Keeping Secrets
Ch. 8
The next morning Katie dragged herself from bed and to school. She had to keep reminding herself that Damon was just a guy and she couldn't put her life on hold because of him. Damon was leaving and the changes he had made to her life were staying. So why should she beat herself up about it? As soon as the final bell rang Katie's phone started vibrating in her pocket. When she saw the name The Hotter Salvatore Brother on the screen she almost didn't answer it, but as always she went against her better judgment and did. "I thought you already told me goodbye." She answered.
"I know what I said, but I'm not going anywhere for now. There's another vampire in town." He informed her. "I need you to help me find it."
"Why me?" she asked as she headed to her car and spotted Elena and Stefan talking. He was probably telling her the same thing Damon was telling Katie, but without asking for help.
"Because," he said then made an aggravated sound, "Meet me at your house and I'll explain everything, okay?"
"Yeah sure." She sighed and closed her car door. She headed home. Damon was waiting on her front porch and met her at her car as she pulled into the driveway. "So how do you know there's another vampire in town?" Katie asked as Damon opened her car door and she stepped out onto the cement driveway.
"Because Sheriff Forbs came by this morning and said they found another body drained of blood. Despite what Stefan thinks, I didn't do it." He said as he shut her car door and they headed for the house.
"So how am I supposed to help you find it?" she asked as she unlocked her front door and they walked inside.
"With this." He said as he pulled a pocket watch out of his back pocket.
"A pocket watch?" she asked as she watched him open the gold circle watch and flip it around.
"It's a compass that points to vampires." He said as set it in her hand, pressed the button on the link where a chain could be put and the pointer started spinning until it pointed at Damon and clicked into place. When he moved behind her it started spinning again until it found him and click into place again. "See simple."
"So because you would interfere with the vamp signal I have to be the one to use this and figure out where the vampire you're looking for is?" she asked piecing things together.
'Yep." He answered. "And it's daylight so nine judges out of ten suggests that the vampire is somewhere inside and not able to hurt you if you're in the daylight so…" he said as he walked around her and flopped down on her couch, propping his feet up on the table. "Get to lookin'."
"Okay one, I'm not even sure I want to help you after you ditched me at the church. I had to walk home just so you know. Two, what do I get out of this? And three get your dirty feet off the coffee table."
"What do you want to get out of this?" he asked as he took his feet down off the table.
Katie thought about it for a second. "Make me an offer I can't refuse." She challenged.
"Hmm, I know sex isn't going to work…" he said as he stood up and started pacing around her in a circle. "Or is it?"
"It isn't." she confirmed. He hummed still walking around her, looking her up and down as he thought about what he could offer her. "Seriously, you can't think of one thing you can give me in return for helping you?"
"Uninterrupted time with me at my place." He offered and she made a motion for him to sweeten the deal. "And I'm sorry for leaving you alone at the church." She made the hand motion again. "Dinner and a movie?" he asked not knowing what else he could throw in to make the deal better.
"Bump me back up to girlfriend status and we have a deal." She said as she stuck her hand out and raised a challenging eyebrow.
He took her hand and shook it twice before he pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her. "Deal. Now get to it before you lose the light." He let go of her and she rolled her eyes.
After two and a half hours of driving around and watching the compass it finally clicked into place and she followed it to an abandoned warehouse. So she closed it and called Damon. "I found it. I'm sending you the address now."
"I'm on my way." He told her and she could hear wind over the phone.
"Are you…whooshing, all the way here?" she asked before he appeared outside her car.
"Yep." He answered with a smile then they both hung up the phone.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." She said as she opened her door and hopped out, shutting it behind her.
"Have I thanked you for this?" he asked as he grabbed her hips and pulled her into him.
"No, but you're welcome." She said with a small smile. "Can I go to career night now?" she asked as she placed her hands on his chest and gave him a light push.
"What are you planning on doing with your future?" he asked curiously. "You work so hard to be at the top of your class…it must be something good like a doctor or…a dentist." He asked with a sarcastic eye roll.
"I'll let you know after I go to career night." She told him and he finally let go of her hips.
"Okay, go. Have fun." He told her as he opened her door for her and shut it behind her.
She'd been at the career fair for a few hours and was looking at the booth handing out pamphlets on law degrees when she got a call from Damon. "It's Logan Fell."
