let me know if you're still reading this! remember, reviews= faster updates. I'm also curious. Do you want chapters at this length or do you want them way longer? let me know. I'm still undecided and will keep chapters at the 4000-6000 range... if you want longer chapters, I'll probably push up to 10,000... what do you think?
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Crash and burn, All the stars explode tonight
How'd you get so desperate? How'd you stay alive?
Help me, please, Burn the sorrow from your eyes
Oh, come on be alive again, Don't lay down and die!
Hey, hey, You know what to do,
Oh, baby, drive away from Malibu
Get well soon, Please don't go any higher
How are you so burnt when, You're barely on fire?
Cry to the angels, I'm gonna rescue you
I'm gonna set you free tonight, baby
Pour over me
As soon as it seemed to be a reasonable time the next morning, Kenzie got dressed. She barely had any sleep, thoughts of Damon plaguing her mind. She could have just called him but thought better of it, deciding to go over to his house so he couldn't avoid her. Yet a part of her wondered on why she didn't just let it go. Damon wasn't her problem anymore, right? She took off walking for the Salvatore house anyways, knowing she couldn't just let it go, it wasn't that easy. She had only gone a block when a car pulled up beside her.
"I'm guessing we're going to the same place?" Elena asked, rolling down the passenger window.
Kenzie sighed but didn't move to get it.
"Kenzie, please, we need to talk. Can you please get in? It'll save you a walk."
Another sigh before she finally walked over to the door and got in.
"I just wanted to tell you, I'm sorry."
"Again?" Kenzie snapped.
Elena bit her lip. "Well yeah. Look, you've been saying for so long that we have feelings for each other so I wanted to be sure and I'm sorry for that. But you guys are broken up."
The redheads eyes shined like hard emeralds as she turned to glare at the other teen. "Excuse me? Do you realize we slept together again, not long before you kissed."
"But you were adamant that you weren't together." Elena protested.
Kenzie took in a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "Whatever, okay? I'm just so tired of being angry all the time."
"So do you forgive me?" She tentatively asked.
"No." The new vampire replied with a snort. "But I'm done being angry. Perhaps it's time for me to move on."
"That's good but maybe Elijah isn't the right choice." Elena's heartbeat sped up again and Kenzie cast a sidelong glance at her.
"Does this have to do with whatever you were lying to Elijah about last night?"
"I-I wasn't lying." She replied, parking the car in the doorway.
"Right." Kenzie replied in a condescending tone, getting out of the car and making her way towards the front door, just as it opened.
Damon was standing in the doorway, sans shirt, Rebekah beside him in the dress she wore to the party last night. He looked surprised to see not only her but Elena as well as Kenzie stared between the two. Rebekah looked at Damon with a smug smile before pushing past both girls and out onto the driveway. Kenzie followed after her, intent on getting some answers.
"What the hell was that?" She asked, grabbing the blonde's arm.
"I'm helping you move on." Rebekah told her. "My brother would never do something like this to you."
"That's because it's incest and illegal." Kenzie sarcastically quipped.
The blonde smiled. "I did this for your own good, Kenzie. Elijah is much better for you."
"Friends don't do this to each other." She snapped.
"Are we not friends anymore?" Rebekah asked, looking wounded at the thought.
"Bekah, I'm pissed off at Elena for kissing him, how the hell am I supposed to take you sleeping with him?"
"I wanted to make your choice easier."
Kenzie sighed, closing her eyes as she took in a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "I know this whole friend thing is foreign to you and honestly, I really, really want to punch you in the face right now because Damon invokes that kind of violence in me for some reason. But I also can see why you did it and if I can still talk to Elena…. Ugh, I don't know, I just said I'm tired of being angry all the time. We'll talk later, okay?"
"You're my friend Kenzie, I wouldn't want you to hate me." Came Rebekah's soft accented voice. "I did what I thought was best."
"That's the skewed part." Kenzie replied with a short laugh. "I"ll talk to you later okay."
Rebekah looked at her longer before walking away and Kenzie went into the Salvatore house.
"What's wrong with you?" Elena was asking. "She tried to kill me less than 48 hours ago. And what about Kenzie?"
Said redhead appeared in the living room, leaning against the entrance way. Damon was pouring himself a drink while Elena stood with her arms crossed,.
"Kenzie has moved on, so I thought I should to." Damon replied.
"You should know, Esther's planning on killing her entire family."
"What?" Kenzie asked in disbelief, causing Elena to turn in surprise.
"You weren't supposed to hear that." The brunette cried.
"Why?"
"Because of Elijah and Rebekah."
