A/N: Alrighty, guys. Thanks for hanging with me. As we creep along, I'm trying to decide things like ships and deaths. If there are any preferences, let me know, and I'll keep them in mind! I am super duper glad that you guys like Cynthia and her friendship with Damon. ^_^

Turns out, having an alter ego/past self who ditched the first several days of school is actually more stress inducing than telling an evil loving vampire that you have somehow found yourself in the reality of a tv show. Or that you know a disturbing number of his secrets, even if not in their entirety. Cynthia had rather hoped her day would get easier. Apparently, the teachers and staff at Mystic Falls High held a bit of a grudge. Which was ridiculous, in her opinion. They regularly didn't care that fifteen year olds were getting drunk and high on school property, but not showing up at all was soooo horrible.

Admittedly, a few had been concerned, having heard through the small town grape vine that she had secluded herself away from all human contact the past summer. Others, like Tanner, kept making snide remarks or asking questions she had no way of knowing.

Math and science were her saving graces. It didn't matter that she hadn't been present to 'learn' the new material, Cynthia hadn't forgotten what she had learned in her actual life. She could handle both with no problem. History was a completely different story. Tanner cared far too much about the history of Mystic Falls. As if that would do her much good.

Over the course of the day, Cynthia's bag grew heavier and heavier. She had originally only brought a notebook and pens. It wasn't like she had the year's textbooks. Now that she did, Cynthia wished she had a clue as to where to find her locker. And that lockers were not the bane of her existence. She would so be leaving these at home in the future.

The male Donovan had cornered her within moments of Damon dropping her off this morning. He even managed to grab her before her not twin could do the same. Truthfully, Cynthia was rather impressed by his speed.

"I can't believe you actually came," Matt had kept his voice low, looking her over to make sure she was physically okay and really, actually here.

Her brows furrowed slightly, not so much because he was looking out for her welfare as the fact he had apparently doubted her. "I told you I would, didn't I? I don't go back on my word. Surely you know that, Matty."

Yeah, she really didn't care if that was a Vicki only nickname.

"I know, Cyn. It's just, what with this summer. It was like you had died too, you know?" Once again, Cynthia felt guilty for her alter's behavior. "Look, I just want you to know, that even though Elena and I aren't together anymore, you can always come to me if you need anything. Okay?"

Awww, this boy was such a sweetheart! She almost wanted to pinch his cheeks.

"Thanks, big bro," Cynthia teased, hugging him tightly. "It's good to know I can count on you for help. Speaking of, how do I find my schedule out now?"

And that had been the end of any enjoyable socializing until lunch. Cynthia had studiously ignored all of the stares of utter and complete strangers she was meant to know, and just kept her nose down. It wasn't as if the teachers were giving her much of a break anyway. Even the ones concerned after her health kept her fellow teenagers at bay.

That didn't mean she was deaf though. Murmurs about Stefan's great catch were everywhere. Cynthia wondered if that meant she would be uninvited from her own home for dinner tonight. At least she might avoid the Inquisition that way.

Stefan and Elena had both shot her several weird looks whenever they shared a class or passed in the hall. Admittedly, for different reasons. Bonnie's reaction had been one of the chillest about the whole affair of her having 'returned' to school. When she was finally not being hounded by teachers with the ringing of the lunch bell, the witch had swept Cynthia up into a hug and simply welcomed her back.

Caroline was a bit more dramatic.

"OH MY GOD, CYNTHIA!" The blonde bombshell swept her away from witchy fast enough to have Cynthia questioning if she was really a human right now. "It has been forever! I'm so sorry for not texting more. We were all so worried about you. But you're back! Are you good?"

"Peachy keen, jelly bean," Cynthia assured. She wasn't the one who had lost her parents to a motor accident. She just, you know, ended up (hopefully) temporarily stranded in a world and life that wasn't hers with no idea of how to wake up. Nbd.

"I'm soo glad." She was going to be crushed by the cheerleading captain. They'd better write a nice epilogue for her.

Stefan interceded for her, and Cynthia decided she might like him after all.

"Caroline, do you mind if I borrow Cynthia for a moment?"

Given the bright smile, it was safe to say Caroline didn't. "Sure, see you later. I've got to meet with a committee anyway."