"What?" Katie asked as she headed outside where it was quieter.
"Logan Fell is the vampire and he's there, at career night." Damon told her. "I'm on my way, but until I get there stay away from him." He warned. "Find Elena and Stefan…stay with them."
"Okay." she told him and he hung up. Katie was leaning in the corner of the building taking a few calming breaths when she saw Mayor Lockwood pushing Jeremy and Tyler out the door she had come through, completely overlooking her.
Katie stood back watching Mayor Lockwood talking to the boys. Mr. Saltzman, the new history teacher walked out, not missing her like the Mayor did and walked over to them as the Mayor shoved Tyler. "Whoa. What's goin' on out here?" Mr. Saltzman asked.
"I can answer that question." Katie spoke up as she walked over to stand next to her teacher who gave her a questioning look. "He's bullying them." She answered then looked at the Mayor. "Just like he and my grandpa used to do to me every time they got drunk together. They called it preparing me for the real world. Isn't that right Mayor Lockwood?" Katie asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"What?" Tyler asked looking past his father to Katie who let her eyes slip to the concrete.
"Okay I think we all need to go back inside." Mr. Saltzman spoke up placing a hand on Katie's back to usher her back inside.
"Na, we're good here. You two go back inside." The mayor said turning back to the boys.
"I don't want to go back inside." Mr. Saltzman spoke up taking a step closer to the mayor. "What I want is your answer to my question." He pointed at the mayor.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" the mayor asked walking a little closer to Mr. Saltzman. "Do I look like a student?"
"No, you look like a full-grown alpha-male douche bag." Mr. Saltzman replied
"Yeah…I'm gonna relocate." Katie drawled as she moved to stand next to Tyler anticipating a fist fight between the two men.
"You don't talk to me like that." The mayor said walking even closer to the teacher. "I could have your job like this." He snapped his fingers.
Mr. Saltzman laughed. "You do that. Then it'll be me and you out here in this parking lot working things out." He broadened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. "You cool with that?"
"You just mark yourself." The Mayor threatened.
"Yeah, ok" Mr. Saltzman whispered.
The mayor glared at Tyler before they walked off together. When they were gone Katie started to walk off, but Mr. Saltzman grabbed her jacket sleeve as she passed him stopping her. She looked across her shoulder at him to see him looking at Jeremy. "Are you okay?" Jeremy nodded and walked off leaving her alone with her teacher who let go of her leather jacket sleeve and turned to her. "Was any of that true or were you just stoking the flames?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Katie sighed and walked over the lean against the railing where Tyler and Jeremy had been standing. "It was all true." She admitted as she crossed her arms over her chest uncomfortably. "I thought Tyler should know that he's not the only one who's been bullied, by his father."
"And what you said about your grandfather…" he prompted.
"He used to, but…he stopped thanks to a close friend of mine." She answered with a small smile. "Thanks for the concern though." Katie said as she pushed herself off of the rails and headed for the door.
"Any time." He told her with a small, close lipped smile and a nod as he opened the door and jerked his head to inside.
She found Elena in the hallway. "Hey, where's Stefan?" she asked Elena with a frown. "And have you seen Logan Fell?"
"What do you know about Logan?" Elena asked looking confused.
"I know that he's a you-know-what and that he was here." Katie answered earning a questioning look. "Damon called me, wanted me to stay safe." she said with a shrug as if it were no big deal.
"Last we heard he was giving Caroline a ride home. Stefan went after him." She told her with a shrug. "Stefan told me to stay here, you probably should too." She told her as they looked around at all the people in the hallway. "So you're talking to Damon again?"
"He called. I answered." Katie said with a shrug.
"I swear you're like a fish on a hook and he just keeps reeling you in." Elena sighed moving to lean again a locker.
"And that's different than you and Stefan how?" Katie asked Elena who just stared at her as if she was out of line. "I need some air."
She was sitting on a picnic table outside the school, not caring if Logan Fell found her when Tyler walked over and sat down next to her. "Is it true?" he asked and Katie looked across her shoulder at him. "What you said about my dad."
Katie started picking at her cuticles as she nodded. "Yeah, it's true." She looked back down at her hands.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?" he asked leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees.
"Probably the same reasons you haven't said anything to anyone." She answered quietly. "And because I didn't know he did it to you too." She answered leaning forward, mimicking his position. "I thought it was just some sick game he and my grandpa played with they got drunk."
