Okay, so this will be the last VD update for a little bit. I've been writing Supernatural again and I still have to rewrite a chapter of Twilight because when my computer crashed I lost it. I just hope that chapter lives up to the one I lost.

Enjoy!

Chapter Three

Rebecca's dreams were filled with blood and teeth - or fangs, really - and she seemed to be fighting these . . . inhuman creatures. Sometimes, though, it wasn't her. Sometimes she was other people: A warrior in China, a woman in New York, a blond in California. She witnessed their deaths and grieved for them as if they were her own. Point was she was fighting, always fighting. When she woke up she would be exhausted; her sleep obviously wasn't restful.

The dreams started the night of Vicki's attack; maybe it was because of it, Rebecca wasn't sure. All she knew was that she didn't want the dreams to continue.

She walked around in a daze at school. She couldn't make herself pay attention. She could barely contain the irritation she had when Caroline began talking about Bonnie's supposed ability.

"I'm confused. Are you psychic or clairvoyant?"

"Technically, Grams says I'm a witch. My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks or something. Grams tried to explain it all, but she was looped on the liquor so I kind of tuned out. Crazy family, yes. Witches, I don't think so."

Speaking of tuning out . . . Rebecca decided she wasn't going to her last period. She really didn't feel up to dealing with Tanner. He was one annoyance she could deal without with the way she felt.

"You guys, I'm not feelin' so great. I'm gonna ditch. Will one of you stop by Tanner's after school and text me later with the homework?"

"Sure. Feel better," Bonnie said.

"Cool. See ya."

As Rebecca went toward her locker she saw Elena and Matt talking and redirected her route. She wanted to know how Vicki was.

"They're keeping her overnight, but she should be able to come home tomorrow."

"That's good news," Elena said. "Did you get in touch with your mom?"

"Called and left a message. She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, so we'll see how long it takes her to come rushing home."

Rebecca had only met Ms. Donovan a few times and she didn't really care for her. Parents shouldn't ditch their kids for a boyfriend; the kids should come first. Ms. Donovan had been too much of a partier to actually settle down for Matt and Vicki.

"Vicki's lucky that she's okay," Rebecca said.

"I know. And now there's talk of some missing campers."

"Did she say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?" Elena asked.

"She said it was a vampire," Matt said sheepishly.

"What?" Rebecca and Elena said in unison.

"Yeah, she wakes up last night, mutters 'vampire' and passes out. I think she was drunk."

Vampire. Drunk or not, there that word was again. Rebecca had never believed in the supernatural, but now . . . Now she almost had no choice but to. God, she needed to talk to Bonnie's Grams.

"I really gotta go, but I'm glad she's okay, Matt."

"Thanks, Becca."

She gave him and Elena a brief hug and went on to her locker. Once she put away the things she didn't need she slammed the door shut. She was just about to walk away when she noticed there was an imprint of her fingers in the metal. She could not have done that. The locker was made of metal and she was not that strong. But the way the metal was molded now, like something had been holding on too hard . . .

It was definitely time for her to talk to someone.

It was about a fifteen minute walk to Sheila Bennett's house and when Rebecca got there she got out the book Bonnie had given her. Then she knocked on the door.

When Sheila opened the door Rebecca handed her the book.

"What's happening?" she asked directly. "You gave Bonnie this book to give to me and now people are getting bitten. They say it's animals, but I saw the bite mark. No animal did that. What's going on?"

"I think you know, dear," Sheila said kindly. "Come inside. We can talk."

Rebecca nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped over the threshold. She knew that her life was beginning to change and she was a little terrified. Her life had been built on routine and now this, whatever this was, was about to change everything.

Rebecca had always liked Sheila - she even went so far as to call her Grams sometimes too even though they weren't related in any way - but she had also never really believed in any of the stories Sheila had told Bonnie. Sheila was kind, though, and that was why Rebecca liked her. Sheila Bennett was a thin old woman, but she was also strong. She protected the people she cared about.

Rebecca sat on the couch with Sheila and the latter placed the Vampire book on the coffee table in front of them. Rebecca stayed silent until she couldn't anymore.

"What's wrong with me? I've been . . . I don't know." Rebecca ran her hands through her hair, frustrated. "I feel like I'm going crazy. Sane people don't think the things I'm thinking now."

"You are not crazy. You've been feeling strange, noticing things that other people haven't, doing things that seem impossible."

