Review responses:
Sarcasm15Key: Sorry for leaving it like that! Sadly the ending here isn't much better. But now you can see what happens next! Sorry for the long wait!
Guest1: Not really, no. And you're right, there's definitely a lot they can bond over, their brothers for one thing. I could see them both arguing about their brothers long into night.
Guest2: Thank you! And here's more, hope you enjoy it!
Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know this is later in the day, but it's been a bit hectic for me so I must apologise for my bad time management. But I'm here and with a new chapter to celebrate the New Year with you all. But I must say before you read this, it's a bit graphic and I might have gone further than I have before. So I'll warn you all now that you might be unsettled within the first few paragraphs and to skip around paragraph 30 if you want to skip it.
Otherwise I hope you all enjoy the new update for the New Year. I hope you've had an enjoyable and fruitful festive season. And I wish you all the best for the New Year. Until next time, have a good night and happy reading.
Chapter 32: The House Guest
As was the way with dreams, Sarah forgot hers as she awoke. But while she couldn't recall what had happened in it, she'd known it was a good dream. There was love, family, friends. A blissful sensation that followed her out of the dream and into reality, making her believe, in her dazed state, that everything was perfect.
A steady breath exited through her nose, while a smile tugged at her lips. Having awoken last time in a solid stone tomb, Sarah couldn't describe the pleasure of awakening in her own freshly clean bed. The softness of it, the smell of her own pillow, the loving embrace of her blankets – keeping her at just the right level of warmth while the sun shone through a crack in the closed currents. It was truly a heavenly place to be, ones own bed. But there was perhaps, one pleasure that topped it. The company of another.
And Sarah found just that, as she rolled over, finding someone else beneath the sheets with her. Elena. Who was already awake and smiling across at Sarah. Her head propped up on folded arms, lying on her stomach, with an angelic glow brought on by the natural light that caught her at just the right angle. "Morning," whispered Elena, her gently doe like eyes the perfect thing for Sarah to start the day with.
"Morning," Sarah drawled out while simultaneously stretching her arms, only to then settle back down next to Elena with her own head propped up against her raised hand. "Not that I don't enjoy the company, but what are you doing here?"
"You never heard of a slumber party?" teased Elena with a grin, her back arching inwards as her rear end rose beneath the sheets in a very seductive stretch.
"Yeah, but I think you need more people to call it a slumber party," Sarah pointed out before then realising something. She lifted the top of the sheets ever so slightly, peering beneath before putting them back down and looking to Elena with an amusedly raised brow. "Also, I think your missing some cloths."
Elena giggled, inching closer to Sarah as she said, "It was too hot."
"Yeah, but if anyone walks in here and sees you like that, they're probably going to get the wrong idea," Sarah pointed out, prompting Elena to grin.
"What's wrong about that?" Elena continued to tease, batting her eyelashes as Sarah rolled her eyes with an amused grin.
"Why don't you do us all a favour and go and join Stefan in his bed," Sarah suggested while turning so that she was lying on her back. One arm sprawled around her head while the other lay across her chest.
"I can't," Elena moped, sliding over towards Sarah, as her fingers found the shoulder strap of the vampire's nightie and began to play with it. "His bed's already full with him and Elena."
It was then the blissful state snapped, like the smooth surface of an egg being smashed against the side of a bowl. One second, Sarah was peacefully lying in bed. Next, she was across the room like a gun had gone off, running for the door at supernatural speed. She threw the covers at the intruder, hoping to give herself some extra time in escaping her room. She should have realised it sooner, should have thought about it, but she'd been in that blissful softly awoken state, and hadn't questioned anything. What a stupid thing to do! Sarah shouted at herself.
Thankful, she reached the door, and was in the process of pulling it open when a perfectly manicured hand slammed it shut, fingers spread out across the wooden surface. Sarah jumped back from the door, staring at the hand that held it shut with enough force to prevent Sarah from escaping. And then she followed that hand up the arm and to the woman stood next to the door. A terrifying smirk on a darkly amused face, dressed in sexy lace lingerie – which didn't do a very good job of covering up her privet parts.
Katherine.
"Come on, Sarah," Katherine playfully pleaded, hand still pressed against the door blocking off her escape as Sarah very slowly stepped backwards – eyes never leaving Katherine's. "I got these just for you," she whispered seductively, knowing full well Sarah could hear her as she pulled at the thin band of her panties, before letting them snap back against her skin. At the mere sound Sarah jumped again, eyes hypnotised by the brief ripples that passed along Katherine's skin. "Don't you want to test them out?"
"Just leave me alone…please," Sarah whimpered in pure horror.
Katherine smirked. "I don't think I can," she drawled out in a mixture of longing, lust, flirtation and darkness. "All those weeks in the tomb, thinking about you. Of what I'd do to you." She stopped herself, a shiver of anticipation passing through her, followed by a foretelling moan of pleasure. Her eyes then opened back up, the eyes of a predator, and they were solely fixed on the petrified Sarah. "And now, finally, we're here."
Suddenly she rushed towards Sarah. The younger vampire turned to run, tried to escape across the bed and towards the window, but Katherine caught her, dragging her down onto the bed before flipping her over onto her back. The movement was so fast that Sarah became disorientated, and had to pause to get her bearings – which in turn gave Katherine the prime opportunity to strike. With her supernatural speed she quickly leaped onto the bed along with Sarah, before mounting her. Sarah tired to shove her off but Katherine caught both her wrists and forced them down alongside her head. Beneath her, she had Sarah's waist pinned, and her legs were also strapped down under Katherine's. Sarah desperately tried to move her limbs, to fight back, but Katherine was too old and too strong. She was trapped once more.
A seductively dark – and yet somehow girly – laugh left Katherine, as she leaned down towards Sarah who was twisting and turning her head in a desperate attempt to get further away from the impending threat. "Your so damn adorable," Katherine hissed, before taking Sarah's lips and forcing her tongue through Sarah's mouth. That was the second time in less than twelve hours, Katherine had violated her. Of course, Katherine didn't see it that way, soaking up every second of it just like she had back at the tomb, and loving it.
Finally the fight in Sarah burst into life once more, and she tried to bite down on Katherine's tongue, only to have it slip through her grasp. Another skin crawling giggle from Katherine had Sarah wanting to cry out. "That's more like it, Sarah," Katherine whispered, her face hovering over Sarah's, lips only mere inches away, probably only seconds from another violating breech of Sarah's body. "But let's see you fight this," she said, as her hips started to move.
"No," Sarah breathed out, realising what Katherine was trying to do. "No. Stop it," she begged, but Katherine kept moving her hips, Sarah forced to go along with the rhythm as that same feeling returned – the feeling she'd had back in 1864 when Katherine first compelled her into her room. "Katherine, please! Stop. Stop, please, stop! I–I–I don't…Katherine!" It came on so quickly that Sarah wasn't sure she could hold it off, the powerful rush that Katherine took so much pleasure in as she smiled triumphantly down at Sarah.
"STOP!" Sarah cried out at the top of her lungs, using all her strength just to stop Katherine from winning, from taking what she hadn't had in so long. The very thing Sarah swore she'd never let Katherine take from her again.
The sound of Sarah's bedroom door slamming open filled the room suddenly, as it bashed off the wall, before a blur flashed across Sarah's field of vision, tackling Katherine off of her and right off the bed.
The second she was free Sarah pushed herself back against the head rest, sitting up while squeezing her legs together tightly – desperate to stop the tingles radiating from in between her thighs. But another blurred movement caught her attention as Sarah's head turned to see Damon stood with Katherine in his grasp, shoved against the wall.
A glare of annoyance crossed Katherine's face, while Damon proceeded to breath on her, as if he were a dragon. Threatening to burn her alive with only the heavy breathing, that continued to pass in and out his noise.
"Get. The Hell. OUT!" Damon roared right into Katherine's face. The sheer force of his voice enough to make Katherine's hair sway backwards.