"So your grandpa-?" he asked looking over at her and how she was picking at her nails.
"Yeah." She answered with a nod, not letting him finish the sentence.
"That sucks." He said not knowing what else to say and things fell awkwardly silent.
"You came here with your dad right?" Katie asked looking around to see that the Mayor's car was no where in sight. Tyler hummed a yes as he looked around too. "Do you need a ride home?"
"I was gonna ask Matt for a ride, but it looks like he's already left." He said with a sigh.
"Then it's settled. You're riding with me." She slid off of the table and looked at him to see him giving her an 'are you serious' look. "Do you have any other way of getting home tonight?" she asked and he shook his head no. "Then come on." She told him as she jerked her head toward her car.
He hesitantly followed her to her car and climbed inside. "You know I don't think we've had a conversation this long since…" he trailed off when he remembered the last time they had really talked.
"Since eighth grade. Seven minutes in heaven?" she asked with a smirk at the memory.
"Yeah." He laughed a little.
"You know up until about three weeks ago Elena still believed that you were my first kiss?" she asked with a smile over at him before she turned her eyes back to the road.
"Yeah, no one I know really believed that we made out." He admitted as he shifted in his seat.
"I'm going to pretend not to be offended by that." She said as she pointed her finger at him.
"No offense, but you aren't exactly the make out in the closet with a guy type." He replied honestly getting no response from her. "Who was your first kiss?" he asked being nosy just to try to get a reaction from her.
"Yeah I'm not answering that question unless you do." She said with a shake of her head.
"Vicki Donovan." He answered without missing a beat.
"Damn, I was banking on the fact that you wouldn't answer." She sighed as she turned onto his street.
"Come on, I answered now it's your turn." He said challengingly.
"This is what I get for bringing up the past." She sighed as she pulled into his driveway. "Oh look we're here you can get out now." She prompted overly cheerfully as she pulled the car to a stop.
"Nice try but I'm not getting out until you answer the question." he said with a playful smirk.
"Then we're gonna be here all night." She told him stubbornly.
"You have had a first kiss haven't you?" He asked when she still didn't answer. "Because if you haven't I'll gladly change that."
"Is that your douchy jock way of hitting on me?" She asked with a stunned smile and reddening cheeks.
"Maybe. Is it working?" He asked cockily.
"A few months ago I probably would've said yes, but I'm seeing someone." She answered feeling kind of sorry for turning him down. "And to be completely honest I'm kind of surprised you just hit on me."
"Why are you so surprised?" He asked with a smile.
"Well because you're...you." she answered getting a 'what are you talking about?' look from him "You're the hot football player that all the girls want." She said being her usual, blatantly honest self.
"And you're you. The hot, geeky, cheerleader that all the guys want, but are too intimidated to approach." He said as if his statement was as obvious as hers. "What's your point?"
"I'm...um...what?" Katie asked completely stunned by what he had said.
But he didn't get the chance to answer because someone knocked on the passenger side window and he rolled it down revealing his mom. "Hi, Mrs. Lockwood." Katie greeted.
Mrs. Lockwood just ignored her and smiled at her son. "Tyler, sweetie, don't you think it's time you come inside?" She asked her tone sticky sweet.
"Yes ma'am." He mumbled as he looked at Katie and rolled his eyes as he took off his seat belt then got out of the car. She smiled at his reaction to his bitch of a mother.
"I see you found more trash to drag up to the house." Mrs. Lockwood's words floated in through the still rolled down window.
Katie's nostrils flailed as she put her car in drive and left the driveway as calmly as she could. No matter how bad she wanted to do a burnout on the pretty white concrete driveway she didn't do it for fear of Tyler getting in trouble.
She was almost home when she got a text from Damon asking her to meet him at the boarding house. On her way she looked down and reached for her phone in the passenger seat. When she looked back up at the road she saw a car swerve to miss someone standing in the road. But the car still hit the person then started flipping across the road.
Katie slammed on her breaks, stopping a few feet from the car. Only thinking about the people involved in the accident, Katie put her car in park and hopped out. The over turned car was closer to her than the person who got hit so she ran to the driver to see that it was Elena. "Elena? Are you okay?" Katie asked, but Elena pointed behind Katie to the person she had hit. "Oh, shit." Katie whispered when she saw that the person was popping their broken limbs back into place and standing up.
