I have officially edited this chapter and all the previous chapters! I have changed all Damon x Rhea scenes along with other small details after receiving some feedback. Excited to share chapter 9 with you all soon! Let me know what you think of the changes!

Morning came and a beautiful sunrise decorated the sky with a deep lilac hue that crept through my bedroom window, slowly climbing the walls of my room. I had woken up early and decided to stay in bed reading my father's book, enjoying the quiet hours of the morning. A pleasant feeling of serenity filled the room. There was something incredibly gratifying about studying the lore of the supernatural… knowing that my father intended for me to be here… I had a purpose again.

The stillness was cut short as loud knocks abruptly interrupted my train of thought. I groaned and leaned over the foot of the bed. ' Again? What now?' Reaching for the handle I cracked open the door and was met with Elena's worried face, her lips turned into a pout.

An involuntary sigh escaped me as I pushed the door wide open and climbed back into bed. Fluffing my pillow, I leaned it against the headboard and sat upright. Elena settled onto the edge of the bed and frowned, "Vicki completed her transition last night… Stefan tried to stop her, but it was too late."

My face softened as I realized my initial annoyance with her was unfair, "Oh no. Is… she okay? Where is she? Are you okay? What do we do about Jeremy?"

She paused for a moment mulling over her thoughts before she spoke, "Stefan is taking care of her at the boarding house for now so she's okay. As for me… I'm far from okay. After everything that's happened, I ended things with Stefan. I care about him so much, but I'm worried about getting the people I care about involved. Jeremy -"

A tear cascaded down her cheek and her lips quivered as she failed to suppress her emotions. Without hesitating I sat up and reached my arms out to comfort her, pulling her to me to squeeze her in comfort, "I'm so sorry, El. I know how much he means to you, but you know what's best for you. I'll be here to support you every step of the way."

She quietly wept into my chest. Even without a response, I could tell Elena was overwhelmed - the unfortunate juxtaposition of finally finding someone who had brought out such joy in her next to the grim reality that he was a vampire would upend even the strongest of people, and with everything that had transpired over the last few weeks, I could tell it was taking her everything just to keep it together.

Our attention suddenly shifted to the door as Jeremy abruptly entered without knocking, looking frozen by the scene he had walked into, "Oh, uh… my bad. Sorry to interrupt you two. I was just coming to tell you both that I'm heading to the police station to start a search party for Vicki. Matt and I haven't heard from her since she stormed off and we're worried about her."

Elena pulled away from me and wiped her tears as she sniffled, "Wait, shouldn't you be going to school?"

His jaw clenched in response as he asked in disbelief, "Are you serious, Elena? Vicki could be missing - school is the least of my worries."

Vicki. I hoped we'd have time to sort through her issues before Jeremy got involved, but it was apparent we needed to act fast. Maybe we could buy some time for Stefan to settle things with Matt, maybe push Vicki to give him a call.

I hurriedly replied, "Hey Jer, I'll take you to the station after school, okay? I promise I will if you can do this one thing for me. If you or Matt don't hear from her before then, you have my word I'll drive you there myself."

He paused, staring at me before he reluctantly obliged, "Fine. I'll meet you in the parking lot. Don't be late."

The door clicked behind him, leaving Elena and I alone in silence staring at one another as we waited for his footsteps to fade down the hallway. Elena whispered, "We have to tell Stefan."

I choked out a laugh, "Shouldn't you go?"

Climbing off the bed she whined and tugged on my arm, "Come on, Rae. You know why I don't want to go alone. It'll be quick, I promise."

My eyes rolled in defeat, "Fine, but I'm driving."

–

We pulled up to the Salvatore Boarding House, my heartrate instinctively picking up as I turned off the ignition. Even after pulling out my keys and unbuckling my seatbelt, I lingered in my seat, knowing what awaited me in the house. Stepping out of the car, my shoes crunched on the gravel as I scanned the scenery around me and retraced my last vivid memory here, a subconscious chill running down my back at the thought.

Elena rushed to the door ahead of me, sparing no time before she rang the doorbell. I could hear the door open and my breath caught as I rounded the corner - Damon Salvatore stood in the entryway, wearing his typical devilish grin as he looked at Elena. His gaze shifted past her and came to rest on me.

