Chapter three

Sacha closed the text book, which she only used as the barest guideline through the day, when the final bell rang and her students hurried out the door as quickly as possible. She laughed and leaned back in her chair stretching. When she opened her eyes again there was Damon standing before her.

"I know he's a handful believe me I do, just could you please give my brother a second chance. I'd do anything to make sure he passes this class." He said, laying it on thick, including the seductive body language, knowing that there were two other teachers in the hall pretending not to look into the room to see what was happening.

She thought about telling him to behave but it would be wasted breath. Besides she didn't want him to behave. She liked it when he was playful. "I don't know, Mr. Salvatore." She said barely able to keep from laughing. "May be you could make sure he does his home work. How's your French?" She asked.

He made a little purring noise and leaned in close. "Let's find out." He asked kissing her deeply. He didn't notice Elena look into the room. Neither did he notice her leave equally quickly. He smiled as he leaned back.

"Not bad. I think I could arrange for private tutoring. I'm new and don't know all the students. You'd have to settle for me. We'd have to put in a lot of time."

"Oui, Miss Sauveterre." He said with the perfect accent. Not the Parisian she was teaching the students. But the Acadian accent she had been born with. "I think we will be spending a lot of time together perfecting my… accent." He then went back to his normal speaking voice and English. "In the mean time… how about an apple for the teacher. " He said putting down a folded legal document and on top of it an apple that had obviously come from a local tree not a store.

"What's this?" She asked picking up the apple and taking a bite of it. Then she picked up the paper.

"It's the deed to your new place." He told her grinning broadly.

"Damon I thought we'd talked about rentals." She said looking over the description of the property. Her tone wasn't as admonishing as it could be.

"Well I could rent it to you if you prefer. It was perfect and it wasn't for rent so I had to buy it. Besides its not like we own our own home anymore." They had signed it over to Elena so that she could have a safe haven. Now that seemed to sting. Just one more thing that was no longer his.

She smiled "What made it so perfect?" She asked.

"Its furnished. With a very large, comfy king sized bed, and an enormous bathtub." He said and laughed when she asked how long it had taken for him to have that delivered and the plumber change out the tub. "Most of the morning." He admitted. "It's a cabin, one bedroom, open floor plan, that happens to be on the site of an old church that had been torn down back in the 50s because the founders counsel though that vampires were using it as a haven." Damon told her. "This church happened to have a cemetery on the grounds. Of course the counsel moved the grave stones and not the graves. Some how I don't think you'll mind the lack of basement all things considered."

"Sounds perfect." She said. "You were right. When can we see it?"

"I was thinking now. " He told her and offered his hand.

Sacha lay her hand in his and let him lead her out to the car.

"Damon!" Stefan called "You got a minute?"

His brother sighed as he opened the passenger's side door to let Sacha in then took her offered keys. He thought about getting behind the wheel and driving off but he waited. He was supposed to be trying to save his relationship with his brother not ruin it himself. "What's up?" He asked when Stefan came over.

"You remember you were going to help teach Elena…" Stefan let it fall not knowing how much his French teacher knew about the Elena situation.

"Yeah. I can't tonight. Tell her I'll take her tomorrow night. We'll head out of town. " Damon said. He could face it he figured. He had his anchor now. He wouldn't go completely adrift by looking in her eyes.

"Thank you." Stefan said. He knew it had to be hard for his brother to be around them. He'd stayed to help and it had almost been too much. "Will I see you at home tonight?"

"Not tonight. I'll see you tomorrow." Damon said "Can you do me a favor and take my car back to the house?" He asked tossing Stefan his keys "Or have someone drive it back. Its here in the parking lot."

"Sure. See you tomorrow."

Damon started Sacha's car and drove out of town into the woods.

"Its beautiful out here." She said. "I've been on the west coast for the last few years. There's so little color up north there in the fall. I've missed all the colors."

Damon smiled. "you'll love it. That apple you're eating came from a tree on the property. You'll be in good supply of apples for a while."

"I like that." She said as she watched the next mile and a half go by before he turned on another old road. "They liked their churches out in the middle of no where… or there used to be a community out here."

"Mostly orchards that some of the families owned. They had a few slaves and later share croppers that lived out on the property and a church popped up like they do. So you aren't surrounded by the elite dead out here. "

"that suits me fine. The less elite the more helpful they are if you're polite to them. " She told him.

"So that's the reason you are always harping at me to respect the dead. You don't want me turning them against you." He teased.

"A little of both. They really do deserve respect. " She told him.

"Unless of course they are walking around after death." He countered.

" That is because very few ghosts are actually harmful to people. Vampires are another matter. Generally the doctrine is to leave vampires alone. Stay away from them but if you have to have an indentured servant they are the most powerful way to go."

