YOU'RE UNDEAD TO ME

Ariana POV:

It had been four days since I last saw Stefan. But I think that's because he was dealing with Damon, since I hadn't seen him again either. I hoped that they were both okay, I'd wanted Damon to be put down or locked up, but not dead.

There was school today though, so I dressed in jean short-shorts, a white frilly spaghetti strap top, and black high-heels. I wore my vervain necklace, a charm bracelet, and the hair clip that Bonnie had given to me.

As I entered the bathroom, I was surprised to see Vicki in there. What was she doing at our house? And then I realized it. She and Jeremy had like a thing, right? That's probably why my brother and Tyler were always fighting.

"I-I'm sorry," Vicki stuttered around a bunch of toothpaste. The only thing she was wearing was one of Jeremy's shirts, and her hair was a mess. "I'm almost done." She was in the middle of brushing her teeth.

"It's okay," I smiled at her, "Take your time." I left the bathroom and went downstairs.

I saw Jenna sitting by the granite kitchen counter, drinking some coffee. "Hey, Jenna. Looks like Jeremy's having fun." I joked.

"It does, doesn't it." She smiled. I guess she was okay with it. I don't really have anything against Vicki, other than her being a drug-user, that is. "Oh, and just so you know," she said, "I won't be home for dinner."

"Oh," I teased. She was talking all about it last night. "So you're actually going to do it. You're gonna go out with Logan."

"I'm going to show up and torture him, yes." she said, and I laughed.

Then, Elena came in. She grabbed a chewy bar from the cupboards, and turned towards me, "Have you heard from Stefan?"

"Good morning to you too, Elena." I said sarcastically. She just rolled her eyes. "And, no. Not since he left that really lame message." The message was basically him saying that he was "taking care" of Damon. But, seriously, if Stefan had killed him, I think I'd probably be annoyed. I continued, "But, whatever, you know. I trust him. So if he wants space, that's what I'm giving him."

"Shouldn't you call him?" Elena asked. It's not like this was her business anyways, so why was she asking all these questions?

"Nope. I just said, that I'm giving him space," I explained to her. "I'm okay with it. He doesn't have to keep me updated on his life every second, you know."

Elena shrugged, "Whatever," she said, then left for school.

Then, Jenna spoke up, "And that is why she can never find herself any boyfriends."

"Jenna," I rolled my eyes at her. Jenna was my and Elena's aunt, she was supposed to look out for us, not make fun of us. But I still loved her.

"What?" She asked innocently. Shaking my head, I said:

"Bye, I'm going to school." I picked up my bag, and after her telling me to have fun (as if I could have fun at a school), I walked to school.

Bonnie was taking Caroline to school today, so I couldn't depend on her to pick me up. And, I wasn't going to go get my car, it was a waste of gasoline. I actually preferred walking, over taking the car. I shuddered, thinking about that night. My feet pounded against the concrete in time, reminding me of a recent tune.

When I was about half-way to school, my phone rang. It was Stefan.

"Hello, Stefan." I said, smiling. Finally, he was calling me.

"Hey," His voice came on, "Sorry I couldn't call because, well, you know. I had to make sure that he was securely in." I didn't have to ask to know that he was talking about Damon.

"No," I said, "It's okay, I understand." Then I lowered my voice. "What did you do?"

"Remember when Caroline was bit?" he asked. I nodded, but then remembered that he couldn't see me, so I said:

"Yeah,"

"Well, I spiked Caroline's drink with vervain, and it traveled into her blood..."

"Got it," I said, not really wanting to hear more. "But, I mean, where did you put him?"

"I locked him up in the cellar down in the basement of the boarding house." He said.

"Is it safe?"

"Yeah," he answered, "It's secure enough for a weak vampire."

"Poor Damon. I actually feel sorry for him." Even though he's done so many bad things, I didn't think that anyone deserved to be locked up against there will, not even Damon.

"Yeah," Stefan said, "It's either lock him up for fifty years, or have him kill more people."

"Yeah," I agreed sadly, "Well, it's good to hear from you... I'll see you at school?"

"See you," he replied.

"Bye,"

"Bye."

He hung up. I walked the rest of the way to school feeling glad. Damon was locked up, where he couldn't hurt anyone close to me ever again, and I was looking forward to seeing my boyfriend. But, I sighed, there was still the matter of ... Caroline.

When I got to school, it was as if Caroline was back to her normal, chatty self. "The sexy studs car wash is tomorrow," she said to me, Bonnie, and a few other people, "The football team and the and have committed. Well, not all the band. Just the ones who could pull off the bikini. i want, in your face, sexy. I mean, it's a fund raiser, for god's sake."

"Wow," I whispered to Bonnie, "It's as if nothing's happened." Of course, Bonnie had no idea about the "vampire" thing, but she did know that something was up with Damon.

