Ch. VII

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 – Hey readers! I'm back with the next chapter of Life & Death! (Grins) I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter. (Wiggles Brows) As for the reason it took so long is because I kept going over the chapter and changing little things which meant I had to rewrite quite a bit before I was semi-happy with what I came up with. (Sighs) I am sorry it has taken me so long but I think you'll enjoy it because someone is making a guest appearance. (Winks) Now onto the next chapter for Life & Death!

Notes:

Personal Thoughts

"Phone Calls"

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(Old Fell Abandoned Warehouse – 10:32 PM)

As a sliver of the moon hung in the sky like the Cheshire Cat's smile, the Mystic Falls officers were searching the entire town for Victoria Marie Donovan in order to return her to the cell she escaped from, Logan Fell lead a darkly dressed figure across a parking lot of a family's old abandoned warehouse that hadn't been used in years. Once he helped Vicki escape, he brought her here in order to hide from the authorities. He also promised to bring someone that could help her get revenge on Erica Gilbert, who had put her in jail in the first place.

"Are you sure she's in there?" The dark hooded figure questioned, quietly and revealing he was indeed male.

"Yes." Logan replied, unable to lie from the compulsion that the male had placed on him earlier in the week, "She believes you will help her get revenge against Erica Gilbert." He stopped at the side entrance of the building and pulled out a key ring full of keys, "I told her to hide in one of the offices upstairs since their windows are boarded up." He finally got the door open but was shoved to the side as his companion headed inside.

The hooded male hummed, a sick grin spread across his face, as he disappeared in the blink of an eye up the stairs. Logan felt a tendril of dread settle in his stomach as he shut and locked the door behind him after he stepped into the abandoned warehouse then headed upstairs. Making his way through the halls, he was uncertain as to where he was going until he found himself stopping in front of his father's old office. Opening the door, bile threatened to spill from his mouth to the floor at the fear inducing scene in front of him.

The man that had compelled him to help Vicki escape, had one hand tangled in her hair pulling her head to the side as the other held her to his body while his mouth was firmly attached to Vicki's neck. A thin trail of blood ran from where the hooded man had his mouth but it was enough evidence for Logan to assume his friend was a vampire and not making out with the younger girl. Even though he wanted nothing more then to flee, he was unable to move as he watched the hooded male raise his head to reveal a mouth filled with fangs and was covered in Vicki's blood.

In that moment, Logan knew he was going to die as a sick grin spread across the vampire's face. As if time began to move at a snails pace, the vampire brought his wrist up to his mouth then sunk his fangs into his own flesh. Time restarted with a kick as the vampire shoved his bleeding wrist into Vicki's mouth, making her swallow a couple mouthfulls of his blood before pulling his wrist away and smearing some of his blood on her cheek before snapping her neck. Unable to flee as he wished, he watched with a sinking heart as Vicki's body dropped to the ground, lifeless.

Logan's ancestors had no clue as to vampires were created thus couldn't pass the knowledge on which mean Logan had no idea Vicki had been turned until she jerked 'awake' with a gasp a short time after the vampire had snapped her neck. Fear gripped him as the hooded vampire slipped into the shadows as Vicki slow climbed to her feet and nose flaring as if taking in the scents of the room. Seconds later, her head snapped in his direction. Before he could blink, Vicki was on him with her mouth latched onto his neck.

Vicki's momentum had caused Logan to fall backwards through the door to where they where halfway in the office and halfway in the hall. As Vicki drained Logan of his blood, darkness began to seep into his vision which told him he wasn't far from death's door. Just as oblivion descended upon him, he felt Vicki being pulled away and felt something hit the floor before something warm was thrust into his mouth. His bodies automatic response kicked in after a few seconds causing him to swallow a small mouthful before the darkness finally pulled him away from the living world.

(Next Morning – Gilbert Residence – 5:57AM)

Being a Saturday, Erica would normally be snuggled in her bed under her blankets except since Sheriff Forbes called about Vicki managing to escape had caused her to toss and turn until she finally had enough. Around 4 o'clock, she tossed her blankets off and got up out of bed. Heading to her closet, she changed out of her nightclothes into her workout clothing before heading downstairs as she threw her hair up in a messy bun. The moment she stepped from the house, a sudden calm washed over her causing all her stress to wash away.

Taking a deep breathe of the brisk morning air, Erica walked over to the area Grayson and Miranda created for her to go through her Tai-Chi meditation movements without an audience. On bare feet, she closed her eyes to center herself before she began to move. Neither her hands or feet were still as she flowed from one pose to the next. It was only when something landed on her outstretched arm that she stopped and opened her eyes. Chuckling at what she saw, she used her unhindered hand to stroke the breast feathers of Poe, who had taken off sometime yesterday.

"Hey, handsome," Erica greeted her feather friend. "Where've you been, huh?" Poe fluffed his feathers as he walked gently up her arm, doing his best to keep his sharp claws from hurting her.

"Caw." Poe cawed, nestling against the side of her neck as his claws gripped her workout t-shirt but still didn't penetrate her skin.

Erica just smiled, running her a finger down Poe's back when she realized he would be staying on her shoulder. Humming, she closed her eyes then started from the beginning of her meditation routine. Her movements seemed fluid like water as she moved from one position to the next. The world seemed to fall away as she slowly began to feel a warmth begin at her feet and travel up to the top of her head. It was only when she grew close to the end of her mediation that she realized Poe was cooing at her and the sky was growing brighter.

Just as the morning sun broke over the horizon, Erica was dripping with sweat and felt much better then she had when she first stepped from the house. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with a beautiful masterpiece of color and tranquility as the sun began its ascent over the horizon, casting a multitude of colors across the early morning sky. With a calmer mind then she's had in the past few days, she decided to head inside to grab something to drink and grab a shower before Jeremy woke up. After finding out if Poe was going with her or not, she headed inside.

Stepping through the back door, Erica headed directly to the refrigerator and grabbed a cold bottle of water then proceeded to down half of it as she headed upstairs. As she went to walk pass Jeremy's room, she could hear her brothers soft snores. It was only when she noticed that his door was ajar that she eased it open to peek inside. The sight that greeted her caused her to bite her lip in order to keep from laughing at how her brother was laying sprawled out on the bed. Laying flat on his back, both arms were extended over his head and rested on his pillow while his left leg was bent at the knee while his right leg was fully extended as if he were a ballerina.

Relieved Jeremy was still in bed, Erica pulled the door shut before continuing on to her bedroom. The moment she stepped through her bedroom door, Poe abandoned her by flying over and landed on his perch. He then began picking through the bird seed she'd purchased for him and eating what he liked. Whatever bird seed that was left, once Poe had his fill, will be sprinkled through the forest across from her house for the other birds. She even used the rest of her water to fill up Poe's water bowl. Poe chirped his thanks as he got a drink then went back to eating.

