"Aren't you gonna answer that?"
"Nope." I shoved my phone back into my pocket roughly.
"Why's that?" Elena carefully inquired, her hands grasping a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee; being related to someone who worked at the Grill sure had its advantages when it came to quick service during the rush hour that came along with a town event.
"Because John's a douche who can't take a hint," I spat and took a large sip from my own coffee, only to spit it out almost immediately when the hot beverage burnt my tongue.
"It's hot," Elena warned. Too little too late.
"I noticed."
"Why is he calling you?" my sister kept pushing.
"If I'd answer then I'd know. But since I won't…" Ignoring Elena's furrowed brows, I stretched my neck to spot a passing waitress from our booth tucked into a corner of the big, shady room. After that failed attempt at drinking coffee, I needed a real drink, but no one seemed to notice the outskirts of the Grill. Maybe that had been Elena's plan all along.
"But, Parks," Elena pressited and leaned forward over the table, "what if it's important?" My head snapped back to my sister.
"Since when do you care about what John has to say?" Normally my temper was easily disturbed, but this day had tested my patience more than usually. Thus, I was left feeling like a ticking bomb, threatening to be set off by a mistaken nudge from a stranger; or, in this case, my sister's annoying comments. Then I remembered: Elena had just found out about John being her biological dad today. Of course she was extra questioning about anything involving the scum. "Sorry." I shook my head to try and gather my thoughts, waving off the murderous ones. "I'm a little edgy today, might be PMS or something… Look, Elena. I've never discussed John's paternity status to you with him before, so I doubt that's what he's calling about now."
Elena's shoulders slouched a bit as she sank back against the leather seat of the booth, her forefinger trailing the top of her cup absentmindedly. "Right…"
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll answer next time he calls," I told my sister with a roll of my eyes. What didn't one do for family.
"It's fine." Elena waved off. "It's all just a little… confusing."
"Tell me about it!" I scoffed. "I might need to draw up a family tree just to keep track of all these family ties. You do realize that Alaric, basically our future uncle if Jenna gets her way, is also your biological stepdad?"
"Oh, don't remind me!" Elena groaned, placing her elbows on the table to lean forwards and massage her temples. Quickly, I moved her cup of coffee out of the way to prevent her curls from being soaked. As Elena banged her head into dark tabletop repeatedly, I surveyed the emptying Grill around us.
"I think the fireworks are about to start," I informed my sister's head as it made contact with the table once more.
As if on cue, Stefan entered through the double doors to sweep his gaze over the Grill, holding up the door for some old woman in the process. She stopped to compliment him and pinch his cheek, having Stefan's smile grow a tad bit strained.
"I'm heading out the back," I told Elena as her forehead took one final hit, her curls a mess from the self-inflicted assault on her head.
"Why?" Her narrowed, warm, brown gaze questioned as she tilted her head up.
"Because your boyfriend is annoying," I explained and slid out from the booth with a nod in Stefan's direction. He had finally managed to shake the old woman and was now waving her off politely. "I'm gonna avoid him."
"We obviously have different taste in guys," Elena muttered, a bitterness sneaking into her voice. Clearly she wasn't over my drama with Damon just yet. Actually, I doubt she'd ever approve of him again.
"Thankfully," I retorted. "Have fun, just don't get too cozy under the sparkling, exploding lights," I advised her with a strict finger.
"No, sir." Elena made a confirming little salute with her middle- and forefinger.
Flashing her a quick smirk, I scurried off into the opposite direction of Stefan, who was now closing in on the booth with big leaps. He averted a family with two small kids running around, their faces still wet with face paint forming the face of a tiger and a lion respectively. However, it seemed as if Stefan's pant leg became a bit stained as one of the kids practically ran right into him. Stefan just caught the kid to prevent an impact with the stone floor, patting the child's dirty blonde head carefully before moving on; the mother's and father's admiring gazes following his back as he reached Elena, still seated in the booth.
