Disclaimer – All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plots are the property of the creator. The director/author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun. ~*D*~
Author Note – I'm back. (Waves) Sorry about how short the last chapter was but I'll try and make it up to you, my faithful readers. (Smiles) I'm thrilled that everyone has enjoyed the last chapter. (Smiles Brightly) I would also like to say thanks to everyone who have left reviews. (Gives Thumbs Up) It helps me figure out what I'm going to be writing next but also what you would like to see. (Wiggles Brows) Now onto the next chapter of Life & Death!
Notes:
Personal Thoughts
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(Next Day, Mystic Falls High School – 7:32 AM)
The next morning, Erica was woken up early only because of a cold chill that crept into her room through an opened bedroom window. Knowing she had closed her windows the night before, she mentally groaned, praying that Stefan didn't pull an Edward Cullen while she was asleep last night. Groaning, she glanced over to her alarm clock and read it was only 3 in the morning. Still wanting to sleep a little longer, Erica forced herself to get up and closed her window before climbing back in bed to sleep for a few more hours. The next thing she knew, her alarm clock went off at 7 o'clock.
Having showered the other day, she went to her closet only to groan when she remembered she hadn't done laundry the other day. Dropping her chin to her chest, Erica turned around and headed to her dresser, pulling out a pair of black biker shorts that would go with a shirt she was going to snag from Jeremy. After retrieving her prize from her brother room, she returned to her room and dressed for school. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Damon's pet crow sitting once more on her window sill watching her like a peeping Tom.
Mentally sighing, Erica decided to just ignore the blasted bird as she continued to get ready, forgoing putting on Esther's necklace but making sure it was safely hidden away. She had thought of just skipping school to do laundry but knew she had to go since it was Tanner's last day alive. While she usually don't condone killing, Tanner was a dick and his death would pave the way for Alaric Saltzman to show up, meaning it was necessary. Gathering up her dirty clothes, she placed them in her hamper and headed down stairs to start a load of laundry.
Once the washer was loaded, she headed back upstairs to grab her wallet and book bag. Seeing she didn't have much time left before the first bell rang, Erica hurried back downstairs, said goodbye to Jenna, who was getting ready to head to school herself and grabbed her keys before heading out the door. Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the schools parking lot to find Bonnie and Caroline waiting on her. Honking her horn to get their attention, she pulled in to one of the last empty parking places and climbed out only to jump out of her skin when the peeping crow from earlier cawed at her, landed on her opened car door.
"Really Damon." Erica hissed quietly at the crow, mentally smirking when it cocked its head to the side, "Yes, I know its been you. Now if you don't mind, I have school. Shoo!" She trying to shoo it away just as Bonnie and Caroline walked up.
"Erica?" Bonnie asked, staring at the crow as it cawed once more before taking off, "What's up with the crow?" She raised a brow, not liking the feeling she was getting from it.
Erica decided to hit Damon the next time she saw him, "No clue." She shut her car door after grabbing her book bag, "Its been following me around since the one hit your car windshield on the first day back."
"Seriously?" Caroline looked completely skeptical, glancing between Bonnie and Erica, "A crow hit Bonnie's windshield and now one's following you around? Shouldn't it be following Bonnie since she like killed its relative?" She then winced, thinking of what she just said, "I am so sorry, Eri."
"It's ok, Care." Erica waved off her apology since she knew it was just Caroline being Caroline, "Any word from Matt?" She remembered the text she saw on her phone this morning when she put it in her book bag.
Caroline shook her head, "He's to busy with Vicki." She knew it was petty of her but she couldn't help hating how Vicki was taking up Matt's time, "He's been following her around since they arrived as if the animal was going to attack here here."
"Give it a few days," Bonnie told Caroline, shifting her bag high up on her shoulder as the three began making their way into the school. "His sister was just attacked by some kind of animal."
"I know that, Bonn." Caroline said, rolling her eyes, "Its just…. Matt and I have been growing apart these past few weeks and Vicki's attack just proves it." She nibbled on her lip as she brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "He has all these future plans about a big house with a white picket fence and 2.5 children when I'm not thinking any further then graduation and maybe college." She sighed, shaking her head, "What should I do?" She looked between her two best friends.
Bonnie and Erica looked to each other before turning their eyes back to Caroline. "Tell him the truth," Erica spoke up before Bonnie could. "Explain that you don't know what the future holds and think its best that the two of you take a break."
"Erica's right," Bonnie looked relieved as if she hadn't known what to say. "Just tell him the truth. He may be upset but its better then leading him on." She nudged Caroline's shoulder as they headed to their first period, "And I would tell him sooner rather then later. You never know who might say something before you can even open your mouth."
"You guys are right," Caroline agreed, glancing around and seeing a few other girls whispering to each other. "I'll tell him as soon as I can find him." She looked upset because of the fact he's been busy with Vicki, "Of course, I couldn't have picked a worse time with what's happened to Vicki."
Both Bonnie and Erica looked sad at Caroline but before they could say anything, the final bell rang causing all the three girls to hurry to their first period. Most of her classes were the same old thing but for some reason Mr. Tanner was being extra hard on his students. He seemed to love picking ones from the founding families. Erica, in particular, which was the reason he seemed to keep an eye on her every time she stepped into his class. Already knowing what he was spewing, she decided to ignore Tanner as usual which caused him to pick her out of the entire class to answer his question, except she was ignoring him.
"Am I boring you, Ms. Gilbert?" Mr. Tanner questioned her, clearing his throat to gain her attention as he stared her down.
"Yes," Erica answered truthfully, her classmates looking at her in disbelief because she had never been rude to a teacher before.
Tanner's eye twitched, "If that's the case then you surely know the date Pearl Harbor was bombed."
"I believe it was December 7, 1941." Erica answered, sitting up in her seat as she rested her arms on the top of the desk as she remembered exactly what episode this was.
"It seems that I was mistaken," Tanner looked rather irritated at the fact she gave the correct answer. "Since I am so boring to you, let's see just how much history you do know." He gave her a smirk, knowing she couldn't possibly know more then him since he was a history teacher, "Fall of the Berlin Wall?"
Erica tapped a finger against her chin, pretending to think about it before giving him the answer, "1989, I believe."
"Correct," Tanner gave her a fake smile, glaring at the students who snickered. "Civil Rights Act?"
"1964."
"John F. Kennedy's assassination?"
It was plain as day that with each answer Erica answered correctly that Tanner was getting angrier because of a small tick beside his left eye, "1963."
"Martin Luther King?"
"'68."
"Lincoln?"
Erica could feel the eyes of the students on her as she took Stefan's lines from the show but she was finally getting something over on Tanner, "1865."
"Roe vs. Wade?"
"1973."
The class was dead silent as they watched the verbal tennis match that was playing out in front of them, "Brown vs. Board?"
"1954."
"Battle of Gettysburg?"
"1863." Erica answered, mentally rolling her eyes at how childish Tanner was being.
Tanner stood next to his desk, tense and his hands clenched into fists, "Korean War?"
"1950 to 1953."
"HA!" Tanner pointed a finger at her, acting like a child, "It ended in 1952, not 53." Ignoring the scoffing of the students at his actions.
Stefan cleared his throat, gaining Tanner's attention, "She's right, sir. It was '53."
"Look it up, somebody." Tanner demanded, revealing that even he wasn't sure when the war ended.
"It was in 19….53." Matt revealed, having looked it up on his phone and showed it to the others near him to prove that both Erica and Stefan were correct.
Tanner's face turned a bright tomato red as he turned his attention to Erica, "Get. Out." He demanded, pointing at the door, pissed that one of his students upstaged him, "Leave! I will not have you disrupting my class!"
"No problem," Erica scoffed, not shocked at the turn of events as she began gathering her things, "See ya, Tanner." She yelled over her shoulder as she walked out of the class, not caring she had been kicked out class.
Heading home to put the clothes from the water into the dryer then putting a load into the washer, Bonnie kept her updated about what was going on while she was gone. Bonnie texted her that Caroline finally did break up with Matt when she cornered him at lunch. She was informed that neither Caroline nor Matt were taking the break up well. Returning to school, however, she spotted Bonnie and Caroline talking to Stefan and instantly knew what was going on when Stefan shook Bonnie's hand. Bonnie tensed as if she were in a trance before snatching her hand away.
