Another chapter for you all! c:
Kudos to my wonderful beta, who helps me sort out my mess that are the chapters!
I'm going to be slowly going back over the previous chapters that I wrote before I got my beta, and just look for grammatical errors and stuff! I won't be adding in any new details, so don't worry about that!
Enjoy! I'm super excited for Miss Mystic Falls next chapter! (:
Previously on Everything Changes...
"N-no. He's one of my best friends, and I hate that I have to be careful around him all of a sudden. I hate treating my best friend like he's a ticking time bomb." I took a deep breath, and looked Damon in the eyes, then turned to Zach. "I hate feeling so helpless and weak."
Damon got up, without saying a word. He left the room, leaving Zach and I to ourselves.
"Caroline," He said, sitting next to me on the bed. "I think it's time for us to move."
I stared at my godfather in shock.
"What?"
Caroline's POV
"Move?!" I practically shrieked, tears quickly drying. "I just got here, Zach! We can't – we can't just up and move every time something bad happens!"
Zach got up off the bed, sighing. "You don't have to pack up and leave, Care. I promised your mom that I'd protect you from..." he gestured to the house. "All of this. Being in this house right now...it's breaking a promise I swore I'd keep."
"Stefan hasn't hurt me, and neither has Damon!" I countered, crossing my arms.
"Not yet," He said quietly, his hand going up to the self-consciously rub the scar on his neck he'd shown me when I'd first arrived. "All I'm saying, all I'm suggesting is that we just...take a... vacation from here for a while, move into the apartment complex in town."
I gnawed on my lip, deep in thought.
Anna's words suddenly echoed in my mind.
'You make a big ruckus, shrieking and screaming. You even try to escape – but then you go right back to that house and live in a house full of what you run from.'
"You asked me almost two months ago, if I felt safe here, Caroline. You wouldn't have even brought it up, if you didn't feel safe yourself." His kind eyes stared down at my green ones, and he smiled slightly.
"Just think about it, okay?"
Still chewing on the corner of my lip, I nodded.
"Okay, but no promises," I added, as an after-thought.
He chuckled, nodding. He paused at the door, and I suddenly remembered something.
"I should have asked before, but I told Uncle Ezra that we could have dinner here tomorrow night. Is that alright?"
Zach sighed, rubbing his face. "I won't have time to go to the store until tomorrow night, want me to reschedule for you?"
I exhaled slowly. The universe was just against Ezra and I talking! "Yes, please."
~0~
The next day, I sat in my usual place – on my window seat – and pulled out my diary. Instead of starting off with an entry, I simply wrote the date – November 25th – and started to list the pros and cons of moving out.
Dear Diary,
Pros:
~ Vampire protection barrier
~ Closer to school = less gas money = more shopping money
~ Safer b/c Zach controls who can come in & out.
~ Maybe I could get a break from all the vampire drama.
Cons:
~ No vampires to protect me from others.
~ Moving again
~ Moving out would make Stefan think I was afraid of him – & I do not want to be afraid of my best friend!
Zach thinks it'd be best if we moved out for a while, but I'm not so sure I want to...I mean, I did just get settled in. Maybe it's for the best though, sometimes I do feel uncomfortable not having the barrier. I'm really conflicted, as I know Stefan & Damon wouldn't hurt me for no reason, but Stefan isn't exactly in his right mind right now...he's struggling, & it worries me.
Now that I think more about it, moving out couldn't really hurt, right? If anything, I'd have more 'me-time', and less time spent worrying if Damon or someone is going to pop into my room uninvited.
I promised Zach I'd give him an answer by tomorrow morning, so I'm going to think a bit more & then decide. The kickoff party is in a few hours, so I'm going to go get ready.
Love,
Caroline
~0~
Third Person POV
Stefan and Damon walked up the short staircase into the upper level of the patio.
"Oh, God," Stefan said, making a face and looking around. "I shouldn't be here."
Damon exhaled dramatically, heading farther into the party with Stefan trailing behind.
"C'mon, don't be a downer! It's a party for the founding families! That'd be us. It'd be rude to skip it." The raven haired man turned casually in a circle, scanning the crowd for his favorite sassy blonde.
Stefan furrowed his brows, scratching his head. "I...I really liked you a whole lot better when you hated everybody."
