Chapter 13

Elena laughed at something Stefan said when she felt her phone vibrate against the nightstand beside her bed, both of them engrossed in a kiss. "Don't answer it." Stefan whispered, his mouth moving to nibble on her ear and groaned when Elena pushed him away.

"Sorry, it could be important. You'll live." Elena grinned, answering after the fifth vibration. "Hello?"

"Elena, I really hate bothering you, but something is wrong with Jessenia." Caroline said while driving over to her boyfriend's house.

Elena stood up from the bed, a worry expression crossing her face. "What do you mean something's wrong? What happened, Caroline?" The last she knew, Jessenia was at home trying to get over a sudden flu.

"I don't know it was the weirdest thing. I was driving and saw her walking down the middle of the road. She was near Stefan's house…" Caroline chewed her bottom lip nervously. "She was crying and wouldn't tell me what happened. Elena, what if Damon…?"

Elena looked at Stefan, both of them having knowing looks on their faces. "We're on it. Did she say anything to you, Caroline?" She asked, already grabbing her purse and car keys.

"Just thanked me for the ride and goodbye." Caroline reiterated, sounding concerned and rightfully so because Jessenia wasn't acting right. She could feel it. "I have a feeling something bad happened, Elena."

"Where is she now?"

"I dropped her off at Meredith's." Caroline pulled up into the driveway and cut the ignition, stepping out of her car just as Tyler walked out. "Listen, I'm at Tyler's, so just keep me posted on what's going on, k?"

"I will, thanks Caroline." She hung up the phone and turned to look at Stefan. "Damon did something to her. She was right down the road from your house, how else would she get that close? She doesn't really know her way around town yet."

"Let's not jump to conclusions yet. Why don't we go over and talk to Jessenia, find out the story that way?" Stefan suggested softly, trying to diffuse his fiancée's temper before it flared. "Come on, one thing at a time, Elena."

"It's Damon; you know he did something to her." Elena wasn't backing down, walking out of her bedroom with Stefan following suit, heading out to the car. "If he hurt or bit her…"

"Let's just go find out from Jessenia first." Stefan simply said, taking the keys from Elena because she was emotion right now. Every emotion she had was amplified now that she was a vampire. "Just relax, breathe."

Elena knew he was right and could only nod, staring out the window, only able to imagine what Damon could've done to her new friend. Stefan pulled into Meredith's driveway about ten minutes later, thanks to three slow stoplights. Elena was the first one out and flew to the door, ringing the doorbell.

"Jessenia, I know you're in there!" She called through the door, continuously knocking on it. "Whatever Damon did to you, we'll fix it, just open up!"

Jessenia was currently in her bedroom with the door closed and locked, curled up in a tight ball in bed, ignoring the incessant knocking. She didn't want to see anyone right now, trying to mend her splintered heart and forget all about vampires, especially Damon Salvatore. Jessenia supposed the old saying was right about how a first love always cut the deepest because the pain she felt currently was nearly crippling.

"Damn it!" Elena growled, kicking the door and walked over to sit on the porch steps. "I don't want to go in there if she won't open up, but how else are we supposed to find out?"

Stefan wasn't sure how to answer that, staring at the door and frowned, closing his eyes. He suddenly heard heart-wrenching sobs coming from the window upstairs and knew it was Jessenia. He held his hand up when Elena began asking him what was going on, not wanting to lose what he picked up. Being a vampire, they had a very keen hearing ability too and could hear anything, depending on how well they focused.

"Why would you do this to me, Damon?" She cried out, burying her face in the pillow and clutched it for dear life. "I've lost too many people in my life…"

"Let's leave her be for now, Elena." Stefan said quietly, stopping the eavesdropping and walked down the stairs, heading for the car.

"What?" Elena stood up, shaking her head. "Stefan, we have to help her. Damon did something…"

Stefan didn't want to tell Elena what he'd overheard, but figured it might get her off Damon's back for a little while. "I overheard her, Elena. She doesn't want to be bothered right now by anyone. She's ignoring the knocking. And you're right, Damon did something to her, but he didn't hurt her physically. Emotionally and mentally definitely, but not physically."

