MISS MYSTIC FALLS.
"Okay, this week we're gonna set aside our regular curriculum for a lesson in local history as we approach Founder's day. Apparently the community leaders feel it's more important than World War 2 but hey, what do I know?"
Leya barely listened as Alaric began his lecture; she was keeping her eye on the door waiting for when Bonnie would walk through. They had been talking the past few days and Bonnie confessed to avoiding Elena at all costs because she didn't want her to choose between her and Stefan, seeing as it was Stefan and Damon Bonnie blamed for her Grams' death.
Seconds later Bonnie interrupted Alaric apologizing. "Sorry I'm late."
"Well, it looks like we will be at full occupancy today. Welcome home, Bonnie." Alaric said smiling.
Leya turned in her seat to give Bonnie an encouraging smile, which she returned giving a small smile to Elena as well (who sat next to Leya) but it quickly disappeared as soon as she saw Stefan.
Elena and Stefan shared a confused look as Bonnie turned back in her seat and started to listen a little too intently to Alaric. Elena looked to Leya for an answer but all she got was a shrug and an apologetic look.
Class passed by quickly and as everyone stood to leave as the bell rang Bonnie dashed passed everyone and out the door before Elena could even utter the first syllable of her name.
"I'll talk to her." Leya said placing a comforting hand on Elena's shoulder before rushing off after Bonnie.
"Bonnie, wait!" Leya called after Bonnie as she chased her.
Bonnie slowed down enough for her to catch up and tried to distract her right away before Leya had any time to try and convince her to talk to Elena.
"Hey, so um since your magic's different from mine I was wondering maybe we could you know talk about it? Compare, stuff like that?" Bonnie asked rushed.
"Uh, yeah sure." Leya replied taken aback.
"Look, Bonnie, slow down you know as well as I do that you can't run from Elena forever." Leya continued. "You're her best friend, I've only been her friend for a couple of months now and I already know how persistent she is."
"I know, I know…. It's just – I don't want Elena to have to choose between Stefan and me."
"I understand where you're coming from, but don't you think you're hurting her more by ignoring her?" Leya asked rhetorically.
"Bonnie!" Elena called behind them.
The two girls turned around and Leya had just enough time to throw Bonnie an I-told-you-so look as Elena joined them.
"Hey." Bonnie greeted quietly and awkwardly.
"I tried to grab you after class but you already taken off." Elena explained. "How are you? How's your family?"
"We're dealing, it's been hard."
"Everyone here really missed you."
"Yeah, I just had so much to deal with after Grams' funeral and, honestly after you told me the tomb spell failed I just didn't really want to come back."
"I hope you understand why I called… I wanted you to know before you came home."
"I understand why. I just… shouldn't know."
Leya was silent throughout the entire conversation, she felt slightly out of place between the two girls. Truth be told, Leya still considered herself the newbie in the group, she didn't feel like she's completely settled in yet, at least not enough to witness intimate conversations like these.
"I know it's been really hard-" Elena began but was cut off by an excited blond.
"Bonnie!" Caroline squealed pulling her into a hug. "Bonnie! Thank God you're home! I know we talked everyday but I missed you! How are you doing?"
Bonnie smiled at Caroline while Elena watched on upset. If Bonnie had the time to talk to Caroline everyday why couldn't she talk to her?
"Better. Better. You know, glad to be back and trying to keep myself busy."
"Well, I can help with that. And I'll need your help too." Caroline said with a bright smile towards Leya. "Major wardrobe problem. The both of you need to help me pick out the perfect dress for the Founder's court."
"What's the Founder's court?" Leya asked with a confused smile.
"The Founder's court? Did I miss something?" Elena asked intervening.
"The Founder's court!" Caroline said looking at Elena with a 'duh' expression; Leya, Caroline understood she was only here for a couple of months so of course she had never heard of the Founder's court until now but Elena's lived here all her life, how could she forget something as important as the Founder's court. "You know, Miss Mystic Falls. They announced it today and you and I are both on it."
"Oh my god! I signed up for that so long ago." Elena breathed looking at the three girls with surprised.
"So… are you dropping out then?" Caroline asked a hopeful tilt in her voice.
Leya elbowed Caroline slightly giving her a look for having such a hopeful tone. Caroline just shrugged her shoulders in response.
"I can't."
