Chapter Ten: Girl Time

《Fill the glass,

Cause the last few days

have kicked my ass…》

Athena looked away as all eyes were on in the Salvatore living room. She shuffled awkwardly until Bonnie's soft voice broke through her anxiety, "Hey, it's okay. I-I'm fine, really. You're not giving me that much of a headache."

Bonnie offered her a wry smile before Athena hesitantly smiled back. "What do you mean headaches, Bonnie?" Elena stepped forward, her arms crossed and her eyebrows creased in confusion. Bonnie looked around the room to everyone before letting her dark eyes rest back on Athena.

"I think the witches are trying to tell me something, but I don't know what it is. It seemed to start when you said she came to the boarding house." Bonnie trailed off, looking at Athena curiously before a sarcastic voice cut in, "When aren't the witches trying to tell you something?"

Bonnie made a face at Damon and he smirked back before Stefan cut in, "First things first. That dagger they used on Athena. Was that spelled by a witch?" Bonnie reached down to pick up the dagger that was lying on the table next to the end of the couch.

"You mean this?" She quirked a brow and held it in her hands, turning it over and over as if drawing something from it. Bonnie looked back up to Stefan and Elena and nodded morbidly, "Whoever spelled this made sure she would immobile, but alive. You said two vampires attacked you, right?"

Athena nodded curtly, "Yes, but they-" Everyone paused and Athena cleared her throat, pushing strands of blonde hair out of the way of her face, "They smelled like my kind. Like-werecats. We have a distinct smell-"

"Pft, yeah you're telling me." Damon quipped from the couch, sipping his stupidly expensive bourbon and Athena glossed over his remark, "But, they weren't werecats. They were definitely vampires." Stefan furrowed his brow and Elena looked to Bonnie quizzically. "I know it doesn't make any sense, but they smelled like me."

"OR, they had your people's scent on them" Everyone in the room looked to Damon who shrugged. Athena scrunched her nose up in response, "But, that's impossible. I've never seen another of my kind before." Damon threw his hands up, "There is a first time for everything here in Mystic Falls."

Elena put her right hand to her temple, "Okay, so back up. We have two vampires who wanted to kill you. They had a spelled dagger that was meant to not kill you. Bonnie is getting weird vibes from you.." Elena trailed off and even her description gave Athena the beginning of a headache.

"Where are the bodies?" Stefan asked looking to Damon. "Caroline and Matt took care of Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum." Stefan seemed relieved and Athena knew Caroline would get the job done. "Dug through their pockets before Caroline took them cinderblock fishing."

Elena groaned at Damon's choice of words, but he continued as if he hadn't heard, "Texts indicate they checked into a mystery person while they were in Washington and nothing after that. No phone calls either. Assuming that they never checked in again, mystery person doesn't have a clue their henchman are at the bottom of a lake by now."

Everyone visibly relaxed, even Athena, "The number they were texting, does it work?" Damon shook his head, "Dead end. Whoever mystery person is they are using burner phones to communicate. The number isn't in service anymore." Athena looked wide eyed at Damon, "You mean you called the number without telling anyone?"

Her eyes grew wider and her heart rate slammed in her ribcage. He made decisions without telling the others and that kind of stuff could potentially lead to consequences.

Before Damon could retort a sarcastic remark, Stefan intervened, putting his right hand up, "Alright, guys. Let's not lose focus here." Athena nodded, feeling her nerves simmer down slowly. "Someone wants you alive, but for what I'm at a loss." Bonnie spoke, walking a few steps forward and then turning around to pace back a few steps.

She paced like that for a moment before murmuring, "Whoever the mystery werewolf is..they have a lot of supernatural creatures on their side. Vampires, a witch." She trailed off and Elena tensed visibly at this realization.

"Well, so do we." The opening and closing of a door revealed a petite blonde vampire that Athena was very glad to see. "We have numbers too so whoever this creep is that wants Athena really should reconsider."

Athena smiled at her choice of words. Elena and everyone else greeted Caroline while Damon eyed her with a questionable gaze. She placed her hands on her hips, directing her eyes to Damon, "Before you even ask, Damon, yes I dumped the bodies far, far away and they won't be found."