Chuckling at Poe's antics, she set tossed the now empty water bottle into the small trash bin next to her desk then began stripping off her clothes as she headed into the bathroom that connected her and Jeremy's room. As she headed over to the door to Jeremy's room to make sure it was locked, she noticed her reflection in the mirror out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't the fact she had bruises on her arms that drew her attention, it was the fact the bruises she had gotten less then 24 hours ago looked to be at least a few weeks old if the color was anything to go by.

Knowing that she hadn't had any vampire blood, Erica tried to think back on what could have semi-healed the bruises she had gotten sparing with Stefan. She then remembered the warmth she felt as she went through her Tai-Chi meditation routine. Deciding not to dwell on the fact she had some how been healed as she went through her mediation routine, she pulled the shower curtain back and turned on the water then adjusting it to where she preferred. Once the water was at the perfect temperature, she slipped off her underwear and bra before stepping under the water.

Her mind, however, wouldn't let her ignore how many oddities there were in her life compared to Elena's. Erica knew one person who could explain things to her but she really didn't want to speak with Shelia Bennett until she absolutely had to. Not to mention, she would like to have both Emily Bennett's amulet and her grimoire before she went to see Shelia. Just thinking about Emily's talisman, her hand went to the yellow gem that hung around her neck. While she took off all her jewelry before heading to bed each night or showering, she couldn't seem to take off the necklace.

It might have freaked someone else out about not wanting to part with it but Erica had a feeling that Emily was making sure she didn't lose the talisman before it was time to use it. Having a feeling that was exactly what was happen, she finished her shower before shutting off the water, ringing the excess water out of her hair before wrapping a towel around both hair and body. Before leaving the bathroom, Erica made sure the door leading to Jeremy's room was unlocked for when he woke up then headed back to her own room to get dressed.

Walking into her bedroom, she stopped just inside the door and watched as Poe wet his beak in his water dish then proceed to preen his feathers. Shaking her head at her feathery friend's antics, Erica walked over to her dresser, opened the top drawer and grab her new royal blue underwear set, that consisted of female boy-shorts and a sports bra. Dropping the towel she had wrapped around her body, she pulled on her underclothes then used the towel she had her hair wrapped up in to towel dry her hair a little more before she headed into her closet to find something to wear.

Looking through her clothes, Erica couldn't help but wonder who helped Vicki Donovan escape from police custody. She knew for a fact that neither Matt nor Vicki's druggie friends helped her because Matt understood the reason she had been arrested in the first place and the later group had been killed courtesy of Damon after Stefan and Zach locked him up to starve, much like what had happened on the show. Just thinking of the TV show caused her to pause in her search for something to wear because she felt as if she was forgetting something rather important.

It bothered more then she would ever admit that the witches on the Other Side are able to tamper with some of her memories but grateful they hadn't been able to take away all her future knowledge. Grabbing a pair of gray stretch jeans and a dark green t-shirt with the shoulders cut out, Erica got dressed before stepping from her closet. Cutting her eyes over at the clock on her nightstand, it's bright red numbers glowed7:01 AM, telling her that she still had a few hours before Jenna and Jeremy woke up. Deciding to use this time to figure out a few things, she headed over to her bed and knelt down to retrieve her journal she hide from Damon.

Once she had her journal, Erica got to her feet and sat on her bed with her back against the headboard. After placing her pillow behind her back, she pulled her pen out and opened her journal to a new page. While she had figured out a few things already, there were other problems she needed to deal with before the Big Bad Wolf showed up. The first problem was destroying the Wickery bridge, that was made from White Oak, but keeping a single piece to craft into a stake. Something else she wanted to take care of was Mikael before someone woke him up.

Erica also knew she needed to get the moonstone but even though she knew it was at the Lockwoods, she had no clue as to where Richard's safe was located nor the code to open it. She knew her best bet was to let things play out with Katherine and just take the stone when they go to shove her old ass in the tomb under the old church. When it had come to light on the show, she fell to the floor in laughter because of the fact no one had thought to snatch the moonstone from Katherine before they put her in the tomb after she'd been knocked out.

Making sure she wrote her thoughts down about grabbing the moonstone, Erica suddenly groaned when she remembered that after the party Elena had been kidnapped by a human Rose and Trevor had compelled. Dropping her head back against her headboard, she winced at the pain but also at the fact she wouldn't be able to grab the moonstone before they shoved Katherine's ass in the tomb under the burnt down church where she should have been in the first place. Which meant she would need to get the moonstone sooner rather then later.

Erica knew that the safe Richard hid the stone in was in the man's home office but couldn't remember exactly where the safe was located. Dropping her pen in the center of her journal that layed on her bent knees, she rubbed her hands over her face as she took a few calming breaths. Glancing over at the clock on her nightstand, she saw bright red numbers telling her that it had been almost an hour since she had finished with her shower. Returning to her journal, she finished out her thoughts before closing the book and returning it to its hiding place.

"I'm heading downstairs, you coming?" Erica questioned Poe, who was watching her ever since she stood up.

"Caw, Caw!" Poe replied as he fluttered over and settled on her shoulder, preening her hair as he had his feathers.

Erica chuckled as she headed downstairs to start the coffee going since she figured Jenna and Jeremy would be up soon. The entire way down the stairs, Poe seemed content to ride on her shoulder until she stepped into the kitchen. He then fluttered over to the sink and began pecking at the faucet. Having a slight idea of what he wanted, she set out a towel to the left side of the sink where they usually had the dish drainer then filled up the sink with a few inches of lukewarm water. As soon as the faucet was out of the way, Poe jumped into the sink and began splashing around.

"Silly bird." Erica chuckled as she shook her head at Poe, going about making the morning coffee.

Once the coffee was brewing, Erica leaned back against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest and watched Poe splash around in the water. She had thought about fixing something to eat but her stomach was slightly queasy so she decided to forgo making breakfast. When Poe jumped onto the towel and stayed, she walked over and pulled the plug from the sink allowing the water to drain. Poe was rolling around on the towel much like a dog would but Erica knew her feathery friend didn't need help drying off.

Just as the coffee pot signaled it was done, a bedroom door opened and the downstairs bathroom door closed which meant that Jenna had gotten upand whether Jenna would be staying up on a Sunday morning was another thing all together. Looking over at the clock on the wall as she poured herself a cup of coffee, Erica saw it was a little after 8:30 AM which lead her to believe Jenna would head back to bed. Of course, people can surprise you because a few seconds later, Jenna stepped into the kitchen and headed directly to the coffee machine.