"I put a dent in my locker with my hand. I don't know how." She didn't know why she was admitting that out loud. She just felt like she needed to talk about it and since Sheila had been the one to make sure she got the book . . .

"You're getting stronger. You've been having the nightmares? They've started?"

"I'm -" Rebecca shook her head, still frustrated and confused. "I don't understand what's happening."

"The dreams you've been having, you're someone else. You fight in your dreams. Creatures?"

"Vampires," she whispered. "Is that what they are?"

"Yes. They come in the shape of humans. They feed on us. It's in their nature, it's what they do. They need blood to survive."

Sheila got up, went out of the room for a minute and then came back with a wooden stake. It was long and sharp and elaborately carved.

"But as long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer. Girls with the strength and the skill to kill them, to stop them. One dies, the next one is called. The last Slayer, a girl in California, died. You have been called."

Rebecca had dreamed of the girl in California. She'd been blond and short and green-eyed. She'd looked maybe twenty-four. She'd been so young.

"But I'm just . . . I'm just a girl. A seventeen-year-old girl. I can't -"

"Take this."

Sheila gave her the stake and she was amazed that the feel of it felt right, like it belonged in her hand. An odd awareness began to fill her; an incredible sense of power rushed through her and overwhelmed her.

Then she dropped the stake on the floor. No, this was not happening. This was not going to be her life; she was not going to spend the rest of her life chasing after things that weren't even supposed to exist in the first place.

"Why me? Why now?"

"The dreams start when something big is about to happen. You can't just walk away from this. You were called for a reason, Rebecca. Something is going to happen here, something big, and you might be able to stop it."

"Big as in bad?"

Sheila looked at her sadly. "You already know the answer to that question. You need to train. You're getting all this new strength, and you could hurt someone if you don't know how to control it."

Rebecca bit her lip, concentrating on taking everything in. "How - how do you know all this?"

"Before I became a teacher I worked with the Watcher's council. That's a group of people who live in England. I was part of their coven. They have a group of Seers who keep up with the Slayer line. When they saw that you were being called here they contacted me by phone and told me I was to watch over you. Prepare you. I'm to act as Watcher until one is sent here for you."

"Watcher? Like a teacher?"

"More like a mentor, but yes."

"Vicki Donovan was attacked last night. Is she gonna become a vampire?"

"No, baby. She has to die with vampire blood in her system. That's how you change into a vampire."

"What am I supposed to do? Wh -"

She covered her mouth as the first tear fell. She felt like screaming, much like she had the night before. She felt as Sheila wrapped her in a hug.

"You can cry here. Let it out."

Rebecca felt a dam break inside her and then she was sobbing. Why was this happening to her? Didn't she have enough to deal with? A baby sister, who was more like a daughter than a sister; a drunk father; having to be strong for both of them.

"Just let it out. You can handle this. You wouldn't have been called if you couldn't. You are strong and brave and good. Never forget that."

That made her cry harder. She cried until she literally couldn't anymore. Then she asked her question again: What was she supposed to do now?

"Try to act normal. Don't tell anyone anything. If a vampire finds out what you are . . . You won't be able to get a moment's rest. They will begin hunting you."

"Okay." Like she could tell anyone anyway without them thinking she was insane. "Wh - what can I do to keep safe?"

"Well, they can't come in unless you invite them in. You can kill a vampire, stake to the heart, sunlight, decapitation, fire."

"Hm. Holy water? Crucifixes? Garlic?"

"Drinkable, decorative, edible."

"Hm."

"But I have something else for you. Wait here."

When Sheila got back Rebecca saw that she had a necklace in her hand. It was a regular gold chain with a cross that was about an inch in length.

"The cross won't help you, but the vervain inside will. Vampires have a way of compelling people to do what they want. But as long as you have vervain in you or on you they can't control you. There's liquid vervain in the necklace. If a vampire gets vervain in their system it makes them weak."

Rebecca scoffed softly. "I feel like I should be taking notes or something."

"No pop quizzes. Promise." Sheila helped her put the necklace on. "Keep this on you, okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

Rebecca didn't want to go home so she texted Elena to see what she was up to. Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline were at the local café, so Rebecca decided to join them. When she got there she ordered herself a cappuccino and cinnamon bun. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten, and she was hungry.

As she sat with the three girls she realized they were talking about Stefan and Elena. Apparently he'd spent the night with her in her room. Finally, something normal to take Rebecca's mind off things.