Naturally, Cynthia would have been more grateful if Stefan had not kept a firm grip on her elbow, preventing her from leaving politely.

"Can I help you, Stef?"

The permanent teenager really did have a romance novel stare, only currently he was very clearly trying to figure out if she was alright. He wanted to protect the ignorant human. Which, okay, was nice of him. Extremely judgemental of and completely lacking faith in his brother, but still nice.

"Hey, we didn't exactly meet on the best of terms," Stefan started. "Do you think we could try again?"

The kid's heart being in the right place was not enough for Cynthia to let down her guard or abandon her plans to mess with his head. It did make her feel a smidgen guilty about it all, but she reminded herself that this was a man with a higher death toll than Damon who would try to dessicate his brother over a girl.

"Yeah," Cynthia smiled easily. "I generally prefer to be more than just a way to find my twin or in the middle of a sibling fight."

She held out a hand to him, making a note of the slight flinch he had made at being called out.

"Cynthia Gilbert, the fun sized and probably crazier Gilbert. Which is saying something."

Her insanity wasn't caused by a resurrection ring, which probably counted in her favor. Weren't most teenagers a little crazy on some level?

Hero Hair Salvatore accepted her hand, and this time she didn't kiss it.

"Stefan Salvatore. It's a pleasure to meet you," he smiled warmly. Stefan's eyes kept drifting to her scarf, searching out tell tale teeth marks no doubt. "Cynthia, you never really said. When did you meet my brother?"

The brunette didn't quite meet his gaze, staring more at his nose and hair.

"I'd say I became his fan girl a little while before I met you. The first time, I mean. Sometime after the comet drew me outside, I think."

His face crinkled at her use of the term 'fan girl'.

"Listen, Cynthia - "

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you too." Bless you, Elena. For once, bless you. "Come on, the bells about to ring. We all have class together."

Trade a hit for a ride after school?

Cynthia had her phone hidden amongst the pile of textbooks on her desk as she messaged Damon. He was apparently bored enough to respond in no time, as the vibration of his reply thrummed up her fingers.

Thought u had appt with the family and the good brother

Not til later. Stef is gonna join the football team, and the good twin has cheer practice.

C u soon

Closing and pocketing her phone, she hummed softly through the rest of class. Damon hadn't fully believed her, even after having proven to himself she was vervain free. But he did believe that she thought it was true. They were going to plan a little test for tonight, when things were most likely to stay the same since she hadn't been around to affect as much. If it bore out, well, they'd have quite a bit of plotting to do together.

Once class ended, Cynthia hung around the tables where her not twin and her friends congregated, minus Caroline who had left early on to get ready. She supposed they were meant to be her friends too, but she felt disconnected from them. Even with all she knew about their possible futures and home lives and the like, Cynthia didn't really know them the way they thought they knew her. She hadn't been there with them since the sandbox. Hadn't bonded over a crayon or anything else. They were still so... fictional.

"I'm really proud and glad that you made it to school today, Cyn. Are you sure you don't want to wait for one of us to take you home? It's a long walk."

Cynthia clasped Elena's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. I've got a ride."

"You do? But... we've all got cheer or football practice. Even Stefan does."

Said vampire surfaced as soon as Elena breathed his name. Cynthia found herself imagining him as a fairy or djinn, bound to surface when one's name was spoken.

"I really wouldn't mind giving you a ride home. I mean, I'm not on the team yet, so it isn't like a few minutes would hurt me."

"Plus, you two could get to know each other better," Elena pointed out with a small smile, clearly loving how conciliatory Stefan was to her and her family.

A distinct loud honking brought a grin to Cynthia's face as she shook her head again.

"Thanks, really. And I would love to get to know you better, Stefan. But I've got a hot shot I shouldn't keep waiting." She turned her head to verify that the car currently blasting music was indeed Damon's, her eyes lighting up at the confirmation. "See you love birds later!"

Refusing to give Stefan any more time to try and talk her out of it, Cynthia skipped to the convertible and promptly dumped the heavy bag of books into the backseat. Damon was the soul of a flirt and kissed her cheek in greeting, his gaze firmly fixed on his brother.

"Ready?" He asked, so many unspoken undertones hanging just between them. Not wanting to give the game away to Stefan, or her busybody however well intentioned not twin, Cynthia kissed his cheek back.