But by that time, I was already ducking behind the bar, slipping through the door leading out to the back and thus escaping the annoying younger Salvatore brother in the process. Only to stop at the top stone step outside with a groan, hauling up my buzzing phone from my back pocket; it was time to finally put an end to the persistent caller.
"What do you want?" I snapped as I slammed the heavy door shut behind me.
"Is Elena with you?"
"She's with Stefan. Wh–"
"Come to Gray's medical practise."
"Why would I–"
"Now, Parker," John cut me off before hanging up. How dare he?!
For just that reason, I actually stormed off to emerge with the crowd, elbowing my way towards the building in question. A light wooden door with golden letters spelling out 'DR. Grayson Gilbert, M.D' on the window met me when I climbed the few steps to rip the door open. A surprised police officer dressed in the usual grey-green uniform gaped at me when I pushed him aside to advance on my uncle by the old enrollment desk.
"You're not allowed to call me a billion times and then just order me around once I answer, old man!" The deputy tried to grab me from behind, my furious state probably giving away the idea that I could punch my uncle at any given moment. "Get off me, Frank!" My elbow tried to meet his stomach, but this man was used to my escaping attempts after countless similar ones many years back during my youth.
"It's okay." John reassured the officer with a wave of his hand, and the strong arms trying to drag me backwards released me. "It's time. Get in position." Frank obeyed, but hesitated with his hand hugging the door handle. The glance he cast over his shoulder was met with a glare from me.
"Anita says hi," he spoke after another moment of hesitation.
"Well, tell her I miss her casseroles," I bit back. It was hard being angry and telling someone to forward a compliment at the same time, yet I tried.
Frank threw a look John's way. "Be nice, Parka."
"Says the man who violently tried to drag me away just now," I yelled after his broad back disappearing out into the crowded square. As the door slammed shut behind him, I turned back towards my uncle to glare at him instead, my arms folded tightly over my chest. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Saving yours, Elena's and everyone else's lives," John informed as he moved closer to the old, narrow, white enrolment desk, where an antique-looking, squarish box stood; all whilst retrieving an equally seemingly old pocket watch thingy from the pocket of his suit jacket.
Hang on a minute! Wasn't that the device Elena had given Isobel? Apparently consisting the power to hurt vampires or whatever; I hadn't really payed that much attention to my sister when she'd tried explaining the whole thing to me. But what I did remember was a mentioning about Bonnie having taken away the device's ability to harm any vampires, before Elena gave it to her birth mother. Something John didn't know.
"Whatever plan you have, it's gonna fail," I warned my uncle's back as he removed a small golden cogwheel from the pocket watch thingy, ready to place it in the construction consisting of similar wheels within the box.
"The tomb vampires are planning an attack on the Founding families tonight, just as the fireworks start." Wait WHAT?
I peered back over my shoulder to watch the dark sky outside of the office. Thankfully, no sparkling lights yet showed. "Elena–"
"Is going to be safe and sound thanks to this. We're ready to round them up," John informed me confidently, except…
The first ball of sparkling lights being fired spread out on the black sky as the crowd began to cheer.
No! Elena!
I was about to run back out to the square, my uncle's voice calling my name, when another familiar figure instead entered and blocked my path. He stopped momentarily when noticing me, but then simply shrugged to peer over my head at John.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Damon spoke in a menacing voice.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," John retorted.
As Damon was heading right at my uncle, I stepped in the way to block his path. With one hand hand placed on Damon's firm chest, I tried to push him back. John certainly wasn't my favorite person in the world, but he was still family, meaning that Damon hurting him would be a problem. However, I didn't have to try and keep the Salvatore away from the old Gilbert for much longer, as a clicking sound from the device behind me was followed by Damon grabbing his head, collapsing on the floor with a cry of pain. What the hell? Hadn't Bonnie…? OH NO!
