It's been a whole ass year since I started this fanfic. One. Year. 365 days. That's insane. I started writing (in general) in September 2019 and couldn't have possibly imagined that it would develop into being my favorite hobby. I can never thank this community enough for making me feel so welcome, and for encouraging my growth as a writer.

To celebrate, I'm going to be uploading the next chapter this upcoming Tuesday (June 1) which is only 3 days from today. I was debating between splitting the chapters up or having them be one (massive, as per usual :p) chapter but then I realized that I could afford to split them up to give you content sooner.

I'm super happy with them personally and they're ones I've been thinking about for a very long time (especially the second one, I can't wait :D), so I really hope you enjoy them!

It's been a hell of a ride so far. Here's to the rest of the road, my loves.

CHAPTER 13

THE BEST LAID PLANS

.

The sun was still low and the sky was still grey when she rang the doorbell at the Salvatore Boarding House. She had barely slept, her mind too busy to allow for more than two hours of rest. Instead she decided she was going to be productive, and at five o'clock in the morning, she hopped out of bed and made breakfast for everyone. She was full and ready to go by seven, when she got in the car and drove to the house.

Now that she was finally there, she thought that perhaps she should have texted first. They could all be asleep. Damon might not even be home. How long was too long to be waiting outside someone's house? The door opened before she could conjure an answer.

Stefan looked surprised to see her, but not displeased. He was wearing a casual, light blue button-up that contrasted beautifully with his warm skin tone. It made his eyes stand out and his hair look soft and his lips look inviting and oh my God why is his jawline so fucking sharp?

"Good morning," she said with a hopefully carefree smile. "I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Not at all. What are you doing here?"

She searched for the words to explain herself, but none would come out. "Can I…?" She gestured towards the inside of the house. He moved to the side, and she entered. "Thank you. How did you sleep?"

He smiled despite his confusion; or maybe because of it. "I slept okay. How about you?"

"I slept—" She went to lie, then realized she didn't have to. Not with him. "Horribly. I slept horribly. Because I need to talk to Damon and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I had a dream where his soul was trapped inside Elena's teddy bear, did you know that?"

He laughed. Not very loudly, but that didn't matter. "You know, you open your mouth and I think I know what you're about to say, but then you never do."

"Part of my charm."

"Yes, it is." She would let out the stupidest laugh later, when she remembered he said that. "Damon's upstairs, but…" He moved closer and spoke beneath his breath. "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to. We can figure something out so he won't bother you anymore."

"I'm sure. It's only one night. I'll be okay."

He examined her face and sighed, evidently seeing that there was no changing her mind. Faintly, she wondered if the Gilbert gene affected her too. "He's in his bedroom. Second-to-last door on your right."

She laid a gentle hand on his arm and squeezed. "Thank you."

"I'll be listening. Just in case."

When she was outside Damon's bedroom, it dawned on her just how many things could go wrong. He could reject her and grow suspicious for one, but there was also another issue. There could be a girl in there. A dead girl, or a girl without any clothes on. Damon without any clothes on. She knew that he wasn't above doing something like that to make her feel uncomfortable. But there was no way Stefan would send her up to his room if that was the case. Unless he didn't know. Could he hear him shedding his clothes in vampire speed?

She raised her fist and knocked on the door, deciding that thinking would just make things worse. It opened instantly.

Damon rested his arm against the doorframe and blocked the way inside, his silhouette backlit by the large windows that faced the front yard. "Finally," he drawled. "I could hear your little heart beating out here. What took you so long?"

She was too tired to come up with a clever comeback. "I realized that you might have a woman in your bed. And that she might be naked or dead. Or both. Can we talk?"

"Depends. Do you want a woman to be in my bed?"

"No."

"Hm." He frowned and then shrugged. "Shame." He let her into the room and shut the door. She would have felt fear at being trapped with him if not for Stefan's words. He was listening, and she would be safe. Damon moved further into the room, sitting in the leather armchair and spreading his legs ever so slightly; like he was trying to make his lap seem inviting. "Something tells me that you're an animal between the sheets," he continued. "Maybe against the wall, too."

She stayed standing and crossed her arms. Pointless as it was, the action helped her feel more in control. "I've thought over your offer," she said. "About the Founders' Party."

"Have you now?"

"And I think we can help each other." She'd been thinking of what she was going to say for days. How to make this situation beneficial for her as well as for him.