"More than."

She twisted in her seat and waved happily to the love birds and Bonnie.

"Have fun, you guys! Good luck, Stef!"

And then they were speeding away, and Cynthia could finally relax as she left the horrible confines of high school.

"Seriously, how does your brother do this to himself. Willingly go back to high school. It's so dreary."

Damon snorted, "Can't say I get it either. He isn't ready to accept that he's dead."

"Pretty hypocritical from the man who made you Turn, isn't it?"

That earned her a look, which was rather unsettling given Damon was still driving.

"I'm taking you to the boarding house," he announced at length. "I don't want your aunt interrupting us. And don't think you're getting out of your payment for my chauffeur services."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Starshine."

What? Calling a vampire Sunshine would just be weird and wrong.

Cynthia hit the radio, then leaned her seat back. There was more that she wanted to say and to ask. But now wasn't the time. Damon was on edge and would be until the end of their little experiment. Offering him blood would help, but she really wasn't sure how much it would make a difference. So for the rest of the ride, Cynthia closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the radio, giving Damon the peace from talking she expected he wanted.

The sound of crunching gravel beneath the car's rubber tires eventually broke Cynthia out of the quiet interlude. It wasn't until now that it occurred to her Damon was treating her differently than he had his first blood bag she'd seen on the show. He had spent time with Caroline mostly at her house, and with Elena to give Stefan heart attacks and mess with the doppelganger's head. But still, she didn't think Caroline had been to the Boarding House when Zach was still alive.

How strange. She was kind of flattered. Even if it was mostly because Caroline's mother was almost always gone, and she had three other people in her family that might check in on her.

"I'm home, Uncle Zach!" Damon called out cheerfully, maintaining the pretense that she was an ignorant, compelled little human. Zach could be counted on not to interfere so much as to get himself killed. But if they acted obvious around him, he would also be the first to go straight to Stefan. And what fun was that?

To that end, Cynthia piped up excitedly, "Do I get to meet your uncle?"

Damon's smile was sickly sweet as he bopped her nose.

"Maybe later, sweet. First, you and I have something to do, don't we?"

She just giggled as the vampire picked her up and sped them both to his room quicker than it took her to finish laughing.

Reaching to tug the scarf off her neck, Cynthia smiled warmly up to Damon. He seemed torn between disbelief that someone could be so acceptant of him and glee over how well things were falling into place.

"Would you mind not biting into a sore spot this time?" Cynthia asked softly as he took the scarf from her and tossed it aside.

"I promise to take it into consideration," he breathed into her ear. Her ease with him must have set something off though, perhaps anger at the idea she might consider him 'human'. A breath later, he had snarled loudly before holding her still and biting into her roughly.

Damon could try to scare her all he wanted, Cynthia thought, staying quiet this time. Because he had honored her request, even as he tried to terrify her or Zach or whatever his agenda was. And he had texted her frequently today, asking and answering questions.

So it didn't matter when he flung her away coldly, or even when he breezed out of the room so quickly she didn't even know if he took the door or the window. He hadn't even taken enough to make her dizzy this time.

Cynthia cracked her neck and went to wash up, then try to find the only known human Salvatore in Mystic Falls.

It took a bit of wandering around, but she managed to find him after stopping by the kitchen for a glass of water. She rather fortuitously stumbled across him as she had been pressing said glass against her neck to try and make the sluggish bleeding stop. Cynthia, naturally, was pleased to see the man. But he rather looked horrified at her presence.

"Zach, Zach, hundred yard dash!" She chirruped, then paused. "No, that doesn't really work, does it?"

Round eyes stared first to her neck, then her face. Zach was right. Her greeting had been terribly executed, and it was years too early to make that sort of joke anyway.

"I didn't know Stefan was having friends over." Ha! Keep dreaming, bucko. "Isn't he - ?"

"At football tryouts?" Cynthia beamed happily, her own expression bright and innocent as she removed the glass to show off the deep bite. "I expect so. Hi, I don't think we've met properly. I'm Cynthia Gilbert, and Damon is my new BFF."

That properly stunned him. Poor Zach was somewhere between angry and disgusted, at Damon's behavior bringing her here and flaunting her or on Cynthia's behalf. She wasn't really sure which.

