"Are you going to go fix that?" Damon asked once Payton disappeared.
"I can't..." He sighed back at him before the two of them heard her in the bathroom, the sound of vomit loud and clear, causing confusion to come over them, "did she just?"
"I think she did." Damon frowned.
Stefan found himself getting up onto his feet in confusion, not understanding how it was even possible, but Damon was unbothered right now, he wanted to know more, "Why didn't you just tell me? Why didn't you tell Payton?" Damon asked his younger brother in confusion.
"What did you want me to do? Tell you I could've had a kid and watch you brush it off with some glib joke about how it was 150 years ago?" Stefan scoffed back, before he went on to explain, "yeah it was 150 years ago and it's stupid how it affects me still, which is exactly why I couldn't tell Payton. I knew it would break her. She doesn't deal well with me being with someone else..."
When Damon failed to answer, he didn't really know what to say, his mind was frazzled, so Stefan went on, "I want him dead, Damon. No one's gonna stop me from killing him. Not in six months. Not in six weeks. Now."
"Even if it means ruining your relationship with Payton?" Damon asked his brother.
Before Stefan could answer, the sound of Payton throwing up again filled their ear drums, causing Stefan to shake his head, "I have to go see her."
Stefan quickly jogged up the stairs, despite their troubles right now, he couldn't listen to her sound in discomfort and him not do anything about it. She hadn't even bothered to shut the door, as Stefan slipped on through, seeing her hunched over the toilet seat.
"What's going on?" He asked in concern.
"Go way." She grumbled, before going to throw up down the toilet again.
"Why are you sick?" Stefan frowned in confusion, immediately going to pull her hair out of her face, wanting to help her even if she was being grouchy with him.
"I don't know," Payton coughed slightly, as she moved away from the toilet and Stefan used it as his chance to flush the puke away, "I guess I must have drunk too much...I don't know..."
"You're a vampire, Payton." He tried to remind her that it didn't affect her as badly as it did humans.
"Alright, well maybe I ate something bad or I felt so disgusted from what I was hearing..." She tried to justify her actions, not really in the mood to get to the bottom of it when she felt awful right now.
Stefan lowered his head slightly, as he let go of her hair and went to lean against the bath tub, "I'm sorry you had to find out like that."
"Well you weren't going to tell me either way so." Payton shrugged back, leaning agains the wall again and closing her eyes.
"I didn't know how." He sighed, before going to explain, "I wanted to protect you."
"From what? I don't need protection from Valerie. I can defend myself against that bitch." She grumbled.
"I guess from my own pain that I'd cause you. I didn't want to upset you anymore than you already have been feeling recently."
"You could have trusted me though. I'm supposed to be your girlfriend. You're supposed to tell me things!"
"I know. I should have realised that sooner. I guess I was just wrapped up in my own drama." He explained in a sorrow tone.
"What drama is that? Killing this Julian?" Payton gathered from his conversation with Damon, reopening her eyes slightly to look at him.
"I have to finish what he started. I know it probably doesn't make sense right now..."
"It doesn't." She agreed with him bluntly.
"I just thought you wouldn't be able to handle knowing the truth about Valerie."
"Well, I guess thinking about it, even if it does make me feel physically sick, I guess I see why you didn't," Payton explained to him, as she went on to say, "I have been a bit of a crazy person recently with my anger and aggression. I mean I did punch Valerie earlier..."
"Wait what?" He was surprised to hear this.
"Yeah," She nodded, brushing her hair out of her face, "but I guess what I'm trying to say is I get why you didn't tell me I think, I mean and I also get why you're upset. I guess it doesn't mean you necessarily want to be with Valerie, this is more about revenge for your own pain."
"I should have still told you though. I should have been honest. And it shouldn't have taken that fire downstairs or you throwing up in our toilet to make me be honest!" Stefan apologised.
"Yeah you should have. But I have kept things from you before when I was afraid." She shrugged back, feeling to fragile right now to even fight with him anymore.
"I guess we need to learn to trust each other more."
"Hmm," She nodded in agreement before going to get herself up, Stefan quickly came to her aid, helping her onto her feet, "thanks."
"You feeling alright?" He asked her with concern.
"I think I just need an early night. Today has been kind of crazy and I think I just over-drank way too fast." Payton tried to justify how she was feeling.
"You know in all the years I've been a vampire you're the first I've seen vomit." He remarked as he helped walk her through into their bedroom.
"Well thanks I guess," She smiled lightly, before going over to the bed with him and sitting on it, "I should probably clean the bathroom before I get too comfy."
"It's fine. You stay there. I'll sort it." He tried to tell her.
"Stefan," Payton breathed, shaking her head, "you don't need to do that."
"I do. I also need to clean up downstairs."
