A/N: Please review and let me know what you think, whether it's good or bad. I hope you guys enjoy it. REVIEW, YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! :) This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey.
Elena stood in the bathroom, her back to me, staring into Jeremy's room. I leaned my chin on her shoulder and looked in on him. He was sitting at his desk looking through his old sketch pad, a reminiscent grin on his face. His eyes held so many memories; happy ones.
He took a pencil from his supplies and found an empty page. He tilted the yellowing pages toward him and began to sketch, his face focused and at ease. I could feel Elena take a deep calming breath beneath me, and I smiled. Watching Jeremy sketch again made us feel at home like things were normal and happy. I reached for Jeremy's door and quietly closed it. He didn't need to see us peeping on him. I wrapped my arms around Elena and hugged her briefly, before pulling away and flouncing out of the bathroom, my mood greatly improved. I bounded down the stairs, flinging my hair into a messy bun as Jenna was pulling her bag over her shoulder in a hurry, her hair getting caught in the straps.
"Jeremy has his sketch pad out," I whispered excitedly as I hopped over the last step.
Jenna looked up from rescuing her hair and smiled brightly, her eyes shining. "You're kidding?" she said, beaming.
I shook my head and grabbed my bag from behind the door.
"Nope, she's not," Elena said quietly, coming down the stairs. "But don't say a word. The moment we encourage him, he'll put it away."
I looked over my shoulder and pointed at her. "Yep," I nodded in agreement. "For once, I agree with her," I said, gasping in fake shock and holding my heart.
Elena rolled her eyes and ignored Jenna's laughter.
"Psychology major. Check that!" Jenna said, check-marking the air with her finger, laughter still in her voice.
I grabbed my new jacket from the rack and slipped it on, smiling at the way it fit my shape perfectly. The silver studs on the shoulders and wrists stood out beautifully against the black. After I finished zipping it up, I looked up to find Jenna smiling at me. "What?" I asked, raising my hands in the air.
Jenna shrugged, the corners of her mouth pulling down. "Nothing. You've just developed a taste for leather jackets recently," she said, smiling.
I narrowed my eyes at her and hoped she didn't notice the way they darted to the thankfully oblivious Elena and back. All I needed was her getting the wrong idea.
I lifted two fingers and pointed to my eyes and back to Jenna. She huffed dramatically and turned to Elena, who had her phone out, staring at it pitifully, her brows furrowed. She walked up beside her and looked down at her phone, questioningly.
"You and Stefan? Update?" she asked.
Elena looked at me over Jenna's shoulder, and I gave her a sad sorta smile. She started buttoning up her jacket and looked at Jenna with an air of indifference. "He knows how I feel and where I stand, and I know where he stands, but it doesn't matter. He's leaving, moving away," she said, finishing the last button and grabbing her bag.
I stepped up onto the last step and looked up the stairs. "We are leaving, Jer!" I hollered.
I didn't wait for an answer before hopping off the step and following Jenna and Elena outside.
I walked a few feet behind them, allowing Elena her space. This was harder for her than it was for me. I could depend on myself, and I had Rebekah. Elena had lost our mother, the only woman she had ever depended on for relationship advice. Not that she could have discussed this relationship with our mother, but I understood that she felt like she had nowhere to turn and vent her feelings.
Elena and Jenna parted ways at her car, and I slipped into the passenger seat.
"Not taking yours today?" she asked, leaning down and looking at me with a quirked brow.
"Nah, don't feel like it. I'm leaving the driving to you today, sis," I said, laying my head back with a smile.
Elena swiftly slid into the car and sighed. "You barely talk to me, and now I've been reduced to chauffer. Great sister, you are," she snipped.
I rolled my eyes and slipped in my headphones, slapping my hands together, and snapping my fingers. "Onwards!" I obnoxiously shouted over my music.
Elena leaned over and took my phone, glancing at the title of the song that was playing before putting my volume on full blast with a mischevious smile. I yanked my headphones from my ears with a yelp of startled pain, and jumped, hitting my head on the top of the car.
"Now we can go," she said smugly, pulling out of the driveway.
I rubbed my ears and squinted my eyes at her in surprise. That was sneaky.
"Five points to Elena," I said wryly.
Elena turned her head and looked at me in confusion, her eyes scanning my face. She turned her gaze back to the road, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel with force.
"Are you sure, Ellie?" she whispered.
I watched the side of her face, the tension in her forehead, causing wrinkles. I laid my cheek against the seat and sighed. "Expect a war, Lena. I won't go easy on you, my dear twin,"
Her face smoothed a bit, and she inhaled, holding it in for a brief moment. "I am sorry," she whispered, almost to low for me to hear.
When I chose to ignore her nearly silent apology, she smiled and fisted the air in triumph. "Team Elena for the win!" she shouted.
I giggled and rolled my eyes in exasperation. It had been years since we had played our little game. It wasn't something our parents had ever approved of, but it had always helped us solve even our worst fights. Our childhood therapist had called it a very unhealthy form of sibling rivalry. We chose to put pins in her seat as retribution. Well...that had been my idea; mine and my imaginary friend Rebekah.
We had been about six years old, shortly after the whole fixing Elena's broken arm with magic and then breaking her nose incident. Even though Elena and I were not very close, we still fought and had the little sibling games we shared together. Ours were just a little rougher than your average family. We would torture each other, the only rules being, it had to be a surprise attack, and there could be no bodily harm nor anything cruel. So it would end up being things like nightly haircuts, hair dye in the conditioner, white-out on our less important homework, salt in the sugar container.
