Like Fire

by AlexisKeller

Chapter 11

"The hospital?" I sounded as furious as I felt right then, entering the boarding house with Damon behind me.

Bonnie had sent him my way when he'd arrived, thankfully not too long after the explosion. The good news was that no one died. The second bit of good news was that Damon had helped the few—two doctors and a patient—that he judged were hurt a little too bad to be let waiting for help.

And he didn't even say anything about it. He just gave me a once-over and threw a cursory look at Kol before taking in the destruction all around. Then he'd moved on his own, telling me to check everyone's pulses. Because I'd already done so for most of the people in the hall, only the ones in the front rooms were left, so that had been short work.

All the while, I could feel the anger building up and it wasn't even about the fact that my mom had been in danger. It was the fact that this was a hospital. It was supposed to be a safe place.

Not a target.

Bonnie ran to us when we entered the house, giving me a quick scan for any injury. The most that was visible was the dust on my sneakers and the knees of my jeans but that was it—thanks to Kol.

Kol had watched on with what seemed like an uninterested face as I checked on everyone in the hall until Damon arrived. However, I was smarter than judging what he was feeling through that expression of his. Anyone with the slightest perception would have felt how the entire space seemed to be filled with a tense, ferocious energy that emanated from him.

He was obviously not happy that his mother had back-stabbed them yet again, especially on their truce.

Upon Damon's arrival, he declared he was leaving. He'd be getting in touch with his siblings and finding out what just happened, he said.

And then he was gone.

It'll cost you, the words he said when he saved my mother flashed across my mind and I realized I wasn't bothered about that just yet.

Mainly because I had other things to worry about.

"Why would Esther do that to the hospital?" I demanded from no one in particular as I started pacing the living room. "The hospital."

"Because the bitch is whacked?" Damon offered an explanation that I didn't think was too far off.

"She did the same to The Grill and Jay's department store." Bonnie announced with sober eyes and I jerked to a pause.

What?

"What?" echoed Damon. "She calculated three different explosions across town?"

"She... did... are people...?" I couldn't manage the words. "Wait, Matt—?!"

"He didn't have a shift today," Bonnie was quick to assure. "I couldn't reach him so that's where I went. He wasn't there but... the place is a wreck, guys. No one died from what I know but people are hurt and the place is a mess."

God.

Immediately, worry for Kol crept into my mind because if Esther was willing to blow up the local hospital (and cafe and department store), I doubted she had much of a heart.

Then again, she had tried to kill her own children, so what did we expect?

"The hospital too," Damon murmured. "Fuck, I knew the Esther was serious but I never expected this shit."

He could say that again.

"Wait, how did you know?" I asked Bonnie and she looked confused for a moment so I elaborated, "You called me beforehand. How did you know Esther was going to blow up the hospital? Or even The Grill and the department store?"

She cast a somewhat uncomfortable look at Damon, whose interest was clearly piqued. She turned to me, "Remember when I told you about that dream?"

I nodded in affirmative.

"Well... it felt kind of like that. I wasn't dreaming, or even sleeping, for that matter." She bit her lip. "It was like... a vision? I wondered if I was just being crazy or... anyway, I remembered your text that you were at the hospital so that's when I called you."

"Wow, that is some serious creepy shit," Damon muttered and the both of us just turned to give him a look. "What? It's true. Bonnie gets a vision right before Esther tries to pull a massacre across town? Fucking weird."

"Ignore him," I told Bonnie. "You said once that your Grams told you to trust your instincts as a witch, right? Well, I'm glad you did just that. Your call alerted Kol and... well, I don't know things would have turned out the same way if we weren't given the bit of warning we got from you."

The concern on her face intensified. "Thanks, Eve. I just... God, you were in the hospital. I'm just glad you're okay." she pulled me in for a hug before asking suddenly, "Wait, Kol was there too?"

"Speaking of, the Originals want a little sit down tonight to regroup." We pulled away to see Damon looking down at his phone. "I'm guessing they might've found out more about today."

