8.
Elena was going with Stefan in her car, so I drove Bonnie and Jenna to the party. As usual, the field adjacent to the Lockwood's mansion had been transformed into a temporary car park, with a stressed-looking girl directing the traffic. She'd somehow managed to get everyone to park in neat little lines – a Caroline in the making.
I swung my car into a space easily and hopped out. Mrs. Lockwood had gone to the extra trouble of laying down turfing boards, to protect her guest's shoes. I tried to spot Caroline in the crowds as we joined the back of the queue to get in but had no luck.
"Nervous?" Bonnie asked knowingly, giving me a little nudge as we moved closer to the door.
"No." I lied, "Can you see Care?"
"Danielle!" Mrs. Lockwood beamed, reaching for me as we climbed the steps.
I accepted her hug with a carefully arranged smile. I'd read somewhere that to make a smile look real, you needed to crinkle your eyes and so I was squinting like I had some kind of sight problem. I ignored her use of my full name – she'd always called me that. When I was small, I'd overheard her tell her husband that Danny was 'a name for a dirty little boy, not a young lady'.
"Don't you both look beautiful?" Mrs. Lockwood pulled away to appraise Bonnie, "And Jenna! Good to see you!" she pecked her on the cheek, "Danny, Tyler's in the garden – I bet he'd love to see you." She winked.
I simpered a little for her amusement and pulled Bonnie inside. Jenna was immediately off in search of the bar.
"We are staying away from the garden." I told Bonnie firmly, watching her disappear.
"Fine by me." Bonnie shrugged easily.
"Where's the food?" I dragged Bonnie along with me as I searched the ground floor. Most of the furniture had been moved out of the way to create more standing space, "They better have those crystallised raspberries they had last year. Do you remember those? Amazing."
"What about those little cheese and spinach pastries?" Bonnie reminisced.
"Those too." I nodded. If I had to be here, I was going to get some of the good stuff.
Finally, we found the buffet, and I was happy to graze away. They had these excellent little quiches this year that could fit in your mouth whole.
"Hungry?" Caroline appeared next to me, her creepy boyfriend in tow.
"Care!" I ignored Damon, "Where've you been?"
"I just got here, silly." Her hand reached out to twitch at my skirt, "Look, we match."
We had both chosen light blue tulle, though she accessorised with a white lacy shrug and another little ribbon tied around her neck. I wondered if she was trying to start a trend – that was a very Caroline thing to do.
"Has Elena arrived yet?" Bonnie asked her.
"She was right behind us in the line." Caroline told her, "Have you seen Tyler? He's brought Vicki."
"No!" I laughed, "Mrs. Lockwood must have had a heart attack."
"I don't think Mrs. Lockwood knows." Caroline smiled, leaning in to share the gossip "He's been hiding her away in the garden."
"Poor Vicki." Bonnie said a little sadly.
"Yeah, yeah, poor Vicki but-" she stopped suddenly as if she had remembered something, "Oh, I'll catch you guys later."
Immediately, she turned on her heel and was gone, Damon along with her.
"Weird." Bonnie raised her brows.
"I know." I didn't like him one bit.
Mayor Lockwood announced the heritage display was open at dusk and Bonnie and I floated upstairs to take a look. We'd been tailing Elena and Stefan, wanting to know how their date was going without interrupting, and they seemed to be having a pretty good time. Elena was beautiful in her orange, gold and pink dress, and Stefan had nothing but heart eyes for her.
I found my family's display inside one of the upstairs studies. Mrs. Lockwood had set it up beautifully, with little velvet boxes for the rings and other items Elena had dug up. Attached to each was a small description.
"Oh, Danny, look, they're holding hands!" Bonnie grabbed my arm. I turned to see Elena and Stefan's hands were clasped as they moved around the room.
"Maybe we should leave them alone." I wondered aloud. They were looking at each other very lovingly, and I kind of felt like we were witnessing something private, despite the dozen other people in the room.
"You're right." Bonnie agreed after a moment.
We ended up in the garden, despite my reservations, hiding behind a bush so I could have a cigarette. Bonnie stood upwind, wrinkling her nose and dodging any stray tendrils of smoke curling towards her.
"Is that Caroline?" Bonnie asked suddenly, "Dancing with Stefan?"
"What?" I crushed the cigarette into the ground, looking over to the gazebo, where a band was playing.
