It's finally here took me a while, but it is quite a long chapter so long I had to cut it in half, didn't realise how much I had done got away from myself.
so without further ado enjoy.
Her phone goes off as she gets to the front door. Stopping she grips the handle tightly as she answers. "Hey, dad." She winces at how tired she sounds, for sure they are going to show up now.
"Are you home now?" she can hear how worried he is, and tears up, she misses them both dearly.
"At the front door, haven't gone in yet, not sure I want to. Will he be awake yet or?".
"Not sure I only ever work on witches; they have better tolerances than humans." A pause, not quite a lull but not quite awkward either. "Annika, do you need me there?".
"No. Dad really I'm fine, it was just some baby vampires making trouble, I think I can deal with two-hundred-year-old vamps.".
He heaves a sign. "Fine but I'm not hiding this from your mother. And Anna don't be alone tonight."
"Only if she asks right dad," he can hear the smile in her voice, "and that is why you're the fun parent." laughing he hangs up telling her to call in the morning.
She stands outside the door, phone gripped in one hand and doorknob in the other lost in thought until Matt tears the door from her hand as he swings it open. Apologising at her flinch, he explains that Vicki had heard her come up and answer the phone but then it got silent, and they were worried. Laughing she points out that one human boy wouldn't be much help against a vampire or a witch.
Matt shrugs "Back up is back up, and I would never leave a man behind."
"You're a good man Matt, there aren't many of you left." She looks past him into the hall.
He moves to her side wrapping an arm around her shoulder "He's awake but groggy, he's been asking for you." She is out of his arms in an instant rushing up the stairs past the startled Vicki and into his room.
His smile is slightly off, but it's his smile and it makes her weak because he's here, he's not dead, he's here and he's smiling at her. A sob escapes her lips, as she rushes at him wrapping her arms around his waist burying her head in his shirt, tears falling freely.
She hears his grunt of pain but can't seem to move, not wanting any space between them. Jeremy seems to feel the same way as he is clinging to her just as tight.
She hears hushed voices in the hall Caroline and Matt letting her know they have Vicki; she can rest for the night they close the door behind them. It's ok her people are safe, she has them all together and safe.
After what seemed like an eternity, she pulls away reluctantly. Asking to see his wounds.
"No, I'm fine and we are going to sleep, you can check them in the morning."
She reaches for his shirt arguing that he could bleed to death. He laughs tugging the fresh shirt roughly off wincing as he goes. Look there is not even a scar can we go to sleep now.
He jumps as she runs a manicured hand over his abdomen looking up with teary eyes she whispers, "You almost died on me today."
He tugs her back into his arms trying to ignore the pain as best as he could so she couldn't feel him flinch. "I'm ok, Vicki is ok, let's go to sleep and everything else we can deal with in the morning." She burrows into his arms letting herself drift off.
{The next morning}
They are woken abruptly by Sheriff Forbes early the next morning. It's Matt's turn to take charge simply because Caroline is too embarrassed by her mother. All still in their pyjamas they join the Sheriff in the kitchen so they can have breakfast. She begins to question Vicki about her friends, unknown to the Sheriff they had already prepared for this, no compulsion, no problem teenagers are better at theatrics than most actors. Behind the sheriff's back the others make jokes in Vicki's direction. Vicki tells her the story they came up with.
"You're not stupid Sheriff, you know I do drugs, and my friends did too." A small sob escapes her, "They were trying something new; I don't know what it was," She adds quickly seeing the question on her lips. "I promised Matty a long time ago I wouldn't, that I would only do what I know, I promised him he wouldn't have to see me die of an overdose." She pauses again, eyes finding Matts. He gives her a reassuring smile, the Sheriff pats her on the knee asking if she needs a moment, shaking her head she continues. "Jake kept trying to force me to take some, I argued with him and stormed off, I didn't even realise I left my bag until I was in Anna's car, I called Jeremy, and him and Anna came to get me." The sheriff looks up at them for clarification.
