Ch. VI
Disclaimer – All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plots are the property of the creator. The director/author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun. ~*D*~
Author Note – Thank you so much for the reviews! (Whips Tears Away) I'm thrilled that so many of you are loving where this is going and I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter. (Winks) I'm also really sorry that's its been so long since I've posted. (Ducks Flying Food) I like to have one chapter ready to be posted while working on another. Chapter 6 has been finished for some time but Chapter 7 is proving a little difficult because of the…..well….that's to remain a secret for now. (Wiggles Brows)
Author Note (CONT.) – As to what everyone has been waiting on….. (Drum Roll) The pairing of this story will be Klaus/OFC/Damon. (Covers Ears On Account Of The Screams) However! (Crickets Began Chirping) However, just because this is going to be a multiple pairing, everything is not going to be all lovey dovey. (Pauses Then Continues When No One Says Anything) The triad – Damon/Erica/Klaus – will have to deal with numerous problems because as some of my readers pointed out, Klaus is rather possessive. (Wiggles Brows) And not lets forget that Damon has Foot In Mouth Syndrome every so often. (Chuckles) Now onto the next chapter of Life & Death!
**POLLING RESULTS**
Damon/OFC/Klaus – 22
Klaus/OFC – 19
Kol/Damon/OFC/Klaus – 19
Damon/OFC – 8
**POLL CLOSED**
Notes:
Personal Thoughts
"Phone Calls"
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)
(Gilbert House – 9:30 AM)
Waking up from visiting the Other Side was something Erica never wished to experience ever again as she layed in bed for a few seconds longer before getting up. Needing to do something, she changed into her jogging clothes. Poe, having woke up at the same time she had, seemed to realize she would be going outside. Once she was dressed, he fluttered over her to shoulder and hitched a ride until she stepped out the house. As soon as he saw the skies, he took off but kept in sight of Erica as she began jogging down the street on her normal route.
Erica chuckled at him as he began doing air acrobatics, following her. A peace washed over her as she lost herself into the rhythm of her feet pounding on the ground. Going through the trees, she decided she also needed to go through her Judo and Muay Thai katas. Finding a small clearing off the beaten path, she saw Poe settle down on a low hanging tree branch watching with his head tilting from one side to the other as if he was wondering what she was doing as she walked into the center of the small clearing and closed her eyes.
Through Poe's eyes, Damon watched as Erica began moving in a fluid motion slowly at first but soon began moving quicker. Some of the moves she used were slightly familiar but it was only when Stefan appeared at the edge of the clearing that he tensed. Of course, with having a connection to Damon, Poe cawed rather loudly breaking Erica's concentration. Blinking her eyes to clear them, she looked around until she saw that Stefan was standing a few feet from her. Wondering what the hell he was doing, she let out a sharp whistle Poe knew and flew down to land on her shoulder.
"Can I help you Stefan?" Erica asked, wondering why in the world Stefan interrupted her morning routine.
"I was wondering if you were free." Stefan gave her his dazzling smile that worked on many others, "I wanted to show you something."
Erica mentally groaned, wondering if Stefan even knew what she had been doing, "I'm actually busy at the moment." She remarked, hoping he would take the hint but it seemed luck wasn't on her side at the moment.
"Oh." Stefan hadn't expected her to decline coming with him, "What are you busy with?" He thought maybe he could help her with whatever she was doing.
"I was going through my Judo and Muay Thai moves." Erica informed him, "Unless you want to spar with me, I doubt you could help me in what I am doing." She didn't know much but she knew Stefan wasn't the one for fighting.
Stefan was silent for a few seconds, thinking if he should spar with Erica because he didn't wish to hurt her, "I don't think that's a good idea." He pursed his lips, shoving his hands in his pockets, "If you get hurt…"
"I suppose your right," Erica nodded, her mind going in a completely different direction then Stefan's. "It wouldn't do you any good if I ended p bleeding in front of you." She mentally gave herself a high five when a look of confusion flashed across Stefan's face, "Well, I suppose I'll see you later then." She turned her back on him, dismissing him and didn't seem him frowning at her as she went back to what she had been doing.
"I was actually more worried about hurting you then you bleeding in front of me," Stefan explained, ignoring the fact she had dismissed him. "And I don't mind waiting. Perhaps I can give you some pointers."
With her back towards Stefan, Erica rolled her eyes before turning back around, "Look Stefan," She sighed, not knowing they had an audience who was watching through the eyes of a crow, "You seem like a really great guy but you need to make some other friends besides me. I like my space and don't like when people keep showing up unannounced or follows me around like a lost puppy. Not to mention, I would ask you not to come into my room while I sleep. Its extremely creepy." Erica hadn't forgotten about him pulling an Edward Cullen after having met him, "I don't care what problems you seem to have with your brother but I would like you to keep me out of it."
"I'm trying to protect you, Erica." Stefan tried to defend his attitude, "Damon is dangerous and until I know what he's after then I can't trust he wont hurt you or anyone else in Mystic Falls." He knew everyone believed that Erica could protect herself but none of them knew his brother.
"ENOUGH!" Erica screamed, shutting Stefan up rather quickly as fire burned in her eyes, "From the moment, I said something about meeting Damon you've tried to prove just how dangerous he is but all you've done is shown me what a fuckin' hypocrite you are." She sneered, taking a step forward which seemed to shock Stefan even more then her words because she moved like a predator, "I know about your past Mr. Saint Stefan and how you've turned everyone against Damon trying to prove he's the dangerous one when in reality, you're just as dangerous if not more dangerous then Damon if even one drop of human blood passes your lips."
Stefan's eyes were wide as were Damon's while he watched through Poe's eyes, not understanding how Erica knew about that. "H-How?" Stefan sputtered, trying to quiet his thoughts that were screaming at him to run.
"From the moment I first met Damon, I've been having some crazy dreams." Erica shrugged, without explaining about how she met Damon before the crash, forgetting that Damon could see and hear through Poe, "And before you say Damon gave me the dreams, he can't compel me." That statement caught Stefan by surprise as he stared at Erica in disbelief.
"How do you know that Damon can't compel you?" Stefan had a really bad feeling about whatever he was about to hear when a suddenly thought popped in his head, "Did you allow Damon to try and compel you, Erica?" He sounded an awful like a parent scolding a child that rubbed Erica the wrong way.
"Yes, I did." Erica answered truthfully, tired of the condescending attitude and pinned Stefan with a cold look, "Remember when I came clean about knowing about vampires?" She waited Stefan to nod before continuing, "Well, Damon was watching us the entire time but you were to stupid to look up. He was standing on top of the grill more or less laughing his ass off at you." She whistled a certain tune causing Poe to appear and land on her shoulder, "Now that you've wasted most of the time I had to spare this morning, I need to get home and fix breakfast for Jeremy and Jenna."
Without another word to Stefan, Erica turned on her heal with Poe sitting on her shoulder and walked away without looking back. She could feel Stefan's stare follow her as she jogged back down the path towards home. Poe nuzzled his head against her temple before taking to the skies when she broke through the trees and back to civilization. The entire way back to her house, she could still feel as if someone was watching her which made her wonder if anyone had been spying on her and Stefan's little conversation.