Damon smirked. "Oh...I still do." He chuckled. "I just love that they love me." He smiled tightly before his gaze drifted to his brother. "How ya feeling, brother?"
Stefan avoided his gaze, scanning the crowd. Part of him hoped Elena wouldn't had come, but he knew she probably would. "I'm good, I'm fine." he said hurriedly.
Damon turned towards his brother, studying him. "No cravings? No urges?" The corners of his mouth turned down, brows raising. "Is that whiskey you've been drinking all day doing it's job?" He said lowly.
Stefan laughed, shaking his head.
"We are who we are, Stefan," Damon continued, exhaling while he spoke; still scanning for Caroline. "Pretending doesn't change that."
Stefan scoffed, flashing his brother a tight-lipped smile. "Nothing would make you happier than just to see me give in, huh, Damon?"
The man in question shrugged. "Whatever, it's inevitable."
"Well, I'm going to find Elena..." said Stefan eagerly, walking off.
"Don't embarrass me, young man!" Damon called after him loudly, pointing. He laughed, the dimple in his cheek indenting as he smirked.
"Shouldn't Stefan be saying that to you?" A familiar voice said to Damon, and he smirked wider, turning to face Caroline.
"What, little ole me?" He took in her simple outfit – a blue sweater paired with a black polka-dot circle skirt and blue peep-toe heels; and smirked wider.
Miss Caroline Forbes never ceased to outdo the once lovely Chandra Ambrose. Damon realized.
"Yes, 'little ole you'!" She retorted, blue-green eyes flaming.
He chuckled at her retort, and glanced down again at her heels. The blue shoes made her a tad bit taller than him.
"Careful Blondie. Don't break your ankle." Damon flashed her a flirty wink before swaggering off.
Caroline rolled her eyes, and walked over to Klaus, whom she noticed was hanging around by the bar.
"Evening, Klaus." She greeted, dipping her head.
His usually arrogant posture was now somber, and he tipped back a shot glass.
"Caroline," He stated, nodding back at her.
"Rum and coke, minus the rum, please," She said to the bartender.
Turning to him, she raised her eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?"
He shot her a sidelong glance, taking another shot. "Family issues, is all."
Family issues? She echoed confusingly in her mind.
"Care to elaborate?" Caroline asked gently, not wanting to push a slightly drunk vampire.
"Not really, love," He shoved the empty glass away and got up, walking away.
"Oh-kay," Care murmured, pushing her hair behind her ear.
The bartender gave her the glass and she took a sip, cringing when she tasted the rum.
I said minus the rum you bozo. She huffed, setting the glass back down.
Caroline was no stranger to hangovers, but was never a fan of any of the strong stuff.
Stefan walked over, and Elena wandered over a moment later.
Screw it.
She took a long swig, resisting the urge to grimace at the taste. Stefan had been worrying her, heck, all the vampires had been worrying her. She could use a little loosening up.
She cast the couple a glance, noticing Elena stare at Stefan uncertainly after he kissed her on the cheek.
"Are you drunk?" Elena asked disbelievingly.
"Okay," Stefan leaned against the wall, staring down at the shorter girl. "I know...it's a little weird, but it's really helping! The alcohol takes the...edge off."
Elena giggled like a schoolgirl. "You're totally that hot, drunk, high school guy at adult parties sneaking booze."
Caroline rolled her eyes, and took another long sip.
"I totally am, yeah," Stefan confirmed, and Caroline glanced at them again. After a bit more talking, they went to dance.
When Care went to find some of her friends, and maybe see if Matt was here, Ezra walked up to her.
"Hello Caroline!"
"Hi, Uncle Ezra," She responded with a small smile. "Sorry we had to reschedule again."
"Ah, it's fine," He shrugged it off, and he motioned to a tall table.
The pair went to stand there, and they caught up for a while. After the awkward new family member chit-chat was over, the music changed, more upbeat now.
~0~
Caroline's POV
"When did this happen?" I called over to Matt, who was standing with Elena at the next table over.
Elena grinned like a Cheshire cat. "DJ had a change of heart."
I nodded knowingly. One of the guys must have compelled him.
"Do you wanna dance?" Matt came over and asked. "That is, if you don't mind me stealing you from..."
"My uncle Ezra," I finished, knowing he wasn't sure who he was.
"I'm Matt," Matt extended his hand, shaking Ezra's firmly.