"Becca, what's wrong, you look awful," Elena said sympathetically.

"I've been feeling off today. I'll be okay. You and Stefan? You were with him all night?"

"Yeah, but nothing happened."

"You and Stefan talked all night?" Caroline asked skeptically. "There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy-feely of any kind?"

"Nope, we didn't go there."

"Not even a handshake? I mean, Elena, we are your friends, okay? You are supposed to share the smut."

Rebecca laughed and it felt so good. Usually Caroline's annoying tendencies were, well, annoying, but at the moment Rebecca was glad and appreciative of Caroline's shallowness.

"We just talked for hours," Elena claimed.

"Okay, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already. Okay, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex." Caroline smiled mischievously.

Bonnie, on the other hand, looked at Caroline like she was crazy. Bonnie, like Rebecca, was a virgin. They were both waiting for Mr. Right. And Rebecca hadn't had time to get physical with guys. Now with her new . . . thing . . . she probably never would.

"Profound," Elena teased. But then Elena began to get up.

"Where're you going?" Rebecca asked.

"Caroline's right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying I was gonna do."

Then she walked away; Caroline looked smug.

"I guess she started the day saying she was going to jump Stefan Salvatore's bones," Rebecca said, rolling her eyes. She got a laugh from both of her friends.

"What about you?" Caroline asked Rebecca. "You and Mr. Blue Eyes?"

"Nothin' to tell, really. I like him, he's nice. He dropped me off at home and that's it. Dad flipped 'cause I got home late, and if there was gonna be any 'sloppy first kiss', as you put it, Dad pretty much put a stop to it. He did hint that he wanted to see me again, though."

"That's good news. What do you know about him?"

"I don't know. Just that he and Stefan are brothers, really. And he's playful, fun. Overconfident in that sexy type of way. And he gives me butterflies."

"Butterflies are also good," Bonnie said. "You think you like him enough to go out with him if he asked."

"Mm, too soon to tell. I'd try a friendship, though." To get the subject off of her she began a new conversation.

"So . . . Tomorrow night. Comet thing. What're we doing?"

"Meeting in the town square," Caroline said. "I'm meeting with Tyler and Matt after school to help set everything up. Candles, the painting booths for the kids, things like that."

"Hm. I have that tutoring thing or I'd help," Rebecca said.

Caroline did the community stuff because she wanted to be Miss Mystic Falls; Rebecca did the things she did for the simple fact that she liked to be helpful.

"You know, I was talking to Grams and she said the comet was a sign of impending doom. Last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

That wasn't surprising. The last time the comet had passed over Mystic Falls had been during the Civil War, almost a century and a half ago.

"Mm. Yeah, then you poured Grams another shot and she told you 'bout the aliens," Caroline snarked.

"Why do you do that?" Rebecca asked. "Other people's opinions besides yours might be valid, you know."

"No, Rebecca, it's fine," Bonnie said, trying to keep the peace.

"No, it's not. Every time we try to tell her something important she makes a bitchy little comment and then we can't talk anymore."

Rebecca shook her head and got up. She realized that what she'd said had probably - definitely - hurt Caroline's feelings, but she wasn't going to apologize for telling the truth.

On the way home Rebecca ran into Stefan. He caught up with her when she was halfway there.

"Hey, Elena said you were feeling sick?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm good now." Not that it was his business. "Um . . . Did you want something?"

"I wanted to talk to you, actually. About Damon."

"Okay." She drew the word out. "What about him?"

"Look, I can't tell you what to do, but he likes to play games, Rebecca. He wants what he wants and he doesn't care who he hurts in the process. If - if he's being nice to you, it's because he needs you for something. He'll end up hurting you."

Rebecca blinked a few times. What had happened to make Stefan act this way? Was Damon really that bad?

"Um . . . Thanks, but I like to make my own judgments. So far, he seems okay."

"I'm just warning you to be careful around him, okay?"

"Uh-huh." She sighed. "Look, if you're talking about the sweet talk and the eyes and the cockiness . . . I get it. But I'm not some school girl with a crush."

Technically she was, but she was also smart enough to know that Damon was just messing with her, and half the things that he said were spoken in a teasing sort of way.

"Uh, Elena was going to your house to look for you, so . . ."

Rebecca only said that to see if it would make him leave her alone; it worked like a charm. Apparently he really was worried about Damon and he didn't want Elena alone with him.

