~Thank you guys for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter I do not own the Vampire Diaries~
Erika POV
I haven't talked to Damon in a few days. He has been avoiding me. It hurt but Jeremy said he needed time to reevaluate the situation. I'm lucky to have at least one sibling who isn't being hard on me.
Yeah ever since Elena found out that I turned, she wasn't too happy. I have been sleeping in the Gilbert home and whenever I end up in a room with Elena she just looks at me with disappointment or as if I was a different person.
Bonnie won't talk to me either. I heard she was also avoiding Caroline which hurts her. Yeah Caroline and I have been talking more and sometimes I would go over to her place when she needs something since she still can't walk out into the sun.
I have been avoiding Xavier. When he found out he attacked me with questions and as supportive as he is trying to be he has been getting on my nerves. I may be a bit in control of my emotions and cravings but I almost snapped his neck the last time I saw him so…yeah.
I went down to the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal which tasted weird to me but I had to put on a face for Jenna who was sitting next to me.
"So what is on the agenda for today?" Jenna asked.
"I'm going to hang out with Caroline today." I replied as I continued eating.
"You guys have been getting close lately. What's up with that?"
"We just started bonding that's all."
"It's just weird. You started hanging with Caroline and you stopped hanging with Xavier."
"I haven't stopped hanging with him. We just took a break for right now."
"And Damon? You have been here in your own room the past few nights."
"We had a misunderstanding and he needs time. Seriously Aunt Jenna it's not a big deal."
"If you say so."
When I finished my cereal I washed the dish then went upstairs to get my bag. I looked up to Elena who was leaving her room.
"Hey." I said.
"Hey." She replied.
"What's up?"
"Going to the boarding house."
"Oh." I said a little hurt. I miss going there. "What for?"
"Nothing. Just have to talk to Damon and Stefan with Alaric."
"All three of them? What about?"
"Nothing you have to worry about." She avoided my gaze and walked past me and ran down the stairs.
"Seriously?" I went into my room and grabbed my bag then walked to Caroline's house. When I got close I could see Matt at her door so I hid behind some bushes and listened to what was going on.
"Caroline. Caroline!" Matt called out for her after he knocked on her door. Still no answer so I hear his phone dialing. "Hey, I thought you said you were at home. Tyler is doing this whole thing at the swimming hole and I want us to spend the day together. Where are you? Call me." He sighed and hung up. He waited a few more seconds then walked away. When I knew he was far I came out of the bushes and went up to the porch and unlocked the door.
Yeah Caroline gave me a spare key since she's scared to come close to being exposed to the sun. When I went in she was sitting on the floor in the hallway.
"You can't avoid him forever Caroline." I told her.
"I know but you know." She shrugged sadly.
"Yeah I know." I sat next to her. "So what shall we do on this fine boring day?"
"I don't care what we do."
I sighed. "Let's watch a movie then." I got up and pulled her with me and we went to the living room and put something on.
Elena POV
After our get together I went back home to start packing for the trip to Duke.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Stefan asked.
"Which part? Digging through my birth mother's life work or going to Duke with Damon?" I asked him.
"Either, both."
"Well, I'm not sure about the first part but then again Rick is a good buffer so we can bond in our anti Damon solidarity. I wish you were coming though."
"You know what? Maybe we should wait a couple days, huh? Wait until Caroline and Erika are less of a danger and then I could go with you."
I cringed a little. I still can't get over the fact that Erika is a vampire. My own sister! I can't look at her the same way anymore and it hurts. I can deal with Caroline as a vampire which upsets me too but not my sister.
"It's okay that I'm going, right? And be honest because if it's not then I can just stay here and we can take care of Caroline." I offered.
Stefan sighed. "Listen, I want you to go okay? I do. You have questions about your lineage and about Katherine and I'm sure Erika does too. I'm not gonna let the fact that Damon is going to keep you from an opportunity to get some answers. Besides getting him out of town may be good for him. He's still not taking Erika's transition too well."
"You hate it though."
"I hate it but I care about Erika and my brother and I love you.
"I love you too." I lean in and kiss him softly.
After I finished packing went down the stairs with Stefan and went to Jenna. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, just, men and their baggage." She replied simply. I gave her a hug then went out to the car to Damon leaning against it.
"Sorry you can't come too, Stef." He commented.
"Yeah, well I have two girls to take care of." Stefan told him. He glared at him. Stefan looked over to me. "Call me if you need anything."
"I'll take good care of her." Damon assured him.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed Stefan by his neck to purposely kiss him in front of Damon.
Damon groaned. "Alright time to go."
