Cherith stared out the window that morning as a rather strong rain beat against her windows, thunder booming and rattling it.

Looked like the day was gonna be a moody one with how things were.

But, compared to yesterday, at least there'd be no vampires sucking on any of her siblings' blood.

She just hoped that were true.

A knock on her door made her turn as the door was opened and in came her sister.

"Hey, are your windows lucked? It's going to rain really hard today."

She said and Cherith sighed, standing up.

"Well at least I have an excuse to stay in today."

She said as she walked out of her room, walking down the stairs.

"You always look for an excuse to stay in."

Cherith shrugged, a grin on her face.

"T'is the principle of things!"

She walked into the kitchen, seeing Jenna in there typing away at her laptop.

"Hey Jenna. You in today?"

"Of course. Don't have much to do. How about you? Anybody to cause bodily harm on?"

Cherith rolled her eyes before declaring rather dramatically.

"Not today. There's a storm coming…"

She looked out and into the distance and thunder boomed making her jump lightly.

"Shit! What the hell??"

She mumbled and Jenna gave her a look.

"Language kiddo."

Cherith smiled innocently at her.

"Hey, Jenna."

Elena said as she walked down the stairs.

"I'm going over to Stefan's. I'll be back later okay?"

Jenna nodded.

"Sure. And be careful. The storm's gonna get worse I heard."

Elena nodded as she walked out the door.

Cherith turned to Jenna with a small pout.

"Jens, I'm hungry"

She whined and Jenna snorted.

"Well you're in the kitchen, go crazy!"

Cherith gave her a look before huffing and looking through the fridge and cupboards for something to make for herself.

There wasn't much groceries and so she settled on making pancakes with a side of bacon.

She loved her meat.

"There's the spirit. Make sure you make some for me too…"

Cherith glared at her aunt and put her lips out at her.

"I'll make sure to make yours with salt then."

Jenna looked at her, scandalized and Cherith laughed.


Woods.

Stefan is out hunting. The rain beating against him and thunder rumbling.

He looks around with a frown, cautious when he turns around and there are vampires surrounding him. He turns to run and suddenly Frederick stands in front of him stabbing him with a wooden stake and he groans in pain while Frederick smirks.


Mystic Falls High.

Alaric, Damon and Elena gather around Alaric's desk in his classroom as he pulls out his arsenal of vampire weapons.

Damon whistles, smirking at him.

"Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night."

"I've you to thank for that."

Alaric said, giving Damon a look and Elena pointed at a syringe like item.

"What are these?"

"Those are tranquilizer darts filled with vervain."

"Just get me in. I'll get Stefan out."

"That's your plan? You're just gonna take them all on yourself?"

Elena asked, looking from him to Alaric, disappointed.

"Well, I'll be a little stealthier than that, hopefully."

Elena rolled her eyes, sighing before taking out one of the vervain darts.

"Whoa. What are you doing?"

Alaric took back the dart, looking weirdly at Elena.

"I'm going with you guys."

She replied stubbornly and Damon snorts.

"No. No. No. No. No way."

"You need me. I'll get in. You could distract them, and then I'll get Stefan out."

"You'll get yourself killed. You're not going in there."

"I'm going."

Damon ignored her, turning to Alaric.

"So, when you get me in, get out as quickly as you can. I know how to sneak around where they can't hear me. You'll basically just be in the way."

"Damon, now is not the time to be the lone ranger."

He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Elena, you can drive the getaway car. You're not going in the house."

"You can't stop me."

She replied resolutely.

"It's Stefan we're talking about here. You don't understand."

"Oh, I understand. I understand. He's the reason you live. His love lifts you up where you belong. I get it."

"Can you just not joke around for 2 seconds?"

"I can't protect you, Elena! I don't know how many vampires there are in there."

He snaps his finger.

"That's how long it takes you to get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety. Or this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from…Including Stefan. I know. I get it. I understand."

Elena swallowed painfully, teary eyed and Alaric cut in.