"Hey, I think that's great." Damon announced. "Klaus will finally be dead. We win."
"You're such a dick." Kenzie muttered.
"To kill Klaus, she has to kill all of them." Elena explained. "Even Elijah and he doesn't deserve this."
Damon's eyes drifted to Kenzie before taking another drink. "And I'm supposed to care about Elijah?"
"Shouldn't you at least care about Rebekah?" Elena snapped.
"Two seconds ago, you were pissed that she attacked you. It's a win, win."
"Uh, no, it's not." Kenzie interjected. "Elijah and Rebekah don't deserve this."
The brunette turned to her. "Rebekah tried to kill me."
"You put a dagger in her, you heartless bitch."
Damon stepped back to watch the two girls argue with a small smirk.
"I'm not heartless." Elena cried, looking taken aback. "I did that to make sure everything went according to plan. I did what I had to."
"She would have helped you, I know she would have."
"Why are you defending her? Need I remind you what we just walked in on? Your supposed friend just slept with Damon."
"Damon and I are done." Kenzie hissed. "You've ensured that, so don't try and blame this on her."
Damon finally stepped in between the two. "Look, you both better not do anything to screw it up."
"He's right you know. Klaus has to die, they all do."
They all turned to look at Stefan who was standing in the doorway. Elena glared at all of them before leaving the house.
"Aren't you going to go storming out of here too?" Damon asked.
Kenzie lifted an eyebrow at him. "Now why would I want to do that. This is what's going to happen. I'll leave in a huff and it won't be long before one of you go caveman on me in an attempt to stop me from warning my two Original friends. Was I close?"
"Very." Damon replied with an appreciative nod.
"Kenzie, don't you see this has to happen?" Stefan asked. "Klaus needs to be destroyed, if we rid the world of all of them, so be it."
"I know." She simply replied, walking over to Damon's supply of alcohol and picking up a bottle.
"That has vervain in it." Damon said with a smirk.
Kenzie glanced at him before shooting Stefan a questioning look. "It doesn't change the taste of alcohol that much, besides, it will stop me from being compelled by one of you morons." She replied, lifting it to her lips and taking a swig. Katherine had made sure she drank vervain from the get go, saying her ring wasn't enough anymore.
"So you're okay with the plan?" Stefan asked.
"Not at all." Kenzie replied. "So sad you guys had to keep me locked up here so I couldn't warn anyone, so sad." She fell back onto the couch, reaching into her pocket to pull out her phone and turn it off before tossing it to Stefan "Oops, you guys stole my phone."
"What does all this matter if they're going to die? Who cares where you were." Damon said.
"Yeah… this is us we're talking about, our plan never goes the way we want it. Fact: Elijah knew Elena was lying last night when he asked her what Esther wanted. Fact: Elijah isn't going to let that go. Fact: when this plan blows up in your face, I'm playing dumb and pretending I was kidnapped and that you knocked me out when he shows up later."
"How did he know she was lying?" Stefan asked.
Kenzie rolled her eyes, sitting up to drink some more. "Because Elena is a shitty liar, duh. I could even tell she was lying."
"Well someone's going to have to go talk to her." Damon said. "I left the door wide open for you to come swooping in, Brother."
"I think Elena should dump you both." Kenzie muttered from the couch.
Damon appeared above her. "I don't want Elena."
"Aww and your new girlfriend is about to die, poor Damon." She finished off the bottle and stood up, turning to Stefan. "Can I borrow your room? I got like no sleep last night, I'm exhasuted."
Stefan nodded.
"You can use my room." Damon told her.
"No thanks, I prefer not to sleep on your sexed up sheets." She replied with a sneer, walking down the hall to Stefan's room.
…. …. …
When Kenzie woke up, it was dark out and she could hear the front door open and Stefan declaring he couldn't find Elena.
"Hello Stefan." A voice greeted him, one she recognized as Elijah's.
"He has Elena." Damon muttered.
Kenzie sighed as she stood up and made her way to the front room.
"So, if you want to save Elena's life, you'll help me stop my mother."
"I'm a little embarrassed to admit it but when it comes to killing thousand year old witches, I'm a little rusty." Was Damon's sarcastic answer.
"Yes, unfortunately, even when killed, my Mother doesn't want to stay dead."
"Elijah?" Kenzie timidly called his name, pushing her way between the two brothers to see him.
"Mackenzie, how lovely to see you again, although I wish it was under better circumstances."
"It's Mystic Falls." She replied as if that explained everything and he inclined his head towards her in agreement.