Stefan POV
After Elena and the guys left I headed towards the grill. I was going to help Erika and Caroline control their hunger. Erika was doing pretty decent according to Jeremy who had been giving her blood bags but she hasn't learned to hunt. I know Damon was going to show her but they aren't talking at the moment. I'm gonna try to help her until Damon steps in.
I went to the table at the Grille where Bonnie was sitting waiting for me. We talked a bit before we got to the point of this meeting.
"I don't know how to make a day-walking ring." Bonnie pointed out.
"Emily made mine, she made Damon's too, instructions must be in the Grimoire." I told her.
"That doesn't mean I can cast the spell."
"Bonnie, you know how to drop vampires with a single look, okay? I think you can figure it out."
"Caroline killed someone, Stefan. I can't make it easier for her to do it again. I don't know how Erika got a ring but she probably has killed someone too."
"No, we're not making it easier for Caroline; we're just giving her the chance to survive. You should give Erika some credit. She hasn't killed anyone before and she is sticking to Caroline's side. Listen, every day that the both of them are cut off from their old lives: from you, from Elena, from Matt, from Xavier, it'll make It that much harder for them to hold on to their humanity."
"And how do you know she won't hurt anyone else?"
"I don't but if we don't do everything we can to help them or at least trust the fact that they can keep it together, we might as well just stake them right now."
"I don't know if I can trust her, not with this."
"Then trust me."
Erika POV
Stefan and Bonnie came by later on in the day. Bonnie was hesitant being around us which bothered me but whatever. We went up to Caroline's room and chilled on her bed. Bonnie opens the grimoire to find the spell while Caroline is studying her ring.
"So, I don't get to choose the ring I have to wear the rest of my life?" Caroline whined.
"Hey, if you don't want it…" Bonnie started.
I slapped the back of Caroline's head. "She wants it." I told Bonnie.
Caroline glared at me as she rubbed her head. "Now what?"
"Now is the part where I explain the rules. The witch who spells the ring has the power to dispel it so if you ever do anything to hurt anyone…" Bonnie explained.
"I'm not gonna hurt anyone"
"You are a vampire that mean the urge to kill is a part of who you are. The minute you let it take over,I will stop you."
"Bonnie, you're supposed to be my friend."
"I can't ignore what happened okay? If you want to be friends, you have to prove that the Caroline I
remember isn't gone. Now put the ring on the bed."
Caroline put the ring down sadly. I felt bad for her but Bonnie will eventually get over it and all will be right in the world.
"Do you really think that Caroline meant to kill that guy at the carnival?" I asked Bonnie.
"He's still dead. Now, do you want me to cast the spell or not?" Bonnie barked. She opens the curtain a bit so the light hits the ring and then she closes her eyes and recites the spell. "All done." She goes to the ring and gives it to Caroline.
Caroline slides it on her finger. "So that's it? I mean nothing witchy happened. You know, no flickering lights, no gust of wind. Have you done this before?"
"Caroline…" Stefan scolds her.
"I just want to make sure that worked."
Bonnie shook her head then open the curtain completely. Caroline screams but nothing happens to her. "It worked."
"What if it hadn't Bonnie?!" Caroline shrieked.
Bonnie looked at me and Stefan. "She's all yours." She grabs her book and leaves.
Elena POV
We finally got to Duke and we made our way to the office.
"So Isobel was officially employed by the anthropology department given that most paranormal phenomenon is rooted in folklore." Alaric stated as we got to the office. "Excuse me, hi. I'm Alaric Saltzman, I called earlier."
"Yes, of course. I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant comparative folklore." The girl greeted us and then looked at me weirdly. "Uh, let me just grab Isobel's keys."
"These are my friends Elena and Damon. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition." Alaric introduced us.
"Oh please, Isobel's office is right through there. Isobel was one of my first professors. I'm a grad student, she was brilliant and one of the reasons I went into folklore. Uh I have to ask, has there been any news?"
"No, I'm afraid not."
"It's this way." She unlocked the door and led us in. "I'll grab the light, feel free to look around. It's fascinating isn't it?"
We start looking around and Vanessa takes a little while.
"Where did she go?" Damon asked.
Vanessa comes back with a crossbow and aims it at me but as she shot it, Damon runs and blocks the arrow from hitting me but it gets him in the back. Alaric runs over to Vanessa and pushes her against the wall.
Erika POV
After Caroline got over how the ring looked we finally decided to go hunting. When we stood outside Caroline's door she ran outside and started giggling with glee that she could feel the sun so we gave her some time before we would actually leave. I leaned against the porch railing and sighed.
"You alright?" Stefan asked.