Getting out of the car, Erica watched as Bonnie made some type of an excuse before hurrying away. Caroline made vague excuses for her witchy friend before following after her. Slinging her book bag over her shoulder, Erica walked over to where Stefan stood, watching Bonnie and Caroline hurrying into the school. Nudging his shoulder with her own, she asked him if he was ok as they also headed inside when the bell rang signaling it was time to return to class. Stefan told her he was fine but couldn't help but worried about his brothers interest in her.
"I'll be fine, Stefan." Erica told him once again, getting slightly ticked off that he couldn't leave well enough alone, "I've learned from a young age on how to protect myself against things that go bump in the night." She stopped staring him down, "While I may not think like my ancestors, I do know that not every vampire I meet is going to have their humanity." She stood her ground, staring down at Stefan as if he was beneath her because at this point in time he was.
"I'm not saying you can't protect yourself but going up against vampires is different then going up against a human, Erica." Stefan argued, his eyes dropping to where she was wearing her Dragon Key necklace with the red jewel, "Where's the necklace I gave you?" His eyes snapped to hers, wondering if he could go and get it for her before Damon made his appearance.
Erica mentally rolled her eyes as she counted to 10 to calm herself down before saying anything. "Stefan," She began, pinning him with a stern look as her eyes hardened, "I appreciate the gesture but let me make one thing clear." She stepped a little closer so she was only a hair breathe away from him, "I am not now nor have I ever been a damsel in distress. Do not treat me as such or you and I will have problems."
"Alright," Stefan replied, completely floored that Erica would speak to him in such a manner. "But just remember that Damon is dangerous. He wouldn't even bat an eye about killing anyone in town."
"As long as he doesn't hurt anyone I care about, then I have no problem who he kills." Erica divulged, knowing full well that Damon had a compelled spy somewhere listening to her and Stefan talking, "And please don't try and scold me like I'm some child, Stefan. You may be older but in reality we are the same age. You will forever be 17 years old while I can still grow and mature." Without another word, she turned around, hair flying out and hitting him in the face before heading off to her class.
If Erica would have looked behind her, she would have saw Stefan looking rather conflicted. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she did see Samantha who was one of Tiki's little friends, trying to look as if she were busy trying to open the locker in front of her. The funny thing was that the locker she stood in front of was Bonnie's because there was a small 'B' carved into the paint in the top right hand side. Getting to class a few minutes later, the only seat left was in the very front of class and she had to write out the reason for her being late.
If it was a plausible excuse, then Mrs. Gaines let them off with a warning but if their excuse was something stupid, she would give them detention with another teacher. Being late because of her telling Stefan off was something she didn't think would get her off with a warning but she wrote down what she could including about Stefan and his brother. The only thing she left out was the fact that the two brothers were vampires. She doubted Mrs. Gaines needed to know that little tidbit. At the end of class, she was held back and she handed over her essay on why she was late.
Luck seemed to be on her side or Mrs. Gaines was in a good mood because Erica was let off with a warning and a good job for standing up for herself. The rest of the day went about the same as the day before except for the fact Stefan was now apart of the football group. She had no problem with him hanging out with the guys because it meant he was kept away from her. If it was one thing Erica hated was a guy who believed women were weak and needed to be protected. As the day progressed, she decided Stefan needed to be shown just how well she could protect herself.
First, however, she needed to pin her ninja of a brother down and talk to him. It took some doing from his friends but she was able to corner him after his last class. As soon as he saw her, Jeremy cringed as he backed into the wall and holding his backpack in front of himself like it was a shield that would protect him. Erica didn't even say anything as she stopped a few feet from him, feet shoulder width apart and arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were locked on him because no matter were he moved, she would look directly at him. It took a few seconds but he finally cracked.
"Ok!" Jeremy cried out, worried about what his sister would do for making her worry, "I'm sorry for not calling or texting that I was going home but as soon as I layed down, I was out." He licked his lips, "I may have also been extremely high, too." He chuckled, giving her a quivering grin and praying his sister wouldn't hurt him to bad.
"Don't." Erica hit Jeremy in the arm, causing him to wince, "Do. It. Again." With each word, she hit him in the shoulder to prove her point, "I was really worried that something happened to you until I called Jenna." She then pulled him into a hug, "I love you, Ere. If something were to happen to you…" Erica trailed off because she didn't want to say she'd murder anyone who harmed him in the middle of school, even if no one was around.
Jeremy winced, wrapping his arms around his sister as he hugged her back, feeling rather guilty that he made Erica worry, "I love you, too, Eri and I'm sorry for not calling you." He whispered, suddenly remembering some of the rumors going around school about his sister, "Now, what's this about you having a crush on someone's brother?"
"Et tu." Erica blushed as she pulled away from her brother, unable to stop from blushing, "Fine, I have a crush on Stefan Salvatore's older brother, Damon." She admitted, knowing Jeremy wouldn't let it go. "I ran into him a few days ago but I doubt he'd go for me since he looks over 21." She hoped he would drop it but with him almost as bad as Caroline, she knew he wouldn't.
"And?" Jeremy said, seeing something in his sister's eyes that told him something else happened when she met Damon, "While the others may not see it, I can tell something else happened." He crossed his arms, staring her down as she seemed to fidget under his gaze.
Erica pursed her lips, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned her head away from him, "I kissed him." She whispered, just loud enough for Jeremy to hear. "I kissed Damon."
"That's it?" Jeremy raised a brow, tilting his head to the side, "You kissed him." He had at least expected her to say something else besides her just kissing him.
"Yup." Erica acknowledged with a curt nod, straightening up from where she was leaning against the wall. "I also may have told Stefan off earlier today." She started walking out of the school when she realized they were the only two left.
Jeremy fell into step with his sister, "I heard something about that." He chuckled, eyes sparkling with mirth as he wished he could have been there, "Dana said she heard him trying to protect you against someone and you told him point blank you could take care of yourself and weren't a 'Damsel in Distress'."
"Well, Dana was correct," Erica proclaimed as the two walked out of the school. "Stefan said he believed I could protect myself but for some reason he thinks his brother could hurt me." She rolled her eyes, pulling out her car keys.
"Next time he tries spouting off you need to be protected, show him that you don't." Jeremy advised his sister with a mischievous smirk and a twinkle in his eye. "I think you laying him out would show him just how defenseless you really are." He stood at the passenger side door, waiting for Erica to unlock it.
Erica grinned as she unlocked her car, "I was thinking just that." She climbed in behind the wheel as Jeremy climbed into the passenger side, "But I need to finish laundry before I can do anything. I was going to do it yesterday but I kinda forgot."
"I noticed," Jeremy observed, narrowing his eyes as he looked her over. "Is that my shirt?" He had thought that shirt was hanging in his closet at home.
"Mine were dirty." Erica shrugged, starting the car up and pulling out of the school's parking lot, "I went home at lunch to change out the washer and dryer."
Jeremy shook his head, relaxing back into the passenger seat, "Do you ever just stop and relax?" He noticed his sister was always go, go, go but did make time for family. "Last I heard you were still going to the Judo tournament in Richmond."
"I canceled." Erica told Jeremy, glancing over at him, "I called Master Chi and explained about needing to take some time for you and Jenna. He was very understanding but reminded me to keep up my training because he would be testing me when I returned." She chuckled, stopping at a stop light.
"You still need to teach me some more moves." Jeremy reminded her, poking her in the side which caused her to jump.
Erica slapped him in the arm a few times before having to go since the light turned green, "Damn it, Jeremy!" She slapped him once more before turning her entire focus on driving, "As if you'd let me forget." She rolled her eyes, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, "First, though, I'm going to show Saint Stefan just how defenseless I really am." She grinned wiggling her brows as she turned onto their street.
"Can I watch?" Jeremy pleaded, knowing how good his sister was but not knowing just what she was going to go up against. "Please." He really wanted to see Stefan dropped a peg or two for even thinking Erica needed protecting.
