Chapter Fifteen

The next morning Rebecca woke up and took a shower to pass the time until Bonnie woke up. She found a little Post-it note on the bathroom mirror. Tina had taken Chelsea to the park; Rebecca realized then that it must not be morning. It was around noon.

Rebecca felt a jolt of possessiveness; Tina was useful but Rebecca didn't have to like sharing her sister with the woman. Where had she been eight months ago when Rebecca really could've used her? Rebecca had had to learn how to take care of a baby on her own; where had Tina been then?

Back to the present: Rebecca loved showers; they were relaxing. She took showers that lasted at least an hour. Or until the hot water ran out, whichever came first.

She didn't feel like dressing up that day so she just put on some shorts and a tank top. Bare feet, hair up in a ponytail; she wasn't planning on going anywhere that day.

Her dad was out again so she went about making breakfast - or brunch really. Pancakes, syrup, extra butter. The smell woke Bonnie up. Rebecca smiled and bit her lip to keep from laughing - Bonnie's hair looked like it had been through the wars; it was even matted up on one side.

"Rough night?"

"Mm. Weird dreams."

"Oh. I have those myself," Rebecca said. "Pancakes?"

"Yes, please." Bonnie smiled. "I'll get the milk."

When they sat down to eat Rebecca began talking about the crystal Bonnie had led her to the night before. She even went to get it from her room.

"Here. This is what you gave me. Do you . . . remember it at all?"

"No." Rebecca handed it to her. "It's ugly."

"It's old. It was with the other antiques."

"And we just took it?" Bonnie asked, eyes widening.

"Well, yeah." Rebecca shrugged sheepishly. "You were in a trance, Bonnie, and you said 'You can't let them out'."

"I did?" Bonnie looked down and began pushing her food around. "I still don't remember."

"That's okay, Bonnie. We should tell your Grams, though."

"No," Bonnie said firmly. "She's gonna tell me it's because I'm a witch."

"Oh, right. Do you wanna keep the crystal? You did find it."

"No, I gave it to you. You keep it."

Another thing to add to the space under the floorboards of her closet.

After breakfast, Bonnie took out a candle from a drawer near the sink. Rebecca looked at her strangely.

"I wanna show you something."

"O . . . kay."

Bonnie sat at the kitchen table and stared at the wick and concentrated. Rebecca watched her, interested but confused.

"What're you doing?"

"Just watch, okay?"

Rebecca nodded and watched, like Bonnie had asked her to. And . . . The candle lit itself.

"Uh . . ."

Bonnie looked at her tentatively. "I did that. I've . . . I told you weird things have been happening to me. I just . . . I realized last night I could do it at the party. Mrs. Lockwood was bitching about not having the candles in the dining room lit and I felt so sorry for the waiter guy. I tried and it didn't work, but then I turned around and I saw a candle burning and when I looked back, they were all lit. Because of me."

Bonnie blew the candle out and she looked at everything but Rebecca. She was obviously scared of what Rebecca would think.

"Hey, it doesn't change anything, Bonnie. You're still one of my best friends. I don't care what you can do. I think it's pretty neat."

Rebecca was happy Bonnie trusted her enough to show her what she could do . . . And maybe . . . maybe she should show Bonnie the same respect.

"Okay . . . Come with me."

Bonnie stood up and followed her, but Rebecca could feel the confusion coming off of her.

"We're going to go outside for a minute."

Rebecca's backyard was fenced in with wooden posts, but there was an opening at the way back that led to a wooded area. She usually didn't wander too far in, but she could make an exception now.

"Okay. Pick a branch."

"What?" Bonnie asked, smiling a little at the request.

"A big branch that a normal person can't break off."

"Uh. Okay . . ." Bonnie looked around and found one that was about a foot in diameter. "Now what?"

"Try and break it."

Bonnie pulled and made a face when it didn't budge. "Okay, you're just doing this so you can laugh at me."

"No, I'm not. Now let me try."

Bonnie tilted her head sideways, scrutinizing, but moved aside anyway. The branch was obviously easy to break off for Rebecca, but for good measure she squeezed until the wood began to crumble. Bonnie watched, fascinated, as the wood pieces fell to the ground.

