Holy shit! Longest chapter yet! Gods, I hope you guys have buckled in.
Trying to make up for the fact that I won't be posting until the weekend. I'm off to visit my mother dearest!
Alexandralaehn! Thank you so much! Appreciate all the love aha!
I feel it necessary to apologise to you again, Phonixonyxwolf, but hopefully your heart heals quickly!
Chapter 11Stefan's eyes snapped open as he gasped, reeling from the remnants of the nightmare he'd woken from.
"Bad dream?"
Damon teased him, let him know he was staying a while and about the 'mountain lion' finally being found, and stabbed him with the same knife he'd thrown.
"This is John Varvatos, dude," Damon frowned at the hole in his shirt before pinning his groaning brother with a disappointed frown. "Dick. Move."
Stefan panted at the pain while his thoughts buzzed. Damon covering his tracks means that he's staying. Why was he staying? Stefan had already ruled his presence out, knowing that Damon wouldn't bother to lay low if all he wanted to do was torture him. No, his money was on something else. He had to figure it out before Damon could do anymore damage. Eyes pinched, Stefan got ready for the day before turning his thoughts outward, journaling while listening to the news report the mountain lion Damon had organised. Frown lines deep, he came to a decision on what he needed to do.
*TVDM*
"Surely, it wasn't a mountain lion," Carol scoffed as she poured everyone their tea. The council had convened at the discovery of the puma, all but Zach in attendance. Enzo nodded his thanks as he was passed a cup and saucer before turning toward Liz.
"No. The mountain lion did attack the hunter, but the wounds are all wrong," Liz frowned as she sipped the vervain-spiked beverage, sharing a look with Brian Walters, the medical examiner. "Mountain lions eat, they don't drain their prey of blood and leave the meat." Her expression turned apologetic when she looked at Carol's green-tinged face. "The mountain lion was just a convenient animal for us to pin the deaths on."
"You're not the only one who thought that, I'm sure," Enzo interjected, pausing for dramatic effect while staring into his cup. "My guess? The vampire organised that particular attack. Probably covering its tracks so that it can now lay low and stick around." Enzo's gaze flicked to Brian. "Make sure to keep an eye on the hospital's blood supply."
"But why would it want to stick around?" Carol asked, baffled at the prospect.
"Oh, many reasons," Enzo sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Easy hunting ground, wanting to settle down, an obsession." Enzo leaned forward, his arms settling on the table as he folded his hands under his chin. "One thing I know about vampires is that they are not always emotionless monsters. They only become emotionless monsters when they flip their switch."
"Wait, what? What does that mean?" Richard asked, frowning at the young man.
"Yes," Enzo hummed. "They can literally turn their humanity off. Those that don't are the most emotional creatures on the planet. Anger turns to rage, sadness is depression, happiness is blinding joy," his gaze fell on Liz as he murmured, "love turns to obsession. Can you tell me what leads down a more monstrous path? Because the more I think about it, the more I don't know."
The council sat in silence while they processed that information.
"It's more important than ever that we get that Gilbert watch," Carol murmured. "I should be able to get my hands on it tomorrow, Miranda promised to loan the Gilbert heirlooms for the history showcase. We'll be able to pinpoint its location."
"Worst case, I can reconnect with Jenna," Logan smiled his TV smile, earning a weak chuckle from the men in the room.
The meeting ended shortly thereafter. Enzo strolled out of the Lockwood estate, whistling away while making his way to his car. Hopping in, he thought about this pocket watch that was supposed to be a vampire compass.
He walked straight through the house, going out the back and coming upon the huge outbuilding. It had tinted windows lining the walls, letting no one see in. Entering the code on the electronic lock, Enzo pushed the door open and walked though the foyer.
The pool was 16 metres long by 12 metres wide. It was designed like a lagoon; with a bank you could walk down into the water and the deepest part dropping 4.5 meters below. Surrounding the pool were a few pairs of lounge chairs, each with their own side table. He strolled over and dropped into the nearest one, relaxing into the cushions as he watched the brilliantly glossy black scales shimmer greens, purples and blues as they caught the light.
Enzo smiled, both sad and fond, as his angel spotted him. Her face broke into a beaming grin before she quickly made her way to the side of the pool to climb out. He didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive Caroline for the cold shoulder she'd given them all. Lia was hurting and that was unacceptable, especially since Lia was at a loss for how to fix it.
"I've never had a friend like that, Enzo," Lia had said so softly that even his vampiric hearing barely caught the words. "I've never been loved or appreciated as much as I am by you and Caroline. To lose one of you, it aches and I don't know how to fix it. Have I been too stubborn all along? I refused to change myself for my choir and look how I ended up. Should I make me, not me anymore?"
Enzo had been enraged.
"If she cannot accept all of you, she does not deserve you," he had simply replied, pulling the sister of his heart closer and refusing to let her go for the rest of the day.
"I missed you!"
Enzo caught the – thankfully dry – leaping siren, letting her lounge on him as he lounged in the chair.
"What would you say about taking a little vacation away, gorgeous?"
He felt her startle, looking down as she tilted her head back against his shoulder to look at him.
"I would question the why of it," Lia replied, raising a suspicious eyebrow.
Enzo sighed and explained the gist of the council meeting.
"Absolutely not!" she scolded. "If we leave, we lose sight of it. You take a trip; see Slater or something. I'll hang around and nab the little sucker and let you know when I've saved the day."