"Morning Aunt Jenna," Erica greeted her as Pow cawed, startling Jenna as she turned to glare at the crow while she sipped her coffee.

"Why are you up so early?" Jenna asked, leaning back against the counter beside the coffee pot, "I figured you would still be in bed." Her eyes then slid over to where Poe perched on the back of one of the kitchen chairs, "Did bird brain wake you up?"

Poe took offense to her name and hissed at her causing Jenna's eyes to widen, "Careful there, Jenna." Erica told her aunt, reaching over to stroke Poe's feather's, "Poe here is smarter then most crows and as for me being up early, I couldn't really sleep after finding out about Vicki's escape."

"Sorry, Poe." Jenna apologized to the bird, watching him turn towards Erica and nuzzled her hand that ran down his feathers, "And you do know that Vicki wouldn't dare coming here after what happened." She stared Erica down over the rim of her mug.

"That may be true but I have a really bad feeling about her escaping from police's custody. There is absolutely no way Vicki could have escaped on her own which could only mean that someone helped her." Erica took a sip of her own cup of coffee before sitting the mug down on the table in front of her, "Just promise me that if Vicki does show up, you won't verbally invite her in especially if she shows up after the sunsets."

Jenna raised a brow as she finished her first cup of coffee and poured herself another, "I promise." She walked over and sat down in the chair directly across from Erica since Poe took the other seat, "Now tell me what has you so tense because I can't see either Stefan or Damon turning Vicki Donovan."

"I think there are other vampires, then Stefan and Damon, in Mystic Falls." Erica replied, licking her lips before continuing, "The night of the Founders Day Party, when Bonnie's date Ben came to pick her up, I couldn't help but notice that he never step foot inside and looked rather put out when you didn't invite him to come in." Poe must have sensed Erica's worry because he fluttered down from where he was perched onto the table and nibbled on her fingers, "I also noticed that one of our pizza delivery guys seemed pissed when he wasn't invited in and a little bit ago I saw someone watching me from the trees." She chuckled and ran a finger down Poe's chest feathers.

"And you think whoever these vampires are could have helped Vicki escape." Jenna added, earning a nod from Erica, "But why would they want to do that? What purpose would she serve?" She could see the wheels turning in Erica's head as she stared off into space. "Erica?" Jenna frowned, reaching over to lay a hand on Erica's arm only for the girl to jump and blink her eyes as if she had been daydreaming, "You ok?"

Erica nodded, swallowing as she was brought out of her past life memories, "Yeah, I'm ok." She shifted in her seat, taking a sip of her lukewarm coffee before answering Jenna, "I was just thinking about a dream I had the night before."

"What was it about?" Jenna asked, noticing the worry etched into each line on Erica's face.

"Jeremy and I were at a Halloween party at the school when we got separated." Erica began, telling Jenna what had happened on the show as if she had dreamed it, "When I did find him, Vicki was there but had been turned into a vampire. They appeared to be talking when in the blink of an eye she has Jeremy pinned against a school bus and draining him but before I can do anything, I woke up."

"As if you would allow Vicki to harm Jeremy." Jenna snorted, setting her cup down on the table in front of her, "But if it worries you that much, you can always sit Jeremy down and explain things. I'm sure he'll understand he needs to be careful until Vicki is found." She sometimes envied Erica and Jeremy's sibling relationship because even with their little tiffs, they were always there for each other.

Erica felt some of her tension melt away, "You're right." She nodded, sipping her cool coffee, "I'll talk with Jeremy when he gets up." She looked over at the clock hanging on the wall, "9:54 AM. He should be getting up soon."

"He was rather quiet after Liz called with the news last night." Jenna commented, wondering if Erica had noticed since she had been rather pissed upon finding out Vicki Donovan was able to escape.

"I think he's confused and upset." Erica had noticed how quiet Jeremy had gotten after she told him and Jenna what Liz had told her, "When I found Vicki in the bathroom, the morning she spent the night with Jeremy, I asked her point blank if I were to send Jeremy to rehab, would she go with him but she changed the subject and never answered my question. I think that bothered him more then he let on." She pursed her lips, finishing her cup of coffee before standing up and taking it to the sink while Poe hopped over to Jenna for some affection as compensation for her assuming he woke Erica up this morning.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Erica." Jenna reassured her niece as she ran her middle and pointing fingers down Poe's back, "Jeremy's stronger then you think he is and he has you to thank for that. You've showed him how to be strong." Poe cawed as if agreeing with Jenna's assessment.

Knowing they were right, Erica felt a little better but still needed to speak with Jeremy, "I know but I can't help but worry." She sighed, running a hand through her hair, "Maybe I should spend the day with him. I did promise to teach him some moves."

"I was thinking of heading to the University's Library to get some work done," Jenna said as she finally finished her second cup of coffee once Poe was satisfied she had paid her dues. "Why don't you and Jeremy come with me then take the car over to the Dragon's Dojo? I'm sure Master Chi would love the company and you could also teach Jeremy some moves." Of course, Jenna was also thinking about how it would be good for both Erica and Jeremy to get out of Mystic Falls.

"It would be nice to see Master Chi." Erica said, smiling fondly as she thought of her Master, "And your right, he would like some company since he can't really go out during the day." She turned back to the coffee maker and poured a cup of coffee.

Jenna watched her niece, wondering what she was doing, "If you wanted another cup of coffee, you shouldn't have washed out your cup." She tilted her head to the side as she leaned her hip against the counter.

"It's not for me, Aunt Jenna." Erica told Jenna, nodding towards the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. "I was going to see if Jeremy's awake and if he isn't, I'm going to wake his happy ass up and tell him about your idea about getting away from Mystic Falls for the day." She looked at Poe, who was perched on one of the back of the chairs, "You coming with me? Or staying down here?" She could see Jenna looking at her as if she had gone crazy.

"Caw, caw." Poe replied with a yes as he fluttered over and landed on Erica's shoulder, preening her hair in his reach.

"Did you….and he…?" Jenna shook her head, completely shocked at the fact Poe had answered Erica, "I need to get dressed." She cleared her throat as she walked with Erica out of the kitchen, "Whether you and Jeremy head to the dojo or not, I'm going to head to the university to work on my thesis."

Erica paused at the bottom of the stairs, one foot on the bottom step as she looked to Jenna, "If you need a few days to work on your thesis without any distractions, don't feel as if your letting me or Jeremy down. As I told you before, Jeremy and I can take care of ourselves but we do need a guardian to turn to if we have a problem." Without another work she headed upstairs, Poe cooing on her shoulder as she stopped in front of Jeremy's door and knocked, "Yo, Ere. You up?"