"I thought I already helped you. With Bree."

"You also helped yourself. You had her cast a locator spell on Katherine. Fair is fair."

"Problem is, the locator spell didn't work. If it did, I wouldn't still be here."

"So? Your intentions weren't pure."

"My intentions are rarely pure, Angela."

"As are mine. Which means we have a mutual understanding. Which means, we can help each other."

His eyes narrowed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and watching her carefully. "What exactly do you want?"

"I want you to help me infiltrate the Council too."

He said yes. Reluctantly, but he was too intrigued by her proposal to turn her down. Intrigued and amused, much to her annoyance. He would be posing as a vampire hunter, Zach Salvatore's nephew who arrived in town as soon as he heard word of the animal attacks. He had seen through the cover-up the news outlets put out and came to personally ensure that the town's 'infestation' issue would be taken care of.

Angela, dead set on finding out who murdered her parents and feeling a growing resentment against vampires as a whole, was completely besotted by him and his promises to teach her the hunter's trade. That, she believed, was the part that amused him the most. She invited him to be her date to the Founders' Party in hopes that he might join forces with the rest of the founding families, and so Sheriff Forbes might see that she was serious enough about what the Council stood for to take her into consideration.

Once she was finished laying out her plan, she drew a deep breath and asked him what he thought. He stood up with a snicker and said, "I'll pick you up at four thirty," before waltzing into his en suite bathroom and shutting the door, leaving no room for argument. The party started at four.

When she was back in the hallway, she felt like she could breathe again. She took a moment to lean against the wall and calm her heart, which had been racing from adrenaline. Had he heard it pumping inside? Of course he had. She wondered what it made him think. Maybe it amused him too.

She found Stefan sitting on a loveseat in the living room, his fingers interlocked and looking slightly on edge. He turned his head to look at her as soon as she was within his line of sight.

"I did it," she said. "I spoke to your brother and didn't die."

"I can see that."

"Yeah. Are you okay? You look uneasy."

He took a moment too long to shake his head. "I'm fine. I just… I know he didn't hurt you… but… do you feel…" His speech was the slightest bit stilted, and he seemed to be struggling to find the proper words to say. The more he struggled, the more frustrated he looked, and she decided to try and help.

"I feel fine. I'm not upset or anything. Pinky promise."

Finally, the tension in his shoulders eased. Only a little bit, but it was something. "Good." He stood up. "School starts in twenty minutes. Do you want me to take you home first so you can get your things?"

"I drove here. I can just drive back."

Abashed, he glanced at the floor. "Right. That's right. You did."

She smiled kindly on purpose, to put him at ease. "Thank you. For offering. And for listening to make sure I wasn't in danger. It was sweet of you."

"Not creepy?"

She breathed a laugh. "Maybe a little creepy."

The tension eased some more, and she hadn't realized that his eyes were subdued until they became vibrant again. He mirrored her smile, though his was calmer, as it had less to achieve. "If you think you could spare another moment," he said quietly, "there's something I'd like to show you."

He led her through the archway to the right, and she found that her initial assumption had been wrong. It wasn't the library. It was the entrance to the library, and it contained a desk, a small seating area, and a round, wooden coffee table.

There was a pair of glass doors through which she could see nothing but bookshelves, and when he opened them and gestured for her to enter, she saw that they stretched up and up until they hit the ceiling of the second floor. There was a mezzanine so that anyone who wished to read a book from one of the upper shelves didn't have to use a ladder, and it was surrounded by a rich walnut banister. A runner-lined spiral staircase which connected it to the ground floor sat nestled in the corner, between a wall of wood and a wall made nearly entirely of glass. The heavy, crimson curtains were pulled apart, bathing the room in early morning light and letting her see the beautiful, sprawling backyard which slowly stretched into the forest.

She wandered further in, taking in the grandeur of it all. She could hear him following close behind, and while some small part of her wished that Elena could be here to enjoy this with her, a larger part was happy to be alone. She paused and turned to face him. "How many books are in here?"

"Over the years… we've collected maybe ten thousand?"

She let out an astonished breath. "Ten thousand?"

"A rough estimate."

"You could start charging people to come here and read them."

"I prefer to keep this place peaceful."

"And yet you let me in it."

"I trust you to keep it peaceful." That sentiment meant more to her than she could possibly express. He smiled. "What's your favorite novel of all time?"