"Yeah I'm fine." I replied putting on a fake smile.
"You're not okay. Is it about going to hunt?"
"I just… I wanted Damon to show me. We had these big plans and he just blew me off."
"If it makes you feel better he misses you. Just give him some time. I'm sure by the end of the day he will come around."
"You think so?"
"He doesn't approve of my ways. The minute he hears you had bunny blood he'll come running."
I laughed a little. "Thanks Stefan."
Damon POV
I groaned in pain since the arrow was lodged in my back. "Pull it out. I can't reach it Elena. Just pull the damn thing out. It hurts." Elena finally rips it out and I finally can stand up. "That bitch is dead."
"You're not gonna kill her."
"Watch me."
"You touch her and I swear I will never speak to you again."
"What makes you think that has any power over me? Because I took an arrow in the back for you? You're severely overestimating yourself."
"Right. I forgot that I was speaking to a psychotic mind who snaps and kills people impulsively. Fine, go ahead, do whatever you want."
"You're trying to manipulate me."
"If by "manipulate" you mean "tell the truth" okay, guilty. I mean you did get my sister turned into a vampire so I shouldn't expect anything less than what I say is true."
"Excuse me? I didn't turn your sister. I didn't want her to turn."
"Oh please."
"I wanted her to turn when she was ready to. She died unexpectedly. I didn't even know until you found out. So how about you back off."
She glares at me then walks out of the room. I sigh angrily and slam the bookcase next to me with my hand.
Erika POV
"So what I do when I see the rabbit?" Caroline asked as we ventured further into the woods.
"Chase it, catch it, feed on it." Stefan answered.
"Isn't killing cute defenseless animals the first step in becoming a serial killer?"
"Well, we sort of skipped the serial killer and went straight to vampire." I told her.
"Caroline, if you're not serious about all of this I think you should tell me." Stefan told her.
"No I am. Look, I swear that I am okay? But it's just… I haven't been in the sun for days and everyone is at the swimming hole having fun and Matt is there! And he finally told me that he loved me but I have been blowing him off and now you want me to eat bunnies and I'm kind of freaking out okay?!" Caroline panicked. Stefan and I started laughing. "And now you're laughing at me."
"No, no, I'm not laughing. None of this is funny, trust me. It's just that…" Stefan started to explain.
"What?!" Caroline questioned.
"When someone becomes a vampire, all of their natural behaviors get sort of amplified."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… as a human I cared deeply for people, how they felt. If they were hurting I felt their pain and I felt guilty if I was the one who caused it and as a vampire all of that got… magnified.
"So you're saying that now I'm basically an insecure, neurotic control freak... on crack?"
"Exactly!" I smirked at her and she glared at me.
"Well, I wasn't gonna say it like that but… hey, listen, let's hunt okay? And then after that we'll go to the swimming hole." Stefan reasoned with her.
"Really?" Caroline asked.
"Yeah. Matt is the closest connection that you have to your humanity and I think that being around him is a good thing."
"Okay."
We did hunt. I got a couple of rabbits but it just didn't satisfy me. The hunger was satisfied but my feelings weren't. I really miss Damon and I wanted to go hunt with him and have him teach me.
We started to head to the waterhole and when we got to the border I stopped walking. Stefan turned to look at me.
"You alright?" Stefan asked.
"I'm not really feeling up for this." I told him.
"I think you should call him."
"He doesn't want to talk to me."
"I think he does."
"How do you know?"
"Because I saw the way he looked when he left to Duke. He is probably just as miserable as you."
"I don't know."
"Why don't you go for a walk and call him? I'll deal with Caroline here."
I nodded and ran off quickly.
Damon POV
We have been looking around the office for a while and it was annoying how little we have discovered. I felt my phone buzz and when I looked at the name my heart skipped a beat. I left the office to go outside and take the call.
"Hello Erika." I greeted smoothly.
"Oh shit you answered." She responded then muttered what an idiot of a response that was. "Umm…How are you?"
I silently chuckled. "I'm doing alright. You?"
"I'm decent. I went hunting today."
I cringed. "How was that?"
"Awful. I mean my hunger is fine but…"
"It's not the same as human blood."
"Yeah…"
"I'm guessing you wanted to feed on human?"
"I wanted to… but with you. I wanted you to be my teacher…"
"I'm sorry that I wasn't there."
"Hey you picked up the phone, I should be happy about that." She lightly laughed.
I chuckled. "Well it's a bit of a dead end here."
"Is it? How is my sister?"
"Judgy like she always is."
"I'm not surprised. Sorry I'm not there with you."
"I wish you were here. I'm not one to apologize."
