Author's Note: Hi everyone, sorry for the long delay on this chapter but I have been busy the last month with the wife, hope everyone is safe and healthy anyways here is the next chapter, hope you all enjoy.
Chapter Four: Wait, Werewolves…
Mystic Grill, Mystic Falls, Virginia
Damon Point of View
Damon had just gotten through with a patrol around Mystic Falls keeping a look out for Katherine but so far, she hadn't shown her face. It had been several days since Damon's attempt at taking Katherine down and he once again cursed himself for not having enough vervain. Once again Damon's mind drifted back to the morning after his and Katherines confrontation and his heart and mind filled with emotions, he couldn't recognise. He'd woken up on the Gilbert couch as the sun had started to rise and for a moment he was confused until a warmth and movement on his shoulder made him remember the events. He had looked down and found himself staring into Elena's sleeping face, a look of peace there making his heart leap and he want to do things that was very confusing.
Damon had picked Elena's sleeping form up and sped her up the stairs placing her gently in her bed and pull the covers up. He'd stood up after next to her bed but something in him compelled him to stay for a few moments simply staring at her sleeping form for a few moments before he raised a hand hesitantly and softly stroked it down the cheek of her face causing her to sigh and her to turn towards him. He drawn his hand back as if it had been scalded with vervain and vampire sped out of there before he did anything else, he couldn't explain. As Damon brought himself back to the present and back the Grill, he surveyed it quickly looking for a specific brunette; not that he was avoiding her…he was just actively trying not to be in the same room as her. As he made his way towards the bar, he sensed someone looking at him, as he ordered his drink, he quickly surveyed the room quickly finding a mousy haired man in his early thirty's staring at him.
He didn't like the look he was seeing in the man's eyes; he'd seen it before…in the basement amongst the Augustine members society as they'd cut him open and taken his inside out to test his limits. He made sure to keep an eye on the man but Alaric coming into the Grill made him smile and order a second drink from the bartender for his friend…wait FRIEND. Damon didn't have friends…not since Enzo and now he found himself ordering a drink for human and think of him as his friend. First there was whatever the hell Elena was making him feel and now he was referring to Alaric as his friend.
"Thanks Damon I needed this" Alaric spoke coming to sit on the stool next to Damon disrupting him from his thoughts.
"If I was surrounded by teenagers all day I would be drinking as well. Next one's on you though" Damon snarked back making Alaric shake his head. Damon once again looked over at the mousy haired man who was now looking at Alaric with a frown coming over his face causing Damon to raise an eyebrow.
"Who's the guy who can't take his eyes off you?" Damon asked indicating the man who had been looking at the pair at the bar, Alaric looked quickly and sighed a frown coming over his face.
"That would be John Gilbert, he's Jeremy and Elena's Uncle…he's also Elena's biological father" Alaric replied causing Damon to shake his head in disbelief.
"Wait-what, I'm lost, explain that one to me" Damon replied causing Ric to sigh and start a long explanation of Elena's parentage.
He explained that Elena's birth parents had died just over a year ago and after had come to town it had revealed several months later that her parents who had passed away wasn't her birth parents. In fact, Isobel, Alaric's wife had been the birth mother and Elena's Uncle John was in fact her biological father. When Elena had found out she had been hurt and confused but the whole situation made him shake his head in disbelief.
"What the hell have I stepped into, an episode of One Tree Hill or something?" Damon said causing Ric to snort in laughter and Damon to smile at his friend.
A sudden hint of vanilla mixed with lavender made Damon tense up as he looked towards the door and spotted Elena walking in with Bonnie. Their eyes met for several moments before Damon broke eye contact and looked back at Ric who was looking at him with a questioning look on his face.
"What are you looking at you?" Damon asked as he took a gulp of his drink trying to calm his suddenly frayed nerves.
"Nothing, just looking at you have eye sex with Elena from across the Grill" Ric replied casually causing Damon to choke on his drink and make Ric laugh.
"You alright there Damon" Ric replied with a hint of laughter in his face as Damon stopped coughing and shot Ric a dark look.
"No idea what you are talking about Ric" Damon murmured causing Ric to shake his head in disbelief.
"What about the sleep over you had with Elena the other day, that never happen either?" Ric asked causing Damon to freeze and look away from his friend.
"How do you know about that?" Damon asked softly causing Ric to shake his head.
"You do realise I almost live at the Gilbert house right; I came back with Jenna and we saw you on the couch" Ric replied causing Damon to shake his head.
