I do not own Vampire Diaries
[Gilbert Residence]
Elena wakes up the middle of the night and she suddenly hears a noise. She gets out of bed wearily as she walked down the stairs calling out, "Hello? Jeremy? Hello?" After hearing nothing, Elena tries to turn on the light, but apparently the power was out. Then she turned to the TV to see it was still on as the new reporter says, "This is Logan Fell coming to you live from the streets of Mystic Falls with breaking news of another deadly animal attack. The wild animal terrorizing the citizens of Mystic Falls has claimed another victim, local high school student Elena Gilbert. Police are certain that forensic evidence will confirm that this is the same animal responsible for recent attacks."
"You know what's coming next." Damon's voice came from next to her and she immediately ran in fear towards the front door, she opens it only to see Damon on the other side and she quickly slams it shut. She slowly walks towards the stairs, but Damon grabs her and bites her neck as she screams.
[Salvatore Boarding House]
Stefan immediately wakes up in his bedroom, "Ahh!" As soon as he saw his brother at the side of his bed, he immediately knew why he's had that dream.
"Bad dream? Do you know how easy it was to get into your head just now? You really need some human blood. It might even the playing field. Football reference. Too soon." Damon said just as Stefan threw at knife at Damon hitting him in the stomach. Damon looks down at it with only slight annoyance before casually pulling it out.
""All right, I deserved that. But I just wanted to let you know, they caught the culprit. The animal responsible for killing coach Tanner and all those people." Damon said as he got up from the couch with the bloody knife in his hand.
"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked confused, the animal responsible was after all right in front of him.
"It was a mountain lion. Really big one. It attacked a hunter this morning. It's all over the news. "Deadly beast captured. All's well in Mystic Falls."
"Why would you cover your tracks?" Stefan asked suspiciously.
"I've decided to stay a while. And I'm just having way too much fun here with you and Elena, oh and let's not forget, Anastasia and Liana as well." Damon said with a smirk.
"Can't touch any of them though can you? I gave Elena and Liana vervain and you already know you can't compel Ana." Stefan informed him.
"You gave Lilliana vervain? I'm starting to wonder where you're getting them from but anyway, the vervain may keep me out of Elena's head and I may not be able to compel Anastasia but maybe that's not my target. Believe it or not, Stefan, some girls don't need my persuasion. Some girls just can't resist my good looks, my style and my charm and my unflinching ability to listen to Taylor Swift." Damon rolls his eyes at the last one before he stabbed Stefan in the stomach, who groaned as he falls to the floor
"This is John Varvatos, dude. Dick move." Damon said annoyed that his shirt was ruined before he left the room as Stefan removes the knife from his body watching as the wound heals itself.
Stefan was then writing in his diary as the news on the TV confirmed exactly what Damon had told him, though only he and Ana would know how much of a lie it was. The news reporter said, "I can confirm that a 12-foot puma mountain lion attacked a hunter and was subsequently shot and killed. The hunter is in stable condition."
"The real animal is still out there, waiting for me, challenging me to fight back, to stop him. But how do I stop a monster without becoming one myself?" Stefan wrote in worry, the only way he could stop Damon was to drink human blood otherwise his brother would always overpower him, but the consequences of that would be severe and he could never do that again, he refused to become the monster he was before just to stop his brother from being one himself, there was too much at risk right now.
[Anastasia's dad's (Andrew's) house]
Anastasia had woken up in the morning and had gotten ready along with her daughter for the day, her arm was stinging slightly at her movements but it didn't really affect her much at all. It was thankfully an off day today, so she dressed them up in casual clothes before walking out the room towards the kitchen to grab some breakfast as Liana finished in the bathroom.
She didn't expect to see her dad there drinking a cup of coffee with his phone in hand, he looked up when she entered and they stared at each other for a moment not knowing what to say or do
"Anastasia." He said placing his cup and phone down on the counter.
"Hmm." Anastasia said as she walked to the kitchen starting to make breakfast for her and Liana without looking at him.
"I…I'm sorry. What I said that night, it was out of line." He said actually looking apologetic.
Anastasia slammed the pot she was using down on the counter before rounding on him, "You think?"
"I should never have said what I said, I had a little too many drinks Anastasia, I was…" He began before he was cut off.
"Stop making excuses to justify what you said, you had no right. They were my family too and I loved them just as much as you. After they died, do you know how long I blamed myself? Years. For years I blamed myself, thinking that had I not been born maybe mom would still be alive, and that had I been faster, Aiden might have still been alive. I don't believe that anymore, I can't, it would destroy me, so instead I believed that if they hadn't died the way they had, it would have been another way, it was just their time to go, Death is not exactly something that we can control and gradually the guilt left me but you just had to open that wound didn't you? I have lost more than you know in these 6 years, I've suffered by his hands and the evidence is littered across my entire body, I have been through more than you can ever begin to fathom so you are the last person on earth that could ever try to break me, you are the last person to ever blame me for my firstborn's death, I've been doing that enough on my own. And then on top of saying all of that, you had to tell me that you're not even my father, after 24 years, you found that night the best time to tell me, seriously?" Anastasia snapped at him.