It might well have been the angriest Sarah had ever seen her brother. And yet, Katherine was unmoved by his outburst.
"Do you mind, we were kinda in the middle of something," Katherine decried, annoyance and displeasure thick in her voice.
Enraged by her lax attitude towards the situation, Damon pulled her away from the wall, only to then then slam her back against it with as much force as he could muster up in the space provided. "You listen here you satanic sea hag. What you were just doing, it will never happen again, not to my sister and not while I'm still here, you hear me!" shouted Damon furiously.
"Well, there's an easy way around that," Katherine sighed, before shoving Damon back with a quick turn of the tables. He only stumbled back a few steps, but it was enough for Katherine to catch him off guard, dash forward the necessary few steps, and then ram her hand right through his chest. "I kill you."
"Katherine, no!" Sarah shouted, though couldn't move from the bed, legs still preoccupied with other tasks – namely keeping herself under control.
"Relax," Katherine sighed dramatically, glancing over at Sarah with a 'duh' look. "I'm not going to kill him." She then turned her attention back to Damon. "I'm just reminding him that it's rude to interrupt our fun." With that, she released Damon's heart, allowing him to collapse to his knees as he caught his breath.
"We'll pick this up later," Katherine said with a flirtatious smirk to Sarah, as she sauntered out of the room.
"Sarah?" At her brother's voice, Sarah turned from the open door Katherine had walked out of, and back to find her brother having pulled himself up against the end of her bed. A utterly sorry look across his face, with big sad blue eyes that met Sarah's shaken green. "I'm sorry," he said, although Sarah wasn't entirely sure what it was in reference too. The fact he'd locked her in a tomb, that he'd stabbed her in the back, that he'd unknowingly allowed Katherine to escape and to then torment Sarah when releasing her from said tomb he'd put her in. Or if it was for what had just happened. Because he'd almost been too late. Sharing a kiss with Katherine had been soul crushing, pushing her into a darker place than ever before… Sarah didn't want to think what would have happened to her had Katherine gotten her way just then.
With a shaky nod of the head, Sarah relied that she understood, but that was all she did. Quietly whimpering on the bed as her arms warped around herself in an uneasy hug. Her legs still tightly locked together, refusing to loosen even an millimetre until the tingles stopped.
Thankfully, Damon seemed to know what she needed, and climbed onto the bed with her. There were a few uncomfortable groans from him, his body still healing from the hand that had just gone through his chest, but once he made himself comfy next to his sister, he quietened down. From there, he pulled her head against his blood soaked chest, holding her in his arms while gently pushing positive and reassuring thoughts into her head. Sarah didn't fight him on that, she certainly didn't want to be feeling like this for the rest of the day. So she welcomed the blissful thoughts, though no matter how much better she felt because of them, she couldn't shake the state of alertness her body was now in – having awoken next to Katherine without realising.
Once Sarah was then ready, and not a minute sooner, the two got out of her bed. Damon then stood guard in her room while Sarah got showered and dressed, remaining vigilant in case Katherine tried to burst in on Sarah while she was naked. He refused to allow her the chance at that satisfaction. In the end she didn't try anything thankfully and then Damon offered to make Sarah breakfast as way of a further apology. The two then left the room, with Sarah's big brother's protective arm around her shoulders, holding her close in case of wandering Bitches.
As it turned out, he'd been right to do so, as in the corridor outside Sarah's room, they found Katherine once more. Although she had now changed her cloths, or rather added more. But even so, Sarah could still see the sexy panties beneath those cloths, making her squirm as if she had X-ray vision that wouldn't turn off. And boy did she want it to turn off, because when she looked at Katherine she didn't see Elena's stolen cloths, jacket and scarf. She just saw Katherine, as she had been moments ago in her room when she forced herself on her.
"Morning guys, what's–" whatever Katherine had been about to say was cut off as Damon rushed forward, grabbing Katherine by the throat and throwing her up against the wall just as he had back in Sarah's room. "I told you to leave," Damon snarled as he glared up at squirming and shocked Katherine. Sarah could already see where this was going, but she wasn't about to be fooled.
"Damon! What are you doing?" Katherine croaked in confusion, trying for the Elena impression again.
"Do you think we're idiots, that just because you put her cloths on we wouldn't recognise you?" Damon sneered, annoyed that Katherine thought he and his sister could be so easily tricked.
Katherine paused, apparently taking this in before then saying, "You think I'm Katherine?"
"Because you are Katherine," Sarah snapped, though remained cautiously down the corridor away from the evil woman. And even when Katherine looked over with that innocent, shocked and confused Elena look.
Sarah didn't fall for it. She wouldn't be falling for it again today, not after that unforgettable awakening. For the rest of the day, Katherine might as well have a black cross drawn on her cheek.
"Wait, was she here? What did she do?" Katherine continued in that annoying Elena impression, even though they'd caught her.
"Stop it, we know it's you!" Sarah snapped again, though the angry fire in her diminished a little when Katherine looked her way. Even though she still had the Elena facade up, seeing those fiery brown eyes made Sarah's walls crack, and she suddenly felt a whole lot smaller.
Which was why she didn't immediately speak up when Damon loosened his hold on her, apparently buying into her act. Sarah had wanted to speak up, to tell him to hold her, that it really was her and not Elena. But those cursed brown eyes, the eyes of the devil, had her petrified once more, too scared to speak up or even restrain her herself. Because even though she could now tell Katherine apart from Elena, she also couldn't bare to go near her and risk a repeat of this morning.
"What's going on here?" Stefan asked, descending the stair case that lead up to his room, looking at them all as he leaned over the banister with a frown.
"Katherine's been in the house and they seem to think I'm her," Katherine said as she looked up to Stefan who instantly fell for her act as he looked back up to his room.
It took a split second for Sarah to realise what he was thinking, but before she could speak up he'd vanished in a blur back up to his room. "Stefan, no, that's–!" Sarah then found herself cut off, as her other brother was thrown into her and both collapsed onto the ground. Only to then sit up and find Katherine smirking at them triumphantly, clearly proud of her performance.
She gave a goodbye wave with her fingers, before racing up to Stefan's room. Once Damon and Sarah managed to untangle themselves, they followed. Damon at the front and Sarah deliberately at the back, planning on keeping her brothers between her and Katherine – for once on purpose.
"Stop it, Katherine!" came the sound of Stefan's voice, shouting at Elena who he had pinned against the wall, believing to be Katherine.
"Stop what?" Katherine asked, making her presence clear and revealing who she really was as Damon and Sarah came up behind her, finding her leaning against Stefan's doorframe with a smug smile on her lips. She looked back over her shoulder, spotting the two other Salvatore vampires who'd stopped on the last step behind her, seeing as the truth had now been revealed.
Katherine, still pleased with herself, then turned back towards Stefan's room, taking a look at her handy work before looking directly at Elena. "It's getting really easy being you," Katherine admitted, showing just how easy it truly was for her to fool them all.
Damon then attempted to rush and grab her, but Katherine darted out of his way and danced across Stefan's room out of his reach. "Really, Damon, could you be anymore obvious?" Katherine snickered, as Sarah entered the room and Katherine eyes immediately went to her, noticing her nervous and shaken demeanour. Smirking, Katherine then said, "Look, you're scaring Sarah."
"Leave her alone!" Elena snapped, prompting Katherine eyes to turn on her mirror image with intrigue in her eyes.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Katherine asked, having all the worldly advantages that a vampire of her age could have. And they all knew that almost in every way, she could beat Elena right now.
"Stop it, Katherine," Stefan ordered, aiming for a calm tone, but it came out angry and hostile.
"Or what?" Katherine asked, tilting her head and waiting for the real threat.
"Or I break your legs and throw you back in that tomb," Damon snapped with an icy glare.