"Tyler's going to kill you and Damon for trashing his house." She remarked going to get into bed.
The next morning after a long sleep, Payton felt a lot better that morning, she still felt kind of tired and weak, but she was feeling better than she did last night. Part of her didn't even know if she wanted to touch another sip of alcohol after last nights experience. It was so weird for her to get sick like that but clearly she must have over done it or her emotions got the better of her.
Stefan had been so attentive to her that morning, making sure she was alright, getting her breakfast and making sure she kept up with her blood bags, they also had a long cuddle that morning in bed, talking about everything including the fact he was still going through with his plans to try and kill Julian. She hated the idea that he was involved in this, but she couldn't exactly talk him out of it, his heart was set on destroying the man.
Payton had been reluctant to let Stefan go that day, knowing he was walking straight back into Valerie and Julian drama, but she knew she couldn't stop him, he had to get his closure and she had to allow him to make his own decision. She couldn't put her own selfishness before his own. She had to step back and allow it.
In the meantime, this gave her a chance to head over to Caroline's dorm where she was going to be taking a pregnancy test that morning. Payton had explained what had happened to Stefan that morning and what Valerie had figured out.
Stefan had been confused and surprised at the news, understanding that Payton might be finding this super weird right now, her best friend carrying her Dad's children. It was a weird one to try to process. He had even joked and said if she was sure it wasn't her carrying the babies but she laughed it off saying Valerie was pretty certain it was Caroline.
Payton had thought about staying away and letting Caroline find out with her Dad on their own, but she knew if she had been in the same position, she would want a friend there supporting her and especially because it had to do with her Dad also, as well as her chance to have siblings, she didn't want to miss out.
"Hey," Payton said coming through into the dorm room that morning, Alaric was sat on one of the single beds and Caroline was on the other, "everything okay?"
"You seem better this morning." Alaric remarked upon her more energetic and less defensive demeanour that she had last night.
He didn't even know she had thrown up last night. Payton knew it was a one off and wouldn't think much more of it so decided to leave it out.
"Yeah I guess I am," She shrugged with a small smile, before her eyes caught sight of the timer ticking down on her Dad's cell phone screen beside him, "you started without me?"
"Uh yeah, the anxiety was killing me!" Caroline complained as she sat on her bed facing them.
Payton stood in the middle of the two of them but opposite them, as she shone her friend a sad smile, "I don't even know how you're holding up. I didn't even know vampires could get pregnant!"
"Exactly!" Caroline exclaimed, as she went on, "how would it even be possible? I'm technically dead!"
"Well, as a vampire, both of your bodies function normally," Alaric explained to the two of them, as Caroline looked on deflated, "Your heart beats. You breathe. I mean, is it that far outside of the realm of possibility that your body could support a baby? Or two?"
Payton anxiously rubbed her lips together at what her Dad was saying whilst Caroline picked up the pregnancy stick in her hand, before she shook her head, "Why would the coven want me to?"
"I don't think they had a choice," Alaric answered her simply, as he went on, "the Gemini were all dying. They couldn't let the future of their coven perish along with them. So they had to put the babies someplace safe inside a body that wouldn't die."
Caroline's head rolled back down to the pregnancy stick in her hand, as Payton drew in a shaky breathe, thinking there was so much at stake here.
If Valerie was right, Caroline was carrying two babies and Alaric had his chance of becoming a vampire to Jo's children all over again, which granted Payton the chance to be an older sister.
But if Valerie was wrong, then Caroline would feel guilty and Alaric would be left with his dream taken away from him once again.
When the alarm beeped shortly after, they all anxiously glanced toward's Caroline's hands, where the pregnancy stick was. Alaric turned off the alarm and then turned to look at the girl in anticipation.
Caroline glanced down at the stick, then slowly got onto her feet, Payton raised her eyebrows up, wondering what the result was, but instead of the girl either confirming or denying the result, she instead went over to sit beside Alaric and handed him the stick.
Payton anxiously watched on as Alaric took it from her, his once hopeful expression soon fell, causing Payton's stomach to drop with sadness, as she saw the look of sadness come back over her Dad, he had gotten his hopes crushed again.
"Negative." He read out in a disappointed tone.
"I don't understand," Payton spoke up, shaking her head, thinking it was just another reason to dislike Valerie, "Valerie had been so certain!"
"Well, I guess she was wrong or playing some stupid twisted game." Caroline grumbled back.
"If she was, the girl you saw last night will come back out but even worse!" Payton threatened, thinking if Valerie had been toying with them, then she would take matters into her own hands again and teach her a damn lesson once again.
"Either way, I trust that a lot more than I trust her!" Caroline agreed with Payton about her feelings towards Valerie, especially after how much she had been trying to provoke Payton recently and now she had gotten Ric's hopes up for nothing, as well as give her false "
"You and I both." Payton added once more with sigh before coming to stand next to her Dad and laying her hand on his shoulder in comfort.