Cursing, I lunged to try and keep Damon steady and as standing as possible as an unknown force or sound continued to pain him. After I'd managed to wrap my arm around his shoulders and keep him standing on his knees, I turned my attention back to John. He was just in the middle of the task of pulling out a syringe with a sharp needle dripping off, presumably, vervain.
"John, whatever you're about to do–" Damon worming in my grip as he kept crying out in pain momentarily broke my concentration. Fumbling, Damon's hand found mine to squeeze it, hard, as his body collapsed on the floor. "You're gonna be okay," I reassured him, gently stroking the hair away from his forehead, even though I knew that he couldn't hear a single word I said due to all that screaming. I was too distracted with keeping the vampire together to first notice when John forced the sharp needle into Damon's arm. Just after John had pressed the liquid substance into Damon's system, did I react. "What the hell!"
Quickly, Damon's cries faded as the vervain began to take effect, his body going limp, along with his hand's hard grip loosening around mine. Still, I continued squeezing it back anyway, maybe as a way of making myself feel better.
"This is for the best, Parker," John spoke as he straightened up from his kneeling position next to Damon, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. It was only then that I became aware of my pounding heart and my blurry vision, something wet seeping out from my eye to roll down my cheek. A tear? Really? I didn't care that much about Damon! Did I?
"Stop." I grabbed John's arm and pulled him back from going to call on one of the officer's, probably to drag Damon only god knew where. "You can't do this," I seethed, anger instantly replacing my hurting heart.
"This is for the best. For everyone. This world needs to be ridded of vampires. Starting with him and Stefan," John spoke in his usual collected way as he pointed at Damon's unconscious body on the floor. Reluctantly, I released Damon's hand to rise up, ready to fight my uncle on this.
"If you wanna get to him–"
"I will not fight you, Parker. Nor will I have the deputies drag you away."
"It's the only way I'll go," I said flatly, readying my fists at my sides as I placed my legs far apart from each other to stand stably. Ready for battle.
"No. Not after you've listened to me. This clearing of the tomb vampires is necessary. Anyone of them could have forwarded Elena's existence."
I frowned. "And why would that matter?"
"Haven't you ever thought about why Elena looks exactly like Katherine? Or did you think it was just a pure coincidence? It's more than that. I will not let Elena's life be endangered, and as long as any vampire who knows of her existence lives, then I have failed that mission." John clearly wasn't giving me the whole picture, but whatever he was hiding would have to wait for later. Time to bring out another card.
"So your plan to protect your daughter is by killing her boyfriend, one of the people she loves most in this world?" John flinched slightly at my words, so I decided to take a step closer to bang in the meaning behind them even more. "Hasn't she lost enough already? You lost a brother, Elena and I our parents. Enough with the death in Elena's life!"
"Parenting is about doing what's best for your child, even if they don't agree with you," John argued.
"No. Parenting is about preparing your kid for the world they'll have to face alone later in life. Letting them make their own mistakes and learn from them. Killing off Stefan and his brother–" My hand gestured back at Damon for John's gaze to follow. "–is not doing any of that. Then you're just being overprotective. You wanna know why you're not the favorite uncle? Because you don't listen to anyone else and go about your own business no matter the consequences!" I wasn't sure if this was the right way to go about it when convincing John, but since his determined face seemed to fall more and more the longer I spoke, it had to give something. "Let me leave with Damon and find Stefan, and I won't tell Elena that her father tried to kill the one person who's made her want to live her life again. Deal?" I couldn't believe that I was actually trying to save Stefan's life as well! But when it came to what I was willing to do for my family, there were no limits. Now, Damon on the other hand… Well, crap, maybe I actually, genuinely cared about him. But that was a problem for later.
John's jaw played as it clenched and unclenched. The conflict on his face easily detectable as his gaze flew around to peer out at the square repeatedly. "Fine. Go. Before I change my mind."
After a nod, I instantly shot back to grab Damon's arm, pulling him up from the floor by it to wrap it around my neck, trying to keep his entire lifeless body standing up.