"If we're gonna go, let's go."

He grabbed the bag and walked out, Damon behind him.

"Beside, Elena… you have another really important job."

Damon smirked, turning to Elena who frowned as she followed them.

"What's that?"

"You get to invite Cherry Berry on our little heist."

Alaric turned to then, puzzled.

"Cherith? What for?"

Damon smirked.

"Well…"


On the road…

"So, Stefan was kidnapped by tomb vampires… vampires we thought were still locked up… and now, they're gallivanting around town like teenage crackheads??"

Was all Cherith said as she looked at the rest of the crazy people in the car.

Damon in the driver's seat, Alaric who had now found out she was a witch and was presently having a midlife crisis of some sort, next to him and Elena and her sister at the back seat.

Heck! Cherith still couldn't believe Alaric was a freaking vampire hunter!

Maybe he wasn't as boring as she'd once thought.

Elena sighed, looking at Damon angrily through the front mirror.

"This is a bad idea Damon! I never wanted Cherith involved in any of this!"

"A little too late for that, don't you think?"

Cherith mumbled sarcastically and Damon's answered her.

"Look, you want your dearest Stefan back, do you not? We need offense in this, and Cherry Berry can offer us a lot of that. Can't you, witchy?"

Cherith breathed out through her nose before faking a smile at Damon.

"Sweet Damon, I'm still coming into my powers… occasionally, I make… silly mistakes. Setting things on fire… breaking glass, causing bodily harm, blowing things into microscopic smithereens. Do you get where I'm going?"

She smiled a shark like grin and he looked away from her.

"You are one scary little kitty."

Cherith rolled her eyes.

"What the hell was Stefan doing in the middle of the forest in a storm anyways?!... Playing baseball?!"

She asked sarcastically and Damon snorted, amused.

"Ah… I see what you did there."

Cherith smirked before narrowing her eyes at him through the mirror.

"Wait a damn minute… you've watched Twilight??"

Alaric hid his amused grin with his hand, looking outside the window while Damon kept quiet before answering her first question, ignoring her second one and her smirk widened.

"Well, Stefan decided to go hunting for bunnies at the time and got kidnapped."

Cherith frowned.

"Bunny hunting? What's that?"

"Well, as you know, Stefan doesn't indulge in human blood like the normal vampire population… rather, he catches little bunnies and sucks the cuddly creatures dry."

Cherith looked at him in horror, turning to stare at Elena accusingly since Stefan wasn't there and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Don't listen to Damon. He doesn't attack bunnies."

"That's what you think."

Damon sang and Elena moved to open her mouth when Alaric finally cut in.

"Is that the house?"

The other 3 turned and saw a house as Damon parked few feet away to give them space and Damon smiled, turning to Alaric and Cherith.

"Well! Time for you two to play the father-daughter duo."

Cherith sighed, taking a deep breath and about to open the back door when Elena held her hand tightly.

"Just… be careful, please Cherith."

Cherith grinned at her sister, squeezing her hand slightly.

"When have I ever not?"

She winked and walked out and Elena sighed.

"That's what I'm more worried about."


Alaric knocked on the front door of the house, already into his role and Cherith just stood looking disgruntled.

She didn't even have to hide it, given that it was pouring cats and dogs with the occasional booming thunder and she was presently drenched.

Ohh to get her hands around the neck of a vampire.

The door opened and a middle aged dude opened, making Alaric sigh.

"Oh! Good! Someone's home!"

He smiled, the man looking from Alaric to a drenched and grumbling Cherith.

"Uh, could I use your phone? My car broke down a few miles up the road. This was the first house I saw and my daughter's particularly not a fan of being wet."

"As if I'm not already."

She mumbled and Alaric gave her a look and she looked away with a huff.

"Well, lucky you."

The vampire said, looking at Alaric and Alaric smiled.

"Yeah. Lucky me. It's no trouble, is it?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Great. Whew. Come on."

