TW: 2 mentions of the r-word. The character using it and the fact that they're using it are very clearly shown in a negative light, and it's a very minor character you've never seen before. There's a period before the dialogue paragraphs it's used if you want to skip them. Ex: . She said, "Yes."

BREAKING NEWS: Idk if you've noticed, but the relationship tags got updatedddd. Lemme know what you think.

Dude this chapter did not want to be written. I must've written like three long scenes that I later read over and was like, "yeah no you know what this sucks," and just trashed them. It's finally done though, so yay! It's a bit of a slower one, but I hope you enjoy it :)

Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! Though I decided to stop responding to them because a) I felt like I was giving too much away, and b) my replies misrepresented the fic's word length, I do still read and appreciate every single one. ❤

CHAPTER 8

TEAM

.

"Shit, shit, shit… Fuck!"

Angela nearly fell down during her attempt to shimmy into her black pants, but saved herself at the last second. Her hand shot out to grab the black, sweetheart neckline shirt she had thrown onto the bed and pulled it over her head. 7:50. Ten minutes. Do I have time to do my makeup?

If it was any other day, she wouldn't care about being late, but today was William Tanner's memorial. And because Principal Torres obviously hated her, it would be taking place before classes instead of after. She didn't have time to do her makeup, she decided, but since deep down she was a vain creature, she would bring it with her to apply at school.

"You okay in there?" Jenna's voice came through the door.

"Nope!" She hurriedly put on her silver choker. "I'm gonna be late!"

Jenna entered the room and wasted no time in going to the shoe rack. "Which ones you wearing?"

"Black booties."

"Grab your stuff and sit on the bed."

Angela did as she was told. Jenna dropped the shoes by her feet, and they both got to work on completing her outfit. She glanced at the alarm clock. The traitorous alarm clock that had allowed her to turn it off in her sleep. 7:53.

Jenna finished doing her part and stood, fingers wiggling as she turned to the closet. "Jacket." She rushed over. "We going for all black?"

"No, get the denim one."

Jenna found it, and Angela raised her hands in a signal to throw it to her. Glancing at the full-length mirror in front of her, she could see that the outfit's color made her light skin look like it belonged to a corpse, but she knew that once she put her makeup on everything would come together.

She stuffed her supplies into her bag and rushed out the door, planting a sloppy kiss on Jenna's cheek in the process. "Thank you!"

"Don't fall asleep in class!"

She sprinted to her car and succeeded in getting the keys out of her bag, but before she could do anything with them, they slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground.

"Oh, come on!"

"Need some help?"

She squealed and turned around to find Anna standing there, looking like she was trying hard not to laugh. She instinctively glared at how much delight she seemed to derive from her misery, but then she realized something. "Annabelle Zhu, I could marry you right now."

"What?"

"Could you whoosh me to school real quick? I'm running late and super duper can't afford to. I know I've been asking a lot of you lately and I totally get if you don't want to do this, but—"

"Chill. I'll give you a lift. I was planning on scoping out the place anyway. I've been telling Mother about the modern education system, and if we're going to be living here, it'd be a good idea for me to enroll."

Her shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank you." She nodded towards Anna's hand. "We should do this now, when we aren't surrounded by people."

"Yeah, probably." Her other face came forth to bite her wrist, and she brought it up for Angela to take.

She honestly didn't think she would ever get used to drinking vampire blood first thing in the morning, but the taste of Anna's wasn't wholly unpleasant, and she knew it was a smart thing to do, so she did it anyway.

She wiped a few drops of bittersweet liquid from her lips. "Thank you."

Anna grabbed her biceps. "Ready?"

She shut her eyes so she wouldn't get nauseous. "Ready."

Angela was expecting the world to shift, but she wasn't expecting to be thrown up against the side of the house. Her eyes flew open with a gasp as pain exploded in her arms.

"Are you stupid?" Anna hissed. She twisted her arms harder, making her choke on a cry. "You've known me for less than a week and act like you can trust me. You close your eyes and believe I'll take you to school like you're not making kidnapping you the easiest thing in the world. Want some advice on how to stop being fragile? Always assume the worst of people. Always prepare for the worst. Did you prepare for me attacking you like this?"

"I didn't think— ah!" Anna twisted her arms.

"No, you didn't think. That's my point. You can't afford not to think." She released her and stepped back, allowing her to turn so they were face-to-face. "You're a human going up against dead witches and vampires more than thirty times older than you. Act like it."

Her first instinct was to react in outrage, but she knew that Anna was right. She took a long, deep breath to calm herself and asked, "What do you suggest I do?"

"Carry a weapon with you at all times, for starters. Somewhere easy to reach. And learn how to use it. Do you have any stakes in that bag?"

"One."

"Let me take a look. See if it's sharp enough."

Half expecting Anna to throw her up against the house for being too naïve again, she reached into her bag and brought it out. It was more than sharp enough. A full month of whittling stakes every day had trained her to become an expert by the age of twelve. It was the only thing related to vampires Grayson ever let her do, and she'd been glad not to have to hide it.

"Not bad," Anna said. "But are you strong enough to take someone on?"

"Caroline's training me."

"Caroline's human. You're not going up against humans."

"Well once I'm strong enough to go up against humans, I'll move on to actually training with vampires. How does that sound?"

"A bit snippy." There was a teasing tone to her words that instantly diffused the remaining tension.

Angela breathed a laugh and put the stake away. "I appreciate your advice, but can we continue this conversation another time? I genuinely can't be late today."

Anna grabbed her biceps. "Hold on."

Angela shut her eyes, and when wind hit her face, she knew they were moving. A moment later her stomach lurched and she could make out sound again, so she blinked her eyes open to find they had stopped in front of Mystic Falls High School.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. But I'm not your lapdog. Or your chauffeur. Don't ask me to do something unless it's beneficial for all of us."

She nodded. "Absolutely."

The bell rang.

Anna smiled. It was a wide smile, and one that made her look the age her body was frozen at. "Start running."

She did.

The memorial was surprisingly underwhelming. She had expected the familiar blade of guilt to stab her, but all it did was fill her with determination. She didn't manage to save Tanner and she didn't manage to save her parents, but she would save Sheila. She would save Pearl, Anna, and Harper. Failure wasn't an option. Not when the only mother figure she had left was stuck in the hospital until Bonnie's magic awakened. Not for the first time, she thought of how much easier things would be had she been reborn a Bennett.

