I do not own Vampire Diaries
As he was about to go they all heard the sound of crying from upstairs and Anastasia immediately got up about to go before Ryan stopped her.
"Relax, I'll get her." Ryan said before he asked which room she was in, and Anastasia gave him the instructions and he left.
"That's my parent's room, what the hell is she doing in there?" Elena asked angry at the girl.
"Relax Elena, it wasn't exactly my choice either but your aunt is very stubborn." Anastasia said fondly.
"You still shouldn't have stayed there, you have no right." Elena snapped.
"Elena I don't know why you're getting so worked up about it when your brother seemed completely fine with it, he's the one who actually carried me to the bedroom. Honestly, Elena look, I'm sorry, I do get why you're upset but it wasn't entirely my fault." Anastasia tried to calm her down.
"No you don't get why I'm upset, you have no idea what it's like, it's not like you've ever lost anyone." Elena said and at this Anastasia snapped.
"Oh, I have no idea what's it like? You think I haven't lost anyone? Do you even know anything about me Elena? I have lost more than you could possibly know so maybe you should get your facts straight before you go opening your mouth and spitting out shit like the bitch that you are." Anastasia snapped back at the girl.
"How dare you? I…" Elena was about to say as Ryan came in the room holding Liana in his arms as he gave her to Anastasia. He had heard everything the girl had said and he was itching to give her a much needed dressing down, he knew what had happened to the girl's parents, Ana had told him, but whilst he sympathised, she had no right to say all those things to Ana, who had walked to the kitchen with Liana who didn't stop crying probably because of the shouting.
"You better stop right there whatever your name is. I know Ana more than any of you here and what you've been through is nothing compared to her life, and I'm saying this when I haven't met her for around 6 years. I don't even know what she's been through whilst I've been gone but what I do know is that she's not the same happy carefree girl she used to be. That added to having a shitty father, losing a mother at 5 after she got diagnosed with a rare disease that stemmed from the pregnancy that brought Anastasia into this world, living with the guilt she felt that had she not been born her mother might still be alive, her brother dying when she was only 7 years old, living with the regret that had she just been faster she might have gotten him his inhaler in time and now apparently an abusive relationship she was in for God knows how long and just recently finding out that her father isn't even her real father, it's eating away at her, she is the strongest person I know but everybody has a breaking point so I suggest you leave her be, do you understand me?" Ryan snapped at the girl who looked at him wide eyed too shocked to answer so he bent his head closer to her as he said, "I asked you a question. You see I'm an ex-Army General, I've seen things you can't even imagine, I've done things you don't want to know, I've killed more people then you can count so I'm pretty sure you don't want to get on my bad side. Because for her, I'd do pretty much anything, she's my best friend and if you ever talk to her like that again, you'll be answering to me, you understand?"
"Y-Yes." Elena said shakily, she could see he was not joking around. Stefan would have told him to back off but he himself didn't like the way Elena had just snapped at Anastasia, she didn't deserve that and he was too shocked about what he had heard about her life to even consider doing so, and here he thought it couldn't get any worse than an abusive relationship. Damon was trying hard not to feel anything for the girl but after what he had just heard, he couldn't help but feel the tiniest shred of sympathy, that was a pretty shitty life she's lived to be honest, he didn't really know exactly how old she was but he knew she was fairly young and to go through all that in the span of those years, it's got to be hard.
Caroline and Bonnie were thinking the same, they had both been about to defend Anastasia when Elena snapped at her before Ryan came and told them all about what Anastasia's life, what she had been through, it was so horrible, how did she live with all that. And to have it actually confirmed that she had truly been in an abusive relationship, it just drove home exactly how much she's been through. Losing her mother and brother and then not even having a good father to help you through the grief, how did she deal with it? Did she talk to anyone? They both exchanged glances and for once, they were on the same page, they were going to be there for her no matter what. Though besides all that, they were shocked that Anastasia's best friend was an Army General of all people and they also had to admit that the way Ryan had said the last bit to Elena when had bent down to be eye level with her, it was just so hot.
"Perfect. By the way that goes for all of you so don't even think about hurting her. I don't know why you would want to anyway. She's the type of girl who would hold you while you cry and stay up all night just to make sure you're okay, even if she's the one breaking sometimes." Ryan sighed as he said this, he knew this for a fact, she had always been there for him throughout everything.
