SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Dark-Supernatural-Angel:

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Vampire Diaries belongs to L.J. Smith and CW. I only own the plot. Reference to "Interlude 4". A little bit of language in this chap.

The next morning, Truman was reviewing the notes he had made the previous day, which included his classmates' names. Okay, seeing that both Sam and Emily both had vervain on, one of them must be a hunter, and my money's on Sam. After all, being a hockey player would keep him in great shape and he'd be able to hold off against a vampire for a little while, he thought to himself, as he dismissed his previous thought that Emily could be a hunter. But then, why hadn't Sam given the others anything with vervain on it? Maybe he hadn't had the chance? If that's the case, he'd probably welcome some help. Hearing a door open, he looked over his shoulder to see the homeroom teaching walking in. Then, he went back to his notes. While he was reviewing everything he had written down, Casey had walked in with her friends. As she sat down, her mind wandered. Who was the hunter? It had to be a kid if they had gotten into a high school party long enough to slip vervain in her drink without anyone noticing. She frowned. Maybe she could call in the others. No! That may be what this hunter wants-to get as many of us that they can in one place to dispose of us, she thought. And she would never endanger her family like that. She let out a non-existent sigh. What was she going to do? Would she have to leave again? She didn't want to, but she'd do it to keep the others safe. Before she knew it, homeroom was over and it was time for their next class. She gathered up her belongings and headed out the door. For her, the rest of the morning dragged on. When lunch finally rolled around, she grabbed a tray, got some food, and sat down at a table. She was soon joined by Derek, Kendra, Sam, and Emily.

"Where's Ralph?" Casey wondered.

"Sick. He called me up asking if I'd bring him notes and assignments," Sam replied.

"How sick?" Emily asked.

"It sounded like a cold," Sam responded.

"Bad one?" Kendra queried.

"Not too bad," Sam answered.

"That's good," Emily said.

"Yeah, being sick's no fun," Derek agreed and the others nodded.

"What are you nodding for? You probably haven't been sick since you were turned," Sam said quietly.

"Well, that's true," Casey admitted and they laughed. "But I can still remember how it felt," she continued. What they didn't know was that Truman was watching them from a couple of tables away. He frowned as the group talked. He had to know what was going on! Being as quiet as possible, he picked up his tray and moved to a table that was closer to the group.

"So, what do you think of the history assignment?" he heard Casey ask.

"A little tough, but I like the challenge," Kendra replied and Emily and Sam nodded in agreement while Derek just made a face.

"Relax, Derek, I can give you a hand," Casey assured.

"Thanks," Derek replied.

"No problem," Casey told him. Truman's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. From the sounds of it, she was playing the role of a high school student. That would make sense seeing as how she's compelled these kids and probably Derek's whole family, Truman mused to himself. Just then, his phone let out his text alert. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and then rolled his eyes when he saw the message from his father. Nice to see you trust me, Dad, he thought to himself as he responded. Then he closed his phone. When lunch was finally over, he gathered his tray and threw away his trash and went off to his next class, where he continued to take notes on Casey. When he got another break in between classes, he walked up to Casey's locker.

"You're Casey MacDonald, right?" he asked, leaning against her locker.

"And who wants to know?" she asked, barely glancing at the boy. I don't need this boy hanging around me. I have a hunter to worry about, she thought to herself.

"I'm Truman French," he introduced himself. "So I noticed that you're a really good student, and though my grades were great at my old school, I'm feeling a little lost here, and was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving me a bit of tutoring?" he questioned. Casey turned to look at him. Why is he so interested in me? she wondered. She had noticed him watching her ever since he had gotten here. Could he be the hunter? It certainly bore some investigating.

"Yeah, sure. I can help you catch up," Casey answered.

"Great! Thanks!" Truman grinned. This is perfect! With a tutoring relationship, I'll be able to study her and figure out what kind of a move I need to make, he thought to himself. From his father's notes, he knew that the vampire they were seeking was only a little over a hundred, which meant that she was relatively young, which meant that she would be a lot more reckless and unaware. So that meant that she had received help from an older vampire. Now all he had to do was find out what other vampire was there. "When should we start?" he questioned.

"How about tomorrow after school in the library?" Casey suggested.

"You mean here?" Truman asked. I was right. She is the vampire. And obviously not as bright as we were led to believe. After all, she's luring me to the school library so that she can kill me, he thought to himself.

"Yes," Casey responded. This way I know the lay of the land and have time to get some backup in case I need it, she mused.

"Yeah, that sounds fine," Truman agreed. Hmmm…she won't even know what hit her, he thought to himself.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow directly after school," Casey told him.

"Great. See you then," Truman grinned. Then, he walked off as Casey did the same. When Casey got home, she told Derek what happened.

"And you agreed?" he gasped in disbelief. What, is she crazy? he wondered.

"Well, I'm not going alone. I thought you and Sam could be close by, you know, have my back?" Casey queried.

"Of course," Derek agreed. "I take it you'll call Sam?" he asked.