"Look I said I was sorry, I don't know what else you want me to say. I know I shouldn't have said what I did…" He was again cut off by Anastasia.
"No, I'm glad you did. I'd rather know what you really think then the façade you put on around me. What you said was a long time coming, you were drunk, your inhibitions were lowered and when that happens you tend to tell the truth, tell things you would never share otherwise and I know deep down inside, no matter what you're saying right now, you still believe exactly what you so callously spat at me. And just so you know the only reason I'm here right now is because I can't keep bunking at my friend's place and eventually I was going to have to come back, rather do it earlier than later so I suggest you keep your lame-ass apology to yourself and leave me be." Anastasia snapped and as he was about to open his mouth to say something, she glared at him and he wisely chose to shut up before he took his cup and phone and left the kitchen as she sighed in relief. She quickly made breakfast and around 15 minutes after Liana came downstairs they had both finished and had decided to go and explore the house, Liana was more shocked at everything than Anastasia, she was used to living in houses like these, her father was one of the wealthiest businessman, and despite his shortcomings in other departments, she had to admit he was good at his job.
They found an entire gym room where Anastasia planned to use to cool off. There was random entertainment rooms, like the theatre, the billiard room and the gaming room. When they found the garden which was past the swimming pool that Damon and Stefan had soaked themselves in and into the attached house at the back, where they were shocked to find another swimming pool with lounge chairs and a beautiful place inside the ground where seats were made around a fire. There was also a music room where Anastasia planned to come to, she really wanted to play instruments again, it would help her relax. There were also so many cool bedrooms, even a playroom for kids. After they were tired of looking at the rooms despite having not finished actually checking the rooms, they chose to relax in one of the rooms they had found where they cuddled next to each other on the window seat. A few minutes in, Liana had asked her mother to sing to her so she did, before she stopped when she had a phone call, apparently it was from Jenna.
"Hey Jen, how you doing?" Anastasia asked tickling Liana as she giggled happily. She didn't want her to sit there bored as she talked after all.
"I'm great. I just called cause I feel like we haven't seen each other in ages." Jenna said as she yawned having just gotten out of bed a few minutes ago.
"It hasn't been that long Jen." Anastasia said smiling as she stopped tickling Liana so that she could breathe
"Well it feels like it ok? Oh, I have an idea, are you free?" Jenna asked hopefully.
"Yep." Anastasia said as Liana, after calming down from laughing, climbed into her lap smiling up at her.
"Why don't you come over?" Jenna asked her, she really wanted to talk to her again.
"Come over? Are you sure?" Anastasia asked actually wanting to see her friend again.
"Definitely. So can you come? I'll give you the address." Jenna said with a smile on her face.
"Sure, we'll be there in a few." Anastasia said and after Jenna said she couldn't wait, she cut the call and said, "Well, looks like we're going to Jenna's home."
"Aunie Jen?" Liana asked happily.
"Yep so why don't we get up and go." Anastasia said kissing her daughter's forehead before Liana jumped up happily and they both made their way downstairs. Anastasia grabbed her purse and they both went outside as Anastasia led them towards the Gilbert house, she actually did remember where it was so she didn't need the text message that Jenna had sent.
She made her way there and knocked on the door as Jenna opens it. She immediately hugs her before crouching down to Liana who hugs her as well. They all go inside and sit on the couch as they talk, laugh and have fun with Liana as the TV was on.
"To repeat, the animal terrorizing Mystic Falls has been caught." That drew both their attention to the TV, Anastasia was thinking that apparently Damon had covered his tracks whilst Jenna was looking at the guy muttering words under her breath, "Scum ball. Scum bucket."
"Who are you talking to?" Elena's voice came as she walked in the room only to stop at the sight of Anastasia sitting in the couch with her kid, what was she doing here?
"Him." Jenna nodded to the guy on screen.
"The news guy?" Elena asked curiously wondering what Jenna had against him.
"Also known as Logan "Scum" Fell. Did your mom ever tell you why I moved away from Mystic Falls?" Jenna said and Anastasia bristled slightly at the implication.
"Oh, no way. You and him? He's cute." Elena said and Anastasia rolled her eyes.
"Jen just said that the guy literally drove her out of her own home and you're calling him cute?" Anastasia said affronted on her friend's behalf.
"Just stay out of it Anastasia, it's none of your business." Elena said annoyed.
"Elena!" Jenna said shocked at her niece's rudeness.