When he had first started driving her, he had had quite a few issues from memories of the war, issues he was still dealing with and she was there for him through it all. Sometimes when she used to stay over, she used to barge in his room when he was screaming his lungs out from a nightmare and she helped him calm down, despite what she was feeling inside, the fights her and her father had had that had her turning up on his door in the first place, she had no one but her father, and for him to treat her like that, it was really hard for her so she sought comfort in him and him in her, it's why it was so hard for him to even think about saying goodbye to her when he didn't know if he would come home, she had understood so quickly because she understood him otherwise he was pretty sure she would have held a grudge against him longer for leaving her without a goodbye. He walked into the kitchen to check on Anastasia who quickly wiped her tears, she knew that he had only said what he did thinking that she couldn't listen in but with her vampire hearing she could, though he didn't know anything about that and she didn't know whether to tell him or not because they never had secrets with each other.
The others sat there for a while or two in shock as they contemplated everything he had said as they watched Ryan walk up to Anastasia in the kitchen who had finally managed to send Liana to sleep./span
"I just want you to know that you can call me whenever you want, for whatever you need, ok? I'll always make time for you, you were always there for me, now it's my turn." Ryan said and tears pooled in Anastasia's eyes at his words, she's missed him so much and she hugged him being careful of Liana as he hugged them both back. He pulled away a minute later as he kissed both their foreheads and said, "You'll be okay Ana. I promise."
Anastasia shook her head as she turned away from him and said, "I'm not okay Ry, I don't know how to be okay. Sometimes I think it's fine, it's in the past, I can move on but I-I can't and it hurts, it hurts so much I can't breathe, and I don't know how to deal with it. One moment I'm fine, the next I'm having a bloody panic attack or a nightmare and it just keeps getting worse. I'm away from him, but he's with me wherever I go, every single time I look in the mirror I remember where the scars came from, I have to remember all the memories where he gave me them, when he threw me down the stairs, when he beat me up, when he used me, every memory I live with, every moment I've lived with him literally haunts me and I can't deal with it anymore. I try to tell myself that he's gone and he's not in our lives anymore but I know he escaped from jail, he's out and I have no idea where he is, he could hurt us again. He's a psychopath I realised that in the first year of our relationship which lasted the entire 6 years you were gone but you know what the worst part was, I couldn't leave him because he blackmailed me, using my friends and who at the time I thought of as my father. It wasn't even empty threats, he had connections with people who would do anything for money, he had people who owed him favours, he knew exactly where they all were and their entire schedule, I couldn't do anything for fear of him hurting them so I stayed, even if I knew the consequences I still couldn't do anything, he had everyone wrapped around his bloody finger and no one ever saw the scars or the bruises, he made sure of that, he was very clever in where he hurt me. I hate them, I hate them but they'll stay with me forever as a reminder of the worst time of my life." Anastasia said tears streaming down her face, Caroline and Bonnie were in tears too, Elena sympathised though she was still angry and embarrassed about what the guy had said to her and the brothers looked more and more angry as she went on, they were on the brink of losing control, Stefan had to turn his face away for fear of him vamping out in front of the others.
"Hey, look at me." Ryan said gently and she turned to face him and he looked in her eyes deeply as he said, "Your scars are not your shame, they are your story and you know how much I love stories. Besides, everyone bears scars in one way or another, just because yours are more visible than most doesn't make you any less beautiful or any less strong, no, in fact I think you're even more beautiful than the last time we met and so much more stronger because you got through it all and you're still fighting, I honestly don't know how you do it."
"I wasn't given a choice and I'm not beautiful Ry, James ruined all that and neither am I strong because if it weren't for Liana, I would've ended things long ago, she's the reason I'm alive Ry, she's the one thing keeping me going, she's my lifeline, I can't lose her like I lost him." Anastasia said tearfully.
"Who? Your brother?" Ryan asked gently and like the others, he was trying not to dwell on what she had just said, that she would have tried to end it had Liana not come in her life.
"No, my firstborn." Anastasia which had all of them, except the brothers who already knew, frozen till, they didn't know they could feel more sympathy for the girl until she'd said that.
"You're f…you're firstborn? I thought…" Ryan said looking down at Liana and Anastasia immediately caught his thought
"No she's not my first and I'm not going to talk about him at all so don't ask." Anastasia warned, she just felt bone tired right now after all that onslaught of emotion
"Okay, I won't but I want you to know that you are the strongest and most beautiful girl I've ever met andem he/em could never change that, don't look down at yourself for someone else's mistakes, you're worth much more than that." Ryan advised before he kissed her on the forehead again in comfort and she broke at that as she hugged him crying her eyes out. Caroline who wiped her own tears, immediately got up and went over to them taking Liana out of Anastasia's arms who let her knowing who it was, she couldn't stop crying as she held onto Ryan who stroked her back and her hair as she sobbed into his chest.
