Disclaimer: Don't own anything you recognize
"I can't believe it!" Caroline squealed looking at her phone.
"What are you so happy about" Dia came up to her.
"I'm on the Founder's Court, which means I'm in the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant!" Caroline exclaimed.
"Mrs. Lockwood wanted me to do that, but when she said the word pageant, I told her no way" Dia laughed. "You'll be great in it!"
"Okay so you are going to have to help me with picking out the perfect dress and can you do my hair, you are just a pro when it comes to styling hair" Caroline said.
"Of course" Dia said. "I already know what to do!" Dia looked around and saw Bonnie and Elena.
"When did Bonnie get back?" Dia asked.
"Bonnie! Bonnie!" Caroline yelled running up to her. "Thank god your home." Caroline gave Bonnie a big hug.
"Bonnie" Dia smiled and hugged her.
"I know we talked every day, but I missed you. How are you?" Caroline asked.
"Better. You know, glad to be back and trying to keep myself busy" Bonnie replied.
"Well, I can help with that. Major wardrobe problem. You and Dia need to help me pick up the perfect dress for the founder's court" Caroline said bubbly.
"The founder's court? Did I miss something?" Elena frowned.
" The founder's court! You know, Miss Mystic Falls. They announced it today and you and I are both on it" Caroline told her.
"Oh my god! We signed for this so long ago… I completely forgot" Elena said.
"So, are you dropping out then?" Caroline asked eagerly.
"I can't" Elena said looking at Bonnie.
"No?" Caroline frowned.
"Her mom is the one who wanted her into this" Bonnie told them.
"I still say you do it Elena" Dia said. "You and Caroline would enjoy it."
Stefan arrived back from school with Dia right behind him.
"How was school" Damon asked waiting for them.
"Fine" Stefan only replied.
"Yeah? Same old, same old? Nothing new? No stories to bring home?" Damon asked curiously.
"You're making small talk, why?" Stefan asked.
"You seemed off the ship lately, less dump and glum, more peps in you steps" Damon told him.
"And you think it's because I drank human blood again?" Stefan replied.
"I don't want to brag but I would definitely take responsibility for this new and improved you" Damon smiled.
"Well, I hate to push the bubble but I'm clean" Stefan told him.
"Yeah, not possible" Damon was unconvinced.
"Not only isn't possible but it is quite true" Stefan shot back.
" Stefan, just be serious for a second. You spent the last century and a half being a poster child for Prozac and now you expect me to believe that this new you has nothing to do with human blood. Nothing" Damon raised his eyebrow.
"I'm clean!" Stefan exclaimed.
"You're lying!" Damon shot back.
"Believe what you want" Stefan said walking away.
"Unbelievable!" Damon sighed.
"He's been like that all day" Dia told Damon.
"He didn't say anything to you did he?" Damon asked.
"No, but I have something better" Dia said. Damon frowned. Dia looked around making sure Stefan wasn't near. She went to her bag and began looking for something.
"I found this during lunch" Dia said handing Damon an empty blood bag.
"There was more in the trunk, but I figured one was all you really needed."
Damon looked at her stunned. "How'd you get this?"
"Pick pocked him during lunch, got his keys, ran to the car, and opened the trunk. Got the bag and managed to slip the keys back into his pocket before lunch was even close to being over" Dia told him. "I could honestly break into Buckingham Palace and no one would even know."
"Dia you are amazing" Damon said embracing her. "I knew there was a reason I didn't kill you when we first met."
"Hey!" Dia exclaimed.
"Kidding" Damon smile looking at her. "But seriously thank you."
"Damon Salvatore saying thank you? What's gotten into your blood?" Dia laughed.
"Just don't tell anyone" Damon smirked.
"I won't as long as you don't tell anyone about my skills as a thief" Dia replied.
"Why would I do that?" Damon laughed. "I could use those skills in the future."
Dia laughed and her face fell. "Go talk to him again. He needs you even if he doesn't act like it."
Damon nodded and walked down to the basement. He saw Stefan in his blood bag stash.
"Well well, he's a liar and a thief. So, when are you gonna share? " Damon smirked.
Stefan turned around. "Go ahead, help yourself."
"No, no, no I'm talking about the fact that you have a closet blood junkie" Damon replied.
"So, I'm drinking blood again. You're the one that shoved it on me, what's your problem? I have it under control" Stefan exclaimed.
"Under control? You've robbed the hospital!" Damon shot back.
"So, what's your point?" Stefan asked.
"Fine, whatever man, drink up. Just remember, we're trying to keep a low profile. Why don't you just walk up to Sheriff Forbes and ask her to tap a vein?" Damon sneered.
"Have my actions negatively impacted you? I can't imagine what that must feel like" Stefan replied.
"Yeah, what Elena thinks about the new… you?" Damon asked.
"Nothing's changed; I'm still the same person" Stefan protested.
"Clearly" Damon rolled his eyes.
"Elena doesn't need to know anything yet" Stefan told him.
" You've been out the human stuff for years Stefan. If you're having problems controlling…" Damon stopped.
"I don't have any problems" Stefan told him.
"Who do you think you're talking to? I know what it's like. The Jekyll and Hyde feeling, that switch, sometime you goes off and snap. Right now is not a good time for me to be worried about you snapping" Damon explained.
"I know that it pains you to see this but I'm fine okay? I'm fine" Stefan said taking a pouch. "So please do me a favor and back off!" Stefan closed the fridge and went back upstairs. He came face to face with Dia in the hall.
"Come to tell me I'm out of control as well?" Stefan asked.
"No I'll leave that to Damon" Dia replied. "But I will say this. It's okay Stefan to admit that something's wrong. No one will judge you."
"Says the girl who won't reveal her true self" Stefan snapped.