"That . . . How'd you do that?"

"I'm different. Obviously. Uh . . . A couple days after school began I started changing. I realized that I was stronger. If you look at my locker, my fingerprints are indented in it."

"Are you . . . okay? I mean . . . is it something bad like hyper-adrenal overload or something?"

Rebecca grinned and wiped her hands together to get rid of the leftover wood. "I'm not sick. Um . . . I can't explain everything, but do you remember that vision you had of me? Or the one you thought you had?"

"Yeah." Bonnie was hesitant again.

"I, uh . . . I know how to fight now. I've been training with this woman named Diana. I met her the night of the comet. You told me that I've changed and I have but there is a reason and I needed you to know that I'm not just going crazy, ya know.

Bonnie looked from the ground to Rebecca. "Does anyone else know? I mean, am I the last one to -"

"No, you're not the last. Damon knows and, by default, so does Stefan. Your Grams knows. Uh, but my dad and Elena and Caroline? No. And Bonnie, you can't tell Caroline, okay? She would tell everybody."

"No, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you. I'm glad that I told you. I hated not having anyone to talk to."

"I get that," Bonnie said. "I do."

"I know. Which is why I don't mind telling you." Rebecca grinned and grabbed Bonnie's arm. "Now, come on, let's get out of the creepy-ass woods."

Bonnie chuckled. "Right."

Later that same day Elena and Caroline came over. The first thing Elena and Caroline asked was if Damon was there. Elena seemed happy and Caroline seemed a little down when he wasn't. Why? If Rebecca had been in Caroline's shoes, she'd be happy if Damon wasn't around.

Rebecca was extra nice to Caroline; and she wanted to see the damage Damon had done. It couldn't have been too bad, because Caroline had been able to cover the mark with make up.

"Care, are you okay?"

Rebecca expected Caroline to say something like 'do you care?' but she hadn't. Caroline was a little less exuberant than normal. Damon had . . . taken too much? Had he . . . been trying to kill her? Had Rebecca been wrong about him not needing to kill Caroline, because he couldn't just . . . do that. Caroline was annoying, sure, but that didn't warrant a death sentence. She was what Rebecca would call an innocent. An obnoxious innocent, but an innocent nonetheless.

"I'm tired," she said.

"What . . . happened?" Rebecca asked hesitantly. She wasn't only asking for herself; she needed to know what Damon needed to make Caroline forget.

"I remember the party," Caroline said. "And I remember Damon was behind me. He was . . . kissing my neck or . . . biting my neck. I don't know. I passed out. Maybe I let him bite me."

"Why would you do that?" Bonnie asked incredulously.

"I don't know, okay?" Caroline was agitated and Rebecca felt a jolt of sympathy for her. Damon should've treated her better and not left her traumatized and not in a place where everyone could find her. "Can we not talk about Damon?"

"Yeah, sure. What d'you guys wanna do?" Rebecca looked at Elena. "Have you heard from Stefan?"

"No." Elena sighed, but Rebecca could tell she was angry. "All I got was a voicemail saying he had to take care of something and he'd explain in a few days."

"Is he okay?"

Elena shrugged, looking downtrodden. "I don't know. I just . . . The message was all I got."

"Oh."

The four girls talked the rest of the time they were there. They left around six-ish because Rebecca's dad came home and since everyone knew he had issues . . . they all made with the quick exits.

The next morning Damon woke her with a text saying he had to leave and he didn't know when he'd be back. And that was it. She'd asked him if he was okay or if he needed help and she didn't get an answer.

At first she just shrugged it off. Damon had other things to do besides spend time with her, she understood that. But then as the hours passed she grew anxious because he wouldn't just . . . ignore her. Not unless he had a reason, which she didn't think he did. She hadn't done anything wrong.

She left him a message when he didn't pick up. She apologized in advance just in case and asked him to please call when he could. She at least wanted to know he was okay.

Caroline called her and asked her to help plan this Sexy Suds Carwash thing. It was a fundraiser for the football team - Coach Tanner had been fired, which Rebecca laughed at; she couldn't stand the guy - and the players, the cheerleaders and some of the band were participating. Caroline wanted her to help with the flyers and things like that. Because Rebecca felt bad about how Damon had treated Caroline, she agreed to help. They met at the library and they worked on the layout for the flyers. Rebecca had brought her homework with her to work on after she was done helping.