"No?" Caroline asked with a slight frown on her lips, looking towards Bonnie and Leya.
"Her mom was the one who wanted her to enter." Bonnie explained.
"Oh." Caroline muttered softly as Leya looked around awkwardly.
"So what's going on with Stefan? Is he a closet blood junkie?" Leya asked on the phone.
"Yep. Caught him red handed, literally."
"This is bad, Damon."
"You don't think I don't know that." Damon retorted. "With Stefan stealing from blood banks and the council back on vampire bandwagon it's kinda little more than bad."
Leya sighed rolling her eyes at Damon's sarcastic tone. "Look I just found out that Stefan's escorting Elena in the pageant if he is as unstable as you say he is than, even if I really don't want to, I will do something about it."
"Ooh, look at you, protective best friend alert."
"Just do something, Damon." Leya snapped. "Because if Stefan hurts someone-"
"I get it, I get it." Damon interrupted. "Don't worry, I have everything under control. Don't you have some shopping to do to with Blondie?"
"Don't remind me." Leya groaned into the phone before hanging up.
Leya sighed as she looked to the front door, the wards had shifted. Caroline was here to get her to help picking out the best dress for the crowning of Miss Mystic Falls.
Leya liked Caroline, she really did. But shopping wasn't really something she enjoyed that often and she couldn't help but think she would be spending more than an hour or two looking for the perfect dress.
God have mercy, Leya thought as she opened the door with a smile, Caroline on the other side finger ready to press the doorbell.
"What about this one?" Caroline asked walking out of the dressing room.
Caroline was dressed in a red halter, the top half covered strategically in gems and sequence which slowly lessened towards the bottom of the dress. It was a pretty dress, but after two hours Leya was just about ready to kill herself as all the dresses started to look the same. Leya opened her mouth to say that the dress was ok but she was too slow for Caroline.
"Oh my god, you hate it don't you?" Caroline asked, Leya shook her head 'no'. "No, no you're right. What was I thinking? Red. Ha, red won't win me Miss Mystic."
Leya's eyebrows scrunched in confusion as Caroline walked back into the changing room. She sighed heavily and stood up walking to the closest rack.
"So who's your date if Matt's working?"
"Ugh!" Caroline huffed. "Don't remind me. I can't believe that Matt's boss won't let him off, I mean this is Miss Mystic Falls. But whatever, it's in the past. I just have to move on and stick to the date Mrs. Lockwood got me. Even though he is a Fell."
"A Fell?" Leya questioned as she brought out a royal blue floor length dress. It was pretty and Leya was sure what with everything going on that Elena would forget the most important part of being in a pageant; the dress.
Leya handed the dress and her credit card to the cashier as she went back to the numerous amount of dresses displayed.
"Yeah." Caroline's voiced from inside the dressing room. "Austin Fell. I know him, he's sweet, handsome, oh, he's also on the football team so it's not that bad of a choice. I still prefer Matt though."
Leya went quiet as she stared at the dresses. Austin was going to be there, as Caroline's escort. Great, more opportunity for her to humiliate herself.
"Ugh! None of these dresses are right!" Caroline hurled herself out of the changing room lips pursed into a frown as she stood in front of the mirror in an unflattering yellow dress.
Caroline was opened her mouth to complain about how there weren't any good dresses when she spotted the look on Leya face. It was a look she herself had worn many times, which only meant one thing: Leya met a guy.
"So… do you know Austin?" Caroline questioned trying to play it cool as she stood beside Leya.
Leya gave her a look seeing right through her. "We met once or twice."
Caroline squealed jumping up and down slightly. "You like him."
"I do not."
"Oh, yeah sure cause he definitely wasn't the reason why you blushed when I said his name."
Leya was not blushing. She was sure of it. She wasn't blushing, was she?
"Perhaps, I'm just overwhelmed by all of these dresses and how long it's taken you to find no dress." Leya deflected handing Caroline a strapless green dress. "Now, will you try this on please. The one you're wearing washes out your complexion."
Caroline hummed in doubt but took the dress without a word to try on. Giving Leya one last look she took herself to the changing room.
Leya let out a stressed breath. There was no way she liked Austin, but she couldn't deny that the way she was acting around him was like Cedric all over again. And that was a road she didn't really want to go down again.
"Oh my gosh! Leya this is the one!" Caroline squealed.