Caroline was indeed there, sipping on a champagne flute with Stefan. My brain quickly ran over the situation; Caroline was dancing with Stefan, who hadn't looked much like he'd wanted to leave Elena last I saw him. But Stefan was pretty polite, so if Caroline had asked him to dance, then I doubted he'd decline. But where was Elena? Almost as soon as I'd had that thought, she appeared holding onto the arm of a familiar, dark haired creep.
"Danny, what are you doing?" Bonnie hurried after me as I stomped over to them.
I hesitated at the edge of the gazebo as Elena and Damon approached Stefan and Caroline. The pair quickly broke up and went to dance, and I sank slowly into a chair at one of the small tables dotted about.
"Sorry, Bon." I said absently, watching Damon watch Elena, "I don't know what came over me."
It felt silly to tell her for a moment, a bolt of fear had shot through me. I had been on my way to wrench my sister away from him, but she had done it herself with much more grace.
"Don't worry about it." Bonnie answered, giving me a searching look.
I carefully examined Damon as Bonnie began to play with a candle. I wasn't the smartest of people, but I could read a face like no-one's business. And I didn't like what I saw in Damon Salvatore's expression. He was almost… hungry.
I jumped a moment when his gaze snapped to mine. Very slowly, he gave me a wide, closed-mouth smile, and waved. I scowled, turning away. Seconds later, Elena plopped down into the empty chair beside Bonnie.
"What's the matter?" Bonnie asked, sounding concerned.
"I tried to talk to Stefan about Katherine," she told us, throwing her purse onto the table so hard the empty plates clattered, "I told him I'd really like it if he could open up to me."
"How'd that go?" I sensed she wanted to be asked.
"He started accusing Damon of saying something to me, he completely changed, just like you said!" she exclaimed, her voice tight with anger, "He said Damon's trying to turn me against him."
"This is my fault, I planted doubt." Bonnie said immediately, taking Elena's hand, "I'm a doubt planter."
"It's not your fault." Elena told her sternly, "I just feel terrible because I said I wouldn't get int the middle of it and then that's exactly what I did. I got all snotty."
"Did Damon say something to you?" I questioned.
"He wanted to explain his behaviour to me. He told me how it all goes back to her – Katherine. He apologised."
"Right." I nodded slowly, beginning to connect the dots.
So, first Caroline had fed Bonnie the Katherine story, knowing she would pass it on. Then somehow Caroline had taken Stefan off to dance while Damon laid on the guilt. It made me think – what if it wasn't Caroline messing with their relationship at all? What if Damon had told Caroline the story hoping she'd tell Bonnie? And now he was approaching Elena directly. The whole thing was weird. If it was true – and I thought It was – why was Caroline with Damon when he seemed to be trying to steal Elena? Did they have some kind of… mutual understanding? Was she hoping she'd get Stefan if Damon got Elena?
"Danny – Mrs. Lockwood." Elena murmured quickly, breaking off from an impassioned complaint to Bonnie.
I got up immediately and did my best to melt into the crowd. I could really only cope with one conversation in twenty-four hours with her for now. It was then I realised Caroline and Damon had disappeared. I hurried into the house, trying to find them. I spotted Caroline entering one of the bathrooms just as I reached the top of the stairs, and followed her in.
"Care, what's the deal?" I asked bluntly as she fiddled with an earring.
"Deal? What deal?" she smiled.
"With Damon and you. And Stefan, and Elena. The four of you. What's going on?"
"There isn't anything going on." She gave a nervous laugh, "I don't understand."
She shook her hair back to fix her other earring and I caught sight of something purplish marring the skin of her neck.
"What's that?" I reached out to touch it, but she dodged me.
"It's nothing." She said quickly.
I was faster than her – I managed to move the ribbon to the side and get a good look at the state of her neck before reeling back, my hands flying to my mouth as I gasped. There was a bite mark on her neck. Like teeth. Human teeth. On her neck. Not just bruising, either – cuts, looking shockingly like Vicki's had – but Caroline hadn't been mauled by an animal.
"Damon did that to you." I knew immediately. Something inside me knew.
"No!" she laughed, "Of course not – it's nothing." She repeated, fixing her ribbon so it covered most of the wound.
"That isn't nothing!" I was still frozen.
She leaned over the sink and through the lace of her shrug I spotted another mark – a crescent of small abrasions surrounded by bruising on her back.