"She's one of my best friends, of course it is Elena. I know you're still touchy about what happened at the dinner party but can't you just let it go, Ryan was just being his usual protective self, you don't need to take it out on me." Anastasia said not even bothered by the rude reply, if she wanted to be petty that was her problem, she wouldn't let that affect her, but she'd still rather they be friends like they were before otherwise it would be very awkward when she wanted to meet with Bonnie and Caroline.
"Whatever." Elena said rolled her eyes before she started looking in the box.
"Wait what dinner party?" Jenna asked confused.
"Elena just wanted Bonnie to start liking Stefan so she invited them both to dinner, except Stefan had invited me and Liana, his brother and Caroline had invited themselves and Ryan had come later on." Anastasia explained.
"Oh so what exactly happened because I assumed you two were friends." Jenna said confused as Jeremy came downstairs in the room. He, like his sister, stopped at the sight of them on the couch, only for different reasons. Seeing her there with her daughter just drove home exactly what could have happened last night, she could have been hurt more severely or even…no, he didn't want to think about that, because then he would feel even more guilty thinking of the little girl who had no one but her mother from what he knew.
"We were but then Elena had said something insensitive, Ryan got annoyed and had said a few things to her and now, she's well, as you can see, not so friendly." Anastasia said and Elena just pretended to ignore them as Jeremy looked between the two, way to go for Elena to ruin her friendship with such a good person, classic Elena. Not that he could say anything after hurting her so badly.
"She'll come around, won't you Elena?" Jenna asked but Elena just kept on ignoring them as Jenna huffed irritated, what had gotten into her?
"It's fine Jenna, oh hey, sorry, I still haven't got your name." Anastasia said as she looked at Jeremy.
"It's Jeremy." Jeremy said shocked that she was treating him like nothing had happened and he couldn't help but blurt out, "I'm sorry, about last night. I'm really sorry."
"It's ok Jeremy, accidents happen, you want to start over?" Anastasia said before holding out a hand as she said, "I'm Anastasia Grace Williams and this is my daughter Lilliana Rose Williams."
He smiled before shaking her hand as he said, "I'm Jeremy Gilbert."
"You can call me Anastasia even in school too, though that can be a bit of a mouthful so come up with any nickname if you want to, I tend to do that a lot. Ana and Annie have already been picked but you can still call me them." Anastasia said to him.
"What about Anne." Jeremy suggested.
"Perfect." Anastasia smiled.
"What about me? I want a nickname." Liana whined adorably and Jeremy couldn't help but smile at her.
"What about Rose, your second name?" Jeremy suggested.
"Yay!" Liana said giddily.
"How old are you?" Jeremy asked the little girl who counted to four on her hand out loud before proudly presenting it to him as she said, "Four."
"You're adorable." Jeremy said as both Anastasia and Jenna smiled at them talking to each other whilst Elena rolled her eyes again.
"Thank you." Liana said shyly before she got off the bed and walked to him before she put her shoes right in front of his socked feet and then looked up at him as she said, "You is very big."
"And you are very tiny." Jeremy said, for the first time since his parent's death, he couldn't stop smiling, it was impossible not to, the kid was adorable. She pouted at him before lifting her hands in the air and he looked at her confused before he realised she wanted him to pick her up, he looked at Anastasia for permission and she nodded at him with a smile on her face so he crouched down slightly and lifted her in his arms. Since they were closer now, he could actually now see some bruises on her face and neck, who had hurt the girl he thought with a slight frown on his face before her laugh immediately changed it to a smile.
"I like you, can I call you Uncle Jemy?" Liana asked him hopefully.
"Uncle?" Jeremy asked a little shocked.
"She does that, it's fine." Anastasia encouraged him to say something.
"Uh, sure, if you want Rose." Jeremy said and she smiled at him happily.
"What are you doing with that?" Jenna said turning to her niece who was going through the box completely ignoring what was happening. Jeremy hadn't smiled like that since their parent's died and now them two were able to bring it out of him, that was just so annoying, he's known her and Jenna longer, and yet it was them that actually made him smile. She was mostly pissed because of the fact that at the dinner party when that friend of hers had threatened her, no one, not even Stefan had defended her. it just wasn't fair, they were taking over everything, everyone she knew liked her, why did they have to come here in the first place?
"I went yesterday and got it from the safe deposit box. Mom had told Mrs. Lockwood she would loan it to the founder's council for their heritage display." Elena answered.
"Is that grandma Beth's wedding ring?" Jeremy said walking over with Liana still in his arms./
"Originally it was great-great-grandma Mary's wedding ring." Elena said.
"How much do you think this stuff is worth? You know, like on eBay?" Jeremy asked curiously as Liana fiddled with his shirt.
"You're not gonna find out." Elena said as she put the stuff back in the box.
