Caroline is now my responsibility. It is my job to make sure she is fed, and taught fighting skills and anything else she could possibly want to know. Stefan and I fought for about half an hour after Damon left then we sat down, played a game of chess, made up over a bottle of vodka and went to bed. Simple as that. With Stefan things are always simple and laid out. He doesn't hide things from me like Damon does. Of course Damon feels he has to protect me and in doing that hide his true emotions but not Stefan. He could care less if what he says hurts me because he knows I'll throw it right back at him. Stefan is the little brother I never had but always wanted.
As I sit next to Damon on the couch looking through the news paper the door bell rings. Who in the world could possibly want to talk to us at what ever time it is on a Sunday? Getting up I follow Damon to the door.
"We need to talk," Jeremy, Elena's little brother, says once Damon had pulled the door open.
Damon starts to close the door but Jeremy stops it with his foot. "And why would I talk to you?" asks Damon.
"Tyler has to kill someone to activate the curse, he's not a werewolf yet," announces Jeremy.
"Sorry," responds Damon, "not enough."
Jeremy grumbles under his breath for a second before adding more onto his story, "Mason Lockwood is though, and he's looking for a moonstone. A special rock connected to the curse, that's why he is here."
If it was me I would have let him in. Then again I have a soft spot for Jeremy. He just wants to help…to find his purpose in the world. If I am able to help with that then so be it.
"A moonstone?" I question, standing on my tiptoes to see over Damon's shoulder.
"And I know where it is," Jeremy continues knowing he has spiked my interest.
"And you're telling us this why?" I ask trying to make it appear as if I don't care either way.
"Look I just wanna help, okay," says Jeremy, his eyes on me.
"What did big sister say about this?" questions Damon drawing Jeremy's gaze away from me.
Even though he is no longer looking at me I gathered one thing from Jeremy's eyes when he was, "She doesn't know," I sate.
Jeremy sighs, "Elena doesn't want me to get involved with this."
Smart girl that Elena Gilbert. If Jeremy where my brother I wouldn't want him to get involved with the affairs of vampires, it'll only get him hurt. But somewhere deep inside of me I know that no matter what people tell him Jeremy is going to do what he wants. In that way I see myself in him and thus I will allow him to help in whatever way he sees fit.
"But you're a Gilbert and you just can't help yourself," teases Damon, opening the door just a touch. "Wow, you're search for life's purpose is as obvious at it is tragic." continues Damon following Jeremy's gaze which is set on me.
"Just let him in, Damon," I say before turning to go take my place on the couch once again.
"You heard the lady. Let me in," says Jeremy as Damon continues to stand there.
Eventually Damon moves allowing Jeremy to enter the mansion. He doesn't like the fact I find spending time with Jeremy enjoyable. Oh well, just because I am his girlfriend doesn't mean I'm going to cut off all other ties I have with other men. Besides no one can control me…Damon of all people should know that.
"So Mr. Gilbert what brings you to our humble abode?" I question taking a sip from my glass of blood.
Jeremy laughs even through I hadn't meant what I said to be funny. "The moonstone. I think it might be linked some how to the curse."
"Smart boy but you can't prove it," I state offering my glass to Jeremy who refuses.
"True," Jeremy says looking at Damon. "I don't think your boyfriend likes me too much."
"And…what's your point. You're my friend and Damon will have to get over that," I respond as the door bell sounds again.
Is it impossible for people to leave us alone? I mean I know we are important but come on. This is just getting ridiculous.
"Rick!" Damon exclaims as he opens the door. Goodie now Damon will really be on edge.
The second Alaric sees Jeremy her turns all father like, "What is he doing here?"
"Helping Damon and Elizabeth hunt down the moonstone," responds Jeremy in one of those 'nothing you say is going to change my mind,' tones.
"Does Elena know you're here?" asks Rick.
Damon and I shake our heads giving Alaric 'please don't be too mad at us' looks. Hey Jeremy is the one who wants to help. Let the kid make some mistakes, not like he can die…he's got a ring.
"Not exactly," Jeremy says rather nonchalantly.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to get caught up in this, especially with them," says Rick eyeing me.
"Why not? Elizabeth has been very nice to me. I trust her," says Jeremy.
Alaric shakes his head, "Well don't."
Damon, sweet, sweet Damon points to the box in Rick's hand, changing the subject. "What's this?"
"Isabel's research on Katherine, the assistant sent it over," replies Rick.
"Vanessa?" asks Damon.
"Yes," says Alaric, "now do you remember the old Aztec curse?"
"Yeah, the sun and the moon, blah, blah, blah," I answer walking over to Damon and Rick, pulling Jeremy after me.
He wants to be part of it so here we go, his first lesson, the art of understanding pictures. Such fun. Why can't books be simple like this is what this does so don't let it fall into the wrong hands and if it does you're screwed?
"An Aztec curse, cool," Jeremy says looking over my shoulder at the stupid picture book.
"Yeah, supposedly vampires and werewolves used to roam freely until and Aztec sha men put a curse on them to limit their power. Since then werewolves could only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun," explains Alaric.
Showing Rick my ring I step into the sun streaming through the window, "Most of them anyway."
"According to the legend the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with the moonstone," continues Alaric, ignoring my prior comment.
"What do you mean sealed?" asks Jeremy, his eyes glued to the picture of the Indian man in the book.
"It's a witch thing, there is a key that seals the curse and that same key can break the curse," I state.
Katherine wasn't wrong when she said I knew about werewolves and things to do with them. In fact I'm sure I can tell Damon whatever it is he wants to know but instead he uses some sill picture book. In the affairs of witches, well pretty much anyone who has spent a decent amount of time around them will be able to tell you a sufficient amount of information on them. Obviously, no one has through to ask me so until they ask my lips are sealed.
"Maybe Mason Lockwood thinks he can use the moonstone to break the curse," offers up Rick.
Damon rolls his eyes, setting his glass of bourbon down on the mantle, "If we start believing in some supernatural witchie woo stuff in a picture book we are a bunch of idiots."
Disregarding Damon's statement, I turn to Jeremy. "Where is the stone now?'
The stone is real. I saw it, almost 140 years ago but I know it exists. We might not want to believe in some silly witch stuff but we need the stone. Mason should not be allowed to use it to break his curse. Of course in order to do that he will need a witch but Damon doesn't know this and I am in no mood to offer up what I know.
"Tyler has it," Jeremy replies.
"Can you get it?" I ask. We need the stone.
Jeremy looks at me a few seconds before nodding, "I think so."
"See, now your life has a purpose," Damon says wrapping his arm around my waist.
"So you do believe it?" questions Jeremy confusion etched on his brow.
"It's the same book that says a werewolf bite kills a vampire, not believing it would make me and even bigger idiot. So…." Damon trails off making a large gesture with his arm that isn't holding me to his side.
From the amount of tension and jealousy in the room I can tell it is going to be a very long week.