"She's seriously gonna enroll?" Caroline pushed her locker shut with a pout. "Ugh. A vampire in my high school. Why couldn't she be a guy? At least then I'd get to be tortured by my forbidden fantasies about him."

Elena chuckled. "Good to know your priorities haven't changed."

"Yeah, well, not all of us have hot Salvatore men lining up at our door, Elena." Those words were bitter, and they surprised her.

They must have surprised Elena, too. "What do you mean?"

"…Never mind. I'm just not happy about the Anna situation."

Angela didn't believe her, but decided not to pry. "You've never met her. She's not a bad person."

"Maybe not compared to Douchebag, but she's still one of them."

"Does it really matter?" Elena asked. "I mean, isn't condemning an entire species kind of… I don't know, racist? Or something?" She found that curious, considering the talk they had yesterday. She wondered if it was because of what Bree told Bonnie.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I've only ever heard stories about how evil they are. And all they've done so far is prove them right."

That reminded her. "Did your mom say what happened to that woman?"

"Just that she'll live. Which is good. God, I don't think I'll ever forget the fear in her eyes."

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Care-bear."

"At least someone is."

What's that supposed to mean? "Well, maybe whoever attacked that woman hasn't disproven the stories you've heard, but—"

"And Douchebag."

"And Douchebag, but—"

"And whoever killed your parents."

"And whoever killed our parents. But Anna hasn't been evil. If anything, she's been pretty generous. Especially yesterday."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't tell you, did I?"

"No?"

"Wait," Elena said. "When would you have told her? You barely made it in time for the memorial."

"She called me last night," Caroline said. "To ask if I was doing okay. So, what happened?"

"Remember how I said we got Ms. Sheila to the hospital before she could starve to death? Since the doctors wouldn't see anything physically wrong with her and Bonnie's dad would probably be notified, Bree thought it best to compel our way in. Enter Anna."

Caroline narrowed her eyes skeptically. "She did that out of the kindness of her heart?"

"Elena's right. You can't condemn an entire species because of stories written by people that never tried to understand it."

"Hm… I want to meet her. See if I get a bad vibe. Should we meet up for lunch? Oh, but she can't walk in the sun, can she? Because she's a vampire." For some reason, she didn't correct her. "Dinner then?" Her eyes went wide. "Ooh! Maybe we could meet her entire family! I don't even know what they look like!"

She'd been thinking of arranging a meeting between them all anyway. "You know what? That's a really good idea. I'll text her. Ask if they'd be willing to meet us after sundown."

"I don't think you'll have any major issues," Elena said. "She and I didn't get to talk much, but she seemed nice enough."

Caroline scoffed. "I'm sure she did."

Elena frowned. "Okay. What's wrong?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that only Angie called last night to see if I was okay."

"Elena was taking care of Bonnie," Angela said. "I was just alone long enough to remember you were affected too."

"Exactly! Elena and Bonnie were together all night. And neither of them thought to call me."

"That's unfair." Elena looked mildly hurt. "It was three in the morning. I didn't want to bother you."

"You had an entire seven-hour car ride to call me! Besides, Angie didn't want to bother me either. She texted first, to see if I was sleeping. Which I wasn't, by the way. She's considerate like that. She even forced herself to spend all day with the creature that traumatized her for Ms. Sheila's sake. Though I doubt you'd understand, since you had so much 'fun' with him."

Oh, Jesus Christ. "Caroline—"

"Are you implying something?" Elena asked. "Because if you're implying that I felt anything other than disdain for him, you don't know me at all."

"Actually, I think I know you too well. You said he was hot, didn't you?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"That maybe I'm not the only one capable of fantasizing about vampires."

Elena's eyes flashed with anger. "This might be difficult for you to understand, but unlike you, I don't obsess over every guy I see."

"Elena—"

Caroline laughed humorlessly. "There it is! Finally. Tell me how you really feel."

"Hey!" Tyler came up to them with a smile, but it dropped when he noticed the tension. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." They continued to glare at each other, and Angela rubbed her forehead in exasperation.

Tyler's eyebrows rose. "Uh… okay? Shouldn't we get to class? Where's the Bonster?"

"Stayed at home," Elena said. "She was emotionally exhausted. I offered to stay with her, because I'm a good friend."

Caroline smiled sarcastically. "Of course you are."

Tyler shot Angela a questioning look. "What happened?"

"Something that could have been handled better wasn't. You're two of the most popular girls in school and you're fighting in the middle of the hallway. This is a bad look for both of you."

"Like you care about popularity," Caroline said.

She didn't take the bait. "I don't. But you do, and I care about you. So please stop, before someone hears us talking about vampires."

"What about vampires?" Tyler asked.

"Anna's gonna be enrolling. A concept that displeases Caroline."

"Can you blame me?" she asked fiercely. "Vampires are horrible. They completely ruined any chance of me enjoying Twilight."

Angela sighed. "Look. Yesterday was taxing for all of us." Caroline opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't let her. "For all of us. You witnessed the most graphic injury you've ever seen, and it affected you. Emotions are still high. I get it, and I'm sure Elena does too. But antagonizing her because of a slight difference in personality isn't fair. As for you," she addressed her sister, "you should know by now that when Caroline gets like this, it's because she's trying not to break down. Antagonizing her back isn't the right move. Hugging her is."

Elena clenched her jaw, but her voice was calm when she spoke. "What you said hurt me. That I would be selfish and cruel enough to want Damon after what he did to Angie."

"The fact that you didn't even text last night hurt me."

"And I'm sorry I didn't. I should've remembered. I should've been a better friend."

Caroline deflated a bit. "I'm… sorry I said what I said."

"I'll forgive you if you forgive me."

"…Deal." Caroline allowed herself to be pulled into a hug, and Angela allowed herself to relax.

Tyler cleared his throat. "So, now that we're late as hell, should we head to class or just skip the day? 'Cause I'm down for skipping."

Angela snorted. "You're always down for skipping."

"We can't skip," Caroline said. "Tryouts are today."

"You always did like judging tryouts more than me," Elena mumbled into her shoulder.

"Mm, not my fault you can't see the fun in crushing people's hopes and dreams."

Elena pulled away with a laugh. "God, how'd I end up best friends with a sadist?"

"Sisters with a sadist," Angela said. "We're all part of a weird, semi-incestuous family, remember?"

Tyler scrunched his nose. "Don't remind me. My family's fucked up as it is."

