Chapter 20

February 6th, 2010

Evie lay flat on her back on the plush couch, staring up at the ceiling of the Salvatore Boarding House living area. She was attempting to organize her thoughts. Things were complicated and she wasn't sure how to fix them. It was so confusing. She had been fine until she had given into temptation after the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Now she felt different, and she couldn't understand why. Or what had changed within her. She still felt that things were the same on the outside. She and Damon still argued and picked at each other. The banter hadn't changed, and it was familiar, comforting. So, what was it that had changed?

She couldn't even discuss it with her best friend. Bonnie wouldn't understand and would probably end up being pissed that Evie even brought up Damon. She had already made it clear that she hated Damon and all vampires so hearing about Evelyn's confusion would just make things worse. She had very little friends and wanted to keep the ones she had, even if she had to keep her friendship with Damon a secret. She just didn't know how long that would have to be. Bonnie wouldn't want to be friends with her if she found out about her interactions with Damon. Especially if she ever found about the...extracurricular activities.

Grabbing a pillow, she slapped it into her face several times in frustration. Why, why, why did things have to be so freakin' hard!

"Evie, are you okay?"

Lowering the pillow, she spotted Elena coming into the living room, her overnight bag slung over one shoulder.

"Peachy." She answered and sat up with a sigh. Spotting something on the coffee table, she motioned with her fingers at bottle in front of her. Using her magic, would help her not think about her inner turmoil, so she focused on her new task.

"Are you sure you-" Elena paused, blinking at the floating decanter of bourbon as it tilted and filled two glass cups. "Uh...That's really good."

"Thanks. You want one?"

"No. That's okay."

She continued to watch in silence. It still puzzled her that Evie was so at ease being in the Salvatore's house. She had been there for the past few days, sleeping at Bonnie's per request from her grandmother who was helping Michael through a bad round of the flu. So, the teenager had been going in and out of Bonnie's and Stefan's house. She wondered if Bonnie knew where Evie spent most of her time. It still puzzled her how she could stand having only Damon for company for hours on end and she wondered how they hadn't tried to murder each other yet. Then again, no one else could deal with the moody teen quite like Damon and vice versa. Evie was only one who could decipher the cryptic vampire.

Evelyn's dad also seemed to apparently trust Damon a great deal. She didn't question the trust, because even she was starting to see another side to Damon. He obviously cared about his brother despite "hating" him. And obviously Evie had seen it first and she never trusted anyone as fast as she had Damon. Elena was almost envious of how quickly they had formed a friendship. But it did make her wonder how much Bonnie knew about Damon and Evie. It wasn't likely that she would be just fine with the relationship, especially when she made it so clear how against vampires she was.

Elena glanced up from checking her overnight bag to see Damon come down the stairs, noticing a contemplative look on his face.

"Drink?" Evie questioned and he glanced over at her as a glass filled with his favorite bourbon floated over to him. He seemed to drink a lot less when she and Evie were around though he wouldn't turn down a floating one.

"Nice." He said and took the drink in one hand. Elena saw him pick up the device from a table with his free hand.

"Did you ever figure out what that is?"

"Nope. Whatever it is, it doesn't work."

Evelyn snorted. "Just because you don't know what it does doesn't mean it's broke, dumbass."

The vampire rolled his eyes and Elena coughed to hide a laugh.

"Well, when you figure it out with your all-knowing magic let me know, smartass." He retorted and she flicked her fingers at him, almost causing him to spill his drink.

Elena shook her head at them. "Pearl didn't say anything else about it?"

He shrugged and turned the device in his hands. "She thought she was stealing his vampire compass, but it was a pocket watch. That Johnathan Gilbert was a crazy scientist." He stopped twirling the device and looked at her again. "You spoken to your uncle lately?"

Elena shook her head. "I've been avoiding him, actually. That, and I've been here most nights."

"So, you'll be here again tonight?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes, you're a complete nuisance." He teased and she rolled her eyes. Evie snorted. "Correction, she is the nuisance, you are welcome anytime."

"See you later." Elena smirked. "Don't bother Evie."

Damon snorted. "No promises. She's cranky."

"You started it." She called back and Elena left before an argument started.

The vampire flopped onto the couch across from her and she glanced over at him.