"She's in denial." Bonnie said back. Then, Stefan walked up to us, and I smiled. I hadn't seen him in what seemed like ages.

"Hey," I said, giving him a hug.

"I gotta go," Bonnie said, giving us some private time, "Be somewhere right now." She gave Stefan and I a smile, then walked away.

I turned back to Stefan, and looked into his leaf-green eyes. He was looking slightly guilty when he said, "So, to make it up to you, how about we hang out together at The Grill, around four o'clock."

I smiled and replied, "I'd love to."

He was moving in to kiss me, when Caroline's voice came from behind me, "Stefan, where is Damon? He has some serious apologizing to do."

I sighed. Caroline wasn't going to get a truthful answer from him.

"He left town, Caroline, and he's not coming back, " Stefan said, "I'm sorry," He didn't sound sorry at all.

"It's a good thing, Caroline," I was trying to convince her and myself. With Damon gone, Caroline would become her bubbly and giddy self, once again.

"I know that," Caroline said sadly, as she pouted. I stepped closer to her, and gave her a hug. I nodded and smiled over her shoulder to Stefan, reassuringly.

I checked my phone. Where was Stefan? It was 4:30 already. Did something with Damon happen? I pondered whether or not if I should've called him, but thought better of it. I looked around the Grill, and spotted Matt. I walked up to him and asked, "Hey, Matt, have you seen Stefan?"

He shook his head, "Nope. If you want to kill some time, um, you can rack." He smiled and gestured towards the pool table. "Come on. We haven't played in forever. I'll let you break."

Upon hearing that, I said, "Deal."

About twenty minutes into our pool game, Matt turned to me.

He asked, "What do you think about Stefan? Is he a good guy? Does he treat you well?"

I wasn't exactly expecting Matt to ask those questions so straightforwardly. I could sense jealousy in his tone.

"Yeah." I smiled at Matt, "He's a great guy. Real nice too." He's also a vampire, but I left that part out, of course.

"Then why is he so late?" he asked. I wasn't exactly comfortable with this conversation.

Hey, I was wondering the same thing. Damon didn't get out, did he? I was starting to get worried. "I don't know," I replied honestly. "Let me find out."

I was about to call Stefan, when I saw him enter through the doors of the Mystic Grill. God, he was so late. He came up to me, guiltily, and said, "I'm so sorry Ariana, it was..." he trailed off when he saw Matt behind me.

"Uh," Matt said, a little awkwardly, and a little irascibly, "You two have fun." Then he left us alone.

"...it was Damon." Stefan finished, his voice a bit softer.

"What happened. Is everything okay?" I asked him, worried.

"Yeah," he said, "Everything's fine now. It's just that Zach got a bit too close, but he's okay."

"Oh," I said, "Good. But you were still an hour late," I scolded him, playfully. I looked up to him from under my lashes. "So, how're you going to make up for it."

"Oh, I'll tell you what I'm going to do." Stefan grinned wickedly, as he grabbed my by the hips and pulled me towards him. I giggled and his mouth met mine.

"Stefan," I pulled away slightly and laughed, "We're in public."

"I don't care. But fine," he said, "How about we go to your house, talk, and I'll make dinner."

"You cook?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I've been around a long time," he answered, "And we can make your favorite: chicken parmesan."

"How did you know?" I asked him.

He shrugged, "I may have asked Caroline while we were dancing the other day."

Of course Caroline would tell him. She'll practically answer any question thrown to her. "Okay, cool," I said. "Did you come here by foot?" He nodded. "Then we'll take my car."

Once we got to my house, Stefan immediately went to my kitchen. I laughed as he started pulling out a bunch of ingredients from the cupboards. I didn't even know half of them.

Then Stefan asked me, "Where is Jenna?"

"Oh," I responded, "She's out with Logan, you know, the news guy. And don't worry about my brother and sister. Jeremy's with Vicki, as you can probably hear," I smirked, and he looked sheepish, "while Elena... she's doing her own thing."

I had no idea what Elena did in her room everyday. I didn't get why she couldn't just make up with Bonnie or Caroline and just hang out with them. Maybe if she learned not to be rude... God, now I was sounding like a bitch.

"Well," Stefan smiled, "We have the ground floor to ourselves tonight." Then he hesitated, and said, "I'd like to tell you about Katherine, if you don't mind. Just so you know everything."

I wasn't exactly ecstatic to hear about his dead vampire lover, but, he was right, I wanted to know everything. "I don't mind," I said.