Caroline looked between the father and daughter, the guilt eating away at her that she could have given them both something, but knowing it had just been too good to be true.
"I'm really sorry. I knew how much you wanted this." Caroline apologised, causing Alaric to put his hand on her back and assure her everything was alright even if it didn't feel it inside.
Payton was about to say something, when her cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket, causing her to bring it out, seeing Matt's name on the screen, she knew she had to stay focused on what was happening here, but after what had been going on recently, she couldn't leave him.
"Matt, hi," Payton answered, holding the cell phone up to her ear now and stepping forward away from them, "is everything alright?"
"Bonnie and I found two dozen people compelled to hang out at the hospital last night," He began to explain, causing her to frown and to turn back round to face them, Caroline picked up on their conversation through her vampire hearing and found herself growing confused, "I've been trying to call her but she won't pick up."
"Care, do you know where Bonnie is?" Payton asked looking over at her friend.
"Uh, I think she's with Enzo." Caroline answered her.
"Enzo?" Payton repeated in confusion, not understanding why Bonnie would be with Enzo of all people, it was weird.
"What?" Matt was also just as confused to hear this news, as he went on to express his concerns, "now I'm a lot worried. What the hell is she doing with him?"
"I have no idea..." Payton trailed off before Caroline motioned to put him on loud speaker in which she did.
"Matt, hi, it's Caroline. I have no idea why Bonnie is with Enzo. But what's this about the high school? Did you manage to clear everyone out?" Caroline questioned him.
"We had to tranquillise them just to get them out of there," Matt explained to the two of them, as he went on, "I'm just checking on the Grill for you, Payton."
"Thank you," She told him, knowing he had agreed to keep an eye on it multiple times a day ever since Enzo and Valerie broke in the other night, "much appreciated."
"But yeah, everyone was back by the time we left," Matt carried on explaining about the compelled people.
"Why would someone compel people to gather at the high school of an abandoned town?" Caroline questioned the weirdness.
The line went quiet for a moment, as Payton frowned in confusion as to why Matt had gone quiet, "Matt?" She asked with worry.
"Matt?" Caroline then asked sharing the same concern.
"Hey, um, Payton. You're probably going to want to get to the Grill. Like now!" Matt told her with a clear persistence in his tone.
"What why?" She began to panic more wondering just what had happened to the place.
Matt began to explain how he had just found a whole load of new people compelled at the Grill now just like the high school. Payton began to freak out wondering who was not only messing with these poor people but also the fact everyone kept breaking into her business.
She went to offer to stay with her Dad for the rest of the day, knowing after the negative pregnancy test, he was feeling fragile, but he practically forced her to go check it out and suggested she come over afterwards.
Payton couldn't help but worry about him, worry about how he'd cope and the fear went through her about him doing something stupid like before when Jo had died. That image and fear would never leave her. It gave her chills thinking about it. The more the months went on the more she was processing what had and could have happened right in front of her eyes. It made her feel so on edge.
Caroline and Payton headed over to the Grill a while later go check out what was going on, Payton was trying to work on her new found anger issues, pushing aside the anger to try to keep a logic head, even though deep down she was furious someone was messing with these people and her bar.
When they got there, Matt was only then pulling up, he had decided to continue the rest of his patrol whilst he waited for them to get from Whitmore to Mystic Falls.
They were now back inside the Grill, looking around at the bodies that were sitting at tables, they all had IV drips in them, completely and utterly out of it, staring blankly ahead with no response.
"I found more at the court house and another dozen at the supermarket." Matt explained to them as Caroline wondered round the bodies.
Payton just stood opposite him, her arms folded, confusion and worry over her face at what the hell was going on.
"What's with all the IV's?" Caroline questioned.
"Saline. To keep them hydrated," He informed them, before he explained further, "which you're only going to need if gonna keep them here for a while."
"Not if I have my say!" Payton grumbled, thinking she wasn't going to allow this to happen in her bar.
"They're using them as human blood banks," Caroline said as she bent down and waved her hand in front of a woman's blank face, before she brought herself back up and jokingly said, "well I guess we know what the heretics are having for thanksgiving."
Payton broke out into a small smirk at her friends joke, thinking they could have done with lightning the mood after everything lately.
"Problem is," Matt interjected them before they could get too carried away with their joke, "I can't find a single bite mark on them."
"W-what do you mean?" She frowned back, her once smirk instantly wiped off, an awful feeling hitting her stomach.
"They're not being fed on which is somehow creepier. They're being fed," Matt explained more, before he leant over to the side table and picked up some takeout boxes, Payton frowned, not having noticed them until now, "I found these in the trash can. There's salmon, steak, iron-riched foods. Probably to boost their red blood cell count."