"I promise you Ana, one day you'll be okay, but until then, I will be with right by your side throughout it all." Ryan said comfortingly, it was a while later before Ana calmed down and Ryan offered to drop her off where she wanted to go but Stefan said he'd do it because she was living with him for now, Anastasia was about to protest but he was stubborn and she finally relented. Ryan had then left needing to go home, he had only stayed this long because it was Olivia's turn to pick up their son so he was free for the night.
"Annie are you okay? Right, stupid question, never mind, uh…do you want cake?" Caroline said trying to lift the mood and thankfully it worked, for Ana laughed softly. They both then sat at the counter, and started eating a slice each, Liana had woken up and had demanded some too so Caroline asked hopefully if she could feed her and Anastasia agreed. They were both talking and having fun, not too long after, Bonnie joined the two, then the brothers whilst Elena walked behind them, and Anastasia did not notice the jealous look on her face as she talked and laughed with her friends but one person did. Damon had thought the two were friends but from what he was seeing today, he was not so sure, it seemed like Katherine's look alike wasn't so different from her after all. They all moved back to the Living room as they were eating since it was more comfortable and they carried on laughing and joking around, though it was mostly Anastasia's and Liana's input, who was being her normal adorable self, it really brightened the place up. No one dared to mention what had just happened previously because it was clear it was still affecting Ana, it showed in her strained laughs and slightly forced smiles but she was trying and that was a good start.
Tyler grabs Vicki and she pushes him off as she says, "Don't do that. Not while I'm working. I'll see you later."
"I'll see you later." Tyler said before he walked away from her.
"She's my sister and I love her, but sometimes she can really make you work for it." Matt said as he sighed watching his sister with his best friend.
"I find it pretty easy." Jeremy said sitting across from him and a while later, Tyler runs into him.
"All right, I get it. Hit me to impress her. That's...That's real nice." Jeremy said annoyed at the guy.
"I don't need to impress her. I already won. Now you're dead." Tyler threatened.
"Am I? 'Cause it seems like I'm standing here waiting for you to man up." Jeremy provoked him and Tyler immediately stepped forwards before Matt stopped him.
"Ty, don't!" Matt said not wanting his best friend to hurt Jeremy, he was Elena's brother after all.
"The next time I see you, Gilbert..." Tyler said as he backed off
"No, next time I see you." Jeremy countered before they both walked off leaving Matt to look at his sister in disappointment.
"What are you doin', Vick?" Matt asked her and she looked at him with something akin to guilt in her eyes.
[Gilbert Residence]
Anastasia was in the kitchen cleaning some of the dishes, Elena had started off doing it but when Anastasia had come in to help, she had immediately left and went upstairs. Anastasia shook her head at her, it wasn't her fault Ryan had snapped at her, he was protective like that, so that left her to do the dishes. She sat Liana on the counter as she did so, Caroline was in the living room with the brothers and Bonnie.
"Mummy can you sing pwease?" Liana asked hopefully, she loved listening to her mommy sing and Caroline, Bonnie and the brothers heard the girl ask that when the chatter died down and they perked up slightly.
"Maybe later." Anastasia said not wanting to sing right now and they now looked disappointed
"Pwease?" Liana asked with her puppy dog eyes and Anastasia immediately sighed in defeat before she agreed.
"Fine, which song?" Anastasia asked her and Liana thought for a second before she said, "Round and Round." (This is by Erutan, start from 0:48 and only the words, not the humming in the middle)
"Okie dokie." Anastasia said before she took a breath and sang softly as she washed the dishes.
"I love every flower, every bird, every bee
And everything surrounding you and me
/Be the night around me when the stars fall down
We'll watch as the heavens turn round and round
Watch as they turn around
"Round, round, and round
Watch as they turn around
I love every bower, every leaf, every tree
And everything surrounding you and me
Be the world around me when the leaves fall down
We'll watch as the seasons turn round and round
Watch as they turn around
Round round and round
Watch as they turn around."