Little things, and in the end, whoever had the most points won. The person who was hit with the attack, awards the points, based on the level of cleverness used. If the attacker thinks the points aren't fair, they can go to a third party who is chosen at the time the game is started. Once the game is over, the fight that had started it all was never allowed to be mentioned again. The battle was supposed to be punishment enough.
It was a silly childish game, but to be honest, I missed my sister. I hoped that what Jeremy would do to her when he found out the truth, would be enough to help her learn her lesson, not to mention, everything that was to come. Plus, I really didn't have much time to waste on fighting.
"Don't get too excited Lena, you're only five points ahead, and we both know who the real master of this game is," I said with a cruel smile.
Elena pulled into the school and grinned madly. "Not this time. We're older now." she took the keys from the ignition as I hopped out of the car. "Who is the third party? Same as always?" she asked as she exited the car.
I walked up beside her and placed my hands in my jacket pockets. "If he'll do it. He is the best," I said with a nod.
Elena and I started inside side by side. "Always fair," she agreed.
"Ok, we will ask him then. Truce until then?" I asked, facing her as if we were about to duel.
She eyed me warily, scanning me quickly before slowly reaching out her hand. Bonnie and Caroline joined us but stood quietly when they noticed our position. "Truce until our third is called," Elena said seriously, eyes on my hand.
We joined hands, and immediately Elena's shoulders loosened, and she breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Truce," I giggled, pulling away.
"Oh...God, no!" Caroline called out her hands on her mouth.
Bonnie rubbed her face and rolled her eyes. "Seriously, guys? The Gilbert Twin Wars? I thought those days were behind us?" she said in exasperation.
I put my arms around Elena and smiled brightly, my eyes shining with evil. "It's time. War has returned my fellow friends. Prepare yourselves," I said in my best movie trailer voice.
Tyler came up behind me and pulled me against his chest with a feral grin. "Did I just hear what I think I did?" His eyes lit up as he placed his chin on my shoulder.
Elena's nose twitched as she took in our position with distaste.
"Did Bon just say The Gilbert Twin Wars was back?" he asked.
I pulled away from him and matched his feral grin. "Yeah. You're team Elara, right?" I asked with a wink.
He clapped me on the back, and I winced, only slightly.
Damn wolf strength.
"Aren't I always? Have been since we were six," he said with a grin.
I clapped my hands together and laughed, sticking my tongue out at Elena.
"Remember the rules, Ellie. Moral support, ideas, and supplies. That's all they can help with," she said, shaking her finger.
I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "I know that, Lena. I don't cheat. Set up and execution is Gilbert only ground," I said, my voice sing-song towards the end.
Bonnie laid an arm on Elena's shoulder and winked at me. "Team Elena, as always. Sorry, El," she said.
I shook my head and grabbed Caroline. "That's ok. Sounds fair, to which I think you'll agree. It'll give everyone exactly the same advantages to use. If you catch my drift," I said with a wink.
Bonnie shook her head with a laugh. "Yep, my thoughts exactly," she said.
I turned to Caroline and narrowed my eyes. "Caroline?" I asked.
Caroline backed away slowly. "Last time I lost an inch of hair. I think I'll steer clear this time. I love you, though," she said, walking swiftly into class with Matt.
Tyler sighed and chuckled maniacally. "That was her fault. I tried to tell her that the conditioner was contaminated," he said.
I bit my lip when everyone started laughing around me, Bonnie covering her bright face with her hand.
"She always did leave her conditioner on too long," I said with a giggle.
Tyler pushed me, and I gave him a quick wave as we all went our separate ways.
—-
Elena and I walked outside after our classes ended. I was happy to see her look so much brighter than she had the last few days. This whole ordeal with Stefan was really hurting her. That's why when I saw him sitting on the table outside waiting for her, I was more than a little irritated. I pushed past her, pulling away when she tried to take my arm and stepped right in from of him, my eyes hard.
"Stefan Salvatore, you seriously better have a perfect excuse for being here. You're breaking my sister's heart, pulling away from her like this. And to just show up again, that's cruel," I whispered harshly.
Stefan looked down at me, his eyes soft, and smiled gently. "I see someone has forgiven her," he said.
I elbowed him in the stomach as I turned around, enjoying his light groan. "You've chosen for that to be none of your business, Stef, because, ya see, you're not just leaving her...brother," I said as I walked away.
I could hear his soft intake of breath but kept walking. I didn't need to turn around to know I had gotten my point across. Elena was waiting for me a few feet away, I took her hand in mine and gave her a hug.
"Call me if you need me," I whispered in her ear.
She pulled away with a nod, and I watched her join a newly darkened Stefan. I walked home quickly, using my magic to give myself a natural boost, using the woods as cover. By the time I had hit the front porch, my hair was windswept and clothes ruffled. I looked like I had stood in the back of a truck while it went 90 down an old country road. I pulled a few leaves from my hair and clothes before I slipped inside. Jeremy was lying on the couch, his sketchbook in his lap.
"Hey, Ellie. What do you think?" he asked, lifting the pad into the air.
I stepped beside him and took the sketch from his hands. On the page, he had drawn an image of a vampire, mouth opened wide, fangs bared. I could even see the hunger in his black eyes.