"Lia," Enzo was already shaking his head. "I'm not leaving you here alone."
"Brother, dear," Lia sighed, turning completely to hug him tight. "I'll be fine. Besides, the quicker I get my hands on it, the quicker you can come back. Maybe with Slater and his new girlfriend," she grinned, pulling a reluctant one from him.
Enzo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "At least he didn't use the 'I'm a creature of the night,' pick-up line this time."
Lia laughed as she hopped up, pulling the vampire with her as she dragged him back into the house.
"Pack. Call Slater. I can take care of myself for a few days. You forget, I'm nearly 3,000 years old."
Enzo conceded, knowing she was right, at least when it came to the device. He packed a duffel bag with a few sets of clothing, kissed her forehead before making her promise to call every day. He hadn't been a day without her since he'd arrived in Mystic Falls. It was certainly going to be an uncomfortable experience.
*TVDM*
Lia, for once, didn't know what to do with herself.
She sat in her bedroom, staring unseeingly at the street. Caroline was still avoiding her. She'd taken the time to say she needed a break from the supernatural creatures in her life to sort out what she feels and what she wants before scurrying away. Slater and Enzo were out of town while the compass floated around; a problem that made Lia want to get her hands on the Gilbert Journals as soon as possible to see if there was anything else she and her boys had to worry about, and the only other people she knew she didn't know well so she was all by her lonesome with nothing to do.
She missed Caroline.
And she wanted a milkshake.
She nodded to herself, instantly dressing in a mid-thigh Hufflepuff pleated skirt, white blouse and black cardigan with black flats. She pushed a delicate, gold clasp into her hair to pin one side up while her bangs swooped across her face to her other ear.
Making sure no one – birds included – were watching, Lia blurred to the Grill, appearing behind the establishment within seconds. She strolled through across the floor, heading straight for the counter where she ordered herself a cara-
A chocolate milkshake.
Clearing her throat at her oddly emotional inability to order caramel, she turned to look around and stopped breathing.
Caroline was here with Bonnie.
That.
That hurt.
Caroline wanted time away from the supernatural so she goes to the town witch?
Lia shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat, continuing her perusal of the room. The Lockwood family were there talking about the football season, a few others she didn't know. She blinked in surprise when she noticed Baby Gilbert sitting a few seats down from her.
Smiling at the server in thanks after getting her hands on the to-go cup, she plonked herself down beside the kid and smiled. He frowned in confusion but nodded a polite greeting before going back to watching Vicki.
Lia observed him as she sipped her drink. Though she couldn't feel the emotional cry of his soul anymore, she could still see the pain in his eyes. That pain had dulled when he'd been awed by her abilities.
She wondered, bitterly, how he'd reacted to Tanner's demise.
"Hey, Baby Gil," Lia waited until he looked at her before continuing. "How do you feel about the death of Mr Tanner?"
"Uh- It sucks, I guess?" Jeremy raised his eyebrows in his surprised confusion.
"Are you sad? Shocked? Disappointed?" Lia pressed, leaning in to gauge his response.
"What? No, not really? I mean, he was a jerk," Jeremy remarked, eyes narrowing in at the intensity of the odd but incredibly pretty girl beside him. He felt like his answer was important. "I can't say I'm torn up about it, but I didn't want him dead, you know?" Jeremy scoffed as he took a sip of his coke. "Death will take what it wants, though."
Lia sat back as she pondered that response. She, in her own way, felt the same. Death happened and you couldn't stop it. In this case, she'd disliked the teacher immensely but she hadn't wished his death upon him. That had simply been a happy coincidence.
Nodding firmly to herself, she turned back to Jeremy, locking eyes with him.
"Would you like to be my friend?"
The question caught the 15-year-old off guard. He blinked as he examined her face, trying to find the joke. He hadn't had any friends since he'd lost his parents. As soon as he'd turned to substance abuse, he'd lost them all. Looking into the cheerful, hurt, curious, vulnerable eyes of green, he could only accept.
"Uh-yeah. Yeah, I think- Oi!"
Lia grabbed his arm and her milkshake, throwing some cash on the table to cover whatever Baby Gilbert had bought, and marched through the restaurant floor, refusing to look in Caroline's direction.
"Hey!" Jeremy finally cried, trying to pull his arm away from her surprisingly strong grip. "Where are we going?"
Lia stopped in the carpark, turning to the teen and locking gazes. Her eyes flashed.
"Remember."
*TVDM*
Caroline still couldn't make up her mind.
She'd been avoiding everyone from her 'new life,' trying to seek comfort in the life she knew before her eyes had been opened to monsters and magic. Her and Bonnie were now seated at the Grill, talking about their plans to go together to the Founder's Party. Bonnie knew Caroline had been preoccupied all week. It was only today that they'd had an opportunity to just hang. Bonnie's patience was fraying, especially when the topic of what to wear to the Founder's party came up and Caroline didn't immediately jump in to try and coordinate their outfits.
"Ok," Bonnie sighed. "I give up. What's going on with you?"
"What?" Caroline's attention snapped back to Bonnie. "Nothing. Why? I'm fine."
"Caroline Forbes," Bonnie gave her a deadpan look. "You've never been able to keep a secret in your life, and now you seem to be full of them. What's wrong?"
"Nothing, really," Caroline sighed, flopping back in her chair as her eyes looked anywhere but Bonnie. "I just have a lot on my-"
Caroline's breath caught as she caught sight of Lia dragging Jeremy Gilbert outside. Guilt gnawed at her gut as she watched the small girl resolutely not look in her direction.