She smiled as Stefan walked away and she had an immature urge to stick her tongue out at his retreating back. She appreciated the concern, really, she did, but she was good at looking out for herself. Except for the recent weirdness that was her dad, Rebecca had pretty much been left to her own devices as a kid. Her mom had been more of a friend than a parent, and as long as Rebecca hadn't screwed up too bad her dad had never really taken an interest in her life. As long as she hadn't made the family look bad, he hadn't really cared. He'd loved laying down the law, of course, but she thought that was a male thing.

She'd been happier with that arrangement. It was better that way. Better than the constant watch he had her under now. Now her home was like a prison to her, which was why she tried to stay away from it as much as possible. She might've asked if she could move in with Elena or Bonnie if she hadn't had Chelsea to look after.

When she got home she heard her dad arguing with someone - he was on the phone if the lack of response was anything to go by. This time it was because she'd skipped history. Okay, maybe he had a legitimate reason to yell this time. The problem was her dad was drinking and when he drank he tended to lose his head a bit. He had never hurt her physically but he still said hurtful things. Things he claimed not to remember later.

"It's the first week of school and I'm already getting calls from the principal," her dad yelled.

Like she expected, he was on the phone.

"Let it go?" he said. "If I don't nip this thing -"

"Hi, Dad," Rebecca interrupted. "I skipped history because I wasn't feeling well. I checked myself out and -"

"Why didn't you come home?" he asked. "Did something happen? You look like you've been crying."

"No, I'm okay." She headed to her room. "Going to bed."

"The sun's still out," he said suspiciously.

"Yeah, I can see that."

Once in her room she flopped down on her bed and again felt like something in her was going to break.

"No, no, no," she whispered to herself.

She pulled one of her pillows close to her chest and took a deep breath. It made her chest hurt. She realized she was . . . achingly lonely.

Suddenly she knew what she needed. Sleep. Uninterrupted, dreamless sleep. You can't be lonely if you're asleep. She got her cell phone out and dialed Jeremy Gilbert's number.

"What's up, Becca?"

She scoffed because she could tell he was stoned.

"Hey, Jer, look . . . You know I hate asking, but do you have any sleeping pills? I've been having bad dreams, so nothing that'll make me hallucinate, but I need to rest. If it can control pain too, that would be great. A low dosage should do."

"I can get them for you. When do you need 'em?"

"Tonight would be good. Meet me at my bedroom window?"

"Sure. I'll be there in an hour."

"Great. You're a life saver."

Rebecca had barely hung up when her cell phone began vibrating. She didn't know the number on the screen but she answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Rebecca."

She smiled as Damon's deep, rich voice filled the line, but then . . . "How'd you get my cell number?"

"I'm stalking you," he said simply and she rolled her eyes. Then he laughed. "Your information card fell out of your book bag; I found it in my car."

This time she laughed. "Oh, okay, that makes sense. Did you want something or did you just miss the sound of my voice?"

"I was actually calling to see what you were doing tomorrow night for the comet."

She opened her mouth but didn't say anything for a second because she'd been taken by surprise. Then, "Oh, um, I don't know. I was supposed to meet Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena tomorrow, but I kind of went off on Caroline, so I don't know if I'm gonna." She smirked a little. "Unless you're asking me."

"Do you want me to?" he asked. Or teased, more precisely.

"I wouldn't hate it," she said vaguely. "Say the words and I'm there."

Damon was silent for a few seconds and she imagined that he was trying to figure out if he could take her at face value. She also imagined he had that same vulnerable, open expression she'd seen yesterday.

"I'll pick you up from school; we can have dinner again," he finally said.

"Um . . . I get out at four-thirty."

"That's a little late," he mused. "Do you have detention or something?"

"I tutor some of the students. Makes me feel useful."

"And it keeps you away from home," Damon observed. "I didn't get you in trouble last night, did I?"

She groaned at his semi-regretful tone. "No, my dad's just an ass. And a control freak. I mean, really, he chooses now as the time to take an interest in my life? I think I liked it better when he was indifferent."

"He's a real quality timer, huh?"

"Something like that." Rebecca chuckled. "My mom was okay, but she lived in her own world sometimes. She tried, I know she did, but . . . I'm tired. Ignore me. I'm not going to complain to some guy I just met."