Alaric nodded for Cherith and the two walked in.

Cherith looked around the normal looking home, slightly apprehensive as she stared at the remaining vampires in the next room, dancing to a rock music.

The way they all stared at the both of them like they were food, Cherith didn't like it, and rather than put fear in her, it made her agitated, like something was… begging, to be let out of her.

It really put her on edge.

"Hey, man, I really appreciate it. It's rough out there."

Alaric said and Cherith decided to add her own two cents.

"Dad, stop being too nice. What would mama say?"

She gave him a grin, insinuating Jenna was the mother and she saw a vein protrude slightly by his forehead.

The other vampire then spoke to an emo looking one.

"Billy, show our visitor where the phone is in the kitchen. And get me something to drink."

He said with a smirk and Cherith's eyes narrowed, knowing exactly what the 'drink' was going to be.

Well, too bad for them.

"Yeah. Sure thing."

Cherith and Alaric followed the now named Billy into the kitchen where a curly haired brunette middle aged lady was busy cutting stuff with a knife.

Cherith looked at the way too happy woman, a bite mark on her wrist

"Hey, Miss Gibbons, this guy wants to use your phone."

"Oh, sure, honey. It's right there."

She smiled, pointing and Alaric gave her a small grin, walking over to the phone, Cherith moving slightly to the woman's side, ready to grab the knife in case she went bat shit crazy.

"Thanks."

As Alaric walks towards the phone, Billy suddenly comes at him with a stake.

Cherith's eyes widened, lighting up her hands but thankfully, Alaric was too quick for him and he grabs the stake and stabs him with it.

Cherith immediately moves to turn on the faucet in the kitchen and turning the blender on as Alaric grabs Miss Gibbons and opens the back door in the kitchen where Damon stood impatiently.

"What's happening?"

Miss Gibbons asks as Cherith tiptoes to the hallway, checking if anyone was about to walk in.

She goes back into the kitchen only to see Miss Gibbons outside, on the ground and her eyes go round.

"What the hell happened to her?!"

She whispered harshly and Alaric glared at Damon.

"He killed her."

Cherith took in air, fists tightening in anger and her eyes growing crimson red and Damon looked at her.

"Oh, don't give me that look Cherith! She was alone in this world!"

"Like you are?!"

She spat back at him and something passed through his eyes.

"This isn't the time to come after my moral compass. Do that after we get Stefan. Now, you, come with me, and Alaric will get rid of the body."

He said, pushing Alaric out of the house and quietly closing the door, motioning for Cherith to be quiet when they heard a footstep and his behind a door.

Someone walked in and turned off the blender and the faucet and moved to open the door when Damon slammed it open and stabbed him.

After that, they rushed down the basement where Damon suspected his brother would be kept.

There was only one guard there and Damon slammed a vervain dart in his neck and Cherith pushed Damon out of her way, cleaning metaphorical dust from her body, wrinkling her nose.

"Ugh! This place is, terrible!"

She then paused when she saw her sister a few feet from her and her eyes bulged.

"Elena?"

Damon's head snapped up and he looked at her exasperatedly.

"Are you insane??"

She walked over to them.

"Wow… and you're the responsible one "

Cherith mocked, shaking her head at her sister.

"I couldn't just… sit behind while my own sister could be in trouble."

"Yeah? Well Alaric could be in trouble right about now!"

Cherith looked at her, exasperated.

"Maybe he thinks they found you, or you went in through the front door and decides to go back in for you!"

Elena looks down, slightly guilty and Damon rolled his eyes.

"It's too late now anyways. The sooner we get out of here the sooner we know if your history teacher is dead or not. Then again, the guy bounces back from the grave, so…"

Cherith gave him a look as Elena walked past them to the closed door and slowly opened it.

Stefan was in the room, shirtless and hung from his wrists up the ceiling, blood on his chest and looking seemingly weak.

Elena gasps, running up to him as Damon and Cherith join her.

