A/N: This'll be quick today. First, I want to thank my amazing friend Caroline, who has been there for me to bounce ideas off of, who tells me when things sound silly, and who also gave me the phrase 'kicked-puppy look' (Although she used it in reference to Jeremy on VD and Sam on SN and how they look like they could be brothers). Regardless, she's the best. Also, I want to thank all of you for your questions comments and faithful reviews. They really do help me through the writer's block, so if there's something here that you really like, leave a comment and let me know. Thanks all. You're awesome.
Standing In The Shadows
All the vampires walkin' through the valley
Move west down Ventura Blvd
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows
All the good girls are home with broken hearts
FreeFalling by Tom Petty
Stefan growled, deep in his throat. "Don't talk about her like that," he barked at Damon who was more than aware of Stefan's dislike for expletives, especially when they were in conjuncture with Elena's name.
"Tisk, tisk, little brother. Have I taught you nothing about women?" Damon shook his head with a smirk on his face. "You never let them get to you like this… otherwise you'll end up just looking like a drunken mortal fool who was jilted in love." Damon pulled his hands up to make a square like he was framing a shot for a camera around Stefan's saddened eyes and his 'kicked-puppy' disposition. "Yep, just like that."
Stefan had just downed shot number 5 of Jack Daniels and was trying (to no avail) to rid himself of the older brother who always enjoyed seeing Stefan suffer for any reason. Stefan knew that he should be keeping a cool head through this all. He did, after all, really need to be watching out for Bonnie and Elena and Caroline. He knew what could happen if he was down on his game. He had witnessed just how quickly things could turn last night. God, had it really just been last night? Somehow it already seemed like forever ago. So much had happened over the last few days that Stefan almost couldn't remember what things were like when he and Elena were together. When he was happy. Before all of this shit metaphorically hit the fan with Damon and Bonnie's spell and all of these other vampires coming to town.
Not that things had ever really been easy for Stefan and Elena. But they had certainly been easier than this.
Jackson eyed the two brothers with morbid curiosity. "I don't meanta pry," he said quickly. "But, seems to me more's goin' on here than just your girl peacin' out on you."
Damon rolled his eyes. He gave the bartender a quick evil smirk and raised his glass for another shot. "Maybe you should stick to your day job and quit trying to be psychiatrist to my little brother. Trust me, Sparky. This is sooo not something you want a part of. Three may be a crowd, but four is bound to be a blood bath." The last few words came out in a menacing growl as Damon locked eyes with the bartender. "Got it?"
Jackson nodded, gulping and breaking Damon's gaze to see that he had overflowed the shot glass in Damon's hand. Grabbing the bar towel from his back pocket, he began wiping up the mess. "Ah, man. I'm so sorry about that. This round's on me." He gulped again, filling Stefan's glass as well before all but running into the back of the restaurant without so much as a 'be right back'.
Stefan sighed. "Was that necessary, Damon?"
Damon shrugged. "Just teaching the guy some manners. Apparently his mother never taught him to butt out of other people's lives."
Stefan laughed one quick un-amused laugh. "Look who's talking."
Damon's eyes narrowed. "Something you'd like to get off your chest, little brother?"
Stefan let out another long, deep breath as he shook his head. "Maybe after another couple drinks I will. But for now, I'm good."
Half of Damon's mouth curled up in a wicked grin. "I've got time." He pulled off his jacket and clinked glasses with his brother again. "To being patient," he said quickly before throwing his shot back and letting the flavor burst on his tongue before the warmth slid down his throat, further dulling his bloodlust.
Now it was Stefan's turn to roll his eyes. He watched his brother drink the alcohol and shook his head. "I didn't think the word patient was in your vocabulary, Damon." He said quietly before drinking the contents of his own glass.
Damon ticked up one brow. "There's a lot about me you don't know, Stefan," he retorted quietly with just as much formality as his brother had used.
Bonnie was honestly having the time of her life sitting across the table from Eric, who had surprised her the night before by being a complete gentleman in a sea of drunk and horny college boys. Bonnie hadn't gone to the party the night before in hopes of finding a guy; in fact, Bonnie rarely gave guys much thought. All of the guys at their school only cared about getting laid and finding someone to buy them booze. And those were things that Bonnie really had zero tolerance for. She had always known that when the time came, she would find a guy that truly suited her beliefs, her morals and just be a decent guy. Bonnie smiled at the man sitting across from her as she mused about him. Maybe she had finally found that decent guy. Wouldn't that be a positive turn of events for her for once?
"I have to admit, Bonnie. When I heard about this place, I wasn't sure it would live up to the hype."
Bonnie's brow furrowed at Eric. "Hype?"
He nodded. "Everyone on campus says they have the best burgers in Northern Virginia. I was skeptical at first." He picked the burger back up and looked at it hungrily. "But these are phenomenal."
Bonnie shook her head and laughed. "Yeah… Mystic Falls… Home of Virginia's best burger. What a silly thing to be known for."