"All our families are fucked up. Our parents are dead, Bonnie's mom abandoned her, your dad's an utter dick, and Caroline's dad liked 'moving furniture' more than he did his wife."

"Okay, pulling the dead parents card is unfair."

"Bite me, Lockwood."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe it is."

"Maybe," Elena said, "we're all a match made in heaven."

"Agreed."

Caroline frowned. "Hey… I could've sworn I was furious a second ago."

Tyler snorted. "Welcome to my life."

Angela brought a hand up and wiggled her fingers. "Angela Gilbert's magic touch strikes again!" And as Caroline rolled her eyes and dragged her to English class, she hoped it would continue to strike. If it didn't, it could very well mean her death.

Before second period started, she checked to see if Anna had gotten back to her. She'd sent her a text shortly after Caroline brought it up. When she snuck her phone out of her jacket, however, the first thing she saw was a text from an unknown number. Attached to it was an address.

Angela,

We have found a home in which to stay and will be moved in by the end of this week. Please meet us at seven o'clock on Saturday for dinner. I too think it time for introductions.

Pearl.

She didn't think she'd ever received a text so formal in her life. Still, it would feel odd not to match her tone.

Pearl,

Thank you for your invitation. It would be an honor to join you. I wish you and yours the best until then.

Angela.

She forwarded the message to the MFM group chat and made it clear that skipping wasn't an option.

When she entered History class, she became aware of two things. That Stefan wasn't there, and that neither was Alaric. There was a moment where her heart stopped, thinking that the woman behind the desk was Tanner's permanent replacement, but then she introduced herself as their substitute and her heart began beating again.

She decided years ago that Alaric never showing up wouldn't mean the end of the world, but she needed as many allies as she could get. And he would be a very easy ally to get. Not to mention that she didn't want to ask John, of all people, to teach her how to hunt vampires. She was sure he would accept since Grayson was no longer around to stop him, but she hated her family's view on vampires, and John's personality was insufferable.

She hadn't had a lot of time to practice for her audition—considering when she finally decided on Beatrice's monologue from Act 3 of Much Ado About Nothing she'd had half a day before her, Elena, and Damon's impromptu road trip—so she decided to spend Lunch outside, beneath the cloudy sky, where she could memorize it in peace.

She turned the corner to claim the school's most isolated picnic table before any of the emo kids could, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Stefan sitting on it. His head snapped up from the book he was reading, and he seemed as surprised to see her as she was him.

"Um… hi," she said awkwardly.

"Hi…"

She watched him set the book down. "Sorry. I can go if you want."

"No. No, please," he gestured next to him, "sit."

"If you're sure…" She climbed up and made herself comfortable. "I didn't see you in class today. Didn't realize you were here."

"I wasn't. I just got here a few minutes ago. I wasn't planning on coming since I didn't know how being around so many humans would affect me, but," he flicked his eyebrows sarcastically, "that all changed as soon as Damon and Bree decided to go for round fifty."

The mental image that evoked filled her with disgust. "Oh, God."

"Tell me about it."

She shook her head to rid it of the naked Damon. "How are you holding up? Better than last night?"

"Kind of. I don't feel like ripping your throat out anymore."

"That's good. I like this necklace. It'd be a shame to get blood all over it." She said it in an attempt to make him smile, but all it did was make him stare at her neck for too long. "So!" His eyes snapped back to hers. "Did you sleep well? Considering both Zach and Bree were in the house with you."

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I slept alright. Actually, whenever I felt a, uh, urge, I focused on what you said. That their blood is poison. I already knew that Zach was on vervain, and it wasn't too hard to imagine Bree casting a spell that made her blood burn me. It helped me control myself."

Hope ran through her like lightning. "Really? Do you think that technique might work long-term?"

"It's worth a shot."

"That's amazing!" Then he did smile, and the sight of it warmed her heart.

"Did you sleep well? You got home pretty late."

"That makes it sound like you followed me there." When he said nothing, her eyebrows rose. "Stefan. Did you follow me home last night?"

"There was an unknown vampire on the loose. I couldn't let you go home without any protection."

She didn't know whether to be touched or unnerved. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, well… you didn't have to stay with me in the forest."

"Of course I did. You were struggling because of me. I couldn't leave you alone without trying to help first."

He chuckled. "You do realize you just gave the same argument I did."

"No, I—" I kind of did, didn't I? "Shut up."

"Wow. Add that to the history books."

She bit back a grin. "Why do we need history books when we have your diaries? Or do you not want people finding out you're the world's most prolific bunny killer?" She said it in an attempt to make him laugh, but all it did was stun him to silence. She wondered why until she realized he never told her about his journals.

"I heard Bree tell Damon something last night. That you were reincarnated. He was skeptical, to say the least."

Oh. Right. "And what about you?"

"You want the truth, right?"

"Always."

"I think it might just be the craziest thing I've ever heard." She'd been prepared for him to say something along those lines, yet it still disappointed her. "Then again, over a century ago, the existence of vampires was unfathomable to me. And now I am one."

She smiled and hoped it didn't look too sad. "You don't have to sugarcoat it for me."

"I'm not. It really would make sense, considering…" He furrowed his eyebrows, and that line appeared on his forehead. "Do you know what I was doing this past summer?"

The change of topic confused her, but still she said, "You were watching Elena. To make sure she wasn't Katherine. Because they look exactly the same."

He let out an astonished breath. "Yeah. I was. But I was also watching you."

"Me?"

"I was there. The day your parents died. I was hunting in the woods. There was a party going on nearby and I had strayed pretty far in, but I could still hear the music. It cut off, so I listened in to make sure everyone was fine, and I heard who I now know to be Caroline say that something happened to a girl named Elena. Something serious. A few people said they were going to go to her house, and I decided to follow in case there was anything I could do to help.

"When I saw her face…" He shook his head. "I don't know if I can describe it. It was like everything I've ever known was torn down in a single second. The sheriff came out of the house with you in her arms, and I gathered what happened. The state of you almost broke my heart. You were so young. You looked so young. It was a painful reminder of how cruel this world can be.

"Elena was what made me stay. But in addition to making sure she wasn't Katherine, I had to make sure you would recover. I was fully prepared to try and compel you if I had to. This world can be cruel, but I had the power to help in this one instance… or try to help. But you recovered all on your own. Over the course of three months, I watched you put yourself back together piece by piece and be an amazing sister to your siblings. An amazing friend to your friends. An amazing niece to your aunt. An amazing person in a world as cruel as this one.