Cherith was even more anxious as the rain seemingly increased and she felt agitated, her powers singing in her very blood to let loose.

"Elena…You shouldn't be here…"

Stefan groaned out weakly as she rushed over to him, checking him over and Cherith walked over to stare at a mocha skinned vampire, tied down with 2 stakes each in his lap.

It looked rather painful and she winced slightly as he looked up at her, breathing harshly.

"She was supposed to stay in the car."

Damon answered, raising his stake to kill the vampire and Cherith was about to stop him when Stefan shook his head.

"Unh! No. No. No. Not him."

His brother rolled his eyes, turning to Stefan.

"Whatever. Let's get you down."

"There's vervain on the ropes."

"Elena, pull that."

"Unh!"

Stefan grunts as the vervain ropes tightened around his wrists for a moment before it came off.

"All right, let's go. Clothes on."

Damon said, giving Stefan his shirt and Stefan stopped.

"Wait."

He turns to the vampire still in pain and Cherith knew what he wanted to do.

Heck, she wanted to help him. He looked pitiful if she was to be honest.

Damon sighed, exasperated.

"What now? Guys, come on. We have to get out of here."

Stefan weakly moves to the vampire but Cherith was faster as she'd already made up her mind, crouching and holding down a stake rather shakily.

With a deep breath, she yanked out the stake and he groaned out in pain.

"Come on, we gotta go."

Damon spoke impatiently and Cherith rolled her eyes.

"Hold on you abominable idiot."

She moved to the other one and yanked it out again as Elena helped Stefan walk towards the door.

She left the ropes tied around him, mainly because she didn't know h, and even if he looked like he wasn't as bad, he was still a stranger, and a vampire. Two things she wasn't a fan of.

"What's your name?"

She looked at him and he looked up at her with soft brown eyes.

"It's Harper, ma'am."

"Huh… ma'am hunh?"

She grinned amused before giving him a two fingered salute and jogging after the others.

"See ya."

As she walked out, she stopped, looking at the other 3.

"They'll know what happened here."

She said to Damon with a look and he nodded.

"Exactly. Elena, can you get him in the car?"

Damon asked Elena who nodded.

"Yeah."

"All right, go."

Elena looked at Damon and her sister, apprehensive and not liking what the duo could be capable of if left alone.

"What about you two?"

"You rescue, we'll distract. Go."


Meanwhile…

Frederick takes a sip of his drink, looking contemplative when he turned to one of the vampires.

"Turn that music down. It's too quiet."

He stood up, looking around and listening closely with his vampire senses.

Suddenly, a female vampire that had been standing by the door fell to the ground, a stake behind her, directly in her heart and the rest of the vampires suddenly grew at alert.

Frederick turned to the rest immediately.

"Spread out. Now. You two, back of the house. Go. Check out both rooms. Cellar, now."


Cherith walked silently, suddenly at alert, her heartbeat quickening as she split from Damon, going through the kitchen when she found herself in front of 2 vampires.

"Well, well…"

One of the males smirked.

"What do we have here?"

The other leered at her and she looked at him in disgust.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a plaything, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I don't think so assholes."

She glared at them, her hands lighting up and their eyes widened as they stopped short.

The bigger one though scoffed.

"Your little light show means nothing to me."

He blurred over to her and Cherith gasps slightly, bringing her hands up and a force field covers her, making the vampire bounce back with a fizzle as slight skin is burnt off.

He laid on the ground with a groan and Cherith's jaw dropped as she stared at what had just happened.

The vampire stood again, growling at her as his wounds healing up and he blurred over using brute force to throw himself on the shield and Cherith held one hand out in a fist and the vampire levitated up in the air.

Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized she could use both hands for separate actions and the other vampire still standing gasped slightly.

She locked eyes with the vampire in the air who looked like an invisible hand was wrapped around his neck and he was trying to break free and a manic grin grew across her face as she began to chuckle slowly.