When silence greeted her, a balloon of worry began to inflate until she opened Jeremy's bedroom door and found her brother sound asleep in his bed. Thankful he wasn't out searching for Vicki as he had in the show, Erica silently walked over to the side of the bed and set the cup of coffee on his nightstand. Poe flew around the room a few times before landing on the footboard of Jeremy's bed. Before she could reach out to wake her brother up, however, Poe decided to do the honors as he let out a loud caw causing Jeremy to jerk upright and jump a few feet off the bed.

"Fuckin' bird," Jeremy grumbled, glaring at Poe as he sat trying to look innocent on his footboard.

"He just did what I was going to do," Erica popped up from where she stood, trying not to laugh at the look Jeremy had upon Poe waking him up. "I bought you coffee." She pointed to where she set the cup.

Jeremy grumbled something unintelligible as he took a hold of the cup and downed half of it, "Why were you going to wake me up?" He asked, looking at Erica over the rim of the cup as he sipped his liquid gold.

"Jenna told me she was going to the university to work on her thesis and wondered if you and I would like to visit Master Chi." Erica explained with a shrug, tilting her head to the side, "And…..since I did promise to teach you a few moves, I thought the dojo would be a good place since the floor is covered by a thin pad." She bit her lip in order to stop from grinning at the look Jeremy was giving her.

"What!? Really?" Jeremy's eyes sparkling as he sat up straighter, almost spilling his coffee, "Do you think Master Chi could also show me some moves?" He quickly finished his coffee and set it on the night stand.

"You'll just have to ask him to find out," Erica replied with a shrug but knew that if Jeremy asked for some pointers then Master Chi would no doubt agree. "So, get your ass out of bed and get dressed in something you'll be able to move around in." She grabbed his empty coffee cup on his night stand table as Poe fluttered over to her shoulder from where he'd been perched on Jeremy's footboard.

Seconds before Jeremy threw his off his covers so he could get out of bed, Erica stepped out in the hallway and pulled his bedroom door closed behind her to give him privacy to get ready. Before heading downstairs, she made a detour by her room to grab her wallet but ended up contemplating on if she should change out of the shirt she was currently wearing. Knowing that she would not only be showing Jeremy some moves but also would be tested by Master Chi, she decided it would be best to change into something less constricting of her movements.

After setting Jeremy's empty coffee cup on her desk, Erica headed into her closet while Poe flew over to his perch to wait on her. It took her a few minutes of searching before she finally decided on a dark red tank top. Quickly swapping shirts, she took the shirt she had just taken off and hung it on the same hanger she had taken the tank top off of. She then hung the hanger on one of the five hooks located on the other side of her closet. Just as she went to leave, a black leather jacket with blood red vines stitched along the sleeves and in an 'E' on the back caught her attention.

The jacket had been a gift from Miranda on her 16th birthday along with a promise from Grayson that if she kept her grades up and stayed out of trouble, he would buy her a motorcycle for her 18th birthday. Of course, after the accident that took their lives, Erica had hung the jacket up in her closet on one of the hooks and forgot about it until now. Taking it down off the hook, she shook off the light layer of dust that had gathered on the collar before slipping it on. Unlike when she first got the jacket, she filled it out a little more then she had before.

Unfortunately, with the weather still to hot for a heavy coat such as her leather jacket, Erica wouldn't be able to wear it until the weather grew colder. Slipping the jacket off, she hung it back on the hook she had taken it down from then stepped out of the closet only to accosted by Poe. He must have grew tired of waiting and decided to see if she had finished. When he landed on her shoulder, he was careful not harm her with his sharp talons as he began to preen her semi-dried hair. Chuckling at Poe's attitude, she made her way over to her desk/vanity only to cringe at her image.

Having changed shirts, her once neatly brushed hair now resembled a bird's nest which Poe was trying to help her fix. Grateful for his unneeded help, Erica coaxed Poe onto the back of her desk/vanity chair then went to work on fixing the mess on the top of her head. After getting the newly formed tangles brushed out, she put it up into a french braid so it would be out of her way while she taught Jeremy a few moves or when she, no doubt, would spar with Master Chi. The moment she finished with her hair, Poe reclaimed his spot on her shoulder, cooing at her while he nuzzled her neck.

After scratching Poe's chin, Erica picked up Jeremy's empty coffee cup and made her way out of her room. Passing by Jeremy's room she could still hear him thus banged on the door and told him to hurry before making her way downstairs. Jenna was sitting in the living room watching TV as she took the empty coffee cup into the kitchen. When she returned, the TV was turned off and both Jenna and Jeremy were waiting by the front door on her. Once everyone was sure they had everything, the 'four' of them headed outside.

The moment Erica stepped out the front door, however, Poe took to the skies doing all kinds of aerial acrobats. Jeremy and Jenna were in awe of Poe's acrobatics but Erica had seen him do something similar a couple of days ago. After watching their own private show for a few more minutes, the three of them piled in the car with Erica driving while Jenna rode shotgun and Jeremy in the back since he was the youngest as well as for the fact once they dropped off Jenna at college, both Jeremy and Erica would be heading to the Dragon Dojo to meet with Master Chi.

Before heading to Richmond, Erica made a quick stop by the police station in order to let Sheriff Forbes know they were heading out of town for the day and if she needed to get a hold of them to call either Jenna's cell phone or Erica's since no one would be home. Once that situation was taken care of, Erica maneuvered the car back to the main street and headed out of Mystic Falls. It wasn't until they passed the 'Leaving Mystic Falls' sign that Erica was able to relax because the entire time she was worried about something happening to keep them from leaving.

Their impromptu road trip to Richmond took close to an hour for the simple fact that none of them were in a big hurry. Jenna asked questions about Master chi and if her and Jeremy would be safe around him while Jeremy asked questions about vampires in general. Erica promised Jenna that Master Chi was an older vampire and had complete control over his bloodlust. She then answered every question Jeremy asked including, how does someone protect themselves against a vampire? After she explained to both Jenna and Jeremy about vervain, Jeremy asked another question.

"Has anyone thought of using vervain in a tattoo or something more permanent?" Jeremy asked, sitting in the middle of the back seat with his arms resting on the front seat and his chin resting on his arms. "I, mean, from what you told us someone could just rip a necklace or bracelet off and would just have to wait you out if you drank it." He raised a brow, looking from Jenna, who was nodding in agreement, over to Erica, who looked thoughtful.