"What do you want us to do?" Stefan asked.
"The witches that resurrected my Mother, she's drawing power from that bloodline, that line needs to be broken."
"Broken?" Stefan questioned.
"Yeah." Damon replied "He means…" He drew a finger across his throat.
"You want us to kill them?" Stefan asked.
"You know, I'd do it myself but I have absolutely no idea where they are."
"Elijah." Kenzie began. "I don't want you to die but there has to be another way. More people shouldn't have to die."
"It's the only way." Elijah replied, not looking at her as he stood up. "You have until six minutes after nine to find them."
"Oh, how super specific of you." Damon sneered, his tone full of sarcasm.
"At 9:07 the moon will be full and my mother will have the power to kill me and my family. If you do not stop her before then, Rebekah will kill Elena. So we all have our timeline, I suggest we get started." With a curt nod at Kenzie he walked out, leaving her and the Salvatore Brothers alone.
Stefan quickly disappeared and Damon looked down at the redhead.
"Not going after your boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend." Kenzie snapped, crossing her arms over her chest with a scowl. "Pretty sure he's not even getting a date after this. What the hell are we supposed to do?"
"We, are doing nothing. I am going to go find my brother." He disappeared and Kenzie sat down on the couch, waiting for them to reappear. They did, almost a half hour later and Damon was holding a dagger.
"I've changed my mind Red, you're going to go dagger your boyfriend." He tossed the dagger at her and she easily caught it.
"No." Stefan said. "Kenzie isn't doing it."
"Why not?" Damon asked. "Perfect plan. He trusts her, she stabs him, voila."
"Because I could never do it." Kenzie replied, trying to keep her face neutral. She knew that the dagger was lethal to a vampire if they used it and she was quite happy with not dying at the moment, thank you very much.
"I'm too weak." She continued.
"I really think you can do it." Damon smirked, giving her that feeling that he knew something again. "But luckily for you, there is already a plan in motion. We're going to the Grill."
"What plan?" Kenzie asked, standing up to follow.
"No, you're staying here." Damon told her.
Stefan glanced over at her. "Kenzie's coming with us. She could be useful."
She got into the back of Damon's car as they left for the Grill. When they arrived, Damon led them to the side and down a set of stairs. Moments later, Alaric appeared in the side entrance, grabbing the dagger and disappearing again. He reappeared moments later, dragging Kol's desiccated body with him.
"Take him." Alaric grunted.
"Tell your sexy doctor good work." Damon said as he stepped forward.
So fast that even Kenzie almost couldn't track it, a blur was flying down the stairs, , pulling the dagger out of his brother and pushing Alaric into the wall. Stefan rushed him but was easily thrown into the stairs. Klaus finally came into view and as he turned to Damon, Kenzie stepped in front of him.
"What makes you think I wouldn't kill you?" Klaus sneered.
"I know you will." Kenzie replied. "But in the time it takes to kill me, Damon will be long gone."
"I should've killed you both months ago." He retorted.
"Do it." Damon replied. "It's not going to stop Esther from killing you."
"What did you say about my mother?" He asked, stepping closer to them.
"Remember the last time we had a chat about your mother?" Kenzie asked. "you know, Damon and I have a lot in common with your mom, she hates you as much as we do."
Klaus grabbed her by the neck and pulled her closer. Damon went to move forward but Kenzie halted him by lifting her hand.
"Leave her." A new voice commanded.
Klaus turned to look at the voice and Kenzie rolled her eyes up to the top of the stairs to see Elijah there. "I don't know what your fascination is with this one, Brother. She's a nuisance."
"Put her down." Elijah said.
Klaus released her. "What did Mother do?" when his brother didn't answer, Klaus' question became more forceful. "What did she do, Elijah?
Elijah didn't answer, walking down the stairs and pulling out his phone. "You tell me where the witches are or I'll have my sister kill Elena right now. "
"You told me we had until after nine." Damon pointed out.
"I'm sure Rebekah would be more than happy to start her work early."
"Elijah." Kenzie softly said. "Don't do this."
"I have no choice." Elijah yelled, losing his composure for the moment as he looked at her pleadingly. "Can you not see that, Mackenzie?"
"There's always a choice." She murmured.
"Try the witches house." Stefan muttered. "You might have luck there."
The three original's left as Meredith came out to help Alaric. Stefan stood up and motioned for Damon to follow, who obliged, grabbing Kenzie's hand to pull her with them.
"Why are you trying to save me again?" He asked with a scowl.
"Habit." She replied with a shrug. "What now?"
