Here is Chapter 3 :)

Thanks to everyone for the reviews/favs/alerts! I really appreciate it. Sorry if I kept you waiting.

DISCLAIMER: Is it really necessary at this point? Just remember that Bethany is an OC (original character), and this plot is also mine. The other characters - if you MUST know (which I'm sure you do) - belong to L.J. Smith, The CW., etc etc.

Let's get on with this, shall we?

Chapter 3: Well, This Blows…

"We've been in this car for eight hours. Are we there yet?" Bonnie, still in the front seat, asked Damon. She was a little ashamed of herself for using the most clichéd road trip question, and felt like a child.

"Only a couple of hours until we're there," Damon replied tersely.

He wasn't the only one who was irritable. The rest of the gang were tired and in need of some good leg stretching. It also didn't help that Damon refused to turn the radio back on, claiming that their taste in music was bound to make his ears bleed.

"Damon, why don't we stop for gas before it gets dark," suggested Meredith. "We need a break, anyway."

"What does the fact that it's getting dark have to do with anything?"

"Well, we don't want to get stranded in an unfamiliar place." Damon actually turned to look Meredith in the face when she said this.

"Eyes on the road," Meredith said as he turned back around.

"There are one and a half vampires in this vehicle, and you're afraid of what might be lurking in the dark?" he scoffed.

"One and a half vampires?" Stefan asked. He could sense an insult coming.

"I'm the one, little brother, and you're just half." Damon gave Stefan a satisfied smile.

"First of all, do not insult my boyfriend," Elena began. "Second, can you please just listen to Meredith? I need to use the bathroom."

Damon looked at her through the rear-view mirror. "You just went!"

"I had three and half cups of coffee this morning, and it's still in my system. C'mon Damon!"

"There should be a rest stop near NIAGRA FALLS where you can do what you need to do. We'll be arriving at NIAGRA FALLS in just a few minutes. NIAGRA FALLS is a very beautiful place you know? And I just love the sound of RUSHING WATER." Damon smiled again as Elena scowled and squirmed in her seat.

"You are evil."

"Tell me something I don't know, Princess."

No sooner had Damon said that, they heard a noise like a gunshot coming from the outside. The SUV began to fishtail, and Damon had to struggle to gain control of the vehicle. The other passengers clutched at their seats, relying on the seatbelts to keep them in place. With some effort, Damon slowed and pulled over onto the side of the road and brought the SUV to a stop.

"What was that?" Bonnie turned to the others, looking bewildered. Matt was already getting out to inspect.

"Sounds like the tire blew. I'm taking a look at it," he replied as he got out.

Meredith, who was sitting on the other side, got out and let her seat down so Elena and Stefan could exit from the third row of seats. Bonnie hopped out as well, and Damon followed. The group stood there looking at the remains of the tire. Most of it was in the middle of the road. Not only was the tire in shreds, but the exterior of the right, front side of the SUV was blown out of place. The headlight was also gone.

"Well, this is lovely," said Damon.

"No it's not! What am I going to do now?" Elena was slightly hopping up and down, trying to prevent an embarrassing accident. Everyone was just looking at her. "What?" she demanded.

"No one's ever really seen you in this state. You're usually…poised," replied Stefan. The others nodded in agreement.

"Well." Elena grumbled, still doing the potty dance.

Just then, a car pulled over behind their stranded SUV. A woman stepped out and smiled brightly.

"Bethany?" Matt's eyebrows were raised so high that they were in his hair. "What are you doing out here?"

"I saw that y'all were in some trouble, so I thought I might lend a hand. Need a lift?" Bethany gestured to her two-door, 1999 Honda Civic. This time everyone raised their eyebrows.

"It's nice of you to offer, but there are six of us – seven including you. We can't all fit, and it's too dark for anyone to be sitting out here alone." Damon cleared his throat. "I mean, it's too dark for most of us to be sitting out here alone," Matt corrected himself.

"I have an idea," Damon perked up. "Stefan and Meredith can lap up in the front while Brittany drives, and that'll leave the last three seats to Bonnie, Elena, and me. Mutt can keep up with the car by running, being the star athlete he is." Damon cast a smile towards Matt and the group. "Or we can strap him to the roof of the car like a mattress," he added in response to their disapproving expressions. Bethany's features melted into a frown as she faced Damon.

"Who do you think you are, callin' him a 'mutt'?" she asked him. Before Damon could give a snide response, Bethany gathered all the force she could muster and slapped him across the face. Nobody, not even Damon, saw it coming. "And mah name is Bethany!" Bethany added, her southern accent ringing clear.

Damon grabbed her shoulders, almost crushing them, as the canines in his mouth extended. He could feel his face transforming, but was prevented from doing anything further because Stefan snatched Bethany from Damon's iron grip and looked into her terrified eyes.

"Everything is okay," he told her, using compulsion to reinforce his point. "There's nothing out of the ordinary here. Everything is just fine." Stefan wasn't sure exactly what to tell her, but it seemed to work as her eyelids drooped and her posture relaxed. Damon had calmed down as well, and his face had gone back to its usual unreadable expression.

"So, do y'all need a lift?" Bethany asked as if nothing had just happened.

"As a matter of fact, we do," replied Damon. He found that everyone was eyeing him cautiously when he turned to them. "Get your things," he began, "Bethany is going to drive you to the nearest hotel while I find a replacement vehicle."

"How will you do that? You can't drive that thing." Bonnie pointed to the battered SUV.

"As if I really needed that to get around. You humans often forget my abilities." And with that, Damon transformed into a crow and soared off.

Meredith was conveniently standing next to Bethany as Damon transformed, and covered her eyes so she wouldn't see. Meredith didn't remove her hands from Bethany's eyes until Damon disappeared. Meanwhile, Elena had been growing more and more frantic.

"I can't hold it much longer, you guys!"

How will Damon handle the car situation?

What was Bethany doing out there?

What does the rest of the night have in store?

Will Elena finally get to go pee?

Keeping in mind that this is supposed to be humorous, have I remained faithful to the characters' personalities? (Okay, so that's not a cliff hanger but I thought I'd throw it in there anyway. *innocent giggle*)

I'm sorry to leave the story dangling like this, but I wanted to give you guys something. Besides, don't cliffs make you want more? The next chapter will be longer to make up for it. The holiday break is coming up, so you can expect some updates on all my stories then.

Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, whether good or bad. I'm very open to criticism. Questions in your reviews are also welcome. Thank you :)

Just A Little Anecdote:

Just like the cricket apocalypse in the bathroom of the last chapter, the tire blowout was also based on a personal road trip experience. We were in the middle of Oklahoma, and it was literally 100 degrees outside. Although it wasn't nighttime like it was in this chapter (and no one desperately had to use it), it was still a nerve-racking experience. Thankfully, there was a Wal-Mart with an auto department nearby.

Aahh, the memories. I love road trips :)