"I don't know." Erica knew that many of the fanfiction writers from her 'past' life had wrote about using vervain in a tattoo but she didn't know if it could really be used, "We can always ask Master Chi if he heard of any tattoo artists using vervain in their ink." She also wondered if a vampire could get a vervain tattoo and if it would stop an original from compelling 'regular' vampires.

Jenna was still processing the entire 'Vampires are real' situation but had to admit Jeremy had a good idea, "That's a really good idea and if Master Chi does know of a place," She looked between Erica and Jeremy, "I want you both to wait until I'm with you to get a tattoo. For three reasons, 1) both of you are under the age of 18. 2) I know I'll need to sign for Jeremy since he's only 16 but I might also have to sign for you, Erica."

"And the third reason?" Jeremy questioned as he leaned forward, only to be pushed back by Jenna since Erica was driving.

"I happen to think that you idea with infusing tattooing ink with Vervain is a great idea." Jenna explained with a shrug as she made sure she had everything gathered for when Erica dropped her off, "And if there is a tattoo artist that does just that and it will protect you from being compelled then I think a small tattoo in a hidden location will be fine." She eyed Jeremy through the mirror in the sun visor, "I can guarantee that your parents would even agree to let you get a small tattoo if it would protect you."

Silence reigned a little while after Jenna explained her third reason until Erica pulled up near where the college library was located. Jeremy helped Jenna make sure she had everything before climbing in the front passenger seat. Even though Jenna felt comfortable in allowing Erica and Jeremy to spend time with Master Chi without her, she still reminded Erica to invite her Master over for dinner so she could personal meet him. Erica promised with a way, watching until Jenna disappeared into the crowd before pulling back onto the road.

While maneuvering the car through the busy streets of Richmond, Erica explained the rules to Jeremy before they arrived at the dojo. Rule number one stated that shoes were only to be worn upon exiting or entering the dojo and must be removed before leaving the tiled area. The second rule was for everyone to at least try each move given even if they weren't successful in completing the move. And, the final rule was in place for Master Chi's safety and stated that unless Master Chi' opened the curtains covering the windows, they were to remain closed at all times.

Turning onto the street that the dojo was located on, Erica also explained that those not in the know about the supernatural world Master Chi had a rare disease that caused him to be severely allergic to the sun. A few seconds later, she pulled into the parking lot that proceeded the dojo. Being the weekend, there were already a few cars parked in the parking lot. Maneuvering her way through, she parked a few spaces down from a rather familiar car. Hoping she was seeing things, she showed Jeremy the black Camaro sitting a few spaces over that looked remarkably like Damon's.

"Is that Damon's car?" Jeremy questioned as he was about to get out of the car when Erica nudged him.

"Looks like it," Erica groaned, turning off the ignition and pulling the car keys. "I wonder how they knew we were coming here because I doubt Liz or Jenna told them." She opened her car door, Jeremy following her lead as they both stepped from the car, "You ready for this?" She threw her arm over Jeremy's shoulders the best she could since he was getting taller then her as each day passed by.

"Yes!" Jeremy was grinning from ear to ear as Erica lead him to the front doors of the dojo. "Any idea's on who the other three cars belong to?" He motioned to said cars, over his shoulder.

Erica stopped just as she went to open the door and turned to see which cars Jeremy was talking about, "The dark red BMW is Master Chi's." She chuckled at Jeremy's shocked expression, "He does need to get around Ere." She rolled her eyes before turning her attention to the other two, "The white Honda could belong to either Davi or Kyle, who are both part of the older student group and I believe the bright green VW belongs to Amber Wilks. She's in the same age group as Davi and Kyle because of an accident that happened at her school. Amber doesn't talk about it but she does have a couple of scars, so don't stare." She gave him a pointed look before opening the door and stepping inside with Jeremy right behind her.

"Wow. This place is huge," Jeremy whispered as he stepped up to Erica's side, his eyes wandering around the large area that seemed to be divided by different color mats. Oh Shit! He thought as soon as he saw an elderly looking oriental man speaking with both Stefan and Damon Salvatore, "Um, Eri….." He nudged her in the side and motioned to where the three were standing over in a corner where what appeared to be a dark purple mat that covered the floor in a 12X12 ft. square.

"I see," Erica grumbled to Jeremy as she slipped off her shoes, waited for Jeremy to take off his before leading him way over to where Stefan, Damon and Master Chi stood. "Greetings Master," She greeted him, bowing deeply to show her respect while completely ignoring Stefan and Damon, "All me to introduce my younger brother, Jeremy. He has taken an interest in Martial Arts and requested some training." She said formally as she introduced her brother.

Damon snorted as he stood on the right side of Master 'Chi', with his arms crossed over his chest and signature smirk on his face, "More like he wants to learn how to kick ass and take names."

"Damon," Stefan hissed, glaring at his brother while Master Chi sent Damon a look neither Erica nor Jeremy could read before turning to face Jeremy.

"I welcome you, Young Jeremy," Master Chi chuckled at Damon's comment as he stepped forward and bowed to the young man, "to the Dragon's Dojo." He straightened and tilted his head to the side as he looked Jeremy over, "As for learning how to 'kick ass and take names', that is not taught here. If he wishes to learn to defend himself and those he cares for, that I can teach." Master Chi explained to Damon while he stared into Jeremy's eyes, seeing a strong will much like his sisters, "You have a spirit of a warrior much like your sister."

Jeremy followed his sister's actions and bowed deeply to Master Chi as he spoke, "I thank you, Master Chi." He straightened with a bright smile on his face, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet as if he were on a sugar rush, "I am also extremely excited and honored to learn from both you and my sister."

"You may say that now, young Jeremy." Master Chi said with a chuckle, cutting his eyes towards Erica, "However, I have no doubt you will be saying something completely different after your first lesson." His statement caused Erica to blush lightly because she had said the exact same thing and Master Chi had made the same prediction, which ended up coming true.

"I'm not afraid of hard work, Master Chi." Jeremy stated confidently, doing his best to not snow the fear he felt being in the presence of someone who has seen more of the world then the oldest human.

Master Chi gave Jeremy a curt nod, impressed with Jeremy's attitude, "Good." He tilted his head to the side, his eyes glazing over as if he was seeing something that wasn't there. "Your sister will need all the help she can get with what's to come."

"What are you talking about Master Chi?" Erica's mind swirled with questions as Master Chi gave her a sad smile with knowing eyes.

"The moment I layed eyes on you, I knew exactly who and what you are." Master Chi explained softly to keep his voice from carrying over to the other two in the dojo, "When your father asked me if there was an opening for you to train and learn, I must admit there wasn't a spot until a few months later which allowed me to write your name down as a student of the Dragon Dojo." A sly smirk spread across Master Chi's face as his eyes sparkled with mirth, "When those who wish you harm come for you, they will be in for a surprise if they believe you are helpless as your shadows."