"Caroline!" I exclaimed in horror, peeling the shrug back for a better look.
She shoved me back, pulling away, "Just leave me alone!" she snapped, hurrying out of the room.
There was a sick feeling in my stomach. That explained Caroline's behaviour the past few weeks – Damon had been hurting her. Biting her hard enough to leave marks all over her – why? Did he have some kind of fetish for hurting girls? It felt like lava had settled into the crevices of my chest, bubbling away until I unfroze myself and stormed out the bathroom, my eyes scanning every face I saw.
I found him in the garden, stood alone under the gazebo. Watching the staff move the furniture inside for the night as the party settled down. I marched up to him and gave him a shove, catching his attention.
"What the fuck have you been doing to Caroline?" I demanded.
"I don't know what you mean." He smiled benignly. But there was a coldness to his gaze that made the hairs on my arms stand up.
"I think you do." I brought myself up to my full five feet and two inches, "You stay away from her."
"Or what?" he asked calmly.
"Or I go straight to her mother and explain you've been biting her."
He didn't like that; I could see it in his face. He grabbed hold of my upper arms, squeezing so tightly I gave a yelp of pain – and then he let go, hissing in surprise. He was holding his hands out in shock – they were covered in blisters and burns. As if he had put his hands on a hot stovetop instead of my arms. His eyes met mine for a moment, wide with disbelief and I didn't wait for him to act. I hurried back inside, chancing a look back only to see he was watching me go.
I found Jenna sat at the bar and slid into the empty stool next to her.
"No way Jose." Jenna shook her head, "You're driving, remember?"
"I know. I wasn't going to ask."
"Oh. Okay."
We fell into silence for a moment, my thoughts churning in my head. Finally, I spoke.
"Jenna, I'm worried about Caroline."
She heard my tone and was immediately serious.
"Why? Has she said something to you, Danny?"
I thought for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. I doubted Caroline would appreciate me telling Jenna, who would surely contact Sheriff Forbes. Would telling Jenna just make things worse? What if Damon hurt Caroline in revenge?
"No." I sighed, pressing my knuckles into my eyes, "I just – I just have a bad feeling about Damon."
Jenna draped an arm around me, "Look, honey. I know it's hard, when your friends get into their first serious relationships – especially your best friend. But he makes her happy, right? And I know you want Caroline to be happy."
"Right." I breathed, thinking of the bite marks, "I'm tired. Are you ready to leave?"
"Once I've finished my drink." She waved to the champagne flute in front of her.
I went in search of Bonnie, but as I walked past the French doors, I spotted two figures down by the lake. Two figures I'd know anywhere. Elena and Caroline – and when Elena pulled Care into a hug, I hurried over to them.
"Caroline? Are you alright?" I reached the two and my hands fluttered over them.
Caroline was sobbing deep, broken-hearted cries. She flung her arms around me, shaking uncontrollably.
"Danny," Elena whispered, white as a ghost, "There's- "
"I know." I shushed her, "I've handled it." Well, I hoped so.
"Care, shall I take you home?" I asked, rubbing her back. I could always take her back to pick up her car tomorrow.
She pulled away, wiping her lashes, "I don't want my mom to see me like this."
"It's okay – you can stay with me, if you like."
She nodded, tidying up her makeup with her fingers before taking my hand. Elena said she'd drive Bonnie home and meet us later.
The house was dark when Jenna, Care and I finally got home. When we crawled into bed, I wrapped my arms tightly around my friend, the way we had slept when we were children. I tried not to think about the lumps on her skin I could feel under my fingers. I clung on to her as if I could hold her together, but in the grand scheme of things, I was just a girl and I couldn't take away her pain with soft words and hugs. I could try, though.
a/n: this ones a little short but the next one is maaaassive. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one should be up by Saturday.
Thanks for the review Hearteyesmf – im glad you like danny, I've been daydreaming about her for years now so shes kind of like my baby haha. I'll be skipping quite a chunk of season one and replacing it with my own subplots and what have you, mostly because season one is sooo Elena orientated and I don't want to go inserting Danny into scenes where it doesn't make sense for her to be there, you feel? So a lot of the episode where Stefan explains everything to elena and like the one where damon and elena go awol in Georgia will be skipped or replaced as well as a few others. I'm not revealing annnything about the mystery man but I think it should all be obvious within the next 10 or so chapters ahah x