When Rebecca didn't get an answer right away, she checked to make sure her phone was still working. It wasn't dead; she still had three bars and she hadn't lost the signal.

"Damon?" No answer. "Did you fall asleep or something?"

She heard him laugh. "I'm ignoring you. Your words, remember?"

"I meant my whole parent speech. Ignore that. Jerk," she finished lightly.

"Okay, number one: Ow. I am offended by that. And two: I know what you meant."

"Well, good. Hm." She swallowed back a yawn and then sighed. "Damon, what happened between you and Stefan? I mean, there's family drama and then there's . . . you guys. He actually tracked me down earlier to warn me about you."

"Ah, what did St. Stefan have to say?" Damon's voice was harder now. Just from the mention of Stefan's name.

"He said you like to play games, which I figured out already. All your flirty comments, I already know not to take them seriously. But he said that if you're being nice to me . . . it's because you want something from me."

"What do you think?" Damon asked.

Rebecca could tell that the way she answered this question would determine how Damon would treat her in the future. So the question became what should she say?

"Well . . . I don't know. Yet. I withhold my opinion. But I did tell Stefan to shove it. In a nice way, of course."

"Ooh, I like you. Anyone who tells Stefan off is good in my book."

Apparently she'd passed that test.

Damon enjoyed - if that was the right word - talking to Rebecca. She was honest and she kept surprising him because of it. One of the reasons he hadn't eaten her yet was because she was interesting to him. She did smell very appetizing, though. Maybe he could just take a few sips and make her forget afterwards.

He hadn't lied to her about wanting to know if she had plans for tomorrow night. He was bored and when he got bored . . . Well, that was when the trouble started.

Then just 'say the words and I'm there'. Honest, open, friendly. It was going to get her hurt, get her heart broken one day. Not that he cared; it was just an observation he'd made.

Not to mention, she didn't fall for Stefan's annoying good brother routine. She was smart enough to see through his high and mighty act. Damon's act was less transparent, but she still saw through some of it.

Damon had found out Rebecca was a Vampire Slayer. It wasn't her fault; she didn't have a choice. In fact, it was probably his and Stefan's fault. Girls who were called were called because vampires were around. They weren't just picked randomly, it didn't happen by chance.

Rebecca, however, wasn't a threat no matter what she was. Yet, anyway. She hadn't even started training or decided that she wanted to. She was only seventeen and she'd just had the whole world thrown onto her shoulders. He wondered if she knew what she was getting herself into, and how long she'd survived once she got into it. Damon even wondered if he'd be the one to kill her when the time came.

Rebecca was okay. For a human. She wasn't nosy or bitchy or annoying. No, she was pure and sweet and chaste, and Damon almost felt sorry for messing with her. But vampires were drawn to people like that. It was in their nature to destroy people like that. Dark destroys light; light destroys dark. That was the way of the world. Back when he and Stefan had been turned, Stefan would've killed Rebecca right away. He wouldn't have been able to stop himself.

Damon had always had more control than Stefan; it had been almost disgusting to have to watch Stefan drool over every human that had walked by. It was funny that Damon used to be the good one, and now Stefan was always suspicious of what Damon was up to.

It wasn't a one way street, though. Neither brother really trusted the other. Stefan had made sure of that 145 years ago with Katherine.

After spending more than a fair amount of time on the phone with Damon, Rebecca turned her TV onto one of the music channels. She also got out her new vampire book and played with the spine. She didn't really know if she wanted to open the book, open that can of worms just yet. But she needed to. She needed to know why this was happening; she needed to know about everything. She had to know what to look out for.

She knew the basics. Vampires couldn't walk in the sun, fire wasn't their friend, decapitation, stake to the heart. They needed blood to survive.

She knew she needed to start training. She needed to be ready just in case something happened. She'd seen that she was stronger even though she didn't particularly feel stronger. She felt bad. She didn't feel like she was strong enough to do anything but lay there on the bed and sleep.

When Jeremy finally got there she was relieved. She was hopeful that the pills would help her relax and sleep without dreams. She didn't ask where or how he'd gotten the pills, she was just thankful he had them.

Okay, there it is. The latest installment. What did you guys think? This is kind of a filler chapter. I needed it to explain all the Slayer stuff. As you can see Rebecca is the type that seems to think she has to be on top of everything all the time. She thinks she has to be strong all the time, but everyone has their breaking point and I think finding out there are dead-not-dead people running out is hers. LOL