"But no matter how hard I tried, I could never shake the feeling that there was something off about you. About the way you spoke, the way you acted… there was something about you decades older than your body. I told you this already, but you reminded me of myself. To an unsettling degree. And my biggest question was how, when I made absolutely sure that you and Elena were biological twins, you could be so much older than her.

"So no, I'm not sugarcoating it. You being reincarnated would be an excellent answer to that question. It just… frightens me. The genuine possibility that you know everything about me. It's extremely intimidating, and now that a witch completely unrelated to you confirmed it, it seems all the more real."

It all clicked. Why he was still in town when her parents didn't die the way they were meant to. Why, when she had told him her story, he had been kind instead of cold and suspicious. Why, even under the influence of blood and alcohol, he had slept with her when Elena was in his life. He made her bacon and eggs. The morning after she recovered from her shock, Liz Forbes asked her what her favorite breakfast was. She said it was bacon and eggs. A man looked oddly familiar. Perhaps she'd seen him in a dream once. He looked sad, too.

"I remember," she said. "I remember seeing you there. I thought you looked familiar. It's because you looked like Damon."

"You knew what Damon looked like?"

"That evening, Elena and I were coming home from the Grill. Damon was there. He tried compelling us to forget we ever met him, but it didn't work. We were on vervain. I can't believe I remember you."

"Damon was there the day your parents were killed? Do you think—"

"That he did it? I don't doubt the possibility."

"If he did…"

"If he did, I'll tear him apart. Promise you won't get in my way."

"I promise."

She smiled small. "Thank you. And thank you for telling me all that. It answered a lot of questions I had."

"I was going to wait longer, but I felt I owed it to you after yesterday."

"Never feel like you owe me anything. Friends help friends, free of charge."

"We're friends?"

"Oh, sorry, are we moving too fast?"

He chuckled. "I've been watching you since May and you probably know which side of the bed I sleep on. I don't think 'too fast' is possible anymore."

Her eyes widened. "Oh my God… Are we stalkers?"

"Hm… I probably count as a stalker. You can't be blamed if I was only part of a story for you."

"Well, yeah, but you had a really good reason to be stalking us. If it wasn't for the whole Katherine thing, I'd find you a lot creepier, trust me."

"Implying that you already find me creepy?"

"Oh, definitely. You willingly hid in the woods for three days straight. That's super creepy."

"You're one to talk. You're still super spooky."

"That's right! I'm spooky, you're creepy, and both of us are stalkers. We make quite the scary pair, don't you think?"

"Terrifying. The tale of Spooky and Creepy will live on in legend for eons to come."

She bit her lip to stifle a giggle. "Mm, and here I thought Creepy was supposed to be 'extremely intimidated' of Spooky."

"Huh… I thought so too. You're worryingly easy to talk to."

"You know, that might just be the best compliment I've ever received."

"Want another one?"

"Ooh," she leaned forward, "yes, please."

He mirrored her posture, and, try as she might, she couldn't help but take note of how close they were. "When you told me that you admired my strength, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. Because the things you said about me I could just as easily say about you. You keep going, you keep being kind, despite everything you've been through. The death of your parents broke you, and still you persevere. You've been forced to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, and still you persevere. Still you act as a rock for the people around you." He shook his head. "The way I see it, if anybody's strength should be admired, it's yours."

For a moment, she didn't know what to say. She didn't know if anyone had ever told her something like that. "Okay. That's the best compliment I've ever received."

His smile tied her stomach in knots. "Good. So, uh," he nodded towards the piece of paper in her hand, "what's that?"

She leaned back. They were too close. "Well, I was going to practice a monologue for the theater auditions after school, but now I don't know how much time I have left."

"Can I see it?"

"Um, yeah," she handed it to him, "here."

"Shakespeare, huh?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head. "I just didn't know you liked him."

"I like many things."

"I look forward to learning what they are." His eyes, kind and green as spring, looked back up at her. "Want me to help you with this?"

She smiled, and some deep, dark part of her hoped it tied his stomach in knots too. "Absolutely."

.

She crinkled the edge of the paper as she stared at the wall.

What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true?

It was a plain white color, though the students that paced back and forth provided plenty of stimuli.

Stand I condemn'd for pride and scorn so much?

Their chattering had become meaningless background noise long ago, when she stopped saying the lines out loud.

Contempt, farewell! and maiden pride, adieu!

She carefully smoothed the paper out.

No glory lives behind the back of such.

She crinkled it again.

And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee,

She carefully smoothed it out.

Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand:

And crinkled it.

If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee

And smoothed it out.

To bind our loves up in a holy band;

Crinkle.

For others say thou dost deserve, and I

Smooth.

Believe it better than reportingly.

The brown, metal door swung open to reveal Mr. Roberts' protégée holding a clipboard. Viola, her name was, and she was one of the few students outside of Angela's family she genuinely liked.

"Angela Gilbert!"

She stuffed her lines back into her bag and stood. When she was inside the auditorium and the sound of students practicing their lines faded into a whisper, she knew that the door had shut. She saw the back of Mr. Roberts' bald head sitting in one of the black seats, though he didn't bother to look at her until she had walked up the stage and stood on the big, white X.

"Ah! Angela. It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise."

"How are you? I imagine you had quite the rough summer."

"Oh no," she wanted to say. "It was just dandy." She smiled her kind, practiced smile. "As well as can be expected. Well enough to be here."

"I can see that." He wrote something down on his big, yellow notepad. "Whenever you're ready."

She nodded and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was no longer Angela. When she opened them, there was no Angela. There was no Damon; no Katherine; no Klaus. There was only Beatrice. And when Beatrice had served her purpose, she allowed them all to exist again.

Mr. Roberts had a smile on his face. "You always were fonder of the classics. That was lovely."

Relief filled her chest. Stefan had spent the rest of lunchtime with her, helping her memorize and practice the lines, but she hadn't been sure it was enough. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, your favorite part. I'm ready to hear you sing."

She must have heard him wrong. "What?"

"The song you prepared. You did prepare a song, didn't you?"

The relief turned to ice so cold it froze her body. "I forgot."

"Oh. Well, taking into account the year you had, how about I let you take the rest of the week to prepare one? You can come back on Friday and perform it. Same place, same time."

She blinked, and in the darkness, her mother's dead eyes stared through her. "Do I have to sing?"