"Okay. When should we go?" I asked him, and his eyes cautiously came up to me, to Bonnie and then back again.

"Uh see, Eve, I'm thinking it's probably for the best we don't show you off to the Originals just yet," he began and I realized hadn't even thought of that. "I mean, even though you're already hanging out with the scary one, I was thinking maybe it's best the crazy one—that is, Klaus—doesn't catch wind of you so soon, you know?"

"You think Kol's the scary one?" I couldn't stop myself from wondering out loud.

"Well, yeah," he said it like it was obvious, but I still didn't get how. I mean, yes, there were times he scared me when I gave myself reality checks about who he was. But was he really scarier than the rest of them?

"Why?"

"Because I can't ever, not for the life of me, ever figure out what he's thinking and that's fucking dangerous."

Huh. Okay.

He was not wrong when he put it like that.

"And anyway, I doubt he's told his family much of you because if he had, they'd have come sniffing around here immediately, so let's just keep it that way, yeah?" He went on and I nodded.

He was right.

I was good with not having what I could do be known. It was best to keep it hidden until it didn't need to be. Also, the thought that Kol must not have told anyone what I was surprised me. It hadn't even occurred to me until Damon pointed it out just then.

Why hadn't he told his siblings yet?

"And Bonnie," Damon was now looking at Bonnie. "You should stay here too. Same reason. They know we have a witch but let's not flaunt it, yeah? Especially not with this vision thing now. I know we're on the same side, but I don't want to be put in a situation where they feel entitled to use anyone. So let's just be safe rather than sorry. I think it's best it's either Stefan or me who's up front at these things for a while."

She shrugged. "Fine with me."

Damon sighed. "Okay. So now what?"

"Now we should probably call Stefan and Care." I reminded both of them and they nodded with stony faces.

Yeah, no one wanted to make those calls.

But someone had to deliver the bad news, so I took out my cell phone to call Caroline and watched Damon grimace as he put his to his ear to connect to Stefan.

"I can't believe this," Caroline mumbled as she lay on her back most of the sofa where I was curled up at one end with my legs under me. Bonnie sat in front of the sofa on the ground, leaning against it. "Any of this. I mean, I've been on some death chase for the witch and that was only the first location you gave me, Bon. I had to spend all that time with Rebekah and she makes being annoying an art. Then it all turns out to be the lead we thought we had was pointless and we're pretty much chasing our own tails. Then, by the time I'm almost home, parts of our town is in shambles? Esther's not the bad guy, she's downright evil."

"Not going to disagree with you there," I replied and Bonnie hummed a distracted, "Same here."

There was silence for a while after that.

She'd gotten back about an hour or so ago and said she was going to have a shower and change her clothes at her place before she came to the boarding house. In the meantime, Damon had left for the Mikaelson's mansion. Stefan had taken the news of the destruction the worst, saying he'd be driving through the night to get back to town even though he was the furthest away. We'd urged him to get some rest before making the drive.

And the three of us were here now, lost in the aftermath of the morning's events.

"Hey," Caroline suddenly spoke up. "Doesn't... Damon feel different?"

I blinked at the sudden topic change and Bonnie turned to give the blonde a confused look.

"I mean, with how hands-on and smart he's being about dealing with the Originals and Esther?" she explained before gesturing to me, "And you said he didn't even say anything, just gave his blood to the hurt people in the hospital. What even? The Damon of before? He wasn't this Damon, that's for sure."

"Isn't that a good thing?" I asked, knowing what she meant. The Damon I had been introduced to three years ago whenever the Salvatores visited Whitmore—which, back then, was often—cared about his friends but I had to say it was significantly to a lesser degree than now.

And now?

He didn't even blink at giving his blood to hurt people he didn't even know.

He was completely invested in striking a deal that would shelter the town from Esther.

He was insistent about protecting me and Bonnie from speculation by Original vampires in case they exploited us.

Damon Salvatore had come a long way, and from all the girls had told me, I didn't even know him when he was at his worst.