If someone had been spying, Erica would put money on the person being Noah since he had a thing for stalking Elena in the TV show. Unlike Elena, however, Erica knew how to take care of herself and if the script from the story was still being followed to a certain degree, Noah would try once again to gain access into her home before he goes after Jeremy at the beginning of the year Decade Dance Caroline always liked to throw. When her house came into sight, the feeling disappeared which could only meant Stefan had been following her.
Seething silently as she entered the house, Erica headed upstairs to grab a quick shower before fixing breakfast for everyone. Thankfully Jeremy and Jenna were still sound asleep as she washed off the sweat and grim from her jog. Once she finished showering, she headed into her room and went over to closet. Looking through her clothes, an idea came to her mind as she picked out a pair of stretch jeans she would be able to move in and a black tank top that had the saying 'Bite Me' in bright red lettering with fangs at the bottom of the 'M', dripping what looked to be blood.
A sly smirk spread across her face as she dressed and headed downstairs after putting back on her dragon key necklace and Emily's talisman. Gathering everything she needed to make breakfast, Erica remembered promising Jeremy she would allow him to watch her kick Stefan's ass as she taught him that she could take care of herself. Deciding that since he knew both Damon and Stefan were vampires, if he asked, she would let him come with her when she headed over to the Boarding House. Decision made, she started the coffee to lure her aunt and brother out of their rooms.
Erica then began scrambling the eggs while the bacon sizzled in the pan. Hearing movement upstairs, she knew that either Jenna or Jeremy were up if not the both of them. The scent of coffee and breakfast making filled the air which penetrated the entire house drawing the other occupants of the house down from their beds. Seconds later, Jeremy and Jenna stumbled into the kitchen still half asleep if their clothes were anything to go by. Neither of them decided to get dressed before coming downstairs because they were still in the clothes they wore to bed the night before.
"Morning!" Erica greeted them both cheerfully only to be glared at by Jeremy, who grumbled a greeting in return as he made a beeline for the coffee.
"Have I mentioned you are a life saver?" Jenna asked, finally able to get to the coffee pot once Jeremy poured himself a cup of coffee, "Because you are and your my favorite niece."
Erica rolled her eyes, finishing up the eggs and bacon, "I'm your only niece." She retorted before an idea popped into her head, "Of course, if Jeremy decides to switch teams you could have two nieces."
"What?!" Jeremy almost spit out the coffee he had in his mouth, his eyes wide, "The hell, Eri!" He was horrified at the words that came from his sister's mouths.
"It could happen," Erica replied, innocently with a sly smile on her face as she began plating the eggs and bacon, "I happen to think you'd make a great girl." She wiggled her brows earning a glare from Jeremy before he turned back to filling his plate.
A twinkle appeared in Jeremy's eyes, "Or you could decided to 'switch' teams and she'd have two nephews." He threw right back at Erica, earning a chuckle from his aunt, "I could always show you the best hangouts."
"Never gonna happen, dude." Erica told him as she took the eggs and bacon over to the table, setting them down before heading over to grab the toast, "But it would be an awesome Halloween costume." She gave Jeremy a pointed look which earned a groan from him, "Please! It would be so cool!"
"Maybe for you," Jeremy muttered as he began eating, filling his mouth so he wouldn't have to give his sister an answer.
Jenna shook her head at the two sibling's antics, "Back to your corners guys." She told them, filling her own place after she drank a little of her coffee to wake her up, "No fighting at the table." She gave them a pointed look that stopped all arguments that she learned from her sister.
"Speaking of fighting," Erica popped up, chewing the food in her mouth before swallowing, "I'm going to be heading over to the Salvatore Boarding House a little later. Wanna come?" She looked between Jenna and Jeremy as she sipped her own coffee she'd poured when it first finished.
"Why?" Jenna asked, not understanding why she would be going over there but it appeared Jeremy did as he looked more awake then he once had.
"Are you going to do what I think you are?" Jeremy looked at his sister with interest, wondering why she changed her mind all of a sudden for him to be able to join her.
Erica smirked, shrugging as she chewed the bite in her mouth slowly before swallowing then answering, "Maybe." She turned her eyes towards Jenna, deciding to fill her in, "Stefan seems to have it in his head that I can't take care of myself against vampires."
"Oh." Jenna said, blinking as she thought for a few seconds, "Not to be rude but can you?" From what she could remember vampires were stronger then humans, not to mention faster.
"I can." Erica nodded, taking a drink of her coffee, "My teacher, Master Chi, is a vampire believe it or not." A fond smile spread across her face, "Of course, dad never knew or he'd never have let me continue going to the Golden Dragon's Dojo." She cleared her throat, shifting in her seat, "I have told Stefan time and again I could take care of myself but he seems adamant I need protecting for some odd reason and I've finally decided to show him just how wrong he is." She took another bite of her food, chewing slowly as Jenna stared at her in both shock and awe.
Jeremy, on the other hand, was looking at his sister in a different light, "Is that why you help around the Dojo sometime during the day?" He know understood some of the oddities that had surrounded Master Chi when he had met him once, "Can't Master Chi walk in the sun?"
"Yes and no," Erica shook her head, finishing her food then pushed her plate back. "Though through his own chi, or energy, he can push the sun rays away from him for a short amount of time but he has to concentrate." She chewed on her lip for a few seconds, "If you want, the next time I go to the dojo you guys can come since you know about vampires, Master Chi wont have to hide who he is."
"He could always come here," Jenna offered, thinking about the short Japanese man she had meet twice and how polite he had been when greeting her. "As long as he doesn't harm you or Jeremy, I have no problem allowing him to come inside." She then remembered what Erica said about Grayson not being happy to learn that Master Chi was a vampire, "And what do you mean Grayson would be upset about Master Chi being a vampire?"
Erica pursed her lips, eyes darting to Jeremy who was also looking at her expectantly, "Dad was…...well…..let's just say dad wasn't that tolerant of other species." She didn't want to tarnish her brothers view of their father, "He often experimented on Vampires in search of ways to heal humans."
"At first what, you just described doesn't sound like to bad but the look on your face says otherwise," Jenna observed, also noticing how quiet Jeremy became as he just stared at his food. "What are you not saying, Erica?" She asked her niece, wanting to know just how depraved her brother-in-law truly was.
"Um…" Erica looked at Jeremy, "Do you want to hear this?" She knew it would completely change how Jeremy would think about their father, "Because once I tell you, there isn't a way to forget unless I have Damon compel you to forget." Of course, unlike Elena, she would make sure that Jeremy would have full understanding it was his choice in if he wanted to forget.
Jeremy pushed his half eaten plate of food away, "I think I need to hear this." A part of him did want to know but another part seemed hesitant at learning what his own father had been capable of, "While I may love him because he was my father, I don't have to like him as a person. Do I?"
"No, you don't." Jenna reassured Jeremy, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing it while Erica nodded in agreement.
"Grayson may have been a good father but it doesn't mean he was a good person." Erica took a deep breathe, "While I understand the reason for him to do the work as he had, his end game was leading to something extremely barbaric and completely against the laws of nature." She licked her lips, looking between her aunt and brother, "Dear old dad liked to cut vampires open and take out their organs and watch or tape the process of the vampire regrowing their organs." The green looks on both Jenna and Jeremy's faces told her it may not have been a good thing to say as they were eating breakfast because Jenna also pushed her plate away.