"Nice to meet you, Matt. Ezra," Ezra smiled, and shooed me away. "Go on, we can catch up later."
I beamed at Matt. "I guess I want to dance!"
"Good!" He said loudly, grabbing my hand and pulling me onto the dance floor.
Stopping suddenly, I fell into his chest, laughing.
"This isn't dancing, Matt."
"It is now!" He said in my ear, over the music.
He backed away, pulling my arm so I would spin back towards him.
We danced for a while, laughing and goofing off, when the music changed to a more slow song. A few moments later, I saw a black sleeve clad arm tap Matt on the shoulder. We looked up to see who the black shirt belonged to.
Klaus.
"Mind if I cut in? No? Good," He asked, though he didn't wait for an answer; cutting in and taking my hand.
Matt scoffed and glared daggers into Klaus' back.
Sorry. I mouthed over the vampire's shoulder to Matt.
He shook his head, and headed back to the tables.
"Hello, love. You look ravishing in that color," Klaus purred in my ear.
We swayed in a small circle, one hand on my waist, politely away from my bottom, and his other encircling my hand.
"Sorry to cut in," He murmured.
"Don't waste your breath, Klaus. You know you aren't sorry," I countered, avoiding his gaze.
Klaus may have helped with Stefan, but it didn't make up for his part in kidnapping Bonnie and I. I had to keep reminding myself that, or his charm would make me forget. It was easier to be mad at him...
Klaus quickly smothered his laugh. I rolled my eyes and stared out over the floor. As we danced in a slow circle, I noticed Ezra staring fiercely at Klaus and I, his fist clenching around his glass.
Strange.
"Hm, I think we've made someone jealous," Klaus said after another period of silence. "Look." He gestured with our entwined hands at Damon, who kept glancing over at us, almost subconsciously.
Klaus suddenly pulled me to him with the hand resting on my waist. I thudded into his chest with an exclamation. He then dipped me down low, his face closing the distance to mine. Staring down into my eyes, he smirked, hearing something I could not. After a second, he pulled me back up, and we continued to dance like normal.
"Don't do that again," I warned, staring up the short distance to his eyes. "Seriously."
When I was facing where Damon was before, he was gone.
~0~
Third Person POV
"Damon Salvatore, I'm surprised you don't have a dance partner," Rudy joked, going over to Damon, whom had just walked outside under the stars.
"Eh, I'm not in the mood for dancing right now, Rudy," Damon replied, actively trying to smother the bitter tone.
"You know, I had my doubts about you at first, but like everyone else on the council, you've won me over," Rudy commented.
Damon grinned, and took a champagne from the waitress that passed by.
"Thanks Rudy. It's really nice how...welcoming... the council has been. I feel like Mystic Falls is home again."
Rudy smiled, taking a took a sip of his own glass of champagne. "Glad to hear it, Damon. I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but..." Setting his glass down on the counter, he sighed. "John Gilbert and Ezra Forbes' claims check out. The blood banks, the missing people, whole nine-yards – all true...we might just have another problem on our hands."
Damon was trying to determine a response, when little Jeremy Gilbert appeared.
"Excuse me Sheriff, sorry to interrupt." He looked down sheepishly before continuing. "I was curious if there's been any more information about what happened to Vicki Donovan.
Rudy smiled sadly and said, "It was an overdose, Jeremy."
Damon kept his expression blank, careful to not reveal any emotion. He had to admit, he was surprised how easily Rudy lied to the boy.
"Yeah, but her body was buried," Jeremy continued, and Damon sighed to himself. "Somebody must have done that!"
The vampire shifted his weight to his other foot, staring off at the couples dancing, spotting Klaus and Caroline dancing. Emotion rose, and he felt his chest tighten, he promptly shut it away and turned his attention back. Jeremy was leaving, leaving Damon and Rudy to themselves once more.
Meanwhile, Caroline managed to finally get rid of Klaus, after being forced to dance with him for three songs. The dances weren't unpleasant, of course, as Klaus was a wonderful dancer, but he wasn't Caroline's first pick as a dance partner.
"Please dance with your alcoholic vampire best friend," A deep voice came from behind the blonde, who turned around.
Stefan stood there, his hand extended.