"Nothing happened, I was hurt and didn't want to go home at the time, there was nothing to it" Damon replied trying to downplay the moment, suddenly Damon saw his brother rush in and look around the bar a look of panic on his face. He spotted Damon and quickly made his way over to him coming to a stop beside Ric and Damon.
"We have a problem, the werewolves have Caroline" Stefan replied a hint of urgency in his face, the words he spoke made Damon shake his head in disbelief again.
"Wait, who has blondie…werewolves? Stefan you didn't tell me there were werewolves in Mystic Falls" Damon hissed at his brother, once again shaking his head in denial, What the hell, is Mystic Falls cursed Damon thought to himself. Elena and Bonnie who had spotted Stefan's distressed look as he had walked in started to make their way over to the brothers and Alaric.
"Look werewolves are real, they change into dangerous wolves on full moons and the only way to kill them to our knowledge is to rip their hearts out or heads off" Stefan replied as Elena and Bonnie came to stand close to the brothers.
"What's going on?" Elena asked worriedly looking from Stefan to Damon.
"The wolves have Caroline; they want to exchange Tyler for Caroline" Stefan replied making Damon shake his head.
"Where is this Tyler guy?" Damon asked as Stefan turned towards him.
"In the trunk of my car, we need to move their probably…torturing Care as we speak" Stefan spoke a hint of urgency in his voice as Damon stood up.
"What are we waiting for, I've been itching for a fight" Damon murmured throwing the rest of his drink back as Elena and Bonnie came to stand beside them causing Damon to shake his head.
"Oh no, no, no, hell no you two will only get in the way" Damon told them when suddenly Bonnie held out her hand and an intense pain started in Damon's brain almost making Damon buckle over when it disappeared as suddenly as it came.
"What the hell was that?" Damon asked as Bonnie smirked at him.
"I'm a witch Damon, I'm coming too" Bonnie spoke a hard look coming over her face
"Damon, it's Caroline I'm not sitting this one out" Bonnie murmured making Damon shake his head in resignation.
"Ok witches can come but Elena you're staying here" Damon replied causing Elena to shake her head.
"No, I'm coming too" she replied to Damon who started to shake his head even more.
"Bonnie has magic, Stefan and I are vampires. I don't know anything about werewolves other than what Stefan here is telling me" Damon said causing Elena to shake her head.
"I need to worry about getting your friend out of there ok, I can't fight and protect you at the same time ok. I need you to stay out of it please, I'll get your friend back but I can't keep you safe at the same time" Damon murmured gently a caring tone in his voice, Damon had almost forgotten Stefan was there until he cleared his throat.
"Ric keep her here we will be back with Caroline" Damon spoke looking at Ric who suddenly grabbed her causing her to struggle against him and look at Damon.
"Damon, I can't just wait here, she's my friend" Elena desperately spoke causing Damon to lean down to her so the whole bar wouldn't hear.
"I get it Elena, I do she's like your family alright, we'll get her back ok just trust me" Damon murmured causing Elena to still and look him in eye.
"Promise me something and I'll stay here ok?" Elena questioned causing Damon to shake his head at her.
"I'll bring her back I promise" Damon murmured as Elena looked away from him.
"Not just that Damon…promise me you'll be safe and come back…you and Stefan I mean" Elena stuttered as she remembered that Stefan was standing right behind her. Her words again sent a flutter through his heart, he hoped that Stefan was only tacked on to safe herself embarrassment and what she really meant was Come back to me Damon thought.
"You worry too much, as if a couple of mutts could take out the eternal stud" Damon snarked waggling his eyebrows at her causing her to smile through her worry.
"Let's go Witchy, brother, we need to get Blondie back" Damon spoke looking at his brother for the first time who was looking between himself and Elena as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle.
Damon walked out followed closely behind by the witch and his brother, as he came to a stop outside and saw Stefan's car, he started towards it but his brother's hand shooting out and stopping made him turn to face Stefan.
"You want to tell me what that was about?" Stefan spoke jealously colouring his tone making sigh.
"It was nothing broody ok, obviously Elena just wants to make sure we come back safe" Damon said hoping his brother believe the words more than he did.
"It didn't look like nothing" Stefan replied his brown furrowing as Damon shook his head.
"Look we don't have time for this, get in the car Stefan" Damon spoke causing Stefan to look at him one more time before he started to move towards his red Porsche. Damon suddenly came face to face with Bonnie who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her face.
