounds of music and glasses clinking together in the background.
"What girl?"
There's a long sigh, "I don't know, but she's sure got everyone in a tizzy."
"Are you at The Grill," I question as Elena begs Diana to let her leave the house.
"Yeah," Alaric answers.
"I'm on my way," I hang up, able to catch what Diana says in response to Elena's continued pleas.
The blonde leans on the couch arm, her body tense, eyes shooting daggers at the human before her, "Stefan risked his life for you and as a result is stuck in the tomb with Katherine. There is no way in hell I'm letting you out of this house so you can get yourself killed and make his sacrifice mean nothing. Now, I suggest you sit here and keep your ungrateful mouth shut unless you want to lose the ability to use it in the future."
"Children," I announce my presence, both females turning in my direction, "play nice. Look, I've gotta jet, some girl showed up and now everyone knows Mason didn't make it to Florida. Can you three play nice in the sandbox while I'm gone? Jeremy, keep Diana from killing your sister. Diana, make sure neither of them leaves the house. The last thing I need today is another thing to do."
Diana floats across the room, fingers curling around the edges of my jacket, "How long are you going to be gone?"
"Who knows," I answer with a shrug, giving the blonde a pout.
Despite the look of annoyance at me leaving her with Elena, Diana nods, standing on her toes to give me a kiss, "Be safe."
"You too," I give Diana a quick kiss on the nose, pulling her close to me for a second before heading back to the front door. I spin the lock on the knob, ensuring that all three individuals are locked inside.
Alaric sits alone in the back, his table overlooking the rest of The Grill's eating area. He waves when he sees me, lifting up a glass filled with what I assume is bourbon, condensation forming along the glass sides. As I take my seat on the stool next to Ric, a woman with tanned skin and curly hair walks in, stopping Matt to ask him about Tyler.
"Mason's mystery woman," Alaric announces, handing over the drink. "Where is Mason anyway?"
Taking the bourbon, I take a sip, the liquid burning my throat as I set it back down on the table, "Decomposing in his truck."
"So you think she's a werewolf?" Ric asks, getting straight to the point. The nice thing about the teacher, he doesn't dick around with small talk. When something needs to be accomplished I can bet on Alaric to be there ready to help, no unnecessary questions of planning asked.
I shrug, taking another drink, "Well, I hope not, being that it's a full moon Alaric," I pull a bag of wolfsbane out of my pocket, grabbed from home on the way over here. "We should definitely find out."
"And what is that?"
I hand the plastic bag over to Alaric for him to inspect, "Wolfsbane."
Although Jenna's boyfriend doesn't look entirely convinced that the herb is going to be effective, he hands it back. His eyes follow the mystery women as she walks over to the bar, taking a seat at the far end. "How are we going to get it near enough to see if it'll affect her?"
"Buy her a drink, make her feel special. I'll come over, play the 'is this guy bothering you' card. While she's talking to me you slip the wolfsbane in her drink," I explain, never taking my eyes off the women who had to audacity to stir up more trouble in my town. "If she avoids the drink or seems in pain while drinking it we'll know she's a werewolf."
Ric nods, finishing off the rest of his drink, "What're you going to do if she is a werewolf?"
"Kill her."
Keeping my eyes set on Alaric, I draw circles in the condensation on the side of the glass. Jules smiles and laughs when appropriate, playing along with his drunken stranger shtick. As Ric orders the two of them drinks, I get up, appearing on Jules' other side. Hopefully, I'll be able to distract her long enough for Alaric to slip the wolfsbane in her drink. "Excuse me, is this guy bothering you?"
Jules jumps, twisting around on the bar stool to look at me. She smiles, her eyes scanning me as the bartender places two glasses down on the bar.
"I'm not bothering anybody," Ric refutes with an eye roll.
The woman in front of me doesn't turn, her gaze set on mine. She's falling for it, probably enjoying the attention of two males. Considering the person she came here looking for, I'd say Ric and I are substantially more attractive than men Jules typically spends her time with. This should work in our favor. "Perfect. Well –" I tilt my head in the direction of the table just behind Alaric "-do it elsewhere." I turn my attention back to Jules, leaning in just a little as I begin talking. "Don't worry, he's harmless. You know, he's sort of the town drunk. When we get tired of him, we just put him in a cab and send him back where he came from."