"Some best friend," he muttered incredulously. "You're one of Grayson's kids?"

As if that has anything to do with anything. Nonetheless, Cynthia maintained her cheery disposition, ignoring Zach's insistence on being so unpleasant. "That's me in a wrap, I guess."

At least her dead parents here couldn't haunt or disappoint her too much. The Gilberts were highly unlikely to be persisting on the Other Side. She was almost positive that they hadn't surfaced in any of the ghost episodes.

"Listen," Zach pleaded earnestly. "I know you aren't going to believe me right now, but what Damon is doing to you is wrong. Okay?I'll talk to Stefan. We can help you."

Really, now he was just making her feel bad.

"Don't worry your gorgeous little head, Zach," Cynthia tried to reassure. "Damon wouldn't ever hurt me."

Nope, never. Her blood put itself onto their glassware. It was all mere coincidence. Meh. But seriously, choosing to do something that involved a bit of pain didn't mean the other party involved was truly hurting her. Consent was key, and he had it.

Damon chose then to make his presence known.

"Hey, you two," he crooned. "Zach, I see you've met my new favorite snack bar."

She pressed a hand to her chest and simpered in response, "Aww, Damon. You just say the sweetest things to me."

The human Salvatore hadn't much liked the snack bar comment. His anxiety and distress was written in every line of his posture.

"Look, I get it Damon. I can't control you or what you do with your life, because you'll just do what you want. Just as you always have, not caring who you destroy in your wake. But you have to know that you can't just keep her here until you drain her. Cynthia is a Gilbert. People will come looking for her, and they'll eventually come here."

Smart, Zach. Smart. 'I know I can't tell you what to do, but I'm gonna go ahead and tell you anyway.'

"You were right the first time, Zach. I can do whatever I want with her." Damon moved to grip Cynthia by her hair, his fingers tangling up in the waves as he tugged her to his side with a slight yelp on her part as some of her water spilled. His dark mood passed over as the girl leaned against him, trusting, rather than standing rigid in fear or trying to escape. "Relax," he spoke amiably again. "Of course I won't be leaving her here. And I'll even promise you that I don't plan on killing her just yet. No need to worry. Uncle Damon has it allll covered."

Zach didn't look the least reassured, naturally. Appearing to give up, Damon untangled his hand from Cynthia's hair and tilted her chin up to look at him.

"Finish drinking up, loser. We're going shopping."

She raised the glass obediently to her lips, hesitating only to make a comment, "Hope that means you are paying."

Damon just chuckled and ruffled her hair as if she were a puppy.

"Chop chop. Time's a wasting."

Reminding herself that, like it or not, Zach's distress was part of their greater agenda, Cynthia downed her remaining water and then abandoned the glass on the nearest level surface. Task complete, she skipped off after her tall, dark, and immortal dream best friend.

Shopping with Damon was actually great fun. He helped her pick out several scarves and thick bracelets – seeing as she had agreed easily to him continuing to feed from her – and had even been considerate enough to help her choose other clothes too. Particularly a dress that Cynthia was absolutely heels over head in love with.

"Does this mean that you will let me take you to the Founders' Ball?" Cynthia asked hopefully, mock dancing with the dress, enjoying the soft texture under her fingertips and watching it flow with every little movement as they waited for the cashier to ring everything up and put them in bags.

It wasn't that she thought it impossible for Damon to just be nice, but Cynthia was pretty sure that thanking him properly could just lead to a repeat of earlier this afternoon.

"It is very important that I go, and it does just so happen that you are invited," Damon smiled leadingly.

Cynthia was all smiles, beaming up to him adoringly now. "Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Founders' Ball, Mr. Salvatore?" She asked, curtsying to him, not quite as deeply as before when she had invited him to the house.

Damon bowed in response, grasping her hand and brushing a kiss across her knuckles. How he simultaneously pulled out a card to pay or signed for the transaction, Cynthia couldn't fathom. She was drowning in Damon's eyes. He was using his attractiveness to get an unfair advantage, and it was working.

"I would be happy to, Miss Gilbert. You'll look ravishing in the blue."