"Maybe another time." Erica compromised since she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to explain vampires to both him and Jenna. "I'm not going to be playing around when I head to the Salvatore's to teach Mr. Stefan a lesson he wont forget." She explained as she pulled into the driveway.
Jeremy looked like he wanted to argue but seemed to decide against it, giving her a curt nod before climbing out of the car and head inside. Erica knew he wanted to watch her beat the shit out of Stefan but he didn't know about him or Damon being vampires. Which reminded her, she would need to tell both Jenna and Jeremy about vampires and witches but at the moment she needed to finish her laundry. Climbing out of the car, Erica headed inside to find Jeremy already on his video game. Rolling her eyes, she headed upstairs to drop off her book bag before checking on her clothes.
Since both the washer and dryer were done, Erica started with the clothes in the dryer which were her hang up clothes such as shirts, dresses and pants. After hanging the clothes up from the dryer, she turned her attention to the washer. Gathering her underclothes, she tossed them into the dryer, closed the door then cleaned the vent before turning it on. Once she was sure her last load was in the dryer, she gathered up her hang up clothes and went upstairs to hang them up. Upon stepping back into her room, she was greeted by Damon perched on a tree limb not to far from her window.
"Hello Damon?" Erica asked, remembering that he didn't have an invitation into her home just yet. "Shouldn't you be annoying your brother or something?" She headed over to her closet and began hanging up her clothes she fished from the dryer.
"Who says I can't visit you and annoy him at the same time?" Damon retorted, a sly smirk spread across his face as his eyes followed her, "Mind letting me in?" He raised a brow as she stuck her head out of the closest.
Erica knew he would get invited in one way or another but wanted to see what he'd do for it, "I could invite you." She retreated back into her closet, "But first you would have to agree to a few things."
"Oh?" Damon was intrigued, wondering just what made Erica Gilbert tick because she wasn't like anyone he'd ever met before, "And those would be?" He wondered just what Erica was thinking as she stepped out of her closet, still wearing her black biker shorts but changed into a dark red shirt dress with cut outs that showed off her shoulders and slits up each side to her waist.
"My friends, Bonnie and Caroline, and my family, Jenna and Jeremy, are not to be harmed or used in whatever plans your cooking up." Erica insisted as she stared Damon down, "You will also have to be more careful about feeding because of the fact the council still hunts." She gave Damon a look that told him all he needed to know, "Which means you'll have to either feed and erase, go out of town to feed or drink from blood bags."
Damon's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared her down, knowing he couldn't compel her to let him in, "Or I could just feed from you." He licked his lips, eyes sparkling as he saw a slight blush spreading across Erica's face, "And we could even continue where we left off the other night."
"I don't think so," Erica remained strong when all she wanted to do was give in. "Either you agree to my terms or you can find another way in." She watched an array of emotions flash across Damon's face but knew his switch was still closer to 'Off' then 'On'. "I'll even allow you to seal our deal with a blood exchange." She knew that was like waving red in front of a bull because Damon's eyes darkened rather quickly at the mention of sharing blood, his hand pressed against the barrier separating them.
"Agreed." Damon purred as he felt his face begin changing, watching Erica for her reaction.
Of course, Damon didn't know what was going through Erica's mind because she was in fact rather turned on by the black veins slithering up to his eyes and the red seeping into his icy blues. Without saying a word, she turned her back on Damon and headed over to her bedroom door. She could feel his heated gaze on her back as she closed it, locking it from within then doing the same to the bathroom door. Turning back around, she locked eyes with Damon as she moved to where her back was against a solid wall before she whispered the words she knew Damon wanted to hear.
"Come in, Damon." Erica whispered just loud enough for his vampire hearing to pick up.
"Don't mind if I do," Damon's eyes sparkled as his hand passed through where the barrier once was.
In the blink of an eye, Damon had her pressed against the wall and her hands pinned above her head, his left thigh wedged firmly between hers forcing her to stand on her tip toes. His arousal was pressing against her teasingly, showing her just what she could have if only for one night. A shiver ran through her entire body as the need to breathe caught up with her. Pulling back to breathe, Damon continued his assault on her neck, finally releasing her hands. Her left hand moved down to grip the hair on the back of Damon's head while her right grabbed onto his leather clad arm.
"Bite me," Erica whispered softly since she knew Damon would hear her. "We need to seal the deal." Her eyes were darkened with lust just as Damon's were.
"Are you sure?" Damon's voice seemed tender as he his left hand came up to cupped her cheek.
Erica knew it was a bad idea but she had agreed, nestling into Damon's hands, her eyes never leaving his as she kissed the palm. "Yes." A sly smirk spread across her face, "Just remember, I get to bite back."
That seemed to spur Damon on as his face quickly changed and he returned to her neck, licking and sucking on the spot he was going to bite. A whimper forced its way out of Erica's throat because out of every place on her body, her neck was her most sensitive. Her whimper was all the signal Damon needed as his sharp fangs pierced her flesh. Instead of the pain she expected, her body began to shake as an intense unexpected orgasm washed over her. When she came back to senses, she found her teeth buried in Damon's neck and his blood pooling in her mouth.
After a taking a mouth full of Damon's blood, she swallowed her prize, pulling away. Licking her lips, she looked up at Damon to find him staring down at her with a heated gaze. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, he disappeared out her bedroom window without a word. Erica stood there, rather dazed and confused for a few minutes before reaching up and tracing where she knew Damon had bit her, only to find smooth unblemished skin. For some odd reason, not feeling a mark on her neck caused something in her chest to twist with unease.
Not wanting to think to much on why she was feeling that way, Erica glanced over at the clock on her wall to see she had a little over 2 hours before she had to leave to meet up with Caroline and Bonnie for the pregame ritual. Not wanting to smoke alone, she grabbed a few pre-rolled joints she had hidden away and headed downstairs to where she knew Jeremy was. As soon as her little brother spotted the joints, he gave her the second controller and they played a few different first shooter games until Jenna came home after a long day of sitting through a few of her college classes.
She snatched the joint out of Jeremy's hand and plopped down between the siblings, taking a big hit before handing it over to Erica. Of course each time Erica would try and hand it to Jeremy, Jenna would snatch it away, take a hit and hold it out for Erica to take. After the third time, Erica remembered that Jeremy was grounded and this was part of his punishment. Pursing her lips to keep from laughing, she said stated something about checking on her laundry before hurrying out of the room only to hear Jeremy whining about wanting another hit from the joint.
In the safety of the laundry room, Erica finally let go and busted up laughing at the look on her brothers face begging Jenna for a hit off the joint. When she finally able to calm herself, she checked the dryer to find it about to shut off. Checking to see if her clothes were dry, she pulled them out and placed them into her collapsible hamper when they were. After checking to make sure everything was out of the dryer, she headed upstairs to sort through them before putting them away. Returning to her room, she tried to ignore the pain she felt not seeing Damon nor his crow.
Dumping her underclothes out onto her bed, Erica set the hamper back beside her dresser before setting to work on matching her socks, folding her underwear and bras. Once she finished, she gathered her underclothes up and put them away then headed over to her vanity/desk to touch up her makeup. As she finished her make up and sorted through her jewelry, trying to decide what to wear, her mind kept going back to the kiss she shared with Damon. While she had been kissed in her past life, nothing could compare to the feelings Damon's kiss invoked in her.
Even her dreams seemed to be against her because every night since the crash she had been dreaming of different things involving Damon. Last night, however, was the most erotic dream she'd ever had. Damon snuck into her room through her bedroom window, waking her up in the most pleasurable ways before fucking her senseless. Of course, she ended up waking up horny as hell and the kiss Damon just gave her didn't help. Forcing herself to think of anything else, she headed over to her vanity/desk to decide which rings she was going to wear before slipping them on.