"I know that you aren't"
"But when I come back to Mystic Falls, you and I are going to hunt and for real food."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
When we hung up the phone, I went back into Isobel's office and stood behind Elena. "Any luck?" I asked.
"There's nothing in here about Katherine that we don't already know." Elena stated.
"Ah, man, you know, it's a bummer you hate me because I could tell you what I know."
"Now who's manipulating who?"
"Hey guys, check this out." Alaric interrupted. We walked over to where he and the bitch were.
"There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls, but here are some records of some of the lesser known legends. Everything from Scandinavian skin-walkers to the Maréchal de Retz." Vanessa explained as she hands us the book. She then says a phrase in Aztec. "It roughly translates into the curse of the sun and the moon."
"It's Native American?" Alaric asked.
"Aztec. It explains one origin of the werewolf curse traced through Virginia. The short story: 600 years ago, the Aztecs were plagued by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside, made farming and hunting impossible until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. As a result, vampires could only prowl at night and werewolves could only turn on a full moon. When the full moon crests in the sky, who's ever unlucky enough to fall under the werewolf curse turns into a wolf." Vanessa corrects him and then explained.
"Can they control the transformation?" I asked.
"If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse. Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: vampires."
"Well, if werewolves were hunting vampires, I would know about it."
"Not if there aren't that many werewolves left alive. Hundreds of years ago, vampires hunted them almost to extinction."
"Why would they do that?" Elena asked.
"To protect themselves. Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires." Vanessa answers.
Erika POV
It was pretty much night time and I was lingering from a distance drinking. I kept my eyes on Caroline since she was having a hard time dealing with Matt. I saw a few people coming and going and I froze when I saw Xavier talking and hanging out with this girl.
I listened in to it. I knew the girl was named Sasha and I could not stand her.
"This is like so much fun." Sasha laughed with Xavier.
"Yeah it is!" He responded.
"What happened to that girl you used to hang with?"
"She changed and kind of dropped me."
"That sucks, you're like really cool and my best friend!"
I stopped listening in and chugged my beer. That asshole. How could he replace me with an idiot like Sasha?
"Hey are you alright?" Stefan asked as he stood next to me.
"I'm perfectly fine." I mumbled.
"Then why are you tearing up?"
I wiped my face. "It's nothing."
"We can go soon if you want. I'm just waiting for Caroline."
I nodded as Stefan's phone rang and he answered. I listened in and it was Elena.
"Hey." Stefan greeted.
"Hi. Listen we've learned some stuff and I know it's gonna sound crazy but I wanted to fill you in." Elena greeted back.
"What's up?"
She started to fill him in on what they found. "I don't know what that means or if we should even believe it but it's a full moon, Stefan. After what you saw Mason Lockwood do…"
"I'll be careful."
"There's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"According to the legend, a werewolf bite can kill a vampire."
I looked at him wide-eyed and he made the same face. We both look out and couldn't find Caroline. "Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you when you get home, okay?"
"Okay." Elena responded and then hung up.
"We have to find her. Now!" I ordered and Stefan and I ran off to look for her.
Elena POV
I was looking through another box and I found a picture of Katherine from back in the day. It's weird how Erika and I look like her. Now Erika is more like Katherine and it sucks. "Hey, have you done any research on doppelgängers?" I asked Vanessa.
"Well, the word means a lot of different things to different cultures, but typically a doppelgänger is a living, breathing double of oneself." She explained.
"Did Isobel have anything that explained the link between me, my twin and Katherine?"
"That's all she had on Katherine, unfortunately, but I can tell you that doppelgängers usually torment the people they look like, trying to undo their lives. It's not exactly uplifting."
"And more things we already know. Just... I want to know why we look alike."
"Head scratcher, isn't it?" Damon asked.
"Do you know something, or are you just being yourself?" I asked him.
"Well, if I know anything, I'm not gonna tell you, not with that attitude. I would tell your sister but she isn't here."
"That's good, Damon, and this is coming from someone who wants to be my friend, but you know what? Friends don't manipulate friends, they help each other."
"This coming from the girl who won't even talk to her own sister."
I glared at him and moved myself away.
Erika POV
Stefan and I walked through the woods trying to find Caroline. I kept trying to call her phone but there was no answer.
"Where the hell is that girl?" I asked angrily.
"Hey relax we will find her ok?" Stefan tried to comfort. I gave him a weak smile and then we both stare at each other worriedly when we hear an animal growl. We look around us and when he sees a car in the woods he nudges me to follow him. We start walking around the car and my foot kicks a chain.