Caroline flashed him a wide grin, taking his hand. They danced to a few upbeat songs, when Caroline stumbled back into Elena, who stumbled into a man, almost knocking him over.
~0~
Caroline's POV
"Wow! Watch it!" The older man snapped at Elena and I.
"I'm sorry," I apologized, feeling bad. "I bumped into my friend, who bumped into you."
"I'm clumsy," Elena said, giggling nervously.
"Then why don't the two of you get off the dance floor," The man sneered at the two of us, and I had the sneaking suspicion he was a bit drunk.
"Excuse me?" I scoffed at him, hands on my hips.
"You're excused, dumb ass." Still scowling at us, he turned away.
Stefan was suddenly in front of us, grabbing the man's arm firmly and jerking him back around.
"That's no way to talk to a lady."
"Whatever, man." He tried to pull away, but again, Stefan pulled him back.
"I think you need to apologize."
His voice was dangerously low and calm, and I could tell Stefan was compelling him.
"I'm sorry," the man said, the compulsion taking effect.
Stefan eased up off his arm, letting him go.
He seemed to change his mind, grabbing him again.
"Now, say it like you mean it."
Staring blankly at the two of us, he said robotically, "I'm really, really, sorry."
I stared nervously at Stefan, having never seen this side of him. I'd smelt the alcohol wafting from his breath when we were dancing, but I didn't think he was acting this...off.
"Stefan," I said gently, prying his grip away, with Elena's help. "It's okay, really."
"Now walk away," He growled, before turning to us, gaze softening.
Stefan hugged Elena, cradling her head in his hand. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, and he turned to me.
"You alright too, Care?"
I swallowed, my heart slowing as he became his usual self.
"Yeah, are you?"
We gazed at each other for a tense moment before he nodded.
"I'm going to go get a drink," I said over the music, going over to the bar.
~0~
Third Person POV
Damon was out on the balcony standing, staring off into space.
"Damon, right?" A voice spoke up, and Damon turned to see Ezra and John looking at him curiously.
"John, Ezra," The raven haired man greeted, bobbing his head at the both.
"We didn't get a chance to meet at the council," Ezra explained. "And I figured since you're the...nephew of Care's godfather, it couldn't hurt to get to know you more." He flashed a toothy smile, though it did not reach his eyes.
"Yeah, great idea!" Damon shook Ezra's hand. "Are you enjoying the kick-off?"
"Oh yeah," John answered, despite the question being directed to his companion. "I bet Ezra here forgot how much fun these small town celebrations could be!"
Ezra chuckled, nodding slowly.
"Yeah," said Damon, plastering a strained smile onto his face.
For some reason, Damon really didn't like John, whether it was his attitude, or something else, Damon didn't know.
"So when's the last time the two of you were here?"
"I came for my sister-in-law's funeral," Ezra grimaced, and Damon recalled hearing Caroline mention to Zach that Ezra and Liz never got along.
"How long have you been in town, Damon?" John asked, avoiding the question.
"Oh, not too long," he waved his hand, keeping his response vague.
"So, what do you think, Damon?" Ezra asked. "Y'know, this whole vampire problem is a real thing, right? It could end up a blood bath."
"Yeah," Damon scoffed. "Worse-case scenario."
"He's not over-reaction, Damon." John crossed his arms and glanced over Damon's shoulder at something, but the elder Salvatore didn't turn to look.
"Personally, I think it's just like 1864 all over again." The corner of Ezra's mouth twitched up, and John and him met gazes. "What with vampires running amok." He laughed. "I guess we'll have to hunt the bastards down, stuff them in that church, and burn them to ash."
Ezra's blue eyes carefully measured Damon's reaction to the suggestion, but Damon was able to hold back...most of it anyways.
The corner of Damon's eye twitched, ever so slightly, causing an arrogant smirk to slide onto John's face.
"That's the story, huh?" Damon mused, playing it off.
"Part of it, at least," John said, still smirking stared at Damon intently.
According to his source, Damon was a loose cannon at times, and if you pushed his buttons enough, you could get him to fire.
"Oh, there's more?" Damon's piercing blue eyes widened as if this was news to him.
"Oh, there's a lot more." Ezra mirrored John's expression, and Damon realized why they called him Jackass John. "See, it seems there was a tomb under the church, where vampires were hidden, waiting for someone to come along and set them free. But then you both already knew that didn't you?"