Frowning, Elena looked up at the bedroom and window and closed her eyes, channeling the hearing ability. If her heart still beat with life, it would be broken by now at the distressing crying Jessenia was doing. She really wanted to help her friend, but Stefan was right, if Jessenia didn't want to talk to anyone, they had no right forcing her.

"It's time to go get some answers from your brother, NOW." Elena ordered, anger clear in her tone and slid into the car, Stefan pulling out of the driveway.

Pulling herself up from the bed, Jessenia looked out the window and wiped her tears away, watching them leave. Good, she hoped they stayed away from her and that included school or she would be transferring to a different one in the next town. Damon ripped her heart out and stomped on it after she gave him a chance, regretting making that deal with him.

Gritting her teeth, Jessenia pulled away from the window and jumped slightly when a flash of lightening lit the sky up, rain beginning to pour outside. One thing she did enjoy was a good thunderstorm and it looked as though she wasn't going to be disappointed. Sitting on the big ledge of her window, Jessenia leaned back against the wall and simply watched, letting the rain take her pain away.

~!~

"I thought you were dead."

Kassandra chuckled softly, walking over to the couch and sat down, already having a tumbler in her hand. "Now is that any way to greet me after all these years, Damon love?" She took a long sip before setting it down on the table.

"Considering I thought I'd never see you again and you were currently rotting in the ground six feet under, yeah that's how I'm greeting you." Damon shot back, walking down the few steps to the bar, really needing a drink. "How long have been here?"

"Oh just a few minutes. I saw your little blood bag leave the premises though." Kassandra informed him smoothly, looking over at him with haunting grey eyes. "I never pegged you for someone that slept around."

"A hundred and forty six years will do that to you." Damon swallowed down half a tumbler, filling it again and stopped when he looked down at the piece of paper, gritting his teeth. "So, when were you changed?" He asked, trying to sound conversational and planned on ripping her head off the first chance he found.

Smirking, Kassandra stood up from the couch and walked toward him, moving as graceful as she had when she was human. "My sister." She answered, pouring another tumbler. "I'm sure you know her."

"Of course he does."

Damon spit out the bourbon he just ingested, eyes narrowing at the sight of Katherine Pierce standing before him. "You two have a lot of explaining to do." He stated heatedly, tossing the piece of paper in the garbage before walking past both of them to take a seat in front of the fire.

"Damon darling, don't you remember me?" Kassandra asked, sounding hurt even though pure amusement shined in her grey eyes. "You were my first love as I was yours."

"That was until I compelled him to forget so he could be with me." Katherine said rather bluntly, pouring herself a drink as well.

Damon completely snapped when he heard that, seeing red and flew at Katherine, knocking her to the floor. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" He roared, his hand wrapped tightly around her throat, beginning to snap her neck.

"Get…off…ME!" Katherine grunted out, throwing Damon halfway across the room and watched impassively as he landed with a hardening thump.

Kassandra merely stood by and watched, not getting in the middle of this. "Sister, come now. You do owe him an explanation." She reasoned, sipping more of her tumbler.

"Of course he does, but choking me is not a way to get on my good side, Kassie." Katherine replied, standing up and walked over to sit beside her sister while Damon slowly got to his feet. "And he made me drop my drink too."

"What the hell is going on?" Damon demanded once he was back on his feet, wanting to rip Katherine apart. "The last thing I remember about Kassandra was she left town and never wanted to see me again." His aquamarine eyes glowed with fury, barely containing it. "Or so I thought…"

"You thought wrong, Damon." Katherine stated, sounding bored and snorted. "I compelled you to forget all about her. Mystic Falls was starting to find out about vampires and I refused to let my baby sister be with a common human. I stayed behind with Pearl and Emily to try making a decent man out of you for her."

"Sleeping with me and my brother at the same time was your method?" Damon retorted crossly, not believing this sudden turn of events. "You know what? I don't even care." His eyes turned to Kassandra, a woman he did love at one time before meeting Katherine. "So you were a vampire all along?"