Leya closed her eyes lightly and tilted her head back. Finally.
Once everything was paid for and after a short interrogation as to why Leya was buying a floor length dress, the two girls split ways. Caroline back to her home and Leya to the Gilbert residence. Leya hopped up the steps to the Gilbert residence Elena's dress in arm as she knocked on the door.
"Oh, Leya." Jenna greeted with a warm smile moving to the side to let her in. "Elena's upstairs."
"Thanks, Jenna." Leya replied with a small smile as she walked up the stairs to Elena's room.
"Ugh, I can't get this – why is this so tight?" Elena muttered to herself as she struggled to zip up her dress.
"Having trouble?" Leya opened Elena's the door with a grin, placing the dress on her bed.
"Hey." Elena said chuckling as she turned to her. "Yeah, just a bit."
"That's a pretty dress."
"Thanks." Elena replied turning back to the mirror. It was a beautiful dress, simple but elegant. It was a sleeved, off white color, that hugged the curves and had a slight fishtail train.
"It was my mom's. She wore it for the pageant." Elena continued sighing. "I completely forgot about the pageant with everything going on, which meant I also forgot about the dress. So I thought, why not use my mom's old one. Only thing is, is that it's too small."
"And that's where I come in." Leya supplied, walking over to the bed to pick up the dress.
"No. No, no, no, no… Leya please tell me you didn't buy me a dress."
"Uh, I didn't buy a dress." Leya complied unzipping the cover over the dress and holding it up.
"No, you shouldn't have." Elena said walking closer and lightly grazing her fingers over the blue fabric. "Why?"
"I don't really know." Leya replied awkwardly. "I just thought you might've needed a dress."
Elena sighed, angry but incredibly grateful and touched. There truly was no one like the girl standing in front of her. She couldn't believe that Leya would go out of her way and buy her a dress for the pageant. She couldn't believe she thought of it in the first place, let alone bought it and in her size too.
"Thank you." Elena said sincerely looking at the taller girl. "Really, I would be helpless right now. You saved the day."
"Hmm, wouldn't be the first time." Leya replied jokingly.
"I'll pay you back. How much was it?"
"No, don't worry about it."
"Then I can't accept it." Elena said turning to her. "I'm not gonna accept it unless you tell me how much it was."
"Elena take it, you need a dress and there's one right here."
"Ugh." Elena sighed giving in knowing Leya wouldn't back down. "Has anyone ever told you that you're too selfless for your own good?"
Leya tilted her head to the side in contemplation. "Not really. But it was certainly implied."
"Well, well, well looks like someone wants to be Miss Mystic Falls too."
"What do you want, Damon?" Leya questioned with an amused smile as she walked into a room at the Lockwood estate.
Her dark red dress clung to her but not too tightly; it flattered her figure and if it was even possible made her eyes stand out more than usual. Leya felt a little uncomfortable since it was a V-neck that went down pretty low, but not to the point where one would consider it slutty.
"Just wondering where you've been all week." Damon replied looking her up and down.
"Caroline's been kidnapping me for makeup and hair and pageant stuff - and would you stop that! It's making me uncomfortable."
Damon shrugged in response. "John Gilbert thinks Pearl stole an artifact from Johnathan senior, senior back in 1864."
"What is it?"
"I don't know, but I do know I don't want him to have it."
"So what are you going to do about it?" Leya asked.
"Not too sure yet, but I'll think of something." Damon answered.
"Of course you will." Leya scoffed lightly. Whatever it was would most likely be violent. "Look, I think you should tell Elena about Stefan's problem."
"What? Why?"
"Because, Damon, Elena loves him and he's going to be holding her hand by the time she reaches the end of that way too extravagant staircase." Leya said in a concerned tone. "Don't you think she would want to know whose had she's actually holding and his little extracurricular activities?"
"Ok, fine." Damon caved, quickly regretting it with Leya's smug smile. "But only because Stefan's activities could really inconvenience me, I'll squeal. But why do I have to tell her? Why can't you?"
"Because, she hates you. Therefore she'll accept the news from you a lot better than she would from me." Leya replied in a 'duh' tone before turning around to walk away. She thought she saw a waiter with mini sandwiches and Leya was starving.
"What? That's makes no sense." Damon called out to her back irately. Scoffing he turned around and walked up the stairs wording the news he was about to give Elena in his head.