"What exactly do you know, Master Chi?" Erica questioned softly but loud enough for those with supernatural hearing would be able to hear.

Master Chi's eyes sparkled with mirth as he stared into her eyes, "I know many things, sweet girl." He said teasingly as he used his nickname for Erica while his eyes darted towards Davi and Amber, who could hear what was being said, "Such as you did not come here just to speak with an old man."

"True," Erica agreed, with a curt nod as she grinned, "But I do need to speak with you." She licked her lips to ready herself for what she was going to say, "After….after our pa….parents were killed our Aunt Jenna took over custody and she's requested for you to join us for dinner." Tears burned her eyes but she refused to let them fall, even as Jeremy put a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"I would love to join you and your family for dinner and I am sorry for your loss." Master Chi replied, bowing to both Jeremy and Erica this time, "When I met your father, I could tell he cared for you very much." He refused to say that Grayson was a good man because he, too, knew about the good doctor's past time.

Erica did her best to fight back her tears but two teardrops seemed to escape and trickled down her cheek as she bowed her head to Master Chi, "Thank you."

"Now why don't you show your brother just what you are capable of?" A mischievous glint returned to Master Chi's eyes, "I'm sure that either Davi or Amber are up for a friendly spar." He turned to attention to the two who tried to appear as if they weren't trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I'd love to help out but I was just about to leave," Davi insisted as he edged towards the front of the dojo where left his things upon entering the dojo. "Got to get to work, ya know." He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Amber stopped mid-stretch, stood and turned towards Davi as she raised a brow, "Are you sure its not because the last time you two sparred she ended up kicking your ass?" A smirk spread across her face as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Because I specifically remember you saying you didn't have to go into work until 3 today when you showed up."

"Then you spar with her," Davi dared, already knowing the outcome of the spar because of the fact Erica was in a whole different level then Amber or him were at. "I know I need to work on my stance which is why I'm not going to give you or her anything else to gloat about." His eyes twinkled with mirth when Amber realized she walked right into a trap with calling him out about being afraid to spar with Erica.

"I'll spar with her," Damon spoke up from where he stood next to Stefan with a smirk on his face. "After all, you do own me since we didn't get to spar after you kicked Stefan's ass." He raised a brow, waiting on her answer as he noticed both Amber and Davi suddenly noticed the faded bruises on Erica's arms.

Stefan, of course, was about to argue about Damon sparing with Erica when Amber spoke up, her eyes locked on the bruises on Erica's arms. "Where did you get those, Erica?" She nodded towards the bruises as her eyes went to Damon then Stefan, "Did they….?"

"It happened when I sparred against Stefan." Erica injected because she knew just how violent Amber could get if someone shows signs of abuse, "You know that I bruise easy so when Stefan tried to keep me immobile by wrapping his arms around me, it left what you see." She gestured to her arms, "The bruises seemed to have healed slightly while I was going through my Tai-Chi meditation routine early this morning." She turned her gaze towards Master Chi, "I was going to speak with you to see if you had any insights on how it could have happened."

"I may have some idea." Master Chi stated, looking thoughtful as he stared at Erica, "However, we will speak later." He grinned as his eyes darted towards where Davi and Amber stood whispering to each other, "I do believe others are excited to see you spar with someone other then themselves."

Erica rolled her eyes at her teacher before turning her attention to Damon, "You sure about this?" She raised a brow, cutting her eyes towards Amber and Davi, who were paying attention and no longer whispering to each other, "If you lose, it wont just be Jeremy and Stefan that knows you got beat up by a girl."

"Who says you'll beat me?" Damon questioned, returning Erica's eye brow raised with one of his own as he slipped off his signature black leather jacket and layed it across the low wall that separated the front from the training area.

"I took your brother down, didn't I?" Erica retorted which caused Jeremy to snicker while Stefan look affronted as he watched what was going on with his arms crossed over his chest. "Now are we going to spar, or do you want to talk the entire time?" A sly smirk spread across her ruby red lips as she walked backwards away from the spectators of their little spar with her arms spread wide.

Jeremy was so caught up in watching his sister that he failed to notice when Amber slipped up beside him, "Are they dating?" She whispered, causing the young boy to jump slightly, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"No problem, I should have been more observant," Jeremy shrugged off her apology before answering her question, or at least tried to since Stefan answered for him.

"Erica would never go for someone like my brother," The disdain he held for Damon dripped off each word Stefan said. "I've told her that Damon is nothing but trouble." He turned his eyes towards Jeremy and Amber only to fight from stepping back.

Amber narrowed her eyes, not liking the vibe she was getting from this guy, "Ok, 1) Chill the fuck out. You look as if you want to rip your brother apart just watching them spar. 2) Change the attitude. Erica is a grown fuckin' woman and doesn't need you to fight her battles. As you can see, she's perfectly capable of doing that herself." She tilted her head to the side, motioning to where Erica was indeed not letting Damon gain an inch before she took it back, "And 3) This is an A B conversation, C your way out of it. Thank you ever so much." She gave him a sarcastic smile before turning her attention back to Jeremy, "So?"

"I don't think they're dating," Jeremy answered truthfully. "But I've noticed Damon watching her when he thinks no one is watching." He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing when Erica sent Damon flying over her shoulder when he tried to wrap his arms around her just like Stefan tried to do.

"What do you think of him?" Amber knew that young kids, even those Jeremy's age, were a better judge of character then most believed them to be.

Jeremy watched Erica end up falling down upon Damon finally landing a hit on her, only for him to stop and help her up or at least tried until she reversed their positions. "He makes her smile." He observed softly, leaning closer to Amber, "He brought the light in her eyes back. It died the moment she woke up and find out that our parents were killed in the wreck, she ended up surviving from."

"I see," Amber uttered softly as she watched Erica sidestepped one of Damon's lunges only to quickly pin him with one knee in the middle of his back and the other knee pressing against his neck, "Ohhh, she has him in the same hold she used to win against you, Davi." She gave him a sly smirk only to duck behind Jeremy when Davi went to slap her in the back of the head.

"Yeah, yeah," Davi rolled his eyes as he stepped closer, giving her a light playful shove before pulling her into his arms. "I'll see you tomorrow. I wasn't lying about needing to head into work early." He pulled back just as Master Chi called the match a draw, "Some dumbass decided that his motorcycle could fly and since I'm the best…" He trailed off as he shrugged, checking to make sure he had his keys and wallet.