Elena ignored the fact that his eyes continued to gaze steadfastly over her shoulder as she asked, "Is Stefan here?"

His eyes finally returned to hers as he responded, "Yep!"

"So.. where is he?" Elena asked, not bothering to conceal the impatience in her voice.

Mischief danced in his eyes, "Well aren't you in a hurry, sunshine?"

She crossed her arms in protest, "How can you be so arrogant and glib after everything you've done?"

The mirth in his gaze was quickly extinguished to an icy glare as he raised his brow and responded coldly, "And how can you be so brave and stupid to call a vampire arrogant and glib?"

In an attempt to put an end to the conversation that didn't seem to be going anywhere, I pulled Elena back and placed myself between them, "Come on, Damon. We don't have time for this, where's Stefan?"

His head cocked to the side as his eyes narrowed on me, "And why should I tell you? I thought we weren't on speaking terms."

I let out a single laugh in disbelief before responding, "You can't be serious…Can we not do this right now?"

Damon didn't say a word for a moment, continuing to stare at me with unreadable eyes, until he finally let out a sigh before stepping back, "Fine, you two are no fun. He's upstairs."

Elena took his answer as an invitation and immediately walked past him through the door, calling out for Stefan loudly once she was inside. With the two of us now left alone, I hesitantly looked at Damon, unsure of what to expect, especially after the tone of our last conversation. Despite my rejection, it was hard to forget the sincerity in his voice, the vulnerability it took for him to admit he'd be willing to change, for me .

Damon's eyes crept back to mine and I was momentarily stunned by the difference of what I saw - his lips slowly spread into a flirtatious smirk, his eyes riddled with temptation as he took a step toward me. Gone was the sincerity from the other night, and back was his usual provocative demeanor. Despite his feet stepping closer to mine, I suddenly felt a stark distance from him. He joked, "So why are you here? If memory serves, you didn't want to be around me… yet here you are on my doorstep."

He was back to the man I first met, constantly flirting and provoking me while showcasing zero real emotions and maintaining a steady guise of someone up to no good. Even though I made the decision to remain distant from him, part of me had hoped things would have been different, that he'd be different.

I let out a sigh, a frown unknowingly settling on my face, "It wasn't my choice to be here, actually, Elena dragged me. If it were up to me, I'd stay as far away from you as possible."

A vexatious grin flashed across Damon's face as the frustration in my tone didn't go unnoticed, "Ouch, and here I was thinking you missed me."

It was painfully clear that the best way to deal with him would be to let things go and flow as they once were. I smirked, "It wouldn't be the first time you were wrong, Damon. Besides, what could I possibly be missing? Your arrogant charm?"

He stepped forward once more, eliminating what gap remained between us. He leaned in close enough that the warmth of his breath swept across my neck, sending chills down my spine, as he whispered in my ear, "If you want I could show you."

His usual playful look turned into a cold smile as he leaned back and scanned my frame. My heartbeat thumped in my chest as my ears began to burn, replaying his words over and over in my mind. Denying him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered, I sent him a curt smile and quickly removed myself from his presence, walking past him and into the house. He laughed chillingly and added before the door closed behind him, "It was good seeing you again, Rhea."

As I walked through the house, I realized I actually wasn't sure where I should be going, especially with how expansive the home was. I started to marvel at the beautiful art and antiques lining the hallway I was in when Stefan fortunately found me, "Hey Rhea, Elena and Vicki are down the hall in the kitchen. I'll be back soon, I'm just going to get Vicki something to eat real quick."

He then continued to walk past me as a strange feeling overtook me, a pit forming in my stomach. As I stood in the middle of this hallway, it was hard to believe that I was standing in a vampire's home, that we were casually interacting with multiple vampires when just a week ago we had no idea they even existed.

What would my father think of all of this? Of me? From reading his journal, it had been abundantly clear that he had viewed vampires as obvious foes that were never to be trusted - I knew the last thing he'd want was for us to strike up friendships with them. I shook my head, trying to quell the uncomfortable thoughts as I finally reached the kitchen.

Upon entering, I was startled to see Vicki leaning over Elena menacingly as she growled, "Oh really? And how long have you been preparing the 'you're not good enough' speech? I'm assuming it predates the whole vampire thing."

