Chapter 5: Anytime
The morning soon drew in as people flooded into the Grill, ready for their breakfast and the endless amounts of games that they were going to play. Caroline, Elena and Stefan walked in, taking a seat at they're normal table. The girls pealed their jackets off, feeling the heat building and threw them over the back of their chairs.
"Do you girls want anything?" Stefan asked, taking a quick glance at the bar as if he were trying to remember all of the drinks that they served.
"I'll just have a coke Stefan." Elena answered with a smile as Caroline nodded in agreement as she was playing with the laminated menu sitting on the table.
"I'll have a coke too please." Nodding, he walked off and over to the bar as he waited for Matt to come over to him. He still wasn't very friendly to him, seeing as he was dating his ex-girlfriend and all. Oh and the fact that he was a vampire ticked him off as well.
"What can I get you Stefan?" He raised his eyebrows as wrinkles appeared on his forehead and his eyes enlarged slightly, his blue orbs studying him.
"Three cokes please Matt." He told him with a smile as Matt made a slight grunt and walked off down the bar, causing Stefan to laugh and shake his head.
"What are you laughing at?" Stefan looked over his shoulder to see Damon walking towards him as he slipped his shades off and tucked them into this jacket pocket.
"Matt...he's still a bit pissed with me." He told him as he smirked, taking a seat on the stool.
"You have that effect on many people brother. He isn't the only one you piss off easily." Damon told him as his blue eyes sparkled in amusement.
"That's three cokes." Matt told Stefan, placing the tray down as he waited for the money.
Shoving his hand into his back pocket, he searched for any loose change and hissed in annoyance as it seemed he wasn't in luck. Today of all the days. Laughing, Damon digged his hand into his pocket and dropped some change on the bar, knowing how much of a clutz his brother was when it came to carrying money.
"Busboy, you seen Aria today?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as Matt picked up the money from the bar, throwing a glare his way as he dropped the change into the cash register.
"She was supposed to be here," Stopping in his sentence, he glanced at the clock, continuing, "Two hours ago. She never turned up. Her car was still parked outside this morning."
Furrowing his eyebrows, he got up and looked at Stefan before making his way outside and glancing around. Seeing Aria's car, he walked over to it and stopped in his tracks as he seen her keys lying on the floor. Bending down, he picked them up and looked at them intently as he looked around confused. Where was she? Going back inside, he walked over to Stefan who was standing at the table with Caroline and Elena.
"We have a problem." Damon told him, dangling Aria's keys off his finger as Stefan glanced at them briefly and looked back at him with confusion.
"Car...keys?" Stefan asked unsure, not understanding how keys were a problem.
"The keys belong to Aria dumbnuts! They were outside lying by her car." He told him as he looked back at the keys and then back to Damon.
"Okay, then we have a problem."
The girls watched as the boys paced back and forward with looks of wonder on their faces. They had been here all day, trying to figure out what could have happened or where Aria could have disappeared off to. Stefan rubbed his chin, sitting down and sighed exhausted, his brain hurting from all of the thinking.
"Anything?" Caroline asked, her eyes covered in worry as she looked at Stefan, seeing him staring down at the table.
"I can't think. My brain is killing." He told her, drinking the last drop of his coke as he looked up at Damon.
"Oi! Busboy! Come here!" Damon yelled over to Matt as he dropped the trays on the bar and walked over to them, shooting a glance at Caroline and Elena, before looking back at Damon with an annoyed look.
"Can I help you dick? Some of us have to work unlike you." He told him as he laughed and glared at him with seriousness.
"Yes you can big mouth. Aria, did she speak to anyone last night? Anyone suspicious looking?" His blue eyes watched Matt curiously.
"One last customer, she was talking to. Didn't seem very suspicious though, he left after a bit. Why?" Starting to clear up the tables around him, Damon groaned and slumped down into the chair, feeling very agitated.
"Relax sunshine. No need to get all flustered." Klaus spoke as everyone looked his way, causing him to grin and walk towards them. Stefan stood in front of Elena, watching him.
"What do you want Klaus? Barbie or Doppelganger?" Damon questioned as Elena and Caroline glared at him, causing him to grin slightly and look to Klaus. "Actually...neither at the moment anyway. I wanted to talk to you Damon." He told him with a smile as he took a seat at one of the tables and kicked his feet up.
"Mmh, ain't that a surprise." He replied sarcastically as he glanced over at him, causing him to laugh.