"For the record Elena didn't mention me coming back safe and I'm her best friend" Bonnie said implying something in her tone that Damon really didn't want to think about.
"Get in the car witch" Damon snarked turning his back on Bonnie and moving towards the car. He needed to make sure Elena was safe and he needed to do it before the young doppelganger brought out anymore feelings he didn't want to deal with. A banging and the sounds of shouts came from the rear of the car making Damon laugh and move towards the car, sitting in the front after Bonnie had taken a seat in the back.
"Ok Stefan, tell me everything I need to know about killing werewolves" Damon said as Stefan started the car and raced down the street squealing tires sound in their wake.
Outskirts of Mystic Falls Forest
Stefan had parked off the road, the forest of Mystic Falls spread out before them, he and Damon stepped hesitantly out of the car with Damon telling Bonnie to stay put just in case there were wolfs waiting here to ambush them. After a few moments Damon indicated for Bonnie to get out of the car whilst Stefan walked to the back, opening his trunk and pulling the werewolf Tyler Lockwood out of it. His hands were bound, and he had a strip of duct tape over his mouth which would explain why they were only hearing muffled shouts coming from the back of the car. Damon walked around to the back of the car as Stefan dragged Tyler to him, who struggled against his binds.
"So, this is what's happening, the rest of your litter has Caroline and if I'm guessing right, they're currently torturing her. So, they want you, but you make one wrong move and I'll rip your heart out, do you understand me Fido?" Damon menacingly said to Tyler who froze at the Caroline's name, before gesturing to Damon and indicating to the duct tape then showing the hand signal for speaking.
"You want to make a deal? Ok, I'm going to remove the duct tape, but you make a sound and you get a newspaper to the nose got that?" Damon mocked Tyler who simply gave him a death stare before Damon ripped off the tape from his mouth.
"Ow, you dick…wait was you telling the truth, does the pack really have Care?" Tyler asked looking between Damon and Stefan.
"Yeah, she is, what's it to you?" Damon asked wondering why a werewolf would care what happens to a vampire.
"They have a thing Damon" Stefan murmured making Tyler look away uncomfortably while Damon started to laugh to him.
"Really you have a thing for the Blondie. Ok you might be able to help" Damon replied a sudden change of plans entering his mind.
"What are you thinking Damon?" Stefan asked as Bonnie looked on in silence.
"The wolfs won't expect one of their own betraying them…so if this goes sideway Tyler should be able to sneak in and get Blondie out" Damon spoke to his brother who furrowed his eyebrows in thought.
"What do we do if this goes sideways?" Bonnie asked as Stefan looked at his older brother who had a hard look come over his face.
"You and Bonnie stick to together, kill as many as you can, and I'll clear the way for you" Damon murmured as Stefan looked at his brother worriedly.
"We should stick together Damon" Stefan said causing Damon to shake his head.
"No, I need you and Bonnie to draw as many away as you can ok? I'm stronger and faster than you. Bonnie will need help she's a witch but she still has human reflexes and Bonnie you can watch my brothers back" Damon murmured causing an embarrassed look to come over his face which caused Damon to sigh and placed a hand on his brothers shoulder trying to reassure him.
"Look, this is why you called me here. I'm stronger and faster with you on animal blood ok so just follow the plan and we will make it out" Damon replied as he looked at other gathered around him.
"Tyler, we will loosen the ropes so you can get free but until needed pretend to heel got it?" Damon to the wolf who rolled his eyes at him.
"Anyone ever call you a dick?" Tyler replied.
"Yeah, pretty much everyone I know. Come on we have a blonde vampire to rescue" Damon said turning and walking into the forest the others following closely behind him.
Damon stopped for a moment reaching out with his sense made him growl in rage, he could hear Caroline's screams and cries of pain coming from deep in the forest. Rage filled Damon as images started to assault his mind, the time spent in a cell with nothing but day after day of torture to look forward to. From what he had seen of Caroline she hadn't done anything to deserve this type of treatment, she was a bit ditzy for Damon's taste but still she was there for Elena when her friend had ever needed her. After walking through the forest for twenty minutes a light in the distance caught Damon's attention, he stopped and sniffed the air growling as he did.
"We're almost there" Damon growled stomping off towards the light in the forest.
The others struggled to keep pace as Damon came to a stop beside the campfire which had been located in the a clearing, standing next to the fire was an old and battered RV, from inside the smell of vervain and blood overpowered his senses; judging from the growling coming from Stefan he had just smelt what he had and was raging at what had been happening to the blonde.