"Gran called. Dad's fever finally went away and he's on the mend."

"Good. Then you can take your whiny ass home instead of here." He smirked and Evie snorted.

"You're the one whining over the device." She muttered and went back to skimming over the book in her lap.

He gave her a grin. "We're alone..."

Hearing his tone, she shifted on the couch. Damon watched her every move, eyes darkening.

"And?" She inquired, not bothering to look in his direction. She wished she didn't enjoy the thrill she felt at his words, but she did. She could feel his eyes on her, and it made her uncomfortable in a good way. A way she couldn't deny she liked. Her thoughts began all over again and she chewed her lip.

"Come on, no one's around and you're obviously not going to school."

"You just insulted me and basically told me to go away." She huffed. "Why should I?"

In seconds, the book in her lap was tossed to the end of the couch and he was leaning over her. His arms stretched out on either side of her head and his face so close to hers that their noses touched. Evie blinked at him, stunned for a moment, before a small smirk appeared on her face.

"So, you're not cranky or a nuisance?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Maybe." She retorted and he grinned.

"I was teasing, my Eves. I like when you're here."

Glad she was wearing an overly large hoodie, she ducked down within it like a turtle, so he couldn't see her face and her stupid grin that wouldn't go away.

"Shuddup." She mumbled from within the confines of her hoodie. Part of her knew she needed to say no and to stop what was about to happen. Bonnie was her best friend. But on the other hand, she was perfectly capable of making her own decisions and really who was it hurting?

"Want me to prove it?"

His fingers trailed up her arms. She shuddered from the sensation.

"N-No." She stuttered when she pulled her arms away from slowly. Then she made the mistake of making eye contact with him. And she was lost.

Damon's eyes narrowed wickedly before he moved in a blur. Evie shrieked with laughter as she was plucked from the couch.

"Hey!"

Damon rolled his eyes as he spotted Evie hanging around the basement door as he came up the steps. She had been checking on Stefan multiple times since the event at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, always worrying about him. He had also noticed that she was biting her nails again.

"Well?" She asked him, huffing when he gently nudged her aside as he passed. Her messy bun swayed precariously, and she immediately began to redo it.

"I told you not to go into the basement." He replied. She scowled, glancing once over her shoulder at the stairs before following him back into the living room fixing her hair.

"I didn't go down there." She rolled her eyes.

"No." He agreed, before adding: "You just waited outside like a lurker."

Evie snorted and then a worried frown wrinkled her brow, hands lowering from smoothing her hair. "He's still not eating?"

Hearing her concerned tone, he glanced at her and shook his head.

"He's just being dramatic." He assured her. "He'll get over it soon enough."

Evelyn looked over her shoulder again and bit at her thumbnail.

"Maybe I should talk to him."

"And say what?" Damon snorted. "Sorry I couldn't be your snack?"

The girl whipped her head around and scowled. "No, asshole. But...He didn't mean to-"

"Yes, my Eves, he did." He interrupted snidely. "He's a vampire. Vampires like blood, end of story. Now stop biting your nails, I surprised you have any left."

She lowered her hand, glaring at him. "Shut up."

"That's not nice."

She started to respond in what he was sure was a more vulgar manner, but his phone began ringing.

"You weren't nice about it were you? To Stefan I mean." She questioned in an annoyed voice instead of the insult and he snorted at her before answering his phone.

"Hello?"

"It's Alaric Saltzman."

"Before I hang up," He began narrowing his eyes and Evie watched him give a confused look. "How'd you get this number?"

"Ah, it's a mystery. Anyway, I've been doing some digging on Elena's Uncle. You interested?"

"Is it Alaric?" Evie asked, following him. Damon grew annoyed that she sounded so interested and excited because the teacher called. "Is it?"

He waved her off and she scowled. She narrowed her eyes, and he was magically shoved into the liquor cabinet making the insides rattle. Scowling at her as he stumbled back upright, he put the phone on speaker so she could hear.

"Nosy-pants." He griped lowly at her, and she gave a smug grin. "What kind of digging?" He asked aloud and Alaric's voice drifted from the speaker.

"I've got an old friend from Duke who studied criminology when we were there together. Let's just say he's become a very proficient digger."

"Did he find anything?" Evie questioned before Damon could and he rolled his eyes.