"That's….." Jenna covered her mouth with a hand as the other went to her stomach, trying to keep what breakfast she ate from coming back up from what Erica told her Grayson did all in the name of science, "How could he? They may be the undead but that doesn't give him the right to…..to…" She couldn't even say what Grayson did.
Jeremy was silent as he stared at the table, his hands clenched into fists as he thought about what his sister just told him. "How could he do that, Eri?" He shook his head, feeling extremely disgusted by what his father could do, "Why would he do such a thing?"
"Dad," Erica licked her lips, shaking her head, "No, not dad, Grayson." She said firmly, "When he did all those horrid things, he was no longer our father but the man Grayson. As for the reason he did all those things," Erica pursed her lips, thinking on how she could explain, "Grayson wanted to find the cure for cancer among other aliments that plagued humans but I doubt he was involved in the true depths of the research." She ran a hand through her hair, "His partner though, I know he had something to do with it because a few days after the crash I headed to dad's office and it was cleared out." To this day, she still hated herself for not getting to Enzo in time.
"How do you know all this?" Jenna asked, wondering how Erica knew if neither her nor Jeremy had any clue.
Erica cringed as she remembered how she had learned and stood up, beginning to pick up their uneaten breakfast, "It was when I was younger." She began, taking their plates over and covering them in case they wanted them later, "I couldn't sleep and wanted a snack from the kitchen so I snuck out of bed and came downstairs. When I passed dad's door, I heard him on the phone with someone discussing what was next on their checklist for subject 12144." She shivered at the memory, looking out the window, "Apparently they had already taken all the tissue samples they needed and it was time to take bone samples. Dad then began telling the other doctor what he needed to do in rather gruesome detail."
"I think I remember that week," Jenna whispered as a hazy memory came to mind of Erica not speaking with Grayson for around 2 months before Miranda forced her to make up with her father. "Miranda was so confused as to why you didn't want to be around him and even asked Grayson what he had done to upset you but he was just as clueless as she was." She stood up and walked over, pulling Erica into a hug, "I'm sure that if Grayson knew you were standing there he wouldn't have spoken in such a way." She felt that even if Grayson was a terrible human being, he was a great father and did everything to protect Erica and Jeremy.
"I agree with Aunt Jenna," Jeremy spoke up, having processed what Erica said as he followed Jenna's lead and pulled his sister into a hug. "Now," He pulled away, looking between Jenna and Erica, "When are you going to teach Stefan a lesson?" He looked rather hopeful because he really wanted to see his sister put Stefan in his place.
Rolling her eyes, Erica was about to tell Jeremy she would be going over there later after she got in some practice when there was a knock on the front door. With the look of confusion on both Jenna and Jeremy's face, she knew they hadn't been expecting anyone thus made her wonder just who was knocking at their door so early in the morning. Seeing neither Jenna nor Jeremy move to answer it, she took it upon herself to walk into the living room to answer the door. Just as the person knocked again, Erica opened it to reveal Caroline's mother, Elizabeth Forbes.
"Sheriff Forbes." Erica was slightly taken back that Caroline's mom stood on her front porch, "Is everything ok?" She hadn't heard from the woman since she took Vicki Donovan in the day before.
"Everything's fine, Erica." Liz reassured her, pursing her lips as she noticed that Jeremy was standing next to Jenna, "If you have a minute, I would like to speak with you and Jenna." She was a little concerned about how Jenna would take what she was about to say.
Erica shrugged, stepping to the side to allow the sheriff to enter, "Sure." She cut her eyes towards Jenna, who took a seat on the couch with Jeremy, "What do you need to speak with us about?"
"Well," Liz began, eyeing Jeremy every so often before continuing when she realized they weren't going to send him away, "Its about Logan the day of the Car Wash." She cleared her throat, Jenna and Erica tensing while Jeremy looked on confused as to what she was talking about.
"He better not be thinking about pressing charges." Jenna sneered, her eyes grew hard as she thought about that asshole who went searching through her nieces things.
Liz shook her head, "He's not." She could tell Logan left something out of his tale, "Why don't you tell me exactly what happened? I know what Logan told me but I have a feeling he may have left some things out."
"Oh I bet he did." Erica snapped, her eyes flashing with anger as she took a seat in between Jeremy and Jenna, "I had been out searching for Bethanna for Caroline when my swimsuit bottoms snapped and I had to come home. Jenna and the Dick were already here when I arrived." Jeremy sat rather tense on her right side, "I explained to Jenna why I came home when he asked to use the restroom."
"The one downstairs has been messing up and I need to get the toilet fixed so I told him to use the bathroom upstairs instead," Jenna explained the reason why he had been upstairs in the first place.
Liz nodded in understanding, "Alright." She took a breathe, beginning to figure out the events Logan used to get upstairs, "Am I to assume you caught him in your room?" She asked Erica, who gave her a curt nod, "What was he doing?"
"The bastard was going through my dresser drawers." Erica remarked hotly, still peeved that Logan went through her things, "Not only had it appeared he searched my underwear drawer rather thoroughly, he was going through thelingerie aunt Jenna got me for a gag gift on my 16th birthday, I keep in the drawer with my sleeping shorts." She crossed her arms over her chest, staring Liz down who looked slightly ill at what she had heard so far.
"I am so sorry," Liz shook her head, dropping down into the chair she had sat in the last time she had been there. "When Logan told me he had a way he could get inside, I never thought…" She trailed off, not seeing the pissed off looks aimed in her direction.
"The fuck are you talkin' about Liz?" Jenna hissed, demanding as she wondered just what the hell was going on with this town, "Do you mean to tell me that Logan Fell only tried to 'rekindle' our relationship because he needed inside the house?" She acted as if Erica hadn't already told her everything.
Liz groaned, rubbing a hand over her face as she made a decision, "The council wishes to use the Gilbert watch….."
"No." Erica interrupted Liz before she could even finish her question, "If the Council wishes to use the watch they should have had the balls to ask for it themselves instead of sending a sleaze ball instead." She stared Liz down, "As for using the watch, it ain't gonna happen because that watch is a Gilbert's heirloom and that's where its gonna stay." She could tell Liz wanted to argue, "Not to mention, it belongs to Jeremy since dad passed away. Why do you think I didn't give it to Carol for the party?" She raised a brow, wondering if Liz would catch on or it would go over her head.
"You knew," Liz whispered, her eyes widen as she realized what they had watched as soon as Carol began bugging her about the watch. "How?" She noticed that both Jenna and Jeremy didn't seem surprised that Erica knew about the watch.
Erica shrugged, "It wasn't hard to figure out when Carol Lockwood called when she got the items for the party and wanted to know about why the watch wasn't with the things." She smirked, pulling out a ring causing Jenna and Jeremy to gasp in shock because they had seen the ring in the box when she handed it to Tyler, "But she never did ask where great-great-great grandma's ring was."
"But I saw that in the box before you handed it over to Tyler." Jeremy finally broke his silence, staring at the ring in his sister's hand wondering how she was able to snatch it in front of him and Tyler without them noticing.
"Master Chi taught me a few tricks to survive during training," Erica commented, not explaining further.