"Nice. Really creepy. What made you choose a vampire?" I asked nonchalantly, handing him the pad.
He looked back down at the drawing, a smile on his face. "I found this old journal in dad's stuff, Jonathan Gilbert from the 1800s. He's kinda a freak show." I sat down on the edge of the couch beside him and placed my elbow on my knee, resting my chin on my open palm.
"Yeah, I remember reading that. He wrote about demons, right?" I asked, edging him on.
Jeremy nodded quickly, sitting up, his eyes wide with excitement.
"He was a writer...short stories fiction stuff," Jenna said, coming in from the kitchen with a smile.
She sat down on the back of the couch and leaned over to glance at Jeremy's drawing. "Wow, definitely creepy," she said.
"Oh. He writes fiction? I figured he was just a lunatic or drunk," Jeremy said, leaning back against the couch pillow with a grin.
Jenna stood and took a book from the shelf behind her. "Well, he was a Gilbert, probably a little bit of both," she said, handing him the book with a smile.
Jeremy laughed, his eyes lightly sparkling with mischief. I shook my head at them both. If they only knew. My phone rang, startling all three of us, and I jumped, falling off the edge of the couch. Jeremy tried to reach out and stop me, but he was too late. I landed with a huff on the floor, my ass stinging.
"Ow, my ass," I whined, my red hair falling out of its elastic prison.
I ran my hand through it, ruffling it a bit, and pulled the elastic band back around my wrist. Jeremy laughed loudly, and Jenna helped me to my feet. I pulled my phone from my pocket, rubbing my stinging backside. I answered without even glancing at the name.
"Whoever this is better to be dying. My ass really hurts now, and it's all your fault," I said in greeting.
Jeremy laid his head back, still laughing, and Jenna swatted me on the arm, her eyes wide.
"Well, your ass hasn't been my problem in a very long time, Elandra. But I'm sure I could find some way to help you out," Damon said, his voice doing little to hide the smirk I could practically see through the phone.
I smiled and took my bag from the floor, winking at Jeremy with a wave. As I stepped onto the porch, I sighed. "What do you need, Damon?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
"You can take this," he said, the voice coming from beside me.
I jumped, spinning around and pushing him against the house, my hands fisted in his dark blue shirt. I chuckled in anger. "Don't. Do. That," I enunciated.
Damon pulled himself away from the house and dusted off his button-up shirt. He noticed me looking him over and smirked; I looked away quickly and shrugged. "What? You know blue is one of my favorite colors on you, Damon," I said nonplussed.
He approached me slowly and looked down at my jacket and skinny black jeans. "Loving your new look. Especially the messy hair," he said, running his fingers through my tangled mane.
I pulled away and took the golden compass from his hand. "This is the one I found in the woods, right? It's a Gilbert family heirloom. I was too distracted that night to recognize it, I just felt its power," I said, flipping it over in my hand and opening it.
Damon eyed me warily, and I frowned up at him. "I'm assuming you know what it does, and you're not here to return it to its rightful owners," I said, closing it with a snap.
Damon looked away, his eyes focusing on everything around us. "There's another vampire in town. Sheriff Forbes showed up asking for my help finding it earlier today. Of course, my ever heroic brother wants to make sure everyone we leave behind is safe. So I need your help finding it," he looked back down at me and opened the compass that was still resting in my palm. "Using this. Figured it was the quickest way," he said.
I looked down at the compass, its needle focusing solely on Damon. "I can see your problem," I smirked. "Sure, I'll help. You run along. I'll wander through town until I get a hit, then I'll call you," I said, closing the compass and pulling my bag over my shoulder.
I reached inside it and pulled out the little black pouch I kept the Blackwood bark in, sliding it out and placing it in between my lips like a toothpick. I might just need the boost.
Damon took my wrist roughly. "You will not approach it," he firmly said, eyes hard.
I took my wrist, pulling away from his grasp, and narrowing my eyes. "And you won't treat me like an idiot. I'm not going to just jump into anything, but I will prepare for the worst," I said.
He leaned in and lifted my chin, looking into my eyes. "Be careful, Elandra," he said.
I brushed his cheek with my fingers and smiled. "I will be. Witches honor," I said, lifting two fingers and placing them on either side of my nose with a giggle. "I've always wanted to do that," I said with a gleeful grin.
Damon's confused and exasperated expression made me smile as I hopped down the porch steps, opening the compass as I did. I stood at the end of the corner and shooed him away. When he finally left, the needle on the compass faced north and stayed there as I walked towards the center of town.
—-
I stood in front of the warehouse, the cold screen of my phone pressed against my ear. "Just wait. I'll be there in a minute," Damon said.
I tapped the toe of my boot on the concrete as I waited. Damon popped up behind me, and I huffed in irritation, at least this time, I had prepared my senses for his sudden appearance.
"You sure?" he asked.
I handed him the compass and tilted my head. "Of course I am, Damon. When am I ever not?" I said.
Damon rolled his eyes and stepped into my personal space. I took a deliberate step back and twirled around him towards the door. "Let's go, Mr. Vampire. There's another one of you inside, and we gotta kill him," I said with a giddy voice.
Damon vamp sped in front of me with a snarl. This would be so much easier if I could just compel you," he groaned. "You can't come inside. I don't know who is in there. It's dangerous," he said.
I crossed my arms and, without even the tiniest movement, forced him to the ground, pinning him in the sprawled eagle position. "I think I can handle myself," I said.