It was difficult to choose, but if she absolutely had to… "One Hundred Years of Solitude."

He nodded. She watched him closely as he turned away and approached one of the shelves by the windows, reaching up to retrieve a thick, hardcover book. He carried it back to her and held it out, letting her read the title. One Hundred Years of Solitude.

She pried it from his fingers gently, lifting the edge of the cover and flipping to the first page. And then she saw the publication date. "This is first edition."

"I was around when it came out."

She glanced at the wall of glass, the light reminding her of what time it was. "I won't be able to read much of it before school starts."

"Why does that matter?"

She bit her lip. "Well… I guess I could come back after school. Start reading it then."

"Ah, no, I— I'm giving it to you. To keep."

"What?" She looked at him in shock. "Stefan, I can't."

"Why not?"

"You've already given me a gift. I wouldn't feel right taking another."

"But I want you to have it. Do you know how many other books I have?"

"Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine?"

"Sounds about right." They shared a quiet laugh.

She sighed. "I still wouldn't feel right taking this from you."

"Look," he said in a way that was both kind and firm. "I can easily just buy the book again."

Confounded, she gestured towards it. "But this is first edition! I mean, what if I rip it or something? Then it'll be ruined forever."

"You won't rip it."

"But what if I do?"

"Then it won't be a big deal." Her face must have shown her bafflement, as his head ducked down to hide a grin. "Angie, the fact that this is first edition doesn't really matter to me. I've lived through the publication of millions of books, and this copy doesn't hold any real sentimental value. Giving it to you will give it more purpose than hoarding it in some faraway corner of an old boarding house will." He nudged it towards her ever so slightly, as if to clarify his point. "I want you to have it."

She tried to come up with another argument. Something. Anything. But there was nothing left to say. Nothing except for one thing. "Thank you."

The dull, yellow light caught his face when he nodded in relief, and it turned his skin to gold. "You're welcome."

She had the urge to repay his kindness, even in some small way. "Would you like a ride to school? I know you have super speed, but we're already together, so we might as well."

He smiled, and the tension in his shoulders finally disappeared. "Yes."

.

Angela scrutinized the knee-length, black, poofy dress being held in front of her. It wasn't ugly per se. It wasn't pretty either. It most definitely was not from this decade. Her gaze slid up to the girl that was holding it. The hopeful smile she saw was almost enough to make her come up with some lie to spare her feelings, but doing that would accomplish nothing.

"It's…" She spoke before she thought, and realized she didn't know how to finish. Elena finished for her.

"It's vintage. Very 80s. I hear that kind of thing's coming back in style, you know."

Anna seemed relieved. "Really?"

"Yeah. But, um, in a small town like this, everyone's a little behind when it comes to fashion trends. I don't know if they'll appreciate it the way they should. Might make for a bad first impression."

"You think so?"

Elena gave an apologetic smile. "Maybe save it for next time."

Anna laid the dress over the back of her desk chair, every other surface hidden beneath every other dress she owned—all variations of some dark color.

"How about the green one?" Elena said. "Although it's a little warm for this time of year."

Anna picked up the juniper, long-sleeved wrap dress from the edge of the bed. "Temperature doesn't affect vampires."

"You can't feel the temperature at all?"

"We can feel it. It just can't make us uncomfortable." She moved behind the white wood changing screen to put the dress on.

"I didn't know that. I'm interested to know more about you. Your species."

"Why? So you can hurt us better?"

"So I can defend myself better. And so I can defend the people I love. Especially from people like Damon." The last part she said bitterly, having, in the end, been the one to yell the loudest when Angela told the group about her plan.

"My offer's still up for grabs, you know. About training you. You're not as hopeless as your sister when it comes to physical exertion. You might actually stand a chance."

Angela made an indignant noise in the back of her throat. "I'm right here."

Anna rounded the corner of the screen with a small, playful smile. "I know. So?" She spun to show off the dress. "Is this the one?"

Elena nodded. "Definitely. And I want to take you up on it. I just can't figure out why you want to help. Aren't you worried that I'll use what I learn against you?"

"I trust that you're not stupid enough to do that. Remember, if anything goes wrong or Damon tries to hurt the people you love, we're the ones with the best shot at saving you."

"Will you save us? You owe us nothing. Johnathan Gilbert is the reason you had to live for so long without your mother."