Knowing she wouldn't be getting the watch, Liz cleared her throat as she stood, "Since I've done what I came here for, I suppose I'll be on my way." She smoothed out her uniform before heading over to the door, "I am truly sorry for what Logan did. I will be speaking with him about his plan."
"Please do." Jenna said rather coldly, glaring at Liz as she stood next to Erica with her arms crossed, "Also let that asshole know if I see him again, I'll do more then punch him in the face." She turned and stalked out of the room into the kitchen.
"And let the other council members know that next time they should just ask instead of sending an idiot to do a rather easy job." Erica told Liz as she stood at the open door as Liz stood out on the porch, "When is the next Council meeting?" An idea popped into Erica's head as she waited for Liz to answer.
Liz frowned, wondering just what Erica was up to, "Tomorrow morning at 8 in my office at the station." She stared into Erica's eyes and found herself slightly worried at the fire that burned in them, "Why?"
"I might just stop by," Erica replied with a smirk, shrugging as she noticed a shadow in the trees across from her house. "I'll see you tomorrow, Liz." She waved the woman off and was about to close the door when she saw Stefan walking up from the trees, "What do you want, Stefan?" She asked when he was close enough to hear her question.
"What did the sheriff want?" Stefan questioned, not even saying hello before questioning her about something that wasn't even his business.
Erica narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms as she blocked his path inside, "Not that its any of your business but its a private matter." She pursed her lips, "Now why are you here?"
"I….uh…..wanted to say I'm sorry about this morning," Stefan ran a hand through his hair, realizing he over stepped. "There's also something I want to show you if you have time." He looked a little frazzled which meant Damon had already called demanding his ring.
"Give me a minute," Erica told him, shutting the door in his face before heading inside the house to let Jeremy and Jenna know she was going with Stefan to look at something and would be back a little later.
Left standing on the front porch, Stefan stared at the door Erica had closed in his face. While he understood that Erica was pissed at him, he had thought she would invite him in as she had before. A frown appeared on his face as he listened to what was being said inside the house. It appeared that not only had Erica told Jenna and Jeremy what had happened but her brother and aunt didn't seem to fond of him either which was different because most people hated his brother. Not him. Shaking his head, Stefan stepped away from the door when he heard Erica coming back.
"I suppose we'll be taking my car." Erica commented as she pulled the door closed behind her.
"If you don't mind," Stefan gave her a sweet smile that did nothing for her. "I would say we could take my car but it doesn't run." He cringed, thinking about how much work his car needed to get it running again.
Erica mentally rolled her eyes, "With the amount of money you no doubt have, I'm sure you could afford it." She decided talking about his non-running car was a safe topic, "So, where are we going?"
"I'll give you directions," Stefan told her, opening her door for her.
"Thank you," Erica said sincerely as she climbed in, Stefan shutting the door behind her and going around to climb into the passenger seat. "Is there a reason you wanted me to come along?" She asked, pulling out of the driveway, mentally chuckling because Stefan had no idea what was coming.
Stefan frowned, knowing he would have to tell her sooner rather then later, "Damon never left."
"I know." Erica responded, her hands tightening on the steering wheel, "I've just been waiting for you to tell me." She sent him a glare, "Let me guess, you stole his ring and he wants it back."
"He killed Zach," Stefan uttered, changing the topic which was more then an admission for Erica.
Erica hummed, stopping at a stop light, "Well, I assume he would if he was starved." She raised a brow, waiting on instructions, "Which way?"
"Turn right here," Stefan told her, feeling as if he was missing something. "How do you know that?"
"Really?" Erica just gave him a look that said he was an idiot as she turned where he told her to, "Do I have to remind you that I've been dreaming about you and brother since I met Damon?"
Stefan shook his head, "You never did say what you've dreamed of." He turned his gaze to Erica, "When did you dream of my brother being locked up?"
"The night of the car wash when I got home," Erica lied flawlessly as she glanced over to Stefan before looking back at the road, suddenly realize they were heading to the old Salvatore house.
"What else have you seen?" Stefan asked, motioning for Erica to turn down an old dirt road that was partially over grown, "Its just a little further." He reassured her when she looked skeptical over at him.
Erica pursed her lips, deciding just what to say, "I've seen both you and Damon talking to a woman who could pass for my twin." She stopped the car before Stefan even said anything and turned towards him, "Who was she, Stefan?"
"Her name was Katherine Pierce," Stefan sighed, opening his car door and getting out before vamping over and opening Erica's door for her. "Damon and I use to be the best of friends but with Katherine's appearance things slowly began to change." He lead her through the trees to a burned out building that the forest was taking back over, "She began compelling the both of us to ignore the fact she was with the other brother. I can now remember times of picking her up outside Damon's room when I was lead to believe it was hers." He shook his head, stopping and picking up a ring from the ruins, "When the first founders party was announced both Damon and I asked her to go as our dates. Neither of us realized the other had asked her but when she showed up at the party with me, Damon became distant. At the time, I hadn't cared. All I wanted was her and didn't care if I hurt him by being with her."
"Lovely," Erica murmured, thinking about how strong the spell must have been with Katherine returning his affection. "Is that Damon's ring?" She questioned, thinking of snatching it and returning it to Damon herself because she really didn't trust Stefan.
Stefan nodded, making his way out of the ruins that had once been the house he grew up in, "Yeah." He flexed his hand where his own daylight ring sat, "After Zach vervained Damon and locked him up, he took the ring since he didn't believe Damon would be needing it any time soon and gave it to me for safe keeping." He slipped Damon's daylight ring into his front pants pocket, "Now, Zach is dead and I have to give Damon his ring back or he'll retaliate."
"You shouldn't have locked him up to begin with," Erica remarked as she turned on her heel and started towards her car.
"Why cant you understand that Damon is dangerous?!" Stefan growled, glaring at Erica before vamping in front of her to stop her from reaching the car, "He is a killer, Erica." He grabbed her arms, wanting nothing more then to shake some sense into the girl in front of him but what happened next was what he least expected.
As soon as Stefan's hands gripped her upper arms, the training Master Chi gave her kicked in and she moved. Pressing on a pressure point inside Stefan's arms, Erica was able to get him to release her. She then moved just as quick as a vampire could and snapped Stefan's neck since she knew it wouldn't harm him any but would put him out for a while. Without even breathing hard, Erica pulled out her phone and dialed Jenna's number. A few seconds later, Jeremy answered the phone which told Erica Jenna must be driving.
"Yellow." Jeremy's voice came over the line.
"Hey, Ere," Erica said, using his nickname in hopes he wouldn't be pissed he didn't get to see her break Stefan's neck.
Silence reigned for a few seconds before Jeremy spoke again, "What did you do?"
"Er….I may have broke Stefan's neck." Erica pursed her lips, thinking of how she could get Stefan into the car before he woke, "But in my defense he looked ready to throttle me over something I said."
"What!? And I missed it! Damn it!" Jeremy hissed, earning a slap from Jenna who was driving, "Do you have Damon's ring?" He had wanted to be there when Erica snapped Stefan's neck the first time, hopefully he'll be there when Stefan woke up.
Erica hummed, bending down and pick pocketing the daylight ring from Stefan's pocket, "Yup." She grinned, slipping it onto her middle finger to make sure it would be safe, "Now, I just need to figure out a way to put this dick back into the car and get to the Boarding House before he wakes up."