"Yep," Casey confirmed. Derek nodded. That was a solid plan. Casey went down to her room, pulled her cell phone from her jeans' pocket, and sat on her bed as she dialed her boyfriend's number. She only had to wait a few minute before he picked up.

"Yeah, what's up, Case?"

"I need your help with something." She then proceeded to tell him the same thing she had told Derek, including having the two in the library at the same time she and Truman were.

"And you want me and Derek as back up? What about Rose?"

"It'll still be day time. She won't be able to get there."

"I don't like this."

"Well, it's the only plan we've got. So can I count on you or what?"

"You know you can."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." They hung up and Casey immediately began doing her homework. When she was finally done, she put everything away, got into her pajamas, and went to bed. The next morning, she quickly got dressed, took out a blood bag, drank from it, wiped her mouth, got her things together, and then went upstairs where the others were eating breakfast.

"Do you want anything Casey?" George asked.

"No, I'm not really in the mood for people food this morning. Thanks anyway, George," Casey responded. When breakfast was finished, everyone continued about their morning, grabbing their things and putting them in their backpacks. Then, Casey and Derek headed for Derek's car while George ushered Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti into his sedan. When Casey and Derek got to school, Sam, Emily, and Kendra met up with them at their lockers.

"So, are you totally set on this?" Sam asked. "I mean, I don't really like the fact that you're going in alone. I mean, Derek and I have no clue how to fight," he continued.

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, who's fighting who?" Kendra added and Sam quickly explained what was going on.

"Count us in," the girls chorused.

"No, it's dangerous enough that I'm including Sam and Derek," Casey objected.

"Casey, you're not going to win this one," Emily told her friend, giving her a determined look. Casey nodded. She got the feeling that Emily was right.

"Okay, then. Be in the library directly after school. That's when I'll be "tutoring" this guy," she told them.

"And what a lesson it'll be," her boyfriend stated grimly. She flashed him a small smile and they went to their homeroom before the warning bell could ring. In the homeroom, Casey doodled in her notebook, ignoring everyone else until Derek leaned over to her.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yep,' she replied. Hearing the door opening, they turned to see Ralph walking in. "I guess he's feeling better."

"I guess so." When the homeroom was finally done, she gathered up her things and headed for her next class. As she did so, she kept a subtle eye out for Truman. She wanted to be ready in case he decided to launch an attack before that night. However, he made no moves, instead just going about his day, merely going to his classes. Casey could hardly wait until the school day was over. She wanted to take care of Truman now! She didn't need some hunter after her or Rose. Man! Why can't things just ever stay simple? she wondered, running her fingers through her hair. She liked it when she could just pretend to be normal…especially when graduation was so close. As soon as she graduated, she would no longer have to pretend and would be able to leave with her family and friends. I can't wait until I'm able to leave, she thought. But then, what about Sam? What did she want to do about their relationship? Should she turn him and invite him along or compel him to forget about the relationship? Maybe I should talk to Rose about this, she mused. Surely she'd be able to give her some advice on this. The problem stuck in Casey's mind the rest of the day, but she did her best to focus on her classes. However, she was certain that her teachers had noticed her inattentiveness, though they were kind enough not to comment on it. However, her friends were a different story.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Kendra questioned at lunch.

"Yeah, I'm all right," Casey replied. "I just want to get this thing with Truman over with," she continued as Ralph joined them.

"What? What's going on with Truman? Has he been bothering you? Can I help?" Ralph queried as he sat down. His eyes blazed. If he had been bothering Casey, he'd certainly help Derek and Sam take care of him.

"No, we've got it handled, but thanks for looking like you're willing to become my knight in shining armor," Casey told him, hiding a smile. Then, "I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

"Thanks. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually glad to be back in school." They all chuckled. When they had finished lunch, they cleaned up their trays, put their trash in the cans and then headed for their classes, where Casey once again forced herself to pay attention. She was all charged up, running the different scenarios in her head. Okay, calm down, Casey! Don't psyche yourself out, she thought to herself. If there were any hunters, she and the others could take care of them. For her, the day seemed to drag on, but finally it was done. As soon as the last bell rang, she gathered up her books and headed for the library, Derek, Sam, Emily, and Kendra promptly following her.

"We'll be in the stacks," Kendra told her and they went to different aisles, ducking inside. Casey didn't have to wait long until Truman came into view. Casey waved to him and he joined her at a table.

"Okay, let's get started," Casey stated, opening her history book.

"So, you want to start with history, huh?" Truman queried.

"Yeah, I'm a semi-history buff," Casey lied. If this guy wasn't a hunter, she didn't want to tip him off. Truman's eyes narrowed. History buff? That was a lame excuse. In the stacks, Kendra, Emily, Sam, and Derek peeked out from their positions. Did she need help? So far, it didn't sound like it, but none of them wanted to leave Casey unprotected. Truman shifted in his seat, his hand reaching into his coat pocket. Maybe it was time that he played out his theory. Subtly, his fingers tightened around the vial he had placed in his pocket. "So, let's get started on tonight's assignment and then maybe we can see if you need to catch up on anything," she suggested, turning towards him.