"Yoohooo, anybody home…bid bad vampire out here" Damon called out as the RV door opened, showing a tanned woman with dirty blonde hair appearing in the door.
When she spotted them, she stepped out whistling as she did. Suddenly Damon could sense at least twelve other heart beats moving out of the forest and coming to surround the rescue party.
"About time you showed up, I was getting bored torturing the blonde, I mean don't get me wrong it was fun but it was getting stale" the women said coming to a stop a few feet away from the as the other wolves moved to surround Damon, Bonnie, Stefan and Tyler.
"Jules, we have Tyler, you let Caroline go and we can all be on our way" Stefan said to the women, Jules who simply started them down.
"Give us Tyler and we send Caroline on her way" Jules replied a causing Damon to chuckle.
"My brother, always the peacekeeper. Give us Caroline and I don't start removing heats from their chests starting with yours" Damon growled hoping for a fight, the monster screaming in him for bloodshed and death.
"You really think you can take us?" the women asked in disbelief as Damon looked around the group before looking back at Jules.
"It's not a full moon, and if you really wanted to kill me…you should have brought more wolfs" Damon growled his senses heightening preparing for the fight.
"Hey, before we get started which one of you killed Mason?" one of the men called out from the group, Damon saw flash of guilt cross his face before he started to speak, but he was cut off by Damon who knew the look of guilt on his brothers face.
"Ah, that'd be me" Damon said pointing at himself as the group suddenly focused on him, the man who questioned him raised the stake in his hand and pointed directly at Damon.
"Make sure that one suffers" the man growled as the wolves closed ranks further surrounding the group as Damon let his vampire side take over, instinct guiding him.
The clearing was silent for a few moments, nothing, not even the trees blew in the tense atmosphere that had just settled over the two groups. Suddenly Damon moved towards the closest two to him on his left whilst Jules stayed where she was. Damon ducked a swing from the first wolf on the right, ducking under him and reaching out at the same time. The squashing sound of Damon ripping into his chest and ripping out his heart met his hears making the monster in him cry out in exhilaration. Damon quickly vamp sped away from the trailer breaking four away from the main group and coming to stand in front of him. Damon spotted Bonnie hands held up with several months already collapsed to the ground whilst others were groaning and trying to reach for him but before they could Stefan would be there to rip their hearts out. Jules lead the group who decided to make Damon their target, while he had their attention, he spotted Tyler free of his ropes making his way into the RV not being spotted.
Damon moved in on the group blocking a punch from the left while swinging out and connecting a punch sending one sprawling away. A kick connected with the back of his leg sending him to his knees, Damon looked up and saw two legs streaking towards him. He raised his fore arms blocking both from connecting, standing quickly he reached out and grabbed a leg bringing an elbow down on it hearing the crack of bone breaking. The cries were drowned out as Damon growled moving quickly behind another werewolf and ripping his heart out. A cry followed by a body impacting him sent Damon sprawling across the clearing into a tree. Damon stood up leaning on the tree looking at the last three who were still capable of fighting.
Behind them he spotted Caroline standing weakly against Tyler as they stumbled out of the RV, Bonnie and Stefan finished with the last two made their way over. Stefan seeing his brother outnumbered he ran over as Caroline with Bonnie and Tyler's help slowly limped away from the clearing and into the darkened forest. Standing side by side Damon and Stefan dropped into defensive stances, readying themselves. They were soon joined by two that either Stefan missed or had recently joined them came two a stop. After several moments Stefan let his face return to normal holding up a hand.
"There's been enough blood shed here tonight, leave Mystic Falls and don't come back. No-one else has to die tonight" Stefan said trying to stop the mood.
Jules looked at him for a moment, seizing him up as if trying to figure if they could kill the Salvatore Brothers with the wolfs that were left. After a few moments she back down and indicated for the others to do so as well. Stefan let out a sigh before nodding his head and turning to look away before he noticed Damon was still sizing them up, completely given over to the demon inside.
"Damon, we have Caroline it's enough" Stefan murmured as Damon looked at him stopping his movement and allowing his face to revert back to the human façade.
"You come back here I'll rip all your hearts out brother or no brother I will kill you all…you do not come to my town, and hurt people I care about" Damon growled thoughts of a young brunette in Caroline's place filling his heart with rage.