"Are you going to need help?" Jeremy asked, after he finally finished laughing at his sister's stupidity.
"Naw, I'm good." Erica told him as she checked her watch, "Meet you at the Boarding House." She hung up on her brother, slipping her phone back into her pocket, "Alright dude, lets get you in the car." She whispered, taking a deep breathe before closing her eyes as shemoved her hands into a certain positionthen began chanting in ancient Japanese.
Finishing the chant, Erica opened her eyes, knelt down and picked up Stefan before slinging him over her shoulder as if he weighed no more then a sack of potatoes. Walking over to the car, she opened the back drivers side door and put him in as gently as she could. Once he was inside, whatever she had done seemed to drain out of her and she sagged against the car for a few seconds. Rubbing her hands over her face, she was thrilled for smudge proof makeup as she climbed into the car, behind the wheel.
Before she took off, Erica moved the rear-view mirror into position where she could keep an eye on Stefan as she drove to the Boarding House. As soon as she felt she was ready, she sent a text off to Jeremy she was on her way and turned the key over. Seconds later, she had the car turned around and was heading back to town. The entire time, she kept glancing in her rear-view mirror to keep an eye on Stefan in case he woke early. Erica knew he will be extremely pissed about having his neck broken and will probably believe Damon had done it even though he was stuck inside.
Chuckling at his stupidity, she made her way back to Mystic Falls but instead of heading home she headed to the Boarding House. Not only did she want to give Damon his daylight ring back but she still need to show Stefan just how wrong he was about her being unable to protect herself. If there was one thing she hated more then anything it was a male believing all women were weak and unable to defend themselves. True, there are some women who didn't want to fight but Erica knew if push came to shove they would do anything they could to survive, even fight.
When the boarding house came into view, Erica spotted Jenna on the front porch while Jeremy seemed to be MIA. That didn't worry her because she had a feeling he was inside with Damon. Pulling up next to Jenna's car, she glanced in the rear-view mirror just in time for Stefan's neck bone to snap back in place. Cringing, she shut off the engine, pulled the keys and got out. Shutting the car door behind her, she heard a groan which caused a smirk to spread across her face as she made her way up to the porch where Jenna stood.
"I take it you didn't have any problems." Jenna could see Stefan finally sitting up in Erica's back seat, looking around.
"None what's so ever." Erica replied, skipping pass Jenna and walking into the house, "Oh my dear Damon!" She called out in a singing voice, knowing he would hear her, "I have a surprise for you!" She was about to walk into the parlor where she believed the two to be when she felt a whoosh of air behind her causing her to turn around.
Damon stood behind her wearing his normal tight black shirt, dark jeans and black boots with a smirk on his face, looking her over, "Oh and what would that be?"
"This." Erica replied, holding up the hand she was wearing his sun ring on, "Would you like this back?" She cocked her head to the side, seeing a sparkle in Damon's eyes that caused a flutter in her chest.
"You, babe, are amazing." Damon whispered, slipping the ring off her middle finger and onto his own before grabbing her and spinning around then kissing her for all he was worth.
A throat clearing caused the two to pull back and turned to see Jeremy standing on the bottom of the stairs, looking a little green, "Can you try not to eat her face when I'm around?" He questioned, looking between the two of them, "Its not something I really want to see, not to mention, we came here for a reason." He nodded towards the front porch, "And that reason seems to be trying to persuade Jenna into siding with him that Damon is dangerous."
"What!?" Erica hissed, head snapping in the direction Jeremy nodded in only to see Jenna looking rather pissed at whatever Stefan was saying, "That's it!" She snapped as she stalked towards the front porch, "I have had it with his holier then thou attitude."
"Finally!" Jeremy pumped his fist into the air as he went to follow only to be stopped by Damon, putting a hand on his chest, "Dude, I'm gonna miss the show." He whined like a five year old.
Damon raised his brow, "Dude? Really?" He couldn't believe some of the slang the younger generations use, "What are the three of you doing here?" He tilted his head to the side, hearing Erica berate his brother once more, "Because I have an odd feeling it isn't to look through our library."
"Sort of," Jeremy snorted, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyes were glued to the outside. "Erica came over to show your brother just how weak," He used the air quotation marks when he said weak, "she really is. She called us after she ended up snapping his neck when they went to your old homestead. Me, on the other hand, loved looking through the old books until Erica showed up to give us a show." He explained, taking a step forward and when Damon didn't stop him, he hurried outside on the porch, next to Jenna as they watched Erica scolding Stefan like a child.
"Does everything I say to you go in one ear and out the other?!" Erica pushed Stefan backwards, causing him to trip but he stayed on his feet, "How many times have I told you to leave me alone and stop trying to tell me Damon is dangerous? I already know he's dangerous, thank you very much. He is a vampire after all. The Ultimate Predator." The look on Erica's face was quite similar to Katherine's that it caused both Damon and Stefan to flinch, "As for trying to protect me, I'm going to prove to you that I can take care of myself." She sneered before turning to Damon, "Would you mind helping me show Stefan how weak I am?" A sly smirk spread across her face, staring Damon down as he stood at the top of the porch steps, his head tilted to the side and a matching smirk on his own face.
Damon could tell by the look in her eyes that she meant business even though she was acting playful, "Why not?" He shrugged, uncrossing his arms and sauntering down the steps, "What's the wager?" He wiggled his brows rolling his shoulders to loosen himself up, completely ignoring the look he was getting from Stuffy Steffie.
"Don't do this Damon," Stefan tried to intervene once more only this time Damon decided to stop his brothers whining with a punch to the face.
"Don't tell me what to do." Damon's voice was soft but the meaning behind the words were clear, "Anyway, I ain't gonna hurt her." He patted the cheek he hit causing Stefan to wince, "Much." He chuckled, turning back to Erica, holding his hands out, "Ready when you are sweet cheeks."
Erica hummed, her eyes sliding over to where Stefan stood, "Well….." She drew out the 'L', "I suppose I could fight against Stefan if he thinks you're to dangerous for me to fight." There was a twinkle in her eye that caused Jenna and Jeremy to cover their grins with their hands as they watched the scene unfold in front of them, both of them knowing exactly what Erica was doing, "That is unless he doesn't have it in him to hurt me. I mean, I do have Katherine's face after all."
"I won't fight you, Erica." Stefan said, standing firm as he shook his head, "And I'll do everything I can to stop Damon if he tries." He leveled his hard green eyes on his brother, who looked cheeky for some reason.
"It doesn't work that way, Saint Stefan," Erica told him, taking a few steps so she could hit him if she wanted, vice versa. "So as Damon just told me," She held her arms out with her palms facing Stefan and her fingers spread, allowing him to have first hit, "Ready when you are sweet cheeks." She gave him a wink before stating once more, "Or do I need to go first?"
Stefan frowned, eyes narrowed as his nose flared scenting that Erica was indeed serious about this entire fight. "Fine," He felt as if he had just agreed to fight against a child, "I'll fight you but Damon stays out of it and on the porch."
Gotcha. Erica thought triumphantly, pleased her plan worked, "I think I can handle that." She turned her back to Stefan, staring at Damon, "You wouldn't mind would you stud? It seems I need to teach Stefan a little lesson in respecting the 21st century females."