"I bet it's for Elena," murmured Caroline. "Which is a good thing, but also kind of heartbreaking when you think about it."

I folded my arms on the back of the sofa, resting my chin on them as I looked to Caroline. "You think so?"

"Well yeah, I mean, we know they were in love." She said to the ceiling. "Before they broke up and she shut him out, which is the sad part. And now I think he's trying to be someone she'd be proud of regardless of whatever happened between them. God, I miss her. Don't you guys miss her? Has anyone tried to talk to her?"

I'd liked Elena. She'd been my study-buddy for most of the three years. Bonnie always left off studying till the last moment and Caroline liked to busy herself in extra-curriculars more. But Elena and I had most of our classes together and really enjoyed them, so we worked hard all the time to impress the professors. It was a fun game of playful one-upping each other while still being helpful.

Aside from that, she was always kind and helpful. There were occasional times of minor troubles at Whitmore which required Caroline's vampy abilities or Bonnie's witchy powers. I'd sung on an occasion too when Caroline wasn't around to let off Bonnie's grades one semester. We'd had fun, made memories. So yes, I missed her. And yes, it felt bad that she had decided not to be part of any of it anymore.

But I also knew that Bonnie and Caroline felt worse than bad. They had felt a betrayal that ran deep because they'd been friends since childhood and that took a lot to take down.

And Elena had insisted on taking it down.

"Let's not, Care," Bonnie said quietly.

"Let's not what? She's our friend."

"She was our friend," snapped Bonnie.

"Bon..." Caroline trailed off, not sure what to say.

"No, Caroline. She came to a decision. She said she wanted nothing to do with vampires, witches, werewolves and the rest of this world. And that's us, Care. We are that world. And she said she didn't want anything to do with any of that." I could see the hurt look on Caroline's face at the reminder, but Bonnie went on, "She plans on staying in Whitmore. That's how badly she wanted to be done with Mystic Falls and everything related. We told her we were thinking of taking some time off and heading back to town for a while. We asked her to come with and what? She said a lot more than just no, Care. She left us behind when she made the choice to split off a little over a month ago, Care. You need to understand that."

There was a moment of silence on Caroline's part before she let out a whisper, "I know, Bonnie. It just hurts."

I squeezed her hand, trying to be of some comfort and Bonnie just sighed. "I get that, Care. I do. But you have all of us, and we're not going anywhere."

"That's a promise from me," I said quietly and Bonnie echoed my statement with a firm nod. "And a promise from me too."

"You guys are going to make me cry," the blonde's voice sounded muffled behind the hand she had placed across her mouth. "And for the record, it's a promise from me too."

"We're going to make Stefan and Damon promise that too," Bonnie muttered to herself and I laughed at that. Caroline joined in, and eventually so did Bonnie. It was almost hysterical to think Damon pledging eternal friendship to stay by our sides. Though I had little doubt he wouldn't stay ever reliable, I didn't think he'd be real hip about giving a formal promise on that.

"About Damon being different," I said once the laughter subsided. "I don't think that part has a lot to do with Elena, at least not at the moment. Do you get I'm trying to say?"

"I do," Bonnie answered instantly. "That's what I wanted to say. Like, I think he thinks about what she would want him to do sometimes, you know? But either way, it feels like he changed more because he wants to, not because he has someone he wants to impress anymore."

"Hey," Caroline got up to a seated position. "I never thought of it that way."

"Listen to us more and you'll feel enlightened," cracked Bonnie and Caroline let out a snicker.

And after a day like that, ending it that way made it feel a lot better.

NOTE# 1: I know I didn't update for almost a month and I'm so sorry! I had a few deadlines in classes that I needed to work on, but thank God those are done. I hope this long chapter makes up for it (:

NOTE# 2: This is actually the first chapter without an appearance from Kol. Hahaha yes those will be peppered in here and there in the story.

NOTE# 3: The entire picture will come together in 1-2 chapters and you'll catch up to the state things were in when this story started. The story will get better then, because that's when things really pick up! (;

Review and let me know what you think?