Amber nodded with a sigh because she knew exactly what his boss ended up doing, "They called you in to fix the damned thing because 'Dumbass' wants his bike back asap, right?" She rolled her eyes when Davi nodded, "Alright. I'll see you when you get off work and please be careful."

"I always am," Davi retorted with a wink as he walked backwards towards the door. "See ya later, guys!" He waved then turned around just before he hit the door and stepped through.

"I thought Davi had already left." Erica remarked as she walked over to the others with Damon and Master Chi following behind her, talking.

"He stayed to watch you spar with Damon," Amber explained with a shrug. "But he did have to go in early which was why he took off." She gave Erica a hug, "I also need to get going but next time you need help training kiddo here, let me know and I'll pop over to show him some moves." She pulled back, giving Jeremy a wink which caused him to blush bright red.

Erica nodded with a chuckle since she knew Amber liked to flirt with the younger guys she trusted, "Be careful." She told her friend as Amber gathered her things, "And stay safe."

"I always am." Amber retorted before walking out the door, letting it swing shut behind her.

"Do you think Poe would keep an eye on her for me?" Erica looked to Damon, knowing that he had a connection with Poe she didn't.

Damon raised a brow, "Ask him." He tilted his head towards the front of the dojo, "He's perched out front. He listens to you better then me for some odd reason."

"Because he is hers." Master Chi stated sagely as he began walking towards the front door to meet this Poe. "Come. Introduce me to this Poe you speak of." He motioned to Erica to follow him.

(Mystic Falls – Police Department, Sheriff's Office – 1:22 PM)

With no leads as to the whereabouts of Victoria 'Vicki' Donovan, Elizabeth 'Liz' Forbes turned her attention to the person who helped her escape police custody. Logan Fell. After sending out a couple of her officers out to look for Logan Fell, she turned her attention to the report one of her senior officers handed over after he made a visit to Matt then swung by Logan's home. From what was written, it appeared that Logan had no contact with either Victoria or Matt after him and their mother split up. What Officer Smith found at Logan's house, however, sent chills down her spine.

Not only were their photographs taken of a young semi-nude Jenna Sommers hanging on a wall in an extra bedroom along with other numerous semi-nude photos of Erica Gilbert, Amber Fell, Caroline and two other young women, who mysteriously moved away after graduating, but there were no photos of Vicki Donovan. Officer Smith also stated, when handing over the report, that he bagged a few items he found in the same bedroom which he found disturbing. With another dead end, Liz dropped the report back on top of her desk and leaned back.

"I have to be missing something," Liz whispered herself, picking up her coffee cup and took a sip only to cringe at the fact it was now lukewarm. "But what?" She wondered out loud as she sat her cup down when there was a knock on her office door. "Its open!" She called out, watching as the door opened and one of the rookies – Officer Davis – poked his head in.

"Sorry to bother you, Ma'am," Officer Davis offered before continuing, "But there was a call in about a suspicious character spotted at the main Fell Warehouse. With almost everyone out looking for Logan Fell and Victoria Donovan, Officer Smith told me to inform you." He looked as if he was a student telling the principle he needed to teach class because there weren't enough students.

Liz gave Officer Davis a curt nod, "You did the right thing, kid." She watched as if the tension he was carrying lifted off his shoulders, "I may need back up." She tilted her head to the side, "Wanna join me?" It would be his first ride along.

"Yes Ma'am!" Davis looked as if Christmas came early as he grabbed jacket and gun belt before following her out the door to where her cruiser was parked, "Shouldn't we have back up?" He asked, clipping his belt around his waist before climbing into the front passenger seat.

"Why do you think you're here?" Liz retorted with a smirk as she pulled out of her parking place, "You are my back up." She saw him grow tense and decided to ease his worry, "Don't worry. It's a routine call so I doubt we'll have any trouble." She tried to put him at ease but for some reason the words felt like a lead on her tongue.

Ten minutes later, Liz pulled her cruiser into the parking lot of the abandoned Fell Warehouse. After old man Fell passed away, his children let the business run into the ground causing it to close a few years after he passed away. It was hard for the Fell family but it was also difficult for the townsfolk who had worked at the warehouse. Most moved away to find work while a few families stayed in Mystic Falls but ended up commuting to and from work. Her attention was pulled into the present when Davis called her name and pointed to none other then Logan Fell's car that was parked near the side entrance of the warehouse.

"Should I call it in?" Davis questioned as Liz parked the car a few feet from the other vehicle.

"Yes." Liz replied as she shut off the engine, "We also may need back up." She nodded towards the side door to the warehouse where there was a smeared bloody hand print on the doors window.

"Got it." Davis gave her a curt nod before grabbing his radio that was hooked onto his shoulder, "This is Officer Davis at the old Fell Warehouse requesting back up." He stated as Liz climbed out of the cruiser with her gun in hand, "Suspects car has been located."

Leaving Davis to call their situation in, Liz slowly approached the car but kept alert. A quick search around the outside of the vehicle revealed nothing out of the ordinary thus she opened the drivers side door and looked inside. What she found worried her since there was no sign of a struggle in the car. The only evidence of something terrible happening was the bloody hand print that had been left on the side entrance door and from what she seen of the hand print it looked to be deliberately placed and smeared.

"Everything ok, Ma'am?" Davis asked as he joined her by the driver's side door, frowning at the worried look on his superiors face. "Backup is on the way."

"Good," Liz stated, pulling her side arm from its holster. "Tell me what you see, Davis." She nodded towards the car as she stepped back, letting him take her place as she kept alert and gun at the ready.

Officer Davis frowned slightly but looked into the car, "I…..um…..don't really see anything, ma'am." He replied, standing back up.

"Exactly," Liz gave him a pointed look, "There's no sign of a struggle nor any blood other then that on the side door." She motioned with her eyes towards the door with the bloody hand print, "What does this scene say to you?"

"Someone wanted this to be found." Officer Davis tensed, his own hand going to his sidearm as he scanned the abandoned parking lot. "Do you think…" He was interrupted by a scream that ripped through the silence. "Boss?" He pulled his gun from his holster as he waited on her orders.

"Call it in and find out where the fuck our backup is." Liz ordered Davis, giving him a look that told him not to argue, "I'm going in to see what I can find but I want you out here until I call for you."

Officer Davis looked as if he wanted to argue but instead gave her a curt nod as he radioed in their situation. Making her way over to the side door, Liz didn't bother checking to see if it was unlocked before kicking it open. Seconds she stepped through the door, however, she had to keep herself from gagging at the rancid smell that permeated the air of the warehouse. The scent of death and blood was so strong that she had to breathe through her mouth in order to keep from getting sick. As she made her way further into the warehouse, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end warning her of danger.