"That stuff is mom and dad's. You can't just give it away." Jeremy said annoyed.
"I'm not giving it away. It's called a loan, Jeremy." Elena said just as the doorbell rings.
"Hi." Stefan said as the door opened, not expecting Elena to drag him inside the house and kiss him passionately before pulling away as she said, "Hi." They walked inside, Elena trying to lead him upstairs without him seeing Anastasia but that didn't work out because Anastasia had noticed them.
"Hey Steffie." Anastasia said as he turned to her happy to see her but a little confused which she noticed for she said, "I just came here in the morning."
Stefan nodded in understanding before he said, "Well I just wanted to say that Damon ate most of the cake you made, I managed to have a slice though. It was really good. I'm a cook myself but I've never actually tried baking before."
"You haven't?" Anastasia said shocked, he's lived for so many years and he hasn't tried baking, it was so fun. "You've got to bake with me one day, it's really fun, I can teach you what I know and you can teach me what you know, what do you say?"
"Sure, I'd like that." Stefan agreed with a smile on his face at her excitement.
"Yes! By the way Liana might help too, well I say help, but she tends to make more of a mess than anything." Anastasia said as they all laughed at that, except one person, three guesses who?
"I don't mess it up." Liana said as she pouted at her mother.
"Remember what happened the last time you helped, I was baking cookies for you and you somehow managed to get yourself and most of the kitchen top covered in the batter that I had told you to mix not spread all over the place." Anastasia said and they all laughed ever harder at the image whilst Elena huffed irritated that her time with Stefan was again being ruined.
"Mommy!" Liana whined from Jeremy's arms who was laughing himself but he stopped when she looked at him in betrayal saying, "Uncle Jemy."
"Sorry." Jeremy said trying to stifle his amusement but from the smile on his face it wasn't working.
"You all mean." Liana said crossing her arms as she pouted and Anastasia snorted before she got up and picked her dramatic little princess from Jeremy's arms who finally let go of his control on his laughter.
"I'm sorry baby, forgive me?" Anastasia asked as she tickled Liana's stomach.
"Hmm." Liana said pretending to think about it.
"I'll make you those cookies again if you do." Anastasia bargained and immediately a thousand watt smile came across Liana's face as she immediately nodded saying, "Okay, you is forgiven."
"Why thank you Little Miss Bossy." Anastasia said fondly before she sat on the couch next to Jenna again.
"Now, I've got to try those cookies." Jenna said hopefully.
"Sure I can make them now if you want?" Anastasia asked her.
"Are you sure? You don't have to, I mean I called you here so that we could hang out." Jenna said unsure.
"If you really want to hang out, why don't we go to my place? Believe me you'll love it." Anastasia said and Jenna agreed out of curiosity.
"You really will, it's beautiful…" Stefan was about to carry on but Anastasia cut him off.
"No spoilers Steffie, I want to see her face when she enters." Anastasia said whilst Elena huffed in irritation, could she just go already and stop bragging about her house, honestly, she wondered what the others see in her.
"Whatever you say Milady." Stefan said bowing slightly to her.
"As it should be peasant." Anastasia said mock pompously before they both dropped the façade and laughed.
"I'll see you later Anastasia." Stefan said and she smiled back before they went their separate ways, Stefan upstairs with Elena and Anastasia, Liana and Jenna back to her house and Jeremy to the grill.
Anastasia and Liana jumped in Jenna's car and it took a few minutes to get there after Anastasia told her the address and instructed her where to go. When Jenna pulled in front of her house, she was admittedly very shocked, even moreso when they went inside. Anastasia chose to go to the attached house not wanting to run into her dad but she guessed her luck had it out for her because on the way there he had come out of his office.
"Anastasia." Her father greeted.
"Da…Andrew." Anastasia changed what she was about to say.
"Don't do that. I'm still your father." He said sighing.
"Could have fooled me." She said rolling her eyes before she picked up Liana who had hid behind her at the sight of him, she hadn't see him since that night so she was obviously scared. She gave Liana to Jenna and gestured for them to go ahead as she said to her father, "Do you mind if I invite people over?"
"No of course not, it's your house too Anastasia, half of it is in your name." He said and she looked at him shocked.
"Why would you do that? Was it out of pity?" Anastasia said mockingly.
"No, it's because, as hard as it is for you to believe it, I do care." Her father said but his voice and facial expression told her a different story.
"You have a funny way of showing it. What you said is not so easily forgiven, I don't even know what part I should be angry at you about, the fact that you blame me for their deaths or that you never told me the truth for 24 years of my life that I was never your daughter. I deserved to know, it would have made it so much easier to have a reason why you treated me the way you did." Anastasia said before she scoffed walking away from him but he grabbed her arm as he said, "Anastasia."