"-roline!"
"Sorry! I just, I realised that I'd been moving in a different direction, leaving you and Elena behind. I mean, I know that Elena has her new boyfriend and you're wigged about this witchy business, but I realised I'd been pulling away and I wanted to spend time with you and feel normal again but the more I think about it, the more I really just don't feel bad about-"
"Caroline," Bonnie's sharp tone slammed the blonde's mouth shut. Bonnie's eyes softened as they looked at the girl she'd been friends with since diapers. "Do you really think you were pulling away from us? Or do you think you were pulled?"
"What?" Caroline's eyes went wide as she stared. Bonnie decided to take the chance.
"Look, everything started changing when Kaliope came to town. She latched on to you, dragged you in and you're just now resurfacing," Bonnie wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and swallowed. "Do you think she's… done something to you?"
"Of course, not!"
The answer was immediate, ferocious and genuine. Caroline held 100% faith that Lia would never manipulate her like that, even if she could. All this 'feeling human' business was the product of Caroline trying to find the reason why she didn't care that Tanner was dead. She was trying to reconnect with the world around her, but the world was just so much bigger now that she was in-the-know, and the death of someone she didn't care about left her feeling completely unchanged. The whole situation made her feel like a terrible person!
"The fact that you pity her but won't help her is human nature, darling girl. It doesn't make you a terrible person, it makes you very much human. It could have been someone that you love, could have been you, but it's someone that you barely know. Humans are social and selfish creatures, Care. They need to love and be loved in return. It's your humanity that makes you willing to sacrifice as many people as you need to save that one you love. You're not changing, you're simply accepting your humanity when you see her and feel relieved that it's her suffering and not you."
Oh.
Oh, God.
She'd shut out the one person she'd never wanted to lose because she was trying to explain why being human didn't feel human to her anymore? She really was an idiot.
Caroline shot to her feet, shocking Bonnie into the back of her chair.
"I've gotta go," she quickly threw a $5 on the table before running out the door, ignoring Bonnie's confused shouts. She had a friend to apologise to.
*TVDM*
"So, you're a-"
"Yup," Lia popped, flipping through the aged pages speedily, her enhanced eyes greedily taking in every word. She was lying on her stomach on Jeremy's bed, her shoes left at the door and her little feet slowly kicking in the air. Jeremy, however, couldn't stop moving; pacing back and forth across his bedroom floor as he tried to comprehend what he was being told. To be honest, he wouldn't have believed it if not for his memories and the fact that she had literally carried him at the speed of light. He'd had to brace himself against the porch railing for a solid minute.
Humans were not meant to travel that fast, he was sure.
And apparently that had been her taking it slow.
"And vampires are-"
Lia scoffed, picking up another journal. "Oh, yeah."
"Whoa," Jeremy sighed heavily, scrubbing a hand through his hair.
After Jeremy had gotten his memories back, he'd been an odd combination of betrayed and awed. Lia was legitimately a supernatural creature and apparently the Gilberts had a history of knowing about vampires and magic, which were real, too.
At that particular proclamation, Jeremy had immediately gone to get the old Gilbert Journals, bringing the boxes down from the attic. Lia had wasted no time in rifling through the old books.
He frowned as he focussed back on Lia – a mermaid – and watched as she soaked in the information even though it just looked like she was flipping through the pages.
"What are you looking for, anyway?" Jeremy dropped on the bed, looking over her shoulder.
"Any mention of the Gilbert pocket watch," she said absently, tossing the journal in the 'done' pile and grabbing up another. "It's not really a watch."
"You mean this?" Jeremy reached over and grabbed the watch, flipping it in his hand. He'd snatched it from the box Tyler had collected before heading to the Grill. A startled noise escaped him as he suddenly had a lap full of Lia who was popping the watch open.
"Bingo!" Lia excitedly bounced. A flustered Jeremy grabbed her hips tightly, holding her still. He cleared his throat and tried to squash the heat that was building behind his zipper.
"What does it do?" he asked, voice strained. He was half curious and half in need of distraction.
"This little guy is a compass," Lia watched the needle fly around aimlessly. "It's supposed to point toward vampires."
Jeremy blinked, looking at the device with new eyes.
Before he could say anything else, Lia, the Gilbert journals and the compass were gone. Jeremy's breathing stuttered, his chest starting to tighten at the betrayal when the bedroom door was flung open and a pissed off Elena came stomping in, smacking him across the head.
"Ah! God, what now?" Jeremy huffed, looking up at Elena with angry eyes.
"The pocket watch," Elena stated, crossing her arms with her nose in the air. "Where is it?"
"Ow," Jeremy rubbed his head, trying to think quickly. "W-what watch?"
"The one you stole from mum's box," Elena leaned back on her heels. "Look, Mrs Lockwood just called me freaking out. It was on the list, Jeremy, and she can't find it and thinks she's the one that lost it."
"Maybe she did," Jeremy immediately replied, his eyes widening as he caught sight of Lia in the corner of his room holding a finger to her lips. "Maybe, uh, maybe Tyler took it."
Elena rolled her eyes. "Don't even play that card, Jeremy. You took it. If I go online, am I gonna find it on eBay?" Jeremy's eyes looked to Lia, who pointed to the speaker beside her in the shelf and miming 'behind' before vanishing again. Jeremy looked back in time to see a nasty expression on Elena's face. "Is that how you pay for your pot?"