"One more thing!" John called as I was about to start my heavy work of dragging Damon out from this place. My uncle came to the senseless vampire's left side to help me move him through the building towards the backdoor. "The efforts I've done here tonight might not be enough," John told me through grunts of strain. "No matter what happens after this, you need to promise me that you'll keep Elena safe." John almost dropped Damon when we reached the back door, causing me to stop and throw a glare at him. "I know you value your sister's opinion and free-choices highly, but I beg of you, Parker. For what's to come; keep her safe, no matter what she wants." Why was he being so extra sketchy today? Had the threatening vampire buisness burst an artery in John's brain, causing him to speak so vaguely?
"What are you talking about?"
"Just promise that you'll keep Elena safe. She trusts you. You can influence her way of thinking in ways I never can." John's tone had grown urgent now. He constantly checked over his shoulder at the room behind us. Maybe they were bringing all the tomb vampires here? They had to kill them somehow; what better way of doing that than with fire? A burning building was an accident the press wouldn't pry around in.
"But–"
"Promise me," John pushed, reminding me of Elena's persistence earlier today. But maybe with a little more panic on the side.
"I promise," I reluctantly gave in with a nod.
Relief immediately washed over his face. "Good."
The front door to the medical practise swung open, revealing a bunch of police officers dragging unconscious vampires through the room towards the basement. My view of them was limited, but I managed to glimpse the Mayor's familiar figure, as well as the raven-black curls I had learnt to recognize as Anna's: Jeremy's crush. He would have an absolute meltdown if she died.
"Wait–" I took a step forward, only to be pushed back by my uncle.
"I let you take Damon, that's enough."
"But, Jer's–" I struggled against John's arms, held out widely to prevent me from passing.
"Go."
There was no room for another argument, I realized when John's stern gaze met mine. He had stretched far enough to allow Damon to go free, a vampire that he hated. Anna was a lost cause.
Sorry, Jer.
When I silently dragged Damon out through the backdoor, I caught John peering back at Anna over his shoulder with a gleam to his eyes I knew all too well. Damon wasn't going to die tonight, but another special vampire would. Anna would. I couldn't say I felt sorry for the girl when my uncle closed the door in my face, a last glimpse of his determined expression. Jeremy would undoubtedly be heartbroken, but it wasn't always possible to save everybody. Believe me, I knew as much. However, Elena's heart would remain intact and free from heartbreak after tonight, as would mine. Selfish as I may have been, that was enough.
In front of me, pinned between me and the exterior of the red, brick wall, Damon slowly started to regain consciousness, his previous limp body beginning to move around while he groaned slightly. I grabbed his chin to still his moving head.
"Keep quiet," I commanded, wrapping Damon's arm around my neck once again, before beginning to lead him away from the building that was soon about to burst into flames.
We hadn't walked very far when Stefan came flashing around the corner. He reduced his speed as soon as he saw Damon leaning against me.
"I could use that vamp-strength of yours right about now," I groaned when Damon's movement after seeing Stefan nearly caused him to fall over.
In the blink of an eye, Stefan sped over to help me keep the older Salvatore up properly. Suddenly, Bonnie popped up out of nowhere as well. So now it was convenient for everyone to come and help me!
"All clear here, Bonnie-Bear," I reassured her as Stefan and I moved Damon away from the building, considerably faster than I'd done all by myself moments earlier.
"She didn't deactivate–" Damon only managed breathe out the words, still weak from the vervain.
"And I'm sure you can all have a nice little chat and work out those problems later," I turned my head to the right to tell him sternly, my strict face inches away from the side of Damon's. "For now, let's just get you away from here."
"Stefan!" Oh, COME ON! Elena came running around the corner, slowing down when she noticed the odd scene before her. A weak Damon being dragged between myself and Stefan, Bonnie standing a few feet away from us, biting her lip. My sister's gaze rapidly shot to the witch. "What did you do?"
"More like what didn't she do," I muttered.