Damon smirked, "Thank you." Athena turned back to Bonnie as she continued to stare at her. For a small framed witch, Athena was feeling more uncomfortable by the second while Bonnie sized her up. "Shouldn't we let Klaus and Elijah handle finding the wolves, though?" Elena chimed in.

Athena nodded, "I don't want anyone here getting hurt. I don't think it's wise we go up against someone when we have no idea who they are." She said this in a warning and even Stefan seemed to subtly nod his head in agreement.

Bonnie lifted her head after a moment of silence and Athena saw her eyes were wide, as if an idea had just came to her, "First we need to know why they want you. I need to know your history, Athena." Athena scrunched her brows, wringing her hands nervously at being the center of attention with foreign people, yet again. "I mean- I can give you the same story I told-"

Bonnie cut her off politely, shaking her head, "No, no. I don't want you to tell me your history. I want to see it."

"Uh, Bonnie that's impossible because we don't have a time machine." Caroline spoke up, looking confused and then eyeing Elena and Athena who were just as confused.

The room went silent and Stefan was the first to speak, "She doesn't need a time machine, Caroline. Because she's going to do a spell, aren't you?" Bonnie looked at Stefan with a confident smirk, her eyes alight now that the talk of doing a spell had been brought into the mix. "I can look through Grams' grimoire and some other books to see what kind of spell I'd need to cast."

Elena hesitantly took a step towards Bonnie, "Are you sure something like this exists? A spell like that?" Elena seemed cautiously optimistic, but Bonnie smiled anyways, "I know it does. I've seen something similar in Grams' grimoire..so I'm sure I can find something to work with."

"Wait, wait, but how do you know what moment in history you're going to be looking for? This could take a while given that they're, I don't know, as old as werewolves." Athena cast a glance at Damon and though she hated to admit it, he was right. "He's the last person I'd want to agree with, but Bonnie, he's right.." Athena trailed off and Damon sat with a wide kilowatt smirk on his face at being told he was right.

Everyone looked to Bonnie and Caroline cut in quickly, "And not only that, but Bonnie can you even do a spell like that?" Bonnie arched a brow at Caroline, "You mean can I handle it?" Caroline made a pained face, but she only cared about Bonnie, that was clear. It was clear from everyone's hesitance, even Damon's. Caroline gave Bonnie a look and she sighed heavily, "I can handle it, Care, okay?" Caroline looked less than pleased and so did Athena.

"You don't agree?" Elena asked, now looking at Athena's face as she scrunched her forehead in concentration. "It's not that I don't agree, I just don't want anyone getting hurt." Bonnie offered a small smile and shrugged, "Hate to say it, but things went into motion the moment you stepped foot in Mystic Falls." Athena gave a pained groan and rubbed her temples before sighing, "Okay, what do you need from me?"

Athena wasn't a witch, but she knew the girl would need something from her. Bonnie smiled widely, "I'll let you know when I need something. I'll be in touch." Elena frowned, "Wait, you're leaving now?"

Bonnie grabbed her jacket and started to walk backwards out of the boarding house, "I need a day or so to get the stuff, but yeah, might as well start reading up on spells now." She nodded at everyone and then she met Athena's eyes and they shared a look of understanding before Bonnie slipped out the door.

"Are ya'll sure this is a good idea?" Athena looked to everyone and Caroline smirked, "Once Bonnie puts her mind to something it's hard to talk her out of it." Athena smirked getting the feeling the little witch was definitely headstrong. "I think Bonnie has a pretty solid idea." Stefan spoke up and Elena looked at him lovingly before Damon interrupted, "If it even works."

Stefan looked to Damon boredly, "What? Doubting Bonnie already, brother? That was record timing." Damon rolled his eyes at Stefan's remark and before he could say something else Athena shifted uncomfortably in the room, "You all have to promise me something."

Everyone got quiet and even Damon tilted his head to the side at Athena curiously, "When the time comes for the big showdown with this creep-" She used Caroline's word and she smiled lightly at the notion, "I cannot allow any of you to-." She was then abruptly cut off from a pompous ass named Damon Salvatore.