Jeremy jumped up from the bed, towering over his sister. "Screw you."
His wrath ignited, he stomped over to the speaker, his anger stopping him from worrying if it was actually there. He fumbled a bit before his fingers brushed over the cool metal. Snatching it up, he shoved it into Elena's hand, telling her that it was his by birthright.
Ignoring her platitudes, he told her to get out. She walked to the door but stopped before she left. Turning to try once more, Elena threw up her hands.
"Mum promised Mrs Lockwood. What do you want me to do?"
"You could always say that the owner doesn't wish to part with it."
Startled at the sound of the English accent with the Scottish curl, Elena spun around to find Lia standing at her side; her arms crossed, her eyebrow raised and her hip cocked.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm Mimi's friend," Lia stated, brushing past the taller teen to stand next to Jeremy who was sat in front of his computer. "You know, the more I see of you, the more you disappoint me, Elena Gilbert. This is your brother. Your mother may have promised something months ago, but it does not hold the same value as it does now. If your mother had promised to sell this house by the end of the year, would you move? Leave all your precious memories behind just because your mother swore to it while she still walked the earth? That pocket watch has a lot more meaning now than it did back then. Instead of putting your living brother first, you've put his wants and needs in second place. Again. Now, if you'll excuse us, I promised Mimi I'd help him catch up on his history work before we leave for the party."
Elena gaped like a fish while Jeremy pulled his school bag onto the bed without complaint, pulling the book he'd need and handing it to Lia. She grabbed it, flipped to the correct page then paused, looking back at the older Gilbert with a questioning tilt of her head.
"You're going to the founder's party?"
Jeremy rolled his eyes before walking over to his door.
"You got the watch. Be gone, Elena."
He slammed the door in her face.
Sighing, he turned to see Lia beaming at him.
"I really don't like your sister," Lia chirped happily, causing Jeremy to shake his head in confused amusement.
"I don't like her much these days, either," he admitted, dropping heavily on the bed and laying back with a groan.
Lia lay beside him, joining him in his absent stare-off with the ceiling. Jeremy broke the silence first.
"Mimi?"
"Elena calls you 'Jer,' you don't look like a Jay, I don't hate you so it's no-go on the Jerry and Remy was just stupid," Lia explained easily.
The pair stayed silent for a while longer before Jeremy once more broke it.
"Thanks, you know, for sticking up for me."
After a few minutes, Lia finally muttered, "you're welcome," before smacking a kiss on his cheek and bouncing to his wardrobe, opening it to reveal the boxes that held the journals on the floor. Quickly flicking through his ties, she came across a nice royal blue that would suit one of the semi-formal dresses that Caroline had bought for her.
"Wear this. I'll be back in time to leave."
"You don't have a car? Wait, you were serious?" Jeremy sat up in shock, trying not to whine. He really didn't want to go Lockwood's place. Plus, that dick and Vicki would be there. He'd heard her practically ask him to ask her to the stupid thing.
"Of course, I'm serious!" Lia looked at him like he had 2 heads. "We have to get that watch back as soon as possible. It cannot fall into the hands of the council."
"Wait, what council?" Jeremy shouted after the bouncing water creature.
"See you soon!" Was all she said before disappearing out the front door. Jeremy sighed, running his hand over his face before turning back to the tie she'd left over his computer chair.
He hated suits.
*TVDM*
Jenna was the one to answer the knock at the door with a confused frown on her face. Everyone had already left; Bonnie had left to get Caroline nearly 20 minutes ago, Stefan collecting Elena barely 10 minutes ago.
She opened the door and had to stop herself from gasping. The girl that stood in front of her was gorgeous.
Her glossy black hair was up in an elaborate bun, rhinestones littering the updo. Her fringe fit perfectly to the side of her face as it swept across her forehead. Her lips were glossed and her eyes sported winged liner. Her neck and shoulders were elegant and bare while her delicate curvy figure was hugged by an off-the-shoulder royal blue dress that gently flared at her hips before coming to an end at midthigh while her feet were clad in a cute pair of 4-inch heels.
"Good afternoon, Miss Sommers. My name is Kaliope, I live across the street. I'm Mimi's friend," the angelic girl smiled, her accent knocking Jenna from her trance.
"Oh, I'll just-Mimi? Yeah, no I'll- JEREMY!"
Jenna felt like slapping herself. She'd never been so flustered.
Jeremy had received the pocket watch back from a guilty Elena just before she'd left. He'd almost run over to Lia's to call it off but Jenna had seen him get ready and the smile on her face was something that he'd feel guilty removing. He sighed when he heard his aunt calling, jumping up and tightening his blue tie, tucking the compass in his pocket before heading for the stairs.
His heavy steps stumbled to a halt as Jeremy caught sight of Lia. His breath rushed out of him and suddenly the idea of going to the founder's event didn't seem like such a bad thing.
"Lia," her name escaped him in a whisper while his feet remembered how to walk again. "You look amazing."
"Thank you!" she gushed, grinning kindly up at him. "You look very handsome in a suit."
He gave her a half grin as he came to a stop next to her, offering his arm. She quickly linked them, before the pair looked toward Jenna.
Jenna was jumping inside. Jeremy hadn't seemed so light in so long. The two really looked gorgeous together, a perfect combination of adorably handsome and beautifully cute.