Whilst she was singing the others were sitting there with nearly gaping mouths, well Caroline and Bonnie did actually have their mouths open since they hadn't heard Anastasia sing before so that was a shock to their systems, the brothers had heard her but it didn't make it any less of a surprise at exactly how beautiful her voice is.
"OMG! You have a gorgeous voice, you've got to teach me how to sing." Caroline said excitedly and Anastasia immediately stopped singing as she dropped the plate she was cleaning in her shock, as soon as the crash was heard, the brothers heard her heart skip a beat before it began beating rapidly in her chest, her breathing rate increased and she looked like she was trembling and they knew it had something to do with that abusive ex of hers, Caroline connected the dots too for she immediately apologised but it didn't look like Anastasia was listening. They all then turned towards Liana who had started crying and the brothers heard Anastasia's heart and breathing rate go back to normal as soon as she saw her child, she dried her hands on her clothes before she quickly picked her up and started rocking on her chest trying to calm her down before she began singing again.
"Be the star encircling
All my joy on painted wings
Sail horizon bound with me
Let our love forever me
Let it all go round and round
I love every hour, every star, every sea
And everything surrounding you and me
Be the wind around me when the rain falls down
We'll watch as the storm turns round and round
Watch as they turn around." She sang softly and Liana immediately calmed down in her arms so she put her back on the counter, waving away Caroline's apologies, it was an accident after all though she did say, "If you want to learn to sing though, I can teach you."
"Really?" Caroline asked hopefully.
"Mind if I join?" Bonnie asked them, Anastasia was really fun to be around and she was a great friend, she wanted to get to know her more and find out what the feeling was inside of her that always emerged when she was near, it made her feel so safe and she really wanted to know why
"Sure, whenever you want." Anastasia said as she smiled at Caroline finishing off the last of the dishes.
"I'll text you." Caroline said and Anastasia nodded before the chatter began again, Damon walked towards the kitchen as Anastasia was finishing off.
"Uncle Damie." Liana squealed happily and Anastasia turned to see him behind her.
"Hey kiddo. One more." He said handing her a glass but it dropped when she picked it up and they both immediately grabbed the glass, their hands wrapping around it and each other, they stayed like that for a moment before Anastasia pulled slightly and Damon let go.
"I wanted to say thank you for yesterday, Stefan told me you agreed to help because Liana asked you to, so thank you for that, though I can't exactly blame you, it's very hard to say no to that face." Anastasia said fondly.
"Shh. Don't tell her that, she doesn't need to know. A kid that knows they're adorable is the worst thing for a parent." Anastasia whispered conspiratorially.
Damon snorted as he said, "I like you. You know how to laugh. And you make Stefan laugh too, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time."
"How's that possible? I don't think I can imagine Stefan not laughing for long, he's hilarious." Anastasia replied honestly.
"Well then he's not like that with others, you're different, not like any other girl he's ever met and loved." Damon said.
"Do you mean...Katherine or Elena?" Anastasia asked him.
"Both, but mostly Katherine." Damon answered as she picked up her daughter who cuddled into her, it was an adorable sight to be honest.
"Is she still in the picture?" Anastasia asked curious about whether Stefan still had any sort of feelings for her.
"She's dead." Damon said and she looked at him wide-eyed.
"Oh, I didn't know. How…uh, how did she die?" Anastasia said unsure if she should ask because she could see that when Damon said she was dead, it affected him a lot too, even if he tried not to show it.
"In a fire. Tragic fire." Damon said shaking his head and Anastasia for once felt for him, her loss seemed to affect him a lot, it's the most human she's ever seen him since she's come here.
"Recently?" Anastasia asked her voice soft as Liana played with her hair.
"It seems like it was yesterday." Damon said for once truthful.
"What was she like?" Anastasia asked curious about the girl, who had not only captured Stefan's heart but his brother's too.
"She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department, I have to admit that that friend of yours is right, you're gorgeous, perhaps even moreso." Damon complimented honestly and she blushed at the praise, she's never heard that from someone who she knew didn't have to say that just because they care for her. she didn't believe it when her friends used to tell her because they were her friends they sugarcoat things to make you feel better but Damon didn't need to because he made it pretty clear he doesn't give a damn so his opinion was much more truthful for her which is why it made it much more of a shock.
"Especially with that blush." Damon smirked at her and she hit him on the arm, because of her being a vampire, he actually felt that so he said, "Ow! I was complimenting you."