She immediately ripped her arm away from his as she said, "Never touch me again," before walking off, she hated it when men touched her, Stefan and Ryan she trusted but anyone else, never going to happen. She may trust her father with Liana but not with herself.
When she found the two, they were outside lounging by the swimming pool with their shoes and socks off and their feet in the water as they talked and laughed with each other.
"Ana you were right about this place, it's amazing, I mean you have a freaking swimming pool." Jenna said shocked, she felt like a kid at Disneyland to see the type of houe she lived in, she just couldn't stop looking around it was so beautiful.
"Wait till you see the other one." Anastasia said as she walked towards them.
"The other one?" Jenna said faintly.
"Yep. Now I'm going to be over there baking cookies, you two have fun. Oh and if you want to swim, Liana can take you to our bedroom where the swimsuits are in the wardrobe." Anastasia said as she walked to the kitchen next to the swimming pool. Jenna and Liana looked at each other before quickly getting up and going to the bedroom. As they walked there Jenna couldn't help but look everywhere, the window view the living rooms she passed by and the rooms she couldn't help but look into, it was so beautiful. When they went to the bedroom to get the swimsuits, Jenna's jaw immediately dropped to the ground when Liana opened the walk in wardrobe, she stepped inside giddily, god she felt like a kid but it was literally a walk-in-wardrobe, exactly how many girl can say they've been inside one. It took them a few minutes to pick a swimsuit before Liana changed in the bathroom and Jenna changed in the wardrobe.
It was more than half an hour later that Anastasia had finished the cookies as she talked to Jenna and Liana, whilst she was baking the cookies, they both swam for a while before sitting on the edge to talk to her before going back in again, they couldn't stop laughing after all the jokes they told and stories they shared with each other, it was really refreshing. For Jenna, this was the most fun she's ever had which was saying something considering what she used to do when she was younger, it wouldn't have been as much fun if Liana and Anastasia weren't there though.
"Ok the cookies are ready, there is a towel here for you guys and after you use it, Liana put your poncho on and Jen let me grab something for you." Anastasia said before she went off to one of the nearby rooms and grabbed a overall, most bathrooms here had that, one for a man and another for a woman, so she brought it down for Jenna who thanked her as she wrapped herself in it. They walked inside and sat at the chairs waiting for the cookies. Once they got a plate, they were both shocked, Jenna more than Liana, the cookies looked delicious, there were two different types and she couldn't wait to eat them.
"Careful, they're hot." Anastasia said as she got a plate for herself. "Hey you guys wanna come round there is a better place we can eat, it'll be warmer." They nodded as they followed her to another garden where there were a comfy seats around a fire, and they all climbed in, well after Jenna picked her jaw from the ground. She couldn't believe what she was seeing it was beautiful.
They just spent the rest of the time like that talking and laughing with each other as they ate their cookies or just relaxing in the calm atmosphere, for Jenna it was absolute bliss, the place just made it so much more calming for her and she could literally stay out here all day.
[Gilbert residence]
When Elena had dragged Stefan upstairs, they began making out when Stefan suddenly looks in her mirror and sees his face has transformed so he sits up.
"Are you okay?" Elena asked confused and concerned.
"I'm good. Sorry." Stefan said apologetically, he couldn't really explain to her why he had really pulled away.
"Maybe we should press pause." Elena suggested since it was getting slightly awkward.
"Yeah, you're probably right. That was getting a bit..." Stefan trailed off not knowing how to say something without offending her but Elena seemed to understand.
"Yeah." Elena agreed.
"Yeah." Stefan said having gotten off the bed.
"How do you look in a suit?" Elena asked already knowing he'd look dashing.
"I can pull one off." Stefan said confused as to why she was asking.
"How about tomorrow night? Will you be my date to the Founder's Party?" Elena asked hoping he'd agree.
"They still do that?" Stefan asked having no idea, it's been so long since he's attended one.
"Have you been before?" Elena asked curiously.
"No, the Salvatores don't get invited anymore." Stefan informed her.
"Well, this year, there's this heritage project that meant a lot to my mom. She was really involved in the founder's council, and it was her favorite party. I know it sounds really boring, but…" Elena said hopeful that he would come, before Stefan cut her off.
"I would be honoured to accompany you, Miss Gilbert." Stefan said formally as he used to do in the 1860s.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Salvatore." Elena answered trying to be flirty.
[Forbes Residence]
Caroline was standing in front of the mirror trying on dresses for the Founder's Party.
"No yellow. Jaundice. Go for the blue." Damon said as he lay on her bed, since Anastasia had talked to him, he hadn't actually used the girl in anything else besides getting his fill, he even made it so the girl wouldn't feel that hurt by the bite, only a slight pinch. When he had done that, he had mentally cursed the fact that Anastasia was making him go soft, as well as her kid, but they were both so endearing in their own way
"I don't like the blue." Caroline said to him and he rolled his eyes at her.