Once she was ready, Erica stepped into her black ballet flats, grabbed her wallet and pulled out her drivers license and her bank card. Tossing her wallet back on the vanity/desk, she put both cards into her bra before heading downstairs. Passing Jeremy's room, she saw him doing his homework with his sketch pad laying beside him on the bed. Just glad he was doing his school work, she left him alone as she continued downstairs. After letting Jenna know she was leaving to meet up with Caroline and Bonnie, she grabbed her keys and phone before hurrying out the door.
Even though she wasn't apart of the cheerleading squad, Caroline still wanted her there for the pregame ritual and moral support. The one time she hadn't been able to be there, they had lost the game. From that moment on, Caroline demanded her presence at every game, even if she wasn't feeling good, so as to now have a repeat. No more then ten minutes later, she was pulling into the schools parking lot to find both Caroline and Bonnie talking rather animatedly. Parking in the closest empty stall to where the two stood, she pulled her keys and climbed out of the car.
"Thank god you are here," Caroline exclaimed, looking lost as she pulled Bonnie over to Erica. "Bonnie has been freaking out since she shook Stefan's hand earlier today." She finally released Bonnie's arm as they stood in front of Erica, who had just shut her car door.
"Why?" Erica asked, pretending not to know why, "Did he do something?" She frowned, playing it up a little.
Bonnie shook her head, rubbing her hands together, "No, he didn't do anything." She sighed, biting her lip, "Its just that when I shook his hand earlier today, I felt a bad vibe from him."
"Are you like psychic or something?" Caroline asked, looking rather skeptical as they headed over to where the others on the squad were.
"Technically I'm a witch," Bonnie explained, stopping a few hundred feet from the others so they couldn't hear what she had to say. "Grams been telling me stories ever since the comet passed over. She says its a sign that danger and that the paranormal energy will bring untold horrors."
Erica stood there, thinking about what she should say, "There has been more 'animal' attacks as of late." She spoke up, bringing it to their attention, "What kind of animal would drain its victims of their blood?"
"None that I can think of," Bonnie whispered her reply, looking worried as she tried to think of any animal that could do something like that but kept coming up empty. "Caroline?" She looked to their other friend, only to find her shaking her head.
"Nope. Not happening," Caroline stated rather firmly, not wanting to get involved. "There is no talking about death before the game." She placed one hand on her hip and pointed to Bonnie with the other, "You, go get in formation." She ordered before turning to Erica, "And you go find a seat in the bleachers. I need to know what you think." She then turned and made her way over to the other girls ordering them to get into formation for the routine.
With a roll of her eyes, Bonnie did as Caroline ordered while Erica found a seat on the bleachers. As Caroline was putting the cheerleading squad through the routine for the game, Tanner had the football team out on the field since Stefan and ended up joining. Erica didn't really know how it happened but she could guess from the look Matt was giving Stefan and Caroline what was going on. It shocked her on how things turn out even with her interference. Looking around, her eyes locked on her brother standing up to Tyler with Vicki Donovan standing not to far from the two.
Eyes narrowed, Erica jumped to her feet and stalked towards the two arguing boys. While she knew it wasn't all Tyler's fault he had anger issues, it sure didn't excuse him from lashing out at those around him. Seeing Tyler rear back to punch Jeremy in the face, she took off in a run and jumped on his back like a spider monkey. Using a move Master Chi taught her, she flipped Tyler Lockwood around until he was face down on the ground with her kneeling on his kidneys. The entire football field was silent as they watched her take down one of their star football players.
"I think that's quite enough, don't you?" Erica stated loud enough for everyone to hear, noticing Stefan watching her out of the corner of her eye.
"Your punk of a brother started it." Tyler snarled, trying to dislodge her only to get her knee dug harder into his side causing him to wince at the pain it caused.
Erica's eyes narrowed, twisting his wrist as she dug her knee into his side a little harder, "While my brother may be a punk, I doubt he tried to actually fight you, dick head." She leaned forward, close to his ear, "And if you come after my brother again, I'll show you just what I can do."
"Fine," Tyler spat, eyes filled with anger as he layed still. "Now get the fuck off." He was on his feet as soon as Erica got off him, "Watch your back bitch." He turned and walked off, not seeing the narrowing of Stefan or Erica's eyes eyes.
"Idiot." Erica whispered, under her breathe before turning to face Jeremy only to find Vicki standing with him, cooing at him as if he walked on water which made her sick to her stomach because of the fact Jeremy was her brother and underage. "Why are you still here, Donovan?" She tilted her head to the side, arms crossed as she stared the older girl down, "Shouldn't you be running after Lockwood?" She raised a brow, ready in case the dumb bitch tried anything
Vicki glared at Erica, having a deep hatred for the young girl for unknown reasons, "Mind your own business." She sneered, turning back to Jeremy, "I have to get to work, I'll see you later." After giving Jeremy a kiss that was illegal in many places, she turned and sauntered away.
"Please tell me you haven't slept with her." Erica pleaded to her brother, noticing how people seemed to move away from the two of them.
"It's not any of your…" Jeremy started only to be stopped by Erica's hand slicing through the air.
Erica stared her brother down, stepping into his space,"Yes, it is my business." She snapped, hating she had to be the bad guy, "That…..woman is nothing more then an addict and will do anything for her next high. I do not want you being pulled down when she ends up falling into the hole she's digging for herself."
"Vicki isn't like that." Jeremy argued, glaring back at his sister because he didn't believe Vicki would hurt him, "She loves me."
"Really?" Erica scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised a brow, "She loves you? Then why in the hell is she shacking up with Tyler, hm?" She tilted her head to the side, "Vicki is using the both of you. She is 18 years old, Jeremy. She should be taking care of her younger brother but instead he has to take care of her." She sighed, shaking her head as she gave her brother a pleading look, "I love you, Jeremy. I really do but please don't get involved with Vicki Donovan." She kissed his cheek before turning and walking away before he could say anything.
Needing to check the time, Erica went to grab her phone only to realize she didn't have any pockets and left her phone in her car. Groaning, she made her way across the field and to the parking lot where she parked. Halfway across the parking to find Tanner's body which meant that something else was going on. Instantly alert to her surroundings, she debated on waiting until someone was with her but she needed her phone in case Jenna called her. Steeling herself for what was about to happen, she hurried over to her car and opened the door to grab her phone.
As soon as she had her phone in her hand, Erica felt someone walk up behind her. She stood and turned to face her attacker, only to be pushed roughly up against the side of her car. Feeling that the person wasn't much taller then her, she leaned forward and slammed the back of her head into the attacker's face. Whoever had decided to attack her stumbled backwards with a cry of pain, allowing her to turn and face the person. Upon seeing Tanner standing there, glaring at her and holding his bleeding nose, shocked the hell out of her causing her to hesitate for a split second
Those few seconds gave Tanner enough time to recover from her attack on him and lunged. Seeing her history teacher coming towards her caused her training to kick in as she dodged most of his attacks. Of course, he did end up getting in a few hits because it was a little difficult to fight in such a small space. A medium size bruise was forming on her left cheek while she had a cut over her eyebrow and on her bottom lip. Even her shirt dress had been ripped from when Tanner grabbed her only for her to get away at the expense of her clothing.
Although Tanner didn't look much better with a black eye forming along with a bruise on his cheek. Erica had just repaid him for the bruise he had given her. He had also stripped out of his jacket when she tried to use it to blind him. She had tried every trick she could think of to use against a human and was about to use something only allowed to used against vampires when Tanner got lucky backhanding her into a car which caused her to hit her head rather hard. Her vision spun as she slid down the car to the ground beneath her as she heard him walking towards her.
"How the mighty fall," Tanner's voice echoed through the darkness of the parking lot, his eyes shining with madness as he stared down at her. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time." He watched as she tried to get to her feet, "I tried to get the school board to understand that you need to be disciplined but they ignored me. Told me that I was imagining things and that you were a good student." A creepy smirk spread across his face, "I suppose it falls to me since everyone else is under your spell." He knelt down next to her, reaching a hand out to caress her face.
"Fuck you, asshole!" Erica spat as she tried to pull away only for Tanner to backhand her causing her to fall backwards to the asphalt.
Tanner narrowed his eyes as he stood, "Watch your mouth." He rearing back and kicking her in the stomach, "You will learn not to talk back to your betters. I knew you were trash after what you did to my nephew for just asking you out on a date."