"And Angela Gilbert is the reason I was reunited with her. That was a debt repaid. When she gave me her blood in order to bring her back, that created a debt I owe to her."

Angela's brow furrowed in something like concern. "Friendships aren't built on debt."

"Aren't they?" Pearl's voice came from the doorway. Angela and Elena turned to look at her. They hadn't even heard the door open, yet there she stood, like it was where she had always been. "You were good to me, now I have a debt to be good to you. You gave me a gift, now I have a debt to give a gift to you. And on and on the cycle continues. Everything in life is a transaction. Once you realize that, the folly of youth is stripped away and you cease to overthink. All that's left then is absolute truth. Your dress is lovely, my dear."

Anna smiled bashfully. "Thank you, Mother."

"You see? A kindness was met by a kindness, and our relationship strengthened. Breaking the cycle requires you to simply ignore the debt."

"And what if someone is deceiving you?" Angela asked. "What if they continue the cycle with ill intent? That doesn't leave you with absolute truth."

"But it does, on the surface. It leaves you with the facts as you know them, unsullied, before your mind has a chance to move them around and transform them into something unrecognizable. Then, once they're all laid out on the table, you can play with them with a clear head."

"Unless you don't have the time to play with them with a clear head."

"You will. Once you've done it enough, your head will always be clear and you will always know whether you have the time to play. If you decide you don't, instinct will take over, and your body will make the next move for you. If you decide you do, you will play with them quickly or you will play with them slowly, depending on how much time is at your disposal."

"A cynical way to view the world. But not untrue, I suppose."

Pearl smiled. "I'm glad you think so, even if you may not view the world in the same way."

"Being surrounded by people with different worldviews and philosophies keeps you from getting killed. If you can't see a piece of the puzzle, maybe one of them will, and put it together to form a shield."

"I agree." She grabbed a hold of the doorknob and gave them another once-over. "Expect to see Harper at your high school soon. There is a position as football coach that he is eager to fill." The door shut with a quiet click, and Elena gave her a weary look that told her exactly what she was thinking. 'Another one?'

Angela responded with an awkward smile. Well, she supposed, at least getting Stefan on the football team wouldn't be difficult.

.

"Difficult?" Caroline exclaimed. "It's impossible!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes and continued applying blush, completely unfazed. "No, it's not, you're just being dramatic."

She picked another bobby pin off the twins' wooden dresser and used it to stab her hair. "Well maybe not for you and your… diplomatic-ness—"

"Diplomacy," Angela said, blowing on her nude-colored nails to help them dry.

"—but I, for one, cannot pretend to be impressed with Angie's choice for a date. It's bad enough we're letting her go through with this. How many times has he hurt her already?"

Elena sighed, straightening another section of her hair. "Okay, so don't pretend you like him. Pretend that the reason you hate him is because you're jealous of how much time they spend together."

Angela looked over at her from her position on the bed, impressed. "Yeah, maybe you think I'm neglecting you in favor of him or something."

Caroline scoffed quietly. "No, that'd be the other Salvatore."

Bonnie's eyebrows rose. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, like you haven't noticed how close she and Stefan have been getting. The other day, he came up to her in the middle of the hallway and asked to talk to her like it was nothing, and a few days after that, she gives him a ride to school? I mean, if I didn't know better, I'd be getting worried. Right, Elena?"

Elena's hand froze in its downward motion. "Oh, well… I haven't really… talked to him recently, so…"

Caroline finished styling her hair into a pretty, loosely braided half updo and frowned. "What do you mean you haven't talked to him? I thought you were going to ask him out."

"Yeah, I, um… forgot?"

"Forgot? How do you 'forget' to ask out the most interesting thing to happen to this town in forever?"

Angela fidgeted in place, disliking this line of questioning. "Thing?"

"Hush. And weren't you all over him anyway? What happened?"

Elena gave a tiny shrug. "I guess I just decided I wasn't ready yet."

Angela watched as understanding dawned on Bonnie's features. She caught her eye and must have sensed her worry, as she flashed her a faint smile. As if to say, "Don't worry. I remember what we talked about. Your secret's safe with me, and so is his." Angela nodded her thanks, though she felt no less nervous.