"I get to take the winner!" Damon said rather excitedly, wondering just what Erica had planned since he noticed that when Stefan agreed she seemed just as excited as he was.
"No, you wont, Damon." Stefan remarked at the same time Erica gave him a thumbs up, "You betcha, you blue eyed devil."
Stefan grew tense, vamping around in front of Erica not wanting to look at her back, "You wont be fighting him because I doubt you'll win against me." He felt truly back for what he was about to do but it appeared Erica needed to be taught she wasn't as strong as she believed. I'll make sure to pull my punches so I won't hurt her to bad. Stefan decided as he took a few calming breathes, "Are you sure about this, Erica?"
"Abso-fuckingly-lutely." Erica replied, grinning as she motioned him forward, "I'm ready when you are." Her heart was racing with the excitement but she also knew she needed to keep a level head in order to get one over on Stefan.
"Kick his ass, sis!" Jeremy called out from the porch, eyes sparkling with excitement while Jenna just shrugged when Stefan turned to look at them in disbelief.
"Have you forgot everything I taught you!" Damon yelled at him, pointing to something behind him causing him to turn only to freeze when Erica stood only a few feet from him.
Erica winked at him before rearing back and slamming her fist in his face. Stefan stumbled backwards as Jeremy cheered. Of course, being a vampire, even a veggie vamp, Stefan was able to recover quicker then normal and was back on his feet glaring at Erica. She just raised a brow, waiting for his next move as he suddenly disappeared from in front of her. Her eyes sparkled as she shifted her feet, waiting for when she felt a shift in the air of Stefan moving. When the attack came, she ducked just before he was able to punch her in the face.
Using her momentum, Erica swept her leg out and caught Stefan off balance causing him to fall on his back. Moving quicker then humanly possible, she had Stefan straddled with a makeshift stake pointed at his chest. Stefan's eyes were wide in disbelief as he layed flat on his back with Erica pointing a stake at his heart. Not only had Erica moved incredibly fast but he never knew she had a stake in the first place. Those on the porch had been stunned into silence while Damon seemed to be eager for his little tussle with Erica coming up.
"I do believe this is considered a win." Erica commented, staring down at Stefan with triumph shining in her eyes.
"It could have," Stefan uttered before he moved ripping the stake from Erica's graspand threw it away out of her reach, "But you seem to be a little to cocky." He grinned, flipping her over onto her back with her hands pinned above her head as he straddled her hips.
"I've earned to be cocky," Erica retorted, planting her foot on the ground and twisted her body.
Stefan hadn't been expecting her to twist causing him to become unbalanced and releasing one of her hands. With her hand free, she pressed a pressure point on his other wrist causing him to release her completely. Erica then bucked her hips, throwing Stefan off balance even more to send him toppling over. Due to his vampire reflexes, he didn't fall but he had moved enough to where Erica could slip from underneath him and put some distance between the two of them. Stefan was completely shocked for a few seconds before he lunged, hoping to catch her off guard.
Those standing on the front porch winced in sympathy because they knew the reaction Stefan was going to receive for his little maneuver. Just before he was able to grab her, Erica slammed both of her fists into his chest sending him flying backwards. He slammed into an old oak tree a couple hundred yards from where he had begun and slid down the trunk of the tree, hitting the ground that was five feet from where he had hit. Groaning in pain from a couple of cracked ribs from Erica's little love tap, Stefan forced himself to his feet and turned to face Erica.
She was standing where she had been, looking completely relaxed as she smirked at him. Even though he was pulling his punches, it appeared she wasn't doing the same. Stefan decided it was time to up his game as he felt his bones slowly knit back together. Rolling his shoulders, he narrowed his eyes as he used his speed to his advantage. What Stefan didn't know was that Erica was counting on him to use his speed. Everyone on the porch held their breathe as they saw Erica close her eyes and stand completely still.
Damon watched, observing how Erica moved so fluidly from one step into the other because her movements were familiar. The only problem was that for some reason he wasn't able to remember just where he had seen those moves from. When Stefan finally decided to attack, Jenna, Damon and Jeremy were all holding their breathe as he came at her from the shadows slightly behind her to her right. Only Damon could keep up with his brothers movements or so he thought until Erica spun to the side, bringing her arm up and clotheslined Stefan right across the chest.
Stefan stumbled backwards a few steps and regained his barrings quickly which was lucky because minutes later he was defending himself from a flurry of punches and kicks. Even with his vampire reflexes, he was having difficulty in keeping Erica from getting a hit pass his defenses. It made him wonder if he had misjudged Erica on defending herself but still believed she wouldn't be able to go up against someone like his brother. Deciding to end this little 'sparring' session, Stefan got to his feet and disappeared once more.
Erica still had her eyes closed but could sense that Stefan had disappeared. A small smirk began to spread across her face as she slowly turned in a circle. She could feel Jenna, Jeremy and Damon watching her, no doubt worried for her, but she was more focused on searching for Stefan and were he would be coming from. Hearing a shift in the foliage on the forest floor to her right, she tilted her head in that direction but didn't turn. When a sudden shift in the air to her left, she ducked just as Stefan came at her to wrap his arms around her.
Opening her eyes, Erica slid between his legs and popped up behind him, tapping him on his shoulder. When Stefan turned to face her, she once more reared back and slammed her fist into his face. A loud crunch echoed through the silence, causing everyone but the two fighting to cringe. Stefan recovered quicker then a human would and this time when he lunged for Erica he was able to wrap his arms around her, trapping her armsto her sides. He also moved his head backwards and off to the side because he didn't want to be headbutted, again.
Believing he had the upper hand because he had her arms trapped at her side and feet slightly off the ground, Stefan went to pin Ericaonly to find himself falling backwards. What Stefan didn't realize was that even with him pinning her arms, Erica was still able to wrap her legs around his own causing him to fall. As they fell backwards, Erica had her elbow positioned directly on Stefan's healing ribs. Slamming hard onto the ground and taking the brunt of the fall, Stefan was forced to release Erica as pain radiated through his entire body when her elbow broke his ribs again.
Flipping off him, Erica spun around to face Stefan on her knee and grabbed each side of his head. Giving him a wink, Erica snapped his neck for the second time that day before dropping backwards onto her ass and wincing as she did. While it hadn't been a brilliant plan to make Stefan fall backwards, Master Chi had taught her to use her situations to her advantage and she did just that. Getting to her feet, she rolled her shoulders only to wince feeling the telltale sign of bruising. While Stefan may have started out holding back, at the end he used his real strength to hold onto her.
Of course, in the end it didn't help him and he still ended up with his neck snapped. Turning to the porch where Jenna, Jeremy and Damon were standing, Erica couldn't help but notice the thoughtful look on Damon's face as he stared at her. Jenna and Jeremy, on the other hand, looked rather proud of her as Jeremy jumped off the porch and jogged over to where she stood. Jenna followed at a more sedate pace as she walked with Damon. The two were whispering about something but it was Jeremy that drew her attention.
"That was so awesome, Eri!" Jeremy gushed, hyped up from watching his sister kick a vampire's ass, "You have got to teach me those moves." He looked like a five year old high on sugar the way he was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "And how in the hell did you know where he was when you had your…." He was shut up as Jenna slapped her hand over his mouth.