"The fuck are you talkin' about." Erica spat blood from her mouth as her vision finally started to clear without going blurry, "I don't know your fuckin' nephew."
"Ah, but you do," Tanner smirked devilishly. "He's the one who gave you that lovely little scar on your inner thigh that looks like a lightening bolt." His eyes shone with glee at the thought of Erica hurt, "I only wished he would have waited for me. I would have helped him." He explained, laughing like a mad man, not seeing a shadow standing not to far behind him.
"You are a dumbass, tanner." Erica grinned, blood coating her mouth from where he had knocked one of her teeth loose from him backhanding her, "You really should keep alert to your surroundings." Her eyes sparkled as the shadow blurred forward and latched on Tanner's neck.
In all his vampiric glory, Damon feasted on Tanner, who looked at her pleadingly as if she would help him. Stefan appeared seconds later and froze as he took in the scene in front of him. Knowing tanner was no longer a threat, Erica relaxed as she slumped back against the side of the car behind her. Upon hearing the noise, Stefan's gaze snapped to her and his eyes grew wide as he looked back to Tanner. An unknown emotion flashing through his eyes as Damon finished draining Tanner then ripped his throat out and let him drop at his feet.
"Thank you, Damon." Erica whispered, wincing at the pain her neck and cheek were giving her. "He….." She winced, swallowing back the tears that threatened to fall. "He's Adam Sinclair's Uncle." She noticed that while Damon just frowned, Stefan's eyes grew impossibly wider.
"No sweat, sweetheart." Damon gave her his signature smirk, "You ok? And who the hell is Adam Sinclair?" His smirk fell as he noticed the cuts and bruises.
Stefan finally came to his senses, "What the hell Damon!?" He hissed, anger filling his face, "Why did you…"
"Shut the fuck up, Stefan." Erica snapped, hating that Stefan automatically began scolding Damon, "If you didn't realize what happened, I'll explain it to you. Tanner was either going to rape me or kill me or kill me after he raped me which ever he thought would be enough of a 'punishment' for my behavior." Stefan had a slight green tinge to his skin and she didn't know if it was because she was defending Damon or what she believed Tanner had planned, "Now you guys need to leave. I need to get someone's attention to report this." She motioned to Tanner's dead body that was bruised, bloody with numerous cuts and throat torn out.
"Now why should we do that?" Damon questioned, his eyes narrowing, "It'll be quite easy to stage as an animal attack." He took a step in her direction, ignoring Stefan when he moved to protect her.
Erica just stared him down, "People need to know what he was going to do." She argued, "Not to mention, I can spin it anyway I want." She blinked, face transforming as tears welled in her eyes but never fell, "I don't really know what happened, Sheriff. Tanner hit me, knocking me to the ground, hitting my head then he began spouting about how his nephew should have waited on him before approaching me. I could only see shadows because my vision was spinning from hitting my head when a blur flew pass me and Tanner disappeared. I could hear gurgling and a voice saying that Tanner was the monster before silence took over." Her face cleared up, returning to normal as she raised a brow in question. "Well?"
"Why put that spin on it?" Damon wondered out loud, not knowing what to think of little Ms. Erica Gilbert.
"Because not all vampires are evil," Erica whispered, locking eyes with Damon. "Just like not all humans are innocent." She was certain that she would be heading to the hospital because of Tanner's little love taps.
Damon hummed, staring at her with a blank look on his face before disappearing from view as Matt came around the corner. At the angle Matt stood in, he could only see Tanner, not Stefan or Erica. Erica motioned for Stefan to leave as she groaned loud enough for Matt to hear her. When Matt came around the corner, Stefan was no longer standing there but Erica played at trying to clear her vision. Upon seeing Erica laying on the ground bruised and bloody, he pulled out his cell phone and called 911. As he talked to the operator, Tyler and a few other football players showed up.
Minutes later, the area was taped off and Erica was being loaded into the back of an ambulance. Having heard his sister was hurt, Jeremy hurried forward in hopes of riding with her. After getting an ok, Jeremy climbed in only to look on in anger at the state his sister was in. While she tried to act fine, he could see the pain in her eyes she was trying to hide. Even though he didn't the entire story behind his sister's injuries, he could tell something happened for her to put up a fight. Upon arriving to the hospital, Jenna greeted them as Erica was taken in.
By the time Erica was moved into a private room, all her injuries were written down for when the Sheriff showed up for a report. Not only did she have numerous cuts and bruises but she also had a fractured cheek bone and a concussion and two fracture ribs which was the reason they were keeping her over night. About four hours later, Elizabeth Forbes walked into Erica's room for her statement. With what she had to say, Erica requested for both Jenna and Jeremy to leave the room. Once the room was clear, she told Liz exactly what happened, or at least what she recited to Damon.
Liz seemed skeptical in the beginning but when Erica was adamant that the 'animal' saved her from having to do the same if no one had intervened, she slowly began to believe Erica's story. A short time later, Liz left with questions swirling in her mind if what she had been told all her life was the truth while Erica closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. With it being after midnight, Jenna decided to take Jeremy home but promised to return in the morning. During the early morning, just as the nurses were switching out, a blue eyed visitor showed up.
Ever since she had thanked him for killing the douche bag teacher, Damon's mind was in turmoil because of the feelings that Erica seem to invoke in him by just being in her presence. Slowly but surely his switch was moving back into the 'On' position and it was all because of the young woman who had the same face as the woman he 'loved' or so he once thought. Trailing a single finger down the side of Erica's cheek, he silently wondered just what she was thinking. Making sure that no one was coming and the door was locked, Damon delved into Erica's sleeping mind.
(Dream)
Erica was running through the forest, trying to get away from something that was chasing her. She dodged low hanging branches while jumping over fallen tree limbs. The forest around her was deadly silent except for her heavy breathing and the crinkle of the leaves under her feet. Just as she rushed out into a small clearing, a dark shape lunged from the darkness and grabbed her. Erica and the other figured rolled a few times before she was pinned to the ground with the person hovering above her. Her hands were pinned to either side of her head as icy blue eyes stared down at her.
While Dream Damon pinned Erica down, taunting her as the real Damon would, the real Damon was watching with avid interest as he leaned back against the closest tree and observed what was going on. Seeing how she squirmed and bucked underneath his dream self made Damon want Erica for himself even more. Icing on the cake, however, was the fact he was watching a dream she was having of her own free will. Just seeing her begging him to fuck her in a dream was almost enough to throw him out of her head. The intense feeling was nothing like he'd ever felt before.
When he finally turned his attention back to the dream couple, Damon mentally moaned at the sight of him having Erica pinned beneath him without a stitch of clothing on and him kissing every inch of her skin. As his dream self began eating Erica out with her legs slung over his shoulders, Damon had to adjust himself at the image it made. She seemed to much more responsive then any other women he'd been with and being over 160 years old, he's been with quite a few. Watching Erica wither beneath a dream version of himself had Damon wanting nothing more then to take his place.
Of course, Damon knew he still had a decision to make but Erica wasn't making it easy for him. Not only was she bringing back his humanity, she was causing him to forget the real reason he had returned to Mystic Falls to begin with. For years he had been searching for a way to get Katherine out of the Tomb but now something kept getting in his way. Watching the dream him finally entering Erica with her on her hands and knees, the real Damon made a decision and withdrew from Erica's mind.
(End Dream)
Returning to the real world from someone's mind could be disorientating but if done regularly the vampire would get use to the feeling. Damon, having not used his ability in a few months, found it slightly odd returning to his body. Shaking his head, he looked up at the clock on the wall and saw an hour had passed while he was in Erica's mind watching her dreams. Looking back down at Erica, Damon found himself leaning down and kissing Erica, as if someone else was in control of his body. Though still asleep, Erica responded to Damon kissing her rather enthusiastically.