"Please don't talk about me like I'm not here," Alaric grumbles, pushing the now laced drink over to Jules.
No longer needing his assistance, I shoot another look over at the tables. This plan only works if I can charm Jules into having drinks with me. Having Alaric lurking in the background isn't doing me any favors. "Why are you here?"
"Thank you for the drink," Jules says kindly, giving Ric a cheery smile as he shrinks away into the shadows. Soft blue eyes return to me, "Hey, I'm actually trying to find a place to stay tonight. You wouldn't happen to have any suggestions."
Ugh. Boring. No wonder why Mason decided to hook up with Katherine. "Well, there's a B and B down the road. Then there's a motel off I-9, but, if you ask me, I think it's kind of a mistake."
"No frills is fine," Jules responds, playing with the black plastic straw protruding from her drink. The slowly melting ice clinks against the glass sides. "I'm just here for the night. Long story. Looking for my friend."
"Oh." Once again I lean in, trying to act like I'm interested in her life. "Who?"
The woman raises an eyebrow as if she's convinced I'm not going to know who she's talking about. "Mason Lockwood."
"I know Mason," I answer, forcing out a chuckle, trying to play it off as if Mason and I have palled around with each other for years. The more she trusts me, the more likely she is to agree to throw a few back together.
It's Jules turn to lean in, her arm bumping mine. She seems surprised by my news, "You do?"
"Yeah." I struggle to say more despite knowing I need to keep the conversation going. Her body language says she's buying my friendly guy at the bar act, but her words portray something different. She's holding me at a distance, incapable of letting me in. Talking up Mason might be my only option. "He's a great guy." If you're into werewolves who think the first girl who shows interest is in love with them.
The smile that seemed glued to Jules' face fall, replaced with a deep frown, lines forming around her thin lips, "He's missing."
If she's onto me, she's really milking this. Pretending to like Mason Lockwood was one thing. Now I have to pretend like I have no idea he's gone when I'm the one who ripped his heart out and left him to rot. "What do you mean?" The concern is laid on thick, dripping from my lips and falling down on the bar. "Like...I mean, missing, missing?"
"How do you know Mason?" Suspicion. I put on my best-concerned face and in return, I get hit with a wall of bricks.
Fighting the urge to drag Jules outside, giving her the express pass to meet Mason, I put on a smile, shrugging casually, "Friends of friends."
When she says nothing, I pick up my drink, tipping it slightly in her direction before taking a sip. Once again, the woman fiddles with the straw but refuses to pick up the glass in front of her. That can only mean one thing...she's a werewolf. Pretty girls in bars take the drinks attractive men give them. Glancing over Jules' shoulder, I catch Ric's eye, giving him a frown. The problems just keep piling up. "Listen, I'm really tight with the Sheriff. If there's anything I can do to help locate Mason, I will. He's a great guy. After his brother's funeral, he stuck around and helped his nephew-"
"Tyler," Jules cuts me off, suddenly becoming interested in our conversation again. I wonder if she knows he's a werewolf.
"Yep. Mason was with him the whole time. Helped him through all that grief." Last try. I just need her to take one sip, anything so that I have solid proof she's a werewolf, just enough to weaken her. "You haven't touched your drink."
As I lift my glass to cheers, Jules looks down at the now watered down drink Alaric bought her. "Um, you know I'm not much of a drinker. I should get going."
Oh no she doesn't. "Oh, come on," I pout, holding my drink up just a little higher. "Just one drink."
"Fine," Jules sighs, readjusting her position on the bar stool as her fingers curl around the glass. "It'll help me sleep."
Our glasses clink together as I smile back at the female before me, "To sleep."
Just before the liquid hits her lips, Jules slams the glass back onto the napkin. The smile she's been wearing all night is long gone, her face twisted in annoyance, eyes turned to slits as she stares me down. Shit. "You fool. You think you're clever, don't you?"
"What do you want with Mason Lockwood?" I demand, throwing out the charm as Ric gets up, coming to stand on the other side of Jules.
She doesn't even hesitate in her answer, "He's my friend."
"Well," I lean in closer, letting her know that this tough guy act she's got going isn't going to scare me away. "I'm sorry to inform you that you probably won't find him."