"Now, we have to revert to Elijah's plan." He said with a sigh, putting her into the backseat before getting into the drivers side.
"Which witch?"
"Abby. Elena would never forgive us if we turned Bonnie."
"Turned? So you're not killing her?"
"Must be going soft." Damon muttered as he took off for the witches house. They were silent until they arrived.
"You know." Damon started. "If we sit this one out, Esther completes her spell, Klaus dies and you get your revenge, it's what you wanted the whole time. The only collateral damage is-"
"Elena." Stefan finished.
Kenzie let out a small snort in the back seat, knowing that was the least likely scenario ever.
"You know what she'd choose." Damon pointed out.
"She'd let herself be killed to save her friends."
"Yup."
Stefan nodded. "But if we do this, it will wreck her."
"Oh she'll hate us." Damon agreed. "The thing is, she'll only have to hate one of us. Only one of us has to do the actual deed."
"So, who's it going to be brother?" Stefan asked him.
"Well." He pulled out a coin and gave it to Kenzie. "She'll flip, Heads I do it, tails you do it."
Stefan nodded in agreement and Kenzie flipped the coin, catching it and showing the guys. All three looked at it before the brothers nodded, dealing with their fate.
"Stay here." Damon told her.
She shrugged, sitting back against the seats as they got out as she looked down at the coin. Tails. It was up to Stefan to kill Abby and Kenzie worried about that. She didn't think the younger brother could handle it, she didn't think he could handle Elena hating him forever and he shouldn't have to. There was a solution to this one, a very simple one and Kenzie made the executive decision to go through with it. Because really when Elena found out, she really didn't care if the brunette hated her forever.
Kenzie got out of the car and used her vampire speed to get to the house. She got there before the brothers, who had decided to walk at a human pace and she followed the sounds of Bonnie and her Mother through the house. The younger Bennett went down to the basement and as Abby went to follow her, the redheads hand snaked out to cover Abby's mouth before pulling her out of the house and into the forest on the opposite side of where the Salvatore's were just entering. Abby fought against her but Kenzie was a vampire and she was able to hold the much taller woman with one hand while opening up a vein on her other wrist. She switched hands, forcing Abby to drink the blood and when she had what Kenzie hoped was enough, she pulled away, listening to her sputter before grabbing her head and breaking her neck. From the back of the house, she could hear Esther yelling as the witches power was broken. Kenzie let go of Abby, staring down at her with indifference, a feeling of detachment settling over her. She should probably feel bad for this but she didn't, not in the least. She knew Damon could do this but she feared what Bonnie would do if she found out and she knew she could never let Stefan do it. She liked him, he understood her and he kept her secret so if she could do this for him and help him then she was happy to. She didn't know Abby Wilson Bennett, nor did she feel anything by turning her into a vampire. Kenzie made sure there was no trace of her being there before leaving and taking off back to the car. She got into the backseat and stood there waiting until the brothers' returned.
"How'd it go?" She asked, nonchalantly, "Did you do it Stefan?"
"No, I didn't."
Kenzie looked at Damon, who shook his head. "Don't look at me, I pulled heads."
"So the Originals are dead?"
"No…" Stefan hesitantly began. "We found Abby with a broken neck, we're pretty sure she's in transition."
"So yay, neither of you had to do it. So Elena won't hate you for forever and a day."
"But if we didn't, then who did?" Damon asked.
"Maybe one of the Originals?" She suggested. "Duh, especially if they got here before you."
"But Klaus isn't dead." Damon reminded them.
"No." Stefan agreed with a sigh.
"Can I go home now?" Kenzie asked.
"Yeah," Damon said, pulling the car out onto the road.
Kenzie sat back against the seat, staring out the window, acting as if she didn't just turn someone into a vampire.
… … …
She was sitting on her porch, waiting for him to show up, she knew it would only be a matter of time. He didn't disappoint her, appearing within an hour of her returning home.
"Hello, Miss Miller."
"We're back to that now, are we?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I wasn't sure if I would be welcome here."
In response, she patted the seat next to her, waiting for him to sit before she grabbed his hand. He looked at it in surprise.
"How could you hold hands with me? I have become a monster tonight."
"You and me both." She said with a sigh.
"What do you mean?" Elijah asked, confused. "I held an innocent captive, used my sisters hatred to keep her captive to force the Salvatore's hand."
She shrugged. "I killed Abby Bennett and turned her, so we both suck."
"That was you?" He said in surprise. "But why, I did not want you to have to do that."
"Because I couldn't let Stefan do it." She said with a frown. "It would kill him if he had to and he lost the coin toss. This way, Elena doesn't have to hate anyone for it because no one knows who did it."