Payton felt her unease grow at his words, the awful feeling she had felt last night was back and it was hitting her hard, she tried to shake it off, knowing she wasn't in danger right now, her unease didn't have turn into anything worse, but why did she feel so sick again?
But Matt continued on oblivious, Caroline turned her head to look at Payton, using her vampire senses to pick up on the girl's sudden unease, "it's like someone's flattering the curve for the slaughter."
Suddenly Payton gasped, then put her hand over her mouth, before she quickly dashed forward, heading straight past Matt before she threw up, causing Caroline to frown in disgust and Matt to turn round to look at her in confusion, not understanding what was going on.
"Hey, Pay, woah," Matt said trying to figure out what was going on with her, as Caroline came to stand beside him, her once disgust turning into suspicion, "are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Payton tried to tell them as she wiped a bit of vomit from around her mouth.
This could not be happening again. It clearly wasn't the wine.
Why were her emotions messing with her like this?
"No, you're not fine. You just puked." Matt corrected her.
"I think I had an expired blood bag last night or something." Payton tried to justify herself once more but deep down she knew it was a lie.
Something was going on with her and it was freaking her out. But the more she freaked out the more sick she felt.
"Are you sure?" Caroline frowned not buying into this. It was so odd.
"You know, it was just the talk of the food and the iron and the slaughtered cattle." Payton rambled on, looking like she might puke again any minute.
"So you're a vampire with a food poisoning?" Matt said just as unconvinced as Caroline was.
"Yes, Matt. I am a vampire with food poisoning," Payton reiterated, before she grew annoyed, "standing in a room of much bigger problems."
Caroline gave her friend another look, before folding her arms, thinking this seemed way too coincidental right now, she didn't even knew her kind could vomit still, she thought it was impossible, so what was going on with her?
"Stop looking at me like that!" Payton snapped at the two of them, especially Caroline, "let's start thinking of a way we can break the compulsion!"
"Short of turning them into vampires," Matt said trying to push aside the weirdness of the girl right now, as he went on, "I can't think of a way to break the compulsion."
"Then maybe we don't have to break it. Maybe someone can siphon it away." Caroline sighed, knowing just whom she was thinking of as she went to bring out her cell phone.
"Oh, no, no, no," Payton began to shake her head in a dismissive way, as she caught on to who Caroline was referring to, "absolutely not! I swear if I see her I will flip out. Or puke on her. I promised you I would!"
"We need all the help we can get to save these people." Caroline tried to tell Payton.
"Not only has she tried to ruin my relationship, she also got my Dad's hope's up!" Payton spat back.
"If you don't want to see her then let us handle it form here." Caroline suggested to her friend, Payton knew she really did not want to deal with Valerie again after last night, the failed pregnancy test and the vomit that wanted to escape her lips again.
"This is my bar!" Payton exclaimed.
"And we're your friend's who will take good care of it." Caroline assured her back.
"Fine," She sighed in frustration, before shaking her head, "but I swear if I hear she has come here and made things worse..."
"You'll kill her," Caroline interjected before she could say more, as she went on, "we get it."
Payton rolled her eyes dramatically, before going to head on out, knowing it probably was the best move to get the hell out of there before Valerie showed up or she vomited again, knowing she would probably end up taking her anger out on her again or spewing her guts up on the girl.
She decided to swing by to check on Stefan whilst she was still in town, thinking maybe seeing him would calm some of the unease she felt in her body, Payton pulled up on the driveway a short while later and headed inside, upon opening up the front door, she heard voices talking, causing her to raise her eyebrows.
Before she had even barely closed the door up, she turned round to see Stefan coming through the hall towards her, "Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were with your Dad."
"Uh yeah, I was. Then some stuff happened at the Grill," Payton answered him, pushing down her sick feelings, instead she picked up on his unease, as she still heard talking, especially a woman's voice, "is everything alright?"
"Lily is here," He answered her in a hushed tone, before bringing her through into the sitting room so they could have some private space, "we're still working on the whole Julian thing."
"I see," Payton nodded, suddenly feeling very out of place, as she went to motion to the door, "I can go if you want."
"Not if you're going to be alone," He said back to her, before laying his hand on her back, "come join us. I could do with your support."
"Are you sure?" She was surprised he all of a sudden wanted her involved.
"Of course," Stefan nodded, before shining her a light smile and leaning over to peck her cheek, "I'm grateful you're here."
Payton smiled lightly back at him, already feeling slightly better being in his presence, she hoped she could push this sickness aside, she knew he'd only worry if he knew she'd been sick again before taking is hand in her own and the two of them headed through into the dining room to go see what the drama was all going to be about.