Caroline seemed to be feeling better that day, at least. Though she seemed to be a little too happy for someone who'd just gotten eaten. Rebecca kept her lips tightly sealed so she wouldn't laugh at how casually she had just thought that.

The next day at school Elena, Bonnie, and even Rebecca worried how Caroline seemed to be taking everything. Rebecca had texted Damon again to see if he'd done anything, any mind compulsion, to Caroline because if he hadn't, then Caroline had lost it. She was just going on about her business like nothing had ever happened. It was . . . almost creepy. But Damon hadn't answered.

Stefan was at school and Rebecca couldn't wait to talk to him alone. She wanted to know where Damon was. She had to wait until after history, though she didn't know why they had it; the substitute had only made them take notes from the text.

She caught up with Stefan outside the school and grabbed his arm. He looked at her sympathetically. She wanted to tell him where he could shove that sympathy crap.

"He's not here, Rebecca."

"Where'd he go?" She glared at him. "Is he coming back?"

"No, he's not. Not for a very long time."

"What did you do, Stefan? Is he . . . hurt? Is he even still alive? Or . . . You know what I mean."

Stefan began walking and she followed. She wanted her answer, damn it! It might be said she needed an answer. There was a very strong ache beginning to form in her chest and she knew it wouldn't go away until she knew what was going on.

"I didn't kill him, okay?" He had actually stopped to look her in the eyes to say that.

"Hm." Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you lying to me?"

"No, Rebecca."

"Good. Then I don't have to kill you."

Whoa, where had that come from? But even as she wondered she knew the statement she'd said was true; the thought of someone ending Damon's existence, taking Damon out of her world, scared her and pissed her off at the same time. And the fact that it was Stefan - bloodthirsty animal Stefan - didn't help matters any.

"Stop," Stefan said. "Can't you see what Damon's doing? You're a good girl, Rebecca, don't let him change you. He will destroy you. He might not do it intentionally, not to you, but it will happen."

Rebecca's eyes stung with tears of anger. "Like you destroyed him? I was there, Stefan, I know what you did. I know what you were, and then you turn around and judge him?"

Stefan looked like he'd been hit in the face, which was ironic seeing as to how that was what she wanted to do.

Instead she just shook her head in disgust. "You are such a hypocrite. And I want him back, Stefan. Whatever you did to him, I want him back healthy and in one piece."

Saying all she had needed to say, she shoved her bag up on her shoulder and strolled away.

When Rebecca got home she opened the door; it was unlocked because her dad was already home. She placed her bag on the couch and heard something clatter in the kitchen.

"Tina? Dad?" she called out, going toward the noise. And then she saw something she hadn't ever thought she'd see. She forgot about the noise completely.

Robert was holding Chelsea, cradling her in his arms. Tina was supervising.

"Uh . . ." She didn't really know what to say.

She wasn't sure what had caused this sudden change in behavior and she wasn't sure how to respond to it. She said the first thing that came to mind.

"Tomorrow after school they're having this carwash thing, so . . . I might go but I'm not sure."

Rebecca was surprised by the sudden rush of anger and possessiveness she began to feel. Why was Robert holding Chelsea? He hadn't even seemed interested before. What had changed? And did he really have the right to hold her now, when he had pretty much ignored her existence since he was born. What gave him the right to be a dad now?

But . . . Robert did seem to be content with holding the baby. And from the clear expression on his face . . . he hadn't been drinking either. He was genuinely enjoying this. That made her even angrier. He couldn't just decide when he wanted to be a dad and when he didn't. That wasn't fair to either of them.

Putting a dampener on her anger, she looked at Tina. "Do you mind watching Chelsea for a few more hours? I have something I have to do."

"No, go ahead."

Rebecca went to her room and took out the three books Diana had loaned her and put them in a little bag; she put the amber crystal in her back pocket. She was going to make two pit stops before patrolling.

"Hey, Dad, can I borrow the car? I need to drop off a few things at a friend's house."