I kept my body still and lifted Damon with my magic, enjoying the way his arms and legs flailed out around him like a rag doll. I gently lowered him to his feet with a smile.
Palms out, I pushed my hands in front of me. "After you, dearie," I said.
Damon yanked his shirt down and took the stairs leading to the door two at a time. He looked around us and quietly broke the handle, opening the door. I entered directly behind him, and he held his hand out, motioning for me to stay at a reasonable distance. I rolled my eyes and kept them on him as we went deeper into the dark warehouse. A squeak of someone's shoe was the first thing I heard before the sound of a gunshot. Damon fell to his knees in front of me as he was shot multiple times by someone in the shadows.
"I have a ton of these wooden bullets, so nothing funky," Logan Fell said.
Damon sat up and tried to remove the bullet from his arm. "You don't want to do this. Trust me," he said.
Logan shot him in the chest with a smile. That's what ya get," he said.
I stepped out of the shadows with an angry growl, red framing my vision, and flung him into the wall as hard as I could.
"Told ya," Damon gasped.
Logan groaned, standing and pointing the gun in my direction.
I lifted my fingers and smiled. "Go ahead. Try me," I said, beckoning him.
Damon cursed, but I ignored him. Red and anger was the only thing I could see. Logan took the shot, and I lifted my palm out in front of me, stopping the bullet in its tracks. It shook in the air between Logan and myself, shaking to move towards its target. He took a shocked breath, and I saw a fear flash in his eyes as he watched the wood start to disintegrate in midair as I slowly closed my hand.
"Just think of what I could do to a vampire, especially one who has shot someone I care about," I lowered my hand and stepped away from him, standing beside Damon, who was removing a bullet from his leg.
Logan followed me, and I narrowed my eyes. "Don't look at me like that, you witchy bitch. He did this to me," he said.
Damon growled, but I laughed and sat down, avoiding the blood.
"I killed you, I didn't make you," Damon said.
I reached over and tried to help remove the bullets, but Damon caught my gaze and shook his head. I blinked a few times but moved away, crossing my arms. Dropping the round he had removed from his chest with a groan, Damon leaned against his knee, and I watched, my teeth clenched. I would enjoy killing Logan.
"See, I know what you and your brother are. I've been watching the two of you, I knew you'd show up here, and I'm glad you did because I have some questions," he said, bending down next to Damon and patting him on the shoulder.
I sat straight and tapped my fingers on my knee with a firm warning in the way I narrowed my eyes in his direction. Logan stood, stepping away from us, his hands in the air.
"Whoa, you might want to watch yourself, little witch. You forget, I know your weaknesses and where to find them," he said with a smirk.
I stood in a rush of rustling fabric and flung him as hard as I could against the metal door behind him. The loud crunch of his bones meeting the hard surface a welcoming sound.
"And you forget who your threatening, vampire," I snarled.
The witch in me called for his swift demise. I felt Damon's hand on my leg and looked down.
"We need to know who created him, El," he said.
I yanked my leg away and looked down at his bloodied shirt. "I swear to the Gods, Damon…"I trailed off, pointing at his shirt.
He smiled briefly as Logan pulled himself from the floor and hobbled his way towards us. I kept my back to him, my shoulders stiff. I could feel him staring at me, but I knew if I looked at him, if I saw the way he kept staring at Damon like he was some superior God just because he had gotten the drop on him, then I would kill him where he stood. I focused instead on the feel of my nails digging into the palms of my hands, as I clenched them tightly. Logan began to speak about the night Damon had killed him, and my ears perked up in concentration. I had an inkling of who had turned him, but I couldn't be sure, not yet.
"I'll answer your questions when you answer mine. Who turned you?" Damon asked.
I could hear Logan lower himself next to Damon, his shoes scuffing the floor as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. "How should I know? The last thing I remember is, I had just shot my ex's pretty little niece, and I am about to stake your brother when you grabbed me,"
I turned slowly and sneered when Logan jumped slightly at the growl that emanated from deep within Damon's chest.
"That's it! Until I wake up in the ground behind a used car dealership on Highway 4. Somebody buried me," Logan snarled.
Damon pulled another bullet from his leg and leaned his head back, eyes scrunched up in pain. "Ow, it happens," he said, breathing heavily and wobbling slightly, blinking a few times.
Logan bent down and leaned into Damon's face. I took a step closer and dug my nails deeper into my flesh to control myself.
"You bit me," Logan spat.
Damon looked at the wooden bullet in his hand, his teeth bared. "Damn it," he angrily said, tossing it to me.
I opened my bloodied palm and ignored the different expressions on each vampire. I looked at the bullet and held it tightly in my palm. It was dipped in vervain, which made this whole situation worse.
"It had to be you," Logan said eyes hard.
Logan leaned closer, and Damon, who I could see, was losing his patience, narrowed his eyes to slits, and sneered. "You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die. I didn't do that. Some other vampire found you, gave you their blood," he spat.
Damon groaned heavily and fell back onto the ground. I lowered myself to my knees and sat behind him, pulling him against me.
"We're not going to be able to play this game much longer, Day," I faintly whispered in his ear.
I could feel him chuckle and see the small smile they briefly crossed his face. It had been a very long time since I had used that nickname. It was something my brothers had called him often, much to his displeasure.
"Who?" Logan growled.