Alaric paused. "Oh, uh, hey, Evelyn...Uh, Well, I had him run a track on John's cell records. He was getting a call from a number-the same number that Elena dialed to get Isobel. And then the number was disconnected."

"Isobel knows John. Whatever. We knew that." Damon rolled his eyes when Evie huffed at his attitude.

"Right. Well after that, he started getting calls from a new number. And I had my friend run a Geotrack. Got the address. It's-it's an apartment in Grove Hill."

The vampire glanced at Evie who looked just as surprised. "Isobel's in Grove Hill?"

"I don't know. I thought we could take a look and see what we find."

"Perfect. Give me the address."

"Oh, so you can go without me? I don't think so. Evie how's your dad?"

"On the mend, but he's not well enough to go." Damon shoved her aside with his hip and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going with you. You tried to kill me."

"Yeah, well you did kill me." Alaric pointed out and Evie gave Damon a look.

"Stop giving me the death glare, Eves. He's perfectly fine." He drawled and then his phone beeped signaling another call. "Hold on." He said to Alaric. "What?"

"I'm just grabbing some more clothes and then I'll be right over. How's Stefan?" Elena's voice chimed.

"Extra broody." He answered. "Hold on." He clicked back onto Alaric.

"You drive. Pick me up in an hour."

"Done."

"We'll be waiting!" Evie added before Alaric hung up.

"No." Damon said firmly, pointing at her. "No "we". You are not going."

"Yes I am."

"No." He said again and then picked up the phone to talk to Elena. "He won't eat anything."

Evie frowned at Damon who purposely ignored her as he was answering Elena's questions.

"I'm going." She said aloud and he rolled his eyes.

Lowering the phone, he said: "No."

"Yes! I'm going!"

Damon rolled his eyes. "You just want to make sure I don't kill your favorite teacher."

"Someone else might try to kill him. You're not dumb enough to do that again." She pointed out and he snorted. "So, I'm going."

"Don't make me regret it."

"Please you need me." She scoffed.

He grinned wickedly at her. "That I do."

"Shut up, Count Dorkula before I vomit." She scowled and he winked, returning to Elena's phone call.

"He still won't move." Evie said from behind Elena. "I tried to go down there, but Damon wouldn't let me. He's being a giant pain in my ass."

The brunette turned from the basement door, an anxious yet determined look in her eyes.

"He has to drink. I'm going to see if I can convince him."

"Hey, Elena?"

She paused, looking back at Evie.

"Tell Stefan I'm okay and not to feel guilty. It's not all his fault."

"I will." Elena smiled and went down the stairs.

Elena sat on the couch, worrying her bottom lip as she contemplated what Stefan had confessed to her.

"He's just being dramatic." Damon commented with a scoff. "He's not gonna starve himself."

Elena frowned. "Why would he say that?"

"He feels bad about hurting that girl. And Eves, but she's the one who went outside when I told her not to so…" He shrugged. "It's typical Stefan martyr stuff. It will pass"

"Will it? Because he seemed to be in a lot of pain."

"Yeah, well that will pass too once he eats."

"I didn't mean physical pain." She scowled.

"I know what you meant."

"Look you gonna be okay here if I run out? I have to run an errand with the teacher. And Eves is going too."

"The teacher? Alaric? Are you friends now?"

Damon snorted.

"I don't have any friends, Elena."

"Just Evie."

The vampire rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"You're taking her with you, aren't you?"

"Well, she invited herself." Damon rolled his eyes. "So, it's not because I want her to go." Damon gave her a smirk and leaned over to whisper: "She's got a thing for the teacher." Elena raised an eyebrow at the news.

"Are you coming?!" Evie called from the hallway. "We'll be late!"

"Coming, princess. Keep your skirt on." Damon called back and then added with a wicked smirk: "Or you know off…"

"Shut up, doofus!"

Elena rolled her eyes at Damon.

"You should stay up here. You shouldn't go down thereby yourself."

"I'll be fine."

"You know you're very trusting of him given the circumstances."

"So are you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be leaving."

"She's got you there." Evie chimed in and Damon scowled.

"Get outside."

"This is one here. The records show this was paid 3 months in advance."

"This is where it gets tricky. I may or may not be able to get in." Damon knocked on the door.