It's annas turn. She starts with a nod. "Me and Jer were hanging out at his place, when Vicki called, she sounded a mess, so we told her to stay where she was and went to get her. We made the mistake of going back to his place, where we were accosted by his sister and her asshole boyfriend." She winces at the frown on her face. "Sorry, they just wind me up."
Jeremy cuts in placing an arm around Anna.
"My sister and her boyfriend are very opinionated, they dislike Vicki's habits and go out of their way to verbally abuse her," He shrugs, "You know because that helps. They started as soon as they saw her. So I took Vicki upstairs while Anna called Matt.".
Matt joins them Caroline in tow, breakfast is finally ready, a simple fry up. They start handing out plates, there is even a plate for the sheriff, wide-eyed she accepts it with startled thanks.
"I obviously rushed over Stefan got aggressive with Anna, so we all came here, Caroline met us here with some supplies to help Vicki come down."
Fork raised to her mouth, she pauses, "Why Anna's.".
"Both her parents are doctors; her father specialises in substances and addictions." Caroline explains to her mother.
"You've met her parents."
"Only on facetime, they are in Nepal, aren't they?"
"Dad is, mum hasn't made it yet, she was dealing with a family problem in New Orleans."
"I thought they were coming here soon," This isn't the sheriff that is concern it's Elizabeth, the mother. "I don't know how I feel about you staying here, without a responsible adult."
Laughing anna points out that her father will never be classified as a responsible adult.
"With all due respect sheriff, we are all friends here, the only two sleeping together are Jer and Anna, and Jenna knows about it and just tells them to be careful."
"Do Anna's parents know?".
"They do now, well her dad does." Vicki laughs. Jeremy groans dropping his head on Anna's shoulder. Even Elizabeth laughs at that.
She takes a breath, the sheriff's mask back in place, "Why didn't you get in contact yesterday?"
"We didn't know until we went to school."
Nodding the sheriff clarifies that when Vicki left her friends were alive and she has several people to clarify that, they all nod. Pulling herself up with a smile. "Well, that's all I need. Thank you for your time, Caroline will I see you at home tonight."
She shrugs "Not sure yet we haven't made plans.".
"Just let me know, Anna when your parents get in town, I'd love to meet them."
"I'll let them know Sheriff."
"I'll see you out sheriff since these lazy asses are still in their pj's." Matt laughs walking her to the door.
He walks back into the kitchen to find it empty, plates piled in the sink. Rolling his eyes he walks into the living room to find them all spread out among the seats. Jeremy and anna tangled together on the armchair, his head resting on the crux of his neck his on her temple. Vicki and Caroline sprawled on either couch. Waking over to Caroline he lifts her legs flopping on the seat next to her. Lifting her head from Jeremy's neck Anna mentions the elephant in the room. "Sooooo what the fuck happened last night?"
Jeremy taps Anna on the knee she moves onto the arm of the seat so he can sit up straight, done he tugs her back onto his lap, wrapping an arm around her waist resting his head on her shoulder he begins to talk. "Stefan cornered Vicki in the corridor, I made the mistake of grabbing his arm, telling him to back off and that's pretty much all I remember.". He shrugs his shoulders casually, but his arm tightens around her waist.
Vicki pulls her legs up on the couch, grabbing the throw from behind her, tugging it around her body tightly. "He brushed Jeremy's hand off his arm, grabbing him by the shirt he threw him so hard that the lockers he slammed into landed on him. I tried to get past him to get to Jeremy, but he grabbed me, and we ended up slamming into another set of lockers. Every time I tried to get away, he would throw me into another wall, another set of lockers fell on Jeremy in the struggle. I kept trying to get to him, but Stefan was too strong."
"I'll kill him." Matt rages to his feet, knocking Caroline onto her feet in his anger. She catches his arm pulling him back onto the couch.
"Anna will deal with him. Won't you?". She smiles, all teeth making the others laugh. Matt takes a deep breath sinking into the couch.
"Fine, but only because he's a vampire and could kill me with a flick of his wrist."