"Of course I was. My sister and I have been vampires for centuries, as you well know. She was always lurking in the shadows while I put myself on the scene. There were a few times we swapped places, but other than that, it was mostly me while she stayed in the dark. Being my little sister and all, I had to protect her." Katherine didn't sound regretful, not a drop of remorse in her flat voice. "Kassie, get me another drink please."

Nodding, Kassandra stood up to walk over to the bar, refilling her sister's glass as requested. "I met you Damon and instantly fell for you. You were so charming and those dimples were adorable, but my sister convinced me it wasn't safe for us to be together until you were turned. Granted, it hurt when she told me she had slept with you, but I knew it was for the greater good."

"Are you compelled or just plain stupid?" Damon growled, stalking over to where Kassandra stood and whipped her around by the arm, staring into those grey eyes he had seemingly forgotten once he met Katherine. "Why would you listen to that lying bitch sister of yours?"

"Don't call her that." She ordered, shoving Damon away with authority, eyes flashing. "She did what she thought best for me! She was going to turn both you and your brother so we could all four be together! But that never happened and she was captured because of your brother's big mouth!"

"She made me fall in love with her, Kassandra." Damon stated, trying to get through to her, but knew it wouldn't do any good. Katherine was very good at manipulating people, even her own flesh and blood. "She compelled Stefan to make him want to turn into a vampire and she made me forget all about you. How is that doing what's best for you?"

"She had to do it that way in order to turn both of you. The plan was for her to leave town with both of you, Pearl, Anna and Emily as soon as the transition was completed. I was waiting on the outskirts of town when Emily came to me with distressing news on how my sister was captured. The guard released her though because he was obsessed with her, as you already know. She met me outside of town and told me we had to go, that you two were safe, that I'd see you again someday." Kassandra reached up, caressing Damon's face and frowned when he pulled away from her, tears forming in her eyes. "Please Damon, she did it all for us."

Sick of hearing that, Damon shoved Kassandra back against the wall when she put her hands on him again, snarling. "NO! She did it for HERSELF because she's a selfish, inconsiderate SLUT! She ruined our lives and made me PINE for her for over a hundred years! She never gave a damn about your happiness, Kassandra, NEVER!" He was pissed and it showed, stopping Katherine from ramming a piece of wood into his side. "Nice try." He grunted, sending her sailing against the wall right against her sister, glaring at both of them. "Get the hell out of my house."

"Damon, please!"

"NO! I don't want to hear it!"

"This isn't my fault though! I love you, I've always loved you! Kathy, tell him please!" Kassandra begged, looking over at her sister with pleading grey eyes, her long dark brown hair hanging down her back in loose curls. "PLEASE!"

"Damon, is this how you treat house guests? Kassandra has pined for YOU for over a hundred years and I have finally brought her back to you." Katherine shook her head sadly, folding her arms in front of her chest. "You will not break my sister's heart or I will rip yours right out of your chest."

"You can try." Damon riposted with a snort, taking his drink and downed all of it, shattering the glass in his hand. "Sorry, I'm not interested in your sister anymore. Show yourself out of my house before I THROW you both out."

Kassandra's jaw dropped at how Damon was treating her, not believing this and grabbed her sister's arm. "Katherine, you said everything would be fine. You said he still wanted me after all these years!" She shouted, gasping when Katherine backhanded her across the face, making her slightly stumble.

"Shut your mouth and let me handle this." Katherine hissed, eyes narrowing to slits at Damon. "You know you still love her or else you wouldn't be so angry with me, Damon." She said in a calmer tone, ignoring her sister for the moment. "It's not her fault what I did. Don't punish her for my mistakes."

"So now I'm a mistake. That's GREAT to know. Get out." Damon ordered for the third time, starting to walk away from her and felt her grab his arm, stopping him from walking away.

"Listen to me, Damon…"

"What the hell is going on here?"

Katherine smiled and walked around Damon, releasing his arm for the moment, her eyes locked on the man she had loved since 1864. "Hello Stefan, please join the party."