All chapters prior to this one (and also this one) have been edited/slightly revised. 6/12/20
He continued to stare at me. "Bold, I'll give you that. But stupid, definitely just a little bit stupid." he said, almost to himself. His form blurred and he threw me against the door. I grunted as the air was knocked out of me. As my vision focused, I looked up into his face. His icy blue eyes were staring at me with a predatory gleam, my stomach's butterflies fluttered nervously.
"Leave her alone, Damon." Stefan said, and for once Damon seemed to listen. He backed away and picked up Vicki by her hair. She stood warily, whimpering.
"If you couldn't fix it before, I don't know what you can do now." the elder snorted in disgust as he ripped off the band aid, and threw her at Stefan. Vicki shrieked as her knees hit the pavement. I rushed forward, feeling pity for the poor girl. I glanced at Stef's face, and winced when I saw the pained look. I carefully moved her towards the door, where we sat on a few boxes.
Damon's nose scrunched up as if he smelt something foul. "Ugh! Your choice of lifestyle has made you weak. A couple of vampire parlor tricks are nothing compared to the power you could have, that you now need. But you could change that." he looked over to Vicki and I, a smirk playing across his lips. He disappeared for a moment, reappearing behind us. I spun around quickly, pulling Vicki to my chest again.
"Human blood gives you that." he brushed the hair away from my neck and I stared at him, anger in my eyes.
"No!" Vicki whimpered trying to push him away, though he wasn't even touching her.
"You have two choices. You can feed," he gestured to Vicki. "And make her forget." he walked to the side of the building, surveying the town square, which was packed full of people watching the comet. "Or you can let her run, screaming 'vampire' through the town square. Your choice." he shrugged and walked towards his younger brother.
"That's what this is about?" Stefan scoffed. "You want to expose me?" he shook his head and his brother poked his chest.
"No. I want you to remember who you are!"
"Why? So what, so I'll feed?" he looked at me warily, obviously wanting me to leave. "So I'll kill? So I'll remember what it's like to be brothers again?" Damon's face was emotionless as his brother spoke. "You know what, let her go. Let her tell everyone that vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and drive a stake through my heart, because at least I'll be free of you." Stefan snarled the last sentence, and I could see the hurt flash through Damon's eyes before it became replaced with annoyance.
"Huh." he raised an eyebrow and walked over to us. Vicki now cowered behind me. "Huh." he said again, almost to himself. "Wow. C'mere, sweetheart." Damon repeated, and jerked Vicki from behind me. The way he said sweetheart was almost... dare I say it? … almost caring.
I snorted to myself. Right. As if he cares.
"No!" she protested, but he stroked her hair, trying to calm the thrashing girl down. "It's okay," he murmured something into her ear and she blinked, looking a bit confused.
Vicki left, seeming completely oblivious to what just happened. I stood on the rooftop with the brothers, watching them uncertainly.
"Go home, Care, I'll see you later." Stefan said.
"I-" I spoke, but Damon cut me off. "Yeah Blondie, see you later." He waved his hands in a shoo-ing motion and I rolled my eyes.
I walked down the stairs, slightly annoyed.
Bonnie waved at me from the Grill across the street, and I waved back, smiling. She motioned for me to come over, so I did.
"Hey!" she said, as we stood outside the front entrance, the music from inside softly playing the background. "Have you seen-" she stopped mid-sentence and glanced up. "Oh, hey Stefan." she smiled politely and he said hello to the both of us.
"Have you seen Elena anywhere?" he asked, looking around nervously.
We shook our heads. "I think she went home."
He nodded solemnly. Bonnie rustled through her purse, and pulled out a slip of paper. "Here's her cell number and email. She's big on texting and stuff. God knows she'll need friends to talk to since her parents and all." she frowned sadly. Their hands met and Bonnie visibly stiffened.
"You okay?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"What happened to you?" she blurted out, but shook her head, smiling awkwardly. "That's so rude. I'm sorry. Excuse me." she walked away to her car without another word.
"Don't mind her, she usually wigs out randomly, it's like...her thing." I shrugged.
Stefan nodded uncertainly before turning back towards me. "Ready to head home?"
I shook my head, looking up at the sky. "I think I'll stay here and watch the comet for a bit longer."
His brown hair swayed in the gentle breeze as he nodded once. "Alright. See you at home, Care. Stay safe." he paused for a moment, as if considering what to say next. "Keep an eye out for, you know..." I nodded twice.
"I will, don't worry." I smiled encouragingly at him and he smiled back before disappearing into the parking lot.
I made my way to the clearing where some friends from school were standing. I stood with them and chatted for a few minutes, until they left, leaving me standing in the middle of the town square, looking up at the stars, the lanterns in the trees lighting the area with a surreal glow.
I let loose the breath I didn't realize I was holding and my fingers reached up to brush the necklace, thankful for its presence. Knowing I couldn't be messed with mentally made me feel a lot safer then I probably should have let it.
Time to go home. I decided, headed to my car.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." a voice said, and I turned my head to the middle of the parking lot.
I saw Damon cornering my friend, Alyssa Smith. He was looming over her, looking dark and like trouble.
"No, it's fine." her voice carried on the wind, but it was faint. I headed over towards the shadows and walked on my tiptoes to my car, a few parking spaces down. I ducked beneath the windows and ran to my car.