"Chill down, kiddo." Jenna chuckled, happy that Jeremy was doing better since the accident, "I swear you go from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye when it comes to learning how Erica does what she does." She cut her eyes towards Damon, "You sure you want to date Erica? Jeremy is a little much to handle for people." It was at that time that Jeremy's eyes twinkled with mischief as he licked Jenna's hand. "OH MY GOD! GROSS!" She jerked her hand away from Jeremy's mouth and wiped her slobbery hand on her jeans.
Erica groaned at her families antics while Damon grinned, watching as Jenna slap Jeremy in the back of the head, "I'm sorry about them." She stage whispered to Damon, "I just can't take them anywhere."
"I have the same problem with Stefan." Damon replied, nodding as if he knew exactly what she was talking about, "He just loves getting into trouble." A sly smirk spread across his face as he heard his brothers' bones grinding as they moved back into place, "Of course, I think he might have learned his lesson but if he doesn't, feel free to reeducate him." He thought Erica beating Stefan's ass was a beautiful thing but something about the way she moved was familiar to him he just couldn't pinpoint why that was.
"Oh, I will." Erica grinned, glancing over to where Stefan was still laying, "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's guys like Stefan who think they know what's best for others. He can't seem to comprehend I can take care of myself and don't need a protector." She crossed her arms, wincing from the pain that radiated through her upper arms where Stefan had them pinned to her side.
Seeing Erica wince as she crossed her arms, Damon narrowed his eyes at her as he scented the air, "Are you ok?" His eyes trailed over the exposed skin but couldn't see any injuries, "I smell blood."
"I'll be fine," Erica reassured Damon, already knowing she was going to have a few bruises because of the fact she bruised rather easily. "Saint Stefan lived up to his name in the beginning of our little sparring match but after I clotheslined him, he upped his game. He only used his full strength after I dropped him." She pulled off her shirt to reveal three bruises forming, two on outside of her upper arms where Stefan's arms were wrapped around her and her entire elbow was also bruised from where she dug it into his ribs.
"Oh my god!" Jenna gasped as she saw the bruises on her nieces arms, walking over with Jeremy trailing after her, "Are you ok? How did this happen?" She gently rubbed her hand over the discolored skin.
"I'd like to know, too." Jeremy stated, eyes narrowed as he looked from the bruises to Stefan, "I know for a fact he," He pointed to Stefan, who was just now starting to come around, "never layed a hand on you other then when he had his arms around you." He wondered if Damon wouldn't mind if he snapped Stefan's neck before he was completely healed since he knew there was no way he could fight a vampire like his sister until Erica trained him.
Mentally groaning, Erica explained once more what had happened. Neither Jenna nor Jeremy looked thrilled but Erica just reminded Jeremy what she had looked like after one of her tournaments. After that, the subject was dropped as Stefan finally came around enough to sit up. Damon walked over to check on his brother as Jenna decided it was time for her and Jeremy to head home. Jeremy still had a few more days of grounding while Jenna needed to work on her own school work. Having drove herself and Stefan to the Boarding House, Erica decided to stay a little longer.
After extracting a promise from Erica that she wouldn't stay out to late, Jenna and Jeremy said their goodbyes to Damon and Stefan before heading over to Jenna's car and climbing in then pulling away. Still being rather weak from having his neck snapped twice in less then an hour, Damon had to help his brother into the boarding house and helped him sit down on the couch in the sitting room. As soon as Stefan was sitting down, Damon took off to grab his brother some animals to drain,leaving Erica with Stefan because he knew that she could take care of herself.
"Did I do that?" Stefan finally broke the silence, his green eyes staring at her bare and bruised arms, "I'm….." He stopped when Erica glared at him.
"Don't." Erica held her hand up, shaking her head, "We sparred, not to mention, I bruise easy and this is nothing to some of the injuries I get from the tournaments I use to frequent." She shrugged, having forgotten about the fact she was in only her sports bra, "But I do hope now you understand, I can take care of myself and don't need a knight in shining armor. Friends, I can use but not idiots who think I need to be protected." She pinned him with a look as she dropped down in a leather chair she knew Damon had claimed for himself.
(Mystic Falls Police Station, Sheriff's Office – 5:23 PM)
Elizabeth Forbes sat in her office with the door closed and her head resting on her folded arms laying on her desktop. Moments before, she had been speaking with Matt Donovan about what was going to happen to his sister now that she was in police custody. Matt had listened to everything, face blank until Liz explained that it would be a year or two before Vickicould be released if she behaved. In that moment, fear clouded his eyes because Vicki had gained custody of him shortly after their mother, Kelly Donovan, left them for her new boyfriend and greener pastures.
With Vicki now she was in jail, Matt couldn't help but worry about what would happen to him. Knowing Matt would be turning 18 in less then 6 months, Liz explained the three options he had to chose from. First, Liz could search for his father and see if he wished to take on his nearly adult son. The second option was for Matt to sign papers stating he was able to make his own decisions but needed a guardian to look up on him until his birthday. If he signed those papers, Liz offered to be his temporary guardian which seemed to ease some of the tension he'd been holding.
Liz also explained that if she were togain temporary guardianship, not even his father, should the man show up, could change things unless Matt agreed. The final option was for Matt to become emancipated which meant he would need to find a job and the paperwork would at least take 5 months if not longer which would be a big waste of time in her own opinion. Sharing her opinion with Matt, he agreed with Liz's assessment thus being emancipated was taken off the table. He now had to chose between Liz finding his father or becoming his temporary guardian until he was 18.
It was a rather easy decision for Matt to make because of the fact he had never met the man who was named on his birth certificate as his father. Once the situation with him was concluded, Liz offered him to visit his sister. Matt had taken her up on it and she lead him through the station to where Vicki Donovan was being held until her court hearing. As soon as she spotted her brother, Vicki must have thought he had come to get her out. When she realized Matt had come to say his goodbyes, she became violent and began spewing things that would make a sailor blush.
While her deputy handled Vicki, Liz had escorted Matt out of the holding cells and into a private room that had once been an office. As soon as they were inside, Matt broke down in tears. Seeing her once best friend's son crying caused her heart to break as she walked over and pulled him in a hug. Neither of them said anything as Matt finally pulled himself back together. Once she was sure he was alright, Liz had let Matt head back home while she started the paperwork. The only thing he would need to do was sign where she told him after she finished filling the it out.
Forcing herself to sit up, Liz wiped away the few tears that trailed down her cheeks before picking up her pen and starting on filling out the paperwork for Matt Donovan to become a ward of the Sheriff's department until his 18th birthday. Usually this was used for juvenile delinquents but it was the best thing for Matt at the moment and it had been his choice. Half way through filling the papers out, her door opened revealing Richard Lockwood and Logan Fell. Upon seeing Fell, her eyes narrowed as the two men stepped into the room, closing the door behind them.
"Can I help you gentleman?" Liz asked, tearing her eyes from Logan and looking to Richard for her answers.
"I was wondering if you got the watch." Richard replied rather bluntly, deciding not to beat around the bush.