"Well, I do. And if I'm gonna be your date…" Damon began before she cut him off.
"You cannot be my date. My mother is going to be there, and she is a very proud gun owner." Caroline said refusing to take him there, her mother would kill him and then her.
"I went through a lot of trouble to make sure this party wasn't cancelled. It's very important I be there. Please take me." Damon compelled her.
"You should come to the founder's party with me." Caroline said suddenly as he lightly smirked.
"Not if you're wearing that dress. What's so special about this Bella girl? Edward's so whipped." Damon said disgusted with how weak the girl made him.
"You gotta read the first book first. It won't make sense if you don't." Caroline said as she got the dress he wanted her to wear.
"Ah, I miss Anne Rice. She was so on it." Damon said before Caroline turned to him and asked a question.
"How come you don't sparkle?" Caroline asked curiously.
"Because I live in the real world, where vampires burn in the sun." Damon said as he turned the pages of the ridiculous book.
"Yeah, but you go in the sun." Caroline pointed out confused.
"I have a ring. It protects me. Long story." Damon said shortly.
"Will these bites turn me into a vampire?" Caroline asked concerned but the only reason she wasn't truly freaking out was because of the compulsion.
"It's more complicated than that. You'd have to feed on my blood, then die, then feed on a human's, it's a whole ordeal. This book, by the way has it all wrong." Damon says before he gets her under him and began kissing her neck, he wouldn't take it any farther than that though.
"You can be very sweet when you want to be." Caroline said smiling at him.
"Yes, I can be sweet." Damon said before he moved himself away from her neck as he looked down at her.
"Are you going to kill me?" Caroline asked with a small voice.
"Mm-hmm. But not yet." Damon said though he didn't know why he felt a little smidgeon of guilt as he thought about killing the girl, Anastasia and her weren't even that close, they've only met each other a few days ago and yet she pushed her out of the way of a moving car, which showed him exactly how much she cared adding on to the fact that Anastasia has already lost so much, it caused that small feeling of guilt to increase slightly but he had to do it, she was a liability, ignoring that small part of him that said he could compel her to forget, no he hadn't gone that soft, he would to do to her what he would do normally without Anastasia's soft spoken words, her beguiling eyes and her gorgeous self, influencing his every decision.
"Why not?" Caroline asked, not really being able to feel the fear she knew she should be feeling.
"Because there's something I need you to do for me." Damon said, he worded it like that but she really had no choice.
"Anything." Caroline's compelled mind said immediately.
"How good are you at getting this little nose where it doesn't belong?" Damon said tapping her nose playfully.
"Oh, I'm excellent." Caroline grinned.
"Mmm." Damon smirked.
Tyler was eating with his parents in Mystic Grill as his father asks him, "So what happens with the season? One big forfeit? Are they looking for a new coach?"
"I don't know, dad. I doubt anybody's thinking about that right now." Tyler said, obviously everyone would still be worrying about what had happened to Mr Tanner but he honestly couldn't care less, the guy had been a pain in his ass. Right now he was thinking about Miss Williams and if she was okay, it was hard not to after what she did for him.
"Charles, founder's party, focus." Carol Lockwood lightly scolded her husband.
"How are y'all doing over here?" Vicki asked coming over to their table.
"Ah, we're doing great, sweetheart." Mr Lockwood says politely.
"Is there anything else I can get you?" Vicky asked, her eyes straying to Tyler one too many times.
"We're fine, thanks." Tyler said, his eyes on her too.
"Just the check, honey." Mr Lockwood said.
"Here you go, Mayor Lockwood." Vicky said handing him the check.
"Thanks." Mr Lockwood said.
Caroline arrives to the grill with Bonnie before they sat at a table together.
"You're taking Damon to the founder's party? What about me?" Bonnie asked her friend
"Go with Elena." Caroline suggested.
"She's asking Stefan." Bonnie said with a raised eyebrow, and no way in hell would she be a third wheel.
"Okay, go by yourself, oh wait I know, ask Anastasia." Caroline said as if a light bulb lit inside her head.
"Huh, good idea. I'll ask her right now to give her time to get ready, she might not even know there's a founders ball." Bonnie said as she dialled her phone number, after a few second, it answered and they heard some pretty loud music being played in the background.
"Hey Bonnie, what's up?" Anastasia asked panting from the non-stop dancing all three of them had been doing, as she blocked one ear trying to cut out the music to hear Bonnie but she couldn't so she told the girls that she'd be just out the room for a second and they nodded before going back to dancing like crazy people with each other.
"Sorry Bonnie, couldn't hear you before, what were you saying?" Anastasia asked a little concerned, was everything okay?