"Oh, honey, you think too highly of yourself." Everyone groaned, but Damon continued, "I can promise you I'm not dying for you or any other kind of creature that begins with Were." Damon got up from the couch, bottle in hand and started to walk out, but Athena was in his way.

"Good." She whispered fiercely in response and Damon came too close to comfort, standing there with his arrogance. However, Athena took note of the way curiosity and surprise graced his features while he looked down at her. Scathing might have been the way it seemed that he was looking, but his bright blue eyes told a different story.

She cleared her throat and backed away, looking at everyone in the room before Caroline put her right hand to her forehead, "Okay, that was really tension-y and…weird." Athena chuckled and Elena cleared her throat, a coy smile gracing her lips as Stefan threw his hands up, "I'm not touching that one." Athena shifted and ran her hands through her blonde locks, "I was just going to say I don't want anyone to get hurt or put themselves in danger because of me."

Stefan nodded lightly, understanding what she was going through, but Elena surprisingly spoke up. "Look, whatever we have to do we'll..figure it out. And we'll do it together. All of us. And no one is dying, not our watch." Stefan smirked, "Wow, nice pep talk." She shoved Stefan and they laughed amongst themselves quietly while Caroline grinned widely.

Caroline quietly stalked away, "I'll be right back." She walked out and with her vampire speed she was back in the room with a bottle of champagne. The mood was strangely bubbly and happy and Elena's pep talk wasn't much, but it was enough to make Athena realize these people were willing to go the mile for her and protect her, while also trying to help her figure out the mystery of why she was a marked woman.

They were almost like…friends.

Athena arched a brow at Caroline and Elena looked at the bottle of bubbly as well, "What's that for?" Caroline popped the cork and took a swig, plopping in the seat that Damon had just been sitting in, "I don't know about you guys, but I've had a night. I got a hangnail dragging those bodies out to the lake."

Athena walked purposely over to Caroline and took the bottle from her hands and took a swig, "I almost died." She shrugged, and then started smirking as Elena stalked over.

Athena handed the bottle to Elena and she took a swig before shrugging, "I just wanted a drink." Everyone laughed, even Stefan, before he backed out of the room. "I'll leave you girls to it." Elena reached for him and he came back over and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. Caroline raised her brows at Athena and she looked away, her face burning a crimson red.

"Can I trust you three not to cause too much trouble?" Stefan asked as he walked towards the stairs. "Well, you are housing a wanted Werecat..soo.." Elena snickered at Athena's remark, already taking another swig while Caroline shrugged at Stefan, "Trouble is my middle name, Stefan!" The girls giggled as Stefan walked up the stairs to leave them to a night of drinking, relaxation and laughs.

"Have you ever had a girl's night like this?" Caroline asked genuinely after about an hour of talking amongst one another. Athena paused, the champagne making her mind a little fuzzy, "Like this? Probably not in a while. Rebecca took me a couple of times out to the Quarter, but that always led to a fight with Klaus." There was a pregnant pause in the room and Elena cleared her throat as Caroline turned a shade red at the mention of Klaus.

"What is that look for?" Athena pointedly asked Caroline before she took a swig, trying to cover up her surprise at the direct question. "What? I don't have a look. Elena, tell her I don't have a look." Athena and Elena both gave Caroline a 'Yeah right' face which made Caroline pout. "I'll leave that one alone then." Athena added as Caroline shut down like a petulant child and refused to answer her question.

"Well, if we're talking looks what about that weird stare down you and Damon had, huh?" Caroline piped up, wanting to switch the scrutiny to someone else. Athena looked away and both girls eyed her curiously and she shrugged, "There was nothing weird about it. He's an ass."

Except for the fact that he saved your life, Athena.

Caroline made a face as if she didn't believe her and Elena gave her a sideways smile, "Well, we can all agree on one thing. Damon can definitely be an ass." The girls smiled amongst one another, but Caroline in particular seemed repulsed by the Damon talk so they quickly steered the conversation into something else.

Athena learned all about Caroline and Elena. And the two vampires learned much about Athena in return.

