"I can't believe you and Felicity aren't a couple any longer," Charlotte said to Stefan. "It's really a shame."
"It isn't," Stefan shook his head. "Not as much as you would think. The break wasn't even sad. It was as if she were telling me that we needed to get milk at the store. That little emotion." He sighed. "I guess that's what comes with being with someone just because they're there and not because you really and truly feel for them. At least not in a romantic way." He paused and ran his fingers through his hair. "I wonder if I really can hold on to a relationship and be a vampire at the same time, or if I have to go back to denying what I am if I want to make things work."
"If you want to make it work, you will," Charlotte told him. "Even if the circumstances aren't ideal. I know it."
"I hope so," Stefan nodded. Then he looked at his brother. "And you give me hope too, Damon. If you can be like you are and still hold on to Lucy, I guess I do have a chance."
"Yeah," Damon nodded. "Now you just have to find a girl."
"You make it sound so easy," Stefan sighed.
"I can help you," Damon told him. "With me as your wingman, it will be."
Charlotte smiled at this. "It's nice to see the two of you getting along," she commented. "Just like when I was alive. Granted, it took a small period of adjustment before it happened, but once it did, it never changed." She sighed in a happy way, watching as Damon and Stefan went to get their coats, and then asked, "How late will the two of you be out?"
"Who knows, Mother?" Damon shrugged. "It all depends on how popular your younger son is with the ladies. But we'll be careful and keep ourselves safe, we promise."
"Good," Charlotte nodded. "Thank you. That's all I want."
They decided to drive Stefan's red Porsche to the club, but were stopped at a stoplight when someone rear-ended them. Stefan got out of the car and saw the vehicle he presumed to be the culprit driving away.
"Are you gonna run after them?" Damon asked. "Should I just stay here, then?"
"Of course you should!" Stefan replied and sped away. He managed to catch up with the car and leaped on top, leaning down to stare through the windshield and giving the driver and her companion such a fright that they began driving erratically and eventually crashed into a tree.
"Just what in the hell is your problem?" The young woman screamed at him when left the car and got right in his face. Her companion, a young man with dark eyes and dark hair just like hers, stood behind her protectively and cracked his knuckles. "Do you realize that you made us crash?"
"Well, do you realize that you crashed into my car and then drove away? That's not very good manners, you know," Stefan chided. "It's called 'fleeing the scene of the crime' and you can get in big trouble for it."
The girl turned to her companion and they gave each other a look. "I guess you learn something new every day," she said. "You'll have to excuse us for not knowing before. We don't drive very much."
Stefan scoffed. "Well, that's obvious," he said. Now, let's take you back so we can call the police and see just how much you'll be paying to fix my car."
The other young man let out a growl and advanced on Stefan as if he were going to attack him, but the young woman held him back. "No, Ian," she told him firmly. "Let me handle this. We don't want news of us causing trouble to get out, do we?"
"No," Ian sighed. "I guess not, Samantha. Fine, you go and handle it."
"Thank you," Samantha told him and turned back to Stefan. "You know, I don't think it's really fair that you're making us pay for the damage to your car."
"Why not?" Stefan asked. "You're the one who wrecked it."
"It's a fucking Porsche!" Samantha cried. "That means you have money, which also means that you can pay for the damn repairs yourself. You snobs just have no respect for those less fortunate than you. You laugh in their faces and don't care who you hurt! Why do you think we crashed into you and not someone else in a crappier car?"
Stefan raised an eyebrow. "So you and your friend here crashed into my car because you knew I had money to fix it and figured that meant you wouldn't have to take responsibility? You crashed into my car on purpose?"
"Oh, don't you give me that judgmental look," Samantha told him, her dark eyes narrowing. "Like you've never done anything wild or crazy before."
"I have," Stefan nodded. "But I try not to do anything stupid. That would be a good thing for you to remember."
Sparks of magic began crackling between Samantha's fingers and Stefan whispered, "Witch".
"Yeah," Samantha nodded. "That's right. The last thing I want is for some…whatever you are, to tell me what to do. Vampire, from the way you leaped onto the car. Am I right?"
"Yes," Stefan nodded, baring his teeth and reaching for her. "Would you like me to demonstrate?"
"Of course!" Samantha smiled. "But I thought you said you didn't do anything stupid." She let him get closer to her and then sent him flying back with a burst of magic that was soon interrupted when Damon sped over, tackled her, and threw her face first onto the ground.