"I demand a photo before we leave," Jenna nodded her head decisively before going hunting for her Nikon. "You both look too darn good not to document it."
"Oh, thank you so much! My brother is out of town at the moment, so I'm sure he'd love to see when he gets back," Lia beamed. "You look stunning as well, by the way. Whoever they are, they're going to regret ever letting you walk away."
Jenna froze in shock at the proclamation before smirking at the teen. "You bet your ass, he will. Now, smile!"
After no less than 6 photos, the trio herded into the car and quickly came upon Lockwood Manor. Jeremy circled the car and opened the door for Lia, immediately grinning at the sight of the beautiful siren's excitement.
"I'll tell you why later, but do not mention the V word or anything relating to it until we're back at mine," Lia whispered, grasping Jeremy's hand as she climbed out of the car.
He nodded easily, pulling her hand through his arm and escorting her to the front door. He subtly wiped his sweaty palm on his suit pants, nodding at the mayor and his wife as they greeted them at the door.
"Oh, Lia, don't you look absolutely breathtaking!" Carol cooed, holding her hand to her face as she sighed. "It's a shame your brother isn't here to see you."
"Thank you for your kind words, Mrs Lockwood," Lia offered a gentle smile. "Miss Sommers made sure to take some photos so I can show him when he gets back."
"Why don't you two go on in," the mayor smiled, already looking to the next pair to walk in.
Thanking the husband and wife, Jeremy and Lia stepped over the threshold.
*TVDM*
The sun had set and dinner had been finished. Lia and Jeremy were sharing a dance. The pair had spent the night simply getting to know each other while Lia helped them avoid Elena, Stefan and Damon; not that Jeremy knew that.
A cheeky smirk suddenly bloomed across Lia's face. "Come on; it sounds like someone is having an interesting conversation."
"I don't think I'll be getting used to that in a hurry," Jeremy chuckled, letting himself be led by the hand toward the heritage display.
Meanwhile, Caroline sighed, smoothing down the ruffles of her yellow dress as she sipped on the glass of champagne she'd swiped from a passing server, waiting for Bonnie to finish in the restroom. She'd tried to go to Lia's house earlier only to find it empty. The pool house had been finished during her time away, but she didn't know the passcode to get in. She'd walked around the building, trying to see if anyone was home, only to come up empty.
Caroline sighed. She felt like such a fool. She just hoped her apology wasn't too little, too late. She didn't know why she was so shocked that she was ruining the best friendship she'd ever experienced; she always said and did the wrong thing. Though her face remained impassive and anxiety-free, she couldn't hide her trembling hands. Turning to look back out at the floor, she froze.
Lia's grin died a little at the sight of a stunned Caroline. She swallowed her hurt, turning away from the blonde and looking ahead, tugging Mimi closer to loop their arms together.
Damon had finally gotten Elena alone, having told Tina to take Stefan for a dance. He was explaining the story of the 'original' Salvatore brothers.
"Who was in the church that they wanted to save?" Elena questioned, her doe eyes staring into his own icy blue. He offered her a wistful smile.
"A woman, I guess. Doesn't it always come down to the love of a… woman," Damon trailed off, his words caught in his throat as he caught sight of the vision that had just walked into the room.
If there was a God, Kaliope was His greatest creation.
Elena frowned, looking away from the church diorama and looking back at Damon to see his gaze fixed behind her. Turning she almost choked on her tongue.
Jeremy was smiling, chuckling at whatever the grinning Lia was saying. She hadn't seen him smile like that since their parents died. She was so happy and yet so jealous at the picture they made. She immediately squashed her feelings under her shame. Maybe Lia was right; maybe she was a disappointment.
Elena quickly turned her attention back to Damon, looking him in the eye as she told him that she refused to get in the middle of the brothers and wished him well in working it out before leaving to find her date.
With one last look at the stunning Little Snow, Damon trailed after the clone of his missing lover.
"Don't freak out," Lia whispered in Jeremey's ear, her breath tickling his neck and causing goosebumps to scatter across his skin. Lia's hand slipped into his pocket, causing his back to straighten immediately. Her other hand gently slapped his chest as she rolled her eyes at him.
Pulling the Gilbert device out and popping it open, she looked around as she tilted it toward him.
His eyes bulged as he saw the device settle, pointing in the direction behind him. His wide eyes locked with mischievous viridian as she clicked the compass closed and slipped it into his pocket. She then grabbed his hand and casually strolled through the house, ending up outside.
Jeremy followed Lia's gaze, almost choking on his spit as he saw her looking at his sister, Tina Fell and the Salvatore brothers. Tina was wearing a light blue dress with a matching cardigan and scarf.
A very telling scarf.
Lia heard the conversation and could smell the vervain coming from Tina's glass. She did so love her senses; even better than any vampire or werewolf's due to how easy it was to distinguish scents in the air compared to the sea. She pulled her phone out of her bra, earning another choking sound from Jeremy that made her snicker, before flicking off a quick text to Enzo to let him know that Stefan apparently wanted to put Damon down and letting him know the compass was dealt with.
"Well, I think that's my night wrapped up," Lia smirked at the young man beside her, wagging her eyebrows. "Wanna go back to mine?"
"Fine, but just for coffee," he sighed with faux-exasperation, rolling his eyes. "I'm not that easy."
Tickling bells of laughter followed them out, drawing a certain Salvatore's gaze.
"God, what is with all these cute couples?" Tina grumbled, taking a large gulp of her drink.