Katherine chuckled at that. "You all don't seem to get it, you have nothing to threaten me with. Anything you can do to me, I can do to all of you, in faster and more efficient ways. You try to stab me with a stake, I stab you first. You try to trap me, I end up escaping. You can't beat me," Katherine declared boldly as she sauntered around the room, only to end up with her back to an open window. A window that Scarlett then leapt through at supernatural speed. Tackling Katherine before they both hit the floor, rolling across it until Scarlett got a hold of Katherine's arm, positioning it right in front of her open mouth – canines formed and eyes glowing in warning.
And all of a sudden, Katherine's confidence left her, seeing the one thing that could kill her just like that. A werewolf with an ever effective bite. "What was that about not beating you?" Scarlett growled cockily, watching a stiffened Katherine's fearful eyes shook.
Scarlett then, for better or worse, backed off, her warning been made. Having released her hold on Katherine she stood up and leaned over, eyes still glowing, canines still visible in her mouth. "Listen Bitch, I can smell the difference between you and Elena remember. Whatever acting lessons you've picked up, they won't help you with me. And I've also got the instant vampire killing werewolf bite, so when I say stop messing with my family, just remember you really don't want to pick a fight with me," Scarlett declared, eyes glowing just that little bit brighter in anger, before she pulled away and joined the others.
"Are you okay?" Scarlett asked Sarah, going straight to her. Her mentor nodded, but accepted the hug Scarlett then subtly offered. The girl was still a bit uneasy around her, after having assisted Damon in his plan against the Originals and for leaving Sarah in a tomb. But Sarah had understood Damon manipulated her more or less and ultimately confused her. She had thought she was dong the right thing and while Sarah wasn't entirely happy, she didn't completely blame Scarlett. Besides, she was in no mood for arguing about that with Katherine in the house. In fact, Sarah wished all her friends were here with her, to help her stand up to Katherine. She really needed it. She hadn't been this scared of her since…since before she was a vampire.
"What's going on, why are you here?" Elena then asked Katherine, an angry glare on her brow as she stared at her reflection head on.
"Well, I'm here to help, obviously," Katherine said, hand going to her hip as she pushed it out to the opposite side.
"We don't want your help," snapped Elena, folding her arms as she shrugged. "In fact, I'm struggling to understand why your not dead after everything you've done to me and everyone in this room, not to mention the rest of my friends and family."
Katherine smirked, seeing something that no one else saw, as Elena looked to one person in particular. "Well, Elena, the truth is no one other than you really wants me dead," Katherine replied playfully, as Elena began to grind her teeth in annoyance – steam practically coming out her ears.
"You do remember the werewolf who threatened to bite you like ten seconds ago, right?" Stefan pointed out.
"Hey," Scarlett spoke up, waving with a dark and threatening grin towards Katherine who fake smiled back before rolling her eyes at the dramatics of it all.
"Look, the fact is you need me, you all do," Katherine argued.
There was a pause, before everyone else in the room then said together, "No we don't."
Another eye roll from Katherine. "You do all realise we want the same thing," Katherine pointed out as she leaned back against Stefan's desk, looking from each of the five faces stood on the other side of the room from her. "Klaus dead. Yet here you all are, running around like chickens with their heads cut off."
"I don't need your help, and I don't want it," Elena declared once more, since Katherine was apparently refusing to take in this message.
"And that's incredibly stupid of you," Katherine replied. "Do you know where Klaus is? When he's coming, what he looks like?" All good questions, and in all honesty, Sarah had to admit, none of them did know any of those answers. Which made her blood boil, knowing that Katherine probably didn't know either but would be more than happy to pretend like she did.
"You want to help, prove it, right now. Because unless you say something in the next five seconds that's actually important I'm throwing you out that window, because there's no way in hell I'm letting you torment my sister any more," Damon snarled, advancing towards Katherine with pure rage inside his bright blue eyes.
"Fine. Then I'll just go to the Grill and have some lunch…maybe Aunt Jenna's free for a bite," Katherine said with a smirk, before Sarah's fire relit in defence of her friend, and she found her strength once more – the strength to fight back for those she loved and cared for. And so she ran at Katherine, shoving her against Stefan's desk as it skidded back.
"Really, Sarah? Right here, in front of your brothers and the children?" Katherine teased with a flirtatious smirk as Sarah glared at her, no longer as fearful now that the fire inside her had been lit. Threatening friends who could look after themselves was one thing, but Jenna was defenceless in all this, with no idea the danger she was in, and threatening her was something Sarah didn't take lightly. Even if she was facing down the devil herself and was completely and utterly terrified. For her friends, she found the courage to stand up and fight.
"You want to play your little games with me, that's one thing, but go after Jenna, or anyone else I care about, and I will stop you. Just like I did last time," Sarah warned with her new found confidence, still holding Katherine by the front of her jacket.
"When was it you stopped me? Was it when you failed to kill me and threw me in a tomb? Or when I was trapped in the tomb, and you couldn't bring yourself to kill me?" Katherine continued to tease, tracing a finger along Sarah's collar bone before Sarah shook her by her jacket, bringing Katherine closer to her face, and her warning green eyes. It was a risk she knew, bringing Katherine closer to her – within kissing range – but she had to make herself clear.
"I. Will. Kill. You," Sarah stated, the determination in her green eyes backing up every word. But even so Katherine only smiled.
"Is it bad that I'm extremely turned on right now?" Katherine asked, before Sarah pushed her back and turned away. With her back to her though, Sarah then felt Katherine's chuckle, hitting the back of her neck like a cold breeze in the middle of winter.
She was done with this, she needed to get away, and for once, school was offering a perfect escape from her crazy messed up world, and into fantasy of a boring life.
"I'm going to school, I'll see you there," Sarah said as her parting words before exiting Stefan's room and leaving them all behind. And then finally she got a break from all the Katherine drama, managing to avoid her for the rest of the morning as she got her breakfast and gathered up her schools things – as well as the homework she was miles behind on. Looks like its time to compel a study group again, as in a group to do her studying and homework for her because she was clearly to busy with saving Elena, her family and her world, as per usual. In any case, she happily went to school with Stefan, Elena and Scarlett, seeing as the other choice was to stay at home with Damon and the Bitch.
Unfortunately, for once, the school day went by too quickly, and before Sarah knew it, she was halfway through the day and dreading the thought of going to a home where Katherine was waiting for her. Thankfully a distraction presented itself in Alaric's room as Sarah passed by, her ears picking up on the voice of Alaric and Elena as they spoke to one another.
"It was bad. You know, John planted all these seeds about Isobel and now Jenna knows I'm lying about something," Alaric was explaining, and at the mention of one of her closest friend's names, Sarah couldn't help but gravitate towards the closed classroom door.
"John's going to end up dead on the kitchen floor if he's not careful," Elena groaned, rubbing her temple as she took in irritable breaths, so consumed by them she didn't notice the classroom door open and close.
"I could easily arrange that," Sarah offered, along with a friendly smile to the two who jumped a little at her unannounced entrance. "Sorry," she began apologising. "Couldn't help but over hearing."
"It's okay, Sarah," Elena sighed, offering up a tired smile. Her day hadn't gotten off to the best start, much like Sarah's, and it didn't seem to be getting any better.
"Killing John isn't going to be that easy anymore… I gave him back his ring," Alaric explained, holding up his hand that once held his supernatural death resistant ring. Both Elena and Sarah took on a look of surprise, staring at Alaric as he dropped his hand, an obvious annoyance towards John showing in his action. "But more importantly, Jenna's now constantly asking about Isobel. Not to an obsessive point, but she's curious."
"What's she asking about?" Sarah inquired.
"'Was she murdered? Why haven't they fond the body?'" Alaric listed of with a hand wave. "Those sorts of things. I mean, how much longer can she stay in the dark?"
At that Elena sat up, eyes widening slightly at what Alaric was implying. Sarah however wasn't as surprised. She'd thought about it herself a few times, but had never brought it up. Although, keeping Jenna in the dark was just becoming a liability at this point, she needed to know the truth. Not just because it was morally right, but because it was the only way she could effectively protect herself and help the people she loved.