"I'm sorry that I lied to you," Bonnie apologized. Elena's jaws clenched as she maintained the hurt, puppy-eyed look when surveying her friend. I knew my sister well enough to confidently claim that whatever dispute the two girls were about to have, would blow over in a few days. For now, we still needed to get out of here. A feeling that John wasn't going to give up so easily on killing the Salvatores was beginning to creep up on me.
"Oh my god! What happened?" Elena turned to ask me instead of staring at Bonnie like a hurt, sad puppy.
"Yes, what did happen?" Stefan chimed in.
"I'll give you both the full, detailed and nuanced explanation later. But for now, can we please get away from the burning building filled with dying vampires?" I cocked my head back towards the medical practise, and finally everyone seemed to understand the situation. Took them long enough!
As everyone sat out moving, my strength joined with Stefan's easily keeping Damon upright, with Elena and Bonnie leading the way – firmly keeping their distance – I might have only imagined it, but I could've sworn that just then, Damon weakly chuckled at me.
The cold, collected feeling that always seemed to fill my body in a pressing situation didn't fade away until I, much later, sat with a glass of vodka placed on the table before me. The noise from a group of teenagers playing pool, their sticks hitting the balls with loud clicks, surrounded me, along with every other voice in the Grill.
From across the booth, Elena stared at me taking a deep gulp from the transparent liquid. Relishing in the burning sensation as it made its way down my throat, I thought back on how it used to feel a lot worse when I was younger and new to the drinking game. A life full of experiencing my 'hobby' had hardened me in that area.
As soon as we'd been in the clear earlier, both Stefan and Damon had bailed using their vamp-speed, leaving me behind to babysit Elena – not the words that would've been used, but I knew the real meaning – and feeling hurt. Who was it that had saved the day tonight? Hmm? That's right! I had! So why was I stuck on watch duty?
"John admitted it," Elena broke me out of my grouchy thoughts.
"Hmm?" I raised my gaze from my empty glass as I continued twirling it around in my hand.
"I confronted him about it, that he's my father, I mean. He fessed up. Sorta." Elena's nails scratched the surface of the table.
"Well, that's…good," I tried out.
"I don't even know how I feel about it any more." She sighed and sunk further back into her seat.
"Maybe just don't think about it too much. Gives a pretty unnecessary headache."
"Yeah…" Elena mumbled.
I, on the other hand, not taking my own advice, couldn't help but think about John's words as Elena picked at her cuticles, her doe eyes troubled by her family ties and a best friend that had betrayed her. What was to come next? What did John know? Something told me that the tomb vampires would fade in comparison to this new threat he had indirectly spoke of, but it was too soon to tell.
"Alaric took Jer home," Elena spoke up to inform me.
"Good. Hey, look." I dropped the fiddling with my glass to grab my sister's hand, preventing her from destroying her cuticles anymore. "I'm pretty sure Anna, Jer's crush slash girlfriend slash I don't even know," I educated Elena's creased forehead, "is dead. John killed her."
My sister withdrew her hand from my grip and sat up straight, her mouth gaping as she searched for the right words. "How can you… Could she… Are you sure?"
"Positive," I told her with a nod. "Just thought you should know."
"Hmm…" With Elena was lost deep in her thoughts, processing this new information, she didn't even notice as her vampire boyfriend entered the Grill.
"I'll be right back," I spoke, getting no reaction from my sister besides her frown intensifying a teeny bit as I stood up.
"Hmyeah," she might have also uttered.
"You." My finger pointed strictly at Stefan as I met him halfway between the booth and the bar. "You owe me for that."
"Yes, of course. Thank you for saving Damon," Stefan said, humbly, with an added little nod. "No matter what awful thing he's done in the past, he is still my brother."
"Yeah, that's not what I meant. But thanks." I gestured with my thumb over my shoulder, towards Elena. "You left me with her to take Damon home, or whatever it was that called on your attention."
