Episode 3: The Big Game

"Suffering can lead to transformation. And redemption. And marvelous mystery."

— Dr. Allen Hunt

Mystic Falls, 1864

Katherine and Damon were speaking, no whispering in the manor hallway. They were very close together, almost too close. I was bringing in the linen when I saw them. They both took a quick step backward as they noticed me, if only to impersonate decency.

"Am I interrupting something?" I asked.

Damon coughed awkwardly.

"Not at all. I'll see you at supper, Miss Katherine. Miss Byrne." He nodded in farewell, leaving the two women alone together.

"What are you doing?" I asked Katerina. "Isn't it enough to have Stefan wrapped around your finger? You don't need Damon too."

"Poor little Maid Maggie…" Katerina sang. "Jealous that I'll take away your lover?"

"Why do you have to do this, Kat?" I implored, "We used to be sisters… Let me have my love this time."

"Well, we aren't sisters anymore, are we Maggie? Besides, you should know by now, I always get what I want. And what I want is both Stefan and Damon."

Mystic Falls, 2009

"I'm not saying don't date the guy. I'm just saying take it slow." Bonnie told Elena the morning after the Comet Festival.

I was trying to text Caroline about what happened last night, but she hadn't replied yet.

"You were the one who said to go for it." Elena said.

"Now I'm saying take it slow."

Elena turned to me, "What did you say to her?"

I raised my hands in surrender, "I didn't have anything to do with this."

"Then why the about-face?" Elena asked Bonnie, "You're supposed to be the positive one, remember?"

"Hey I wasn't being negative," I argued, "just the voice of reason. You've dated Matt since the summer before freshman year, now that you're single maybe it's time to take things slow."

Bonnie agreed, "It's the perfect time to play the field."

"Oh, because I'm so that girl, " Elena said with sarcasm. "Seriously, what are you guys not saying?"

"It's stupid." Bonnie dismissed.

"Bonnie...spit it out," Elena said.

"I accidentally touched Stefan. And I got a really bad feeling," she revealed.

"Is that it?" Elena asked incredulously. "Bonnie."

"It was bad bad!" Bonnie defended.

"Is this the whole witch mojo thing again?"

"It's not just Bonnie." I added, "I don't have any witch mojo and I think there's something off with him, Elena."

"We're just concerned." Bonnie added sincerely, "This is us expressing concern about our best friend's new boyfriend."

"And I love you for it, I do. But I feel good. It's been a hard year, and I'm starting to kind of feel like things are getting back to normal again. And you know what? Stefan is a big part of that."

"Has Caroline texted either of you?" I asked. They both shook their heads no. "I have to find her, she found her mystery guy last night and now she's not answering her phone. See you guys later."

After school I had marching band practice, on the same field as the football team and cheerleaders. I saw Elena show up for the cheerleaders and decided to say hi.

"Caroline is going to be so happy you're back." I said. "Speaking of which, have either of you seen her? I haven't seen her all day and she's only replied to one of my texts, which is so not like her."

"I'm sure she's fine." Elena said. "So you're coming to dinner tonight." It wasn't a question.

"I am?"

"Yep." Elena confirmed, "You, me, Bonnie and Stefan. You guys have to give him a chance."

"Bonnie agreed to this?" I asked.

"Yes. Please say you'll go too." Bonnie pleaded.

"Okay, I guess I'll go." I conceded. "But you know if you invite me you have to invite Caroline too."

"Okay, Caroline is invited too." Elena's smile faltered a little, but she agreed. "So it's settled. We're all having dinner at my place at 8. And we're going to get to know Stefan."

I took my phone out.

"Sounds good. I'm going to try Caroline again."

At that moment Caroline arrived in the passenger seat of a shiny convertible. She kissed the guy driving before hopping out. My blood drained at the sight.

"Oh, my God. That must be the mystery guy." Bonnie said, amazed.

But he wasn't a mystery to me.

"What the hell, Caroline? That's Damon Salvatore." I asked as she walked towards the field.

"I got to him first, hope you don't mind sis." Caroline said as she passed me.

"Damon, what the hell." I said as I walked over to his car. "You try to kiss me and when that doesn't work you go after my sister?!"

"She's your sister?" Damon said, feigning ignorance.

"The same last name didn't tip you off?"

"Honestly we hadn't gotten to that part."

"Bullshit!"

"Hey what's that?" Damon asked pointing to the silver instrument in my hand.

"Don't try to change the topic by pretending you don't know what a flute is."

"What if I really didn't know."

"Shut up about the flute. Look, I don't care that I thought there was something going on between us and you chose Caroline over me. I'm not gonna cry over something that never was. But if you hurt her... I will bash your head in with this." I said, brandishing my instrument like a weapon.