"Just quit it with the flirting and tell me more about her than her looks, would you? If you don't mind of course." Anastasia said to him before she hissed slightly when she felt her hair being pulled and she looked down only for her eyes to widen at the knots her lovely little girl had made in her hair.
"Look mommy, I learned doing knots in school and see, I did it." Liana said proudly showing the absolute mess she's made of her hair and Damon couldn't hold in his laugh and Anastasia glared at him before she forcefully smiled at her little girl as she said, "Huh, so you did. Well done baby, now why don't you run along to Auntie Caroline while I quickly do something, please?"
"It's Auntie Carey." Liana said as she was put down on the floor before she walked to the living room as she said, "Bye Mommy, bye Uncle Damie."
"Bye kiddo." Damon said wiggling his fingers at her with an amused smirk on his face before he turned to face a disgruntled Anastasia.
"Oh shut up." Anastasia said as she looked dejectedly at the state of her hair.
"I didn't say anything." Damon put his hands up in surrender though the smirk stayed in place.
"You were going to." Anastasia said before she had an idea, she turned away from the living room and willed her hair to get back to normal and with a flash of her eyes, the knots disappeared
"Huh. Handy. Tell me, why do your eyes glow gold?" Damon asked her curiously
"Just because we're having a halfway decent conversation, doesn't mean I'm going to go on spurting out all my secrets, you have to earn it." Anastasia said seriously before she asked again, "Now you were saying before Liana thought it was a great idea to knot my hair?"
"Ah. Right, well Katherine was, personality wise, very complicated and selfish and at times not very kind, but very sexy and seductive."
"Hmm, a lot like you then." Anastasia couldn't help but say.
"You think I'm sexy and seductive Anastasia?" Damon asked as he smirked at her.
"I'm just saying it how I see it and besides, I was mainly pointing out the other parts." Anastasia replied snarkily before she asked curious, "So which one of you dated her first?"
"Nicely deduced. Ask Stefan. I'm sure his answer differs from mine." Damon said just before Anastasia's phone went off and she took it out of her pocket to see who had called her. She froze when she saw that it was her father, Damon noticed her change, her furrowed brows and apprehensive expression made him look at her screen and he saw that it was from her father. He remembered that friend of hers saying that he was a shitty father and that she had recently found out that he wasn't even her real one so exactly how recent was that? He saw her thumb move over the screen between call and end call a few times and he rolled his eyes before making the decision for her as he plucked the phone out of her hands and answered it, her eyes widened trying to grab the phone but he held it out of her reach.
"Hello Damon Salvatore speaking." Damon said into the phone.
"Uh…hello. Why do you have my daughter's phone?" His voice came from the other end and Anastasia immediately stopped in shock, why had he called her daughter when just last night he had made it clear to her that she wasn't and she never would be.
"And here I thought she wasn't yours." Damon said as he looked slightly concerned at the girl before him who had just stopped still when the guy had called her daughter.
"I-I…I was drunk. I…I said some…things I should never have said. Now give the phone to my daughter, I need to talk to her." Her father said urgently and Damon looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she nodded so he gave her back the phone. When she tried to leave with the phone, he stepped in her way and she sighed frustrated with him before she leant against the counter, making sure her hip wasn't leaning anywhere.
"Anastasia?" He asked on the other end
"Hmm?" Anastasia answered not knowing what to say.
"Anastasia what I said last night, I didn't mean it." He said and she scoffed at him as Damon looked surprised, she found out last night, that was the reason she didn't want to go home last night.
"Yes you did. Drunk words are normally sober thoughts, everything you said came from somewhere didn't it?" She asked him.
"Anastasia…"He began but she cut him off.
"Don't. I really don't want to hear what you have to say right now. It won't change what you said, all these years I used to wonder why you used to hate me so much, when even Ai…Aiden was alive, you never showed me the affection you did him and I never knew why and yesterday I got my answer. You're not my father, I was never your daughter and on top of that you blamed me for their deaths do don't give me that crap that you didn't mean what you said because you did." Anastasia snapped at him
"Anastasia look before you cut the call, I just want you to know that my house is always open to you and Lilliana." He said to her and she scoffed at him before she ended the call and put it back in her pocket. She sighed as she sagged against the counter putting her head in her hands, she was beginning to have a headache because of everything that happened today.
"You okay?" Damon asked her not knowing why he cared enough to want to hear her answer, he had heard her say that the guy had blamed her for their deaths, Ryan had said as much too, that she had blamed herself but shouldn't it be the parents job to reassure their child that it wasn't her fault not put the blame themselves, not that he would know, having a shitty father himself.