The rain had gone down into a slight drizzle and she looked up at the ceiling, an idea suddenly booming in her mind, and with a loud shout, she sends him flying through the wall, leaving a large hole in it and a loud clap of mighty red lightning and thunder boomed directly at the vampire who had tumbled outside and he explodes into ashes.

Cherith's mouth widened in awe before she stared at her hand in awe and a maniacal laugh escapes her lips as she locks eyes with the other vampire who looked shifty eyed and fearful having seen what the petite porcelain like girl in front of him was capable of.

She brings down the force field and levitates all the sharp objects in the room directly at him.

"P-please… I'll… I'll never drink blood again!"

He whimpered and she snorts.

"Bye Bish."

With a flick of her wrist, they fly at him, impaling him across his body.

It was silent for a minute before a loud cackle escapes her lips and like a wicked witch, she curls her hands in the air, looking upward as she laughed out, thunder booming in the distance.

"So much power!!"

She shouts out, not noticing a vampire sneaking up on her until it was too late.

Luckily for her, Alaric had walked into the room and seen the vampire, firing a stake right into his heart and he fell dead.

Cherith stopped mid-cackle and looked from the dead vampire to an exasperated Alaric.

"Really, Cherith?? Be careful!"

Cherith grins at him, adrenaline and power surging through her as she skips over to him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Wow… that was a crazy trust exercise there Ric. I'll put in good word for you with Jenna."

She walked off and Alaric sighed before looking up at the burst open wall.

"What the hell happened to the wall?!"

He whispered harshly, following after Cherith.

He jogs after her, giving her a stern look.

"Just because you're crazy powerful, it doesn't mean you're invisible Cherith… or even capable of saving yourself yet, apparently."

Cherith shrugged.

"It will all come with time."

She grinned and Damon blurred over.

"Frederick's gone."

He sighed out, breathing heavily and Alaric sighed.

"Let's just get out of here."

"I'm gonna kill him."

"Not if I get to him first."

Cherith sang with a creepy like smile and Damon frowned, turning to Alaric.

"What the hell is wrong with her?"

"She's sugar high on adrenaline. It'll pass."

Just then, they opened the front door to leave, Cherith suddenly realizing just how dark it had become.

Before they stepped out fully, they noticed about 7 vampires scattered around them a few feet away.

"How many of those vervain darts do you have left?"

Damon asked Alaric, turning to him and Alaric looked down at his hand.

"One."

"Not gonna be enough."

Cherith grinned, stepping forward.

"Well, now's my time to shine."

She moves towards them but Damon suddenly grabs her and pushed her inside the house, closing the door and she turns to him exasperated.

"What the hell was that for??"

Damon gave her a look.

"This could easily turn into a bloodshed."

"Trust me, the only blood that would be shedding is theirs!"

Damon looked amused for a minute.

"So, what you said to get me to do this, about my wife. It was a lie, wasn't it?"

Alaric turned to Damon, already knowing the answer and he shrugged.

"Yep."

As they prepared for whatever it was that would come at them, Pearl's voice sounded from outside and Cherith frowned.

"Stop. What's going on here?"

There was footsteps and the door opened and in came Anna and Pearl.

Pearl looked at the 3 of them before looking at the bodies scattered around, looking at Damon accusingly.

"What did you do?"

"Me?"

Damon scoffed, pointing at her.

"Your merry little band of vampires spent the day torturing my brother. I had to repay them back one way or the other."

He glared at her and Pearl calmed.

"Trust me. The parties responsible for this will be dealt with."

"Our little arrangement doesn't work unless you learn to control them."

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Well, it did. If I had a good side…Not a way to get on it."

Damon gave the woman a look and walked out, Alaric following him.

Cherith just stood, looking at the two of them, Anna apprehensive while Pearl looked right at Cherith.

Cherith suddenly bursts into a creepy grin before pointing behind her.

"Well! Sorry about the wall in the kitchen. I ah… got carried away!"

She laughed, clutching her stomach before giving Anna a sharp smile.