With only the sunlight through the windows, Liz took out the flashlight she always kept on her left hip and clicked it on. Scanning the open space of the bottom floor, she didn't see anything that would have caused the smell until she scanned over towards the stairwell that lead to the second floor where the offices were located. Blood was splattered all over the bottom of the stairs yet there was no body. Feeling a cold chill run down her spine, she decided it would be best to have proper lightening to search the warehouse.

Just as she was about to radio dispatch, requesting them to send in a request to have the electric company to turned on electricity, a shadow rushed her and sent her sailing backwards through the air, only stopping when she crashed into an interior wall about 5ft from where she once stood. Landing on the hard concrete floor caused pain to radiate through her body. Unfortunately for her, she ended up losing both her flashlight and gun when she was sent flying through the air. The only good thing was she ended up landing in one of the larger pools of light coming from the windows.

Even with her vision blurry and pain radiating through her ribs, Liz forced herself into a more defensible position with her back up against the wall she had slammed into. With her vision spinning, she knew standing up was out of the question thus she looked around trying to figure out who had hit her. The first thing she spotted, thankfully, was her weapon but it was a few feet from her half in the sunlight and half in the shadows. Cursing her luck, she was about to try and get to her weapon when she heard sirens in the distance and Officer Davis moving towards the opened door.

"Sheriff?" Officer Davis called out, his own gun at the ready while his flashlight scanned the darkness until he spotted Liz on the floor, "Sheriff!?" He went to step forward only for Liz to stop him.

"Don't!" Liz ordered, swallowing the bile that threatened to make an entrance when she jerked her head towards his voice, "Have you been explained what a WAH code means?" She could hear a whisper of someone moving through some of the old covered machinery that had been left behind to the right back corner.

Officer Davis tensed as she spoke, not believing what he was hearing because he had thought Officer Crux had been pulling his leg, "Yes, Ma'am." He forced himself to remain calm, "Do you have eyes on the hostel?"

"She's sticking to the shadows, so you need to stay where you are but keep your gun at the ready." Liz replied, spotting a shadow moving towards the door where Davis stood. "I'm going to try for my gun," Liz didn't want to be a sitting target, "Cover me, Davis." She prayed he was listening as she slid on her ass towards her weapon all the while keeping her eyes open for any moving shadows.

"Understood." Davis called out as he moved into a better position to cover the Sheriff.

Thankfully the training he received during his time in the army helped him keep calm. Positioning his foot so the door wouldn't slam close on him, Davis grabbed a hold of the door frame to rest his weapon in the crook of his arm. Inside the darkened warehouse, kneeling in a swath of sunlight, Sheriff Forbes inched her way towards where her own weapon layed. With either bruised or cracked ribs, her process was slow but luck seemed to be on her side as she finally reached her gun. Of course, Lady Luck decided to make things more interesting when she flip her coin just as backup arrived.

Vicki Donovan stepped out of the shadows halfway between Davis and Liz with her back facing Officer Davis. Black veins slowly began to crawl up towards Vicki's now red eyes as her fangs began to grow. Liz Forbes instantly knew just what she was dealing with because of the crazed look in the young woman's eyes. The exact moment that Officer Davis turned his attention to their back up that just arrived, Vicki made her move as she lunged towards Liz. While Davis wasn't ready for Vicki to lunge, Sheriff Forbes, however, was as she put two bullets into the young woman.

The first bullet ripped through Vicki's right shoulder and embedded into wall that hide her from Officer Davis' view because it was metal but the second bullet did what it was made for as it entered a few inches away from the first bullet wound causing her skin to instantly begin to gray before she crumpled to the floor, dead. Seconds later, when the lights of the warehouse were restored, Officer Davis was taking her gun from her while two paramedics went to work on securing her ribs before she could be moved.

While the paramedics tended to her, Senior Officer Tony Nix began securing the crime scene along with the other officers that showed upas backup. Liz had tried to argue that she needed here to over see everything but was over ruled by not only the paramedics but also Officer Nix and Officer Davis. Knowing she wouldn't be able to argue her way out of a hospital visit, she relented and allowed the two paramedics to escort her out to the gurney. As she was being tended to, Officer Nix made the dreaded phone call to Caroline, Sheriff Forbes daughter.

After dialing Sheriff Forbes' home number, Officer Nix didn't have to wait long before someone answered the phone. "Hello?" The voice on the other end was no doubt female which told Nix that it was either the Sheriff's daughter or one of her daughter's friends.

"Is this Caroline?" Officer Nix stepped away from the others securing the scene.

"This is she." She whispered to someone else there which told Officer Nix she wasn't alone.

Officer Nix took a deep breathe before answering, "I'm calling on behalf of your mother. She was injured in the line of duty and….." A sudden thump caused him to stop speaking, "Caroline?" He called out, hoping he didn't frighten the young girl.

"This is Bonnie Bennett, one of Caroline's friends," Another female voice came through the line, "Er…..Caroline seemed to be in shock. Is everything ok?"

"Yes, however, I was just calling to let her know that her mother was injured while out on call and has been taken to the hospital." Officer Nix explained, "The paramedic's that checked her over before taking her to the hospital said she more then likely bruised some of her ribs but that she would be fine." He hated the thought of the young girl being on her own, "If you want, I can send an officer over to stay with her."

Bonnie didn't reply but Officer Nix heard whispering which meant she was speaking with Caroline, hopefully. "Thank you for the offer but I'll be staying with her." There was a pause and some more whispering before she spoke again, "And you are…?"

"Officer Tony Nix, Ms. Bennett." Officer Tony Nix chuckled, "If there's anything you or Caroline need, don't hesitate to call."

"I'll make sure Caroline knows. Have a good day, Officer Nix." Bonnie replied before hanging up, more then likely getting ready to take her friend to the hospital.

After putting his phone away, Officer Nix joined the others in searching the warehouse for any other evidence while the other officers photographed and documented everything before bagging it up to be taken to evidence lock up. While most of the street officers knew of the legends of Mystic Falls, none of them believed them to be real until coming to the aide of two of their own. Just seeing the grayed skin young woman that they all had known or seen around town, drove home that there were things out there hidden from the public.

(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)

Author Note – And its finished…..(Cheers) As for the 'guest' appearance, can anyone guess? A lot of my readers asked to include him into the story and I finally did. (Wiggles Brows) As for what he looks like, I always pictured him like the actor who played Mr. Miyagi. (Tilts Head) What do you guys think? Til the next chapter, keep reading and reviewing!

~*Dragon*~