Klaus walked up beside Damon, his temper bubbling at the surface. Working his jaw, Klaus barked a short laugh. "Ri-ight."
"I mean, it's obvious the two of you opened it." John shrugged. "Nobody else in this miniscule town has the brains or the motivation that you two have."
Chandra Ambrose. Ezra mouthed, smirking widely.
Klaus snarled, and Damon was already threatening him, living up to the loose cannon reputation.
"You do realize we could rip out your throats before anyone could notice?"
"Yeah, but you wouldn't want to damage your already wounded relationship with Caroline, would you? I've been around longer than you think, Damon, I've seen things, heard things." Ezra's smirk faded to a fierce look. "I'm warning you both. Stay away from my niece. My brother would have killed you at first sight if he'd been-"
"Yeah, yeah, okay, whatever. You both obviously ingest vervain, so..." Klaus cut him off, his wolfish grin appearing on his face.
"Why don't you take a bite to find out, vampire?" John dared, and Klaus smiled, almost genuinely.
"It's not worth my time, mate," Klaus shrugged, and the two men smiled at each other.
"Klaus," Damon said, so lowly it would be impossible for the humans to hear. "Don't."
Ezra had read Damon's lips, and laughed. "Yeah Damon, protect your boyfriend."
The loose cannon snapped, and he bashed the men's heads together, and threw Ezra's limp body off the balcony, leaving John unconscious on the ground.
Somewhere behind them, Caroline inhaled sharply, hand flying to her mouth.
Damon turned around, his face a mess of rage. When Klaus and Damon laid eyes on Caroline, whose eyes were filling with tears, Damon's face contorted with guilt.
"Care," He said, stepping towards her, looking regretful.
"Don't," Caroline staggered backwards. "I can't even look at you two right now." Her hand flew to her mouth and a sob shook her chest.
~0~
Caroline's POV
I couldn't believe Damon had done that, and Klaus had simply stood and watched, that damn smirk on his face.
Part of me wanted to rush down to Ezra, check on him to see if he was okay, but something told me not to. Maybe it was the fear that he wasn't alive, or perhaps even not wanting to confront the fact that he knew Damon was a vampire.
As I went back downstairs, intending on leaving, I heard a screech.
I ran towards the sound, which was just by the exit.
Matt was punching Tyler, while Kelly stood over to the side, head bleeding.
"Matt, Tyler, stop!" Elena said, trying her best to rip them off one another.
"Help!" I instinctively called, and Alaric suddenly came rushing out, pulling the boys apart.
Tyler's dad came over, and ushered Tyler away, leaving Matt bleeding.
Elena, her face conflicted, left Matt.
I scoffed, going over to my blonde friend.
"Here, let me see," I murmured, kneeling at his side.
"Where is she?" Matt asked, looking up at me.
His blue eyes were filled with anger and annoyance, matching the fierce looking black eye that was already beginning to form on the right side of his face.
"I'm not sure, Matty. Keep your head up," I grabbed a tissue out of my purse, and pressed it to a small slit in his forehead. "Keep it up here." I brought his hand up and pressed down, staunching the flow.
I got up and headed back inside, looking for Kelly.
After looking to no avail, I stumbled across Tyler.
"What did you do?" I demanded, stomping over to him.
"I didn't do anything, Caroline!" He growled, slouching into the armchair. "Kelly was alone, and I was walking her to her car. She looked lonely and sad, and I was alone, and, she fell into me. Matt thought...Matt thought something was going on, and..." he sighed, letting me finish the rest.
"Well, you should have tried to explain, at least!" I chided, shaking my head.
Tyler looked away, brooding.
~0~
Third Person POV
Damon sauntered over to Stefan, who was standing off to the side of the party.
"Alright, you wanna hear the bad news, or the really bad news?" He murmured.
Stefan groaned, appearing pained. "Actually, I don't want any news, Damon."
Damon rolled his eyes dramatically, and continued. "Alright, let me rephrase. Do you want to hear how the council is back in vampire mode, or..." he trailed off, staring at his brother's chest. "...how I probably just killed Uncle Ezra Forbes and perhaps Uncle John Gilbert?"
Guilty feelings swam in Damon's chest. "Did I mention that Caroline saw me do so?"
"What?" Stefan asked incredulously, thinking he didn't understand him.