"Rules. You don't go in first and you don't leave my sight.'

"Alright, dad, back off."

"Yeah, how does that work? Do you always have to be invited in?"

"By the owner or the person of entitlement. Short-term rentals and hotels are a bit of a gray area. You kind of gotta play it by ear."

"Unless you're blocked by my magic." Evie added. "I can make your place safe, Alaric."

The man smiled at her, and Damon rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. "Thanks. I'll remember that."

"Could we not kill anyone tonight, please?"

"You mean, you just brought me along for my company?" Damon smirked and Evie snorted.

"Yeah, that's why."

"And why are you here?" He retorted and opened the door. He gestured for Ric to move ahead. He snagged the back of Evie's shirt to keep her from following. "Wait, a second."

Alaric glanced around cautiously. "It doesn't look like anyone's home." Evie elbowed Damon and he moved forward.

The dark-haired vampire took a step over the threshold and nodded. "Yeah. I'm good. No permanent resident, apparently."

Evie shut the door behind them and looked around the simple little apartment. It seemed too quiet, and she was on edge as if someone were home. She kept behind Alaric just in case her sense was correct.

Damon opened the fridge and peered inside. He tensed at the sight of numerous blood bags.

"Uh, Ric, we have company." He said and turned his head a fraction.

No sooner had he spoken than a vampire jumped on Alaric, knocking him back into a wall and causing Evie to land on her bottom. The history teacher stabbed the attacker with his wooden knuckles. The vampire grunted in pain and staggered back, only to try again.

"Freeze, dude." Evie made the vampire freeze mid-step and he stopped growling in confusion as she forced him backward and he was stuck.

"Boys and witchy, that's enough." Damon commented before he got a good look at the vampire. "I know you."

"Damon?"

"Your name is Henry. You were in the tomb."

"Yes, sir."

"You can let him go, Eves. It's okay." Damon told her and she hesitantly lowered her hands.

"What are you doing here?" Henry asked in confusion as he took Damon's offered hand.

"Are you here to see John?"

"Uh, yeah. We're here to see John Gilbert.'

"He'll be back soon. Want a drink?" He eyed Evie before looking away swiftly when she glanced at him.

"Sure." Damon smiled and gave Alaric a subtle glance.

Henry poured a blood bag into a glass for Damon and slid it across the table. "So, how do you know John Gilbert?'

Damon shrugged. "Well, I've known him for years. He's a good friend. How do you know him?"

"I met him right after I got out of the tomb. He's been helping me out."

Alaric frowned. "Helping you out how?"

"Adapting. It's a whole new world...Cars, computers, ." He again looked at Evie and she raised an eyebrow at him. He ducked his head slightly and cleared his throat. "There's so much to learn. He helped me get this place."

Alaric frowned. "So, do you live here alone or is there someone else here?" Evie almost snorted at Alaric's impatience.

Henry started to frown, but Damon interrupted. "That's my friend's very passive-aggressive way of asking, uh, do you know a woman named Isobel?"

Henry shook his head. "Uh, no. No, I don't know an Isobel. I know John. He's my only real friend. He really showed me the ropes...how to use a microwave, separate my whites…"

"Oh, yes, the important stuff." Evie muttered sarcastically and Henry nodded with a goofy smile. Obviously, he was too smitten to hear her tone of voice. He was too busy admiring her hair, which she was braiding in boredom. Alaric scowled when he noticed the attention of the opposing vampire.

"What else do you do for him?" He asked to regain his attention.

"I help keep an eye on things...You know, with the others."

"The others?" Damon asked, leaning forward. Evie stiffened.

Henry nodded. "From the tomb. They're still pissed at the founding families for trying to burn them alive. I'm cool, but those tomb boys, they want revenge." He paused for a moment. "And there's this really creepy guy. I don't really remember him at all. He came out with us…Guy was cuckoo. Kept asking for someone named Boleyn." Evie had a hard time keeping still. Boleyn was her grandmother's last name. She glanced at Damon who was looking at her with a confused expression. "Said he saw her." Henry shrugged. "He still believes that it's 1864 or something."

Alaric looked from Damon to Evie who was chewing her nails apprehensively. He was confused at first, then he suddenly recalled Evie's grandmother's last name. Boleyn. Was this creepy vampire looking for Evie's family?