"That's different Stefan." Dia sighed. "You have people who care about you Stefan. Don't do anything that will do you harm."
The doorbell rang at the boarding house. Damon went to the door to see who it was. John Gilbert was standing on the other sie.
"Hey partner!" John smiled.
"What do you want?" Damon groaned.
"You haven't returned any of my calls" John replied.
"Most people take it has a hint" Damon smiled.
"Where do we start looking for vampires?" John asked.
"How do you act John? You obviously don't care about catching vampires, you're here talking to me" Damon told him.
"Actually, I care very much" John replied.
"What's Isobel says about that? I mean, considering that she is one" Damon smirked.
" Isobel and I share a mutual interest. The original Jonathan Gilbert has an invention and it was stolen by a vampire. That vampire was then burned alive in Fell's church, that's what Jonathan thought and the invention was lost forever. But then the vampires weren't killed, were they? They were trapped and now they're free, thanks to you which means the invention is retrieval" John told him.
"What is it?" Damon asked.
"The only thing that matter is that I want it back and you're going to help me if you want your secret safe" John sneered.
"Why bring me into it John? I mean, I don't know what you are talking about much less who has it" Damon replied.
"Oh come on Damon! You were around back then, you know what this people are, what they look like. He was friendly with a woman who turned out to be a vampire. Her name was Pearl. Does that ring a bell?" John smiled.
Dia came walking down the stairs and saw the pair and stopped.
"Oh Dia" John smiled. "So you are Damon's blood bag."
Damon glared at John who only looked at him.
"I'm not playing anymore. Get out" Damon growled.
"I beg your pardon?" John frowned.
"You know, I only entertain this whole blackmail skin thing of yours because I thought you and Isobel could lead me to Katherine but see, now I know you've no idea where Katherine is, because if you did you would know that Katherine and Pearl were best friends. See, you don't know everything did you?" Damon smirked.
"I'll tell the entire council what you are" John threatened.
"Go for it! I'll kill every last one of them. Then I'll sever your hand, pull your ring off, and I'll kill you too. Do you understand that?" Damon sneered. "Make sure he gets out of here Dia." Damon stormed off leaving Dia and John alone.
"I suggest you stay away from him" Dia told him. "Or you're going to have to deal with me."
"You don't frighten me gypsy" John said.
Dia's eyes became wide and she stopped.
"Yeah I know what you are" John smiled. "Powerful gypsy, doppelganger of Damon's first love who he killed who also just possessed you, raised by a vampire who now is coming after you. Have I left anything out?"
Dia just stared at him.
"Oh and you're also madly in love with Damon" John smiled.
"You don't want to mess with me" she sneered
"I know how to protect myself from your kind" John shot back. "Hence why you can't read my mind." John grinned at her.
"I suggest you convince Damon to get me what I want or I'll tell him everything" he threatened. "He trusts you and if he found out you've been lying to him who knows what he'll do."
"The Fell cousin's don't have a shot and Amber Bradley is only on the court so the pageant doesn't look like its founding families only which of course it is. So that leaves Elena which totally has a simply vote since her parents died. How can I compete with that?" Caroline groaned to Bonnie.
"Very nice, very sensitive" Bonnie replied.
"Oh I'm sorry, this must sound really unimportant" Caroline apologize.
"It's okay, I get it, you want to win" Bonnie smiled.
"Well, my grandmother was Miss Mystic and both of my aunts. My mom is the only one who didn't get the gene and I want this. I actually deserve this" Caroline told her.
The two of them began to leave and Bonnie ran into Elena and Stefan. Her face fell when she saw Stefan.
"Hey" Elena said.
"Hey, how are you?" Stefan asked.
Bonnie didn't answer. Elena and Stefan could tell there was a problem. Dia walked over to the group.
"Hey sorry I'm late, got caught up with talking to your uncle Elena" Dia said eyeing her and Stefan.
"It's okay" Caroline replied. "I begged Bonnie to have filled in for Matt, he had to work today. Dia can you come with me and give me an opinion on my dress."
"Uh sure Caroline" Dia replied. She knew that she was trying to get Bonnie to talk to Elena. Caroline and Dia walked off into another room.
"What do you think?" Caroline asked holding up the dress.
"It's beautiful" Dia replied.
"You don't sound excited" Caroline said. "Elena's going to win."
"Hey don't talk like that!" Dia said. "You have as much a chance to win as Elena. As much as I love Elena. I'm rooting for you Caroline!"
"Dia you're such a good friend" Caroline hugged her.
"You are too Caroline" Dia replied. She sighed.
"Are you okay?" Caroline asked.
"It's been a weird morning" Dia replied. "Caroline have you ever had a secret that you've kept from someone you've cared about and you need to tell them but you don't know how."
"Dia….you're not…" Caroline's eyes went to Dia's stomach. "Did you and Damon…."
"Oh god no!" Dia exclaimed. "Damon and I are just friends."
"But this person you need to tell this secret to is Damon right" Caroline's voice trailed off.
"Yeah" Dia nodded.
"Well clearly Damon cares a lot about you" Caroline began. "I think that he'll understand. I mean you must have a good reason for keeping it from him."
"Well I don't know if my reason is good enough" Dia said sadly.
I know I said I'd put up three chapters yesterday, but that hasn't happened. Also I meant to have this up late last night, but internet problems kept me from doing so. I don't know when I'm leaving but like I said chapters may be scarce for a few days, but I'm getting sick of still being on season 1, so whenever I can I'm going to get on the ball with this and just update, update, and update. Then expect maybe a one to three days with nothing. I would like to have at least the first four chapters written before I upload the new story, so I can get a head start. I really hope to get season two done before season 3 starts or at least be close to finishing season 2. Read and review!