Damon smirked, putting on an air of carelessness. "Great party by the way." Smirking quickly again, he patted his brother's shoulder and walked away.
Stefan began to go after her, but the warm smell of blood caught his nose, and he froze, dead in his tracks. Turning slowly, he saw Kelly Donovan, sitting in the small room alone, crying.
"Is everything alright?" Stefan asked, approaching her.
Kelly shook her head furiously. "I ruined it – or at least...Matty thinks I ruined it," she babbled.
Stefan slowly knelt down, staring lustfully at the blood on her forehead.
With shaking hands, he reached out and touched the blood, pulling away slowly; his fingers crimson.
While this was going on, Damon turned to see a very much alive Ezra walk in, brushing off his shoulder.
"You've got to be kidding me," he grumbled to himself.
Not even a moment later, John glided down the stairs, looking fine as ever.
Damon growled, unsure of why both men had so magically came back to good health.
The Mayor got up and started to say some long welcoming speech.
He stared intently at each man as they both picked up a mallet, and rang the old bronze bell from 1864. A silver ring glinted from each of their fingers, and Damon sighed.
Bingo.
During this time, Damon found Alaric in the crowd. "The town's new favorite sons...look at their rings."
Alaric's eyes widened as he zeroed in on the rings that were identical to his own.
Stefan tore himself away from Kelly, quickly heading in to the parking lot. Still trying to tear his ears away from the sound of beating hearts, he ran into the man he had compelled earlier.
He pushed him, and Stefan groaned.
Not now, he growled to himself.
"You don't want to do this, man," Stefan warned, teeth clenched; incisors tingling.
The man pushed him again. "Sorry 'bout that, too. Hm, all I can do is apologize. What's that about?"
"Get out of my way. Please," Stefan tried to walk around the man, to get away from the pestering temptation, but to no avail.
"No girls to show off for? I see how it is," The drunk man chuckled dryly.
Fist flying towards Stefan, the vampire's hand darts out and catches it. Stefan pushed the man to the floor, his vampire face emerging.
"What are you, man?"
~0~
Caroline's POV
After I got Matt some ice and Advil, I made my way to my car. When I was leaving, I heard Ezra and John talking, and I knew, somehow they were fine. I would definitely have to talk to Damon about this later. And by talk, I mean yell at.
A groan met my ears, and I hesitantly walked over to the same man who had been so rude to me and Elena. He was lying on the ground, arm swollen and twisted awkwardly.
"Hey! Are you alright? What happened?"
I helped him up.
"My arm," he explained, voice empty. "I lost my balance and fell. I'm clumsy."
Stefan...
In that moment, I took a proverbial step towards my decision.
To Elena →
hey, could I come spend the night? the whole thing w/ Stef is stressing me out. Damon killed my unc too, but somehow he's alive. Talk more later.
Send.
My phone chimed twice the time I arrived back at the Boarding House.
To Caroline →
sure, Stef was acting weird to me 2, & I can't believe Damon did that...c u in a few xx
Running inside, I threw my night clothes, toiletries, and diary into my bag before texting Zach, who had gotten roped into another graveyard shift at his work.
To Zach →
spending night at Elena's figured I'd take some time away from b. house xx
Send.
After waiting for a response I got into my car and headed to Elena's, happy that I was able to get my stuff and go without Damon or Stefan being around.
~0~
Third Person POV
When Caroline arrived, she and Elena decided to go sit on the front porch to talk. Jeremy, having seen Caroline write in her diary before, knew it would be the place to look for answers. Caroline and Elena both knew something, but neither of them would tell him what. This could be the only way to learn the truth.
Quietly exiting his room, he crept inside Elena's and spotted Care's bag sitting at the end of the bed. Jer glanced at the door before rummaging through Caroline's bag. He pulled out a small book, and flipped open the first page.
He saw Caroline's name written in her large handwriting, and began to quickly scan through the pages.
His eyes widened as he came across new information.
A certain hybrid-vampire tried to compel me...
Probably since I spend most of my time around sneaky vampires...
Poor Matt found Vicki's body when he was getting my car for me.
Jer's eyes widened, and he flipped back, trying to follow back to the date when Vicki went missing.
Bingo. He thought victoriously.
'Diary Diary,' Jermey's eyes scanned across Caroline's words, desperately trying to find what he was looking for.