Leya wondered around as Damon left to tell Elena about Stefan and his newly reacquainted activities. She said a passing hello to Jenna and Jeremy, exchanged a look with Anna and a glare with John Gilbert. She was looking for Bonnie when she saw blonde hair rush down an empty hallway.
It wasn't fair or short enough to be Caroline so it was most likely Amber. The other constant for Miss Mystic Falls and the only one who wasn't a part of the Founding Families.
Leya reached out to grab a flute of champagne from a waiter when a different hand grabbed the same as hers. It was Austin, he smiled grabbing the one next to hers and the waiter left quickly.
"We should stop meeting like this. I'm beginning to think it's less of a coincidence and more on fate."
"I don't believe that much in fate." Leya replied. "And I thought you're not supposed to be drinking. Considering your underage and all."
"Well I could say the same for you." Austin replied rebelliously taking a sip of champagne.
"Touché."
"Plus I need this. I'm actually really nervous, but that's a secret so you'll have to keep it or… well I'll have to kill you." Austin said regrettably shrugging his shoulders, his lips quirking into a smile.
"Is that so?" Leya asked amused.
"Yep."
"Then I'll take it to my grave." Leya paused before continuing. "I thought you were on the football team, aren't you supposed to not be nervous of anything?"
Austin's eyebrow quirked. "Yeah well that's a myth. And besides, football I can do, dancing? Not so much."
"Well it looks like you'll have to tap into that courage that you hold while playing cause it looks like everything is about to start."
"Ladies and Gentlemen please gather around. Escorts would you kindly move towards the staircase." Mayor Lockwood announced loudly.
Austin looked to Leya smiling nervously as he put his now empty flute on a nearby table and went to join the other escorts. Leya couldn't help that the faintest of smiles was still on her face as she stood near the staircase waiting for Caroline and Elena to descend.
"Who was that?" Leya's smile immediately disappeared with Damon's presence.
"No one."
"Hmm, he didn't look like no one to me."
"Yeah, well I don't really care what you think, Damon." Leya snapped turning to him.
They glared at each other ignoring Mayor Lockwood as he announced the names of the contestants and their escorts. Leya scoffed turning back to watch as Tina Fell who was before Caroline was called. She looked over to the escorts and saw Austin but Stefan who was supposed to be behind him wasn't there.
"Where's Stefan?" Leya asked worriedly turning to Damon.
"I don't know." Damon replied eyebrows furrowed.
"Did you tell Elena about Stefan?"
"Yeah, right before Stefan walked in."
"What?" Leya hissed. "You're joking. Damon he's probably somewhere else freaking out that Elena knows now."
"What? You told me to tell her." Damon replied defensively.
"Yes, but Stefan wasn't supposed to know that she knew. Merlin! Do you guys ever think?"
"Miss Caroline Forbes escorted by Mr. Austin Fell." Mayor Lockwood announced right beside her.
Leya clapped her hands politely smiling at Caroline as she descended down the stairs her green dress making her glow.
"Miss Elena Gilbert escorted by Mr. Stefan Salvatore."
"What are you doing, Damon?" Leya asked turning to him. "Step in for Stefan."
Without hesitation Damon rushed to the bottom of the stairs as Elena walked down taking his hand confused and nervous.
Leya looked around for any signs of Stefan knowing deep down that he wouldn't be there. She placed her drink down and slipped away from the crowd and out the door. That Amber girl was missing too.
"Ouch!" Leya yelped as another branch caught her skin ripping it open.
She sighed angrily and continued walking. Stefan was out of control and Amber was missing usually, one plus one would mean the obvious: Stefan had taken Amber. Leya had darted into the forest weaving in-between trees and tripping over branches as she looked for the both of them.
It was perfect. Secluded and far away from the pageant where no one would hear Amber if she screamed.
Leya's head darted up as she heard heavy breathing and feet pounding on the ground coming towards her. She picked up her speed running as fast as she could in heels and banged smack into Amber. She screamed jolting away.
"Hey, hey it's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you." Leya soothed holding the girl firmly.
"Please, please you have to help me, this guy he's crazy or something." Amber was shaking really bad and blood was pouring out of her neck.
"Ok, here's what you're going to do." Leya said firmly, continuing when Amber nodded her head. "Run. Ok, run as fast as you can I'll hold him off, just get away from here." Amber nodded her head and when Leya let go ran past her at full speed.