The ride back from the mall was easy, both relaxed enough to not need to speak. Cynthia did keep squealing over all her pretty new things though. It may have taken her a decade longer than most, but she could definitely now say that she actually enjoyed shopping. More than that, Damon had made her feel pretty. She was more than just eye candy, given he had actually paid. Like, legitimately, there was a card and a signature and the whole shebang. Cynthia wasn't sure where exactly she stood with Damon. Allies? Maybe, but she hoped they really would become friends. However long it took for Damon to be able to accept her as one.

"Alas, this is your stop," said vampire broke the silence as they pulled into the Gilbert driveway. He parked the car, but left the engine running as he turned to grin at the petite girl riding shotgun.

Cynthia pouted, even though she knew that she had to face the actual Gilberts at some point, and sooner was probably better than later. "Abandoning me to the wolves?"

"Yep!"

Well, he didn't need to look so pleased about it all. She sulked a little, then gave him her best puppy dog eyes.

"Still gonna come tonight, right? Eight ish, I think?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, sweetheart." Damon promised. "Speaking of," he tilted his head slightly and bit into his wrist. "Drink up. Don't want you passing out on me because I took too much today."

That was almost an apology. Cynthia accepted it, drinking from him until the vampire dropped a kiss to her temple.

"That's enough, kitten. Showtime now."

Licking the last few drops off her lips, Cynthia gathered up all her new acquisitions from the day and shuffled to the door. Hearing the motor still in the drive, she turned and grinned to Damon.

"I'll be counting the hours until I see you again!' Cynthia called out dramatically, grinning even wider at the slight twitch of a smile on Damon's face before he drove off.

It was time to face the music. She had promised Elena time after school, and thus far had avoided doing so. Cynthia didn't want an upset Elena at dinner tonight. Dealing with Stefan's tenseness was going to be more than enough. So she just had to vamp up and face the younger/older girl.

Lugging her books and clothes up to her room, Cynthia called out tentatively. "Lena?" She pushed open both bedroom doors of the Jack and Jill suite. Jeremy was apparently not home. He was either at the Grill or with the stoner kids. Cynthia had to wonder if Vicki had a shift today, or if Elena had just let him out of this bonding dinner shindig she planned.

The other room revealed her not twin, knee deep in frustration and calculus.

"Would you like to use a lifeline and ask the audience?" Cynthia asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Not sure that would be much help. You're worse than math than I am, remember? Even without having skipped out on lessons."

She tsked while moving through the door. "Well, that's part of the problem. You're looking at it like arithmetic or algebra. Calculus is much more... elegance and logic."

Cynthia walked into her not twin's room and dropped down next to her on the bed. "Lemme see?"

They avoided touching the awkwardness between them by mutual decision for the span of a few problems. Sadly, it was always going to be short lived.

"Have you been... studying? Is that what you did this summer?" Well, that was one way of interpreting the facts. Not all of them, but it had been hard enough even half convincing Damon. "Why couldn't – didn't – you include us at all?"

The dreamer shook her head rapidly, making a mental note as her hair fell into her face to investigate her hair products. Just in case it was her hair routine keeping her locks wavy, Jenna was proof that curls were possible.

Although, arguably, they might not be related. It depended on whether or not Elena was 'really' her twin.

"No," Cynthia reassured. "I just spent a lot of time trying to figure out where my life was going. Where I wanted it go, and if I wanted it go anywhere, honestly."

The flinch and balking expression indicated reassurance was the last thing her words had produced, despite her best attempt at honesty. Not that she really knew how her alter had felt or what she had done.

"Wait, you were - ?"

"Look, it doesn't matter," she was so not going there. "It's in the past. All of it. This summer. Their deaths." Cynthia really couldn't bring herself to say 'our parents' in regards to complete strangers. It was bizarre enough finding herself suddenly a twin and possessing a younger brother.

"I have to put it all behind me. Because if I don't, if I let myself look back and linger on it anymore... then I don't know what kind of future I could possibly have that would be worthwhile. So I get it. I get that I'm different now, and that me dealing with everything alone might not have been the best for you. And all of this has got to be plenty weird for you, because it is for me too. But I want to make a difference, Elena. And I don't want to live in the past. Can you bear with me?"

At least hang on long enough that she could save all her friends' lives, or at least until Cynthia woke up back in the real world again. Her earnest appeal had led to more tears on Elena's part, but it also earned her a bone crushing hug from her not twin.