"Easy there darlin. I'd settle down if you wanna know where your little lass is." He told him with a smile as Damon's face fell and soon changed again, anger flashing through his eyes.
"You know where she is.." Stefan said, watching Damon carefully as he crossed his arms across his chest.
"Of course I do. Lovely little lass. Was talking to her last night. Got an attitude on her though. I see why you like her." Damon jumped out of his chair and was about to tackle him until Stefan held him back and looked over at Klaus.
"What do you want?" Stefan questioned in confusion as he pushed Damon back down into his seat and looked over at Matt who had been watching.
"I want...my Doppelganger and...the white oak stake." He told them as Damon smirked and stood up.
"Now who's looking stupid. The white oak stake was gone a long time ago...as for the Doppleganger-" He began with a grin and Stefan elbowed him and looked at Klaus.
"Where is she Klaus?" He asked seriously with annoyance as Klaus came to his feet and looked at all of them.
"I'm hosting a...masquerade bash tonight, you should ALL be there." He told them with a grin as he looked over to Caroline and walked out, causing Damon to huff annoyed.
"Great...just...freaking...great." They all sighed as the thought about the night to come.
Damon fixed his tie and brushed himself off, checking himself in the car reflection as he fixed his mask and looked over at Stefan, who was sorting out his hair causing him to laugh. Glaring over at him, he fixed his hair and mask and brushed himself off, turning around as he glanced at the crowd of people walking into the big house.
"When are the girls coming?" Damon asked, slowly walking towards the house with Stefan next to him.
"Soon. They said they'd meet us inside. So, we gotta remember...Klaus will be watching. Aria could be anyone and...could be under compulsion." Stefan told him.
"Oh. I'll know Aria when I see her. That's for sure." Making their way inside, they looked around sensing company and looked at each other, nodding.
"Good luck." Stefan told him, walking off through the crowd as Damon glanced around and pushed through a crowd as he walked into the big hall and stopped, seeing people ball room dancing to the music that was echoing throughout the hall.
Looking at the many amounts of people dancing, he chewed his lip and pushed to the front of the crowd, seeing another dance about to start. Joining in the line, he looked around and caught sight of Stefan as he was watched from the crowd, his eyes surveying the area. Damon took a deep breath and began walking forward as he took a girl in his arms and began dancing with her, his eyes lingering around until they stopped on a brunette. She was wearing a deep purple silk dress, with a bedazzled corset that hugged her slim waist as the back was tied with midnight black ribbons. The waterfall of silky material puffed out around her hips and draped to the floor in an elegant manner.
He watched as she was spun around the dance floor and studied her mask, which hugged her face neatly and was a deep purple like her dress with black sparkled spots. Damon smiled and spun his partner away and stepped forward as she spun his way and took her into his arms, dipping her gently. She looked up at him, her brown eyes sparkling in happiness as she seen who it was. She'd know those eyes from anywhere.
"Damon." Aria murmured softly as he pulled her back up gently and twirled her around, placing his hand on her waist and taking her hand in his, continuing to dance.
"I got ya." He replied as they blended in with everyone else and moved with the music as the brunette gazed around.
Damon looked around and spotted Stefan near the edge of the crowd where he was before and seen him ushering him out into the hall. Looking back at Aria, he spun them towards the edge and took her hand in his as he lead her through the crowd and out to the hall as she tried to keep up with him. Aria stopped suddenly in her footsteps, feeling weighed down and watched as Damon walked over to Stefan, Elena and Caroline.
"Aria, come on." Caroline called to her as she just stared back at her, not being able to form any words.
"Aria." Damon began gently as he went to walk towards her until Klaus stepped out, a grin on his face causing Damon to snarl.
"She can't...she is compelled. She has to do as I say and...unfortunately for you, she is compelled not to leave this building." He told them all with a smile as he crossed his arms.
"You can't hold her hostage Klaus." Elena told him, standing beside Stefan as he glanced at her and laughed.
"Ello there...my Doppelganger. Nice seeing you again and you Caroline." He told her with a charming smile as she rolled her eyes and fixed her dress.
"She's coming with us Klaus." Damon told him, glaring as his eyes moved over to Aria who had frozen in her spot.
"Now now now. We had a deal. The white oak stake and the Doppelganger." Klaus told them, smirking slyly as he looked at Elena as she stood behind Stefan.
"We told you, the white oak stake is GONE." He replied angrily as Klaus laughed at Damon and walked over to him.
"Now mate. We both know that's not true." He responded as Damon looked back at Stefan as he chewed his lip and watched Klaus.