Lily was stood in front of the mirror was wiping blood from her neck, Damon was nowhere to be seen, Payton wondered if he had gone off in a rage in true Damon style or was it coming more her style now with her anger issues.
Upon hearing footsteps, Lily turned her gaze to look at Payton, who shone her a small smile, thinking she could at least be polite, even if she didn't like the woman.
"Lily." Payton greeted her with a small nod of her head.
"Payton," Lily nodded her head back at the woman, who was clutching her son's hand tightly, she wondered if it was to show her support towards him, "how nice of you to join us."
"What happened?" Payton asked motioning towards the dried blood on her shirt.
"Julian's life is tied to my own. Someone was trying to kill him. Damon has gone to see who." Lily explained to her as she turned round to face them properly.
Payton glanced up at her boyfriend who was now lowering his head, thinking she hadn't expected that, but now it caused a problem because Stefan wanted to kill Julian, but she wasn't sure at the extent of killing his own mother too.
"I was the one who took the money, Stefan," Lily then began to say when silence fell on them, as Stefan looked up from the floor, "on thanksgiving. It was me."
"I don't understand." Stefan shook his head.
"Your father never let me have anything. I lived under his complete control. I had no means of my own. No access to funds." Lily explained.
"You stood in the next room as your son was being tortured, you didn't confess and then you stayed with the man for another five years?" Stefan looked back at her angrily, as Payton anxiously looked between the two of them, his hand then broke from her own.
"I was trying to save us. We were gonna run away. I was gonna protect you boys, we were never gonna see him again." Lily tried to explain herself.
"What happened?" Payton asked curiosity getting the best of her.
"Your father, even drunk and miserable, was always one step ahead," Lily explained to them, before telling them the story of how she had tried to leave, but he had found her before she could, where he threatened to take them away from her, leaving her alone, "that's why I had to stay. Guiseppe was a monster. He wasn't manipulating me. I wasn't blind to it. I knew it in my bones,"
Stefan lowered his head once more, Payton wanted to reach out and hold him, but she knew it wasn't the right place to, they were having a moment, he was hearing out his mother and all Payton could do was step in if it got too much or Lily did something to upset her boyfriend, but this almost felt like a bit of a break through.
Payton was even finding herself feeling sad for Lily and that was a very rare or even an unheard occurrence.
"The only thing I cared about more than leaving him was protecting your brother and you," Lily stepped forward and laid her hand on Stefan's cheek, causing Payton's stomach to begin to churn, wondering how her boyfriend would take this and whether this was genuine, "I was doing for you."
Suddenly Lily began to gasp and started to choke, she began to clutch her stomach where blood began to pour out of it, Payton and Stefan upon instinct shot forward to try help her.
It took several moments for it to finally wear off and once it did, Stefan was shooting out of the room in a haste, Payton quickly went to catch up with him as he stormed out of the house and through into the woods. She vamp sped with him, not realising until they arrived at the woods near the boarding house that Lily had also followed them.
Stefan instantly shot over to help his brother who was being attacked by Julian, Stefan wrapped his arms around the man's neck, as Payton stood with Lily on the side lines, nervously looking on, knowing this was the first time she had seen Julian in the flesh and also scared who might get hurt in the process of all this.
"Don't!" Lily yelled at the men, wanting them to just stop.
"Oh thank god you're alright," Julian rushed over to Lily, holding onto her hands once he reached her, "must have been given such a scare."
Stefan pulled the sword that had been stuck in Damon out of his lower chest, causing him to grunt out loud in pain as the metal left his body.
Payton slowly came over to her boyfriend, wanting to be close to him and away from Julian, who was already giving her weird vibes.
"What's going on here?" Payton heard Lily ask Julian.
"Damon drove a sword into my chest knowing it would be the same as driving it into yours," Julian told her, before turning round to face them, "of course, he was under the impression it would kill me."
Stefan turned his head back to look at his older brother in confusion, "What's he talking about?"
"What difference does it make?" Damon grumbled back, before looking over at Julian, "didn't work anyway."
"Take me home, please." Lily said to Julian.
Julian stepped forward and picked the bloody sword off the ground, before turning on his heel and walking with Lily back to the house.
Stefan turned back to his brother and gave him a look, as Payton picked up on some sudden tension between the two of them, this would not end well.
"What?" Damon looked back at Stefan unfazed.
Stefan didn't even bother to answer Damon as he went to storm off, causing Payton to sigh and go catch up with him, thankfully when she reached him and laced his fingers through her own, he didn't break and held her hand back, she hoped it was providing him some comfort in the rage he was feeling inside regarding Damon's actions.
When they got to the Lockwood house, Damon had caught up with them and was now following the into the house, Payton was hoping no more furniture was going to be broken that night like the previous night, they still had to pay for the damages of that and hadn't even told Tyler yet that they broke his parents coffee table.