Eric paused, setting the burger back down on his plate, and frowned. "Are you not having a good time?"
Bonnie tore her gaze away from his chiseled biceps that looked like they were about to rip through the tight sleeves of his black t-shirt and cleared her mind. "What? No. I'm having a really great time."
Eric's eyes went to her plate, where she had stacked her fries into a pile that looked like a Linkin-Log house. "You sure?" he questioned, concerned.
Bonnie followed his gaze down to her plate. "Oh geez," she laughed. "I didn't even realize what I was doing." She shook her head, as if to clear her mind from all of the thoughts of Eric being the perfect guy (along with the lingering thoughts of the vampires and the church tomb and what she was going to do about keeping her friends protected). "Definitely sure. I'm good." She took a bite of one of her fries, as if to prove to him just how alright she really was. She looked up at him and grinned, adding a redundant "Mmmm."
Eric rolled his eyes. "You weren't trying to blow me off earlier." He said matter-of-factly. "You really do have a lot on your plate right now, don't you?" He asked. And then added, "No pun intended," with a smile on his face.
Bonnie laughed quietly. "I need to work on the whole thinking and eating at the same time thing, apparently." She picked up a chicken tender and dipped it in her barbecue sauce before asking, "Am I that transparent?"
He shrugged. "You're not transparent. I'm just pretty good at reading people. Plus, you did warn me that you had a lot going on. I should have taken the hint instead of assuming you didn't want to see me."
"Not your fault," Bonnie said quickly. "Besides, this really is a lot of fun. You're not like the guys I know. I think the most intelligent conversation I could have with any of them would be about the NFL draft."
He threw her a quick smirk. "Don't knock the NFL draft."
Bonnie laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it." She chanced a quick peak over at Stefan to give him some sort of signal that everything was fine. She was surprised to see Damon sitting beside him. She was even more surprised to see them clinking shot glasses and speaking in hushed whispers before both downing the alcohol contained in the small glasses.
Elena knew that something was up when Damon joined his brother at the bar, but she didn't have the nerve to confront them both. Together. Again. She had spent enough time feeling like she were involved in some sick reincarnation of their long-lost threesome that she definitely didn't want to give them any more motivation than they already had. It felt strange and foreign that just moments ago she longed for nothing more than the comfort of the bustling people around her keeping her mind from all of the things that she knew she should be working through in her mind. Because right now she really wanted to just curl up under her covers and have a good cry over everything.
But Elena couldn't do that. She had to be strong for her friends. She had to be strong for herself. Elena stole a quick glance over at Caroline. She knew that her friend had always been extremely good at masking her feelings, but this went beyond normal. All of them knew just how close Caroline had come to dying the night before. It just didn't make sense that she would be so flirty and happy and normal right now. Elena sighed, wishing she found it just as easy to cover up her true feelings and put on her happy face.
She shook her head. No. Elena had spent far too long putting on that mask. Ever since her parents had died, up until the time when she had first met Stefan her life had been a perfectly constructed cover of smiles and nods, of telling people that she was really okay even though she never felt that way.
"Elena?" Matt called, coming over to the table. "Take my place? Nature calls."
Elena rolled her eyes but smiled. "Sure, sure." She replied, taking the pool cue from him. He squeezed her shoulder gently before heading off into the direction of the bathrooms.
"Hey E!" Caroline called from the table. "Your shot." Elena shook her head at the nickname but stood up and made her way to the pool table.
With everyone's attention otherwise averted, no one noticed the dark figure who hung in the shadows that followed Matt down the hallway into the Men's room.
Matt finished his business and turned on the water in the sink, barely registering the figure that came into the small room behind him. It wasn't until he felt the man's hands on his shoulders that Matt looked up with panic in his eyes.
The vampire pulled Matt hard, turning him around and shoving him against the cold tile wall. Matt's head flew back so hard that the small square tile that impacted with his head shattered. He moaned out a painful cry and felt his vision go blurry. He already knew he was losing blood. His skull felt like it had been cracked in half.
"Look at me you weak, impotent human," the vampire said, his voice full of hate and disgust.
Matt struggled to open his eyes. The vampire came into the field of his vision but it was a bigger struggle to pull the man into focus. "What…" Matt panted quietly, biting back yelps of anger as the man's grip on his arms tightened. "Do… you…"He coughed, and felt his eyes begin closing again, involuntarily. "want from me…?" He finished with effort.
"For darkness' sake," the vampire spat, drawing a shallow line across his forearm with his canines and lifting it to Matt's mouth. "You're fine now. You incapable humans are far too breakable." He pulled his arm back from Matt's mouth and looked at him squarely. "Focus now," he said, beginning to feel Matt's strength return, strength that the vampire was using to control his mind, to compel him. "You will do exactly as I say. And you will never remember this conversation. You will take Caroline Forbes back to her house. Spend the night there with her. Neither of you are to leave until the sun comes up. You keep her there by any means necessary." The emphasis on the word 'any' would have made Matt's blood run cold if he hadn't been compelled. As it was, he merely nodded as a mischievous grin crossed his features. "Do you understand?"