'I found Vicki in the Boarding House today, a newborn vampire.' Caroline had written. 'Damon killed her. I honestly don't care anymore. I know that people could get hurt if this fell into the wrong hands, but Damon killed the girl! And then, she went to the Halloween party as a vampire, and Klaus ended up staking her because she attacked me. Poor Jeremy saw it all, and Elena decided it was best if he forgot it all. He was really depressed, and it scared even me.'
The entry trailed on, rambling about bits and pieces, but Jeremy had read enough. A scowl embedded in his forehead, he forced himself to calmly place the book back in it's place. Leaving the room, he goes back into his own, slamming the door furiously.
~0~
At the Donovan residence, Matt was in his mom's bedroom, furiously throwing clothes into her suitcase. Kelly stumbled into the bedroom, still a bit drunk; head bandaged.
"Matt!" She cried, running over to him. "What are you doing?"
"I've had enough, Mom!" He growled, but his eyes were watering. "I want you outta here by morning!"
"Matt!-" Kelly tried to say.
"No Mom, I don't want to hear it!"
"Matt," Kelly raised her voice, grabbing his arm and making him look at her. "I didn't kiss him, and Tyler didn't kiss me. I was...drunk...and I tripped over my own feet, and he stopped me from falling." She insisted, for once being truthful.
He paused, blue eyes searching hers. "Fine."
He threw her suitcase onto the floor, and left the room.
~0~
Klaus was nowhere to be found when Damon and Alaric saw John and Ezra leaving, whispering quietly.
Following the men, Damon blurred forward, closer to them.
"Going somewhere?" he asked, and the pair turned around.
Ric finally caught up, coming to stand beside Damon.
Ric had nothing against the men, but he knew they were trouble, arrogant trouble.
"I've never liked to be the last to leave a party," Ezra shrugged, eying Alaric like he was a bag of trash. "Too desperate. You're going to kill one of us again, or you gonna let teacher boy here do your dirty work?"
Alaric clenched his fist. "Okay, so you obviously know who I am."
John snorted. "Obviously. Alaric Saltzman. High school teacher by day, vampire hunter who's best friends with a vampire by night."
"Sure know a lot for someone who just got here," Damon said lowly, and Ezra laughed.
John simply smiled snidely. "Our knowledge combined is more than you can possibly imagine, Damon. The facts of this town we know goes beyond anything the both of you – and the council – could possibly know."
Damon worked his jaw, and Ric knew his friend was getting annoyed with their attitudes. The hunter hated Damon at times, but he had to admit, he could be a halfway decent person when he wanted to.
"I can see your gears moving, vampire. If you're thinking of doing some half-assed snatch ring kill move, know that if one of us dies, everything we know will be emailed straight to the council," Ezra continued for John. "Including a fascinating little tale of the original Salvatore brothers and their present day return to Mystic Falls."
Damon's eyes widened, shocked. He was left speechless, and so was Alaric. The teacher never exactly realized how old Damon really was.
"How did you get that ring?" Ric asked, breaking the silence.
John and Ezra met eyes, smiling mysteriously. "I take it you aren't apart of the club, then," Ezra said
"I wouldn't have given it to Isobel if I'd known she hand it over to another guy," John explained. "I inherited this one from my brother, Gray."
"So you did know her," Damon murmured, squinting his eyes.
"Who'd you think send her your way when she wanted to become a vampire?" John smirked, shifting his weight to his left foot.
"You sent her?" the vampire's eyes widened and he sounded disbelievingly.
"Guilty," John shrugged. "Why, did you think someone else sent her?"
"Mmm," Ezra laughed. "Chandra Ambrose?"
"How do you know about Chandra?" Damon snarled, stepping forward.
"How do we know anything, Damon?" Ezra and John turned and started to walk off.
"What do you want?" Damon reached out and grabbed both men's shoulders, whirling them around.
"So many questions. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ric, I've heard so much about you," John smiled cryptically.
The two pulled their shoulders out of Damon's grip, and strode away.
~0~
Caroline and Elena moved up into Elena's bedroom, deciding to pick a movie to watch on the blonde's laptop. A movement in the mirror, caught Elena's eye, and she saw Stefan standing there. Both girls gasped, and Stefan looked nervous.
"Sorry," He apologized.