"Just stop talking," Damon groaned, looking back at the dance floor, listening in to the conversation they were having about him and Katherine. It led to talk of mystery and secrets and a frustrated Elena storming off to find her friends. Damon smirked at his brother before dragging Tina with him upstairs. It's time to get what he came for.
*TVDM*
Jeremy braced himself against the side of Lia's house, gasping as he waited for his organs to catch up while she unlocked the door. Flipping the light on, Jeremy stumbled into the foyer. There was an open archway that led to the living room on one side, the dining table on the other with a wall that partially separated the dining from the huge kitchen. Behind the living room was a hall that led to a study, bathroom and laundry. A staircase with a landing was against the far wall, leading to the bedrooms and another bathroom.
"And this is my bedroom!" Lia presented grandly, opening it to reveal a Hufflepuff themes suite. "I've redecorated recently," Lia admitted sheepishly, eying the black and yellow diamond-checkered pattern that covered the feature wall behind her bed, each box of colour lined with what looked like gold leaf. The other three walls were now black, her bedspread black with gold accents. On the wardrobe side of her room sat two cushy armchairs that were white with gold edging and a little side table that was black with gold legs. Her chest of drawers and bedside tables were white with gold handles and the doors leading to her walk-in robe and bathroom were black with gold doorknobs.
"It's awesome," Jeremy chuckled, following her over to the comfy-looking chairs. "Am I the only one that knows? About you, I mean?"
Lia's shoulders drooped as she tucked her legs up under her. She offered him a tired smile. "No, Caroline does. She was fine with it until Tanner died. She-uh, she didn't take my reaction to his death well."
Jeremy frowned and cocked his eyebrow in question.
"There was no mountain lion," Lia rolled her eyes. "It was a Damon. And I was a little too happy about his choice in happy meal."
"Oh," Jeremy got it, he did, but he was still a little confused. "But why is she avoiding you when you had nothing to do with it? It's not like you're the one that set Damon loose."
"Right?!" Lia leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "I didn't know he'd done it until he tried to intimidate me with his messy eating habits."
Jeremy took his tie and blazer off, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt. "I mean, the list of people I'd prefer it not to be is a hell of a lot longer than the people I'd offer to replace him," he shrugged, thinking of Tyler.
"That's what I said!" Lia squealed. "God, Mimi, never change."
Jeremy suddenly remembered the loneliness he'd seen on her face when she'd confronted him in the Grill. His insides softened at the new understanding as he thought over her question about Tanner. She wasn't human and didn't understand how complex and hypocritical the species' feelings could be, especially because her own race couldn't die.
The pair spent the next two hours talking about the town's history, what vampires can and can't do, and the town council.
"So, wait," Jeremy laughed, putting his glass of coke back down on the table beside him. "A vampire has infiltrated the anti-vampire council in town?"
"Of course, mate," came a strong British accent from the doorway that made Lia shriek in excitement. "Gotta make my own entertainment, you know?"
"Loren!" Lia was already in his arms, giggling as she was swung around in a circle. "Did Slater join you? I missed you!"
"Of course," the vampire scoffed. "As soon as you mentioned the compass wasn't a threat, I packed up. Slater sends his love and also told me to give you this."
He set her down and flicked her forehead.
"Ow! What? Abuse? He asked you to give me violence? So rude!" the siren grumbled, rubbing the wounded area.
An incredulous chuckle drew the pair's attention to the seated mortal. Jeremy had pulled out the compass and was watching it point directly at the newcomer. "At least you know it works."
"Make sure you hide that well, mate," Enzo cautioned, reluctant to let it leave the house. "Logan Fell spoke of using your aunt to get an invite in and look for it if Carol didn't get her hands on it."
Jeremy scowled at the idea of anyone using his aunt in such a way. He nodded before holding it out to Lia, who blinked in surprise.
"You sure?" she asked as she reached for it.
"Yeah. I know you won't lose it," Jeremy flashed a smile before turning serious. "Besides, it's too important to risk, for both you and me."
"It will make a very pretty necklace," Lia grinned cheekily. "And whoever tries to remove it will find themselves missing hands."
"Morbid," Jeremy grinned, rising to his feet. "I better take off before Jenna and Elena come knocking. I'll see you tomorrow?" his sudden self-consciousness drew a fond smile from Lia as she bounced over to hug him tightly.
"Of course, Mimi. You kind of know where I live, now," she teased.
The trio walked to the door, bidding the teen goodnight and locking the door behind him.
*TVDM*
Just after Jeremy and Lia had left, Elena found herself in the company of both Caroline and Bonnie, complaining about the problems between the Salvatores and her attitude toward the pair.
"I let Damon's words get to me," Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I had just told him that I didn't want anything to do with their issues and then I let all Damon's talk of Katherine get the better of me."
"It might be for the best," Bonnie confessed, leaning forward as she proceeded to tell the Gilbert what she'd heard from Tina. "Apparently Katherine had chosen Damon and Stefan hurt them both pretty bad in his need for revenge and his inability to accept her decision."
"No, I can't believe that," Elena immediately shook her head. "Stefan isn't like that, and at the moment it's Damon that's causing the issues, just like Stefan said before I blew him off."
"God, Elena," Caroline's tone was unimpressed. "Maybe you should back off. He doesn't know you well enough to start spilling all his secrets. You've known the guy for, what, two weeks? Are you ready to hand over your diary and let him read all your innermost problems? Because that's exactly what you sound like you expect from him."