"You think we should tell her the truth?" Elena asked, just to clarify.
"I'm saying I can't be with her and not tell her," Alaric answered. "It's not fair to her, and it's not the kind of relationship I want." Sarah felt for him, she did. He clearly loved Jenna and she him, but this wall of secrets was beginning to drive a sever wedge between them. And yet, Alaric was apparently so good, that he wouldn't break that wall, not without the consent of Elena and Jeremy, he saw it as their secret to tell not his. He truly was a noble man, maybe even more so than Elijah and Amelia.
"Not to mention it's becoming more dangerous for her not to know," Elena agreed, pushing off the desk she'd been leaning against, arms folding. "I just thought that we'd at least hold off until after we've dealt with Klaus." Sarah knew why she'd made that decision originally, so that she wouldn't have had to fight her aunt, as well as everyone else on the sacrifice business. But since the recent development on the sacrifice issue – and the fact that she was now running the show – the subject of telling Jenna hadn't been brought up until right now.
"What do you think?" Elena asked, turning towards Sarah.
"Me?" Sarah asked, surprised she was getting a say in the matter suddenly. Sure she thought she was good friend's with Jenna, but she wasn't immediate family or in a relationship with her. What right did she have to speak on the matter, even if she did have an opinion on it.
When Elena nodded, Sarah then folded her own arms, mirroring Elena's pose as she briefly lowered her head. "I have to agree with Alaric," Sarah admitted as she looked back up at the two. "It's becoming hard enough for some of us to tell when it's Katherine and not you, what chance has Jenna got when she doesn't even know? And considering how close she is to all of us, we can't exactly keep her separated from all of this. Just look at the dinner party incident," Sarah pointed out, referring to how Jenna had been caught up in the attempt to kill the Originals. Of course had Damon not stuck Sarah in a tomb, that never would have happened, but still. "And no offence to Alaric, but even if they broke up, she'd still be dragged into this because of you and Jeremy, Elena. And she's already been involved because of Katherine – when she had her stab herself." All three of them grimaced at that particular memory, of when Jenna had attempted to kill herself on Katherine orders. All of them having been there when it happened. "And maybe if she'd known, that wouldn't have happened," Sarah argued.
"But how do we tell her? How do you just drop that on someone?" Elena thought aloud, uncertainty in her voice.
"If you want I can tell her," Sarah offered. "But she is your family, and honestly, I think it would be better coming from you – the human – than me – the blood sucking, murderous, vampire," Sarah suggested with a sympathetic smile. Besides, she didn't really want to go through the whole explanation thing with Jenna. That was always awkward and the truth was she liked Jenna, and you never knew how someone's going to react to the vampirism thing. It could be a real turn off for some people.
"I with Sarah," Alaric said solemnly as he looked to Elena, who seemed to shrink in a little, seeing as the two were pushing the decision and the responsibility of it on to her. She had wanted to be in charge however, and while Sarah sympathised, these were the decisions a leader had to make. "It should be your decision to make. And whatever you decide, I'll respect it. But I also want to be honest with her. And until then, am afraid Jenna and I are done," Alaric said with true sadness in his voice.
The discussion was then closed after that, ended by the ringing bell. In any case, Sarah figured Elena had enough to think over now. She'd heard what they had to say and now it was up to her to make the final decision, or rather her and Jeremy – if she chose to include him in the weight of that choice. Sarah certainly didn't envy her, but she had been serious about her offer to tell Jenna if she wanted. She'd reminded her of that on the way to their next class, but Elena had said if she made the decision – which she was admittedly leaning towards – then she would do it herself. She wasn't a coward, and Sarah respected that. But regardless of who told Jenna what, Sarah was undoubtedly nervous about the outcome.
Much like the first half of the school day, the second half went by far too quickly and Sarah was then left with the horrible reality of going home. Or at least she was until Elena made the offer for her to come over along with Caroline and Bonnie, to which Sarah could have kissed her. Anything that kept her away from Katherine Pierce she was gain for, and apparently the same went for Scarlett as she opted to go into hiding with Jeremy.
Sarah wondered how things were going between them. On the outside everything seemed fine, but Scarlett still had that secret of hers, the one she never wanted to talk about anymore. Everyone that knew had agreed to keep quiet and give her space to figure out how to tell Jeremy, but it had been over a month and a bit now, and Sarah was of the mind that it might be getting to the point were she never told him – that she just pretended that it never happened. Maybe she wasn't one to judge, but as someone who'd been on the other side of a lie like that, she though she ought to caution Scarlett. Because the longer she kept it bottled up, the bigger the explosion would be when it finally came out. Ronnie was a pretty good example of that. Sarah could only imagine how things might have changed had he told her back when they first fell in love, that he was working for Katherine.
In any case, a window never appeared to mention or talk about Scarlett's relationship on the way to the Gilberts' and when they arrived Jeremy and Scarlett quickly vanished up to his room while Sarah and Elena went into the kitchen. Shortly after Caroline and Bonnie arrived and Bonnie told them about her and Stefan's meeting with Jonas and Luka. It had not gone well apparently, which wasn't a huge surprise to Sarah as they gathered around the island in the kitchen and Elena started to grab glasses and plates for the food they were about to order.
"Chinese food or pizza?" Caroline asked as Elena placed a bowl of chips in the middle of the island, leaning past Sarah to do so.
"Like you have to ask," Elena said with a grin, before heading back over to the cupboard to grab some glasses for them all.
"I'll get it," Caroline said, grabbing her tablet from her handbag, only to then freeze when she saw her screen saver. With her face dripping in sadness, Sarah frowned, trying to think of what could make her so sad. When she glanced over at Bonnie, she got her answer as the witch mouthed, 'Matt.' Sarah nodded in understanding as Bonnie reached over to take the tablet from Caroline.
Another relationship that was in trouble because of the supernatural and secrets, because even though Caroline and Matt obviously loved each other, Caroline was still afraid to be with him because of what she was. That said, the reason Caroline broke up with him no longer really stood in Sarah's opinion. The whole reason she'd broken up with him was to protect him from herself, worried that she might bite into him and drain him dry. But Caroline had more than enough self control to get involved with any human now. There would always be risks, but if she couldn't get over that hurdle or at the very least take a leap then she'd never be able to be with anyone.
"Do you believe that Jonas is being sincere?" Elena asked the group, returning to the island as Bonnie scrolled through Caroline's tablet looking for a suitable pizza place to order from.
"I don't know what to believe," Bonnie answered as she continued to scroll. "I think he's at a loss. He's not sure who to trust."
"Join the club," Elena sighed as she grabbed a chip from the bowl and began to chew, before sliding on to the stool next to Sarah.
"Well, what are we going to do about this movie situation?" Caroline then asked, sitting up on her side of the island. "What about, The Notebook?"
"No," Sarah said plainly as she grabbed a chip from the bowl. "I hate adaptations. The book's better."
"Have you even seen the movie?" Caroline asked matter-of-factly while Elena and Bonnie snickered between themselves.
"I don't need to have seen it, or read the book, to know the book's better," Sarah replied in the same matter-of-factly tone.
"If you haven't read the book then there's no harm in watching the movie," Caroline argued with a perky – we're doing this whether you like it or not – smile.
"I'm not watching an adaptation," Sarah declared once more, chewing on another chip as her green eyes met Caroline's equally determined blue-green.
"Besides, Caroline, you've seen that movie more than enough times," Elena argued with a grin.
"You can never see enough of, The Notebook," Caroline exclaimed.
"Yes you can, and I'm currently sitting at the correct number of zero times," Sarah teased, reaching for another chip when Caroline yanked the bowl to her side of the table and out of Sarah's reach.
"It's like the slumber party all over again," Bonnie sighed, before they all started to laugh, only stopping abruptly when they heard Jenna walking in after being out.
