Chapter 2: Of Shadows Unseen

Caroline threw herself down on the bed dramatically.

"WHAT am I going to do?" she lamented.

"C'mon Car – it's not like he's sold his soul. He just likes her is all." Elena rolled her eyes at her prostrate, drama queen best friend.

"He may as well have! She's Rebekah, an Original, and not to mention soulless and vindictive. Plus, I'm pretty sure the other cheerleaders like her more than me. And I'm their Captain - their Captain! - that used to MEAN something."

Bonnie caught Elena's eye and they both hid smiles. Many things changed in Mystic Falls, and new supernatural super powers seemed to sweep in and out on a weekly basis, but Caroline never would. It was comforting, really.

"You know Matt as well as us; he's the sensible one. If he sees something in her then... well maybe she's not all bad. And, y'know, she did stop you from cutting off your own hands."

"Why are you raining on my pity party?" the blonde girl pouted at them.

Elena laughed and moved to a block of sunlight filtering through Caroline's bedroom window. She smiled, feeling the warmth on her face. "I don't know. I just feel so... peaceful. The sun is out, we graduate soon, we're all alive, well – sort of, and we're together. AND we're not being hunted by any immortal, ageless, unkillable beings. I'd say... life is good."

Bonnie's face wrinkled in tension, as though she'd realised something, before flattening away into an equally serene expression. Elena, standing idly in the sunshine, didn't notice anything amiss. "Elena's right; we should just take some time off from drama and enjoy it. After all, I think we deserve it don't we?"

"But Elena, what about the Cure? Have Damon or Stefan talked to you about it yet? Surely their just waiting for the opportune moment? And Bonnie, what about your Gram's? Have you remembered yet what happened when - " Caroline was cut short as two brunette blurs tackled her on the bed.

"Further serious-talk will be punished with a pillow to the face!" Elena threatened.

Caroline narrowed her eyes, calculatingly. "You really think you could beat me?" Quicker than the human eye could detect, the blonde-haired girl had a pillow firmly in hand and Bonnie was left with mussed hair and bemused expression.

"Don't make me play dirty, girls," she warned, smiling dangerously.

"And I was given to believe that that took place in their underwear," Klaus said dryly.

Stefan raised an expressive eyebrow. "If Damon was anywhere I would put money on him lurking around here."

Klaus smirked. "No doubt." He looked back at the three girls who sat giggling amidst a pile of feathers and destroyed pillows. "Do you want to interrupt them or..."

"We can hear you, y'know," called Caroline's lilting voice haughtily from the adjoining room. "What do you want?"

The Original hybrid smiled despite himself. "We just came looking for the other Salvatore," he replied, strolling through to her bedroom.

"Damon?" Elena asked curiously. "He was looking for you earlier," she nodded to Stefan, "Did he not find you?"

"No," he replied slowly. "Come to think of it, I didn't see much of him yesterday either."

Caroline shrugged. "He's Damon, all facetious and blunt, could be up to anything."

"I'm worried about him," Stefan countered. "Since the veil dropped back into place he's been even more anxious and fidgety than usual. Something's up with him." He studiously ignored the fact that all other eyes in the room moved straight to Elena's face.

"He's too much of a loose cannon. I rather suspect he may know about my little predicament in New Orleans, and it would be in his best interests to just leave the thing be." The threat was half-veiled and aimed at Stefan, who took it without surprise.

Caroline narrowed her eyes looking between their two expressions. "With the witches or whatever, right? Why would Damon care about them?"

Klaus shook his head as though something was clouding his thoughts. "I don't know. Let's forget it shall we? Anyone for a game of pool at the Grill?"

And just like that, the others felt their burdens lifting and their thoughts clarifying. The Grill was an excellent idea. Why not have a night off? No harm would come to them.

Damon paced the floor where they had been long after they had departed for the Grill. He wasn't sure where he was, but it definitely wasn't the land of the living, or, if it was it sucked. No one could see him, hear him or even feel his presence. It was just like a normal day really, he scowled.

He supposed he should be worrying that he may actually be dead... but if that was the case he was going to damn well hang around until somebody noticed. What bothered him more was that his brother, Elena and her friends were obviously under some sort of spell, compulsion, or something. This just wasn't normal behaviour – they were all far too relaxed. Why wasn't Stefan pestering Elena about the Cure already? Why wasn't Bonnie stressing about how the veil had been replaced, apparently without her help? Why were they all so damn serene?!

What bothered him the most was that where he was, wherever it was, he was aware of a darkness blurring into the corner of his vision. Sometimes when he moved his head too fast he could catch a glance of something. Something dark. Something that definitely meant someone harm. He just hoped it wasn't one of his, and he hoped he could get back in time to do something about it. Only being able to watch and listen was already driving him insane. A peaceful spectator, he was not.

Now where was his damn body? And when was someone going to start looking for it?