Damon sat up further, wobbling from side to side, and looked at Logan in annoyance. "That's what I wanna know," he said.
Logan waved the gun around in front of him as he bounced lightly on his heels.
"Dude, it's not like the welcome wagon was waiting with a bundt cake and a handbook. It was a learn as you go process. You know, one minute, I'm a small town on the rise news guy, and the next thing I know, I can't get into my own house, because my foot won't go through the door," Logan said.
I snickered lightly, and Logan swung the gun in my direction. Damon's eyes flickered black, and I covered my face and frowned. "That's terrible, Logan. You have to be invited in, ya know," I said matter of factly.
I patted Damon's arm as he continued to pry the rest of the bullets from the various parts of his chest and legs.
"I know. I live alone," Logan said.
Damon chuckled weakly and leaned onto my arm. "That sucks," he said.
I bit my lip as a small giggle escaped me again, and I could feel Damon's chest shaking against my legs. Logan pointed the gun at us, and Damon sat up quickly, his body shaking with the effort.
"So now, I'm at the Ramada, watching Pay-Per-View all day, and eating everything in sight, including housekeeping," he said. I held onto Damon's shoulder and smiled at Logan with ease.
"It could be worse," I said, shrugging.
"All I can think about is blood and killing people. I can't stop killing people,"
Logan moved closer to us and smelled the air, smiling at me. Damon shifted his weight and moved closer to me, his body pressing against mine, the blood from his shirt sticking to my skin.
Logan laughed menacingly. "And I like it. I'm conflicted," he said.
"Welcome to the club," Damon sarcastically said, shaking his head in annoyance.
I snorted lightly, and Damon slapped my leg. I inhaled sharply and rubbed the stinging skin with a wince. Logan stood and looked down at us with amusement.
I tilted my head and looked up at him in confusion. "Wait a minute," I said.
Damon frowned and looked away from me and up towards Logan. "Cops only found one body," Damon finished.
Logan shrugged and sighed in exasperation. "I left one. I was tired. But I've been hiding the rest of the bodies. They're right back there," he said, using the gun to point towards an area behind his left shoulder with a grin.
I stood to my feet and walked behind Logan to find a small caged area, you could see the bloodied legs and arms of several bodies piled on top of each other. I covered my mouth and turned away, my eyes closed. I swallowed hard and recollected myself, trying to keep my emotions in check, this isn't over yet, and if I lashed out now, I wouldn't be able to stop, not this time.
"You're kidding," Damon said, looking over Logan's shoulder.
I could hear the laugh in Logan's voice and slowly walked next to Damon, reminding myself of the reason we were here.
"They're just piling up!" he said.
I looked down at Damon and sighed, sitting down next to him, and leaning my head on his shoulder. My phone buzzed lightly, and everything happened so fast I barely had time to blink. Logan had jumped, his attention turning on me, and vamp sped in my direction. Before he could reach me though, Damon reached up and grabbed his shoulders, pinning him to the ground, teeth bared and growling deeply, his vampire features masking his face.
"Don't!" he warned.
I pushed myself away from them and stood to my feet. "Hey, it's ok. It's just Elena. She's wondering where I am. I can just tell her I'm running late," I said, my hands raised.
Logan pulled away from Damon and ripped the phone from my hand, looking down at the screen. I sat down on my knees and took Damon's chin in my hand. "I can handle myself, Day. You have got to remember that," I said firmly.
He pulled away from me and kept his eyes on Logan, following his every move.
"Why aren't you at the school, Elara? Do you not plan on being human for college? You and Damon seem close," Logan smirked.
I plopped down next to Damon and laughed loudly. "I have no plans on becoming a vampire, Logan. Though, If I could, I would take it, believe me," I sighed, leaning my head towards the ceiling. I heard the shuffling of his feet as he lowered himself in front of me, and slowly let my head slump towards him, my eyes narrowed.
"Can witches not become vampires?" he asked in confusion, eyes curious. The corners of my mouth twitched, and I suddenly felt terrible for the guy. This wasn't his fault, and he was dealing with it the only way he knew how. I lowered my face into my hands with a groan and felt Damon moving closer to me.
"No, it's not that I can't become a vampire. I'm cursed," When he opened his mouth I held up my hand and placed one finger to my mouth mockingly. "Long story. So, when I said it could be worse, believe me, it could be," I leaned forward and got as close to him as I dared, one arm on my knee. "At least you get to live," I said.
Logan sat back and looked thoughtful. "Why am I so overly emotionally? All I can think about is my ex-girlfriend. I wanna be with her, and bite her, and stuff," he said, face full of childish confusion.
"The girl talk is all yours, Darling," I told Damon mockingly, patting his knee.
Damon sighed deeply and smirked. "Well, you probably love her. Anything you felt before will be magnified now. You're gonna have to learn to control that,"
I nodded in agreement. If Logan thought he was going to get within an inch of my Aunt Jenna, he was sorely mistaken.
"What about walking in the sun? I'm a morning person." he cocked his head, and I could feel Damon move his hand across his Daylight ring. "You can walk in the sun, which, by the way, is pretty cool. The council will never suspect you. That's not in the journals," Logan said with a smirk.
"The journals?" Damon asked.
I tilted my head and looked at Damon. "The founding fathers, they passed down journals to their children," I said with a crooked smile.
Damon narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Did they now?" he asked.
I bit my lip and looked away.