"That sounds good to me," he agreed. He then brought the vial out.

"What's that?" she asked, seeing the clear liquid. Is that filled with vervain? she wondered.

"Oh, just some new cologne my dad got me," Truman replied, unscrewing the vial. He tilted it as if to pour it on his wrist, but then swung it towards Casey and the liquid fell on her hands. The girl yelped in pained surprise as her flesh sizzled. Hearing the cry, Derek, Emily, Sam, and Kendra came from their hiding places.

"Girls, you can stay back, let us handle this," Truman responded. He had barely gotten the sentence out when he suddenly found himself flying back. Wha-he wondered. To his surprise, they all surrounded Casey. What in the-oh, right. I forgot. They've been compelled, he reminded himself. But that didn't make sense though. Sam and Emily had vervain. They at least should've been in control of their faculties.

"You don't understand!" Truman exclaimed as Derek and Emily ran to Truman and hauled him to his feet as Kendra and Sam ran to Casey.

"Oh, we understand just fine. You're a hunter who's after our best friend," Emily answered.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, it just hit my skin. And it wasn't that much," Casey replied. Truman broke free of Emily and Derek's grasp and then tackled Casey, pulling a stake from a hidden pocket in his jacket. With a growl, Casey flipped the boy over her shoulders, causing him to drop his weapon. He jumped to his feet and threw a kick at Casey, who quickly blocked it. Kendra stared at Truman, her eyes narrowing in anger. Who did this boy think he was? Casey had never hurt anyone. He was the threat, not her. As he threw some more kicks and punches, Truman bent down and grabbed the stake. Then-he let out a cry of pain and grabbed his head, giving Casey a chance to grab him by the throat.

"Rose teaching you some new tricks, Kend?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, she said it might come in handy some day," Kendra replied. Truman gasped when the pressure subsided.

"You don't understand! She's a vampire that has you all compelled! You have to let me help you," Truman declared.

"Compelled? We all have vervain in our system," Sam stated. What an idiot, he thought to himself.

"And you're helping this abomination?" Truman gasped. What? Why? he wondered. Then, it hit him. She had probably threatened people they cared about. "Look, I can save whoever she's threatening-" his sentence ended in a groan as Kendra stared at him again.

"Easy Kend. We don't wanna draw unwanted attention by killing him," Casey cautioned.

"Of course," Kendra agreed. Casey looked at him.

"How many of you are here?" she asked. Truman grunted and tried to break free, but the vampire's grip was too strong. "How many of you are here?"

"Forget it."

"Wrong answer." Casey bit into her wrist, tearing the flesh and letting blood flow. Then she put her wrist in front of Truman's lips.

"Casey!" everyone cried.

"He tried to kill me. Why shouldn't I do the same to him? Feed him my blood, kill him, let him get hunted…" Casey's voice trailed off. She was so sick of this kind of crap. "Maybe then he'll tell us how many hunters are here," she continued with a smirk. She pressed her wrist to his lips and he let out a strangled and frightened moan. For a moment, guilt coursed through her, but she pushed it down. She wasn't actually going to turn him, but she could still put a good scare into him. All she had to do was let a little bit of her Ripper persona out. "Aw, what's the matter, Truman? Are you afraid?" she mocked, letting out a laugh. "You will be…if you don't tell me what I wanna know…"

"Casey, stop!" Sam shouted, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. What was she doing? She hadn't said anything about this. Casey's eyes darkened and she let out a warning growl. Another wave of guilt hit her, but she once more pushed it down. She needed to focus. She once more pressed her wrist to his lips and this time, some of the blood entered his mouth. He let out a frightened moan. "Aw…are you ready?" He nodded frantically.

"So, how many hunters are here?" she asked, pulling her wrist back slightly.

"It's just me and my dad! It's just me and my dad!" the boy shouted frantically. "You were supposed to be my first kill!" Casey burst out laughing.

"He sent a rookie after me? The Ripper?" she asked. What a foolish man! You don't send novices after an experienced killer! she thought to herself. "Go to your father, tell him you failed, and that you guys should hightail it," she continued, throwing him to the ground. Then, she looked at her friends. "Let's go," she said. Then, she walked out of the library, and after a moment, her friends followed her out. For a moment, Truman stayed where he was, panting. Then, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. When his father finally, picked up, Truman quickly began talking.

"I failed. She one-upped me," he said.

"Are you serious?" Ronald demanded.

"You didn't tell me she was the Ripper dad! Were you trying to get me killed?" Truman shouted. "Let's just…get out of here! I'm not gonna get killed by a psychopath!" He then hung up and headed out. That was it! He was done with this particular hunt. He gathered up his things and headed out of Sir John Sparrow Thompson High, vowing to never return.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

End of ep, next up: Futuritis