"I'll throw him around for you, it will be my pleasure." She yelps, as Jeremy's leg, starts to vibrate, jumping from the seat. "What the fuck Jer?" That moment of levity is just what they need as the revelation of the day before settles heavily in the room.
Jeremy pulls his phone out of his pocket. "Hey, aunt Jenna."
"Can I just point out that most of my pants don't have pockets and Jer's pj's have pockets what the fuck. The fashion industry can go fuck themselves."
Laughing Jeremy pulls the phone from his ear promising that Jenna that he isn't laughing at her quietly asks can he invite her over.
"May as well, third awkward convo should be the last," she turns to the others "Kill me now." She walks over and falls into Vicki's side, tugging on the blanket so they can share. Ignoring Jeremy's pouting at being abandoned as he rattles off the address, she gets comfy.
It doesn't take long for Jenna to get there; on Jeremy's insistence, she walks right in raising an eyebrow at them all still in Pyjama's.
"Here Jenna you can take this chair, we have something to tell you." Jeremy grabs Anna pulling her to the other side of the couch, Anna takes the blanket with her much to Vicki's dismay, they get comfy cuddling together under the blanket ignoring Jenna's amused grin.
She looks between the two with a knowing grin, "You're not?"
"No no no." They shout simultaneously. As the others laugh.
"It's way worse than that, you are in danger, and everyone has been lying to you. Not us, but everyone else. Well, I guess we lied by omission." Caroline rambles until she is hit in the face with a pillow, curtesy of Vicki.
The teens all share a look, not sure where to begin or how. In the end, it's Matt who starts the conversation, with Anna filling in the gaps. Until Jenna is all caught up and sat in a silent rage. She is furious that Elena knew and didn't tell her.
"Wait, is this what you two were arguing about the other day?".
"That is the longer story, more about my family than vampire, werewolves, and witches. Also, you are not safe in that house. Several vampires have been let in and I wouldn't trust the Salvator."
This time it's Vicki who speaks telling her all about what had happened the day before. Jenna wholeheartedly agrees with Matt that Stefan needs to go.
she leans back in her chair with a heavy sigh, "And I thought being dumped with a brush-off email was the worst thing to happen this week, no it's a psychotic vampire almost killing my nephew." she sits up as if something has just occurred to her. "How old are you exactly?" Caroline bursts out laughing.
"She's real old."
"Vicki if you would." A second pillow flies at Caroline, but Matt catches it, telling them all to behave nodding in Jenna's direction.
"Was that really your mother I spoke with?"
"Yeah, it was my father is a vampire, my mother a witch with vampiric abilities, it's complicated and I don't want to throw everything at you at once. That being said Caroline you're up next, tell her about the council that her shitty ex was a part of.".
Once Caroline was finished Jenna begins to pace, worried for Anna and Vicki. Questioning what it is they can do to stop them.
Anna just shrugs, "Last night Damon told me they have vervain now, so don't drink from the townspeople." she shares a smirk with Vicki,
"Good thing I enjoy a warmblood bag." Vicki jokes.
Anna offers Jenna a room, but she refuses not wanting anyone to become suspicious.
After reassuring them that she is ok, she decides to return home to check on Elena, she tells them that she is going to Feigned ignorance, see how long it takes them to finally tell her.
They sit around for a few more hours just watching tv and having a veg day. Until Anna gets a phone call from Damon asking her to get Caroline to throw Stefan a birthday party. She laughs down the phone at him, nothing in this world would get her to help him.
"Even if I've got a way to get the council off our back."
"I'll call you back." she growls down the phone.
"I think it's a good idea we could ruin his birthday by just being there."
Laughing at Vicki's vindictive side, she tells the others what was said, looking to Caroline for the final answer. She just shrugs.
"Let's get drunk."
"You do know that means you guys are gonna have to get dresses right." Matt says with a smirk.
They all groan as Anna shoots Damon a quick text outlining the details.
sooo what do we think, I still can't believe what happened in the last chapter I honestly didn't see it coming.
can't wait to see what happens next,
Let me know what you think
T