After a few minutes, Damon pulled away with great reluctance causing Erica to frown in her sleep. Knowing he needed to leave before someone found him and began asking questions, he pressed a quick kiss on Erica's forehead before unlocking the door and walking out without a backwards glance. If he had, Damon would have saw Erica's eyes flutter open as a smile spread across her face before she drifted back to sleep and the dreams that were waiting on her. Even asleep, Erica knew that Damon had come and visited her because of the taste of bourbon on her lips.
(The Next Day – Gilbert's House – 12:23 PM)
After being checked over by the doctors and declared healed enough to go home, Erica was ushered from the hospital and straight home. She had tried to argue that she was well enough to go to school but Jenna wouldn't hear of it. Even Jeremy was against her going because he had declared he'd grab her school work for her as he headed off. It was a shock to both Erica and Jenna at Jeremy's helpfulness but they just figured Jeremy liked feeling needed. Through out the day, Bonnie and Caroline texted her to keep her updated about what was going on at school.
From their gossip, Erica found out that not only was Matt worried about her but so was half of the football team. Having been the ones to 'find' her and Tanner, they had been worried about how she was dealing with everything. The official story was that the 'animal' had been scared away by Matt and the others but Erica knew the truth, both what she had told Liz and what had really happened. Just thinking about Tanner's death, she began to wonder if it was time to let Jenna and Jeremy in on the entire Mystic Falls 'supernatural hot spot' secret.
Not to mention, she really didn't know how to exactly broach such a topic in normal conversation. Thankfully luck or fate seemed to be on her side as Jenna joined her in the living room and began asking questions about what happened. Erica told Jenna exactly what happened up until Damon came along and killed Tanner. She then repeated the 'official' story of what Bonnie and Caroline told her about the 'animal' killing Tanner but was scared away before it could attack her. Of course, Jenna gave Erica a look that told her she knew she was lying and pushed her for the truth.
"Ok," Erica sighed, figuring out how to begin. "Did mom ever tell you stories about vampires?" She prayed that Jenna will take it better then she had in the show.
"Yes," Jenna replied, wondering why Erica was bringing it up. "She stopped after Grayson overheard her telling me a story one evening and said not to be filling my head with crazy talk. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Because what mom told you was true," Erica divulged, watching Jenna for a reaction. "Each founding family have details records of their own families accounts of vampires." She licked her lips, worried because Jenna seemed in shock, "Jeremy and I found one of Jonathon Gilbert's journals in the attic. When 'animal' attacks much like ones described in Jonathon's journals began happening, I looked online to see if there were any type of animal that could do what had been done." She ran a hand through her hair as she explained, "What I found is that the only creatures that drain its victims of blood is a Vampire or Chupacabra and I doubt its the Mexican vampire dog because they mainly hunt bovines, not humans."
Relaxing against the back of the couch, Jenna thought about what her niece had told her and looked out the front window as she processed everything. As she thought, she began to understand Erica's reasonings in her belief of vampires because to her knowledge there were no known animals that drained its prey of their blood other then a vampire or Chupacabra. With her slowly acknowledging that vampires very well could exist, a new worry began to take root in Jenna's mind of how she could protect both Jeremy and Erica.
"Aunt Jenna?" Erica called out to her aunt when she noticed the worried glazed look in Jenna's eyes. "Are you ok?" She knew she was taking a chance in telling Jenna but still felt as if it was the right thing to do.
"Hm?" Jenna hummed, blinking as she came back to the present as she remembered exactly why this all began. "Yea, I'm ok." She gave Erica a reassuring smile, "Just thinking and wondering what this has to do with what happened with the…..animal….and Tanner." She trailed off, answering her own question as her eyes grew wide.
Erica cringed, remembering how she felt going up against Tanner, "Yes, a vampire saved me from Tanner." She answered her aunts unspoken question, staring down at her hands as she played with the hem of her shirt, "Only a few people know the truth and most of them are Founding Families. When I told Liz what happened, she didn't believe me because she was raised to believe that all vampires are evil and need to be killed."
"And you don't believe that?" Jenna tilted her head to the side, raising a brow.
"No," Erica shook her head, taking a few deep breathes only to wince as the pain began to make itself known. "Humans, by nature, have both light and darkness in them. Being turned into a vampire doesn't make someone a monster, its their actions that should define them."
Jenna hummed, "I want to meet this vampire that saved you." She stated rather bluntly causing Erica to stare at her aunt in shock, "You do know who it is, don't you?"
"Um….yes." Erica nodded, biting her lip, "Its just I don't really want Liz to find out who it is because she'll hunt the person down." She was shocked but thrilled that Jenna was taking it so much better then she had on the show.
"Well, I promise I wont say anything unless he hurts you or Jeremy." Jenna promised, wondering just who this 'vampire' was. "So, how are you going to get a hold of this person?" She raised a brow in question as she shifted around on the couch to get comfy.
Before Erica could reply, however, there was a knock on the door. Not really expecting anyone, Jenna got up and answered the door. As she opened the door, she was greeted by none other then Elizabeth Forbes, the sheriff of Mystic Falls. With a raised brow, Jenna stepped to the side allowing Liz to enter. Erica sat stiffly on the couch as she watched Liz sit down in her father's chair and Jenna shut the door.
"This is unexpected," Erica stated, cocking her head to the side as she stared Liz down. "Why are you here? You already have my statement on what happened." She pursed her lips, wondering just what Liz Forbes was doing here.
"Can I speak with you alone?" Liz asked, glancing to Jenna, "Its about what you told me…."
Erica held her hand up to stop the older woman from saying anything else, "Jenna doesn't need to leave because I was telling her exactly what happened." She could see Liz didn't look to thrilled but kept her mouth shut, "She is my guardian until I become 18 thus I figured it would be in her best interests to know exactly what is going on in Mystic Falls."
"Alright," Liz grudgingly agreed, shifting in her seat. "As for the reason I'm here is because while speaking to the other council members I brought up that you know about vampires." She licked her lips, cutting her eyes to Jenna before looking back to Erica, "Michael Fells, Richard Lockwood, myself and a few others wish for you to join the council on your 18th birthday."
"Are you sure?" Erica asked, raising her brow, "Like I told you before, I don't think all vampires are evil." She could see that Liz was going to argue but she held up her hand, "Let me ask you this, you know that without lions the gazelle population would over run their habitat, yes?" She waited until Liz nodded before continuing, "I believe that if vampires were evil as everyone seems to think, they wouldn't exist. I think they were created to moderate the human population. Vampires are the ultimate predator because they have to be but that does not mean all vampires out there need to be killed. The one that saved me proved that and he was right. Tanner was the monster, not the vampire in that moment."
"I happen to agree with Erica," Jenna spoke up, injecting herself into the conversation. "If vampires weren't meant to exist, then they wouldn't be among us." She sat next to Erica on the couch, legs curled up underneath her.
Liz looked extremely conflicted with what she was told, "What about the people this vampire has killed?" She couldn't help but feel angry, "I know for a fact they don't need to kill to feed. Its written in my ancestor's journals."
"And written in mine states they will kill for different reasons." Erica retorted, her tone cooler then normal, "A vampire will kill if starved, has their humanity switch is flipped or in anger." She looked thoughtful for a few seconds, "What do you know about vampires, Ms. Forbes?" Unsure if she was still married.
"That they kill, feed on blood and unable to come out during the day." Liz revealed, wondering why Erica asked such a question.
Erica snorted, shaking her head, "There is so much more to vampires." She sighed, shifting around to where she could curl her feet underneath her like her aunt, "For one, when they are turned they have a mental switch they can 'flip' where they can feel nothing. No guilt, love, happiness, sadness. Nothing. A vampire's emotions are also dialed up way pass what a human feels. When they are happy, they are ecstatic. When they are angry, they are in a rage. When sad, they become depressed. So can you imagine feeling those feelings ten times stronger then you do at their strongest?"
"I….." Liz licked her lips, unsure what to say. "Is there anything else I should take into consideration?" She asked, still deciding if she should tell the other council members what Erica was telling her.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you that vampires are able to compel people to do their biding." Erica figured they would figure that gift out without help from her if they didn't already know, "Of course, I can't help but think about how that could help in a murder case that has grown cold." She saw how Liz perked up, "They could compel any suspects to speak the truth then erase any knowledge of their involvement."