Once the evening was beginning to wind down, they spoke about Athena moving from one place to another and never really having a safe spot to rest her head. Elena spoke up as Athena became quiet, "It takes a really strong person to keep going, under the circumstances that you've been in."

Caroline nodded in agreement, "It must get.."

Athena answered for them, "Lonely?" The two girls nodded, curious and empathetic to her at the same time. "I guess you could say this life has toughened me up, but sometimes I'm afraid it's made me have too thick of skin. Takes a lot to poke through the armor and my trust was nonexistent even when Klaus took me in. I hated them out of fear for long time. They were vampires. I didn't trust them. " The girls smiled sadly, but in understanding.

"That family has a way of cracking through armor though and they sure did with me. I have a lot to thank them for." Athena added, still knowing of the bad blood between the Original family and the people of Mystic Falls. Elena was silent, not uncomfortable, but also not wanting to tread much on Klaus and his family.

Caroline, however, smiled lightly and nodded, "Sometimes the people we least expect can break down our walls." Athena eyed Caroline and she laughed, "What? I read it in a book somewhere. I thought it sounded..wise."

More laughter ensued.

It was a nice night to open up to these two girls who had taken her in, befriended her and showed her a kindness that no other vampire had ever done, besides the Mikealsons. Athena was so used to being on the run that having a normal life hadn't even really crossed her mind. As the night came to an end, Caroline looked to Athena with a genuine smile, "Well, I'm glad we did this. You were really overdue for it."

Elena nodded in agreement while rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stay away until she could get up the stairs to Stefan. Athena hugged the two of them and she realized she didn't even tense up when their vampire skin came into contact with hers. Athena started to traipse up the stairs back to her room while Caroline got settled in on the couch. She turned the corner, hearing a mattress shift as Elena crawled into bed in the adjacent room.

Athena continued to her room that she had been given before opening the door and freezing as she smelled a familiar scent in her room. She closed the door quickly and sighed, "What do you want?"

Damon was in the corner, sitting on the windowsill and he stood up. The first thing Athena noticed was that he was slightly intoxicated, "And why are you always in my room? If I didn't know any better I'd think you liked being in here."

He rolled his eyes as he carelessly walked over, her body stiffening upon his approach, "Negative Ghost Rider. I'm here because you asked me a question today and I never gave you an answer." Athena frowned, not understanding where his drunken mind was going to, "What question?" Her mind was hazy and she was trying to think back to before she met Bonnie earlier this evening on what she had asked him.

Until it came to her, but he was already talking.

"You asked why I didn't let you die earlier." Athena held her breath at his words as he took a small step toward her and she took a small step back. He looked annoyed at her step back and finally she found her feet stuck in place. She couldn't back up anymore. Athena froze beneath his blue gaze, "And the answer is..I don't know why." He frowned, like a child's frown and even his bottom lip jutted out in the most dumbfounded way as if Damon Salvatore was at a loss for words.

She had a feeling this rarely, if ever, happened. She knew he wasn't black out drunk, but he was definitely intoxicated.

Athena was silent, holding her breath and not really knowing what to say as Damon stepped into her person bubble once again. His slight vulnerability had her at a loss for words. Her breath hitched in her throat and her eyelashes fluttered in wonder at the pecuilar way he stared at her. There was anger, confusion, and a hint of curiosity wrapped in his haunted blue eyes.

He seemed to come back to his senses right as he started to draw nearer, but then just as quick as the moment had happened, he was side stepping her and barely brushing against her shoulder as he left her room. He didn't close the door and Athena flew to the door and shut it the moment his scent was gone. She leaned her back against the door, her hand awkwardly on the knob.

He was cordial for a second, and then he was ice cold to her. He was going to leave her for dead, but then he saved her life.

Damon made jokes every chance he got at her expense and some more cruel than others. She was sure of one thing; Damon Salvatore was the most complicated man she had ever met. And she wasn't exactly sure she had time for complicated when a Werewolf clan was trying to find her.

And possibly kill her.

There was no way she was going to let an egotistical, emotionally unstable vampire get under her skin. Her cellphone rang and she welcomed the distraction as she fumbled for it on her nightstand.

"Hello, love."

Klaus.