Elijah sighed. "I did not want this, Mackenzie. I especially did not want you a part of this."
"You made a choice, you wanted to live. I made a choice too, I wanted to save a friend some pain and heartache. We do what we have to."
"I'm leaving tonight."
Kenzie looked at him in surprise at his admission. "Why?"
"Because I hate what I have done this night, so I must leave."
"But… you owe me a date."
He looked searchingly in her eyes. "Come with me." He begged her.
"What? Where?"
"Wherever you want. We can go and explore the world, we can do anything and everything you want."
One hand came up to cup his cheek as she gave him a sad smile. "I can't, you know I can't."
"Why?" He asked. "This town is holding you back. There is so much more out there for you."
"And I now have the time to see it." She gently reminded him. "But right now, I want to finish High School and go to College. Right now I want to pretend I'm not a vampire and be as normal as possible."
"I understand." He said, pulling away from her and going to stand up. Kenzie grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards her and placing her lips against his. After kissing vampires, Kenzie was 100% sure she could never go back to kissing normal teenage boys. Not when vampires were this good.
Elijah finally pulled away, cupping her cheek this time. "We'll have to stop before I decide to kidnap you."
She grinned. "Keep in touch, Elijah. Maybe come back and visit. Maybe come help if we find a way to kill your brother. I don't like him."
"Not many people do." He replied with a small smile, leaning in for one more quick kiss. "Until we meet again, Mackenzie." He stood up and she watched him walk away with a sort of sad smile on her face. She would miss him and it sucked that he had to leave.
She was about to go back inside, maybe finally give in and watch some Jersey Shore with Jill when Stefan walked up her walkway, sitting in the spot Elijah previously had been.
"Why'd you do it?" He asked.
She put on her best innocent look. "Do what? Kiss Elijah? 'Cause he's leaving, so I gave him a goodbye kiss."
"That's not what I meant, Kenz. It was my job to kill Abby."
"Maybe Damon did it." She suggested.
"He'd admit it, maybe even brag about it."
"Maybe it was one of the Originals."
Stefan sighed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "That's what Bonnie thinks right now but I know for a fact they were all out at the circle with Esther, so that leaves only one other vampire in the vicinity. So why did you do it?"
"So you wouldn't have to." She softly replied. "You wouldn't survive having to turn Abby and have Elena hate you forever, you wouldn't. You're trying so hard to pretend not to care but you're not fooling me. She can kiss Damon all she wants, you can tell her to get lost all you want but you and Elena are endgame. You know that."
He was silent, mulling over what she just said. "What if I said I think you and Damon are endgame?"
She smirked. "Well then, I guess him and I have eternity to figure it out now, huh?"
"Are you ever going to tell him?"
"Yes but don't ask when, I haven't thought that far ahead. The moment everyone learns that I'm a Vampire and have been since that night Jeremy died and was brought back, there is going to be hell to pay. But in reality, no one knowing about me has made it a lot easier on everyone and everything. I can be places and do things no one expects me to be able to do and I can play dumb. Case in point, no one will ever learn that I turned Abby, everyone will blame an Original, Elena won't hate you for making that choice, or following through with it, Bonnie won't hate you guys and get revenge for her Mom becoming a vampire. It's a win, win, win for everyone."
Stefan sighed before leaning back. "I haven't had a drop of human blood since the night at the bridge."
"I'm not surprised." Kenzie replied with a smirk. "Look Mr. Broody pants, I know things suck, and I know you don't want to feel them but perhaps it's time. It's gonna hurt, it's gonna suck but you'll get through it, we'll get through it, I'll help you."
"You'd help me?"
"Why not? I'll talk you back from the edge when you need it and I'll punch you in the face when you need it or because I feel like it. You've kept my secret, so I'm going to help you."
"You're a good friend Kenz."
"The goodest." She replied with a grin, leaning over to squeeze his hand. "I came to my own revelation today on my way to your place. I'm tired of being angry all the time, it's exhausting. So I hate that I was turned, so I hate that Damon and I aren't working and are always fighting, so I hate that him and Elena kissed and I really hate that Rebekah slept with him, even if in her own skewed way, she was trying to help but really, I'm tired of all this hate and anger, it's time to let it go."
"Wow." He let out a soft whistle. "your control is impeccable."
"I know. That's why I'm going to help you."
He leaned over to hug her before standing up. "Thanks. For everything. You didn't have to do that today, but you did for me, so thank you."
She nodded, watching him walk away before turning to go inside.
… … …