Liz snorted, shaking her head as she set her pen down, "No, I didn't." Logan looked rather smug for a few seconds, "But I was told something rather interesting. It appears that not only did Logan search through Erica's dresser but she caught him looking through her undergarments rather…..thoroughly."
"What do you mean, Elizabeth?" Richard questioned, his eyes darting over to Logan who sat there tense.
"Erica told me she caught Logan holding up some gag gifts Jenna gave her on her 16th birthday." Liz stated, leaning back in her chair and resting her elbows on the arms of the chair, "Let me see your phone, Logan." She held out one of her hands, hoping she wouldn't find what she believed would be on it.
"Now just wait a damn minute!" Logan Fell jumped to his feet but Richard was quicker as he was shoved back into the seat he just got up from, "Richard!" He looked up at his friend only to freeze at the burning anger in Richard Lockwood's eyes.
While Richard may be an asshole, he did have morals about girls younger then 18, "Give her your phone, Logan." He demanded, his grip tightened on the man's shoulders which caused Logan to wince, "Now!"
"Here!" Logan snapped, throwing his phone on the desk and hoping it would break but luck wasn't on his side as Liz picked it up.
"What's the code?" Liz asked, seeing that Logan had his phone locked.
Knowing he didn't have a choice in the matter, Logan told her the code to get in his phone. Seconds later, Liz was going through his phone until she found his picture app. The moment she pulled the app up, she froze as her eyes were locked on the picture. Her grip tightened as she turned the image around to see one of Erica Gilbert's 'gifts' on full display as it was held up by a dresser nob and a hand that was no doubt Logan's. Richard's grip tightened on Logan's shoulder to the point he whimpered from the pain hoping the man would loosen his grip.
"If we didn't need your sorry ass…" Liz growled, her hand tightening around the phone in her hand as her other hand was formed into a tight fist.
"Unfortunately, we do need him." Richard's voice was soft as he sneered down at Logan, "However, if he steps out of line one more time we can always find another newscaster to report what we wish. We already decided to invite Erica Gilbert onto the Council, I can guarantee the others could be persuaded to allow her to join early if a position became available." His eyes were hard as he stared Logan down, hoping the other man would get his meaning and by the look of fear in Logan's eyes, he had.
"I think she would be a good addition," Liz added, a smirk on her face as she began to delete the images on Logan's phone as she went through them in case there was anything else she needed to be made aware of.
Richard looked thoughtful as he turned his attention back to Logan, "I would step lightly if I were you." He released the man's shoulder, "Once Liz is finished looking through your phone, get it and leave before I change my mind about having her arrest you. We'll call you when we have something you need to report. You are longer welcomed at council meetings unless specifically invited. I do not tolerate men who turn to females under 18 for their sexual needs."
"You are going to regret this!" Logan snapped, snatching his phone back from Liz and shoved it in his pocket before stalked out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
"He's gonna need to be watched," Liz remarked, retaking her seat as she ran a hand through her hair. "I wouldn't put it past him to try and break into the Gilbert's house in order to find the watch for himself."
Richard frowned, sitting back down in the seat he had vacated earlier, "Do it." He ordered, not wanting to deal with the fall out if Logan did try and break into the Gilbert's house, "We don't need Logan causing us anymore trouble." He tilted his head, "Now, about the Gilbert watch, did you ask them to use it?"
"I did," Liz answered with a curt nod. "However, Erica made it abundantly clear that she wouldn't be handing it over because and I quote 'It belongs to Jeremy and if the council needed to borrow it they should have asked us themselves.' end quote." She suppressed the chuckle that wanted to escape because of the look on Richard Lockwoods face.
"Does she not realize the danger the town is in?" Richard looked pissed as he jumped to his feet, "We need that watch to find the vampire and kill it!" He once more wished that Grayson had not been killed because they would have already killed the vampire if he had still been alive.
Liz sighed, staring down Richard as she rested her arms on the arms of her chair, "While I agree with you," To a certain extent. "There is nothing we can do. I already spoke with Erica, Jenna and Jeremy. None of them are willing to hand it over because of how Logan tried to obtain it." She shook her head, "Logan pretended to want to rekindle his relationship with Jenna in order to gain access to their house."
"That little idiot," Richard groaned, sitting back down. "What do you suggest then?" He leaned against the back of the seat, staring at Liz for an answer.
"Invite both Erica and Jenna to the next scheduled council meeting." Liz suggested, thinking it would be a good idea even though she knew Erica wanted to crash the next council meeting. "We could then all talk to her about the reason we need the watch."
Richard thought for a moment before nodding in agreement, "Well, we do have a seat open." He chuckled, standing up, "I need to head back to the office. I'll leave inviting Ms. Gilbert and Ms. Sommers to the next council meeting to you."
"I'll head over there once I finish for the day," Liz stated, standing up and walking Richard to the door to her office. "I'll also put someone on watching Logan immediately." She had just the person to keep an eye on Logan.
"Then I shall leave you to it." Richard gave her a curt nod before stepping out of the office as soon as the door was open.
As Richard headed back to the Mayor's office for a short time before heading home, Liz called on Deputy O'Neil. He had just started a few weeks ago and Logan had yet to meet the young man. Once she filled O'Neil in on what she wanted him to do, she headed back to her office to finish the paperwork for Matt's custody. Just as she was about to step into her office, she noticed the door to the holding cells were open. Knowing they were always shut at this time of day, Liz slowly made her way to the door and stepped inside only to freeze upon what she found.
Vicki Donovan was gone and the deputy that was on duty was lying on the ground as if someone had knocked him out while his back was turned. Yelling for backup, she rushed over and checked on her deputy while sending out a radio call about Vicki Donovan escaping. Looking around, Liz noticed the keys to the cell were still in the door meaning someone had to have helped the girl. One person came to mind and she felt a cold chill rush through her. As soon as another officer showed up, she hurried to her desk and placed a phone call to Richard's office.
With him yet to arrive at the office, Liz left a message with his secretary before hanging up then dialing the Gilbert's house number. It was apart of her duty to let Erica, Jenna and Jeremy know that Vicki Donovan had managed to escape police custody with help from someone. After promising to keep them informed, she called Matt Donovan to let him know what happened and that because of her little disappearing act, even though she had help,Vickiwas now in more trouble then she had been and Erica's deal was no longer available.
Matt had seemed quiet over the phone but Liz knew he was upset about his sister's behavior as of late. After extracting a promise from him that he would call her if Vicki showed up, the line was disconnected. With a sigh, Liz hung up her work phone and picked up her cell to send off a message to Caroline that she had to work late. It was at that moment her stomach growled at her reminding her she hadn't eaten in a little over 12 hours. Making a split second decision, Liz deleted her previous text and sent another stating she would love some company and a home cooked meal before returning to the paperwork that littered her desk.
(~*~*~*~*~*~*D*~*~*~*~*~*~)
Author Note – And here is another chapter! I hope everyone has enjoyed this story so far. (Winks) I want to thank everyone for posting a review. (Thumbs Up) You guys are awesome! (Smiles) As of today, my mother and I are fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus! (Cheers) We're still going to be wearing our masks but only in crowded areas because there are still people out there that aren't vaccinated for one reason or another. (Yawns) Anyway, til the next chapter keep reading and reviewing!
~*Dragon*~