"Hey," Elena said uneasily as she turned around in her chair to face Jenna who was dropping off her jacket and purse.
"What's going on?" Jenna asked, looking around at all the teenagers offering her sad smiles from around the kitchen island.
"Girl's night," Elena answered, although Sarah had been thinking of it as more a, hide away from Katherine night – but girl's night works too. "How're you doing?" Elena asked, when they all saw the sad look pass over Jenna's face – and they all knew what the cause of it was.
"You heard about my fight with Ric," Jenna sighed.
"He feels terrible," Elena said in complete honesty, but how was Jenna to know that.
"Is this some kind of disguised attempt to cheer me up?" Jenna asked, gesturing the room full of teenagers who were all looking sympathetically at her. Although when she asked this, they all fringed innocence.
"No. No, this is about us girls hanging out and you know, we'll be here if you happen to want to talk or..." Elena began to trial off, unsure of where to go until Caroline picked up the ball.
"Because I am a winner when it comes to successful relationships," Caroline said in sarcastic optimism.
"At least your boyfriend didn't stab you in the back and shack up with your mortal enemy," Sarah muttered spitefully. She was paraphrasing for Jenna's sake, but Ronnie had still hurt her in a similar way to which Alaric was now hurting Jenna – so she felt she could join the bad relationship club they were now forming.
"You guys too?" Jenna asked as both Sarah and Caroline offered up understanding smiles.
"You have no idea," Caroline sighed out, and she really didn't.
"Okay, then," Jenna sighed, caving in as she wondered over to the fridge and grabbed herself a beer before joining the girls at the island. "It's this whole Isobel thing. He's hiding something from me," Jenna explained, correctly assuming everyone there already knew the story behind her and Alaric's problems.
"To play devil's advocate, maybe there is a great reason why he's not telling you," Caroline offered, and everyone in the know instantly caught on to the fact that she wasn't just talking about Alaric with that statement. "Maybe he is just trying to protect you."
"Well, that's not his call to make. I mean, I deserve the truth. Everybody does," Jenna said as she opened up her beer bottle.
"I'd agree with that," Sarah murmured, thinking back to Ronnie and his lies about Katherine.
"See," Jenna said, pointing to Sarah with the bottle before taking a drink and setting it back down on the counter.
"Sometimes it's harder than that though," protested Caroline defensively. Almost as if she was talking to the person she was keeping secrets from.
"Not if it's somebody you care about, it isn't," Jenna said simply, hitting Caroline a lot harder than had been intended as an awkward silence settled in.
Caroline being Caroline however, couldn't stand that and quickly spoke up again, continuing the conversation with, "You know what we need?"
"Alcohol?" Sarah suggested, feeling more than a little mopey after the stroll down lying boyfriend lane.
"No," Caroline said condescendingly, before then brightening up and saying, "Dancing. There's a band at the Grill."
"I'm in," Bonnie said happily.
"In," agreed Jenna.
"In," Elena added, raising her glass before they all looked to Sarah.
"As long as I can get a drink sure," Sarah said, offering up a smile as she tried to push aside the thoughts of her suddenly depressing life.
"I'm not buying you a drink," Jenna said as she began to chug her beer, of which no one batted an eye.
"That's fine, I'm good at getting what I want anyway," Sarah said with an obvious look to the girls who were, 'her age'. Caroline grinned back, while Elena and Bonnie rolled their eyes with smiles.
"We can deal with your drinking problem another night, come on," Caroline said as they begun grabbing what they needed and heading for the door.
"I don't have a drinking problem," Sarah stated calmly.
"Of course not," Bonnie muttered with a grin as Sarah shot her the stink eye from behind.
They filed out the house, first Caroline, then Bonnie and Elena before Jenna paused when it was only her and Sarah left inside the hallway. "Jeremy's home right?" she asked and Sarah nodded.
"Yeah, he's up stairs with Scarlett," Sarah answered, before a cheeky grin slid onto Jenna's face. One that was quickly reciprocate by Sarah.
"Hey, you two, we're going to the Grill! Remember not to do anything inappropriate because I'll find out!" Jenna shouted up the stairs, already laughing as she did.
"Even if it's just kissing, remember to come up for air!" Sarah added as both women stepped out of the house, laughing as Jeremy and Scarlett shouted after them. They didn't catch any of it though, as they quickly piled into cars and drove off to the Grill.
When they arrived, the aforementioned band was already in full swing and the Grill was packed with dancing bodies of all ages. The area where the crowd had formed had been cleared of tables to make room, leaving only a few seats available around the edge of the restaurant and at the bar. For the first few minutes, the five women made their way into the centre of the crowd, enjoying the music and ideally chatting about the turn out. But then Jenna saw Rick and the atmosphere quickly took a nose dive. "I need a drink," she declared, immediately abandoning the group and heading for the bar. Elena was about to follow her when Sarah gently pushed her back.
"I've got it," she said, before tailing Jenna towards the bar while Elena reminded behind with Caroline and Bonnie. When she arrived, Jenna had already hailed a barman and was giving him her order. He turned to leave as Sarah arrived but she managed to reach over and tap his arm at the last second. "Hi, I'll have whatever she's having and another round of the same," Sarah said, taking out the wallet from her back pocket.
"I'm gonna need to see some ID," the bartender said, as he turned back around, fully ready to inspect the laminated piece of card.
"No problem," Sarah said holding out her ID, but by then she'd already captured the bartenders eyes and had him under her influences. "Everything's fine though, so why don't you just get us what we ordered," Sarah compelled, before releasing her hold on the barman's mind so he could glance at her ID.
"Yeah, everything seems fine," he agreed, handing the ID back over in exchange for the money Sarah offered him. "Let me just get those shots for you."
"Thank you," Sarah said as she put away her purse and turned to Jenna who was staring curiously at her with a grin. "Told you I'm good at getting what I want."
Jenna chuckled. "I should totally stop you, right?"
"Of course," agreed Sarah as the bartender returned with their shots. She quickly picked them both up, offering one to Jenna as they both leaned against the bar. "But tonight I'm not some irresponsible underage drinker, I'm a friend helping out another friend," Sarah explained with a friendly smile. Jenna smiled back, grateful, before taking her shot. "Cheers," Sarah said, before they both clinked their glasses against one another and downed the tequila Jenna had apparently ordered.
They both let out a sigh of delight, before the mood took yet another nose dive, as Alaric approached them. "Jenna," he said in an awkward hello, as he came to a stop beside Sarah and Jenna.
"Not tonight, Ric," Jenna said, grabbing the second shot that the bartender had brought for her and Sarah. "Tonight I have traded you for señor tequila and my best friend," Jenna explained before pausing, realisation hitting her face. "My God, I'm best friends with a high school student," Jenna murmured in a moment of self pity, before she downed the shot.
"Yeah, well, señor tequila's not going to be treating you very well," Alaric added with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood – which Sarah knew was a bad idea before he'd even said it.
"Well, the two of you have a lot in common," snapped Jenna as she turned to glare past Sarah and at her supposed ex.
"And that would be my cue to take you–" Sarah paused as she grabbed her small glass of tequila. "–and make a run for it," she declared before swiftly turning and retreating to the dance floor where the rest of her friends were waiting for her.
They were already in a deep discussion about something, although Sarah quickly caught on to the topic of conversation after standing next to Caroline for a few short moments. "All you do is talk about how much you care about him," Bonnie said, and that was when Sarah realised they were talking about Matt and Caroline.
"Yeah, but I'm still keeping so many secrets," Caroline said in the form of an excuse, clearly scared to go and fight for Matt.
"Alaric's in the same position as you," Sarah pointed out from next to Caroline, as the three girls turned to look at her and her shot of tequila. She then gestured over to the bar where Jenna was storming away from Alaric, leaving him depressed and alone. "At least he's thinking about telling her everything," Sarah added as she turned back to Caroline. "What about you? You think you want to tell Matt?"