"So violent, Charlotte."

Damon drove off with a big smirk on his face.

The car ride home with Bonnie and Caroline was mostly spent in awkward silence.

"So, are you mad with me?" Care asked as we set our stuff down in the living room. When I didn't reply quickly enough Caroline continued, "Like I know you had some connection in the graveyard or whatever, but it's not my fault he chose me. When he first approached I didn't even know who he was."

Swallowing my own disappointment, I replied, "I'm not mad at you Caroline. It's just complicated."

"Do you want me to break it off?" She offered half-heartedly.

"No." I said despite my actual wishes. "Care I want you to be happy, but I'm still hurt. I mean, I told you about Damon. I didn't think my feelings were that secret. But what's done is done, I'm not going to let a guy get between us."

At 8 o'clock I was eating take-out in nice serving bowls with Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan. Caroline was running late to dinner. I was hoping she would turn up soon, because I couldn't tell which was more awkward: the silence or Elena trying to force conversation.

"Charlie is practically a virtuoso," Elena said, "How many instruments do you play?"

"Proficiently...seven."

"Wow, that's impressive Charlie," Stefan commented, wiping his mouth with a napkin, "Which ones?"

"Piano, Organ, drums, guitar, harp," I listed, "I play the flute for marching band in the fall and violin for the school orchestra in the spring."

"Charlie is amazing. She used to play the harp in church."

I shrugged the compliment off.

"Mom wanted us to get into extracurriculars early on and I had a knack for music. It always felt more like I was remembering how to play rather than learning for the first time."

I was saved from further embarrassment by the door bell ringing.

"That must be Caroline. I'll get it." I said, leaving the table before anyone could stop me. I opened the door to see Caroline and Damon waiting outside. My smile faltered.

"Oh...you brought Damon."

"Don't sound so disappointed Charlotte." Damon smirked at me.

"Surprise! I hope that's okay," Caroline said, lifting up a bundt cake,"we brought dessert."

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked. He and Elena had followed me out to the front room.

"Waiting to be invited in." Damon looked expectantly at Elena.

"Oh, yeah, you can—"

Stefan cut her off.

"No, no, no. He can't, uh...he can't stay. Can you, Damon?"

"It's fine." Elena said. "Come on in."

Damon walked through the threshold as if he had won a prize.

If I thought the dinner conversation was awkward I was unprepared for the awkwardness of the after dinner talk. Caroline spear headed that conversation, which meant it was mostly her talking about the new cheerleading season.

"You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena." Damon commented.

"Oh, it's just 'cause her parents died." Caroline said.

"Caroline!" I chastised, "Remember what I've been saying about being more sensitive?"

"And I say that with complete sensitivity." She corrected. "I mean, she's just totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun."

"I'm sorry, Elena." Damon said. "I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die."

I felt a headache coming on and excused myself from the room and went into the kitchen. A few moments later Damon came in with his glass. I must have looked pretty awful because he asked if I was okay.

"It's just a headache," I replied, "I've been getting them more often recently."

"Here let me help." Damon massaged my temples until my headache ebbed away.

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "Earlier, were you talking about Kater—uh, Katherine?" At Damon's questioning glance I added, "Elena told me about Stefan's ex."

Damon hummed in acceptance. "She wasn't the only one I was referring to, but yes."

"How did she die?" I asked.

"In a fire." He said, "Tragic fire."

I couldn't help thinking if she was anything like she was in my dreams she probably deserved it.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was she like?"

"She was beautiful."

"Like Elena, I bet." I commented, remembering Elena's doppelgänger in my dream. Damon gave me a funny look, but continued.

"Yeah, like Elena. She was also very complicated and selfish and at times not very kind, but very sexy and seductive."

"So you both dated her. Was it one at a time, or did she play you against each other?"

"Nicely deduced." Damon complimented, but his eyes grew dark, "Like I said, Katherine was selfish. She was also very manipulative. She made me do things I deeply regret."

"No offense to you or the dead, but it sounds like Katherine was kind of a bitch. You deserve to be more than someone's second choice."

Damon cocked his head to the side.

"What makes you think I was the second choice?"

"If she chose you, she wouldn't have bothered with Stefan. Either way, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. Katherine's greatest trick was making me think I loved her. To be honest, I think if I saw Katherine again I'd kill her myself."

The silence that followed was deafening. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"On a lighter note, what is with that scarf Caroline is wearing?"

"What do you mean?" Damon's eyes seemed to darkened, but it may have been just a trick of the light.

"I mean it's definitely not in Caroline fashion. Did you leave a huge hickey on her neck or something?" I asked.

"Yeah something like that." He smirked, his eyes lightening up, gaining that sparkle I always seem to associate with him.