"I don't know." Anastasia answered absentmindedly before she shook her head turned to him as she said, "Uh, before, about Katherine, I just wanted to say I'm sorry." At his confused look she elaborated, "You lost her too." She looked out the room as she saw Bonnie coming over, missing the shocked and touched look on his face, no one had ever cared to think about that before.
"Hey. Where's Elena?" Bonnie asked curious, it was Elena's house, shouldn't she be the one doing the dishes, why was Anastasia doing it instead?
"She took one look at me and high tailed it up to her room, I think she's a little upset about what Ryan said to her, I should apologise he might have gone a little too far." Anastasia said feeling a little bad.
"No he didn't, he was only looking out for you and Elena shouldn't have said what she did in the first place." Bonnie replied.
"Still." Anastasia sighed.
"Relax Anastasia, she'll be fine. Anyway, need some help?" Bonnie asked curious.
"Sure, why not?" Damon said to her.
"Yeah, an extra set of hands is always helpful." Anastasia said as they all talked about random things and had a laugh whilst Caroline was talking with Stefan.
"Matt tries, but he's just having a really hard time. You have to understand that they were each other's first. You know, like, from the sandbox." Caroline said to Stefan about Elena's ex.
"That's a really nice scarf." Stefan said and he immediately knew why it was there.
"Mm. Thank you, it's new." Caroline said as she looked at her scarf.
"Can I see it? I mean, would you mind taking it off?" Stefan asked her leaning forwards a bit./
"Oh, I can't." Caroline said immediately
"Why not? You ok?" Stefan asked her concerned, it was clear his brother had her compelled.
"Um...All I know is that I can't take it off." Caroline said just as Damon excused himself from the girls when he heard the conversation in the living room.
"What are you two kids talking about?" Damon asked them though he had mostly heard.
"I was just commenting on her scarf." Stefan said giving him the signal that he knows.
"Hmm. Hey, you know, um, Anastasia and Bonnie are finishing up the dishes. Why don't you go see if you can help?" Damon asked the girl.
"Does it look like I do dishes?" Caroline asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"For me?" Damon asked wanting to get rid of her
"Hmm...I don't think so." Caroline said shaking her head.
Damon gets annoyed so he compels her, "Go see if Anastasia needs help in the kitchen."
"You know what? I'm gonna go see if Annie needs some help in the kitchen." Caroline said.
"Great." Damon said smiling as she leaves
"How did you do that Uncle Damie?" Liana questioned and the brothers turned to her surprised forgetting that she was there for a second with how tense it was between them.
"Do what kiddo?" Damon asked not knowing what to do
"Auntie Carey didn't wanna go but then you made her." Liana said perceptively with a confused frown on her face.
"No I'm pretty sure she wanted to go and help your mother, speaking of why don't you go and do the same?" Damon asked annoyed.
"No, I wanna know how you did that." Liana whined sitting down with her arms crossed refusing to budge.
"Ok fine why don't you come close so I can tell you the secret." Damon whispered and she did so excitedly as Stefan watched apprehensively.
"Tell me secwet." Liana said with a bright smile on her face, Damon bent down slightly as if to tell her a secret.
"You're going to forget what you saw and you're going to go and help your mom in the kitchen." Damon compelled and the girl nodded and left
"You just compelled a kid Damon, a kid, they are people, they're not puppets and Caroline doesn't exist for your amusement, for you to feed on whenever you want to." Stefan said keeping his voice down as the girls had fun in the kitchen laughing and playing with Liana.
"Sure she does. They all do. They're whatever I want them to be. They're mine for the taking." Damon smirked at his brother.
"I wonder what Ana would think of that, and the fact that you just compelled her kid." Stefan said knowing that his brother felt something for her, he didn't know what it was but it was just the way he looked at her that told him something.
"Do you think I care what she thinks? And besides, she's never going to find out about that." Damon said smirking at him.
"All right, you've had your fun. You used Caroline, you got to meet Elena, good for you. Now it's time for you to go." Stefan said pissed off.
"That's not a problem. Because...I've been invited in, and I'll come back tomorrow night and the following night and I'll do with your little cheerleader whatever I want to do. Because that is what is normal to me." Damon said to his brother.