Caroline seemed to shrink then, as if ashamed. "Maybe…" she answered softly, before then quickly moving in to another Caroline-esque ramble. "But you've seen what's happened to all of us over the past few months. What if him knowing just drags him into all this and puts him in more danger? And it's not like he can defend himself. He's not like you or me, or Bonnie, or even Alaric and Elena.
"I just want to keep him safe, and surely he's better off being kept in the dark," Caroline exclaimed while the music and the cheering teens continued to rumble around them. Sarah could only offer a sympathetic look to her blonde vampire friend, one that didn't seem to help all that much.
"Maybe that's our mistake then," Elena suddenly spoke up, as everyone turned to look at her. "We're trying to protect the people that we love by keeping them out of it, but in the end, we're hurting them anyway. I mean, look at both Matt and Jenna. Both have been compelled and almost killed…maybe if they'd known that wouldn't have happened," Elena explained, repeating Sarah's words from earlier in the classroom.
There was then a silence among the group, as the band finished their song and the crowd began to cheer. None of them where making eye contract with one another, and Sarah was eyeing her shot, about ready to take it when Caroline suddenly took off her jacket and handed it over to Bonnie.
"What are you doing?" Bonnie asked, before Caroline began to push her way through the crowd and to the front.
"Where are you going?" Elena called after her, but her voice most likely got lost in the cheers of the crowd, as the three girls stood and watched Caroline approach the stage. And then she was up on the stage, and everyone was staring at her – including the band members – as the spotlight shone on her.
"Hey, everybody!" Caroline said into the microphone. "Let's hear it for the band! Weren't they awesome?"
The crowd began to cheer in agreement as Jenna joined the group once more. The four of them all staring up at Caroline with varying expressions of worry and concern. "This is not going to end well," Jenna mumbled.
"I hear that," Sarah said, before going to take her shot, only to have Jenna suddenly snatch it from her hand and down what hadn't fallen out the glass. "Hey!" Sarah snapped with a look of annoyance, while Bonnie and Elena grinned from next to her.
"Sorry, no more for you. I'm being a responsible adult again," Jenna said with a smirk, holding out the glass for Sarah. She took it back with a grumble, Elena and Bonnie chucking from beside her as they all watched Caroline awkwardly explain herself before the audience.
"So, there's this guy. And, uh, he told me to tell him how I feel about him. Like it's so easy," she said with a nervous laugh while looking over to Matt, who'd stopped working to see what was going on. "Um…" she continued, awkwardly, as confused mumbles began to pass around the crowd. "You know, just because I talk a lost doesn't mean I always know what I'm actually talking about."
"You mean like now?" Sarah said, though luckily not loud enough for anyone other than her friends to hear. Although Bonnie did nudge her, with a look that told her to be more supportive. Sarah couldn't really argue with that, especially after all the nagging she'd done to Bonnie about being a better friend to Caroline when she'd first turned. Still, there was being a better friend, and then there was watching them stand up on stage and horribly explain their feelings before a huge crowd.
"I can sing!" she suddenly declared.
"She can what?" Jenna exclaimed, as all four of them went wide eyed.
"Oh, God," Elena sighed, cringing as Caroline continued.
"Yeah, you know what, I'm going to sing," Caroline declared, as if it were karaoke night.
"Come on, off the stage," the lead singer said calmly as he tried to gentle push Caroline towards the edge. But before he could, Caroline turned and quickly started to compel him.
"You are going to let me live out my rock star fantasies, and you are going to be my back-up," Caroline explained, as the singer stared lazily into her eyes. Then he blinked, accepting what Caroline had told him and straightened up, awake once more.
"What'll it be?" he asked, before Caroline leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"I guess you're not the only one who's good at getting what they want," Jenna muttered to Sarah who nodded in agreement. She felt she'd taught Caroline pretty well, at least in the compulsion department.
After a short chatter from the band, they started to play the song Eternal Flame, and Caroline stepped back up to the microphone – her eyes going right to Matt. "Close your eyes, give me your hand…" Caroline sang out, as the whole crowd watched, and slowly began to sway to the gentle and loving beat.
"No way," Sarah whisper exclaimed as she watched Caroline sing, surprised to find out she was actually very good.
"She's good," Jenna said, voicing Sarah's thoughts as Elena and Bonnie nodded along. The song continued, and everybody just listened, enjoying the blissful moment, until suddenly Matt ran up onto the stage and Caroline stopped singing.
"Matt–" Carline began to say, before having to stop as he took her and lovingly pressed his lips to hers – to which the crowd cheered. Her friends were the ones that cheered the loudest, even when Matt dipped her and the crowd's cheers increased – all while the band continued to play.
It was a nice moment to behold, Sarah thought, as she stood along with her smiling friends. Hopefully it wouldn't be one that ended up being ruined down the road, and even more so – hopefully Caroline and Matt would make it. She'd tell him the truth and they'd live happily ever after.
But as Sarah knew from personal experience – and not just with Ronnie – being honest doesn't make everything perfect.
Since everyone else had gone out, Jeremy and Scarlett had the house to themselves. And after sitting on Jeremy's bed and talking for ten minutes, they finally realised this had been the first time in a long time that they'd had a house to themselves. No vampire's listening, no risk of family members walking in on them – with bloody knifes or other supernatural dramas, be it werewolf attacks or yet another vampire with an axe to grind. And nobody should be back for a long while.
Naturally, both teenagers were thinking the same thing when they came to this realisation. And then, what started off as teasing, little, flirty smiles, quick transcended into Scarlett straddling Jeremy, making out with him heatedly, as she pushed him down onto the bed.
That had been the test. The last few times they'd even thought about it something had always come up. Either someone had come home at that exact moment, or someone would call them with an urgent message or the smoke alarm would go off or whatever. But this time they weren't interrupted. They lay there for a good five minutes just making out until they parted, realising they might actually have a chance to do what they'd both been craving for a while now.
"We're not in a dream right?" Scarlett asked, her hands on either side of Jeremy's face as she looked down at him, suspicious frown in place – because by this point every other time something had intervened with their, 'activities'. "Like, this is actually, properly real."
"Speaking from experience I'd say we'd be a lot further along if this was a dream," pointed out Jeremy with a grin, before lifting himself up to continue the make out session, his hand running up and down Scarlett's neck as he joyfully pressed his lips to hers.
Another break as Scarlett pointed out," I"m just saying it's been a while. Usually because we're always being interrupted."
"Really, I hadn't noticed," Jeremy said, playing dumb.
"In that case, maybe I should go and join the girls at the Grill," Scarlett said casually, going to get off of Jeremy until he pulled her back onto him and they fell back onto the bed laughing. The laughter quickly ceased however, when their lips met again, tongues dancing in and out each others mouths as if it were a tango.
"Okay, I lied. I've been counting the days since last time," Jeremy admitted in between kisses, breathing already starting to sound a bit heavy.
"That's good, so have I," Scarlett said with a grin, before leaning out of his reach as she brushed her hair aside. "So, should we…?"
"Sure, what's the difference between being interrupted twenty-four times instead of twenty-three," Jeremy said with a shrug.
"Twenty-three? Seriously?" Scarlett asked, mentally counting all the times they'd tried to do it since their first.
"I told you'd I'd kept count," grinned Jeremy, reaching up for a kiss before falling back down, grin now more goofball like. Luckily for him Scarlett found that very cute, as she reached over for his drawer, taking out the item they'd almost used several times now.
"Hey, can I be on top this time?" Jeremy asked, to which Scarlett dramatically rolled her eyes.
"Fine," she sighed out, as if it were such an effort on her part – only to then yelp when Jeremy swiftly pulled her down beneath him and he rolled on top of her, switching their positions. Another round of laughter ensued before he then took her lips, their hands briefly interlocking as he took what she'd retrieved from his bedside drawer. "Cloths," Scarlett then pointed out as they parted.
"Yeah, I know," Jeremy said cockily, lifting himself up so he could remove his shirt. "This isn't my first time you know."