"Come on, man. Ya gotta tell me. How can you walk around in the sun?" Logan asked.
I could feel the tension in the room rising and stood to my feet.
"Who turned you?" Damon asked with a smirk. I paced in a small circle as they argued back and forth for a few minutes before Logan finally stood, his gun pointing at Damon again. "You know, I've been really nice so far, but I will kill you," he said.
I stepped beside Damon as he stood, taking my arm and pulling me behind him. "Then, you'll never know. You're not answering my question," he said.
I tried to pull my arm from his grasp but winced when my effort was matched with pain. He jerked my arm, and I stilled.
"You first!" Logan shouted, pointing the gun in my direction.
Damon's posture stiffened, and he backed me further behind him.
"Damon. I'm ok…" I whispered.
"It seems we're at a bit of an impasse then, doesn't it," Damon said, ignoring me.
Logan shifted and ground his teeth together. "I have things to do, people to kill. Guess I'll be needing a little head start," he said, firing the gun.
Damon let go of my arm as he groaned in pain and fell to the floor, several new wounds littering his chest and side. I looked up, glancing around for Logan, my breathing heavy. When I knew he was no longer here, I dropped to the floor next to Damon and slapped him on his uninjured shoulder.
"You stupid vampire!" I shouted.
His head fell back, and he groaned again, breathing heavily. "I could have killed him, Day. Then you wouldn't be lying here in pain and covered in bullet holes," I said, lifting my hand above him and slowly closing my palm.
The wooden bullets began pulling themselves from his wounds, he yelled in pain as the extraction blazed through him. Still, I continued on, sniffling past the tears that were trying to escape. Once the last bullet flew into the air, I flung them across the room and yanked my sleeve up.
"Here. Drink," I said, lying my wrist on his mouth.
He sat up and pushed me away, his eyes dark. "No. Don't you think I've ripped into you enough," he spat, standing up.
I shook my head and helped him steady himself. "And now you're going to start acting self-righteous about it? Ok, Stefan. I think the blood loss has gone to your head," I said, bending over and pulling my pocket knife from my boot.
I stood and quickly slid open the blade, slicing my wrist in one swift motion. Damon's eyes zeroed in on the blade and pushed me away. "What the hell, Elandra?" he yelled.
I raised my wrist and walked over to him, offering it up to him with a shrug. "You lost too much blood, Damon. Just take some, heal me, and let's go," I said.
I pressed my wrist against his lips, and he took hold of me, drinking deeply. I held myself still until he pulled away, lifting his own wrist to his lips and biting down. I pulled my arm back and cradled it against me as I drank from his wrist until the long red slash I had made was gone. I stepped away from him and wiped my mouth. "Now, let's go kill that bastard," I said.
Damon smirked mischievously and took me in his arms, ready to speed away. "Agreed."
"What were you thinking, Elara?! He could have gotten you killed!" Elena hollered from the other end of the phone.
I squinted and pulled the phone away from my ear, rolling my eyes in Damon's direction. He stood in front of his bedroom mirror, pulling his blood-covered shirt from his chest. He hollered into his own cell phone, where Stefan spoke calmly on the other end. Much calmer than my sister who was still yelling at me. Something about my untimely death? As if that wasn't imminent anyway.
I flicked my wrist with a heavy sigh and laid back on Damon's bed, my cell phone floating in the air near my ear.
"Listen, Elena. I can handle myself, really I can. If I want to help Damon, I am going to, and there really isn't a thing you can say that will change my mind. Yelling at me only makes me enjoy helping him," I said truthfully.
She scoffed on the other end, and I winced.
"That sounded childish, but it's true. I've never liked being told what I can and cannot do. Goes back to the days when I had no rights as a woman,"
I smiled when no sound came from Elena, and I looked up to find Damon standing over me.
"Listen, Lena. I'll see ya in a few. Bye," I said, reaching for my floating phone and hanging up.
"No rights, huh?" he asked, leaning down, one arm on each side of me.
"Yep. I hated it. So I don't really like reminders,"
He smiled down at me, and I opened his unbuttoned shirt, running my hands over his healed chest.
"Are you feeling ok?" I asked in concern, my brows furrowed.
He watched my hands move across his chest, and his eyes fluttered closed when my hands slid across his stomach.
"Much better," he said.
I leaned forward and rolled him over, sitting astride up. I slowly buttoned his shirt, keeping my gaze on his. His blue eyes glimmered in the firelight.
"Good. Next time, don't try and protect me. I don't need you too," I said, fastening the last button with a wink and a small flourish.
I tried to move away from him, but he held my hips tightly, a strange glow in his eyes. "You could come with me," he whispered.
I held my breath, unsure I had heard him right. "What?" I asked.
He sat up and held me close to his chest. "I'm leaving after this. I came here, for one thing, Katherine. Now that I can't get her, I'm leaving,"
He ran his hands through my hair, and I stayed still, shell-shocked.
"You could come with me, we could find a way to break your curse together, just us."
He watched me closely, and I felt tears run down my cheeks. "So, what you're telling me is, now that you can't have Katherine, you want me to run away with you, knowing full well that I am going to die?"
Tears fell onto my shirt. I slid off of him, and, thankfully, he didn't fight me. I wiped the tears from my face and chuckled.
"Damon, I told you I would not play second fiddle,"
I turned around and faced him. He had stood and started towards me, his face ashen.