"And why not?"
I glance around The Grill. A few people are watching the altercation take place over menus. Now is not the time to admit to killing Mason Lockwood. I can't give any more fuel to the fire that's already been kindled by Mystic Falls' uninvited guest. "You should leave town."
"Are you threatening me?" Jules scoffs, rolling her eyes. "On a full moon. How stupid are you?"
Ric butts in, announcing his presence, "Damon, how about that second round?"
"I think we're done, Ric," I snap back, annoyed at my inability to corner a werewolf for the second time. Slippery assholes. "You think I'm afraid of you?"
Jules shrugs, "No I don't. That's your vampire arrogance." The werewolf stands, drawing herself up to full height as if that's going to intimidate me. On any other night of the week, I could snap her in half. "You should be. I sniffed you out the moment you entered this bar. Along with your pathetic wolfsbane." Jules glances over her shoulder at Alaric, letting him know she's aware of his involvement in this whole set up. "See, I've been at this a long time. And any other night of the month, the situation would be reversed, but tonight is not the night to pick a fight with me. You've been marked."
As I go to follow her out of the bar, Ric stops me, dragging me towards the back entrance. This is not how tonight was supposed to go. Throwing the rear door open, I stalk down the steps, ranting as I go. I'm not going down without a fight, not this time. That bitch doesn't just get to walk into my town, stir up trouble, threaten me, and get away with it. "Where'd she go?"
"Let it go, Damon," Ric cautions, following close behind me. "Don't be stupid."
I let out a scoff, "What, I'm supposed to let her just get away? You've been marked, what the hell kind of wolf throw-down crap is that, anyway?"
"Damon, look up. Just look up," I stop walking, tilting my head back to take in the sky. The full moon stares back at me, illuminating the jet-black night. "If this werewolf stuff is true, one bite and you're dead. One bite. All right?" Fixing my gaze back on Ric, I know he's right. Tonight isn't the right time. Jules has the upper hand. "Don't risk it. Just go home, lock your doors, tell your girlfriend you love her, and we'll all deal with it in the morning."
I nod, thinking to Diana. She'll be home by now, sitting in front of the fire, probably reading. Damn her if she finishes my book before me. "Yeah."
As I suspected, Diana is waiting for me on the couch. The paperback is cast aside, confirmation that she's already finished it. An empty blood bag sits atop the cover, another lifted to the blonde vampire's lips. She shifts her gaze as I approach, "Elena and Jeremy tucked in for the night?"
Diana nods as I slump down onto the couch, letting my head lay in her lap, "Yeah. Jenna is home with them. How was your side mission?"
"Terrible," I grumble, frustration building up inside of me again. I should have gone after Jules. Now she probably thinks I'm too chicken to go after a werewolf. "I once again failed at scaring a werewolf out of town and now I've been marked or some other werewolf mumbo jumbo."
Diana's fingers play through my hair, her nails trailing over my scalp, the motion helping the aggravation of the day melt away. "I'm sorry love. I have no better news for you. Rose is back."
"You let her in?" Diana despises Rose. The two playing nicely under the same roof seems odd to me.
"No, she was here when I got home," the vampire above me grins. "We should really start locking our doors."
As if that would keep the vagrants out. I should have known Rose was going to show her face around here again. She's got nowhere else to go, no one else to keep her safe from Elijah. Without our protection, Rose is a sitting duck. Up the hall glass shatters, the rush of wind following. I shoot upright, keeping Diana behind me as I grab one of the decorative swords off the wall. Rose appears in the doorway, the three of us making our way up the hall. As I round the corner, a throaty growl breaks the silence. Poised to lunge, a silver-grey wolf sits in the living area. Its golden eyes scan the three of us, powerful back legs launching it into the air. Out of instinct, I shove Diana behind me, knowing that, regardless of what happens, her living is my top priority.
"Damon!" Rose launches herself in front of me. The wolf and her hit the carpeted floor with a thud. The vampire struggles trying to flip the creature away from her to no avail. The werewolf snarls, lunging forward, it's teeth sinking into Rose's shoulder.
Stepping forward, I drive the dull blade through the grey fur; pleased with the yelp of pain I get in return. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the werewolf disappears out into the night. Diana helps Rose into a sitting position, pulling down the shoulder of her shirt to reveal two deep puncture wounds. "How bad is it?"