Mystic Falls, 1863

The first time Damon came back on leave from the army, he was a wreck. He never told me explicitly what he had to do to earn two weeks home, but I knew it haunted him. He couldn't sleep peacefully the first few days and then he couldn't sleep without me there to comfort him.

One night he woke up in a fit in the middle of the night.

"Hey, shush, shush…" I stroked his hair, trying to calm him, "You're okay… You're at home with me."

"Oh Maggie…" he gripped onto me, squeezing tightly. "I saw them again. They're haunting me…."

"Who is?"

"The deserters...the old woman… the girl…" Damon didn't need to go into details for me to piece together what happened. I stroked his hair and back lovingly. The night was the only time he showed such vulnerability.

"They died because you were ordered to go there and they would just as soon have taken your life instead. War makes monsters of us all. But you are not a monster. You feel sadness and remorse for the people who lost their lives and those feelings may never go away but they will cleanse your soul. And there is your humanity."

Mystic Falls, 2009

It was the night of the football game and even before the first kickoff there was a lot of excitement. There was a fist fight between Tyler and Jeremy that Stefan stopped. Caroline was micromanaging the cheerleaders and even the pep band. I needed to take a break early on and maybe even take an Advil for the headache that was steadily growing.

I went to mine and Caroline's car the first chance I got, still in full marching band uniform.

"Nice uniform. Very sexy." Someone said sarcastically from behind me. I quickly turned around; it was Damon. He had that same half-smile he always he did.

"I know, unisex uniforms are the worst. But that's what I get for choosing music over fashion. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to watch my brother play." Damon glanced back toward the field.

"Then why are you in the parking lot and not where you can actually see him?"

"You got me." He admitted, "I'm hiding from Caroline."

"And why is that?" I crossed my arms.

"I needed a break. She talks more than I can listen."

"Then maybe you should break it off now," I suggested with no ulterior motive. "'Cause that is not going to change."

"I thought you didn't want me to hurt her."

"I don't, but if you string her along it'll hurt more."

"Duly noted." Damon nodded. He took a step closer, "I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention."

"You don't make me uncomfortable." I told him, "Which is strange, because it definitely is your intention. I'll see you at the game." I turned around and headed back to the stands. Elena was heading in my direction, a necklace glinting in the light. "Hey, Elena is that a new necklace?"

"Yeah, Stefan gave it to me." Elena fingered the pendant fondly, it was a silver round talisman with a red stone.

"Weird, I swear I've seen that necklace before."

Later during the game, while playing pep band my sheet music fell below the stands. I climbed down beneath the stands to fetch it, while I was under there I overheard Damon and Stefan talking.

"Guess I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way." Damon said, "Or I could just...eat her."

"No." Stefan said, "You're not gonna hurt her, Damon."

"No?" Damon scoffed.

"Because deep down inside, there is a part of you that feels for her." Stefan explained, "I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you, that you may have actually become the monster that you pretend to be."

"Who's pretending?" Damon asked, arms stretched wide.

"Then kill me." Stefan challenged.

"Well, I'm...I'm tempted."

"No, you're not." Stefan said. "You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years. Maggie is dead. Katherine is dead. And you hate me because you loved them, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity"

Damon was tense as he replied, "You have no idea how much of what you just said was wrong."

I left then. Not wanting to get caught eavesdropping, especially since I knew for sure now that they weren't human.

A few minutes after I had gotten back to my seat. Midway through the fight song, the game was shut down and the police arrived. History teacher and football coach, Mr Tanner had died, well, he was killed. It happened in the exact spot Stefan and Damon were talking, not too long after I left. It had to be one of them, or maybe it was both. Either way it underlined the danger everyone around them was in. I needed to proceed with extreme caution, for Caroline and Elena's sakes especially. Who knows who they would kill to keep their secret.

"I think you should break up with Damon." I told Caroline.

"I thought you didn't want me to? That you weren't going to let a guy get between us?"

"Well, I changed my mind. But not for the reason you think. I just don't think he's right for you."

"Thanks for the concern sis, but I'm not breaking up with him." Caroline said. Perhaps it was for the best, who knows if Damon would have killed her if she tried breaking up with him.

I left to find Bonnie so we could all drive home together.

"Hey, Bon Bon, you okay?" I asked. Bonnie looked shaken as she looked around the scene where Mr Tanner had died.

"Do you see it?" She asked. Bonnie pointed out the different numbers on the building, license plate, and parking space around where Tanner died. "8...14...22"

"Aren't those the numbers you've been seeing all day?"

Bonnie, still shocked, nodded her head. I wrapped my arm around her in comfort.

"Come on Bon, let's get you home."