"Run." Elena croaked, but Katie didn't have the chance to even think before the vampire whooshed over and sank its teeth into Katie's neck. She screamed right before her world faded to pitch black.
Music pulled Katie from her slumber and as she opened her eyes she realized she was in Damon's car. "Damon?" Katie asked. An ache in her neck made her reach up to message it only for her hand to land on a bandage. "Did you bite me?"
"No." he answered with a glance over at her as she sat up and adjusted herself in the seat. "But whoever did is a lucky man."
"What?" Katie asked, confused she looked around, her eyes landing on Elena in the back seat. "What happened?"
"Elena wrecked her car. You drove up on the accident on the way to see me. A vampire fed on you. He would've killed you if I hadn't came by and stopped him." He explained.
"Wait, I'm confused. If you were at the boarding house how did you find us?" Katie asked placing her hand on her neck, feeling the oval wound beneath the bandage.
"I was on my way to the boarding house. I was supposed to meet up with Logan at the old Fell church, but Sheriff Forbs called and said that someone killed him." He explained and looked across his shoulder at her to see her looking at him with furrowed brows. "Before you ask I was meeting with Logan because he said that there's another way to open the tomb. I was going to kill him after I got the information I needed from him."
"Okay I still have questions." She said turning sideways in the seat to look at him without hurting her neck. "One, where are we going? Two, is Caroline okay? Three do you really believe that there's another way to get into that tomb? And four, is Elena okay?" she asked looking back at her friend.
"Caroline is fine she just has a minor concussion. Stefan brought her to her house after we found Logan. Elena is okay, just a little beaten up." He answered then looked over his shoulder at her asleep in the back seat. "To answer your other two questions I don't know if there really is another way to open that tomb, but that's what we're going to figure out. I know a witch named Bree. She told me how to open the tomb with the crystal. She'll know if there's another way." He answered looking back at the road.
"And where is Bree?" Katie asked looking around at the empty fields that they were driving past.
"Georgia, just outside Atlanta." He answered causing Katie's brows to shoot up. "Don't get your panties in a twist."
"Are you freaking kidding me? I'm missing school right now. I have a math test today for Christ sake and a history test tomorrow." Katie started freaking out, the reality of the situation sinking in.
Damon rolled his eyes. "If I promise to compel your teachers to let you make up the tests will you relax and enjoy yourself?" he asked.
Katie thought about it as she watched the fields pass by. "Fine." She sighed and uncrossed her arms from her chest. "But this doesn't count as uninterrupted time with you since Elena's here." She said pointing at him, reminding him about the deal they had made. Damon smiled and placed his hand on the back of her neck, caressing the side of it with his thumb.
"I should probably warn you about Bree though." Damon said making Katie give him a questioning look. "She's an ex-girlfriend of mine. So don't be mad if she kisses me as soon as she sees me."
"You're so cocky." Katie brushed him off.
A few minutes later, Elena woke up and sat up. "Where are we?" She asked as she looked around. Her eyes landed on Katie then Damon.
"We're in Georgia." Katie answered turning further to look at the confused Elena.
"No, seriously where are we?" Elena asked.
"Seriously. We're in Georgia." Damon answered looking back at her in the rear view mirror. "How are you feeling?"
"My car…there was a man…I hit a man…but then he got up and…who was that?" Elena asked leaning forward to look at Damon.
"That's what we would like to know." Damon replied not looking at her, but at the road.
"Where's my phone?" she asked feeling of her pockets. "Okay we really need to go back. Nobody knows were I am. Pull over." She told Damon who just ignored her. "I mean it Damon, pull over." He ignored her again. "Stop the car."
"Ugh, you were so much more fun when you were asleep." He scoffed and pulled the ca0r off to the side.
Katie listened as Elena argued with Damon about going back home. "I'm not going to Georgia." Elena argued as Katie got out of the car.
"Well, you're in Georgia. Without your magic little necklace I might add." Damon pointed out as Katie walked around him to look at Elena's neck. "I could very easily make you…agreeable."
"Damon." Katie spoke up in a warning tone as she gave him a pointed look. "Why did you take off your necklace?" Katie asked knowing that something big must've happened for Elena to take off the only protection she had from vampires.
"Because she found out that she looks exactly like Katherine. A little fact that Stefan forgot to tell her." Damon answered Katie then looked at Elena. "Am I right?"
