Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created by L.J. Smith, as portrayed in the TV series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. All rights to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Author's Note: First of all, thank you for all your lovely reviews. Obviously, I won't be writing an entire novel (as Damon is supposed to), so there will be a couple of gaps here and there, in which you can assume some very brilliant writing takes place and lots of amazing descriptions are formulated etc. : ) You'll still be able to follow the story, though, just not every single word of it, because if I actually had the skills to write a bestselling novel, I'd be doing that right about now… : ) Enjoy!

WRITE TO LIVE

~ The Plot Thickens ~

"How did it go last night?" Emma asked as she handed Derek a cup of much needed coffee.

"I had a run-in with Klaus Coffin."

"Oh."

"No need to worry, it was a civil enough chat."

"Do you have an idea on how to get close to him?"

"I'm more interested in getting close to Miss Kitty Kat."

"What kind of name is that?" she scoffed.

"A well-deserved one," Derek drawled.

"Your father called again," she said, handing over a note. It met the same fate as the previous one.

"You know, we could save a lot of money on paper if you'd just call him," Emma remarked.

"And I could save a lot more money if I wasn't paying your salary," Derek retorted in a warning tone.

Emma was not so easily deterred. "Not that much," she muttered before going back over to her desk.

"She's sassy, I like her," Elena said as Damon took a pause to take a sip from his water bottle.

"She's annoying," Damon said plainly.

"Well, he clearly needs someone to keep him in check."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, he clearly has a drinking problem. He's behind on his rent and loan payments. If he didn't have Emma, he probably wouldn't even have electricity.

"So Emma's better than Elsa, then?"

"Definitely."

"What was your issue with Elsa?"

"She had no self-respect, throwing herself at her boss like that."

"Because a woman can't be aggressive? Can't be interested in someone she works with?"

"Works for," Elena corrected him. "It's a professional relationship between employer and employee. They're not equals and so any romantic entanglement would be… foolish."

"Are you saying you feel inferior to your employers?"

"I… this isn't about me. Your story is set in a different time when those lines were even clearer," she said and paused. "I just wanted to say I like Emma's character, that's all."

"Ok, then. Let's keep going, shall we?"

The following night, Derek took a different approach to his investigation. He put on his favorite trench coat and hat and parked his car outside Club Mystique, waiting patiently for Vicki to finish her set.

After hours in an increasingly uncomfortable seat, three blondes exited the club through the back door. Derek watched as the two natural blondes, Caroline and Lexi, went on their merry way, arm in arm, while bleached blonde Vicki headed in the opposite direction, pulling her coat tightly around her to shield her from the cold night air.

Derek pulled up beside her. "Hey there, doll. Do you remember me from the club last night?"

She was about to roll her eyes and keep going, but for some reason she turned her head and met his gaze. Who could forget those eyes?

"Yeah, I remember," she said, chewing her gum and twirling her hair.

"I like you as a blonde," he said. "But you looked good as a brunette, too."

"Thanks."

"So, can I offer you a lift home?"

"Uh…" she looked around, not another car in sight. "Sure," she said and got into the passenger seat.

"Airhead bimbo," Elena muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"A stranger offers her a ride and she accepts, just because he has pretty eyes?"

"Moving on."

"So, how'd it go tonight?" Derek asked as they started driving. "It was your first night singing with the Care Bears, wasn't it?"

"It went ok. Caroline is such a snob," Vicki rolled her eyes. "She thinks she's so much better than everyone else. Can you believe she told me I should stick to waitressing? I bet she was just jealous that I was getting all the applause."

"Did your boss like your performance?"

"He was busy with Kitty."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she was all over him. It's really pathetic."

"Is the boss at the club every night?"

"Yeah, it's like his second home… or his first… he has an apartment upstairs. I've never been there myself, but I hear it's real 'boss'."

"Does he get many visitors? Like… business acquaintances?"