"I'll let you two talk," Caroline offered graciously, getting up and heading downstairs to get some water.
"Hey Jenna!" she chirped, waving at her friend's aunt, who was arranged comfortably on her couch.
"Hey, Caroline!" Jenna returned, looking up from the television. "Ready for the never ending stream of Founder's day events till Christmas next month?"
Care laughed. "Tell me about it."
When Caroline came back with her glass of water, Jenna stopped her. "Hey, would you mind checking on Jer for me? I'm not sure how he's doing...y'know, since Vicki was found and everything..."
Caroline nodded, smiling gently. "Poor kid. I'll check in on him."
"Thanks." Jenna leaned over and gave Care a quick hug, and the blonde scurried up the stairs.
She paused at Jeremy's door.
"Jer?" She knocked twice, before slowly creaking the door open.
"Hey. You alright?"
Jeremy was seated on his desk chair, headphones around his neck, bobbing to intense, rage-fueled music.
"Fine," he replied stiffly, and Caroline frowned.
"Are you-?"
"I said, I'm fine, Caroline. Stop being so pushy, gosh," He snapped, and Caroline frowned deeper.
"I-I'm sorry," Swiftly leaving the room, she entered to find Elena on the bed, already waiting.
~0~
Kelly met the contact outside her home later that night.
"I managed to stay," she whispered, and the contact nodded.
"Good. Have you spoke to the girl?"
She nodded. "Yes, I gave her a ride home, but I think she sensed something was off."
"Does she know?"
Kelly nibbled on her lip, looking away. "I think so."
"She would have to be blind to not," The shadowy figure responded, and handed Kelly a thick envelope. "Thank you. Further instructions from them are in here."
Kelly laughed breathlessly, nodding. "O-okay."
"Don't screw it up," The contact hissed, before leaving.
~0~
Damon sat on the couch in the living room, staring into the fire blazing in the fireplace. He took a long swig of bourbon, trying to determine the best way to deal with the Jackass-Ezra issue. His younger brother entered.
"We have a major problem, Stefan," Damon said, not turning around. "And when I say major problem, I mean global crisis. It seems Uncle Jackass and Uncle Ezra have..." He turned around, and Stefan did not look okay.
"Caroline's not here," Stefan said as a matter of factly. "Good." Legs trembling, he eased himself into the seat next to the couch where Damon was settled.
"You don't look so good. Its different this time, isn't it? The need is too strong. Of course it would be after all these years," Damon chuckled dryly, and got up. Placing the glass on the table by Stefan, he touched his shoulder, looking at him.
"Have a good night, brother."
Damon left, but paused outside the door, listening intently.
Inside, Stefan stared at the glass, a dark part of him daring himself to take it and drink.
Reaching out to the glass, his fingertips brushed the chilled surface, and he greedily brought it to his mouth. He downed the blood in one gulp. He stared at the empty cup in his hand and growled, throwing it into the fireplace.
Time for some shameless promo-ing! ~
I have a shop on this wonderful site called Etsy! Etsy is a place where people who are DIY-crazy, like myself, can sell the things they make!
I paint, draw, and make lots of different things, including bracelets, wrapped rock pendants (coming soon), and other little things! If you purchase something, just send me a message on here or on Etsy, and I'll give you a discount/free bracelet! It'd mean the world to me if you could buy something, but if not, that's okay. I'll also give you a shout out too c; the link is on my profile.
QOTC: Who would you like Caroline to be escorted by? Damon or Klaus? Or, would you prefer if someoneelse did, and have the boys get jealous?~~to answer the question, please take the poll on my profile so it's easier for me to figure out what the majority is! xoxo
Replying to reviews!
[I'm going to start doing this if I have anything I want to respond to; ie Guest reviewers/people who have PMs turned off]
krishi26 - I'm not fluent in Spanish(?), sorry! But I have an amazing reader + friend who translates for me!
kacomu- are you sure you aren't a mind reader? (;
Guest (the one who doesn't trust Ezra) - (; Caroline will definitely be experiencing some changes soon!
Andreinne - good ideas! I might have to do what you suggested! c;
skyeward - why do you think it's a good idea for her to stay where she is? should she risk her safety for three boys? What about Zach? He's legally her guardian.
Guest (the one about moving) - why do you think it'd be a bad idea?
xx Kim