He chuckled. "Indentured servant. Yeah I guess that is a good way to describe our first couple of years together. Things changed though."

"That's because I never wanted a drone as you called it earlier. I don't take as much of your will as I could Damon. You have to be careful of other necromancers. I'm the white sheep of the family." Necromancers by nature were dark beings. They wanted power and would do whatever it took to get it. Including forcing the dead to do their bidding. She could raise a cemetery of ghosts, ghouls or zombies with nothing more than the force of her will, then shove them all back in the ground again, binding them there and preventing them from passing on. She could and did use their essence to extend her life. That was what she had been taught by her father. What she had learned later on was that she could also help them over to their final destination. She could send those trapped in between completely across. She had found joy in that which surpassed the surge of temporary power from enslaving the dead.

"I know. I've met your sister remember." He said with a laugh. "I thought Avril was going to choke when she found out I was a vampire and you actually brought me home with you."

"Avril has issues. But you cant really blame her. She was okay when she found you were bound to me."

"Sure then suddenly I was the house slave according to her. "

Sacha laughed. "She's a little set in her ways. I don't think she has ever forgiven you for that bucket of wash water you dumped on her head. "

"Yeah that might have something to do with how hard you were laughing at the time." He said grinning.

"I warned her. She didn't listen. Not my fault you found a way to get even without actually touching her." She said as he pulled into the long drive. The first time she had taken him she hadn't known the herbs to feed him to keep him safe from her leeching his life force away. Of course the first time around that had been the entire point. He was beautiful and there were so many pleasing ways to draw energy from him.

He parked the car and got out to open her door . He loved that she still waited for him to do that. He loved modern women and their free and independent nature. But he also loved the old world gentility that he had been raised to. He would always prefer a woman that let him open her doors, pull out her chair and treat her with the grace and dignity she deserved. Fortunately for him Sacha was equally old fashioned about some things.

"This is incredible." She said as she walked across the yard, not really having looked at the house yet. She could feel the life (death ?) under her feet and as she had expected they were welcoming. She looked at the dense trees that surrounded her and the thick carpet of leaves that crunched under their feet. She loved the smells of fall. It was her favorite time of year.

He stepped in front of her and leaned in to kiss her gently. "Glad you like it." He brushed the russet locks of her hair back from her face. "There's more but first the house." He said, leading her up the steps to the broad porch that had wooden furniture already waiting.

He was still the owner, and had yet to sign a rental contract with her so he could lead the way inside. There was one large room, furnishings delineated living room from dining room and the kitchen was along the sunnier side of the small house. The walls were a stark crisp white with dark wood trim and chair rails. The bathroom as promised held a new bath tub big enough for two.

The bedroom off to the side nearest the bathroom was dwarfed by the king sized bed but she didn't mind. It was adorable that he thought of it.

"This is wonderful, thank you." She told him.

"I've had a rental agreement drawn up. Not that I'm going to charge you rent but I want you to be able to keep anyone out that you need to. But we'll need to sign that on the porch, so that I don't have to bolt out of the house the instant your signature is completed.

"Alright. " She told him as she went to check out the kitchen. Cooking was one of her favorite things. She laughed finding the left over jambalaya inside the fully stocked refrigerator. The crisper drawer was full of bags of O positive. "Shall I put on coffee? We can have it out on the porch while we take care of that. "

"Sure. Get it started. I have something else to show you." He said with a nod. He'd have preferred bourbon but what the hell. He'd get some in later. God he wished he could feed from her. That was the drink he truly wanted but he liked walking around thank you.

She joined him outside a few minutes later. "Okay, so what else could there possibly be?" She asked.

"Well, the property lines have shifted over the years. When I was growing up all of this property belonged to the Fell family. If you go about a mile into the woods to the east you'll find the ruins of their original property. Its shifted between the fells and the Lockwoods and well about the only family that didn't own it until now was mine." He told her. "The old families liked to have their private chapels out in the middle of no where. Usually they were connected to mausoleums. Don't ask me why they did it I didn't understand it when I was human, haven't bothered trying since. Anyway " he said as they walked "The Fells didn't complete the mausoleum underneath the chapel they had for some reason. So what we have here is the perfect place for you to set up shop. That way if anyone comes visiting they wont see things around." He told her.

She looked at him in amazement, then at the smallish chapel. It wasn't much bigger than her living room and that was fine. Inside it was furnished with a stone pulpit and stone benches for pews. Even the cross that hung behind the pulpit was made of stone.

Damon led the way to the left and down the stairs. The room was larger than the chapel above. There were windows barely above ground level to let light in. She could see where the holes had been cut into the bedrock for caskets to be put into. But they were all completely empty. There was one lone bench in the center that could work as a work station easily.