"I also will not run away from my family. I will spend my last days here, Damon. Not playing Katherine's understudy,"
I wrapped my arms around myself, my heart dropping to my feet. Damon stopped his journey towards me and ran his hands over his exhausted face, his eyes hardened as he shook his head.
"That's not what I want…" he started.
I raised my hands and stepped past him.
"You don't even know what you want, Day. So please, spare me."
I stopped in my tracks and turned on my heel, meeting his oceanic gaze with a dry laugh.
"God, ya know, I'm being completely hypocritical. I don't really know what I want either,"
I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, another pair of blue eyes flashing in my mind's eye. I squashed the thought before it could fully form.
"All I know is, every time I'm around you, I get lost. After all this time...and even after everything you have done...I still love you." I gasped out, shocked by my own words.
I grasped my hair in my hands and closed my eyes for a moment taking in the words and the meaning behind them. When I had finally opened my eyes again, it was only after coming to terms with the truth. I did still love him, as bad an idea as that was, it wasn't something I could help. I looked at the man I loved, his dark hair disheveled, face pale as he stood as still as a statue, expressionless. His eyes never left my face, but I wasn't sure if he was seeing me. There was so much fear there, so much anger. His eyes were the only thing not blank. So many different things swimming through them and then just as quickly sinking back towards the bottom. I shook my head and brushed my hair away from my wet face.
"I should be over you, but I'm not, and it's killing me," I said, my hands fisted in front of me.
I closed my eyes tightly and enjoyed the way they burned. When I finally opened them again, Damon stood in front of me, his eyes cold.
"You can't love me," he said.
I stepped closer to him and shook my head. "Fine. I don't love you, then. Let's say I never did, does that make you feel better," I said flatly.
He took my wrists in his hands, and I looked away from him. "Don't say that. Never say that," he said.
I yanked my hands from him and walked swiftly towards his door. "That's what you want, isn't it? My hate?" I asked over my shoulder.
I didn't wait for a response; I just kept walking. I stood by the door and waved my hands over my feet before speeding away into the night.
—-
The intersection was clear as I stood in the middle, waiting. I felt a slight breeze and smiled. "Hello, Stefan," I said.
"What are you doing here, and how did you figure out where to be?" he asked, taking my hand and pulling me to the side of the road.
I inhaled deeply and sighed. "Well, I watched him kidnap my best friend and sped off ahead of him." I looked at Stefan in anger. "I'm going to fucking kill him, Stef," I said, my eyes blazing.
"I think we should let her have her fun, brother," Damon said.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Stefan narrowed his eyes at me, but I just shook my head. "Not now." I mouthed.
He nodded, and I smiled thankfully. Damon tilted his head and smiled.
"Here he comes," he said.
I stepped closer to the road and looked at the bright headlights that we're barreling towards us with an evil sneer. Stefan took my hand and pulled me back. "Let's allow the indestructible ones to go first, shall we?" he asked.
I bowed lowly and motioned for him to go ahead. "After you then," I said.
He grinned broadly, and I shook my head in amusement, clapping my hands. "This is going to be so much fun!" I giggled loudly.
Damon and Stefan watched me with odd expressions as the car slowed to a stop at the intersection. Stefan sent me a wink, and vamp sped to the driver's side, pulling Logan from the car and slamming him into the pavement as hard as he could. I stepped in front of the car and looked down at the startled Logan.
"Eh, 7 points, Stef," I said.
Logan stood and inched towards me, Damon came out of the woods, gun in hand and shot him in the chest. I smiled as Logan fell to the ground in a groan of pain.
"As much as I hate saying this; 10 points to Damon for flair," I sighed.
"Paybacks a bitch isn't it," Damon said, bending next to Logan.
I ran around the car and pulled open the passenger side, taking an unconscious Caroline into my arms. "Oh, Care Bear," I said, checking her pulse.
Stefan joined me, and I slipped her into his arms. "She's ok. Get her outta here," I said, brushing her hair from her eyes.
Stefan kissed my forehead and sped her away. I walked back around the car and found Damon talking to the Sheriff. "She's ok. I'm on Elm Street," he said, hanging up.
He tossed the phone into the car and walked to the back, opening the truck and removing the tire iron. I smiled brightly down at Logan and lowered myself to my knees. "We're gonna try this one more time. Who turned you?" I asked.
Logan looked at me and then back to Damon, who swung the tire iron like a baseball bat. "You better answer her. We've had an awful day, and I'm pretty sure taking some of our frustration out on you would make us feel a whole lot better," he said with a smirk.
I swung my hair over my shoulder and looked down at my nails. "I have to agree. I could definitely use a mood booster," I chirped.
"I told you I don't know," Logan panted.
Damon swung the tire iron again, and I applauded, running my eyes up and down his body. "Good form, dear," I said cheekily.
Damon smiled and looked down at the tool thoughtfully. "This tire iron here could take your head clean off." Damon held the iron over his shoulder, ready to swing, and looked down at Logan. "Is that your final answer?" he asked.
Logan looked between us, propping himself up on his elbows and shook his head at Damon in disgust. "How can you side with them?" he asked.
Damon arched his shoulders, preparing himself for an excellent swing, and sneered down at him. "I don't side with anyone. You pissed us off. We want you dead. Who turned you?" he asked.
"I don't know!" Logan yelled.
I stood and walked behind Damon, smiling at Logan over his shoulder. "Oh well. You're screwed," I said.