It was a while later that everyone left, Anastasia hugged Caroline and Bonnie they both told her in their own words that they're always there for her whenever she needed to talk and she really appreciated that, they were great friends. Then she left with Stefan and Damon, they were going to walk to his house apparently, when she realised that she needed her clothes, she couldn't wear these for another day and then Caroline, who was going with Damon, said that she could give her a few dresses to borrow. Anastasia refused the kind offer instead saying she's going to have to go to her dad's house sooner or later, might as well go now.
"But mommy, I don't wanna go back there." Liana said pulling her mom's trousers to get her attention.
"I can quickly bring my car around then we can go there and you can pack some stuff whilst Liana stays with me in the car." Stefan suggested.
"Wait, alone? She can't go in there alone." Caroline said immediately.
"Relax Care it's fine, he won't hurt me." Anastasia said, he wasn't drunk anymore so it'd be fine.
"And how do you know that? He's not even your father." Caroline said tactlessly and Anastasia flinched at that. "Shit I'm so sorry, I just meant that you don't really know him as well as you think, that sounded wrong, I'm sorry, don't listen to me, actually do listen to me, you're not going back there, though I am sorry about what I said I didn't meant it…" She was about to go on before Anastasia stopped her.
"Relax Care, it's fine, you're right anyway, I don't think I know him at all but I'm only going to pack an overnight bag, it's not going to take long, I talked to him an hour ago anyway and he wasn't drunk so he's stable, it'll be fine." Anastasia said reassuringly as she picked up Liana who had begun nodding off, she was clearly tired.
"If you're sure." Caroline said reluctantly before she perked up and said, "Hey why don't you come with us instead, there's enough space and Stefan won't have to go all the way to get his car and then one of us can go with you for safety purposes." She did not notice Damon's glare on her face but Anastasia did and then she wondered, she hadn't really thought about it before with everything going around in her head, but why was she with Damon, when it was clear he didn't give a crap about her, it was then she actually took notice of the scarf around her neck and put the dots together but she kept her composure together as she said, "Sure, that's a great idea." She did not want Caroline to be alone with Damon for a second, the bastard was using her as his own personal bloodbag.
Stefan sighed beside her but she had no choice, she couldn't just let him use her but she honestly didn't know what to do to keep him away from her. They all then got in the car with Liana in Caroline's lap because she just loved her. She gave directions to Damon until he finally pulled up in front of her house and they all looked surprised, except Stefan who had already seen it.
Anastasia got out the car not expecting all the others to get out too, and she looked at them confused as she said, "Someone has to stay with Liana."
"She's asleep, she won't even know we are here." Damon said dismissively.
"She might awake, she can be a very light sleeper at times, it might be a trigger for her, she has panic attacks like me, I really don't need her to go through another one if she sees him." Anastasia explained and Caroline agreed to stay back with the kid and Anastasia thanked her before she went to the door and realised she hadn't got her key so she tried to remember the numbers for the emergency keypad that was hidden until you knew where it was, the brother were surprised when she opened the latch at the side of the wall that they surprisingly hadn't seen. She put in the numbers she thought it was and it was rejected, she did a few more times and she groaned when the answer was the same.
"We drove all the way here and you have no idea how to get in, seriously?" Damon said impatient.
"Don't pretend like it took that much effort, it's not that far by walking and it's certainly not that far in a car so stop being a drama queen and let me concentrate." Anastasia said annoyed with him before she sighed in relief when she finally got the correct combination and the brothers followed her inside, one stifling a laugh and the other with a glare plastered on his face directed at the girl walking in front of him.
Anastasia put the same passcode for the front door and they entered as Damon commented, "Your dad's big on security, isn't he?"
"You have no idea." Anastasia said as she walked to her room though as she past the kitchen she saw her father passes out on the table top with bottles around him and she hesitated slightly before walking towards him. The brothers watched as she pulled the bottle from his hand and looked at him for a moment before she sighed and her eyes flashed gold, he suddenly lifted in the air and she said, "You guys can go look around of you want, whilst I get him to bed." Then she walked past them and they looked confused, particularly Damon who had heard the call last night and what the man had said to her, how was she so forgiving? It baffled him because what he said wasn't something easily forgiven, he shook the thoughts off, he didn't care, he didn't.
Both him and Stefan walked around the house opening different doors and widening their eyes at every single one, from the outside it seemed smaller than their house but from the inside it was pretty big and longer, it seemed never ending.
These are some of the rooms they came across and here are their reactions to each one, I'm going from side to side.