"I don't care. I'm so glad to have you back at all, Cyn. You'll always be my sister. No matter what you do or what you want to become. We're family, and I love you. Just don't shut me out again."

There were so many Frozen references about love being an open door or building snowmen she could make right now. Too bad they weren't temporally appropriate.

Cynthia rubbed circles across the younger – no, really, did Elena seriously count as biologically older? Questions that need answering, numero dos. Right after 'why is this dream so long' - girl's shoulders. Making an attempt at levity, she asked slyly, "So, is this when you tell me why your boy toy had no idea that I existed before yesterday?"

Elena reared back flustered. But bonus! No longer likely to sob make up all over my scarf.

"He isn't a boy toy!"

Pull the other one. You've known him how long exactly?

"Mhmn, go on."

"Anyway," Elena continued, clearly embarrassed. "You sort of... stopped existing there for a while. I wasn't sure what to say. Druggie complicated brother is one thing. Sister who pretends she doesn't even live on the same plane as the rest of us? That's... a little harder."

Cynthia ruffled the taller girl's hair – ha! A non confusing description – with a sheepish expression.

"Wanna tackle the rest of the cal homework before Bonnie comes over?"

Elena conceded, and Cynthia thanked the powers that be for small mercies.

Bonnie came over around an hour or so later, bearing fresh take out from the Mystic Grill. It appeared that cooking was not a thing most of the living Gilberts did. Jenna would occasionally, but the poor woman was plenty stressed from working on her Master's thesis. If their aunt wasn't home, the kids lived off food from Mystic Falls' main restaurant or pizza.

Cynthia tuned out most of her not twin's conversation with the Bennett witch, refocusing on them only when she heard, 'I don't want to be a witch. Do you want to be a witch?'

"What's so bad about having magical powers? You could be a necromancer!"

"Okay... even creepier, thanks so much for that Cyn." Bonnie was way too creeped out by the idea of her being extra awesome.

Cynthia just groaned at the girl's lack of imagination. Even Elena was saying she didn't want to be a witch!

"Seriously, how would it not be cool to set things on fire or influence the weather or heal people? Or, y'know, bring back loved ones from the dead. Hashtag, whatever you want."

"I guess," Bonnie said reluctantly. "But I still think it's creepy. I mean, stuff like witches and stuff my Grams talks about aren't real."

Seeing as the future necromancer wouldn't accept her bad assness, Cynthia settled for helping find the serving spoons as Elena went to let Stefan in. Stef had been on edge when he first arrived, something Elena seemed to attribute to his nerves about Bonnie accepting him. Cynthia had to wonder though. He had looked remarkably more relaxed after seeing Cynthia was both present with them and unaccompanied. Even if his eyes had lingered on her new scarf at first before Elena started to try and draw her boyfriend and best friend into a conversation together.

Again, Cynthia tuned out, not interested in hearing their conversation about witches or Salem or being the icons of teenage independence. Even if she did think they were a bit hypocritical for first calling witches weird and creepy and then embracing a heritage of witches as being 'really cool'. Like, what kind of message was that meant to send?

Yeah, it's super awesome there are witches in my family, but if I was one, I would just totally die.

Meh.

She had to fight so hard not to pull out her phone and text Damon. Ugh. She should get more friends if she was gonna be stuck here.

Nausea spiked through her, and Cynthia very carefully set her fork down, trying not to disturb the light happiness in the room. The doorbell rang at the same time, and she was out of her seat like a shot.

"I got it!"

Naturally, that wouldn't keep the curious Elena or her faithful sidekick Stefan away for long. But Cynthia was able to open the front door before Stefan could try stopping her. And there stood Damon, looking as fabulous in his dark shirt, leather jacket, and jean combination as ever. In his hands rested a store bought ice cream cake.

"Hope you kids are still hungry. I figured I should bring dessert to return the favor."

Damon didn't wait for Stefan to 'let' him in, edging around his younger brother who was fuming about 'what are you doing here' as if he hadn't just answered that.

"I'm not intruding, am I?" He smiled disarmingly innocently at Elena as he offered her the cake.

"Actually, we were just finishing up. There's no need to waste your time."

Oh, Stefan. Keep dreaming. Keep the fire burning and the light of hope alive!