The weight of the anger in her words was unnerving - the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I rushed over to Elena's side. She began hesitantly backing away from Vicki before saying sternly, "All I am saying is Jeremy is not getting involved in any of this. I mean it, Vicki."

Vicki visibly bristled, her eyes aflame with a renewed wave of fury, her hand curling into a fist. Before she had a chance to step forward, I grabbed her wrist firmly, "Hey hey, Vicki. We haven't always been on the same side of things, but we were friends once upon a time and I understand where you're coming from. Elena's just concerned about Jeremy, so let's all try focusing on things one step at a time."

Her piercing gaze lingered on mine as she digested my words, debating her next move. Beneath my fingertips I could feel her muscles start to relax, slowly slackening upon my request. Once she had calmed down, I let go - both Elena and I knew she was capable of anything now that she had transitioned, so it was incredibly relieving to see her make the conscious decision to listen instead of giving in to her newfound instincts to cause pain.

Stefan made his presence known by knocking on the doorway. Sensing the subsiding tension, his eyes flit between the three of us, confused with what happened in his absence. Breaking the silence, I started, "Elena, you should talk with Stefan. I'll wait here with Vicki."

Elena solemnly nodded and hastily left the room, pulling Stefan along with her. Once Vicki and I were alone, I took a seat at the table and pulled out the seat next to me, patting the cushion, "Join me?"

The remnants of her scowl dissipated into a small smile as she walked over and took the seat next to me. She grabbed the mug of animal blood Stefan had left her and pulled it to her lips, pausing hesitantly to note my reaction, "Do you mind? Does this gross you out?"

"It's different, that's for sure, but it's okay!"

She took a sip, peering up at me over her glass, her soft smile finally reaching her eyes. Wiping her mouth, she set the mug back down on the table and looked at me, "So, I hate the timing of this, but I wanted to apologize for… well… everything. What I did with Tyler was not cool. You and I were friends and it wasn't right for me to flirt with your boyfriend. Nothing can excuse my behavior and I understand if you don't want to forgive me, but I just wanted to say thank you for not openly hating me for it. You've always been kind and respectful even though no one would have blamed you if you had decided to treat me differently."

Over the last couple of months I had sometimes wondered what it would be like if Vicki ever apologized and owned up to her mistakes, but I was still caught off guard by her admission. I met her eyes with a sincere smile of my own, "Regardless of the situation we're in, I appreciate the apology. Going from friends to strangers wasn't something I wanted but it's okay. If there's anything I learned from the last several months it's that the past is the past and it's the present that matters. Let's get you through this rough patch, for Matt and Jeremy's sake… then maybe we can catch up."

Her eyes glistened with gratitude - it was clear she hadn't expected my response, "Man, why am I crying! Since this transition it's like all of my feelings can only come in extremes."

We both laughed together, for the first time in a long time, but the moment was cut short as Elena poked her head around the corner, "Hey Rhea, we have to head back. It's getting late."

I stood up from my chair and headed towards the exit. Before I rounded the corner, I added warmly, "It was nice talking to you, Vick."

–

Once we got home Elena did what she could to try to convince Jeremy to attend the school's Halloween party, insisting that it would be a great way to keep his mind off of what was happening with Vicki. The two bickered back and forth about it, but one thing he said stood out - he brought up that Vicki was the one thing that had made him happy since our parents' death. It was the first time I truly understood why he was fighting so hard for her, despite all the trouble. Was I entirely happy about it? No… but I could empathize with it. Vicki was chaotic, but she was a welcome distraction from the rough year he had had… a refuge.

Just when we were ready to give up on the idea of celebrating Halloween, Jeremy finally changed his mind and decided to attend. The sudden change of plans forced me to quickly scavenge through my closet to find a last minute costume for the night. Thankfully, I stumbled upon an old plague doctor mask that I had purchased years ago - I could work with this.

I slipped on some fishnet leggings with a sleek, spandex one piece cinched by a black corset. Pulling on my suede knee high black heels, I grabbed the mask and felt ready. Walking out into the hallway, I ran into Jeremy who was wearing his usual outfit of a hoodie and jeans. As soon as he saw my costume, he grinned before pivoting back into his room, returning promptly with a black cape and offering it to me to enhance my costume even further. I smiled as I accepted it, thanking him as I tied it around my neck, "So how do I look?"