"You changed your mind in a day? You were pretty determined last we talked about it." Caroline froze. Her eyes went wide and a hand flew up to cover her mouth. "No. Don't tell me." The grave tone in her voice made Angela's heart drop to her stomach. Fuck. I knew she'd grow suspicious. She figured it out. Fuck, fuck, fuck. "He didn't touch your butt, did he?"

Oh. Never mind. She's just a dumbass.

"Because if he did, I swear to God I'll—"

"No, Caroline, he didn't do anything… like that," Elena cut her off with a disturbed expression on her face. "It's just… Angie got into trouble with Damon and Ms. Sheila went into a coma, and I guess I realized that I couldn't care less about him when the source of my happiness has always been my sister. And if my sister isn't safe, then I don't have time to worry about anything but learning how to protect her. Especially when his own brother is the reason she's not safe to begin with." She set down the straightener with a contemplative frown. "Actually, I need to have a serious talk with him about what Damon is and what he's done to her."

Angela bit the inside of her lip. "I'm not going to stop you, but can you not do it today? Damon could hear you, and I want things at the party to go perfectly."

Elena hesitated before nodding. "Okay."

Caroline eyes flicked between them. "What, so you're not into him at all now? Attraction doesn't just go away like that."

Elena emitted a humorless laugh. "Under circumstances like these? Yeah, it does."

Angela hated the surge of joy that went through her body. "She doesn't want him anymore!" a stupid part of her brain left over from the Stone Age said. "She's not attracted to him, so she won't be upset if you pursue him!" But that wasn't the only reason she had been holding off on pursuing him, was it? No. She had been holding off because she was afraid. Afraid of what would happen if she dove in headfirst and let their relationship blossom into something deeper. She was afraid because she had seen an actor that looked vaguely like him portray him and die a fiery death, and she was afraid that she would see him die in the exact same way. Or worse. She was afraid because she didn't know if she could take seeing him die if she was in love with him. Feelings were dangerous. Always, for everyone.

Bonnie sighed and finished applying clear lip gloss, her pastel floral dress swishing against her legs when she turned from the full-length mirror to face them. "It's her business, Caroline. Let it be her business." She gave Angela a prompting smile. "Shouldn't you start getting ready soon?"

Angela heaved a heavy sigh, but got up from her bed to enter the bathroom. "I'm putting off the heat damage the curling iron will give me."

As soon as she had laid eyes on the dress she and the girls deemed to be The One, she knew exactly how she would be styling her hair. In loose, side-swept curls. Curls that would be impossible for anyone to achieve without using any heat. At least with how diligently Elena straightened her hair, they had plenty of protection spray on hand.

When she was finished, she stepped out into her and Elena's bedroom to find that the others were finished. Caroline took one look at her, one look at the alarm clock, and shooed Elena out of the vanity chair to drag Angela into it.

"Bonnie," she said with all the confidence of a high school cheer captain, "you get started on the left side of her face. Elena, you get started on the right side." She picked up the liquid eyeliner and shook it with a smile that could almost be described as sinister. "I'll do the eyes."

Angela wasn't given much choice on the matter, and beyond throwing out various comments—"No, you are absolutely not using blue mascara."—she could do little more than sit still and hope that her face transformed into something a little less imperfect and a little more worthy of being the magnificent, she scoffed internally, Damon Salvatore's date.

This is the first date I've ever gone on, she realized suddenly. The first proper date the body of Angela Gilbert was going on and it had to be with the person she hated most in the world. It disgusted her, how cliché her predicament was. If she were reading a novel or watching a movie she would bet her ass that this was the beginning of an enemies-to-lovers subplot. Fortunately for her, she was a sane, grown woman with experience and self-respect, and Damon was a buffoon. That's right. Not just an idiot asshole. He didn't deserve twenty-first century name-calling. Damon Salvatore was a buffoon, and pretending to be enamored with him for an entire evening would be hell itself.

Well, she nearly ruined the soft pink lipstick Bonnie was smearing on her by laughing, maybe if she went to Hell, Stefan wouldn't have to, and all her fears about him would be gone. But, oh, she shouldn't think that way. Her parents and Tanner didn't outlive their counterparts from her previous life, but if she could get Sheila and the others to stay alive until Katherine arrived… thrice was a pattern, after all, and twice was only a coincidence. Yes. If they outlived their previous selves, her fears about him—and about everyone else—would be gone once and for all.

"All done!" Bonnie drew back and let her examine herself.