"It's totally fine," Elena glanced sidelong at Stefan before shaking her head. "You're welcome to join us, Damon."

Cynthia dragged her bff away before his smarmy smile made Stefan too constipated to move.

Bonnie, bless her heart, was remarkably patient about the extra visitor.

"Who is this? I take it Stefan knows him." Queen of Tact, truly.

"This is Damon," Cynthia beamed up to him. "He would probably be the King of Sexiness if he wasn't so in your face aware about it. Instead, he's more of a Cocky Prince."

The blue eyed vampire smiled at her as if she were a particularly ugly five year old that he felt obligated to be polite to in public. "Flattery will get you everywhere, darling."

"He's Stefan's brother." Elena already knew her well enough to guess Cynthia wouldn't actually answer the question. Maybe there was hope for their twin bond after all. "Cake and drinks, anyone? We've got coffee, hot chocolate, and milk."

"And orange juice," Cynthia corrected absent mindedly. It took her a second before she cleared her throat and added, "Not that you would drink orange juice with cake. Just... um, saying.. that I saw it in the fridge earlier."

Silence was threatening to re-surge, and Damon had his own agenda to see to with Stefan and Elena. So Cynthia stole the first plate of cake Elena sliced and hastily beat her way into the den while the others ate in the kitchen. She had a few moments to herself that way. Long enough to breathe and calm herself.

This was just a dream. It didn't matter if she was embarrassed! None of it did. She might not even remember half of this stuff. Maybe not even any of it.

So why did it have to feel so real and vibrant and potent?

"Mind if I join you?"

It was odd, but the kind, gentle tone had almost had Cynthia hoping Damon had joined her. But he had a plan to make reality. Stefan was who had come to check on her, even leaving Elena guard duty to do so which was rather sweet.

Licking the tines of her fork, Cynthia gave him a rueful smile. "Be my guest, Mr. Salvatore."

"I couldn't help but notice, you've been flustered all night. Particularly since Damon got here. Is everything okay?"

Hm, did that mean he had or hadn't spoken to Zach yet? She couldn't help but wonder.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Cynthia nodded, but her smile wasn't particularly believable. "Things have just been... I'm going to say intense. What with everything."

She stared down at her cup, trying to pretend Stefan wasn't scrutinizing her.

"I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories," he started to apologize, but Cynthia waved him off.

"Don't worry about it. Caring about people isn't a bad thing, Stef."

That elicited a real smile, however brief it was warm.

"Onto more pleasant things, shall we? That's a really nice scarf."

And here we go.

"Thanks!" Cynthia twisted one of the ends around her wrist, admiring the silver swirl pattern. "It's new. Damon bought me a few today."

She was pretty impressed with how coolly Stefan took that. He edged forward without so much as batting an eyelash.

"Could I see it?"

Cynthia stared at him blandly, obviously questioning his intelligence and if he honestly expected her to know if his vision had failed or not.

"I mean, would you mind taking it off?"

"Oh, I can't," Cynthia replied dutifully.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Trying to steal my twin again, Stefan?" Damon smirked to his younger brother, moving to sit on the arm of Cynthia's chair.

"I was commenting on her scarf," Stefan would naturally see no need to lie to someone who had already heard the conversation. "I wanted to take a look at it."

Cynthia scooted closer to her serial killer and possible future murderer.

"And I was telling him that I'm not allowed to take it off." Cynthia nodded, before looking up hopefully to Damon. She didn't even have to pretend to be searching for approval. As much of a jerkwad as Damon could be, Cynthia definitely appreciated him. And so far as things one does for friendship goes? Tormenting a younger brother doesn't really rank.

"That's right," Damon rewarded her, that sickly sweet smile on his face again. His eyes were on Stefan though, cataloging his reactions. "But I can."

His fingers reached for her scarf and Cynthia flinched away, holding still as Damon slowly unwound the scarf from her long healed neck. Placing a kiss at a curve in her collarbone, Damon set her scarf down before smiling falsely again.

"Elena and Bonnie need help in the kitchen. Why don't you go help them?"

Cynthia looked doubtful, looking between Stefan and Damon until Damon added, "Come on, for me?"

"For you," she agreed. "I should take my dishes anyway."