When I spoke the heat of my breath fogged up the goggles of my mask, inciting a hearty laugh out of Jeremy, "Looking good mouth breather."

I slapped him and looped my arm through his, pulling him towards the stairs. "Someone's feisty tonight. Let's make it fun, okay?"

He nodded at me with a weak smile and followed me downstairs. Elena was already at the door waiting for us, dressed in last year's nurse costume. I pulled my mask up, resting it on my head to speak more easily, "Return of the sexy nurse?"

She smiled shyly with rosy cheeks, "Oh, stop! I didn't have anything else to wear. What are you? A sexy plague doctor?"

Grinning, Elena opened the door and the three of us yelled our goodbyes to Aunt Jenna before heading out.

–

We arrived at Mystic Falls High and immediately ran into Matt at the front entrance dressed in last Halloween's doctor costume. His eyes greeted mine before they shifted towards Elena, a cheerful smile visible on his face upon taking in what she was wearing, "You're in last year's costume too, Elena?"

She chuckled, "Yeah I didn't know I was coming until Jeremy changed his mind an hour ago."

Matt looked at Jeremy and me, analyzing our costumes, "So you're a… hot voodoo doctor? And you're… an edgy high school kid?"

Jeremy kept his head down, knocking into Matt's shoulder as he walked by him into the school. Matt looked back at me and Elena with a confused look, "What's his problem?"

Elena replied softly, "He's not talking to me right now. We got in a fight and he's taking it out on everyone."

"Yeah, I got into it with Vick too, when she got home. I'm trying not to smother her tonight, but part of me didn't wanna let her out of my sight."

My eyes flickered over to Elena, her anxious stare already on me. She said panicking, "Vicki? She's here?"

"Yeah, you can't miss her, she's dressed as a vampire."

Under my breath I muttered, "Of course, how fitting."

Elena's eyes scoured the room, "Wait, where'd Jeremy run off to?"

She began heading for the halls, dragging me behind her as Matt trailed us, "Where are you guys going? What's wrong?"

Elena whisked us down the different corridors searching for Jeremy for what felt like forever until we finally ran into Stefan having a conversation with Vicki. Elena approached the two, letting out a sigh of relief, "Thank God."

Matt looked at Elena's tense stature questioningly as I reassured him, "Don't worry about her, she's in one of her moods with Jeremy."

He nodded, still perplexed when suddenly Vicki snarled, "I told you to quit bothering me, Stefan!"

Now standing by Stefan, Elena said adamantly, "Vicki please don't do this."

Vicki faced Matt with a sudden doe-eyed look, "Matt, he won't leave me alone."

Stepping forward, Matt placed himself between Vicki and Stefan, "You need to back off, man."

Elena reached her hand out and placed it on his shoulder trying to calm him down, "Matt, it's… it's okay."

Matt swatted her hand away before barking, "No it's not okay. What the hell is your problem, Stefan?"

As Vicki intended, the distraction worked and she was able to sneak away while an argument ensued. Stefan eventually realized she was missing and turned to find her only for Matt to grab his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Recognizing it was time for me to intervene, I pulled Matt's arm away from Stefan, giving him and Elena a chance to escape. They began to run off as I said sternly, "Listen to me, Matt, please. I mean it when I say Vicki needs help and they're trying to be there for her. Leave it alone, I know it's hard, but I need you to trust me."

His imploring eyes searched mine, "What aren't you telling me?"

I squeezed his arm sympathetically, "I'll tell you after things calm down, I promise."

His jaw clenched with frustration, staring at me, his body wrought with stress. He finally shook his head as he stepped aside, letting me pass and catch up with the others. I sprinted through the halls, looking for any sign of Vicki when I suddenly heard yells coming from my left. My legs pushed as fast as I could until I saw a door at the end of the hallway left slightly ajar that led to the back of the school.

The adrenaline now pumping in my temples, I finally reached the exit and ran outside just in time to see Vicki viciously throw Elena into a pile of pallets. I screamed as I immediately ran to help her up, seeing Jeremy groaning against the wall to her left. Stefan attempted to grab Vicki, but she barely dodged him and quickly escaped into the darkness.