He took out a vegetable - god knows what it was - a board, the big knife, and started chopping it into thin strips. "She was... " he started, "the most beautiful girl that I had ever met. She had this perfect ivory skin. And this laugh. It was ridiculous. I mean, her laugh made you laugh. And she was fun. She knew how to have a good time. But Katherine was also very impatient and entitled and selfish, and, um, impulsive. Enter Damon." I smiled softly, as he said that. "He claims that he was with her first. I don't know. I do know that I did some things that... I'm not proud of. And my biggest regret... Is not being able to make it right before she died. I miss her, but... I'm no longer crippled by her loss." He looked to me. "I have someone else now."

I moved over to him and touched his shoulder, making sure not to bother him with the cutting of the vegetables. "Thank you," I said, "For telling me." He smiled, and I did too. "I you want to... you can tell me what it is you did that you regretted."

Stefan said, "In 1864, they were rounding up the vampires. The day before, I had told my dad about Katherine, and... they took her. Burned her up in Fell's Church along with the rest of them."

"I'm sorry."

He smirked at me, "Don't be. As you know, it was a long time ago. And... I've met you. Who I care about more than I ever did with her."

That was so sweet. I loved how honest and open he was being with me. I said, "Tell me about yourself."

"I'm an avid reader," he said. I was too. I stood there, just listening to him in awe. "a huge Fitzgerald fan, 'The Great Gatsby', his masterpiece. I also love some good Grisham. I think Seinfeld is the best American television show for the past fifty years, but I love Lucy is all-time. 'The loving cup' episode was the best, I think. Huge Scorsese fan. I can watch Taxi Driver over and over again."

I laughed, and held out my hands, "Here, let me." I took the knife out of his hands, and stated to chop the garlic. I smiled. Garlic plus Vampire. Stefan continued:

"As far as music, it's pretty much across the board. Um, Dylan, Hendrix, Patsy, Willie, a little Kanye. You know what? I even like that one Miley song."

I smirked. "Which one?"

"Party in the U.S.A." I laughed.

"That song is fun and cute," I agreed. Then as I looked up to him, smiling, I felt a sharp pain on my finger.

"Ow!" I dropped the knife onto the wooden board, "Ahh," Blood was coming out of my finger and dripping onto the board. God, I was such an idiot. Leave it to me to cut myself in front of a vampire.

I looked up and saw Stefan's face transform into one of a demon. Quickly grabbing a towel, I wrapped it around my finger. "You okay?" I asked him.

After taking a few deep breaths, the veins below Stefan's eyes receded, and once again, I could see into his green eyes. "Yeah, sorry." He said, "It's just your blood..."

"Yeah, I know, I'm an idiot."

"No, no, that's not what I meant..." He looked at me, "Your blood... it's not like any other kind of blood. It smells... really good. It's kinda hard to explain."

I walked closer to him, and took his face into my hands, making sure to keep my finger covered. "I trust you, okay?" I told him as I kissed him.

"I know, and I would never hurt you." He promised. I smiled. I was in love with Stefan.

The next day, was the day of the "Sexy Suds Car Wash" that Caroline was making me go to. I sighed.

When I arrived, Caroline was giving specific rules of "don't"s and "no"s to the car washers, "No friend discounts. No freebies. No pay ya laters. We are not running a charity here. No, we are not."

I laughed and rolled my eyes at her. Oh, Caroline.

I looked around and saw cars already lining up by the school, ranging in all different shapes and sizes. I went up to Caroline and asked, "Is Elena here?"

"For heaven's sake, no." Caroline said in a "duh" voice. "I know she's your sister and all, but she'd just make the "sexy" in "sexy car wash" become just "car wash"."

I sighed again. Maybe if my friends were willing to forgive Elena, she'd be happier. From the corner of my eye, I saw Stefan walk towards me. "Hey there," I said to him.

He smiled and said, "Hi." He wrapped his arms around me.

"The event is called sexy suds, you know," Caroline said, then she walked off.

"Did we just get scolded?" Stefan asked me teasingly.

"Yeah, we did." I said, then I smiled slyly, "I guess you're going to have to take that off." I gestured to his jacket.

"I think you have to go first." He retorted.

"Okay," I grabbed the ends of my sleeveless shirt, and slipped it off, revealing my black two-piece swimsuit. "What do you think?" I placed my shirt on a nearby table. I was also wearing some black flip-flops and silver earrings.

His eyed heated as they raked over my body. "If that doesn't qualify for sexy, I don't know what does." I laughed, and he cupped my face, placing a kiss on my lips.

"You're turn." I said.

"Well," he smiled, "I definitely can't top yours, but..." He took off his jacket, just leaving on a black shirt that hugged his toned muscles.

"You look sexy to me." I smirked.

"Come here." He said gruffly. I giggled, and Stefan grabbed my hips, pulling me to him.

3rd person POV:

Matt was watching Stefan and Ariana kiss with sad eyes.

"Uh-uh," Bonnie said from where she was, cleaning the other side of the same car, "No. None of that tortured pining stuff."