"Why are you so interested in the boss' business?" Vicki narrowed her eyes at him.

Maybe she wasn't as ditzy as she looked…

"I'm a curious person, that's all," Derek shrugged.

"My mom always said Curiosity killed the cat. Personally, I think it was our crazy neighbor…" she mused.

Ok, so maybe he didn't have to worry too much about this one.

"Another late night?" Emma said as Derek entered the office, dark circles under his eyes.

"Part of the job," he shrugged.

"How's the case coming?"

"Not great. It seems Klaus Coffin lives at the club, meaning I'd have to get into his office right under his nose to even get a glimpse of the books."

"Did you get anywhere with that waitress? Did she know anything?"

"She likes to gossip, I can tell you that… but I don't think I can trust her. I need to talk to Kitty again, but I don't know how to get in touch with her unless she shows up here. Klaus Coffin appears quite smitten with her. It's unlikely that he'll let anyone get close to her when he's around."

"What about the other girls at the club? Do you think any of them might know something?"

"Maybe… but I don't know how to get close to any of them. Coffin made it perfectly clear he didn't appreciate me chatting up his girls."

"So what's the plan? Sit and wait for Kitty Kat to show up?"

"Yes. But in the meantime, Vicki invited me over to her place tomorrow night. It's her night off and she expressed an interest in spending it with me."

"You mean she threw herself at you?" Emma frowned.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Derek shrugged.

Emma rolled her eyes.

Elena rolled her eyes. "So, I was right… he is a skirt chaser," she sighed.

"What? What give you that idea?"

"He's going to sleep with Vicki, isn't he?"

"Did I say that?"

"No, but it's pretty much implied."

"Maybe you're not a very good analyst."

Vicki lived with her brother in a small, run-down house on the outskirts of Mystic Falls, right next door to the trailer park, and it took a good twenty minutes or so to drive over there. Derek saw the smoke about five minutes before he arrived at the scene.

It was too late. If anyone had been inside, there would be nothing left of them now. And Derek knew Vicki had been in there, waiting for him. Her brother was working tonight, which was why she had invited him over. He drove back to the ERT* he had seen on his way there and alerted the Mystic Falls fire department and sheriff's office. Not that either would turn on their sirens for this.

Coffin pretty much owned this town and its people. If Vicki's house went up in smoke, it was because he wanted it to. Derek couldn't help but feel responsible. Someone must have seen them together when he drove her home – or Vicki said something about their plans for tonight.

In either case, this was a message. A bright, roaring bonfire of a message.

His suspicions were confirmed when the report came days later and said that the building's old wiring caused the fire. In reality, all the old wiring had been replaced the year before, when Kelly Donovan, Matt and Vicki's mom, was dating a licensed electrician.

Derek Smythe was fresh out of ideas, fresh out of leads, and the contents of his refrigerator smelled anything but fresh. He had started on his third tumbler of scotch for the evening and his vision was getting dimmer and dimmer when there was a knock on the door.

Whoever it was, they were persistent, and Derek moseyed over to the door, groaning "I'm coming, I'm coming."

He flung open the door to catch Kitty Kat mid-knock and his bloodshot eyes widened at the sight. She looked every bit as alluring as the night she first showed up at his office, but much less composed. She was skittish, looking over her shoulder and fidgeting nervously.

"Miss Kitty," Derek exclaimed in surprise. "What brings you to my door at this hour?"

"I tried your office, but it was closed. May I come in?"

"Sure," he said and held the door open for her, making a sweeping gesture of invitation towards the one-bedroom apartment.

"I hope you'll forgive the mess… I wasn't expecting company," Derek said apologetically.

"No worries, I like a man with… uh…" Kitty looked around the room, strewn with papers and folders, "…with an appreciation of good alcohol. Mind if I…?" she gestured to the bottle of scotch on the coffee table.

"Sure. Hang on, I'll get you a glass."