"I guess the wall just wasn't strong enough for the body of vampire, especially when brute force is involved."

Anna gulped slightly and Cherith walked off.

Pearl turned, watching her go.

"That girl… she carries something within her."


Gilbert Residence.

Cherith sat on her bed as soon they got back home from their little… break in and entry.

The adrenaline was still high in her body, as she felt her powers in her and she grinned.

She couldn't believe what she had done earlier.

She had felt powerful… apathetic.

She had felt, good.

Elena walked into her room, a look of concern on her face.

"Hey… are you okay?"

Cherith smiled, turning to her sister.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? I mean, I got to kick ancient butts so…"

Elena looked at her seriously, sitting next to her.

"Yeah, but you didn't just 'kick' butts did you… you… killed them. Are you sure you're okay? Alaric mentioned you seemed out of it."

Cherith waved off her concern.

"Chill, I'm fine, Elena. Really. I mean, yeah I kind of killed them… but they were technically already dead, you know…"

She explained to her sister who still looked unconvinced.

"Really, Elena… they were bad people. They were going to kill others, so… technically I killed them first… I mean…"

Cherith frowned, her words slowing down.

"I mean… is it killing if you killed dead people… I mean… yeah, they were technically, alive in a way… they looked like normal people and…"

She swallowed softly… suddenly feeling sick.

"And I…killed them…"

She turned to Elena, horror in her eyes.

"Elena, I'm a murderer!"

She gasped out, suddenly realized feeling bile in her throat and she covered her mouth, rushing into the toilet.

Elena sighed, standing up and going after her sister whose head was bent into the toilet.

She turned to Elena, tears in her eyes and Elena felt bad immediately.

This was why she hadn't wanted Cherith following them. She wasn't made for things like this.

"Elena! I'm a murderer!!"

She wailed and her sister rolled her eyes.

"Calm down Cherry, you're being too dramatic, it's just the adrenaline leaving your body."

Cherith shook her head rapidly, turning green.

"No! I… I actually enjoyed killing those tomb freaks! I shouldn't have!"

She gasped in horror, staring at her hands.

"Really, Cherith."

Cherith's head snapped to her sister and she covered her face with her hands.

"Don't look at me Elena! This is the face of a killer! You should be ashamed of what I've become!"

She wailed out again and Elena sighed, moving to her sister who was puking in the toilet again and ran her hands through her hair.

It was going to be a long night.


Elena brushed her hand through Cherith's hair as her sister slept that night, guilt eating her up for what her sister was facing.

While those tomb vampires were perfectly bad people, it didn't change the fact that her sister had actually ended them with her own hands.

She was still 15, almost 16, so of course something like this was going to scar her.

She closed her eyes, wondering what their mom and dad and Cherith's biological parents would think right now.

She just well and truly hoped for her sister's sake that she got over it.

One way or the other.

Trouble seemed to follow their family everywhere they went.

At least at Whitmore she'd be able to move on with her life.

Elena was just glad the day was ending.

She couldn't take anymore bad news.

The ringing of her phone brought her out of her reverie as she picked it.

"Hey Jeremy, what's—"

"Elena, it's Vicki! She's dead!"

Elena frowned, confused but dread growing in her heart.

"Wait, what?"

"Th-they found her body."

"Oh no…"

She whispered, guilt seeping into her.

"I'm at Matt's. You should come over… it's a full house."

He whispered, heartbroken and Elena nodded, cutting the phone.

She looked at Cherith and thought about waking her up but thought against it.

She had already been through enough for the day.

Better to leave her be.


That night as Cherith slept…

She found herself in a crimson and black landscape again.

Floating mid air.

This time, there was no book in sight.

But a glowing orange stone.

It pulsed and seemed to be liquid yet formed, and it glowed that you had to squint slightly to take in it's beauty.

And she floated over to it, hand out, to touch it.


Hey y'all!

So this is another chapter.

What do you think about Cherith's growing powers?!

I think it's slowly getting to her, lol.