"Oh, right," Stefan remembered as the corner of his mouth slightly twitched upwards at the sight of my sister. "Actually, Damon left. I have absolutely no idea where he went."
"Okay, whatever." I quickly shrugged off the betrayed feeling. I had saved Damon; couldn't I get a little gratitude? Ignoring the other person in this 'relationship' of ours was my thing. But I could find and yell at him later. First…
"Okay, so here's the thing, Stef," I sighed as I clasped my hands together, forcing back his attention from Elena. "I don't particularly like you, since your mere existence poses a threat to my sister's life. But I was willing to see past that tonight. Elena is happy again thanks to you, and who am I to take that away from her? So listen carefully." I lowered my voice slightly, making it sound more menacing as I leaned my head forward to threateningly meet Stefan's green gaze. "I will allow the two of you to continue dancing on meadows, surrounded by rainbows and butterflies, as long as you stop with the whole protecting shenanigan. I do not need a knight in shining armor! If you have to be that for someone, then do it for Elena. You stay out of my business, I stay out of yours. Everyone's happy! Okay?" I extended my hand for Stefan. He looked down at it for a moment, numerous responses flashing by in his eyes. Ultimately, he grasped it, to shake it firmly.
"Deal. But I do hope we can grow to trust one another in the future," Stefan said, earnestly. How cute.
"One can dream. But I think that I'm a little too alike Damon for that, since one Damon in your life is plenty enough to spare."
Stefan chuckled as I released his hand. "You might be right about that."
"Just let Elena make up her own decision," I sighed as I deftly changed the topic. "I'm all for that right, but something tells me that I'm not going to be able to be the person who defends that in the near future." I felt my gaze grow distant as my musings from before swept in over me. John and his cryptic ways… With a shrug, I snapped out of it. "So take my place, will ya?"
"Of course." Stefan nodded. If he'd noticed my temporary spacing out, he didn't comment on it. Good guy.
"Good." I glanced back over my shoulder at Elena, who was watching us intently. As soon as her gaze met mine, she pretended to be super busy with twirling my empty glass around her forefinger, whistling, all whilst watching the lamps in the ceiling with great interest. Discreet. "Tell her that I had to go, will ya." I turned back to Stefan. "Saving lives is exhausting!"
"Don't you worry. I'll be sure she knows of your tired state due to the heroism."
"Euw, I hate that word." I scrunched up my nose in distaste. "Just tell her to call me tomorrow, or something."
"No problem."
"Thanks." I forced a tight-lipped smile. A potential friendship with Stefan had seemed far away earlier today, but the guy grew on you. Plus, he was always fun to mess with.
Ready to continue my drinking at home, I threw my jacket on as I stepped out of the Grill into the chilly air. Only to instantly jump back when I almost ran into a familiar chest.
"Damon? What the hell! I thought you bailed." I shook my head at him. "Scaring someone like that isn't very nice." But my heart was racing for all the wrong reasons. "Where'd you go?" I passed the question by casually as I walked around him, releasing my hair from within my jacket and placing my sunglasses in the V-neck of my shirt.
Damon sped to stand before me, thus blocking my path; which seemed to be his favorite activity. "I went to see Jeremy. Made a failed and feeble attempt at doing the right thing."
"Please be less vague," I scoffed as I tried to move past him again, but was sidestepped. "What are you–"
"Thank you." Finally, I met Damon's blue gaze, having avoided it until now, fearing what I might spot within it. There was no sign humour to detect, but instead a new seriousness. Sincerity. "You saved my life tonight," Damon continued, his hand somehow finding mine to entwine our fingers. I watched his movements silently. "Thank you, I mean it." A shaky sigh escaped me; how could such an easy action feel so good? "Somewhere along the way you decided that I was worth saving. And I wanted to thank you for that as well."
"Anytime." It came out as nothing more than a whisper. My eyes were locked at Damon's lips as a storm of emotions roamed through me.