As they went through the front door, Damon began to yell at his younger brother, "C'mon, you cannot honestly say you're surprised, can you?"
"Damon..." Payton warned, thinking it was best to let Stefan cool down before they would literally have a repeat of the other night.
"You wanted Julian dead! I wanted to punish Mom! And I had a way to kill two birds with one stone! I will never change!" Damon exclaimed, as they turned round to face him, Payton knew Stefan was trying to hold it together from beside her, but she knew he would literally go off any second and she knew she'd have to be the meditator.
"Lily is never gonna change!" Damon continued to yell at his younger brother, "you are never gonna change! You're never going to stop finding one tiny speck of redemption in Lily. And she's never going to stop disappointing you!"
"You're wrong!" Stefan began, matching his older brothers loud tone, "you don't know the whole story..."
"I don't wanna know the whole story, Stefan!" Damon interrupted, his voice only getting louder.
"Damon, for god sake..." Payton mumbled under her breathe, drawing in a shaky breath before she folded her arms, suddenly feeling very hot.
"I don't wanna know any more excuses, or lies, or anything that tells me, anything other than the way I know it went down!" Damon continued on, before his tone went softer, "our mother faked her own death, left her sons behind, started a new family, and went out of her way to forget us forever."
Damon did have a point. It was the whole reason Payton couldn't warm to the woman knowing what she had done to them in the past. She just couldn't accept it. She would always feel cautious and protective over Stefan when it came to Lily. But she also had to respect him to make his own choices.
"That is the only story that matters, Stefan!" Damon pointed out, before he went on more, Payton began to pull her hair off her face and around her back to try cool herself down, why did she feel so hot right now, "she tossed us aside without any concern for what would happen to us. As far as I'm concerned, she deserves what she gets."
Payton uneasily glanced up at her boyfriend who was stood beside her with a pained expression, her head feeling light as she did, Damon turned on his heel and began to walk towards the front door, murmuring under his breath "she deserves what she gets."
Once the front door had closed and Damon was gone, Stefan turned to look down at his girlfriend, shining her a sad smile as he did, she was about to force a smile back at him, when her vision began to go dizzy.
"Payton?" He asked with concern seeing her looking suddenly dazed.
"I think I'm gonna..." She went to say but soon found herself dropping to the floor.
Stefan quickly went to catch her before he body collided with the floor below, he held her in his arms as she passed out on him, "Payton!" He began to shake her slightly, as she went unconscious on him, panic shot through him, not understanding what was going on, "Payton!"
A few moments later, Payton found herself coming back around when she felt Stefan's wrist in her mouth, she was drinking from his wrist and clearly the blood was bringing her back to the land of the living again.
"Thank god you're awake," He sighed in relief when he saw her eyes reopen and her responding to sharing his blood, "you scared me."
"W-what happened?" She choked out as Stefan sat with her on the floor, her head in his lap as he held onto her in support.
"You passed out on me. Are you alright?" Stefan questioned in worry with what was going on with her later.
"Honestly..." Payton drew in a shake breathe, as she shut her eyes again, "I have no idea what's going on with me. I don't know if it's stress or what. I puked again earlier. Now I've passed out."
He frowned, thinking this was really unlike her, he wanted to believe it was stress, but part of him felt like it was something more.
"Let me take you up to bed. I'll grab you some water." He suggested helping her get back onto her feet.
Stefan helped her up the stairs and into their bed, he tucked her in and kissed her forehead, before going to tell her he was just going to pop downstairs to grab a glass for her. Payton nodded in gratitude, before snuggling down and trying to push the unease away from her, she just felt so shaken right now.
As Stefan came through into the kitchen and went to grab a glass out of the cupboard, his cell phone began to ring, he brought it out and saw Caroline was calling, "Hey." He greeted her answering the call.
"Hey," She said back to him, before going on, "Did Payton catch up with you earlier on?"
"Uh yeah she did. Although she's sick." Stefan answered her before going to get some water from the fridge.
"What do you mean she's sick?" Caroline exclaimed, before adding, "I thought it was weird her vomiting earlier on!"
"I don't know what's going on with her. She was puking last night and now she fainted. I'm just trying to keep calm so it doesn't rub off on her. She needs calmness otherwise she'll just blow up like she usually does when everything gets too much." He tried to explain even if inside he felt like a wreck with worry.
"I know this is going to sound really weird but I was talking to Valerie earlier, I told her that the pregnancy test came back negative for Ric's babies, then I said how Payton had been vomiting. Valerie suggested that maybe Payton should be the one to take the test." Caroline found herself saying back to him, as she went on, "I thought she was being ridiculous going from one vampire to the next, but now you've just told me she's sick, maybe Valerie is right."