"Well I just wanted to ask if you go with me to the Founders Party this evening since Caroline is going with Damon and Elena with Stefan and I'd rather not go by myself and I have no desire to be a third wheel so could we go as friends, please?" Bonnie asked hopefully
"Sure I'd love to. Would you allow me to formally accept your invitation to be your date Miss Bonnie Bennet?" Anastasia said mock poshly.
"Why of course Miss Anastasia Williams I very much appreciate your humble acceptance of my offer." Bonnie said before they both began laughing.
"Hey, I've never been to this party before, so is there like a dress code, oh wait, can I bring Liana along? I would have left her with Jenna but she's going too." Anastasia said and Bonnie asked Caroline of that would be alright since there were very few kids in Mystic Falls and she said it would be, it's not like they would say anything.
"Just wear something fancy, not too fancy though and yeah Lilliana can come too." Bonnie said before they said their goodbyes and Bonnie went back to talking with Caroline as Anastasia took Jenna and Anastasia to the walk-in wardrobe as Jenna helped to find dresses for both Liana and Anastasia.
"So what about your mom? Is she okay with you bringing Damon?" Bonnie asked Caroline.
"And I'm supposed to care why?" Caroline asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He's older sexy danger guy." Bonnie said.
"Older sexy danger guy? Is that an official witch twitter tweet?" Caroline joked.
"No more witch jokes, okay? That whole Mr. Tanner prediction thing has me freaked." Bonnie said uneasily, she was truly freaked out about what happened.
"Okay. And Damon's not dangerous. You know, he just has a lot of issues with his brother. You know, like major, deep-rooted drama." Caroline said, she had been dying to tell someone this.
"Like...?" Bonnie encouraged.
"I'm not really supposed to say anything." Caroline said though she knew that that never stopped her before.
"Caroline Forbes, when have you ever kept a secret in your life?" Bonnie said and she was being honest, Caroline was the most loose-lipped person she's ever met, she couldn't keep a secret for the life of her.
"Okay. But you can't tell Elena." Caroline said sternly.
"No." Bonnie said.
"So what you gonna buy me?" Tyler asked as he went towards Vicky after his parents had left.
"Ugh, some class. Oh, your parents are gone. I guess we can be close now." Vicky said annoyed.
"What the hell does that mean?" Tyler said though he did know, his parents would never agree to him being with Vicky after all.
"You treat me like trash. I'm sick of it." Vicky said.
"I don't think you're trash." Tyler said.
"Really? Then who are you taking to the founder's party?" Vicky asked a little flirtatiously and he immediately got the message.
"Vicki Donovan. Do you want me to ask you to the founder's party?" Tyler asked as Jeremy listened on feeling more angry and sad by the second.
"No. It'll be stupid and lame." Vicky said pretending to reject him.
"True. But it'll be less stupid and lame if you were there." Tyler said and she smiles at him before he leaves.
"You realize you had to ask him to ask you, right? You figure if you dress up like a respectable young lady, he'll finally treat you like one?" Jeremy couldn't help by say.
"Screw you, Jeremy." Vicky said to him, she had finally gotten Tyler to be with her and as conflicted as she was feeling with her feelings regarding Jeremy, she refused to screw this up.
"You know you're making the wrong choice, yet you make it anyway. It's sad." Jeremy said actually feeling sorry for her, he loved her, so much, why couldn't she see the honest love he holds for her instead of living off the scraps of affection that Tyler gives her, all fake according to him.
"I didn't know you were here." Zac said having entered the room to see Damon on the couch reading a book.
"Just going through Stefan's homework. Boy, this country sure has dumbed down in the last hundred years. Why he wants to go to high school is beyond me. I mean, in the seventies, he went Ivy League. Harvard, I understood. Actually, no. I didn't get that either. Go ahead, purge. Get it out. What's on your mind?" Damon asked knowing he had something to say.
"Why are you here, Damon?" Zach asked the reason he couldn't have a stable life.
"To spend time with you, Zach. Family's important." Damon said mockingly.
"I know you. You always have a motive. So tell me, what is it this time?" Zach asked and Damon immediately zooms towards him and grabs him by the throat.
"You are in no position to question me." Damon said squeezing his throat.
"I didn't mean to upset you." Zach said feeling a little lightheaded from the strong grip of the vampire before him.
"This is not upset, Zach." Damon said truthfully, if he was upset, his head would be in his hands and his body on the floor.
"What's going on?" Stefan asked immediately coming into the room when he heard the commotion and Damon drops Zach.
"Having a family moment, Stefan. Spending some quality time." Damon said before leaving the room as Stefan helps Zach off the floor.
"Hey, are you okay?" Stefan asked concerned.
"No, I'm not. And neither are you. How many more people have to die before you see that?" Zach asked annoyed.