"What does John want with them?" He asked aloud to change the subject a bit.

Henry looked at him. "He's just keeping an eye on them, you know? Trying to make sure they stay out of trouble."

Damon smiled half-heartedly. "Well, that's John. Heh. He's such a do-gooder." Had Evie not been in her shocked state, she would have snorted at his tone of voice.

A cell phone ringing cut through the brief silence and Henry pulled his device from the pocket of his jeans.

"Heh. That's John now." He laughed at the coincidence of it.

Damon stood up from the table. "Oh. Hey, let me talk to him." The gullible vampire nodded.

"All right. Yeah." He handed the phone to Damon who looked down at it but didn't make a move to open it. "Are you gonna answer that?

"Am I gonna...answer that?" He asked, glancing at Alaric who was shaking his head.

"What's going on?" Henry asked. He glanced at each person before he realized it was a trap. Face contorting to his vampire features, he made a run at Evie who yelped at the sudden turn. Damon grabbed the vampire and Alaric staked him. Henry desiccated before them and fell to the floor, dead.

Damon smirked at Alaric and patted his arm. ""Let's not kill anyone tonight." Your words. Just pointing that out."

"Yeah, well he was gunning for Evie. So, there was a just cause." The teacher rolled his eyes and the vampire snorted. "I'm going to look around. Keep an eye on her. Hearing about that probably wasn't good for her."

Damon looked toward the girl in question as Ric exited the living room. Evie was shifting from foot to foot, chewing her fingernails once more. She wasn't really looking at anything, he could see she was thinking hard about what she had learned. And Damon began to wonder if "creepy vampire" was the one who left her the note that he hadn't gotten to see because she had burned it. The rose, he recalled, had been before the tomb had opened. That didn't sit well with him either.

He walked up to her, and she glanced up at him, lowering her hand.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Peachy." She muttered.

Damon continued to eye her. Evie's brow furrowed.

"I'll be fine. Seriously. Stop staring."

He snorted, internally glad to see her out of her shocked state. He went into the kitchen to search for anything useful while Evie looked through the papers on the coffee table.

Alaric came back down the hallway and Damon turned from emptying the blood bags.

"Find anything yet?"

"No, I looked everywhere. The place is...The place is clean."

"Well, I found this. Behind the blood in the fridge." He tossed a beer to Ric and then peered back in the fridge. "Nothing for you, Eves."

"I'm good." She said from the living room, where she had plopped herself onto the couch.

Ric sighed. "Oh, man, this was a real dead-end." He sat next to Evie on the couch, running a hand over his face.

"I wouldn't beat myself up over it, man." Damon commented, looking through a stack of papers onto of a desk. "What did you think you were gonna find, huh? Isobel with a cigar and slippers?"

Alaric snorted into laughter and then took a deep breath. "Oh, man. I...I gotta stop this. I can't...I can't keep searching for her."

Evie looked at him sympathetically and touched his arm. He smiled softly at her.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Really? After only two years? That's actually moderately healthy."

"What are you going on? 146?" Alaric retorted.

Evie snorted and Damon rolled his eyes. He got a chair from the desk turning it to that his arms could rest over the back of it.

"Well, I figure the 200 mark is probably a good stopping point."

Alaric took a sip of his beer. "Ahh. I mean, no answer is enough. I keep thinking I wanna know why, when, you know, the precise moment. When my wife decided life with me wasn't enough." Evie felt sad for him and angry that Isobel left him.

Damon tilted his head in thought. "She charmed me, your wife Isobel. She talked a good game, man. She was smart. She had this excitement in her eyes. I probably should have known there was something different about her, some tie to Katherine. There had to be some reason I didn't kill her."

"Shut up, Salvatore." Evie scowled and Damon scowled back at her. She was defending her crush again.

Alaric was frowning too.

'That's enough, Damon. I don't wanna hear anymore. I just don't want to waste any more of my life. Searching for answers that I really don't want. I'm through with Isobel. I...I'm done with all of this. Yeah." He got up and walked away.

"Way to go."

"What? He started the conversation."

Evie rolled her eyes. "Why don't you go be nice, huh? Just once won't kill you." Damon rolled his eyes but stood up and went into the kitchen.