"Um, I'm sorry, what?" Katie asked blinking up at Damon, but he didn't get a chance to answer her before Elena's phone started ringing in his pocket.
"That's my phone." Elena stated glaring at Damon.
He pulled out of his pocket and looked at the screen. "It's your boyfriend." He held the phone out to Elena and she shook her head no so he answered it. "Elena's phone." He answered and they could hear the murmurs of Stefan on the other end. "Elena? Yeah she's right here and yes she's…fine." Damon held the phone out to Elena. "He wants to talk to you." Elena shook her head no. "Yeah…I don't think she really wants to talk to you right now." They could hear Stefan talking on the other end before Damon interrupted him with, "You have a good day. Bye now." Then hung up and handed Elena back her phone.
"No one knows where we are can we please just go back?" Elena asked Damon.
"We're almost there." Damon argued.
"Where is there?" Elena sighed.
"A little place just outside Atlanta." Damon answered as he walked over to Katie and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Why aren't you fighting harder to go home?" Elena asked Katie.
"Because Damon promised to compel the teachers to let me make up the tests that I'm missing and honestly a time out from all the bull crap going on back home sounds fun, something you used to be a lot more of." Katie said.
"Come on, take a time out with us for five minutes?" he asked with a smile and raised brows.
Elena sighed. "Fine, as long as you promise not to do that mind control thing on me."
"Yes." He sighed. "Now get in the car." He jerked his head to the car then they all climbed inside.
"So where's my car?" Elena asked from where she sat in the middle of the back seat.
"I pulled it off to the side of the road. I don't think anyone will bother it." Damon answered, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music.
"What about that man in the road?" Elena asked still not playing along with Damon's plan to get away and relax for one day.
"Oh, you mean the asshole vampire who bit me?" Katie asked sarcastically.
"So he was a-?"
"Yeah." Damon answered.
"You didn't know him?" Elena asked.
"If I've never met him I wouldn't know him." Damon answered uninterestedly. "I mean it's not like we all hang out together at the vamp bar and grill."
Damon rounded a corner in the street and parked outside of Bree's bar. "You brought us to a bar?" Elena asked before Damon and Katie got out and Katie leaned the seat forward for Elena to get out. "Damon, We're not old enough. They're not going to let us in."
"Elena?" Katie said getting her friends attention. "We're with Damon. We could probably get away with murder if we wanted to. I don't think getting into a bar is going to be a problem."
"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of." Elena mumbled earning an eye roll from her friend.
When they walked into the bar the first thing Katie's eyes landed on was a beautiful, tall, dark complected bartender with dark curly hair. "No. No it can't be." She said as she walked to the side of the bar that the three of them walked over to. "Damon?" She asked as she hopped over the bar and stood in front of Damon. "My honey pie." She grabbed his face and started making out with him.
Elena looked at them, taken aback at the sight, then turned her eyes on Katie who didn't look surprised, just annoyed. "Are you okay with this?"
"Nope, but I was warned." Katie answered then wiped the annoyed look off of her face as the two finally pulled apart.
Damon stepped over and wrapped his arm around Katie's waist. Katie made herself smile at Bree. "Bree this is my girlfriend Katie and her friend Elena." Damon introduced them then they sat down at the bar.
Bree set down a row of clear shot glasses then started pouring clear liquor in them as she said, "Listen up everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life and ruined any and all chances of happiness." She sat a shot down in front of Katie then Damon then Elena and said, "Drink up." While she took her shot Damon took his and Elena's. Damon reached for Katie's, but found the glass missing and looked up from the bar to see her head tilted back downing the liquid.
She set the glass on the bar and made a face at the burn of the liquor then let her eyes travel to Damon to see him giving her a questioning look along with Elena. "What?"
"So how'd he rope you in?" Bree asked as she poured them more shots.
"He jumped onto my roof and talked me into letting him into my bedroom." Katie answered, not looking at Damon but at the bartender. "How did you meet Damon?"
"College." Bree answered with a smile.
"You went to College?" Elena asked surprised.
"I've been on a college campus, yes." Damon answered then took his shot.
"About twenty years ago I met this beautiful man, and I fell in love. And then he told me about his little secret, made me love him more. Because you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody." Bree explained.