She looked as pretty as the three girls standing behind her. Her skin held a healthy glow, her cheeks looked naturally rosy, her eyes were defined by winged eyeliner and mascara, and her lips looked appropriately flushed, like someone had grabbed her round the waist and kissed her senseless. Perhaps it would make a certain someone want to do that very thing, the same ooga booga part of her brain secretly hoped.

She ignored it with a beatific smile. "You guys work ridiculously well together."

Bonnie rested a hand on her shoulder. "You'd do the same for any of us if you wanted to see us dressed up before you left."

"True. Do I get to have you undress me too?"

"No. Gross."

Laughter floated around the room. Angela pushed herself up and approached the closet, singling out her dress and taking it off the hanger. She entered the bathroom and slipped into it. As soon as she stepped foot back in the bedroom, Elena's eyes lit up. She looked her over appreciatively. "Well," she said with a proud smile, "it's official. Purple is definitely your color."

Before she stopped in front of the full-length mirror, she put on her closed-toe silver heels so that only accessories would be left. Then, she finally saw herself, and the sight was almost enough to make her cackle. 'Yup,' Ooga Booga Brain said. 'Stefan's screwed.'

It was as if she was wearing two dresses at once. One was a lavender A-line whose sweetheart neckline was supported by a pair of spaghetti straps, and the other was its overlay, still lavender but lighter in color. Its see-through floral lace pattern extended just past the hem of the dress and turned the plain neckline into something out of a romantic's dream, following it all the way around her shoulders in gentle, feminine waves that kissed her skin whenever she moved her arms. And that waistline! It made her look like she had an hourglass figure! When she spun quickly, the skirt flared up and reminded her of something that a ballerina might wear during the springtime. She could already see the delicate silver bracelet and teardrop earrings she was going to wear, and they would balance everything perfectly. She could also see the girls examining themselves the way she was, Elena to her right and Bonnie and Caroline to her left.

"You guys," Bonnie said slowly, looking herself up and down. "When did we all get so freaking hot?"

Elena laughed, her red-and-gold dress transforming her into a phoenix. "Is it vain to say that the four of us have kind of turned into knockouts?"

"Totally," Caroline said, admiring the tasteful way in which her strapless yellow dress brought attention to her bust. "But it's also totally true."

Jeremy barged into the bedroom. The fabric of his tyke-sized tux made a woosh sound when he violently gestured towards the door, and he blew a loud breath out his nose. "Come. On," he signed forcefully.

"Alright, alright," Elena said, taking another look at them all and sighing wistfully. "Narcissistic moment over." She grabbed her purse. "See you in half an hour, Angie."

"Steal some booze for me, will you? I'll need it."

Angela said her goodbyes to the girls and Jeremy, and Jenna when she went down the stairs to hug her. Then it was just her in the house, and she went about accessorizing and filling her round, silver purse with the appropriate equipment.

And then she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And then it was four thirty, and he still hadn't shown up.

And then it was four forty.

And then it was four fifty.

And finally it was five o'clock in the afternoon, and when the doorbell sang its single, peaceful note, she shot up from the couch to yank the door open.

He was smiling innocently, his blue eyes almost translucent in the sun and making for a striking contrast to his all-black formalwear. "Hello, Angela. How are you today?"

She tightened her grip on the doorknob, clenching her jaw so hard she feared she would crack a tooth. "You're late."

His face twisted in a mockery of child-like confusion. "I am?"

"You were supposed to be here at four thirty."

"Oh. Did I say four thirty? I meant five. Sorry."

Was she growling? She was growling. She had never growled before. "I despise you," she gritted out, and meant it with every fibre of her being.

"Now, now, sweetheart. That's no way to speak to the love of your life, is it?"

She looked him straight in the eye—steady, unwavering—and gagged as loudly as humanly possible.

He offered her his arm with a smirk. "You and your sister are ridiculously fun to tease, you know that?" She ignored it, breezing past him and entering his car.

"Shut up and drive, you cock-juggling thundercunt."

She heard a startlingly boyish laugh come from behind her seconds before she slammed the door shut. Yes, she bemoaned internally. Tonight, Angela Gilbert would be in Hell.

Beauty and the Beast vibes with that library scene or is it just me? Now I'm kinda tempted to write a Beauty and the Beast AU one-shot with these two. Hm… thoughts?