He frowned. "You don't have to, but if you don't, I can't give you any roles that involve it until you audition for the big, end-of-the-year play in January. Which might mean no leads."

She tried to breathe, but there was something holding her throat shut. "Okay. Thank you."

She barely heard him say, "I'll be here if you decide to show up," as her numb legs carried her down the stairs. She breezed past Viola and slammed through the door. A few heads turned to look at her, but she paid them no mind. She had to get out of there.

She didn't realize she'd been heading to the restroom until she was leaning against the sink and staring at her own reflection. Her eyes were wide. Wide and scared. Wide and scared and dead and empty and staring through her just like her mother. Stop it. She looked down. A hand that must have been hers turned on the faucet. The water was cold, but that suited her fine. She was already cold, and felt no different when she splashed it on her face.

This was a mistake. I should've tried getting Elena to continue cheer a different way. There was no way she could go back there on Friday. There was no reason for her to. There was no reason for her to go back there, ever. She was busy enough with all the supernatural drama going on. High school theater didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. She had wasted her time, which was fine enough, but the fact that she'd wasted Stefan's as well finally drove the familiar blade of guilt through her gut.

She grabbed two paper towels. They felt rough against her face. "I'm sorry, Mr. Roberts," she would say. "I thought it over, and I'm not sure I'll be able to attend this year. My brother hasn't spoken a word since our parents were killed. I want to be there for him whenever I can, and I think that being here will only make me feel bad I'm not. I hope you understand."

She heard the door swing open and quickly threw the paper in the garbage, smoothing out any makeup it may or may not have messed up.

"Angela Gilbert?" asked a voice in exaggerated disbelief. "Is that you?"

Anger rolled through her like a tidal wave. She turned around with an icy smile. "Sara. Getting desperate for attention again?"

Sara Thompson was a petite girl with mousy blonde hair that was part of Tiki's clique. Tiki's clique and Caroline's clique, which Angela and the others were part of, always had a bit of a rivalry going on. She personally thought it was petty, but she'd be lying if she said that seeing Sara didn't make her want to grab her small, breakable-looking body and throw it at a wall. Where Tiki was just kind of a bitch in general, Sara specifically targeted Angela. They were both part of the theater group and always tried for the female lead, which, coupled with Sara's massive jealousy issues, made for an intensely unpleasant relationship.

Sara's eyes were devious as they scanned her face, pink from the cold water. "I saw you run out of auditions like a bat out of hell. What happened?"

"I thought of you. Had to get in here before I threw up."

"Hm, makes sense." She walked forward and started checking herself out in the mirror. "Realizing you'll always be worse than me can have that effect."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Are you done? Because I have better things to do than waste my energy on you."

"You didn't sing in there. You squeal like a pig, it'd be impossible not to hear you."

"The only pig I hear is you. What are you trying to do, demoralize me? You'll have to try harder than that."

. "No." She turned to her, and there was something purely evil about the curl of her lips. "Just wondering if you're not going mute like your retard brother."

Her body went numb.

With a strange sort of calm, she wondered what would happen if she simply grabbed Sara's head and bashed it against the edge of the sink. She thought of that commercial. 'How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?' She wondered how many bashes it would take to get to the center of Sara's brain.

"Apologize."

. Sara raised an eyebrow. "For what? Calling your brother a retarded mute? Why should I apologize for telling the truth?"

"Apologize."

"Or what?"

"Walk away and find out."

"Hm…" She pretended to think it over, head tilted and eyes looking up. She gave her a bright, toothy grin. "Okay! See you, princess. Oh, or not. Since you totally blew it." She shot her a wink before turning on her heels and striding out of the restroom.

Angela stood there for a moment, silent and still, before angry tears began to blur her vision. She clenched her fist so hard she thought she might draw blood, but she didn't care. You're dead. It didn't matter that she was a seventeen-year-old girl. It didn't matter that she had never physically hurt anybody. She was dead.

But feeding her to Damon would be too simple. It would be much more satisfying to destroy her life. And she would begin with what she knew best: the theater. She looked in the mirror, at her angry eyes, and made up her mind. She would show up on Friday. Yes. She would show up. And she would give the performance of her life.

.

The police station was almost sickeningly beige, and Sheriff Forbes' private office was no different. She could see from the twin windows behind her desk that the clouds were darker than before, and the wind picking up made her suspect she was witnessing the beginning of a storm. Because of this, there was a definite need for Liz to turn on the black, gooseneck lamp sitting on her desk. The orange light it emanated only served to heighten the room's bland color.

"Angela," Liz said, "your motive is admirable. But until she's stable and awake, I can't do anything for you."

"I just want to assess her injuries. See the condition she's in. Something."

Liz leaned back in her creaky chair and regarded her with rapidly deteriorating patience. "The hospital staff is more than capable enough to do that without you."

She sighed and rested her hands against the desk. They'd been going at this for a few minutes now, and she was getting frustrated. "What's the worst that could come out of me seeing her?"

"What's the worst that could come out of you seeing the victim of a vampire attack? Gee, I don't know. For some reason, I'm worried you'll go into shock for a month."

She rolled her eyes. "This isn't the same. She's still alive. And I don't even know her."

"Okay, how about this? As soon as she wakes up and I go down to question her, you can come along. Regardless of her physical condition."

That wouldn't do. She had to get to her before any of the founding family members could. Or, rather, the ones above eighteen. She didn't want them learning anything inconvenient. "I don't understand why you're so opposed to this."

"Because I don't want this consuming you. I want you to live a normal, teenage life. I showed you your parents' file because I felt bad, but showing you made me feel worse."

"So it's because I'm too young."

"There's a reason we tell our kids when they're adults. You should have a happy, vampire-free life for as long as we're around to protect you." That's a fat fucking joke, isn't it?

"Who was around to protect my parents?"

Liz's lips thinned into a line. "No one. And for that, I can never apologize enough. I loved them too. Not the way you did, but I loved them. I'm doing everything I can to solve their case, but I'm not a god. I can't just snap my fingers and catch the killer. But between the two of us, I'm the one with the training to do so. So please, go home. Do your homework or spend some time with your friends. Be happy."

She pursed her lips. "…Fine. I'll go home."

"Thank you."

She walked to the door, but paused before turning the handle. She looked back at Liz as evenly as she could. "You should give that same speech to your daughter. It might convince her to be happy next time she finds a dying woman on the side of the road." She exited the office before Liz could respond.