By the time I reached it, Alyssa was speaking again. "I was hoping I'd see you again, you dark mysterious man." I could picture Alyssa's smirk that she wore so often. She and Elena were good friends, and both on the cheer team.
"I know." Damon's arrogant voice broke my train of thought.
"Cocky much?" She asked, and I peeked over the passenger side window so I could see them.
"Very much." he smirked even wider and started to stoop down. I could see his eyes narrowing and he opened his mouth to speak.
No, he couldn't compel her to be his toy. She and I may not be that close, but still. No one deserves that.
"Oh! Damon!" I called, laughing under my breath at his irritated expression. "Cousin dearest!" I batted my eyelashes.
"What, Blondie?" he spat, smiling awkwardly at Alyssa, who was getting into her car after Damon backed away.
"Could you come help me?" I dropped my key and kicked it under my car, Alyssa's motor revving covering the clinking noise. "I dropped my key and I can't reach it."
Alyssa backed away and Damon slowly watched her pull away, irritation evident on his face. He walked over to me slowly. I saw Alyssa's car pull away, and he blurred over to me, getting my key out from under my car, and slamming it into my hood, leaving a hole in it. I gasped and took a step back.
"Uh." I blinked and looked up into his blue eyes, my heart flipping for some reason unknown to me.
"Is the Blondie jealous?" he grinned evilly down at me and took a step forward. "Does she want to play with me instead of Alyssa?" he wiggled his eyebrows and I scoffed.
"Not even in your wildest dreams, dick."
He snarled and stepped forwards again and again, until our noses were touching.
"I advise you back away, Damon." a voice said.
My eyes traveled over Damon's shoulder to see a dark figure standing there. He stepped into the light just as Damon cocked his head.
"Klaus." I breathed in what I assumed was relief.
"Hello, Klaus-y boy. What brings you here?" Damon sneered and leaned against my car, pulling the key out and tossing with one hand and catching with the other hand.
"The comet, like you. Or are you here for some other reason?" Klaus' head tilted to the side, mirroring Damon. "What are you up to?" he blurred forward and slammed him against the car beside mine.
"What am I up to?" he wiggled out of Klaus' grip and pretended to stroke an imaginary beard. "That's for me to know and for you to … dot dot dot." he turned to me. "Give Alyssa my best, Blondie." he smirked and saluted Klaus sarcastically.
I scoffed and when my eyes opened after a blink, Damon was gone.
Klaus turned to look at me, gauging my reaction of his obvious supernatural strength and speed that he had shown to me again that night.
"Mmm," he hummed, smiling slightly. "So you do know about the Salvatore Brothers, I see." He bent down and picked up my key from where Damon had left it on the ground. "And me, as well now, I suppose."
I met his gaze, keeping the emotion off my face. "I've known since after the first time we met. Stefan told me."
He chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets. His dimples appeared on his cheeks as he smiled. "Brave little human. I saw what you did to Damon, stopping him from compelling the girl earlier." He smirked.
"I-I smacked him earlier," I said, nervously, not knowing why I was talking.
He grinned even wider, laughing. "I would have loved to see that, darling." He handed me my key.
I scoffed quietly at the darling, but didn't say anything about it.
"Well," he continued, nodding his head at me. "Goodnight Caroline."
I studied him for a moment.
"Goodnight."
I got into my car and drove home, worn out from the day. When I pulled into the driveway, I saw Stefan and Elena outside, leaning on the low wall. She was wiping her eyes, as if crying, and Stefan had her against his chest, stroking her hair softly. They seemed in their own little world, so un-alert they didn't notice my arrival. Stefan said something, and the next thing I know, they're kissing.
I got out of my car, and walked to my front door, getting out my keys so they wouldn't think I was spying. When I reached the front, they had already broken away, thank god.
"Oh." I said, as I saw them. "I didn't see you guys there." I blinked and dipped my head at Elena. "Hey."
She smiled and bit her lip before running a hand through her mussed hair. "Hi Care."
I smiled to the both of them again and went in, telling Stefan goodnight.
Once I reached my room, I looked out my window and saw Elena's car pulling away. Someone rapped on my door, and I turned around to go and open it. Stefan stood there.
"I'm happy for you two." I said, before he could say anything. "You'll be good for her. Maybe you can make her less self-centered."
He chuckled. "I think losing her parents knocked her off the high horse everyone says she used to be on."
I nodded uncertainly, before a yawn hit me like a tidal wave.
His gaze lingered on me for a moment, as if he was debating whether or not to say something.
"Everything okay, Stefan?" I asked, holding back another yawn.
He took a step into my room, shutting the door behind him. "I just wanted to thank you for sticking up to Damon up there tonight. It was very rash of you to do so, but thank you. I'm glad you were there, for Vicki's sake."
I blinked a couple times, surprised. "O-of course, Stefan. It was a bit scary, but I don't think Damon would hurt me. I know I should probably be afraid of him, but…I'm not sure…something tells me he wouldn't. I couldn't let him do that to Vicki – or you. What he did to her that night in the woods was already bad enough."
Stefan worked his jaw, clearly thinking about Damon.
"I wouldn't count on his humanity, Caroline. Be careful around him, okay? Niklaus too…both of them aren't as good as you might think they are."
Pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, I sat down on my bed, thinking. "Okay."
He smiled politely. "Good night."
"Night." my door shut.