"It hurts," Rose says with a grimace, her eyes wide with panic.
I turn to the blonde beside me. If anyone will know how to fix this it'll be Diana. "Do you know what to do? Diana, how do we slow down the spread?"
"Get her in bed, Damon," Diana instructs, standing. "Where is the extra wolfsbane?"
Dropped in the drink of the werewolf who just bit Rose. How stupid. Despite our differences and her aiding in Elena's suicide plan, I don't want to watch the vampire die like this. As I try and figure out a way to break my mistake to the girls, the wound on Rose's shoulder begins to recede, the skin repairing itself. "Wait, it's healing."
Diana stops, spinning back around, her eyes landing on the smooth skin of Rose's shoulder, now completely void of any bite. Her fingers gently play over the area, feeling for any remnants of the wound.
"I thought a werewolf bite was fatal," Rose lets out a shaky sigh, eyes never leaving her shoulder. "I thought..." the vampire bursts into tears, letting out a laugh.
"It's all right," I help Rose up off the ground, moving her to the couch. "You're gonna be okay." Still trying to wrap my head around this evenings events, I turn to Diana. "Call Caroline."
While Diana is away, I keep watch over Rose, waiting for the bite mark to reappear. Could the legends really be false, something written by werewolves to scare off vampires? If so, why would the Originals have shared such stories, worked so hard to eradicate the race? Something about this seems wrong...too easy. Surely another vampire in history has been bitten and would have dispelled the rumor had it turned out to be false.
My girlfriend's return temporarily severs my train of thought, "Caroline says Tyler is locked up."
"So it was Jules," I confirm my earlier suspicions.
The blonde shrugs, "I guess. How did this happen?"
"I picked a fight with her," I admit, frowning. "I guess she was serious about her threat." Turning to Rose, I place my hand on her knee. "I'm sorry."
The vampire before me shrugs, her fingers once again playing over the skin of her shoulder, double-checking that it's still bite free. "All's well that ends well."
"Thank you for stepping in front of me," I respond, truly meaning it. Regardless of the ledged about a werewolf bite killing a vampire being disproved, I'm still glad it wasn't me. Sure, I would have taken the fall for Diana, but Rose made it so I didn't have to.
The brunette looks to Diana who now has her arms wrapped around my shoulders, her cheek pressed to mine. She really is my life. "If I didn't, blondie here would have had my head. Either way, I figured I was dead."
Turning, I kiss Diana's cheek. She would have had Rose's head if she had stood there and let the wolf bite me. We've always been fiercely protective of each other. I'd sacrifice my life if it meant that Diana got to continue on and I know she'd do the same. I need her to stay alive. These last few weeks have proven that to me. Despite everything that we've been through, Diana and I always find each other again, like magnets drawn together. The older vampire gives me purpose.
Diana focuses her stony gaze on Rose, her bottom lip held tightly between her teeth, "Rose, I'm glad the legend was fake.
"I'm going to stay and help you two," Rose asserts with a smile, Diana's words clearing up some kind of internal conflict.
"With what?"
Rose shrugs, "Save Elena. Protect Elena. All things Elena."
"Who knew, I'd live through wars and famine and prohibition, and some silly little human girl would be harder to deal with than all of that," Diana jokes, letting out a laugh.
I'm not totally convinced Rose's intentions are true. Sure, she jumped in front of the wolf and got bit trying to save my life, but she also kidnapped Elena. Rose isn't known for sticking around when the going gets tough and lately, things have been going from tough to tougher. "Why?"
"I can't keep running forever," Rose answers back with a sigh. "It's time to take a stand. Plus, I believe in friendship. I happen to have a vacancy in that department and something tells me you two can use all the friends you can get."
Diana stands, gazing down at Rose. Her words shock me, "Fine, but only because we're kind of in a bind here." The blonde smiles, reaching down and squeezing Rose's shoulder.
The vampire's lips curl up, a gasp of pain emitted from her throat. Gently, I move her sleeve revealing her shoulder. The tanned skin bubbles, pieces flaking off as if the area had been badly sunburned. Diana and I exchange a look as Rose begins to cry. The legend was true after all. Tough moves to impossible.