"She's a witch." Damon whispered to Elena since she was asleep for that part of Katie and Damon's conversation.
"Changed my world." Bree said looking down at Damon.
"I rocked your world." Damon said with a lazy look at Bree as she slid his slid his hand over Katie's knee.
"He is good in the sack, isn't he?" Bree asked Katie who immediately blushed.
"I wouldn't know yet." She replied with a scratch at the back of her neck.
"Yet?" Damon asked looking over at her with big eyes.
"Yeah what happened to all that 'Caroline's over him and I want to get under him' and 'you only live once' stuff you were talking about before the founders party?" Elena asked with a laugh as she quoted Katie.
"Yeah and what happened to girl talk staying with the girls?" Katie asked leaning forward to look past Damon to Elena where she sat on the other side of him smiling.
Damon leaned over and kissed Katie's neck then whispered in her ear, "Were you planning on having sex with me that night?" he kissed her neck again and pulled back to look her in the eyes. She hummed a positive answered then let her eyes fall to the shot that Bree sat down in front of her, assuming she could use it. "Damn you Stefan." Damon cursed as he hit the bar and turned to Elena. "I hate your boyfriend."
Katie grabbed the shot and tossed it back before slamming the glass down on the bar. "What time is it?" Katie asked no one in particular as she pulled out her phone and looked at the clock. "Oh look it's five o'clock. Bree can I have a beer please?" she asked as she hopped down off of the tall barstool. "If the night keeps going on like this I fully intend on getting smashed." She took the cold dark bottle from Bree and moved to a nearby table.
Elena's phone started ringing so she went outside to take it. Damon followed Katie to the table and sat down. "So do all your ex girlfriends have such colorful personalities?" Katie asked as Damon sat down next to her and took her beer from her hand.
He took a drink then gave it back. "No, some were actually kind of boring."
"Like me?" She asked with a raised brow.
"You're not boring." He argued as he looked into her eyes. "You're..." he didn't finish his sentence because Bree sat down beside him.
"So what can I do for you?" Bree asked as she kicked her feet up on the table.
Damon looked from her to Katie. "Will you give us a minute?"
"Yeah. I'll go check on Elena." She said as she got up and handed her beer to Damon.
As Katie neared Elena she heard her hang up with Jenna. "So is Jenna pissed you didn't come home last night?" Katie asked as she rounded Damon's car to stand next to Elena.
"Yeah, but she's Jenna so it's not like there are going to be any real consequences." She sighed. "So are you and Damon back together?" She asked with a glance back at the bar.
"It's kind of hard to not be with him." Katie sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the car.
"Its not hard, Katie, all you have to do is say no." Elena argued as she too leaned on the car.
"I don't want to say no. I know you don't like him and you don't trust him, but I do. He makes me happy, Elena." She said as she pushed herself off of the car and moved to stand in front of her friend. "You know how you were so sad after you lost your parents then Stefan came along and made you feel alive again?" Katie asked and Elena nodded. "That's what Damon does for me. So can you please just be happy that I am happy for once?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't stop to think about it like that." Elena said and had opened her mouth to say something else, but her phone started ringing, stopping her. "I'm here." Elena answered and Katie could hear Stefan's voice on the other end. "You lied." Elena's words were harsh. "So you didn't lie?" Elena stared pacing as she spoke to him. "How am I connected to Katherine, Stefan?" Katie had been wondering the same thing since learning that Elena looked like Katherine. "And I'm supposed to believe that?" Elena listened to Stefan for a total of two seconds before she hung up the phone.
Damon walked over and pulled Katie into his side. "You girls okay?"
"Mmhmm." Katie hummed answering for both of them.
"You hungry?" Damon asked looking down at Katie.
"Starving." Katie answered with a small smile.
"Then come on." He jerked his head for them to follow him so they did.
They ordered three burgers and fries then sat down at a table. "So let's just say that I'm a descendant from Katherine. Does that make me part vampire?" Elena asked as their food was sat down in front of them.
"Vampires can't procreate." Damon answered as he popped a fry into his mouth. "But we love to try." Katie and Elena both rolled their eyes. "No, if you were related it would mean that Katherine had a child before she was turned."
Katie took the top bun off her burger and picked off the onions while Elena did the same with her pickles. "Did Stefan think he could use me to replace her?" Elena asked.