My eyes anxiously darted around the dimly lit area as I propped Elena's arm over my shoulder. Reaching Jeremy, I grunted while I yanked his arm with my free hand, pulling both of them towards the door to rush inside. We were just feet away from the exit when I suddenly felt a strong grip on the back of my neck wrenching me backward, making me lose my grip on Elena and Jeremy. I yelped and looked up to see Vicki's blackened eyes drilling into mine as she dragged me across the asphalt, my tights ripping as pieces of gravel tore into my skin. She abruptly stopped, spinning me around before she hoisted me to my feet with menacing strength, her hand in a tightening vice around my neck.

Her nails punctured my neck as she squeezed, her bloodshot eyes honing in hungrily on the droplets of blood that began to trickle down over her fingers. I clawed desperately at her arms, trying in vain to twist and pull away but I felt powerless in front of her, her strength completely outmatching mine. Hissing, her eyes looked completely wild as she pulled me forward, her ivory fangs plunging into the bare skin at the base of my neck.

Excruciating pain overwhelmed me as I felt blood being drained from my limbs, an intoxicating white haze overtaking my senses as my vision began to dim. The agony flooded my body, an unsettling chill replacing the warmth that once flowed through my veins, my consciousness slipping. A deafening scream tore through my thoughts as I struggled to regain my senses, barely making out a black figure standing behind Vicki before her skin turned ashen gray, black veins stretching horrifically across her features.

The last thing I saw was Vicki's dead eyes boring into mine, the fear of death on her features, before her hold suddenly loosened around my neck. My body immediately collapsed beneath me before a firm body caught me, cradling me closer to them before I could hit the ground. I blinked slowly, my vision petering in and out as I saw flashes of worried blue irises searching mine.

The voices and cries around me were muffled, but I could faintly register one familiar voice that stated calmly above me, "Stefan, Take Elena and Jeremy home. I'll take care of Rhea and Vicki."

Through my muddled senses, I heard what sounded like Jeremy crying out as I realized what must have just happened.

I could hear faraway sounds of Elena and Stefan comforting Jeremy, their footsteps receding into the distance as his sobs continued to ring out into the night. Gentle arms supported me as someone tenderly pushed the hair out of my face. My body felt impossibly heavy as I struggled to open my eyes, my vision clearing just enough to reveal Damon's heartbroken face looking down at me.

My lips parted in an attempt to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. He lowered us both to the floor, pulling me into his lap as he watched over me. We sat in silence for several minutes, his fingers gingerly running through my hair as I once again closed my eyes, feeling my consciousness slipping.

I felt my body regaining its warmth, the lead-like exhaustion that had weighed on me slowly beginning to subside. Fluttering my eyes open, I found his soft azure eyes still focused on me, concern etched into his gaze. As I steadied my breathing a quiet tranquility overtook me, feeling nothing but relief to see him, for what he'd done for me.

He finally spoke softly, "How are you feeling?"

I smiled weakly, "I'm okay… I think. How is everyone? Are they safe?"

The worry in his face faded as a small grin softened his features, "On the brink of death, your first concern is how everyone else is doing? Don't know why I'm surprised, but yes, Stefan took Elena and Jeremy home."

I coughed frailly before responding sarcastically, "And I'm left with you?"

He laughed, "Maybe I should have let her kill you."

As I stared up into his eyes, regardless of what had happened in the past, I felt safe. Damon was dark and complicated, but as we sat there he was warm and tender. Accepting him wasn't something I needed to concede right away, but I could at least acknowledge that tonight he saved my life. Tonight I needed him.

"What about Vicki?"

His soft smile spread to his eyes as he raised his hand to trace my cheek, his palm warm and consoling as he cupped my face, "Don't worry about her right now, I'll take care of it."

I leaned in, fully embracing the solace he was providing as I thought about everything that had just happened. My brows furrowed as I frowned, "Damon, what will we do about Jer? I don't know if he can handle this… he's already gone through so much… it might break him."

He sighed, taking my hand in his, "You worry too much. We'll take care of it, one step at a time."

His words reassured me, allowing my eyes to drift off as I fell asleep in his arms.