Leya breathed in deeply looking around trying to spot Stefan. She knew he was there, probably pissed that she let his meal go. It was considerably darker now, harder to see but that didn't mean her reflexes were brought down. She turned around wand in hand as Stefan rushed past her back brushing it slightly.
"We can do this the easy way for the hard way, Stefan."
His laughter seemed to echo eerily around her.
"Stupefy." Leya yelled turning around. Stefan was knocked back into the ground losing his breath for a moment. He stood up just as fast letting out an animalistic growl.
"I don't want to hurt you, Stefan." Leya warned raising her wand higher. "But I will if I have to."
He let out another growl flashing his fangs as he launched himself at her.
"Have you seen Leya? I've been looking for her everywhere?" Elena asked Damon worried.
"No." Damon replied solemnly. "Elena, there were signs of struggle in the upstairs bathroom and there's a bit of blood. I also found that girl Amber covered in blood. Stefan bit her, she said Leya found her and told her to get help luckily I was able to compel her before Sherriff Forbes arrived."
"Oh my God! What about Leya? He wouldn't hurt her, he won't!"
"Let's just find him, ok? Let's get your coat, come on."
As they rushed off Bonnie who was listening in, followed close behind, she wouldn't let anything happen to Leya. She just lost her Grams and she would be damned if anything happened to probably the only other person in town who understood her in ways Elena and Caroline would never be able to.
"Stefan!" Elena called out in horror.
Stefan's head raised at Elena's shout, his mouth was still a bloody mess from Amber, but at the same time not all of the blood was hers. Leya stood in front of him panting slightly, several bites on her arms and neck. She favored her left side as she still stood strong holding her wand.
"Oh my God." Elena gasped raising a hand to her mouth in shock taking a step back.
Stefan slowly stood up. Leya had just brought him down again, all the wounds she had inflicted healed immediately but the blood was still there. She had put up a hard fight, not backing down even when she had lost her wand briefly. Stefan thought he had her more than once, but she fought hard.
"Stefan, come on, get control. It's okay, come on. Breath through it man." Damon calmly says as he walked closer to his baby brother.
Stefan caught Damon and threw him against a tree. Damon grunted in pain before standing up.
"Stefan, stop it!" Elena yells horrified hoping to snap him out of his stupor.
All of a sudden Stefan's screaming clutching onto his head. Damon and Elena turn around to see Bonnie behind them walking closer muttering a spell eyes solely focused on Stefan, stopping only when she sees Leya nod to stop.
Stefan looks down at Leya realization appearing on his face, all the bites, the blood, and the broken bones. The spell had knocked him back to his senses, he didn't mean for this to happen, he didn't mean for his bloodlust to take control. Stefan looked up to Elena, then to Damon and Bonnie, apology written in his eyes. He couldn't even face Leya.
"It's okay, Stefan-." Damon told him, just as he was about to walk forward Stefan backtracked and blurred into the trees.
"I'm really sorry Sherriff Forbes, but I don't remember anything." Leya said to the mother of her blonde haired friend the most clueless expression she could create painted on her face.
Her voice was scratchy and the bite wounds Stefan inflicted on her were hot and itchy. The blood had caked and dried, staining her skin and dress.
"It's ok. You're safe, that's all that matters." Sherriff Forbes replied before standing up to talk to Damon.
The EMT's finally approved her stable and ready to leave and all Leya wanted to do was go home, heal her wounds and sleep but Damon stepped in her way.
"What do you want?" She questioned pulling her jacket closer to her.
"You ok?"
"I'm fine, Damon, I've had a lot worse trust me." Leya replied shooting him a confused look. "You know, for a second there you sounded a little concerned."
"Me. Concerned. For you." Damon scoffed, smiling slightly. "Never."
"Good night, Damon."
"I'm gonna take him out tonight." Damon said as she started to walk away. "Keep him locked up until he's back to his old boring, brooding, Bambi drinking self."
"He may get back to normal for now, Damon." Leya pauses but doesn't turn around. "But that side of him will never go away, you can repress it but you can't destroy it."
A/N: So this is the last chapter I stopped at before doing this rewrite so the next one will be brand new and fresh, so review if you guys have any idea's or anything. Also tell me what you guys think of Austin, I would really like to know considering he's an oc.