"you're spoiling me." She told him."Didn't I have a rule about that last time?" Sacha asked him smiling up at him happily.

"You did but this isn't the last time. I want to take care of you. I like taking care of you." He told her. "I always have."

"Well… maybe I can over look it this once." She teased and moved in to kiss him.

Jeremy dropped a bus tub full of dishes and cringed when Matt came over to him and asked if he was alright. He almost snapped but instead sighed. "I haven't been sleeping. " He admitted. "I'm sorry about this. I'll get it cleaned up."

"Nah man, go on home and crash." Matt said. "We were all kinda worried it might be too soon for you to be back after everything."

"Won't do any good. I keep expecting to see Ric and Aunt Jenna. "

Matt pulled out his keys. "Head on over to my place and see if you can crash there. I'm serious. It's a slow night. I'd offer use of a car but the insurance company is being a pain about the accident."

"I'm sorry." Jeremy said. "If I hadn't sent you and Elena out there-"

"No. We did the right thing. As much as it sucks that your sister is undead at least she isn't really dead. And neither are our friends. It wouldn't have turned out so well if we hadn't done what we did. Don't guilt over it. Just head back to my place and crash."

"Thanks." Jeremy said and as soon as he finished picking up the broken pieces of dishes he headed out the door toward Matt's place. It might not work but at least he could stare at the ceiling in private. Elena wouldn't be coming in to check on him every couple hours and god he wouldn't have to hear when she and Stefan were mooning over each other.

"Jer wait up!"

He stopped and turned, expecting to see Tyler Lockwood running to catch up. He was sure it had been Tyler's voice. But he wasn't there. "Come on, man. Don't be a jerk if you're there stay there long enough for me to actually see you." He muttered as he walked with his head down, pulling the hood of his jacket up over his head and pulling the sides forward enough to act as blinders. He was seeing and hearing too many voices and people that weren't physically there. He needed to escape from it even if it was only from the sight of them.

*you have to help me.* one said but he didn't look. They all wanted something from him. They all had needs and desires and unfinished business. The words eventually melded together as he walked. He couldn't hear any one of them over the din of the others and it was driving him mad. It happened when he tried to sleep, when he worked, in class. They were everywhere all the time and he was walking on the edge of insanity between the constant barrage and the lack of sleep.

His hands trembled as he opened Matt's door and went inside. "Leave me alone! I'm not going to help any of you if you don't leave me alone !" He yelled and sank down onto the floor burying his head in his knees , covering his ears with his hands. "Leave me alone." He said again, eventually falling into exhausted sobs.

Alaric managed to clear the room, before kneeling down beside Jeremy. "Come on." He told him gently. "I'll keep them away as long as I can. You need to sleep."

Jeremy looked up and smiled at the ghost of his former guardian. "Thank you." He said "I'm so sorry you aren't at peace, but I'm glad you're here."

"I can go when I want. Right now I don't want to." He said and walked with Jeremy toward the sofa. Just go to sleep. I'll be here."

Elena entered the grill with Stefan. "Well I guess its progress that he's willing to go tomorrow night." She said. Strange how quickly things changed. It hadn't been that long ago that Damon had been willing to do anything for her. He'd always been there for her and now he was distant. "So he's going off with Alex again? Huh… I didn't think she was his type."

Stefan sighed. "Don't over think it." Please let him go. Please really just let him go. Neither of us can take this anymore, he wanted to say but didn't. "He's spending time with a friend, girlfriend, lover, whatever their relationship is, she's right, it's between them. Besides he seems happy and that's a good thing."

"I know. I just think that it's strange is all."

"You don't know Damon as well as you think you do. He's been slowly coming around to acting like my brother again. Only less up tight than when we were still alive."

"It's hard to imagine Damon uptight." She said honestly. "I'm so used to him being wild and out of control most of the time. "

"He wasn't always, I mean, he was never a monk or plaster saint, but he wasn't always this out of control " Stefan said. "Rebecca wasn't always insecure, Katherine wasn't always selfish… we all change over time. You'll change too in time." He hoped that when she did it was to grow not latch onto one human frailty from her mortal life and allow it to warp her.

"How did you change?" She asked him.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask Damon. I don't think anyone sees themselves clearly" Stefan said. Emily Bennett had told him that his heart was pure but he thought she was wrong. If his heart had been pure… he shook off those thoughts as he looked to Elena whose attention had shifted from him to searching their surroundings. "What is it?"

"I don't see Jeremy." She said worriedly. "He's supposed to be working tonight. If he's already gotten himself fired again after Matt worked so hard to get him his job back I'll kill him." She said getting up and beginning to search the Grill for her younger brother.