"Sure." He tossed her the keys, which she caught easily. "Be back by ten?"

She looked at him strangely. Was he actually asking?

"Um . . . Yeah. By ten. Won't be late."

She left the house, confused, and drove to Grams' house. Rebecca was offered cookies and milk, not an everyday occurrence coming from her.

"Something tells me you didn't come here just to see me," Grams said. "What happened?"

"Uh . . . Bonnie's been talking to me about . . . her witch stuff." Rebecca pulled the crystal out of her pocket. "Uh, she went into a trance Friday night at the Founder's party. She found this and gave it to me. She doesn't remember it at all, and it really freaked her out."

When Rebecca handed Grams the crystal she noticed Grams was looking at it with recognition.

"You've seen it before?"

"This belonged to one of the most powerful witches of my family. I have a picture of it." She stood up and went to a shelf of photo albums. "Hold on."

When Grams showed Rebecca a picture from the album Rebecca had to do a double-take; she knew the woman in the picture.

"Emily," she whispered. "1864."

Grams looked at her sharply. "How do you know that name? Have you been having your prophetic dreams?"

"No. Uh, I haven't. It was that spell. I went back to her time period. I met her. I never noticed her necklace." Rebecca suddenly wasn't interested in her cookies anymore. "Uh, you should keep the crystal. Okay? It's a family heirloom. Bonnie found it. And please, talk to her, tell her what's happening to her. It's heartbreaking watching her and not being able to help her."

Grams just looked at her and Rebecca sighed. "She has to come to you, I know. Like I did."

"Yes. It's easier that way. When she's ready she'll come."

After Rebecca was done visiting with Grams she went to Diana's to return the books she'd borrowed. Diana looked at her shoulder and was amazed when there wasn't even a scar. Rebecca didn't even try to explain it away.

"I'm just lucky, I guess. My dad freaked out when he saw the blood." She began going through Diana's books and picked the first three that came after 1864. It wasn't just journals this time; it was books on demons and other creatures. "Do you care if I write some of this stuff down? I wanna remember what I read."

Diana smiled softly. "I would suggest it, actually. You need to remember what you read in case you come across something and I'm not there with you."

"Okay. No one will see it, I promise." Then she brought up something she probably shouldn't have. "I need to ask you something. I need to tell somebody about me. I need someone other than you and Sheila to talk to. I need . . . A friend, a normal friend."

"It's dangerous for them to know, Rebecca," she said sternly.

"It's dangerous for them to not know," Rebecca rebutted. "They could invite a vampire into their house without knowing. If vampires get wind of who I am they will come at me through my friends."

"If you were to tell them, how do you know they wouldn't tell anyone else?"

"I know who I can trust, Diana," Rebecca seethed. "At least they wouldn't have sent me on a 'risk my life' mission for a box of books."

"Rebecca . . ."

Diana looked hurt but Rebecca found she couldn't bring herself to care. What she'd said was true. Diana had made her risk her life for some books and she hadn't even apologized.

"Look, just . . . Think about it, okay? Please? I'm . . .when I'm around my friends I'm completely alone because I can't talk to them. I just want to be able to talk to them."

Patrol that night was fruitless. Rebecca didn't know if that was good or bad. On the one hand, yay, no vampires to hurt her, but on the other, she had all this restless energy that she needed to get rid of. It was like she was itching for a fight; it wasn't like her. Or . . . It used to not be her. But it was part of the new her, it was part of her Slayerness, she assumed.

She got home before ten, ate a small bowl of cereal, and went to bed. She didn't sleep well; she kept dreaming of seeing Damon die right in front of her and she couldn't even do anything to stop it. The last dream she had had her jerking up, grabbing her own chest like she'd been the one to be staked.

God.

She got up and went to the bathroom. She ran some cool water over her face because there was a light sheen of sweat there. And she was pale. The dreams had affected her that much?

Something's wrong, she thought. Damon's in trouble, I can feel it.

If she only knew where he was she'd go to him, help him. But she knew Stefan wouldn't tell her; not when he was the one who'd taken Damon from her in the first place.

Okay, this is pretty much a filler chapter to get to the next one, which I will be updating right away since it is a sort of continuation of this one.

Love you guys!