"Stefan?" I weakly called and he looks at me and then toward the trunk window and we meet with yellow eyes. I scream when a giant animal breaks through the window and knocks Stefan down and runs off. "Stefan! Are you ok?"
He quickly stands up. "Yeah I'm alright."
"We have to find her." I begged.
Damon POV
We were getting about ready to depart. And I saw Elena struggling with opening the car door. I sighed as I made my way over there. "Here. Allow me." I unlock the door then open it. "You're not gonna be able to hate me forever."
"Can we just go?" Elena asked nastily.
I rolled my eyes and hand her the book I grabbed. "You didn't dig deep enough."
She looks at it weird. "Petrova. I saw this on a shelf."
"Katherine originally came from Europe. Petrova was her real name. Katherine Petrova to be exact."
"How did you know that?"
"Back when, I saw it engraved on an old heirloom. Men snoop too, you know. I think you should go through it will Erika. She might find it interesting." Elena tries to avoid me and tries to get in the car. I close the door. "You don't have any right to hate me. I told you I didn't want her to turn unless she was ready. I want to be your friend for her."
"Thank you for the book, Damon."
I sighed and opened the car door for her to get in.
Erika POV
We kept searching for her and we got to a point where we could pick up voices of a couple so we went in that direction. When we were closer we heard screaming and ran to it. Caroline was feasting on Matt's neck so Stefan pulls her off and towards me. I grab her arm and hold her back as she kept trying to get to Matt.
"Caroline stop!" I yelled at her.
Her face turns back to normal and she looks at me scared. "Oh my god."
"We need to get out of these woods now. We need to leave." Stefan ordered.
"What was that?" Caroline asked frantically while I looked at Matt trying to get up.
"Matt, stay down. Do not move." I ordered him. We kept hearing things lingering in the woods near us.
"The three of us are going to run. It's going to follow us; we need to lead it away from Matt. You both need to run as fast as you can. Do you understand me? Go, go!" Stefan yelled and we all ran far away from Matt.
We run to the old ruins and stop to catch our breathes.
"What is it?!" Caroline yelled.
"It's a werewolf! He will try to kill us and he can!" Stefan answered.
We turned when we heard a noise coming from the ruin doors.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" Tyler questioned.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
We were all focused on Tyler that we didn't see the wolf rush into Caroline and they both fall to the ground. I screamed while Stefan pushed the wolf off Caroline. The wolf snarled before it ran off.
We went back to the location of the party waiting for Caroline to compel Matt. Stefan and I stood from afar to give them space.
"That was a close call tonight." I commented to Stefan.
"No kidding. We're going to have to be extra careful from now on." Stefan responded.
"Do you think it's weird how it controlled itself around Tyler?"
"There's something up with that family. Maybe when Elena and Damon come back they'll have more information for us but until then let's just focus on Caroline. She's still upset of her little attack earlier."
"I don't blame her. I would be too."
Caroline finished her job and rejoined us but with a guilty look on her face.
"Hey it's ok. I will get Matt on vervain, it'll keep you from being able to compel him and also to keep you from drinking his blood again." Stefan assured her.
"I can't believe I hurt him." Caroline said.
"I know." I said rubbing her arm.
"He is the one person on this entire planet that I never wanted to hurt." Caroline teared up.
"It's not going to get any easier. You're just gonna have to work that much harder." Stefan told her.
"I shouldn't be with him, should I? Because if there is any danger…"
"Don't look at me. I hooked up with Damon even when everyone told me not to." I raised my hands in defense.
"and I'm the last person to make that kind of decision for you. If I had follow my own advice, I would walked away from Elena a long time ago." Stefan added.
"You ever think you should have?" Caroline asked looking between the two of us.
"I know I should have, I just can't" Stefan answered.
"When it's real, you can't walk away from it." I answered remembering what Lexi told me way back when.
Damon POV
We finally got back to Mystic Falls. I was ready to get away from Elena and go be with Erika. I vampire sped up to Erika's room to see she fell asleep with a book on her chest. I chuckled and lifted the book up and placed it on the night stand. She was under the covers already so I slid under as well and pulled her close to me. She woke up a bit and looked up at me with a sleepy smile.
"You're back." She said with tired enthusiasm.
"Yeah I am." I smiled as she tried to sit up but I pushed her back down. "Just go on back to sleep."
"No you finally are talking to me again… I want to…"
"Shh…we can talk in the morning. I'm not going anywhere."
She sleepily nodded and curled up against my chest and went back to sleep.
I missed this.
~Sorry for the longest delay but I hope you guys enjoyed it and will leave reviews :D~
Question: Should Katherine interfere with Erika and Damon's relationship too or only Elena and Stefan's?