"What, no I don't!" Elena was offended. "I just don't like the lies."
"Tell me, Elena," Caroline sat up straight, looking the brunette dead in the eye. "What's Stefan's favourite colour? When's his birthday? What does he want to do after high school?" Elena opened her mouth before closing it again, realising that she genuinely didn't know. "You may feel like you're entitled to his deepest and darkest because you sat on your bed and 'just talked' for a few hours, but before you start in on the apparently messy situation that is the Salvatore's past, maybe you should forget the drama and get to know the man."
Caroline got up, done with this party. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned to Bonnie. "You drove," was all she said before stomping away.
Bonnie got up, turning to Elena with a worried frown. "I can stop by tonight? Text me when you get home?"
"Maybe," Elena offered a weak smile, her mind heavy with Caroline's words.
Catching up to the blonde timebomb, Bonnie unlocked her car and they both climbed in.
"Why are you being so hard on Elena?" Bonnie asked as soon as she pulled onto the road.
"Ugh, can we not talk about Elena?" Caroline growled, huffing in frustration. "It's like, all my life, Elena has been this shining example of what I'm supposed to be and now, my eyes have been opened and all of her flaws are starting to reveal themselves. She's not a golden girl; she's a selfish, magnetic unicorn that's pull is made by kind words and pretty looks that cover up the fact that she's still a self-centred creature that's unicorn status has put her on a pedestal above the rest of us peasants."
Bonnie blinked at the surprisingly vicious tone to her friend's words.
The rest of the drive to the Forbes' residence was silent, Caroline muttering a goodbye before jumping out of the car. She marched straight for her room, not bothering to change, and flopped on the pillow face-first.
Images of a laughing Lia and Jeremy Gilbert together sent her over the edge.
She cried.
*TVDM*
Elena made her way to the rest room as if in a trance. It felt like, since losing her parents, everything was changing and she couldn't keep up. Her friends were changing, her school life was changing, the world was changing. Was she changing, too? Or was she stuck?
Shaking the bitter thoughts away, she marched into the bathroom and found Tina looking at herself in the mirror. She spotted the bruising just under her scarf, grabbing it and revealing bite marks. She was horrified, Tina was terrified and both girls fled out the door. Elena stalked straight to Damon, threatening him with an abuse charge if he didn't stop hurting Tina before going to find Stefan, planning n apologising for her reaction. He'd been right, after all. Damon was a monster.
Damon watched her walk away, annoyance dancing in his veins.
He wasn't just annoyed, he was pissed.
Withholding his snarl, he stalked through the party in search of the little blood bag.
Stefan fumbled. He knew he could have handled the conversation better, almost kicking himself when he asked for Elena's trust. She was right; it was something earned, not given. He was about to respond when he caught sight of Damon dragging the teen girl away from the party, his eyes blazing.
"I'm so sorry, but I have to go."
It was harder than he thought it would be, walking away from a shocked and hurt Elena, but he had to. This was the moment he'd been waiting for and he wasn't going to let it slip out of his grasp. He crept closer, listening to the conversation between the predator and his prey.
"…I just told her you didn't mean to hurt me!"
Damon circled her, like a lion sizing up his target, coming to stop behind her as he leaned into her ear.
"You make me crazy, you know that?" he sighed, his grip on her hips tightening until the point of bruising. "Sh, sh, sh… It's ok. Unfortunately…" Damon ripped off her scarf. "I am so over you, now."
He bit down hard, the crunch of skin giving way to the sweet red elixir.
The elixir that burned.
Damon gagged, collapsing to the ground. He choked on the acid that was coursing through his veins.
Vervain.
Damon panicked, looking toward the footsteps that were drawing near.
Of course.
Fucking Stefan.
"I knew I couldn't spike her drink. So, I spiked hers."
A sharp twist and a sickening crack ensured Damon heard no more.
*TVDM*
Tina woke up groggily to an empty field. Looking around, she spotted the crystal Damon had grabbed earlier, quickly stuffing in into her purse. She looked around, her hands shaking as she remembered what happened. She quickly fled, finding a friend that was about to head home and hitching a ride.
After getting home, showering, and patching up the mark on her neck, Tina sat cross legged on her bed, dressed in her PJs with her towel draped over her shoulders, examining the crystal. It was an old, ugly thing, not really worth her time.
Could be expensive, though.
It would serve Damon right, at least.
A knock on her door startled her from her vindictive thoughts. She gripped the pendant tightly, slowly walking through the halls. Peeking around the wall to look through the glass of the front door, she saw Kaliope's brother standing on the other side.
She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she swayed her hips confidently over the last few meters.
Opening the door wide, Tina ran her hand through her wet hair, her clenched fist coming to rest on her hip.
"What, did Lia complain to big brother about the tart?" Tina scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Enzo smirked. "No, gorgeous. I'm here for a very simple question. Can I come in?"
Tina looked at him for a minute, eyes running over his handsome face. She smirked internally; it would rub Lia fiercely to know that Tina had bagged her brother.
With a seductive smile, she stepped aside. "Sure. Make yourself at home."
Enzo stepped closer, grabbing the door from her hold and closing it behind him.
"Now, what was Damon doing at the Lockwood's tonight?" Enzo asked, watching her intently.
Of course, he caught the way her fist clenched tighter around what ever she held and how her gaze flickered to it.