"Could have fooled me," teased Scarlett, shrieking when Jeremy then started planting kisses along her neck, only shutting her up with another kiss. Yet another make out moment, before they broke to remove Scarlett's t-shirt. Then the love making continued, as Jeremy dropped kiss after kiss around her neck, suckling at her as if he were a vampire.
Finally, Scarlett could take no more and grabbed his head, pulling his lips up to her as she entered a blissful world where only she and Jeremy could exist. She was savouring it all, taking it all in as she remembered how it had been last time. They'd been in this very room. Anna had just passed. They'd needed each other, and the primal urge had taken over from there. Before they knew it they were entangled, rolling around the forest floor. Their think fur coats brushing against each other before–
Scarlett gasped, pushing Jeremy off with a sudden force before sliding up to the head of the bed, away from him. She blinked and it was gone, she was back in Jeremy's bedroom, on his bed, with him. She was sweating, her breathing laboured, eye wide with fright and shock.
Jeremy was frowning back at her, confused by what had just happened. His breathing not quite as heavy as his girlfriend's, who was curled up at the top of his bed, staring at him with such fright he couldn't help but wonder what he'd done wrong. "Sorry, did I hurt you?" he said apologetically, and Scarlett's heart ached at the hypocrisy.
"No," she said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear. "You didn't hurt me, Jeremy," she said, face blank as she saw memories flash before her eyes. All featuring one key figure. Mason Lockwood.
She'd been a fool. A complete and utter fool. To think she had tried to repress it, to forget it, let it fade into the past and go on as if it never happened. Right now had proven that wasn't possible. She might be able to ignore it in the day to day, even during the romantic stuff with her boyfriend. But given the last time she'd done what she and Jeremy were about to do, had been with Mason, she would never be able to do it with Jeremy. Not until she told him the truth. She couldn't run from this anymore, not if she wanted this relationship to continue. She'd let it rest for too long.
But looking at his innocent face, and his soft loving brown eyes. Scarlett wasn't sure she could do it.
She waited for her inner wolf to weigh in, to give its opinion on the matter. To lie and power on through, or fess up. Annoyingly enough, it had no opinion on this matter. Shame, it might have been just the thing Scarlett needed to force her into being honest.
"Is everything okay, Scarlett?" Jeremy asked, stood up on his hands and knees at the other end of the bed, having given Scarlett her space.
She didn't answer him. All she did was stare back, remaining curled up in between his pillows, as she battled in her mind on how best to proceed. Maybe she didn't have to tell him right now? Maybe it was a mistake to try doing that so soon? Give it a little more time, it'll pass and eventually they'd get back to where they were before she'd made that mistake with Mason…
No. This can't go on. She'd pushed it off for far too long. Her friends had been far too kind to her, not pushing her, but maybe that was because of all the other drama going on around them. Maybe it was because some of them didn't see the sense in tearing down a relationship, especially when their own were burning all around them. Maybe that was just it, they'd wanted to spear both her and Jeremy the pain of what would happen if she told him the truth. And they were right, it would hurt. Scarlett could feel her heart cracking at the mere thought of it. But it had to be done. If she was ever going to get back to that point in time with Jeremy, when they'd been perfectly in love and everything had been right – before she ruined it all with Mason – then she'd have come clean. It had to be now!
"Jeremy…" Scarlett said timidly, her blue eyes trembling.
"Yeah, Scarlett?" Jeremy said, before seeing her eyes and leaning over. "What's wrong?" he asked in his caring way, going to brush her tears before Scarlett gently grabbed his wrist. She shook her head, tears dropping as she pushed him back.
"I need to tell you something… And you're not going to like it…"
Hearing her tone, Jeremy sat up on his knees before Scarlett, though kept himself low as not to intimidate her. "What is it?" he asked, voice thick with concern. How quick that would change, Scarlett thought.
She couldn't meet his eyes any longer. But at the same time she had to savour that last look. That last loving look in his eyes because she might never see it again after saying what had to be said. "Jeremy… I'm sorry," she whimpered out, as the tears came out in more force.
"'Sorry?' What are you talking about?"
When she didn't answer, he leaned over to comfort her but she pushed him back again. "No. Just…Just listen to me. Don't comfort me, don't come near me, just sit there and listen. Please," Scarlett said, meeting his gaze for a just a moment to get her point across through her teary eyes.
He got it, and backed off as Scarlett's head lowered shamefully. She still hadn't worked out exactly how to say it. But then, there never was going to be a good or correct way to say it. She just had to do it.
"I cheated on you, Jeremy." When the words first came out, Scarlett hadn't even been sure it was her who said them. She hadn't felt her lips move, hadn't felt her voice come out. She'd just heard the words, and after a moment realised it was her voice that had said them, aloud.
She'd gone numb. And Jeremy had gone very still.
An unbearable silence descended on them, and during it Scarlett stupidly lifted her head to look Jeremy in the eye. And in his eyes she saw what she would never forget for as long as she lived. Those hurt, unbelieving, outraged, shocked, horrified, sad and above all, heart broken eyes. The very look Scarlett had envisioned whenever she thought about this moment and had wanted to avoid for so long. And now that it had finally arrived, she found herself wishing that she'd put it off even longer. Wishing she hadn't said anything and let the paradise continue, blissfully unaware.
"What…?" Jeremy breathed out in near silence.
And with that one word Scarlett dropped into near hysteria as she found herself reach for him, needing him to hold her and comfort her the way he always had. "Jeremy, I'm–" but he shoved her hand away this time, still staring at her with those heart broken, unbearable brown eyes. She wanted nothing more than to look away, to forget his look, and all the damage and hurt she'd just caused him. But if she did that, she'd lose any chance at getting him back. And she really needed him.
"What… What do you mean, 'you cheated on me?'" Jeremy asked, voice thick with confused anger. Hurt and painful tears already forming as Scarlett's continued to flood out in her hysteric state.
"It–It–It was an accident and–"
"An accident!" shouted Jeremy as he jumped off the bed and onto his feet, his brown eyes turning a darker shade. "What the hell does that mean, 'an accident,' how do you accidentally cheat on me?!"
"Just–Just let me explain–" Scarlett begged.
"Please!" Jeremy snapped once more. "Because I'm clearly missing a lot here!"
"It was with Mason, on the night of the full moon. Something happened during it–"
"Wait! It was with Mason?! As in Mason Lockwood!" shouted Jeremy, face contorting as he tried to make sense of what was being dumped on him. He stared pacing at the foot of the bed, and Scarlett could do nothing but watch him as he went back and forth. Her eyes stuck to him through the waves of tears and painful stings, never once blinking for fear that he might run off and leave her for good. Could she really blame him if he did?
"Which full moon?" he suddenly snapped.
"What?" Scarlett replied, confused by why he was asking such an odd question.
"Which full moon was it you…" He struggled to get out the rest of that sentence, having to gulp down the bile that threatened to come up with his words. He took a second, hands going to his hips as his head lowered with an angry breath that made Scarlett squirm from her spot on the bed. "When you did it with him?"
It was only then Scarlett realised why Jeremy was asking her this. Mason was dead, had been for over a month now. There had been one full moon since then. That meant unless some supernatural intervention had happened, and Mason had come back to life, that Scarlett had kept this form him for over a month. And sadly, that was the truth.
"Two full moons ago," she answered guiltily, head lowering to her fingers that were prodding one another on her lap. "The day I went with the others to Duke."
"That was months ago!" Jeremy raged, as he threw his arms out, like some flaming demon spreading its wings.
"I know," Scarlett cried, more tears falling. Tears of shame.
"Then why didn't you tell me?!"
"Because I was scared!" Scarlett shouted back with utter pain in her voice as she stood up on her knees. "I was scared of this, of you acting this way," she explained as she climbed off the bed and approached her boyfriend.