"You're not the only one who has a friend to protect you," he said. "Stefan does too. Now what do you say we all agree to pretend this never happened and go our own ways?"
"Get off me, you bastard!" Samantha whispered angrily. Damon got off her and then after some more talking, she finally agreed to fix the damage on Stefan's car. Then they all went their separate ways, and while Damon tried to set him up with several girls, none of them made as much of an impression on Stefan as that annoying witch who crashed into his car.
After being victimized by Davina twice, Thomas decided to listen to his parents' advice and take things with her into his own hands. He went to the park, sat down on a bench, and waited. It was when he was minding his own business that she seemed to show up. And this time was no different.
"Hey!" She cried, snatching the book out of his hands. "What are you reading?"
"Why do you show up when I want to have peace and quiet?" He asked. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"Well, don't worry, I'll probably leave you alone soon," She assured him. "You're boring. I try and do stuff to you and you never fight back. You're not worth it." She began to walk away, and then he pushed up his sleeves and grabbed her. "I am not!" He cried, then as she smiled wickedly, he bit down deeply into her neck and took his sweet time savoring her blood. He then dropped Davina to the ground and she looked up at him and smiled. "How do I taste?" She asked. "Do I taste good? Did you enjoy yourself? Would you bite me again if I let you? Or even if I didn't let you?"
Thomas started to say 'Yes', but then shook his head. "No!" He said forcefully and backed away from her. "I only bit you to prove a point. To prove that I won't let you just victimize me for your own enjoyment. I'm not going to make a habit of it because that's wrong."
"Really?" Davina asked. "Cause it's a real shame." She got up real close to him, standing on her toes so that her lips were against his ear. "I wouldn't mind your teeth in my neck again. I really wouldn't."
Thomas looked at her, aghast as blood flowed from her wound. "Are you insane?" He asked. "How are you even able to stand up? We need to get you to the hospital so what I did can be fixed!" He pushed her to his car, sat her in the backseat, and belted her in before driving off to the hospital and using his powers to get her through the line in at the emergency room so they could take her and do what needed to be done in order to get her healed as soon as possible.
When she was finally resting in bed, he stood over her and moved her hair out of her eyes. "I'm really sorry about this," he apologized. "Is there anyone I should call so they know where you are?"
"My phone is in my purse," Davina told him. "All the numbers are there. And I know it's a lot to ask, but please, just say you found me hurt. Don't tell them what I did to you. Otherwise, they might get mad and send me back to the asylum where they got me."
"Okay," Thomas nodded as he pressed in the numbers for Victoria. "I won't tell the whole truth. I promise."
"I need some help," Thomas told Elijah and Selina after Elijah let him in following his return from the hospital. "I've done something very wrong. But I was provoked, so that makes it not so bad, right?" He took some deep breaths and tried to calm down.
"What happened?" Selina asked. "Whatever you did, I bet it isn't so bad that we can't fix it."
"You know I'm deeply devoted to Charlotte, right?" Thomas asked. "Well, there's this girl, she's a witch I think, and whenever I want peace and quiet, she shows up and hurts me! Just to amuse herself! So today she challenges me to fight back, and I did. She was smirking at me and I grabbed her and bit her and…I don't know what I was thinking! It was a terrible thing to do!"
"Well, since you were provoked, as long as you don't make a habit of it, you have nothing to be ashamed of," Elijah assured Thomas, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Selina scoffed. "If she keeps picking on him, of course he's gonna have to keep fighting back and nothing about that is shameful!" She gave Thomas a look. "Do you feel bad fighting her because she's a girl?"
"Well, yes," Thomas nodded.
"You have to get over that!" Selina insisted. "If I wasn't pregnant, I would help you fix that mindset, but I can't. Just think about it, though. No amount of gentlemanly behavior is worth your dignity or your life."
"No," Thomas agreed. "It's not. Thank you for telling me that. It really helps."
"No problem," Selina replied and lay down on the sofa as Thomas went to lie down in his room.
"Are you all right?" Elijah asked. "Does your back hurt?"
"No, it's not my back," Selina assured him. "Everyone's just jockeying for position and it feels a little…odd."
"Well, there's not really anything I can do about that," Elijah said as he came to put a hand on her stomach. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Selina smiled and kissed him. "It's not your fault." She paused. "Well, not entirely, anyway. Can I have some tea?"
"Sure," Elijah nodded. "What kind would you like?"
Selina shrugged. "It doesn't matter," she told him. "Surprise me."