Damon winked at me and lifted the tire iron over his head and swung it towards Logan, who immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Wait, wait! I do know!" he pled.
Damon lowered the iron and rolled his eyes. "Your lying," he said.
Logan stood slowly, his hands raised. "Do you think your the only one who wants to get in the tomb underneath the old church?" Logan said quickly.
My eyes darted between the two. "Damon...don't…" I said.
He looked at me and shook his head. "If you're lying to me, I will end you," Damon said roughly.
Logan looked at him in fear. "I'm not lying. There's another way to break the spell. We can help you. Meet me at the old church," Logan said, breathing heavily.
Blue and red lights flashed in the distance, and I covered myself with a thick cloaking spell, my heart as dense as the cloud of magic that had begun to cover my body. I had known this was coming, but it still didn't make it any easier. Damons heartbreak was inching closer and closer.
Damon stepped next to Logan, the tire iron raised above his head. "Take me down. Make it look real. Make it look real!" he snapped.
Logan pushed Damon as hard as he could, lifting him into the air and tossing him into the car before speeding off. Despite knowing he was perfectly ok, I lowered myself next to Damon and looked him over. His blue eyes were bright and excited, even hidden under the fake mask of exhaustion and sadness he had placed there specifically for Liz. The Sheriff's car stopped, and Liz stepped out, rushing towards Damon.
"Where is she?" she asked.
Damon sat up with a groan. "She is ok. My brother has taken her home. I'm sorry, Sheriff. I just wasn't strong enough," Damon said, his voice raw with sadness.
I felt something soft brush my hand as I stood, but I ignored it, instead, heading exactly where I shouldn't.
I sat on one of the stones at the old Fell church, my eyes closed, the souls of the vampires beneath me calling out. I could feel them seeping through the dirt and stone.
"I thought I would find you here. You just can't seem to stay out of the thick of things, can you?" Damon asked.
I raised a finger to my lips and shook my head, eyes squeezed tight. He sat down next to me as I rubbed my temples gently. "There's so many of them down there. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. That's why I always avoided this place," I said, opening my eyes.
I placed my hands flat on the cold stone below me and took a deep breath. "I promise I will reunite you with her one day, Damon," I said, my eyes staring at the treeline straight ahead of me. "You deserve to find peace," I whispered.
Damon's phone buzzed, interrupting the silence that followed my statement. I listened to Damon's end of the conversation and understood more and more the bleaker his expression became. When he finally hung up, he looked at me in shock. "Someone killed Logan. Liz found his body," he said, standing.
He reached down and took my arm, pulling me away from the church. "Come on. We're going to figure out exactly how to get into this church," he said.
I lowered my eyes to my feet. "I'll help you in any way I can, Day," I said.
He stopped walking, and I bumped into his back, stumbling over a few rocks that had found their way in my path. He pulled my face up, brushing the hair out of my eyes, and smiled at me weakly. Moving his hand down my arm and into my own, he clasped his fingers around mine.
"Thank you, El," he whispered.
I returned his smile and gripped his hand tightly. "Let's go," I said with a firm nod.
He looked behind us at the church he so believed held the woman he loved, and gently pulled me forward. He sped us towards the Boarding House, the roads empty and quiet until we stopped suddenly. A few feet away, a car was lying upside down, and a man was inching towards it.
A Vampire.
I looked down at the car, and recognition spilled within me.
"NO!" I yelled, running forwards.
I moved my hand back and allowed it to fill with bright blue magic before flinging it at the Vampire. He stood still in shock, his eyes zeroing in on me, as the ball of blue hit him in the chest, flinging him backward. Damon sped past me after him. I flew to the driver's side of the car and slid onto my knees, the glass digging into my jeans. Elena was hanging upside down, unconscious. I tried to unfasten her seatbelt, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
"Lena?" I cried, feeling for a pulse.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I found one. I shook my hands profoundly, squeezing some life back into them before laying them on her belt and whispering a spell to release her. The belt clicked loudly, echoing through the car, as she slumped to the hood, her body limp. I took her by her shoulders and pulled her from the car, laying her on the concrete outside. I ran my fingers through long matted hair and checked the small head wound, relieved to find it didn't appear to be anything serious. I laid her head in my lap and cradled her as if she were a child.
"It's ok. You're ok," I said, running my fingers through her hair.
Damon came from the woods at vamp speed and lowered himself beside us. He leaned over Elena and checked her pulse before biting into his wrist and lowering it into onto her lips. She shook her head, trying to pull away, but I held her head still, forcing her to ingest some of the blood.
"Just drink," I whispered.
Once she had ingested enough to heal any internal injuries she might have had, he lifted her into his arms, maneuvering her over his shoulder. He then took my hand and helped me to my feet.
"Let's go. We gotta get on the road. I have no clue who that was," Damon said.
I looked around us and frowned. "I think he knew me, Damon. He had recognition in his eyes, but I can't seem to place him," I said, closing my eyes with a grimace.
Damon lowered Elena into his arms and nudged me. "Let's leave the strolls down memory lane for later, El,"
I rolled my eyes at him and winced as we moved forward. I looked down at my knees and noticed the blood seeping through my jeans. Nice. I ignored the pain and pushed forward.
"Can you get back yourself?" he asked.
I nodded and watched as he flashed out of sight. I looked down at my knees again and wrapped myself in magic.
This was going to hurt.