Chapter 13

"If I keep this no sleeping thing my eye bags will be just in time for Halloween. I'll only need a pair of bright red contact lenses and be a vampire!"

Bella muttered the next morning. She was tired, cranky, hungry, sleepless and on top it all, her hand hurt. The burning hadn't gone away even though she had used the better half of a burn cream on it. In the end she had wrapped it and downed a Panadol. And coffee. Lots of coffee.

She had spent the night unpacking. After the impromptu meeting with the sheriff and her friend, she had headed to the old medicine practice to borrow some supplies for her injuries and then began unpacking. She was more than a little freaked out over the whole "local herb burns vamps and oops it burns humans too" thing. Only it didn't quite burn humans, did it? It didn't burn Sheriff Liz and it didn't burn that Salvatore chump and both were plucking away at it. So why did it burn her?

Besides the obvious logical reason which wasn't logical, nor possible, at all? It was this thought that had kept her from sleeping and no matter which way she cut at it, there was no fitting explanation.

Unless...

unless she was a vampire...

... which she wasn't, right? She'd know if she was! Right? And she knew she wasn't...

She had even stood in front of the tall mirror in her new bedroom examining herself. Her eyes were the same as they had always been, a dark-ish chocolate-y brown. No hint of red or gold in them. Opening the curtains to let the sunshine in, only served to wake up Barkley and send him sleeping on the other side of her bed. No sparkles on her skin when she stood directly under it, thankfully. She had also checked her mouth despite knowing well that vampires have no fangs. In the end she abandoned her little project, feeling like a persecutor of witches in Salem examining a possible witch, and had more coffee.

"God what a mess! At least the unpacking is done!"

She said out loud and put two more used tea bags under her eyes as she laid down on the bed next to a snoring doggie. A doggie that had slept through everything.

"I hope Jenna has had a better couple of nights."

- - - Memories of a Past and a Future - - -

At the same time, mayhem was happening at the Salvatore house. Zach was irate when he arrived after escorting Liz back to her house and found Damon dipping into the local college sorority girls, while Stefan was busy ignoring his brother and writing into his journals.

"Give me strength."

He muttered eying the ceiling and beyond. Then he brought his fingers to his mouth and gave a loud whistle. As many of the college girls could move jumped up. The rest sort of groaned. Zach just hoped they were still alive.

"Time to head out girls. Party's over."
"Awww party pooper."

Damon mocked with a smirk. Zach's face remained grave and the two locked in a silent battle of wills. When Zach's eye glittered with repressed rage, Damon frowned and then loudly compelled his 'company' to butt out. As soon the sorority chapter was out, Zach rounded on him.

"Did you attack a girl last night on the bridge?"

Damon rolled his eyes and headed to the low table in front of the sofa to get his drink.

"What if I did? I'm a healthy boy and need to eat."
"She's still alive."

Inwardly Damon shuddered at the memory, and the taste

"And here I thought you'd be pleased I didn't kill 'er."

Zach fisted both hands knowing that if he attacked Damon, he'd be the one that died.

"Damon, tomorrow there's a council meeting. She's going to come and identify you. No one has seen you yet, you need to take your 'healthy appetite' and leave."

Stefan appeared at the doorway.

"Is that true, Damon?"
"Spare me the sensitivities St. Stefan."

Damon snarled. His brother had the uncanny ability to ignore his own murdering sprees but always blamed Damon for his. At least he, Damon, didn't always finish off his meals. A few times, okay a very rare times, he ate just enough to not kill the person and then compelled them to forget it all.

"How many people have you killed Damon?"
"Did you do it? You killed Elena's parents?"

Stefan and Zach spoke at the same time. Damon took a deep breath and then turned on Stefan.

"A-Who's Elena?"

Then he turned on Zach.

"B-no I didn't. I went by the bridge yesterday, exactly because it's accident prone. Who would notice one more?"

He waved the accusations away

"I ran this girl over, went to taste her, saw who she was ... and tailed it away."

He finished lamely. While Zach frowned but Stefan nodded and turned to the human in the room

"He does have a point Zach. If he means the girl I've met, then she's a lookalike for a vampire we knew back then when we were humans."

Zach sighed

"Another one? You have got to be kidding me."
"How did you meet her Zach?"

Stefan asked as he walked to the bureau in the corner to pour a drink for himself.

"Liz met her when the Gilberts died and today she caught us when we were at the practice."

Damon waggled his brows.

"Naughty naughty zach. Carrying on with a married woman? tsk tsk."

Zach and Stefan rolled their eyes in tandem.

"She's divorced. And do not change the subject Damon. That girl you attacked is going to give your resemblance to the meeting, tomorrow. Well, today."

He amended after a glance out the windows showed the sun having just rising. Damon took a slow sip draining his scotch. Damon's brows scrunched together as he thought.

"She won't do it to my face, now, will she?"
"What are you talking about Damon?"

Stefan's brows drew even closer together in what Damon liked to call "trying to poop but forgot vampires can't" expression.

"I'm saying, all dear Zach has to do is... go on a little holiday or 'down under' and I'll attend this town council meeting in his stead."

He flourished, his hangs visible for all to see. Zach glowered and considered, not for the first time, how good it'd be for the world if got rid of Damon. Even if he did die in the process.

- - - Memories of a Past and a Future - - -

Around the breakfast table, at the Gilbert house, Jeremy was busy drawing on his book, something he hadn't done in ages, Elena was busy fixing her nails with a small paper file while Jenna was staring at them both over the rim of her coffee cup. Next to her, Bella was fighting to keep her eyes open while Barkley was running amok in the back yard doing what he did best. Barking.

"You seem to be nice and not high, Jer"

Jenna remarked. The teenage boy shrugged one shoulder, gave her a quick glance and said,

"Should I be?"

Jenna arched a brow at Bella who yawned and shrugged herself. She had told Jenna about her chat concerning drugs with Jeremy in her car the previous day. The boy had said he'd stop but she hadn't expected him to go cold turkey like that. Or be seemingly A-okay doing it.

Jenna turned her attention to Elena and her grooming.

"Do you have any plans for the day Elena?"

The teenage girl shrugged one shoulder in perfect mimicry of Jeremy and muttered something about spending time with her friends. When asked about going back to cheering, Elena shuddered and made a disgusted sound.

"No, thanks."

The adults in the room exchanged another glance and another yawn. Soon it was time for the teens to head to school, which they did calmly enough. Bella waved bye, Jenna made an attempt at parenting, Jeremy let it roll off with an awkward reply while Elena made a 'good job' joke as she left.

"What are you waiting for?"

Jenna asked Bella whose hand was suspended in midair.

"The laugh track."

She replied. When Jenna raised a brow in question, Bella continued

"You have to admit Jen, this was nearly a perfect family breakfast scene from any sitcom."

Jenna snorted and refilled her coffee mug.

"True that."
"Did I tell you what happened last night?"

And so it was, over coffee, like always, the two best friends spoke and shared their truths. Bella about surprising sheriff Liz and Zach Salvatore at the lab, their talk about vampires and their weaknesses, and the meeting that night. Including the burn in her hand that Jenna shrugged off saying the plant was probably something Bella was allergic to. Jenna talked about her plan to crash said meeting and demand to be included as Elena and Jeremy's guardian despite not being a Gilbert herself.

"Sounds like a plan."

Bella said with a smile, and the two girlfriends shared another cup of coffee while Barkley amused himself with the wildlife of the backyard.