Matt nodded. "I understand." And then his facial features were blank again. "Take Caroline home."
The vampire nodded. "And try to be convincing," he added with a sneer. And then he shoved Matt toward the door.
Elena and Caroline seemed to be at a stalemate on the pool table, neither of them being able to sink the 8 ball and win the game. Elena smiled when Matt came back over and handed him his cue back. "You're right, I really am terrible."
He gave her no indication that he heard her. "I have to take Caroline home," he said, his voice sounding distant.
Elena glanced over at Caroline whose face seemed just as confused as she felt. "How about some dinner before you go?" Elena asked cautiously. "Caroline was just saying she was starving." She knew that they needed to stay there. They needed to be close to Damon and Stefan in case anything happened.
Matt's gaze went to Caroline, who was obviously torn. Neither Matt nor Caroline said anything.
Elena's phone began ringing and she pulled it out of her pocket. It was Jenna. "Hey listen. Let me take this real quick, and then we can figure out the whole staying/leaving situation. K?"
She jogged toward the darkened hallway where the restrooms were and answered the phone.
"Jenna, hey." She said, sounding a little breathless.
"Is everything okay, Elena?" Jenna asked, her voice full of concern.
Just then a set of strong arms wrapped themselves carefully around Elena, pulling her body flush against his. She smiled, seeing Damon's blue eyes peer at her from the darkness. "We have to stop meeting in private like this," he whispered quietly into her ear.
Elena swallowed hard, keeping her composure. "Yeah, Jenna. Everything is fine. I'm at the Grille with Bonnie and Caroline."
"Wrapped in a gorgeous vampires arms," Damon added quickly, stealing a kiss from her perfect pink pouty lips.
"Shhh," Elena said, covering the phone with her hand.
Jenna was quiet for a long moment. "Alright. It's just that with having the Salvatore brothers here last night, it made me feel like something wasn't right."
Elena cleared her throat, trying to come up with a good excuse while Damon pulled her exposed earlobe into his mouth and began nibbling on it. It took everything within her to keep the moan from escaping her lips. "Nope, everything's fine. We were just working late on a project for school. And then we got to watching a movie. We all kinda fell asleep." She tried to push Damon off of her, but she knew her efforts were futile. If he wanted to be wrapped around her, there was nothing she could do about it.
"Okay." Jenna answered. "Well don't stay out too late. You have school tomorrow."
Elena smiled, "I'll be home soon, Jenna." She closed her phone and allowed herself one brief moment to relax against Damon's strong body. His eager, hungry kiss took her by surprise there in the dark, but she allowed his tongue entrance to her mouth as soon as he attempted. Somehow, everything felt right when she was in Damon's arms. And as much as she didn't want to think about both of the Salvatore brothers in comparison, sometimes there was just no helping it.
She had always appreciated that Stefan was steadfast and resolute. That he was there when she needed him most. But as Damon pulled her close to him, proving to her just how much he wanted her, how much he needed her, she could feel the excitement rolling off of him like it were tangible waves.
She broke their kiss only when she needed to breathe. "We shouldn't be doing this. Not here."
Damon grinned. "I agree. I'll take you home." He kissed her mouth again in a lustful fit, running his hands up under her shirt until she grabbed a hold of his wrists, causing him to pause.
"Damon," she said quietly.
"God girl, you're killing me with this blue balls crap. You can't keep telling me no." He brushed her bottom lip gently with his thumb, causing her heart to jump and her breath to hitch in her throat.
Elena bit her bottom lip where she could still feel the electricity of his touch. "I have to get back to Caroline and Matt."
Confusion crossed Damon's features. "Were you supposed to stick with them or something?"
She nodded. "Yeah, we're all supposed to be together. Crazy vampires on the loose, remember?"
He frowned. "They were re-enacting the triple X version of Barely Legal Cheerleaders on their way out of here."
"They left?!" The question sounded more like an excited squeal than she'd meant it to.
Damon nodded. "When I was on my way back here to see you."
"Did Stefan see them go?" Elena asked, beginning to get worried. And then she remembered what Matt had said when he came back from the bathroom. Something about having to take Caroline home. He hadn't really meant because he wanted to rip her clothes off and enact what Damon had suggested, had he? Elena wrinkled her nose thinking about it.
Damon moved her around the corner the tiniest bit so that she could see where Stefan was sitting at the bar. "Stefan's not paying attention to much of anything besides wallowing over you, kitten."
Elena swallowed hard, feeling more remorse than she felt she should have. And then her phone broke her concentration as Caroline's ringtone began singing to her.
Elena opened her phone and almost collapsed against Damon. She turned her phone so that he could see it, and Elena was positive she could hear him gulp.
911 was all the text said.
A/N: Dun dun dun… Hehe, sorry of the cliffie. New chapter soon! Reviews are like Lee on American Idol. Necessary to make the whole thing worthwhile. (That means do it. :-p)