"Evie's mom is a vampire." He said in lieu of a greeting or an apology.

Alaric almost spat out his drink. "What?" He choked, turning to face him. Damon glanced over his shoulder. Evie was looking through a stack of papers on the coffee table and was paying them no attention.

"Yeah, according to Mike...Like Isobel his wife was lured into the world of vampirism. Her death during Evie's birth was the trigger."

"Oh god. Does Evelyn know?"

"Not yet. He hasn't told her. And Mike doesn't have a clue who turned her."

"It wasn't you?"

Damon gave him a look. "I have my standards. Woman was pregnant."

"Well, is there any reason to think she might be in league with John and Isobel?" Alaric asked.

He shrugged, though the idea had occurred to him too. "Don't know. And won't know until we find her. Or least discover what John knows."

"What about the creepy vampire that no one knows? The one looking for a Boleyn. Did you know any by the way from before?"

The vampire frowned in thought. "Yes, they were neighbors to the Lockwoods, but we didn't interact with them much. They kept to themselves. My father did business with them but I'm not sure what kind."

"Business like supernatural healing?" Alaric wondered aloud and Damon turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "There was something, I can't believe I didn't make the connection before. In a few of the Gilbert journals it was briefly mentioned that they were the ones to go to when a doctor couldn't do the impossible."

"Or to cover up something." The vampire muttered, looking toward Evie again. The girl was leaning against the couch, looking sleepy as she texted on her phone.

"Think her grandma knows? Or her dad?"

Damon shrugged. "Guess we have a lot of what-ifs." Aloud, he said: "Come on, Eves. Let's go."

Elena looked up when Evie entered the living room.

"How's Stefan?"

The brunette sighed. "He's so guilt-ridden that I just don't know what to do."

"Ugh. God. You're still here?"

They looked over to see Damon and Evie snorted.

Elena smirked. "Were you expecting anything else?"

"No." He said simply and picked up Evie's legs, so he could sit on the couch.

"Hey!"

"Just be still." He said and laid her legs over his lap.

Elena set her pencil down from doing homework to pay attention to them.

"So, how was the "errand"?"

"Futile. Although, I think I witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis." Evie tried to thump him, but he grabbed her wrists, stilling her motions. "Ah. Ah. Ah." Evie scowled and tried to pull free. "Has Stefan eaten yet?"

Elena raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't care."

"Chalk it up to morbid curiosity."

Elena sighed deeply. "I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with. And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for Katherine getting caught."

"This is my fault now?" He scoffed.

"No, it's no one's fault, Damon. I'm just...saying you're not exactly innocent." She shrugged. "You've made it your life's mission to make him miserable."

Shocked, Damon stood abruptly, letting Evie drop off his lap and into the floor.

"Asshat!" She shouted from the carpet and rolled to sit upright.

"Let me ask you a question. In all this important soul-searching and cleansing of the demons of Stefan's past, did you ever manage to get the rest of the story?" He said, an edge to his voice. Evie's scowl went away. He looked frustrated.

"He said there was more."

"Yeah. That's an understatement."

Knowing that if she didn't stop him, he'd go off and be broody, Evie got up and caught his arm.

"Then tell us. Explain to me why you're so passive-aggressive with anything to do with Stefan." Evie frowned at him. "If we're so wrong then tell us why."

She waited patiently while he stared at the wall for the longest, either ignoring her or contemplating the pros and cons of the rest of the story. Then she shifted forward and put a hand on his arm.

"Damon."

His eyes landed on her automatically. She squeezed his arm.

"Tell us the story?"

He heaved a sigh so heavy that Evie almost regretted asking.

"Remember when I told you about the night we were caught."

"Yes, but you didn't finish. You stopped after getting shot by your father."

Damon nodded. "We woke up the next morning. The sun hurt our eyes, Stefan said it was our bodies wanting to transition. I had chosen not too, there was no other life without Katherine. Stefan, I thought, had chosen the same…"

Flashback:

Quarry 1864

Damon was leaning weakly against the house when Stefan arrived. There was a strange girl next to him.

"What are you doing? Who is that?"

Stefan nodded at the girl. "I brought her for you. She's a gift." He turned to the girl. "Have a seat, please." She said as he said obediently, sitting next to Damon on the porch steps.