"Now this is what I'm calling a living room, not the one we have, as I told Elena, it's a little too kitschy for me." Damon informed his brother who had to not in agreement, it was pretty cool.
They went upstairs and opened one of the doors only to see a library, it didn't have many books in it but it was a nice room, then Damon noticed that there was actually doors between the shelves and he went and opened it only to see a comfy looking area clearly to sit and read a book.
"Huh. Cool." Stefan commented before they went out the room and opened the next one only to see widen their eyes in amazement at the billiard room, this guy was seriously well-off to be able to afford this. Stefan looked at the pool table and noticed how expensive all this stuff was as Damon made a beeline for the drinks, he opened the cabinet and his eyes widened amazed before he smirked in approval at the many decanters of Bourbon, clearly it was a family favourite. He picked up a bottle that he knew he didn't have and took it with him as Stefan shook his head before entering the next room they found which was a corridor away, they opened it to find another cute living room, there was a window seat there that overlooked the outside and they then noticed that behind this house there was another smaller one and they were attached and in the middle there was a swimming pool which they were dying to check out. They immediately went outside the room and were about to go outside when Stefan opened one last door and he gasped in shock before ushering Damon back who turned back to him curious, they both went inside and looked wide eyed at the literal theatre inside the room, what the hell? This guy was filthy rich.
They were going to ask Anastasia what the hell his job was later as they both tried to find their way outside to the swimming pool just as Anastasia has finished packing her overnight bag before looking around for them. She walked around the huge place before she opened the door that lead outside when she heard noises coming from there and she saw both the brothers soaked to the bone inside the swimming pool which she was completely shocked about.
"What on earth!" She shouted out in shock and they both stopped and looked at her in slight embarrassment, Stefan more than Damon. What happened was, Damon had wanted to go inside the swimming pool for a quick dip until Anastasia gets back, it's not every day you get an opportunity like this, so as he took off his shirt, Stefan had a sudden idea, and he knew it was because he was hanging around with Anastasia too much, but he couldn't help it and he smirked before zooming over behind Damon and pushed him into the water when he least expected it. Damon submerged from the water with a cold glare on his face and Stefan began laughing, Damon hadn't even put down his shirt before he was thrown in so now everything he was wearing was wet. Stefan didn't notice the smirk that formed on his face though too busy laughing so he didn't expect the sudden pull that had him sprawling in the water himself and this Damon was snickering at him but just as he was about to do something childish as throw water at him, Anastasia's voice shocked them both and they turned towards her as she looked at them in shock before it changed to amusement.
"Uh, we can explain." Stefan said coughing awkwardly as he got out the pool.
"I'm sure your explanation will be riveting to listen to, but we don't have time, we all really need to get home." Anastasia said, it was really late already so instead of getting them a change of clothes, she concentrated on the both of them and as her eyes glowed gold, they both felt themselves instantly get dry, Stefan thanked her whilst Damon just nodded. They all got back in the car before dropping Caroline off on the way as the rest of them went back to the Salvatore Boarding House.
[Elena's bedroom]
"Tonight wasn't so bad. I had fun, well, I would have had more had you not bought Anastasia." Elena said rolling her eyes at the last part.
"Ana's my friend Elena and well at least you had fun, that only makes one of us." Stefan said to her.
"Come on. Your brother isn't as bad as you make him out to be..." Elena said to him.
Stefan puts his finger to Elena's lips then touches her cheek before he kisses her and they started fooling around but when he removes his shirt, he turns into Damon. Elena screams and then she wakes up, it was just a nightmare and what was creepier was that there was a crow outside her window.
When they came home Damon made himself scarce and Stefan told Anastasia to choose any of the spare rooms which she did as she smiled at him and left with Liana.
"There must be a shred of humanity left inside my brother. Somewhere. I keep hoping. But how do I make him see it? And how do I protect everyone I care about?" Stefan asks as he thinks about Elena, Anastasia and Liana, his brother hadn't cared that he was a kid and had compelled her and he couldn't let that happen again. He went and opened a box and pulls out a necklace, he had previously pulled out a bit of the vervain he had put in there and put it in a bracelet to give to Liana after he had told his brother that Anastasia had had a daughter, he couldn't risk her getting hurt because of his brother and today proved he was right to do so, he would give the necklace and the bracelet to both Elena and Liana soon, he didn't have to make Anastasia one too considering she was a vampire herself so she couldn't be compelled.