Jenna tried not to laugh at what Erica was going, "Anyone need something to drink?" She asked, standing up.
"No, thank you." Liz shook her head, standing up, "I need to think on what you've told me." She ran a hand through her hair, "I still don't know if I should tell the council what you've told me."
"Don't." Erica offered, a sly smirk spreading across her face, "I'll tell them when I join my first council meeting." She gave Liz a wink which earned a chuckle from the woman.
"I look forward to the day," Liz told Erica, making sure she had her keys. "I'm sorry I barged in like I did." She gave both Jenna and Erica a sad smile, "Its just what you said," She nodded to Erica, "Wouldn't leave my mind all night and I needed to find out why you felt so strongly."
Erica shrugged, not standing up because she knew Jenna would throw a fit, "Its no problem." She returned Liz's smile with one of her own, "And for the record, I do feel there are vampires out there that need to be taken care of just like there are humans out there that are just as vile as what you believe vampires to be."
"How do you sound so old when I known you since you were in diapers?" Liz whispered, walking over to the door and opening it. "Take care of yourself, Erica." She pursed her lips, "While I'm starting to understand vampires are not evil, I do know they can be dangerous."
"That is where Judo and Muay Thai comes in," Erica responded with a wiggle of her brows, earning a laugh from both Liz and Jenna.
Liz said her goodbyes and left the two Gilberts women on their own. Jenna shut the door and headed into the kitchen only to return with two glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Knowing Jenna would be pissed if she got up, she told her aunt where she stashed her pre-rolled joints and to grab a couple. A short time later, both Jenna and Erica were sitting in the living room watching TV while smoking weed and drinking whiskey. With being on medication, Erica was only allowed to have a single glass thus was nursing what she had been given as they watched TV until the news came on.
As soon as Logan Fell's face appeared on the TV, Jenna grabbed a hand full of popcorn and began throwing it, piece by piece, at the man's face. Every time Logan appeared, she began spouting all kinds of derogatory names as she threw popcorn at him. After she explained to Erica, she, too, joined in on throwing popcorn at the TV every time Logan appeared. Which was how Jeremy found them when he came home from school. He didn't say a word as he carefully walked through the living room and headed upstairs to his room.
Deciding to follow her brother's example, she decided to head up to her own room but first knew the popcorn needed to be picked up. Just as she started, Jenna stopped her and told her she'd to do before ushering her upstairs. Knowing not to argue, she headed up stairs, stopped by Jeremy's to give him a joint before heading to her own. Upon stepping inside, however, she was greeted by Damon Salvatore laying on her bed, reading through her journal. Not knowing how far he'd gotten but not wanting him to read any further, she lunged and snatched her journal out of his hands.
"Those are private thoughts, Damon." She hissed at him as she walked into her closet to hid it in hopes Damon wouldn't find it there.
"Then why write them down?" Damon questioned, raising his brow as he layed out on her bed, hands resting behind his head. "It's like your just begging me to read it." A sly smirk spread across his face as he waited for Erica to come out of her closet.
Erica rolled her eyes, wincing as her neck protested of her moving to fast, "Asshole." She muttered, stepping back into her room, "Just because I write something down, doesn't mean you should read it." She walked over to her vanity/desk chair, rubbing her neck to try and ease the soreness, "What are you doing here, Damon?"
"I came to check up on you," Damon replied, pushing himself up and zipped over behind Erica so he could massage her shoulders. "If you're going to be my date to the Founder's Day party I need to make sure you're feeling ok." He announced as if she had already agreed to be his date.
"Um….." Erica held her hand up, pushing his hands away, even though they had felt wonderful as they massaged her aching muscles, "A) you haven't asked me to be your date. And B) I don't even know if I'm going." She stood her ground, arms crossed over her chest, "I haven't been feeling 100% since my round with Tanner and my doctor told me to take the next few days easy. I doubt going to that party is taking it easy."
Damon chuckled, moving around til he stood in front of Erica and took a hold of her right hand, "Forgive me, my lady." He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, revealing some of the manners he learned while human, "Would you give me the honor of accompanying you to the Founder Days party? I shall ensure you don't over tax yourself."
"I suppose I shall go," Erica joked, winking at Damon. "Why are you going Damon?" She suddenly asked, realizing she may have overstepped her bounds when his grip tightened on her hand, "The Salvatores haven't been to the Founding party in years." She withdrew her hand from his, flexing it to get the circulation flowing.
"Its nothing you need to worry about," Damon told her, his tone growing cold as he turned his back to her. "I'll pick you up around 6:30." He then disappeared out her window without another word.
With a frown marring her face, Erica walked over to the window and stuck her head out. Damon was gone. Pursing her lips, she pulled her head back and headed over to her closet to find what she was going to wear. Both Bonnie and Caroline believed she wouldn't be attending thus would be going with each other. She can only image the look on their faces when she arrives on the arm of Damon Salvatore. It also made her wonder what Stefan would do. In the show, if she remembered correctly, he vervained Damon by giving Caroline a glass of champagne, that was spiked.
She then remembered the journal Damon had been reading. Wanting to know what he read, Erica hurried back into her closet and opened her journal to the page Damon had been reading when she walked in. A bright blush spread across her cheeks as she realized what he had read. While it wasn't anything about her having visions of odd events, it was one of many sex dreams she recorded to remember. The page Damon read was where Damon sneaks in through her open window. In this dream, however, he ends up catching her masturbating and helps her to finish.
While she may not have had sex with a guy as of yet, she did own a few toys and used them occasionally when she knew she wouldn't be interrupted. Deciding to hide her journal in a new location, one where she only kept certain objects, Erica made sure her window was locked and the curtains closed before shutting both her doors. Then she headed over to her bed and knelt down, reaching under the bed, she felt around until she felt a board with a hole in the top. Slipping her finger through the hole, she lifted the piece of wood up to reveal a small hiding space.
Placing her journal inside the hole, she replaced the wood plank before getting up and brushing off her knees. Once she knew her journal was secure, Erica opened her curtains back up before heading downstairs. Stepping into the living room, she froze when she heard about a mountain lion being killed because it had tried to attack a hunter. It was also believed the mountain lion had been behind the other attacks including the campers and Mr. William Tanner. Erica scoffed as she headed into the kitchen to start dinner only to find Jenna standing over a cardboard box.
"What's that for?" Erica asked, moving around her aunt to look through the refrigerator.
"Mrs. Lockwood asked each of the Founding Family if they had any items she could display during the party." Jenna replied, picking up an old ring, "She said we'd get everything back after the party." She frowned, tilting her head to the side, "Is this Beth's wedding ring?"
Erica looked over her shoulder to the ring Jenna was holding, "Um I know it was originally great-great-grandma Mary's wedding ring." She was about to turn back when Jeremy walked into the kitchen, "Hey Jeremy, what do you want for dinner?"
"Don't care," Jeremy replied with a shrug, looking through the box. "How much do you think you'd get for this stuff on E-Bay?"
"You're not going to find out." Erica told him, giving him a stern look, "Carol Lockwood requested things from each of the founding families for items she wants to put on display." She explained before he asked, knowing how he was going to feel about letting Carol borrow their family items.
Jeremy, of course, reacted exactly how she expected, "You can't just give this stuff away." He exclaimed, looking between Jenna and Erica, "Mom and Dad's wedding rings are in the box along with a few other items."
"She just asked to borrow them, Ere." Erica repeated, walking over and putting an arm around her brother, "We'll get everything back after the party tomorrow."
"Who did she ask?" Jeremy questioned, not believing a word that Erica said.
Jenna sighed, putting the ring back into the box, "I think Carol asked your mom before the accident." She shrugged, not really knowing, "Is there anything else you can think of?"
"I think that's everything," Erica shook her head as Jeremy noticed the compass laying in the box.
"Hey, this is mine." Jeremy picked it up, looking down at it as it layed in his hand, "It was suppose to come to me after dads death." His hand tightened around the metal compass.