"You think Payton is carrying Ric's babies?" Stefan frowned back at the theory as he finished pouring the water.
"Well, Valerie said last night it was either me or Payton. She thought it was me because I had touched the blood first and she saw Payton drinking but not being affected by it. But now you've just told me everything that's been going on with her and the fact I got a negative test maybe she is on to something."
"But it's impossible..." He wasn't so convinced but the more Caroline spoke the more it seemed to make sense.
"I thought the same but what else could be wrong with her, huh?" Caroline asked him in confusion.
"I have no idea," Stefan sighed, he knew it was possible even if he didn't want to believe it before shaking his head, "would the coven really want Payton to carry her Dad's babies? Surely that's just messed up!"
"Think about it though. They're blood related. Payton is Alaric's other daughter. It kind of makes sense. You hear mothers carrying their daughters children all the time." Caroline tried to explain.
"You know she's just going to freak out more when I tell her, don't you?" He said back.
"Oh she'll hate us and Valerie more. But we have to be sure. If she really loves Alaric, she'll want to know." Caroline responded back.
"Want to know what?"
Stefan snapped his head round to see Payton now stood in the doorway of the kitchen, he had been so engrossed in his conversation and his concerns to even realise she had come downstairs.
"Uh, Care, I'll call you back." He told her before hanging up the cell phone and looking back at his girlfriend.
"Well?" She raised her brows up in confusion not understanding what was going on.
"You might want to sit down." Stefan suggested motioning over to the bar stool.
"Stefan, you're scaring me..." Payton said back to him, hopping up onto the bar stool as he handed her the water.
She reluctantly took it from him, looking up at him as he came to stand beside her, he wrapped his arm around her and admitted, "There is something you should probably know."
"What?" Payton frowned back, her heart was thumping at this point, she swear she could vomit again, so many awful thoughts ran through her head.
"Valerie and Caroline think the coven put the babies inside of you." He confessed to her in a nervous tone.
She looked back at him, her jaw dropped slightly, an overwhelming feeling of dread and confusion washing over her, "W-w-what?"
"I know it sound's crazy but with how you've been feeling lately it would make sense..." Stefan tried to ease her into this news.
"But..." She shook her head, before lifting up her t-shirt to look down at her stomach, trying to see if it looked different, "I can't! I mean! How? Valerie said it was Caroline! Is this just some game to her?"
"Apparently she admitted that she wasn't sure. She thought it was Caroline because Caroline wiped the blood first and that you were drinking. But after Caroline told her you vomited today and then I told her you were sick last night and fainted, Caroline and I put the pieces together."
"But I can't be pregnant!" Payton exclaimed, she couldn't believe this right now, fear was hitting her harder, she didn't want to believe it was true, "I'm Alaric's daughter for god sake!"
"Maybe that's why the coven picked you. Because you have a connection to the babies. They're your sisters."
She scoffed, shaking her head in shock, "I can't believe this is even happening!"
"I'm going to be right here with you all the way." Stefan rubbed her back comfortingly.
"Does my Dad know about this?" She asked him.
"I don't know. I don't think so."
"Well, someone's going to have to tell him because I'm not going to get his hopes up nor am I going to tell him because it's just so damn weird!" Payton exclaimed shaking her head and grabbing the water, refreshing herself instantly.
"I'll talk to him." He assured her.
A couple of hours later, Payton found herself laying on top of a hospital bed, her t-shirt rolled up ready and waiting for a scan. Her Dad was stood beside her, tension was thick in the air, it was a mixture of awkwardness and unease, it was the weirdest situation, a situation they never thought they'd be in, but here they were.
Payton had only ever had one pregnancy scare in her whole life. It was when her and Mason first started dating and she was late. Thankfully they took a test and it came back negative. A few days later her period came but that had been enough to scare the hell out of her. She wasn't ready for kids. Then she became pregnant and the idea of her having her own family one day became a distant memory.
Yet here she was, waiting to see if she was carrying her Dad's children for him, you couldn't make this kind of stuff up.
Stefan had made the call to Alaric earlier on, Alaric had been just as freaked out as Payton was feeling, he was unconvinced but still had to hold onto hope, he wasn't ready to accept the fate earlier on when Caroline had tested negative and now this really seemed like his last shot.
Stefan, Caroline and Valerie were sitting outside the hospital room in the waiting room waiting for them.
The radiographer had just finished squirting the gel on Payton's stomach and was going to pick up the device to roll over her stomach to do the ultra sound, as she started to rub the cold gel into her belly, the woman turned to them and asked, "How far long are you?"
"Uh," Payton nervously looked over at her Dad, grateful they had told the woman that this was her Dad, he was coming to be with her for support, missing out the part that she might be carrying his magical babies, "I'm not really sure how to answer that..."