A raindrop hit her as soon as she was outside the station, and she cursed her luck as she rushed to the car. When she was out of the rain, she rested her arms against the steering wheel and started to think. She knew that the hospital wouldn't let her see the victim unless she had express permission from the police. She tried last night. They'd been given orders, and the woman who manned the front desk had been married for over thirty years. There was no way she would be persuaded by a few flirty smiles and bats of the eyes.

She reached for her phone. This definitely counted as something that would benefit them all, but Anna had been parted from her family long enough. She didn't want to tear her away from them when there was another option.

"Hey," Stefan said. "What's up?"

"How do you feel about meeting me at the hospital? In, say, five minutes or so?"

"Did you run into trouble?"

"More like severely underestimated the sheriff's willpower. I can't speak to the vic without getting her blessing first."

"Ah. You want me to compel the front desk."

"You know me so well."

"What kind of friend-slash-stalker would I be if I didn't?"

She smiled. "I guess it's only fair, seeing as I know you sleep on the right side of the bed."

"How do— You know what? I'm not gonna ask."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't known, per se. It had only been a calculated guess. That was the side he chose on Thursday. "Good. Now, you coming?"

"See you there, Spooky."

The drive only took two minutes, so she spent the other three in the comfort of her very dry, very warm car, browsing for a song to sing on Friday. She turned off the radio and grabbed the burgundy umbrella she kept in the backseat as soon as he was within sight. Walking in the rain suited him oddly well, she thought, and it more than added to his mysterious side.

She greeted him first. "Lovely day to break the law, don't you think?"

"Definitely. Had to put my good shoes on for this."

"Aw, you shouldn't have." She started walking towards the entrance, and he fell in step beside her.

"So, uh, do you know which room she's in?"

"Nope. Outsiders aren't allowed to know a thing. Founding families are paranoid a vampire will try to talk to her."

"Is that right? Huh. No idea what kind of vampire would do that."

Her lips twitched in amusement. "I don't know. Probably a really dumb, stupid one."

"Dumb and stupid?" He sucked air in through his teeth. "Hate to be that guy."

She chuckled and stopped in front of the entrance. "So, I may have neglected to mention something. The victim hasn't woken up yet, probably because of all the blood she lost, and though I'm sure they already did a transfusion, if we could get her some vampire blood…"

"Then she'll wake up immediately. And we can question her."

"Exactly."

"I can do that."

She gave him a relieved smile. "Thank you."

He smiled back and shook his head. "Friends help friends, free of charge." He opened the door and gestured for her to enter.

Stepping inside, they closed their umbrellas and put them in the rectangular, metal rack to the left. There weren't many visitors in the immediate vicinity, which meant that they were able to reach the front desk in no time.

"Hi." Stefan addressed the receptionist. "There was a woman that was brought in yesterday. The police gave you orders not to let anyone see her."

"Oh. Yes." Her eyes moved to Angela. "But like I already said, I can't do anything for you. I do have orders, and if you think bringing a cute boy will help charm your way in—"

"Oh, no," he said, "I think you've misunderstood." Her eyes moved back to him. "We have the sheriff's blessing. Tell us where she is and make sure we aren't disturbed."

"Room 214. To your right."

"Thank you." He turned to Angela with a slightly smug expression on his face. "Shall we?"

"Yes," she replied, equally as smug. "We shall." He slapped the top of the desk and pushed himself off while she looked for any signs with numbers. "Room 214… Does that mean it's on the second floor? Like a hotel?"

Stefan led her to the elevator, which was, true to the woman's words, to their right. He pointed at the sign next to it. "Yes, it is." He pressed the button and looked at her curiously. "You've been in a hotel more than you've been in a hospital?"

"My dad had his own clinic. There was never really a need for me to."

"Ah." The doors opened, and they stepped inside. "What was he like? Your dad?" The question caught her off-guard, and he must have seen it on her face, as he hurried to say, "You don't have to tell me if it's too soon."

"N-no. I want to. I have to talk about him eventually, don't I?" The doors slid shut. "He was good to me. He was good to all of us. He… was the only one in the house that ever really treated me like an adult. Most of the time. Not when it came to vampires. I disagreed with his views on them to an extreme degree, and he didn't appreciate the times I challenged him, but… he was good to me."

He looked pensive as he opened his mouth to speak, but the doors parted with a ding and he froze. The whites of his eyes began to darken, and his veins became visible.

"Stefan?"

He turned away from the doors. "Blood. A lot."

Her heart dropped. Of course there would be blood. This was a hospital. She pushed the button to close the doors, realizing that if someone were to see him like this it would mean trouble. "Hey," she moved into his line of sight, "look at me." She pulled a small vial of liquid from her bag. "Do you know what this is?"

His gaze flicked between the vial and her throat. "Vervain."

"That's right." She uncorked it and downed it all in one shot. "Remember what I said. If you drink my blood, all it'll do is burn you."

His eyes remained locked on her pulse point before he shut them and said, "There's no vervain in the blood out there."

That gave her pause. He had a point. "Do you want to wait outside? Could put some of your blood in this." She wiggled the empty vial.

"What if she knows something that could put you in danger? You can't compel her to forget."

"You're thinking of me right now? Never mind. How about you wait here and I go see where the blood's at? If it's all in one area, we can just try to avoid it, but if not, I think it'd be wiser for you to wait outside."

At his stiff nod of assent, she pressed the button to open the doors, and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before exiting the elevator.

There were two hallways in front of her, one to the right and one extending straight ahead. She decided to choose the latter, and she didn't have to walk far before she saw a room full of people donating their blood. She scanned the hallway for any indication as to where room 214 was, and cursed beneath her breath when she saw a sign saying it was beyond the room.

She went back to Stefan. He was staring at the ground and his breathing was heavy, but his face looked human when it lifted to look at her.

"As far as I can tell," she said, "it's all in one room. But in order to get to the victim we'll need to pass by it."

"I'll be fine."

She wasn't expecting that. "Are you sure? You don't have to do this. Maybe there's a window in her room you can come in through."

"I'll be fine," he repeated firmly, though it did nothing to ease her worry. Still, it was his choice.

"Okay… come on."

Subtly guiding him to walk closer to the wall than the room, she kept an eye out for anyone passing by. He looked like he was barely keeping it together, eyes slipping back and forth between human and vampire, and she wanted to help but had no idea how. Maybe talking to him would help, the way he said it would.

"What's your favorite color?"

"What?"