"It's kind of creepy if you ask me." Damon said then noticed the girls removing their toppings. "Come on, you don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" Damon asked Elena as he took her pickles that she set aside.
"How can you even eat if technically you're supposed to be...?" Elena asked not wanting to say the word dead.
"Dead?" Damon asked as he took the onions off of Katie's plate. "It's not such a bad word. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system my body functions pretty normally." Damon explained then tossed a fry into his mouth and smiled.
His eyes watched Katie as she picked up her burger and took a bite. Bree walked over and switched out Katie and Damon's empty bottles for fresh ones. "I'll have one too." Elena spoke up earning a look from Damon and Katie.
"What?" Katie asked with a smart ass smile. "Is the stick in the mud finally loosening up?"
"Time out remember? For five minutes. Yeah well that five minutes is going to need a beer." Elena said as Bree walked over with a beer and set it down in front of her.
Damon stuck his bottle out over the table and the girls clanked them all together. "You never told me what you wanted to go to college for." Damon said with a look at Katie then took a sip of his beer.
"I'm undecided." Katie answered.
"You don't want to go to med school anymore?" Elena asked with a frown.
"I think we both know I've been shooting too high with that one." Katie replied earning a frown from both Elena and Damon.
"What are you talking about? You're in the top of our class." Elena pointed out.
"Yeah and I'm fighting tooth and nail just to stay there. I have to try ten times as hard as everyone else." Katie pointed out then took a big drink of her beer. "Change of subject please." Katie suggested then took another bite of her burger.
The conversation went back to Elena and Katherine then when everyone was done with their dinner Elena suggested they do some shots so they moved back to the bar, a girl on each of Damon's sides. "Let's see who can drink the fastest." Bree prompted as she sat the shots down in front of them then counted to three. Katie tossed back the shot and slammed the glass into the bar in a flash.
"Looks like someone has a hidden talent." Damon said as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his lap.
"I have more hidden talents than that." She smiled and pressed her alcohol slicked lips to his.
"Break it up you two." Elena said pulling them out of their kiss as another round of shots were poured and sat down in front of them. Katie once again threw it back before Damon and Elena could. "Are you seriously kicking my butt right now?" Elena asked with a laugh and raised brows.
"Yes, Elena, you're not always the best at everything." Katie popped off as another shot was poured. Bree counted to three then Katie purposely took her time with the shot, letting Elena win.
Elena did a little celebratory dance then ser her shot glass one the bar. "Are you okay?" Damon whispered in Katie's ear.
"Yeah I'm fine. I just forget how much of an attention whore she is when she drinks." Katie answered then when Bree put another shot down in front of them Katie picked it up. "Watch." Bree counted to three and Katie let Elena win again.
"Yeah!" Elena yelled as she threw her hands in the air and spun around. "Ha! I knew I could beat you." Elena said with a smile. "We're tied you wanna break it?"
"After this one I'm done." Katie replied as Bree poured some shots then counted to three. Katie tossed it back at lightening speed. "Would you look at that, I win." Katie smiled a bitchy smile at Elena then turned her eyes to Damon. "What's my prize?" Damon pressed his lips to hers. He had started kissing her neck when she pulled back and asked. "Where are the bathrooms?"
Damon pointed to them then she slid off his lap. As she circled around the corner that led to the bathrooms a hand went over her mouth and jerked her to the side as she was whooshed away. When she regained her ability to process thought after being brought outside at high speed she found herself being held from behind on top of a large tank of some kind. "Are you afraid of heights?" A voice asked before the vampire circled around her revealing his face to her. "Good then you will stay right here."
"I'll stay here." She repeated then the vampire speed away. She was almost down the ladder when she spotted Damon and Elena walking around the building looking for her. She was going to call out to him but then the vampire came out of nowhere and started beating Damon with a metal baseball bat. "No!" Katie screamed as she tried to run to Damon but the vampire turned its reddened, vein framed eyes on her and she stopped in her tracks.
Katie stood still, not saying a word while Elena walked over to her, talking him down as she did. Apparently he was Lexis boyfriend and he wanted Damon dead for killing her. After the vampire threw Damon then sped away Katie's feet and mouth finally unfroze and she sprinted to Damon. "Oh my god, are you okay?" Katie asked looking down at Damon and pushing his hair out of his face before she looked up at Elena who was kneeled down on the other side of him. "Thank you."