"I think I'll be taking that with me, gorgeous," Enzo's grin was all teeth as he grabbed her hand, firmly uncurling her fingers from the amber gem despite her protests. "You've been extremely helpful." Leaning in and sniffing her neck, still detecting trace amounts of the toxic plant, he pulled back. "I'll drop by tomorrow so we can get properly acquainted."
Tina blinked in shock as the older man immediately opened the door and jogged out into the night, whistling as he went. She scoffed, scowling at the back of the jerk and slammed the door.
She growled, groaned and shrieked about shitty men and confusing memories as she marched back to her bedroom.
*TVDM*
Jeremy had just finished getting dressed after his shower when the doorbell rang. Being the only one home, he quickly jogged down the stairs, opening it to reveal Vicki still dressed in a yellow silk dress. Jeremy was stunned. He hadn't seen her at the party; she hadn't even crossed his mind while he hung out with Lia.
"You look amazing," Jeremy smiled before frowning. "What are you doing here?"
"I was thinking, maybe I could make one more wrong choice today," she threw him a wry grin as she stepped closer. "I still have 17 minutes."
And then she kissed him.
He kissed her back, ecstatic that the girl he liked was here, kissing him.
He pulled back and looked at her. She smiled and pulled him in again. He closed the front door, leading upstairs to his room. Gently laying her on his bed, he looked down at her as she tugged his shirt up. He shook his head as he dove back toward her, hoping that, if he kissed her long enough, hard enough, passionately enough, he'd be able to silence the voice in his head that sounded too much like Vicki on repeat.
One more wrong choice.
*TVDM*
Caroline pulled her keys from her car and stared at the house in front of her. She knew her dress was rumpled, that her face was streaked in makeup and blotchy and her eyes red and puffy but she couldn't wait. Besides, Lia didn't need sleep. She'd be here, awake, and maybe, maybe, she'd be willing to talk.
Releasing a shuddering breath, Caroline stumbled out of the car, hugging herself as she walked up to the porch.
She was about to knock when Enzo's truck pulled up.
Caroline's spine stiffened and her eyes widened. She'd been so consumed by the need to talk to Lia, to make things right, that she hadn't even spared a thought regarding the vampire.
The vampire that would see cities burn for making his saviour cry.
Her whole body trembled as she watched him hone in on her shaking form. He slowly slid out of the driver's seat, prowling toward her with the grace of a tiger. He didn't slow his pace until he was barely a foot away, looking down on her as if she was an interesting specimen he'd found on the bottom of his shoe.
"Caroline."
His voice gave nothing away. Caroline gulped, sniffing wetly as she bravely met his gaze.
"Enzo-"
"Only friends call me Enzo."
Caroline paused, hurt burning in her chest as she blinked back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill over. She nodded to herself, knowing she deserved the blow.
"Lorenzo. I'm here to talk to Lia," her voice trembled, but she did not falter, her gaze unwavering and desperate.
"Oh?" his tone deceptively mild. "And, pray tell, what do you wish to talk about? Come to hurt her a bit more? Come to call her a monster, a freak, a beast, inhuman?"
"No!" Caroline cried. "Never! Lia is none of those things! I'm so sorry, please! I have to apologise. I have to! I let everything get to my head and apparently I wasn't as open-minded as I believed but I didn't feel bad and I should have and I felt terrible but then I remembered Lia telling me why I wasn't terrible and-!"
"So," Enzo's gaze pierced Caroline's soul. "What you're saying, is that you felt bad so you walked away and now you feel better so you're coming back? When, during your pity party for one, did you consider Lia's feelings? When you told her that you wanted space from the supernatural for a while, when did you consider that seeing you with the Wicked Witch of the West would hurt because it means that you lied? When did you stop and think about how much your avoidance, your inability to sit down and talk about your issues, would hurt Lia?"
Caroline couldn't breathe.
She didn't mean to sound selfish, she really didn't. She wanted to talk about everything that was on her mind and ease Lia's doubts about her friendship and promise that she'd never impulsively run away again and instead come to her with her issues but she couldn't do that if Enzo stopped her here and now, before she even got to see her. She felt like tonight was her deadline; seeing her with Jeremy made her feel replaced and God, was that how Lia felt when she saw her with Bonnie?
What if she was already too late?
"No," Caroline breathed, horror painted across her features.
"No?" Enzo raised an unimpressed eyebrow, his fists curling in fury at her response.
"No!" Caroline shrieked, her fists coming up as if possessed and hammering on the vampire's chest. "Let me see her! I just want to explain! Lia was always on my mind! I couldn't concentrate on my problems because I missed her so much! It's why I took so long! You have to let me see her!"
Enzo grabbed her wrists, his fangs threatening to descend. "And I can assume this has nothing to do with the Baby Gilbert's new place at her side?"
"Loren."
Caroline sucked in a lungful of air, her hair swinging around wildly. Dressed in little lilac shorts and one of her brother's black shirts, Lia stood in the open doorway, her arms wrapped around her waist.
"I will not allow her to hurt you again, angel," Enzo's gaze was defiant, holding the blonde firmly as she tried to pull away with new vigour.
"Lia," Caroline choked, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Please."
Lia looked at the blonde. She took in the mess of tears, snot, makeup, knots, creases. She watched the stuttering breathes and the trembling limbs. She felt her own tears building in the corners of her eyes as a wide grin stretched across her face. She opened her arms toward the disaster that was Caroline Forbes.
"Welcome back, Care."