–

"Rhea, we're home."

Damon's gentle voice stirred me awake as I woke up and looked outside, seeing he had driven my car home. I slowly began to sit up as Damon got out and circled the car before he opened the passenger door for me. Grabbing onto his outstretched hand, I stepped out, stumbling a bit as my body still felt weak and hadn't fully recovered. Damon's firm arms held me upright as he helped me walk toward the porch, where I saw Elena and Stefan standing in a tense discussion.

Elena cried out, "Stefan, please make Jeremy forget. You can do that right?"

Her desperate request jarred me at first, but despite my initial reservations it made sense. Jeremy had been especially broken after our parents' passing, and he had said it himself, that Vicki was the only source of happiness for him since then. If he remembered what he saw tonight… if he remembered all of it, I was genuinely worried it would break him for good… But was this our call to make?

Stefan answered solemnly, "If I did it, there's no guarantee that it would work… Because of who I am. Because of how I live. I don't have the ability to do it right."

A heavy silence weighed on us as Elena fought back tears. Noticing my presence, she turned to grab my hand as she looked at me full of sorrow. Damon helped shift my weight over to Elena before he spoke up, "I can do it. If it's what you want, Elena… I'll do it."

Even though he was responding to Elena, his gaze never left mine and in that moment I felt the gravity of his words from the other night.

"Nothing I say is going to change what I've done, or who I am… but I want to make it up to you… Whatever it takes."

Despite pushing him away, time and time again, he was keeping his word and trying to make it up to me. The Damon we knew wouldn't have cared about Jeremy's well-being… he wouldn't have saved me. He continuously hurt those around him, but tonight he chose to be good. Seeing him bare such sincerity even after I had shut him out… I swallowed a lump in my throat and nodded my head imperceptibly at him as Elena whimpered, "It's what I want."

Damon stepped towards the door before asking, "What do you want him to know?"

"I want you to tell him that Vicki left town and she's not coming back. That he shouldn't look for her or worry about her. He's gonna miss her, but he knows it's for the best." Elena said firmly.

He nodded towards her and sent me one final smirk before entering the house. Elena gripped my arm as she helped me through the door and slowly sat me down on the sofa. She whispered, "I'm just going to talk to Stefan outside real quick, don't try to move by yourself. I'll help you get upstairs once Damon is done talking to Jeremy."

She squeezed my hand and made her way outside, her footsteps trailing off to the patio out of earshot. I laid on the couch staring up at the ceiling, still in such a daze it felt like I was floating.

It was heartbreaking to think that not only was Vicki gone, but Jeremy's happiest memories with her would be re-written. I know she would have killed me, but all I could remember was how grateful and contrite she seemed in our last conversation, how we had promised to catch up when all of this was over. She was just another girl with a marred past who had tried her best, and now, she was gone.

I closed my eyes as they warmed with unspilled tears. Even if Jeremy couldn't, I resolved to remember her properly, for the imperfect but regretful girl who had been ready to try, to do things right.

I suddenly felt a hand brush up my leg, and my eyes opened to see Damon unzipping my boots to remove them. He chuckled under his breath, "How did you manage to run around in these all night? I'm rather impressed."

Swallowing my emotions, I faked a smile and lifted my other leg up to him as I waited for its removal. His lips curved, revealing his brilliant smile as he finished removing both of my boots. Dropping them on the floor, he gently lowered himself down to sit on the couch next to me and scanned my features in comfortable silence before saying, "I was worried about you tonight."

His eyes glimmered with genuine concern as I spoke, "I know, I'm sorry, everything happened so fast."

He brought his hand up, pulling a strand of hair past my ear as he replied warmly, "I'm just glad you're okay. Try to leave the vampire stuff to me next time, you're really bad at it."

I let out a soft chuckle, "Oh hush, or I'll be coming for you next."

Giving me one last smile, he pushed off the couch and stood upright, winking, "Let's leave the bad decisions to me. Goodnight, Rhea."

He made his way to the door, cracking it open. Before he could leave, I called out, "Damon?"

Turning to look over his shoulder, he raised a brow as he asked, "Yes?"

"Thank you."

He paused for a moment, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. Our eyes lingered for another second before he continued out the door, closing it behind him.