"Okay," The woman accepted their answer, guessing they didn't want to go into it, "let's see what we can see."
Payton drew in a shaky breathe, feeling like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, if she was her life was about to change right in front of her eyes and if she wasn't, then she was about to break her Dad's heart all over again, as the woman turned to look at the screen, after a while the woman frowned, "Are you certain your pregnant?"
"Why?" Payton asked thinking they had been stupid to even contemplate this idea, doubt already settling in and her anger at Valerie rising for her stupid games.
"What's wrong?" Alaric questioned with slight concern.
"Well, I'm not seeing one baby, let alone two." The woman informed them.
Alaric frowned at the monitor, his heart already sinking as Payton asked, "Are you absolutely sure?"
"Twins would be hard to miss," The woman answered, as Payton glanced over at her Dad with sadness, feeling bad for him right now, this was another hope that had been nothing more than that, "I'm not hearing any heartbeats either. I'm sorry if you were informed otherwise," Alaric glanced back at Payton with sadness, as the woman said, "I'll give you guys some time alone."
"Dad, I'm sorry," Payton apologised, shaking her head as she did, thinking this was all Valerie's fault, "you don't deserve this."
"No, I'm sorry for putting you through this. I've been so desperate to believe this was actually possible." He admitted to her in a strained tone.
"I'm sorry I couldn't make it happen. When Stefan told me, I couldn't believe it, but then the drive over here, I thought about it more and thought maybe they could be on to something. But I'm sorry." She explained to him with apologetic eyes.
Just then the door opened, Valerie and Stefan appeared at the door after they had seen the woman leave, they wondered what was going on.
"Come to make up some more messed up stories?" Payton spat at Valerie in annoyance, thinking she had wasted all of their time and ruined her Dad's hopes.
"I saw the Doctor leave." Valerie remarked ignoring Payton's comment as Stefan came into the room with her and went over to Payton's bedside.
"Well, she told us that you were wrong." Payton made it clear to her that she wasn't in the mood for any more shit.
"Are you sure about that?" Valerie said before she also came over to join them, Payton frowned as she watched Valerie lay her hand over her stomach.
"What are you doing?" She exclaimed in horror that the girl was trying to perform some spell on her without her permission.
Valerie was really testing her patience.
"Valerie..." Stefan warned slightly knowing it probably wasn't best to mess with Payton right now.
He didn't want to be witness to Payton punching Valerie after learning she had done the same just yesterday.
Suddenly Payton felt a weird feeling hit her stomach, causing Valerie to pull her hand back, she felt like something was inside of her, something hard and something heavy, she felt her heart begin to pound at the sudden change inside of her body.
"Oh my god," She gasped, as she turned to look up at her boyfriend, then at Alaric, Valerie edged away, quickly Payton grabbed the device and ran it over her stomach once more in a frantic manner, everyone's eyes turned to look at the screen, wondering what was going on.
"Payton, what's wrong?" Her boyfriend asked.
"Just let her!" Valerie told him, before she went on to explain, "I wasn't so sure if it was you, Payton, I kept looking at you, wondering, but then I saw you drink booze and I thought there is no way. But then what everyone told me earlier, it seemed to make so much more sense. Your Dad's babies are the future of the coven, they would've protected them in anyway that they could..."
"Wait, wait, how is any of this possible?" Alaric interrupted, asking the one question everyone had on their mind ever since they suggested it was Payton.
"Yeah how is she pregnant?" Stefan questioned in confusion.
Payton gasped from the bed as her eyes were still glued on the screen, seeing that now the two babies were showing up on the scan, they were alive, they were inside of her and Valerie had been right. She was pregnant. She was carrying her Dad's babies and her future sisters. Payton had been the one the Coven had chosen. She couldn't believe it.
"They were cloaked." Valerie said as all of their eyes fell onto the screen to witness what Payton was and hear the heartbeat's that were now beating hard in the room.
She snapped her head around to look at her Dad, he instantly grabbed her spare hand and squeezed it tight, "Dad!" She gasped, squeezing it back, thinking that as scary and overwhelming this was, Payton was going to be able to make his dreams come true, he really was going to be a Dad after all.
And she was going to have little sisters.
Author note: What a twist! Some of you did guess it. Eeek. Bring on pregnant Payton! Although part of me really wishes that it was Payton pregnant with Stefan's baby haha.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read. Special thank you to Djone246, WickedlyMinx, GirlyGamer1986 and ally1762 for reviewing the last couple of parts. I loved reading your thoughts so much!
I'd love to know what you think about this one.
What do you think about Payton being pregnant?
Should Stefan have been honest with Payton from the start?
Thank you so much.
Best wish always,
guiltypleasurexo