They helped him stand up, not caring that he smelled of gasoline, then walked with him to his car. "You two stay out here. I'm going to go back inside for a minute."
"I'm coming with you." Katie spoke up as she took a step closer to him.
"I don't think that's such a good idea." He countered, placing a calming hand on the side of her neck.
"Damon, let me." She took his hand off of her neck and held it. "Please."
"Fine, come on." He placed his hand on the small of her back as they headed inside, but he grabbed her hand, stopping her just outside the door. "Why are you insisting on coming in here with me?"
"Because I know what you're about to do and if I'm going to be with you…I need to see it." she said as she gave his hand a squeeze.
He swallowed hard and gave her a nod before he grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open. When Bree turned around she looked shocked to see them alive. "We were just leaving. I wanted to say goodbye." He told her with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Good to see you again, Damon." Bree replied.
"No kiss?" Damon asked still holding Katie's hand.
"I'm full of vervain. I put it in everything I drink." Bree answered looking both pissed and scared.
"And you're telling me this why?" Damon asked not looking at Katie as he pulled her into his side.
"Lexi was my friend. How could you?" Bree turned to walk away but Damon let go of Katie and sped around the bar, cutting Bree off. "The tomb can be opened."
Damon looked her up and down for a second then scoffed, "You're lying!"
Bree jumped back, more scared than mad now. "Emily's grimoire, her spell book." Bree said backing away as Damon closed in on her. "If you know how she closed the tomb the reversal process will be in her book. You can open that tomb."
"And where is this book?" Damon asked and Bree stumbled back and started stuttering. "You have no idea."
"I'm telling you the truth." Bree argued shakily.
"And I believe you." Damon reached up and cupped bree's face in his hand. "My dear, sweet Bree. That's why I'm almost sorry." Before Katie could even blink Damon shoved his hand into Bree's chest cavity and yanked out her heart. But Katie wasn't looking at his hand. Instead she looked at his eyes, that seemed so apologetic yet he still killed the woman because she had tried to have him killed.
Katie watched as Damon washed the blood from his hands. "Could you kill me just as easily?" she asked as he used a towel to dry his hands.
"If you did something to piss me off, yeah." He answered as he grabbed his jacket off of the back of one of the barstools.
"You once told me that you wanted me to be your moral compass. If I tell you something you don't want to hear are you just going to rip my heart out and not even think twice about it?" she asked turning in the stool to look at him.
He walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. "I would never do that to you, okay?" he asked as he looked into her eyes.
"How can I be sure?" she asked.
As he looked into her green eyes he didn't see judgment or hatred just genuine worry for her safety. He's pressed his forehead to hers. "Because I have feelings for you, Katie."
She sighed and let her eyes slip shut before he pressed his lips to hers. "Okay." She whispered, "I believe you."
"Come on." He jerked his head to the door and she hopped down off of the bar and walked outside with him.
They had been driving for thirty minutes when Elena fell asleep in the back seat. "Why did you bring her with us?" Katie asked with a glance back at Elena.
"I knew it would piss off Stefan." He answered. "Why, are you jealous that I took both of you?"
"A little, but at the same time if you hadn't drug her along you would be dead right now." She said.
"You don't know that." He countered.
"Yes I do. I wouldn't have been able to talk him down the way she did. Hell I couldn't even have guessed that he was Lexi's boyfriend." She said reminding herself to keep her voice down so she didn't wake up Elena. "Do you want to know why I decided that I couldn't be a doctor? Because I don't do well under stress."
"You need to stop being so hard on yourself." Damon said with a glance over at her. "You can't blame yourself every time something bad happens to me."
"I can if I don't do a damn thing to even attempt to help." She argued.
"You attempting to help me will only put you in harms way. I actually prefer if you stay back and keep yourself safe." Damon argued back then reached over and placed his hand on her knee. "Don't be jealous of Elena."
"Even though she lookes exactly like the person that I've been trying to help you rescue from desiccation?" she asked as she grabbed his hand and threaded her fingers through it. "The supposed love of your life?"
"Yes. Unlike my brother I'm not trying to replace Katherine with her look alike." He answered with a smirk. He watched as Katie yawned and he noticed her eyelids growing heavy. "Get some sleep, I'll wake you when we're home." She nodded and got comfortable in her seat. Ten minutes later her soft relaxing snores filled the car.