She mentally cursed Damon. "Sorry. Don't know why that's the first thing that popped in my head. I'm trying to distract you."

"Oh. Right. Uh… probably blue."

"Really? That's Elena's favorite color too." Which was definitely a good thing. "Mine's probably red."

"Red's pretty."

"Thanks." They passed the room, though she was sure the blood was still affecting him. She tried to think of something else to say, and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "What was your dad like?" He paused mid-step, and that time, she mentally cursed herself. "I'm sorry, what a horrible question."

"N-no, uh…" He continued walking. "He was nothing like yours. Except for the vampire part. He didn't appreciate the times I challenged his views either. The time. Shouldn't you know this already?"

"In theory. I'd like to learn about you from you."

"Okay… well… Giuseppe Salvatore was a terrible father and a terrible husband. He was never as cruel to me as he was to Damon, but I would've had to have been blind not to see the kind of person he was. There was always a part of me that hoped he could change. That I could help him become good. It was a childish hope, but… it's different when it's your father."

She thought of Grayson. Of Augustine. "My father was terrible too. Not to his family, but to innocent people. Vampires. He hated them with a passion that scared me. It's like he was two different people. There was my father, the sweet, intelligent man who never refused his children a hug or a bedtime story, and there was the monster capable of hurting people in ways I never thought possible. I think part of me hoped I could help him too."

She had swiped his journal one more time, after making him tell her about vampires. It was his private one, she guessed after realizing that the vampires weren't referred to as numbers, and not the one he kept at the university. She never asked him why, of course, but her personal theory was that he never felt the need to dehumanize them in order to do the things he did. Reading what he did to a vampire he called "C.A" fully convinced her that he viewed them as objects already.

She'd caught a glimpse of their name when she first broke into his desk, along with the fact that their hand had been severed to see if it would regenerate, but the entries before that shed a far more horrific light on the situation. Their hand had been severed for an entire month, during which a myriad of experiments had been conducted on the stump. They started off mild enough, first by simply letting it be to see if the hand would regenerate on its own, but over time they became more and more abhorrent. There was one entry in particular she was likely never to forget, which included a copious amount of salt, a gauze to keep it all in place, and the cold detachment with which her father described the vampire's screams. She hadn't been able to think of him the same ever since, and she wished she'd never gone back to read it properly.

"It was a childish hope," she continued, "but I agree. It's different when it's your father." She stopped in front of room 214 and glanced at his face. His eyes were still dark, but the veins beneath were barely visible. "Look at that. We're here." He did nothing but nod, and she quietly opened the door.

The woman was maybe a year or two older than her, but she seemed a child with how the medical equipment towered over her. Her skin looked pale and her hair dead.

"Do you know her?" Stefan asked.

"No. I don't think so."

He walked over and lifted his wrist to his mouth, before asking with his eyes if she wanted him to continue. She nodded. A few seconds into feeding the woman his blood, her throat began to work, and she could see some life return to her features. Her green eyes fluttered open, and he pulled away.

"Where am I?" Her voice was scratchy.

"Mystic Falls General Hospital," he said.

Her eyes went wide. "Oh my God." A hand flung up to the bandage on her neck.

"It's okay." Angela moved closer with an expression she hoped was calming. "You're safe now."

"Who are you?" she asked frantically. "You're not wearing a uniform. If you're doctors, you should be wearing a uniform."

"That's because we're not doctors," Stefan said. "But we are here to help. Please trust us."

Her figure relaxed, and she knew he'd compelled her. "How can you help?"

"Could you tell us what happened yesterday?" Angela asked. "To get you in here."

"I… was jogging. By Wickery Bridge. There was a man."

"What did he look like?"

"He was white. I think. Dark hair. I didn't get a good look at his eyes before they…"

Stefan tilted his head. "Before they…?"

"You'll think I'm crazy."

"No," Angela said, "we won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She took a shallow breath. "His eyes became red. Like a demon. He attacked me." A hand played with the bandage. "He bit me. Who bites someone like that?"

"Not who," Stefan said. "What. He was a vampire."

She rolled her wet eyes. "Of course he was. You promised you wouldn't think I'm crazy."

"We don't," Angela said. "And right before we leave, Stefan's going to make you forget we ever had this conversation. But until then, you deserve some answers."

"What do you mean he's going to make me forget?"

Stefan caught the woman's eye. "Stay calm." His face changed, a sight she was becoming all too familiar with, but one that the woman was not.

Her jaw dropped. "That's what he looked like." She looked at Angela. "Shouldn't I be freaking out? Why am I not freaking out?"

"Because he compelled you to stay calm. Mind control. Every vampire can do it."

"He's a vampire? Wait, so he can make me do anything he wants?"

"Yes."

"Weird."

"Very weird."

"Are you a vampire too?"

"No. I'm an alien with foreknowledge."

"…That's weird too."

"Extremely weird," Stefan said. "Is there anything else you remember? Did he tell you anything?"

"He told me not to scream. I didn't, for some reason. Maybe it was mind control."

"And you remember nothing else about him?"

"Nothing that would help. I could probably point to him in a crowd, but he was pretty normal-looking. Until he attacked me."

A thought struck her. "Do you think you could help me draw him?"

"What, you mean like a police sketch?"

"Exactly like a police sketch."

"Maybe. If I do, will you try to catch him?"

"We'll try to catch him either way. But this could speed up the process."

She nodded. "Then I'll do my best."

Drawing him took about thirty minutes, near the end of which they decided that, with what little the woman saw and Angela's skill level, it was as good as it was going to get.

Angela put her supplies back into her bag. "Sorry I'm not da Vinci."

"No. You're pretty good. Sorry I don't have a photographic memory."

She stood with a forgiving smile. "Wow. How rude am I? I never even got your name."

"It's Penny. I don't think I got your name either."

"Angela."

"Angela. And…" She pointed at Stefan, who was leaning against the door. "Steven?"

He blinked. "Uh, n—"

"Yes," Angela said happily. "Though he prefers Steve." She ignored the look he gave her.

"Is he going to make me forget now?"

"It's better this way."

"Are you sure?" Penny's voice wasn't worried or suspicious in the slightest, but instead like she was asking a close friend which outfit she should wear. It was almost enough to make her feel guilty.

"Positive."

"Well… okay then."

"How much should I make her forget?" Stefan asked. "Does the guy seem familiar to you?"

"Maybe a little bit? Not enough to get me into trouble, I don't think. You?"

"Not from what I can tell."