Damon and Stefan slowly made their away from the clearing and back towards the car, after a few moments of silence Stefan finally broke it as they started to near the car.
"Why do I get the feeling you were talking about someone else, and not Caroline?" Stefan asked looking at his brother sideways, Damon's expression giving nothing away.
"I don't know what you're talking about Stefan" Damon ground out as they came to a stop near where they had parked the car.
"You sure about that?" Stefan asked a jealous tone entering his voice.
"There's nothing there Stefan so drop it" Damon said as they came into sight of the car. Damon looked around and realising they would need a bigger car and looked at Stefan throwing his car keys at him.
"Go get my car, I'll keep an eye out here make sure the wolfs don't come back" Damon said to his brother hoping to get him to leave and drop the subject.
"Alright, but we are continuing this later" Stefan replied before he disappeared in a blur leaving Damon with one werewolf, a teenage witch and a traumatised vampire.
Damon moved over to where they were standing, Bonnie was looking her at her hands while they shook, a shocked look on her face while Tyler was currently trying to comfort Caroline through the open door as she was placed in the car with a blanket around her. Damon stopped, taking in the scene before him before he moved first to Bonnie grabbing her shaking hand and her attention.
"You did good Bon" Damon murmured calling her by her first name since he had arrived in town, Bonnie took a breath and tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace instead.
"I killed people tonight Damon…and not vampires but people" Bonnie murmured burying her face in her hands.
"No, you saved your friends life. That is what you did tonight" Damon murmured squeezing her hand softly before walking over to Tyler and Caroline.
"Give us a second Lockwood, need to speak with Blondie a moment" Damon said indicating from Tyler to move, Tyler went to protest but Caroline held up her hand.
"It's ok Tyler, I'll be ok" she murmured as Tyler, taking one last look decided to walk several metres away.
Damon looked down at Caroline and winced in pain when he saw the blood that covered her clothes, the many cuts and bullet holes that still hadn't healed. He could smell the vervain on her and noted several burns that must have been left over from her torture.
"Blondie…I know how you are feeling right now and trust me when I say this…but don't turn it off" Damon murmured as Caroline looked up at him shocked that he had figured out what she was thinking.
"They tortured me Damon…for over a day they tortured me and every time I stop and close my eyes, I just seeing the knife all over again" Caroline replied as tears filled her eyes. Damon smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder trying to provide some small comfort to her.
"You have your friends, let them be there for you Caroline" Damon spoke causing Caroline to smile for the first time.
"You called me Caroline" the young vampire replied causing a mock frown to come over his face.
"Don't go spreading that around" Damon murmured as he moved to move away from her before she reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Thank you for helping rescue me Damon" Caroline murmured as Damon moved away from her and stand beside Bonnie.
"Is there anything you used to do when one you were having a bad day?" Damon asked looking down at Bonnie who looked up at him then back to Caroline.
"We would have sleep overs…why?" Bonnie asked as Damon started to take his phone out and give it to Bonnie.
"Call Elena, tell her what clothes you want to pack and remember I want pictures if a naked pillow fight breaks out" Damon replied calling Elena.
Forbes Residence, Mystic Falls
Damon stood just out of sight as he watched his brother drop Caroline off as Elena walked down to meet her and she, with Bonnie beside her pulled the young vampire into a group hug. That had been several hours ago, and Damon stood outside in the forest, keeping an eye out for werewolves with nothing but dark thoughts to keep him company. The girls had fallen asleep several minutes ago and as he kept his senses trained on the forest, he almost missed the soft footsteps creeping up on him. Swinging around he took in the sight of Elena in small blue boy shorts with a purple camisole on, her hands were gently rubbing her fore arms as he stood a few feet away.
"Thought I might find you out here" Elena murmured as Damon turned to look back at the house trying to hide his embarrassment at being caught.
"You know me, trying to the neighbourhood watch" Damon replied trying to ignore how the sight of Elena in short shorts made him feel. Elena smiled and walked over to him softly pulling him in for a hug before she kissed his cheek quickly and moved away.
"Thank you for rescuing my friend Damon" Elena murmured as she turned and walked back into the house leaving Damon standing there.
"Anytime Elena" Damon murmured trying to ignore how the feel of her soft lips on his cheek made his heart race.
End of Chapter Note: What did everyone think, sorry there wasn't more Delena but this is more of a slow burn story but we will get there before long, let me know what you thought of the story with a review, and thank you all who have Reviewed, Followed and Favourited the story, till next time.