Matt looked at her, "I'm just observing." But even he knew that was a lie. It hurt him to see Ariana interact like that with others. The pain was always there.

"Mm-hmm," Bonnie said, unconvinced, "Right."

Ariana POV:

Stefan and I were washing one of the cars, when I noticed that his daylight ring was getting all soapy.

"Too bad," I said, "That ring's nice, yet you can't take it off when washing."

"Yeah," Stefan said, "But it's alright. It was designed by a witch, so it doesn't react with other elements."

"What's the stone?" I asked him.

"Lapis lazuli." Cool, I thought. I was pretty, I need to get one of those rings...

"You know Bonnie? I think she may be a witch, or like a psychic." I said to Stefan.

"I do too," I looked towards him, surprised. He said, "I've been suspecting it ever since you brought up the subject at dinner that night." Wow. Stefan actually thought that Bonnie was a witch. Could it be possible? I mean, Stefan was a vampire, so why not?

Changing the subject, I said, "I'm gonna get some towels. Be right back."

"Okay," Stefan smiled.

I walked over to Caroline. She was standing behind the table, collecting and counting the money. "He," I called to her, "We're out of towels and those shimmy things." I could never figure out what they were actually called.

"I'll go get some more." She smiled at me, "Mind the money."

"Okay," I said to her. Then, she strode away, bouncing like a little girl. I smiled.

I couldn't find Caroline anywhere. Where did she go? I spotted Stefan by a different car this time, and went over to him. I was about to ask if he's seen my best friend, when I saw something catch on fire. "Stefan!" I shouted towards him.

He followed my gaze, and jogged closer to the fire. Bonnie was standing right in front of the fire, staring at it absently with wide eyes. I walked over to her, concerned. "Bonnie. Are you okay?" I shook her arm, and she blinked a few times. The fire went out, just like that.

"What just happened?" Bonnie asked Stefan and I as she finally started focusing.

"You were in some kind of trance." I told her. Stefan and I shared a look, and I knew what he was thinking. Bonnie was a witch.

"Did I do this?" She asked and jerked her chin towards the car that had caught on fire. There was nothing to prove that a fire had recently just burned... besides the darkened windows.

Stefan hesitated to answer, "I think so, yeah," he said.

"Nobody else saw, did they?" She asked us. I shook my head. "Don't tell anybody, please." She pleaded with us.

"Of course we won't tell anyone, Bonnie." I assured her. If I was to tell someone, who knows what would happen. First, I'd probably get labeled "crazy" and then get locked into an asylum. And if somehow, they did believe me, it'd be like the Salem Witch Trials all over again. Stefan nodded to Bonnie, implying that he would keep her secret.

"Thanks, guys." She smiled, and then turned and walked away, probably too freaked out to speak. I know I'd be, if I ever found out I was a witch.

It didn't change my view of Bonnie. It never would. Just like with Stefan, Bonnie was still Bonnie; my best friend. She just had powers now, or whatever. I had no idea what being a witch was like, but I think that I'd find out soon enough...

Once I got home, after the fund-raiser-car-wash thing, I called Caroline. Thankfully, she was home safely. But why had she left so early? It wasn't like Caroline to bail at something that she helped to organize. Though, when I asked her, she just gave the same excuse that everyone always gives: She said "she was sick". Yeah, right. Caroline doesn't get sick, because she always shows up, no matter what. So... what was wrong?

I looked to the clock in the living room. It read: 8:12. It wasn't that late, so I thought about visiting Stefan. I know that he had warned me to stay away, even if Damon was securely locked up. But, because of that, I figured it was safe to go to the boarding house and talk with him.

I needed to sort out things. About vampires, Damon, Caroline, and Bonnie.

I drove up to the boarding house, steering my car into the gravel of the driveway. I knew, right then, that something was wrong. There was something in the air, it smelled like...

Death.

I ran up onto the porch, taking the steps two at a time. The air was cold too, colder than it should be in September, in Virginia. Good thing I had decided to wear my black leather jacket.

I was about to knock on the door, but it swung open before I had the chance to. The sight shocked me.

Stefan was standing there, with an angry look on his face, as if he was ready to take revenge on someone. The long, thick wooden stake in his hand further strengthened my assumption. I sighed mentally. Damon must have broken out, and done something really bad. Great...

Stefan was surprised to see me there, his eyebrows raised in question and confusion.

In a concerned, and slightly afraid voice, I asked, "What happened?"

I'm not sure that I wanted to know the answer.

Sorry that this chapter wasn't as long. As you probbaly know, Ariana is already aware of vampires, so you didn't have to sit through the long and tedious process of how she would've found out if she was Elena.

Whether you want to comment or criticize my story, please, leave a review.

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

-Spiralcloud