"Then just make her forget we were ever here."

He pushed himself off the door and to the bed, but before he could do anything, Penny said, "Wait. Before you erase my memory. Promise me you'll catch him. You were too late with me, but… I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

"We'll catch him," Angela said. "I promise."

Stefan offered her a gentle smile. "You seem like a kind person. I'm sorry it had to be you. We'll catch him."

"Good." Penny took a deep breath and nodded. "Go ahead."

He leaned down, looking her straight in the eye. "You'll fall asleep as soon as I stop talking to you. By the time you wake up, you'll have forgotten you ever met us. That we ever spoke. You'll heal from the trauma you suffered, and you'll do your best to live a long, happy, and fulfilling life. You'll do your best to be happy." As soon as he pulled back, Penny peacefully closed her eyes.

Angela waited a moment to make sure she was asleep. "Should we leave through the window? To avoid all the blood."

"Probably. I don't know if I'll be able to control myself again."

"Yeah, about that… At the risk of sounding extremely patronizing, I'm really proud of you. I have no idea what possessed you to try and power through it, but you did, and I'm honored to have been there for it."

"Honored? Because you saw me not tear someone apart."

"Because you made some incredible progress."

He scoffed quietly. "Right."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Do you not see how big a deal this is?"

"It shouldn't have to be."

"No, it shouldn't, but that doesn't change the fact that it is. We should celebrate progress, not devalue it. Otherwise we'll never move forward."

"How can I celebrate not being a monster when it's the bare minimum?"

"Because not being a monster isn't a linear process, Stefan. Because everything I told you on Friday is still true. You're strong, and you're kind, and you care about people." She motioned towards Penny. "You were kind to her. You could've just made her forget. You didn't have to say all that about living a good life. But you did, because you care. I only thought of her as a means to an end. As a way to find the vampire that might get other vampires killed. Because for all you told me during lunch, I can't afford to care about humans. Not if I can help it. Not in a world where they're so easily disposable. Does that make me a monster?"

"You've never taken an innocent life."

"And? The fact that you have a blood issue doesn't change everything that's good about you. Neither does the fact that almost every innocent life you've ever taken is because you felt so guilty from taking just one you had to turn your emotions off. I'm not excusing your actions. There is no excusing your actions. But if you think that's what makes you monstrous, I think you're wrong. I think that's what makes you human."

"You wouldn't be saying that if I killed your parents. How many parents have I killed? How many sons? How many grieving families have I left behind?" His eyes were empty, and she knew what was happening. She had experienced it herself more times than she could count.

"I don't know," she said softly. "A lot. But you can't let the guilt consume you. Neither of us can. If we do, people might get hurt because we aren't there to save them. I've never taken an innocent life, not directly, but with everything that changes because of me, the chance of something going horribly wrong grows exponentially larger. I haven't exactly figured out how to make myself stop feeling like a monster either, but… I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe you aren't as alone in this as you think."

"You're the farthest thing I can think of from a monster."

"What about a kitten?"

He looked at her incredulously. "You and a kitten."

She bit her lip in faint amusement and tilted her head. "Do you see my point?"

He sighed. "Not that I think your sins and mine are within the same universe, but… I can see the point you're trying to make."

"Good." Penny's breathing grew heavy, and it reminded her where they were. She gave him a gentle smile. "So… how about that window?"

"I still can't decide whether you're completely insane or incredibly wise."

"Does it really matter in the end?"

"That question doesn't help your case."

She laughed quietly. "No, I guess it doesn't." She walked to the window and looked down. Way down. Her heart stuttered in her chest. "I don't know if I can make that." She saw him join her out the corner of her eye.

"Good thing you have a vampire dumb and stupid enough to carry you."

"What about our umbrellas? They're still downstairs."

"We'll come in through the front and get them."

She swallowed dryly. "Are you sure it's safe?" She could tell he was looking at her. And at how hesitant she was.

"Are you afraid of heights?"

She tried to mask how she felt by saying, "Well I can't be totally perfect, can I?"

"Angie." She tore her eyes away from the outside. "I'm sure it's safe."

She scrutinized his face. He seemed sincere, but then again, he always seemed sincere. "You won't drop me."

"I won't drop you." He brought a hand up and wiggled his pinky. "Pinky promise." Her gaze couldn't help but soften at how ridiculous the gesture was. Ridiculous and sweet. It made her happy to know he was feeling better. She must have stayed silent for too long, however, because he brought it back down and said, "Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"I'm sure you can guess." Of course she could, which was exactly why she didn't want to do it. His gaze softened as well. "After all we've been through these past few days, after all we've talked about, is it so much to ask that you trust me a little?"

No, it wasn't. Not that she wanted to admit that. But the battle was over as soon as it began. Damn your puppy dog eyes. "Fine. Fine, just… stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

She shut her eyes, choosing not to answer. "Let's just get this over with."

Though she could no longer see, she could hear the window open, and the sound of rain intensifying made her tense in anticipation. She heard him walk closer, felt the cool breeze push some hair behind her shoulders, but no matter how hard her heart was pounding she kept her eyes shut.

She was expecting the world to shift, but she wasn't expecting him to pick her up bridal style. She let out a gasp and instinctively grabbed onto his leather jacket, but dared not open her eyes. If she did, she knew she would be lost. Either from the fear or from something else she didn't want to entertain. There was the feeling of falling, the lightheadedness it caused and the way her heart leapt to her throat, but as soon as it started, it stopped. She felt ground beneath her feet, though she didn't stop clutching his jacket. She felt like she would faint if she did.

"You can look now." He sounded amused.

She slowly blinked her eyes open to find that they were beneath an awning. And that, yes indeed, he was amused. She let go of him and smacked his chest. "Stop laughing at me."

His didn't even attempt to look serious. "Me? I don't see me laughing. Do you see me laughing?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just fly up there and shut the window before she catches a cold, Creepy Steve."

"…Okay. You're never calling me that again."

"Calling you what? Creepy Steve?"

"Stop it."

The fear dissipated fully when she laughed. "Oh, and, uh," she patted his shoulder condescendingly, "get our umbrellas while you're at it, won't you?"

He gave her a look that would have been dangerous if not for the way he was visibly struggling not to grin. "Just… stay here."

As he disappeared before her eyes, she became aware of two things. That she had bared more of her soul to this one man within half a week than she had to anyone else within seventeen years, and that, though it should have terrified her, all it did was make her feel free.