"What, and you think this is an unreasonable way to react to finding out that you cheated on me!" Jeremy exclaimed as he slammed his fists against his chest when referring to himself, like a mad ape about to lose it.
"No! No, I get it, but I just wanted you to let me explain–"
"What is there to explain, Scarlett!"
"Would you just listen to me?!" snapped Scarlett, her tears turning hot suddenly, as the wolf inside began to wake.
"You slept with Mason, there, I think I explained it pretty damn well don't you?!" Jeremy snapped back as he turned his back on Scarlett.
"It's not as simple as that," Scarlett pleaded, needing him to just hear what she had to say about that night.
"Did you love him?" Jeremy asked, turning back around with angry tears and a hurt expression that made Scarlett freeze all over again. "Did you love him?" Jeremy repeated as he approached her. "Like you loved me?"
"No," Scarlett answered as certainly as she could. Because she'd never loved him. She'd only ever loved Jeremy in that way.
"Then why did you do it, Scarlett!"
"I don't know!" she shouted back over him, before the rest came rushing out. "It-It was the full moon, and we were both wolves and I wasn't in control–"
"I thought that was the whole point of your stupid necklace," Jeremy snapped, his hand grabbing it, holding it between them for them both to see before he threw it back at her chest. "To give you control on the full moon, to let you do what you want!"
"That's not–"
"Was it because he's a werewolf? Am I not good enough being a plain old human?" Jeremy accused.
"Jeremy, that was never–"
"What about Tyler, did you screw him too?"
"He's my friend, Jeremy," Scarlett declared defensively, insulted by the accusation.
"So, Mason was working with Katherine, and you still slept with him." He then paused, as something donged on him. "That was what Katherine was going to tell me in the tomb, wasn't it? She knew what you'd done. That was why you didn't want me involved, in case I found this out."
"That's not true," Scarlett replied firmly, but she could see how it would look that way.
"Then why else would you try and keep me out of everything?!" demanded Jeremy.
"Because you were going to get yourself killed!" Scarlett snapped as she stepped towards him. She then reeled it back, reminding herself that she was the guilty part in this story, not Jeremy. She might not like that he was mad with her, but she did deserve it, she was in the wrong, however much she regretted it and wished it wasn't so. She had to be kind and gentle with him, even if he was lashing out at her for now.
"I love you, Jeremy. I didn't want you to die. I know you have that ring but that doesn't make you indestructible. And you aren't strong, or fast, and any supernatural that knows about that ring can kill you very easily," she explained in a lower voice.
"But you have to know Jeremy, I didn't mean for this to happen," she said, reaching forward and taking his hands, willing him to believe her and her honest words. "I wasn't in the right frame of mind, it was the first time I'd ever seen anyone else like me and for whatever reason I just…"
"You jumped at the opportunity," Jeremy said spitefully, pulling his hands from Scarlett's.
"No, it wasn't like that," she pleaded, but once again Jeremy turned away, as Scarlett phone started to buzz from the bedside table. "I was confused, I didn't know what was happening, I was caught up in the rush–"
"And what if you get caught up in the rush again? Am I just supposed to be okay with the fact that you might sleep with another guy, just because your both werewolves?" asked Jeremy, turning back around again.
"It's not like we ever did it as humans," Scarlett protested weakly.
"And that's supposed to make it better?!" snapped Jeremy as the phone stopped ringing, and silence stretched out between them.
"What do you want me to do, Jeremy? Just say it and I'll do it. I'm so sorry that this happened, and I promise it won't ever happen again. But I had to tell you and you had to know, and I know it's not fair of me but I'll do whatever it takes to fix this," she explained, looking into his stormy brown eyes, trying to see any sigh of him wavering, of given in and saving her from this nightmare. Of the love they'd had just a few short minutes ago.
"I don't know if you can fix this," Jeremy said quietly, uncertain as he looked into Scarlett's eyes that suddenly flooded with heartbreak. The same heartbreak she'd seen in Jeremy's eyes when she finally told him. She was watching their relationship crumble down around her, the shaky foundation it was built on cracking with her betrayal. To think, there'd once been a point when she'd wanted nothing more than for Jeremy to leave her alone, for him to be out of her life. And now she was willing to try anything to keep him in it, at any cost.
The phone started ringing again, and with the silence, their locked eyes broke away. There was a moment of hesitation, before Scarlett finally turned and picked up the phone, seeing it was Stefan calling her. She also had a missed call from him too, which had been the call before this one, so it was obviously of some urgency. But even so, Scarlett was in no mood to deal with him or anyone else.
Jeremy needed her attention, their relationship needed her attention. This might be her best and only chance to mend the bridge that was burning between them. If she could just explain what happened more clearly then he would have to understand. She just needed time to explain.
Out of courtesy, she answered the phone. "Hey, Stefan," Scarlett said, doing her best to hide her sobs from her voice. "Now's not really the best time. Me and Jeremy are kinda in the middle of–"
"Scarlett! Are you there?" Stefan shouted down the line, obviously not having heard any of what Scarlett said.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here," Scarlett sighed, rubbing the tears from her eyes as Jeremy sat down on the edge of his bed, face in his hands. She had to wrap this up, quickly. Time was of the essence and she had to show him that he was the most important thing to her right now, not anything else. "But like I said I'm dealing with something right now so–"
"I've been trying Elena and Sarah but they won't pick up. Listen carefully, Jonas is coming for her. Do you hear me, Jonas is coming for Elena!" Stefan shouted in a mad panic.
"He's what?" Scarlett found herself asking, being pulled in like she always was – even when there was something more important needing her attention. And he was sitting on the bed shaking his head as the phone conversation continued on longer than it should.
"Luka tried to release Elijah and Amelia from the daggers, and we accidentally killed him in the process," Stefan quickly explained. "Now Jonas's hurting, and he's dangerous, and he wants Elena. He's done a tracking spell of sorts so he'll know exactly where she is. You and everyone else need to get out the house now and get as far away as possible."
"But Elena's not here," Scarlett explained. "They all went to the Grill a while ago."
"Then that's where Jonas will be," Stefan said firmly. "How quickly can you get there?"
"Give me a few minutes," Scarlett answered without thinking about everything else that was going on.
"All right, see you there," Stefan said before hanging up.
Scarlett then turned to Jeremy, ready to explain to him what was going on, when she remembered they were in the middle of a fight. God she was awful! How could she forget so easily what was going on between them? How had she ever been able to do it with the memory of Mason? Was she really that messed up? She'd have to answer those questions later, because her friends needed her right now, and as much as it pained her, it meant she might have to put a pause on her relationship with Jeremy. Maybe indefinitely.
"I have to go," Scarlett began to explain as she removed her jeans. "Stefan needs me to help him deal with Jonas." She was leaving the part about him going after Elena out for now. The last thing she wanted was to go to the Grill with Jeremy while in the middle of a fight. That wouldn't end well for anyone.
"Whatever," Jeremy mumbled, not even sparing Scarlett a glance as he deliberately looked the other way.
And that hurt her, hurt more than any physical pain she'd endured up to this point. Possibly even more than the night she turned without her choosing. So even though she was stood in nothing but her underwear, she went to Jeremy. Kneeling down in front of him and looking up into this saddened dark eyes. "I'm sorry, Jeremy. If it wasn't an emergency I'd stay and talk this out but they need me."
"Yeah, sure," Jeremy scoffed, looking away until Scarlett grabbed the sides of his head and turned him back to look at her.
"Hey. Promise me we'll talk about this when I get back?" she pleaded, but his souless eyes no longer seemed to care. About her, or anything else.
"Make whatever promises you want. Just don't be surprised if I don't keep to them," Jeremy muttered, before standing up and walking out the room and into his bathroom, slamming the door behind him. She deserved that, and she allowed herself a moment of self pity, wishing things could be so, so different. Then, she removed the last of her cloths, and climbed out the window. Dropping down into the bushes below with only her moonlight necklace, before she began to change into her wolf form.