A crowd of Hybrids walked out from either side and stood behind Klaus as he laughed and clapped his hands together. Stefan looked at Damon and then looked back at Klaus and the hybrids behind him. Damon chewed his lip, thinking and looked back at Stefan, not knowing what to do.
"You see now mate. I have more people than you." Klaus told him with a grin as he stepped back and turned around, talking to the group.
"But are they as powerful as you want them to be brother?" Elijah announced, stepping out as he stepped in front of Damon.
"Elijah...brother, what are you doing here?" He asked, frowning in annoyance as he watched him.
"Cleaning up your mess as usual." Pulls out the white oak stake and shows it to Klaus.
"That's the stake." Klaus murmured as Elijah tucked it away again, pointing the Hybrids out as they looked at Klaus and left the room. Klaus glared at Elijah and looked at Damon who seemed to be shocked. Elijah walked over to Aria and began compulsion on her as he spoke quietly.
"You may now leave." He told her as she blinked a couple of times, feeling weird as she looked up at him in confusion.
"Aria." Damon called out as she looked behind Elijah and Klaus as she lifted her dress slightly, walking over towards them, chewing her lip.
"Come on Ari." Caroline looked at Klaus and Elijah as she led Aria outside, rubbing her back as she leaned into her tiredly.
"Do you wanna come back to our house for the night?" Stefan asked as Caroline and Elena nodded, walking over to Stefan's car as he smiled at Damon and Aria, before following the girls.
"You okay?" Damon asked softly, standing in front of Aria as he tilted her chin gently, checking her over to make sure she hadn't been hurt.
"Mmh, been...a weird day." She responded and reached up, slowly pulling her mask off and smiled at him softly as she bit her lip.
"I should have seen it coming. Klaus...is Klaus." He told her, sighing and he tilted her chin to the side gently and checked her neck, seeing a bite mark.
"Its okay, don't worry." She whispered tiredly as he nodded softly and looked her over again, smiling.
"You look beautiful." Damon told her as he pulled his own mask off and took her hand, pressing a soft kiss to it.
"You look handsome." Aria told him, blushing as she looked down at herself, suddenly feeling the heaviness of the dress.
"Come on." Taking her hand, he began leading her through the grass as she chewed her lip, trying to follow. He looked over his shoulder and chuckled and turned to her as she blushed and laughed.
"I think the dress is to heavy to keep up with you." She told him, smiling innocently as he nodded and slowly lifted her into his arms and began walking over to the car.
"See, now this is much easier.." He told her as he held her tightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'm too heavy." She murmured, laughing as she looked up at the dark blue sky where the stars were glittering and sparkling.
"Shush, you're like a feather." Reaching his car, he placed her down and opened the door for her as she smiled, slowly getting in.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Aria washed off her make-up and picked up her brush, running it through her hair as she chewed her lip, deep in thought, trying to remember what happened over the past days. Damon had been filling her in on everything and catching her up on all the vampire stuff. Letting out a puff of air, she placed her brush down and tied her hair back into a messy bun.
"A penny for every thought." She looked up, smiling softly as Damon was leaning against the wall, watching her curiously.
"Still...just getting everything together." He nodded with a smile as she walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, breathing deeply, feeling relaxed.
"You must be tired." He smiled and pulled the covers back as he laid down and closed his eyes, feeling tired.
Aria watched him and smiled softly, taking in his features as she pulled the covers back her side and slowly got in, pulling the covers up. Lying on her side, she watched Damon and smiled as he turned his head and looked at her, his eyes glittering with curiosity.
"Thank you Damon." The brunette murmured softly as she pulled the pillow closer to her and began chewing on her lip.
"For what?" He whispered to her, moving closer to her as their faces were inches apart, causing her to blush.
"For...coming for me," She told him with a smile, "I never thought I'd see the daylight again."
"Anytime." He told her quietly with a smile as he took her hand and kissed it and then kissed her forehead softly.
"Goodnight Damon." Aria whispered with a happy smile as her eyes fluttered closed, feeling tiredness take over her.
"Goodnight Aria." His blue eyes watched her as a smile spread across his face, watching her fall into a deep sleep as he heard her steady breaths. Reaching behind him, he pulled the light cord and turned back over, watching her sleep some more, before falling asleep himself.
A/N: Hey everyone :) Hope it was okay. Please please leave comments and let me know if I'm doing okay :) I wanna thank Chloe for her help on this chapter.
Shauna
xx