Erica bit her lip, glancing over to Jenna before back to Jeremy, "If you don't want to let it go with everything else, put it up in your room." She waved him off, knowing she would have to move it later on so that Logan Fell wouldn't get it. "I'll just explain to Mrs. Lockwood I couldn't find it if she asks."
"Thanks, Eri." Jeremy whispered, dropping a kiss on his sister's cheek before heading back upstairs to put the compass away.
"You did a good thing, Erica. He needs something tangible to hold onto right now." Jenna reassured her niece, "Now, what's for dinner?" She asked, looking around the kitchen and realized they needed to go shopping.
Erica and Jenna looked at each other before smiling, "Pizza?" They said at the same time, causing the both of them to burst out laughing.
"What the hell is going on?" Jeremy asked, looking bewildered between Jenna and Erica, "I was only gone for a few seconds." He wondered what happened for them to start acting like crazy people.
"We're ok." Jenna waved off his concern, "What do you think of pizza for dinner?" She asked as Erica got herself together.
Jeremy shook his head, muttering about crazy females before answering, "Pizza sounds great." He licked his lips, "Can I play my game?"
"Sure." Jenna replied with a shrug, "Erica and I may even join after we watch for a little while." She stood up to grab her phone to place the order, "Any requests?"
"Hawaiian for me." Erica called out while Jeremy yelled, "Pepperoni with extra cheese," from the living room.
"Got it," Jenna nodded, dialing the number for the pizza shop to place their order.
While Jenna ordered the pizzas, Jeremy sat up his game while Erica sat on the couch watching him as he began playing his game Halo. Both Jenna and Erica thought the game looked like fun but doubted they would be as good as Jeremy. As they waited for the pizza to arrive, Erica tried to think of what was coming next only to realize she couldn't really remember some things. Some of her memories had a thick hazy film covering them while others were crystal clear. It was as if someone wanted to keep her from intervening in certain events.
Having a rather good theory on who could be messing with her memories, Erica wondered if she could speak with Emily. Being a Travelers descendant, she should have some magical abilities, even a small amount. A knock on the door brought her back to the present as Jenna got up to answer the door. Standing in their doorway was the pizza guy holding their pizzas. With having the money already in hand, Jenna handed the guy the money then took the pizzas from him. Closing the door, she was unaware of the delivery guy glaring at her but Erica was since she had been facing the door.
It was then some of her hazier memories became clearer then they had been seconds before. Erica could now remember that Annabeth Zhu, who now goes by Anna, and Noah arrived in Mystic Falls during the Comets passing but every other memory connected to them was still hazy. Deciding to take stock on what she could and could not remember later, she turned back to watching Jeremy play his game while eating the pizza Jenna ordered and paid for. After everyone was finished eating, Jenna and Erica took turns trying to play the game which ended in disaster.
Jeremy ended up banning both Jenna and Erica from ever playing Halo again which was fine for both females. While watching her brother play his game, Erica also text both Bonnie and Caroline about the Founders Day party. That seemed to give both Caroline and Bonnie permission to bombard her with a million questions. What was she going to wear? Who was she going with? Did she already have a date? Did she need help picking a dress? She answered all their questions, however, except for who she was going with which she wanted to be a surprise.
Erica knew for a fact it would shock everyone including Stefan because she had a feeling he has been waiting to ask her to the party. Bonnie and Caroline both had been dropping hints to her the entire time they've been texting. Caroline also told her that she gathered any homework she missed which explained why Jeremy didn't have her homework like he promised he would. A little after 11:00 PM, Jenna ushered both Erica and Jeremy up to their rooms for bed since they both had school in the morning while she picked up the living room before heading to bed herself.
(Salvatore Boarding House – 11:20 PM)
While Stefan was out searching for Damon, Damon was at the boarding house looking through Stefan's book bag with a glass of bourbon in his hand as he sat in the living room. Zach, the last living Salvatore, just returned home and didn't know that both his uncles had returned to Mystic Falls when he stepped through the front door to hear someone in the living room. Wanting to make sure it was Stefan, he stepped into the living room, only to freeze upon finding his more dangerous uncle sitting in a chair looking through Stefan's school back pack.
"I thought you had left town." Zach Salvatore stated, staying as far from Damon as he could and close to the door even not that it would help him if Damon wanted to kill him.
"Oh you know me," Damon replied with a shrug, sipping his bourbon as he put Stefan's school book back into the bag. "I just love spending time with family." A sarcastic smirk spread across his face, "Family is important, you know." He toasted Zach with his glass of bourbon as he put Stefan's school book back into his bag.
Zach narrowed his eyes, staring his uncle down, "Why are you here, Damon?" He needed to know what was going on so he could tell his more reasonable uncle, "I know you, Uncle." He began to wonder just where Stefan was, "You always have a motive for what you do. So tell me, what are you planning this time?"
"You," Damon sped over, slamming Zach against the wall behind him with his hand wrapped around his throat, "are in no position to question me about what I do, Zach."
"I didn't mean to upset you," Zach whispered as he held onto Damon's hand, knowing one of these days he would find his death with his great-great-great-Uncle.
Damon smirked, leaning forward and squeezing Zach's neck, "This is not upset." He winked, noticing Stefan coming in through the front door, "You'll know when I'm upset, Zachy Boy."
"What's going on?" Stefan stood tense, kicking himself for not coming home sooner.
"Nothing," Damon answered, releasing his hold of Zach. "Just having a family moment, Stefan." He patted Zach on the cheek before walking out the front door.
Both Stefan and Zach watch Damon walk away, "How many more people are going to have to die before you see that he needs to be dealt with?" Zach asked the only uncle he could speak with. "He may be family but he sure doesn't act like it."
"What would you have me do, huh?" Stefan snapped at Zach, "He's a vampire because I made him complete the transformation. Every time he kills someone I feel as if its my fault." He ran a hand through his hair, walking into the living room and dropping down on the couch. "Not to mention, Damon is stronger then I am because I feed from animals."
"Vervain would help you get the upper hand against him." Zach observed, crossing his arms, leaning against the wall behind him and wincing when he hit a sore spot on his shoulder.
Stefan sighed, shaking his head, "Vervain hasn't grown here since 1865." He stood up, stretching, "Damon saw to that and the little I had I gave to Erica." He suddenly noticed the look on his nephew's face, "What?"
"Follow me," Zach told Stefan, walking through the house and opening a hidden door.
"You've been growing it." Stefan whispered, shocked his nephew would do something like this because of what Damon would do. "Why?" He turned his gaze to Zach.
Zach scoffed, "Blood runs only so deep when you're related to vampires." He pulled the door closed, motioning for Stefan to follow him, "Damon wouldn't think twice about killing me if it suited him."
"But you're telling me, why?" Stefan could understand Zach's anger towards Damon but was confused as to why Zach was telling him.
"Because I trust you, Uncle Stefan." Zach replied, giving him a sad smile, "And if you're going to get rid of him, you're gonna need vervain to do it."
Stefan nodded with a frown, worried about Damon finding out about Zach growing vervain, "You know if he finds out you're the one who gave me the vervain he'll come for you."
Zach chuckled sadly, "I know." He admitted as he rolled his shoulders, "I'm gonna head to bed." He winced from where Damon had slammed him into the wall as he headed towards the stairs to head up to his room, "See you in the morning Uncle Stefan."
"Night, kiddo." Stefan replied with a grin, watching the man he watched over from a young boy head up to bed. "Damn you, Damon." He whispered, shaking his head as he headed to his own room, not noticing a crow sitting out side the window on a tree branch.
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)
Author Note – So how to you like my story so far? Good? Bad? Anything I should change? (Raises Brow) Please let me know but just remember NO FLAMES! I will not even acknowledge them. (Winks) Now, I still haven't decided on who Erica will end up with? Should she be with Damon? Kol? Klaus? Damon/Klaus? Damon/Kol? Damon/Klaus? Kol/Klaus? Kol/Klaus/Damon? What do you think? (Wiggles Brows) Personally I happen to think Damon/Klaus/OFC or Kol/Klaus/Damon/OFC. Til the next chapter, keep reading and reviewing!
~*Dragon*~