She eventually caught Matt in between tables. "Where's Jeremy?" She asked quietly.

"I sent him back to my place. He isn't sleeping, Elena. I'm betting its too many memories around there. Everyone he loved there died. He just needs a break. And he needs to sleep. So in case he actually is sleeping, don't go over there. "

She folded her arms across her chest. "I'm really worried about him." Elena said. "And I don't know how to help him. "

"Sometimes the best thing you can do is leave him alone. People need time to process things. He's got the same crazy life you do. Give him time to deal. "

"I've tried. I sent him away trying to protect him. You know that."

"I do." Matt said. "But that wasn't him dealing. That was him being compelled to act like he's already dealt with it. It was always in there. He hasn't had a chance to really deal with any of it. Don't mess with his head. It doesn't help. " He told her. "I have to get back to work. I'll call you later after I get home and let you know how he's doing. "

Elena sighed. "Thank you."

Caroline didn't feel like going anywhere. Not until Carol Lockwood called her and asked to see her. She almost didn't go then but there was something in the woman's voice that called to her. They shared a loss, one that cut too deeply to share with anyone else.

She pulled herself together went to the Lockwood estate. It was hard to walk inside. She kept looking for Tyler, expecting him to step out from behind a corner and pull her into his arms. But she knew that wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen. Tyler was gone.

"Caroline. Thank you for coming." Carol said as she gave the girl a gentle even if distant hug.

Caroline nodded "Thank you for asking me. How are you?" She couldn't imagine what it was like to lose a child. It was hard enough to lose a parent.

"I'm managing." She said leading the way into the parlor. She waited for Caroline to take a seat before she joined her on the sofa. "And yourself? It must be so hard coming so soon after the loss of your father."

"It's been a rough year for everyone. " She said "I'm holding it together I guess. I try not to think about them and then suddenly I'm picking up the phone to call Daddy or I'm looking for Tyler when I get to school in the mornings." Caroline said honestly, her eyes misting over with tears that tried to form no matter how much she didn't want them.

Carol rested her hand on Caroline's. "I know." She said, and had to breathe deeply for a moment before bringing herself to speak again. "I had promised myself I wasn't going to ask this. But I need to know. You were the last one that saw Tyler alive. I need to know where to find his body. I can't bear the thought of him out there somewhere. I need to bring my son home."

The tears came freely then. "I'm sorry I don't know." Caroline began to sob. "He didn't want me to see him die so he changed and chased me out. I came back but he was gone."

Carol pulled the girl to her, and let her cry until the wracking sobs died away, her own tears falling on the girls pale hair. "Is there any chance at all he's alive?"

Caroline shook her head as she eased out of Carol's arms. "I wish there was." She said wiping her eyes. "I saw Klaus turn him. And when an Original dies their entire blood line dies with them. There is no way he could have survived. I'm sorry."

"Oh honey, it's not your fault. " She said cupping Caroline's face in her hands. "I don't want you to think that for a moment. He loved you so much, you know that." Carol said. "He would have done anything for you. "

"I loved him too." Caroline said. "Oh god I'm going to cry again."

"It's okay." Mrs. Lockwood told her. "It's okay to cry."

They sat for nearly an hour just talking about Tyler and letting the tears fall. So much of his life that each could share with the other and it was good to talk. Carol made sure that the girl was alright to drive before walking her to the door and giving her a much more sincere hug goodbye, promising to call her again.

She went back inside and poured herself a drink. "You heard." She told Elijah as he stepped from the shadows. "She doesn't know where he is, or honestly if he is alive or dead. She believes he is, but she doesn't know for certain. It's possible my boy is alive and in hiding trying to protect her."

Elijah nodded "It's possible. It's also possible that in animal form and operating on instinct he went off alone to die." He could see the wounded look in the woman's eyes. She had wanted to hold on to that hope so much. "Leave the search to me. I will make sure that we know for certain one way or the other very soon. "

Carol nodded. "Thank you. You've been very kind all things considered."

"You will find that not all vampires are mere ravening beasts or power hungry monsters. " Elijah said. "We have families, and people we love, just as you do. You will find my family to be of great support when you need it, as long as you return that support in our time of need."

"Of course," She said. "I'm not the one that needs convincing." Carol took a drink and went to sit down. "Most of the counsel is still chaffing, and they don't trust Liz or me any longer. "

"Some things take more time than others. I think they will eventually come around when they see that Mystic Falls is our home too. We want to protect and nurture it as much as you do."

"Don't hold your breath. If it wasn't for Tyler I would never have been able to see any of you differently."

"Give it time Carol. " Elijah said. "Give it time."