The fact was, that I didn't do love. After being burned by it in the past, I had no wish to again experience all the pain that came with. Elena, Jeremy and Jenna were my only exceptions of getting attached and care. Well, until now. But as much as a part of me wanted nothing more than to repeat that steamy night once again, another wished to run away in the opposite direction. Leave town and never return. Caring was scary. It left you vulnerable. The question was: was I ready for that?
"Eh! Screw it!" I muttered and grabbed the collar of Damon's black shirt, pulling him closer towards me to eliminate the space between us, finally allowing our lips to meet.
If I'd thought this might catch him a bit off guard, then he quickly recovered; wrapping his arms around my back to pull me even closer. The attempted quick kiss grew long and hard very quickly, my body reacting by feeling as if a ton load of fireworks were being set off inside, making every inch of me spark. Everything around melted away, leaving only Damon, his lips and body pressed firmly against me. I was beginning to feel so lightheaded from it all, that I just had to pull back a little and catch my breath. Our foreheads and noses stayed connected, while I breathed heavily against his lips. When I felt as if I was no longer at risk of being completely dissolved, I leaned my head back a little so I could look into his eyes.
"Seemed to be about time for that," I stated with a smirk. My hands seemed to fit perfectly as they laid clasped at the nape of Damon's neck.
"Took you long enough," he mumbled back, grinning widely in that signature wry way. With his hands firmly holding the sides of my face, he let our lips meet and crash together again.
The world withered away completely this time, leaving my heart dancing in my chest.
When I sat foot in my apartment and dropped my keys into a ceramics bowl with a brown pattern, I was still walking on sunshine. With every inch of me buzzing, I couldn't help but wonder why hadn't I kissed Damon sooner?
Then, I remembered: all that complicated stuff to come along on the side. Like the crazy, vampire ex-girlfriend of his, the vampirism, my sister's strong disapproval – not that I cared – as well as the fact that I hadn't told Damon about the dream/memory thing yet. But nothing was going to bring me down from this high tonight!
Now, why wasn't the smoldering, smoking hot vampire with me now, one might wonder. Breaking apart the kiss had been hard – nearly impossible, actually – but I could be very persuasive when I wanted to be. Especially when laying out the argument that I had to work incredibly early at the Grill the very next day. The downside of not working during a big town event: getting the bad work hours for the next couple of weeks. Reluctantly, Damon had let me go. And, just as reluctantly, I had left. Something I would probably come to regret later as I laid to fall asleep.
But now, removing my jacket, I threw it onto one of my light grey-blue armchairs in the living room area with a happy twirl. Taking a few dancing steps further into the apartment, I stopped abruptly.
Something was wrong.
Not the blinds being closed, I had left them like that before leaving this morning. Not the room bathing in complete darkness. Nor the sign that someone had tried to clean up the place a bit; that was my own weak attempt last night.
No, it was a presence that did not belong here. My thoughts immediately ran to the tomb vampires. Maybe one had managed to escape? But I cast that aside quickly as unrealistic; none of them would go after me when there were so many more important members of the Founding families alive and well.
Silently, I pulled out a drawer in my kitchenette to retrieve a large, sharp knife before, just as quietly, moving further into the room. The sudden light from a floor lamp beside the armchair by the window lit up, almost blinding me, but I was prepared with the knife in my hand nonetheless.
"That won't be necessary," a monotone voice spoke up, and out of sheer shock I nearly dropped the knife. I stared at my armchair in disbelief. No! It couldn't be!
"Hunter?" I questioned with squinted eyes. The olive-skinned figure unfolded himself from my chair as he rose up, re-buttoning his grey suit coat. Ebony black hair was slicked into place, and from the oblong face a pair of narrowed, dark-brown eyes stared back at me. His thin lips remained pressed together, whilst mine was forming the shape of a large O.
"Parker," he greeted with a nod. "I'm afraid I come carrying bad news. You can't keep running from your demons forever."
A/N: SEASON ONE OF THE VAMPIRE DIARIES DONE! WIHOOOOOOooooooo...!