"What have you done, Stefan?" He asked in horror. Only vampires could control someone like that!

"Damon, I've been to see father. He came at me. I didn't know my own strength." Stefan said, sounding excited. "There was blood everywhere. He was dying, and the blood was too strong. I needed it. I had to have it."

"You fed." He said simply.

Stefan nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. And it's incredible. My body is exploding with power, Damon."

"No."

"I can hear things from far away. I can see through the darkness. I can move, like it's magic. And the guilt, the pain...Damon, I can turn it off. Like a switch. Katherine was right. It's a whole another world out there, Damon."

Damon shook his head. "Katherine is dead, Stefan. There's no world without her."

His brother grabbed his shoulders. "No. You can turn that off, too. You don't have to feel that pain anymore."

"I don't want it." Damon said lowly, unsteady on his feet.

"You're weak. You'll be dead soon. You need this."

"No." He shook his head again.

"You'll die."

"No. I can't."

"Please." He gestured for the girl to come to them, and she wandered over. Extending his fangs, Stefan bit into her neck. Twin pinpricks of blood welled on her neck, rolling down slowly. Stefan still had Damon and was turning him toward her. "I won't let you die."

"No. I can't." He protested once more, but weaker. The blood was so tempting…

Stefan: "Don't fight it. We can do this...together." He held Damon closer and then the weakened brother latched onto the girl's neck.

Taking a deep breath, Damon pulled back and then struck again, fangs appearing.

"From the moment Stefan had his first taste of human blood, he was a different person." Damon finished his story. He was back on the couch with Evie's legs across his lap once more. He took a drink of his bourbon. "I suppose I should thank him. It's been a hell of a ride. Heh."

Elena chewed her lip. "Oh, my God. He said he wanted to die. That's why he won't feed. Now I understand why, but..."

"His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it, so be it."

Evie scowled at him. "Damon."

"Don't do that. Okay? Don't pretend like you don't care." Elena snapped at him and stomped towards the basement.

"Where are you going?" He called and then glanced at Evie. "What?"

"You still care, doofus. He's your brother. Sure, he doomed you to vampirism, but what is family for? They make you miserable at the same time you can't help but love them."

"Shut up, my Eves." He said, but not unkindly.

Evie studied his face and he sat down his glass. "What now? I know I'm incredibly attractive-"

"So, you told him you'd hate him for all eternity. But I don't think you really followed up on that. Emily told you Katherine was still alive."

"After I had turned. She was afraid it would impact your decision."

"So, things happened for a reason. It wasn't necessarily what you wanted but then-," Evie glanced up at Damon, fidgeting slightly. "-you wouldn't be here."

His fingers trailed over her cheek almost involuntarily. He felt an extreme uncomfortable and nervous warmth by her words. Then he realized he was stroking her scar and she was letting him.

"No, I suppose I wouldn't be." He said quietly, catching her chin in his fingers and pulling her toward him.

Their lips barely brushed when Elena ran into the room, startling them. Evie frowned as she moved away from Damon.

"Elena?"

"He's gone! Stefan's gone!"

She showed them the ring in her hand and Evie held her hand out.

"Let me see. I can find him."

"Shouldn't be hard to do. He's living in the past." Damon drawled.

"The Quarry." Elena and Evie said at the same time.

"Do you need help?"

"No." Elena shook her head. "I'll go alone."

The brunette ran out the door, leaving Damon and Evie to look at one another.

"Are you staying the night?" He asked her and she shrugged.

"I have to go get my stuff from Bonnie's."

"Right."

"…Do you want me to stay?"

"Only if you want too."

Damon stood up, looking over her head. "Door's always open."

Evie felt a thrill of joy, but quickly hid it before he saw it.

"I hope you meant the front door."

He smirked at her as he went to refill his glass. "Think you and I both know which door."

"Right, dorkula."

Damon heard his bedroom door open and shut quietly and then the smell of coconut shampoo hit his nose. Evie's head bumped his arm when she finally settled down.

"Didn't want to go home?"

She shook her head.

"Can't sleep?"

Another head shake. He sighed and put his arm around her.

"We'll figure it all out, my Eves." He promised and she sighed too, relaxing into his side. "We'll figure it all out."

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