"I see it. All right, Zach, I see it." Stefan said, he was too weak to do anything about it though.
"Then why aren't you doing anything about it?" Zach asked confused.
"I can't, Zach. I can't. It would take human blood. It's the only way that I could stop him, and I can't do that." Stefan admitted and Zach understood before he had a sudden idea.
"The vervain could weaken him if he ingested it. It would help get you the upper hand." Zach suggested, it was the only way.
"Vervain hasn't grown here since 1865. Damon saw to that. The little I had, I gave to Elena. What?" Stefan asked as soon as he saw the expression on Zach's face before Zach lead him down to the cellar.
"You've been growing it." Stefan said shocked.
"It's just something that's been passed down through the generations. Blood only runs so deep when you're related to vampires. Damon would kill me if he knew that I had it." Zach said.
"But you're telling me. Why?" Stefan asked looking at his great nephew in confusion.
"Because I trust you. And you're gonna need it if you want to get rid of him." Zach said and Stefan knew he had to make a fool proof plan for this to work, even with vervain on his side, his brother was still clever.
[Gilbert Residence]
The doorbell suddenly rings and Jeremy goes to answers it, he opens the door but when he sees Tyler in the other side, he immediately began to shut it but Tyler holds it open.
"I'm here for my mom. I was supposed to pick up a box of stuff." Tyler said.
"Right here. Please be careful." Elena came with the box in her hands
"Yeah, be careful with it, dick." Jeremy said angrily.
"Hey! Not now, okay, guys? Please?" Elena said exasperated.
"I'm fine. He's just being a punk." Tyler said annoyed at the kid.
"I got your punk." Jeremy said back.
"Look, Tyler, maybe you should go. Tell your mom that I'll see her tonight." Elena said before walking away.
"Hey. Would it make a difference if I told you I actually like Vicki?" Tyler asked the kid.
"Not even if you meant it." Jeremy said back before shutting the door.
[In Elena's bedroom]
"Delicate flower vs. naughty vixen." Bonnie said to Elena as they got ready for the party. She had called Anastasia to get dressed up here but she had said she'd do at her own house otherwise it'd be awkward with Elena and she had to agree to that.
"Tough call. Can we mix them?" Elena asked playfully.
"Look at you, getting all pretty for your date. You seem happy-ish." Bonnie said happy for her friend.
"I am...ish. Tonight's going to be a good night. But don't let that stop you from telling me whatever it is you wanted to tell me as soon as you walked in the door." Elena said knowing there was something on her friend's mind.
"What if I tell you in the morning? I don't want to ruin the night." Bonnie said.
"Bonnie, out with it." Elena said curious to hear what she had to say.
"Okay, but it has to go in the vault, because Caroline will kill me if it gets back to Damon that she squealed. Apparently Stefan has a very interesting back story." Bonnie said, she didn't want to ruin anything for Elena but she believed she deserved to know what Caroline had told her.
"Uh-huh." Elena said encouraging her to go on, now even more curious.
"Do you know what happened with his ex-girlfriend Katherine?" Bonnie asked her.
"I know that they both dated her and that's why they have issues." Elena answered a little confused.
"Yeah, they both dated her, only she chose Damon. And that drove Stefan mad, so he did horrible things to try and break them up. He manipulated Katherine. He filled her head with all these lies until finally it worked, and she turned against Damon." Bonnie shared.
"That sounds like one person's side of the story, meaning Damon's." Elena contradicted, she didn't believe Stefan of all people was capable of doing that.
"I just wanted you to know." Bonnie said.
"Anyway, his past relationships are none of my business." Elena said trying not to let it bother her.
"Unless he's a calculating, manipulative liar. That is your business." Bonnie said, she had to tell Elena the truth because despite the dinner party that had changed her views on Stefan, they still knew barely anything about him.
"Stefan is none of those things." Elena immediately defended him.
"Yeah? How do you know?" Bonnie asked and Elena had no answer.
"Do they still wear ties at this thing?" Damon asked standing in front of the mirror admiring himself.
"Why are you even going?" Stefan asked annoyed.
"It's only fitting. We were at the very first one, remember?" Damon said as he changed.
"I think it's better if we don't draw attention to ourselves." Stefan said trying to make an excuse to make Damon stay home.
"So you should stay here. I'll see to it Elena has a good time. My goodness, I've driven you to drink." Damon said seeing him with the glass in his hands.
"Can't seem to rid myself of you. What else am I supposed to do, besides go about living my life?" Stefan said in exasperation.
"Go about living my life. See, therein lies your eternal struggle. You're dead, dude. Get over it. What do you think?" Damon asked.
Stefan just rolled his eyes before he said, "By the way, I just talked with Anastasia, apparently she is coming with Liana to the Founders party."
"They are, are they? Perfect." Damon smirked.