"No trouble," Kitty said and unscrewed the bottle, putting it to her luscious red lips and taking a swig.

"Wow…classy," Elena muttered sarcastically.

Derek was slightly taken aback by Kitty's unladylike behavior, but who was he to judge?

"Did something happen, Miss Kitty?" he frowned.

"I heard Vicki running her mouth as usual, and so did Klaus. He wasn't happy she was going to meet up with you."

"Did you hear him order the fire?"

"No. But I know he did. What happened to Vicki – that's gonna happen to me if he finds out I went to see you."

"Why'd you risk it tonight?"

"He had too much to drink, and he passed out. I might have slipped something in his drink, too…" Kitty shrugged and took another swig from the bottle.

Derek gently removed the scotch from her grip. "Please, won't you have a seat?" he gestured to the couch, which he had quickly cleared of papers and various food containers.

Kitty sat down, but quickly got back up again. "I can't stay long. He'll wake up soon."

"Listen, Kitty, I need something more to go on… a way to get into Coffin's office."

"I don't know…" Kitty raked a hand through her tousled hair. "He's… occupied… for a while after the club closes, when everyone's gone home and he's locked the money in the safe, we go upstairs… but I can't get you a key."

"I'll take care of that, don't you worry. But… does he have any type of surveillance? Can you hear anything that goes on in the club from his apartment?"

"I can be… loud," Kitty blushed. "He won't hear anything. But I need to know in advance when you're going to break in…"

Damon stretched his arms. "I think we're good for today."

"Ok," Elena said and started packing up her stenotype. "Hey, do you mind if I bring over some groceries? I'm craving some actual food."

"What? You don't like Chinese?" Damon nodded towards the empty cartons of take-out.

"For breakfast, lunch and dinner? Not every single day, no."

"Sure, bring whatever you like," Damon shrugged. "I'll… clean out the fridge."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. See you tomorrow, then?"

"Ok. Good night, Damon."

"Good night."

"What? Are you trying to feed an army here?" Damon laughed as he helped Elena stock the fridge and cabinets.

"I like food."

"Right…"

"Ok, so maybe I thought you could use a home cooked meal once in awhile…"

"You want to cook for me?"

"Well, I'm not the best cook in the world, but I think I can handle Chicken Parmesan."

"What makes you think I can't cook?"

"Uh… the fact that you have nothing edible in your fridge or cabinets, and that your apartment is littered with take-out cartons?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

"I've been busy lately," Damon shrugged.

"Yeah… busy drinking," Elena muttered under her breath.

"So, you're ready to get started?"

"Sure. I'll just unpack."

"To tell the truth, I'm worried about him."

"Worried about whom?" Derek said, suddenly appearing in front of Emma's desk. She quickly finished her phone call and looked up at him.

"How are you?"

"What's going on, Emma?"

"I was just…"

"Who was that on the phone?"

"No-one."

"Emma…"

"My aunt, ok? I was talking to her about my brother."

"Jeremy? Why?"

"He's in trouble… he's gotten into some debt and I suspect he's gotten involved with the mob."

"How?"

"I don't know exactly, but he was dating this girl and said something about trying to raise money to get her out of her contract. I guess he took to gambling and lost big."

"Do you know the name of the girl?"

"Anna… something. Her mother, Pearl, got into debt herself and she basically pawned her daughter."

"She's working at Club Mystique," Derek said quietly, mulling this new information over.

"What? Klaus Coffin has her?" Emma's eyes widened.

"Don't worry, Emma. I'll get her out. I'll get all of them out. All I have to do is sneak in and get to Coffin's books. If I can prove he's up to something crooked, the FBI will get involved and shut him down."

"You have a plan to get into his office?"

"Kitty came to see me last night. She's promised to keep Coffin busy while I get into the club."

"And you trust her?"

"She has nothing to gain by double-crossing me," Derek shrugged.

*ERT = Emergency Roadside Telephone