**Chapter twenty **

The damn cat escaped the bag again.

*Hailey*

"Ugh, my head hurts."

I moaned, clutching my head as I slowly woke up. It took me a few minutes to figure out that I wasn't in my bed. But this bed was warm and comfortable and smelled like… Damon.

I sighed, breathing in the smell that I had come to love. Leather, bourbon, cologne, and a hint of something copper that I knew was blood. That all mixed together was amazing, and I smiled, before burying my face into my pillow some more.

I ignored the pounding in the back of my head, and how sore my body felt. I struggled to remember what had happened last night, but all that came to me was Ava's funeral, fighting with Elena, Damon, and vampires. I couldn't remember why I felt like I had just gotten in a huge fight.

"Wakey, Wakey."

I opened one eye, to see Damon sitting down on the edge of the bed. I closed it again, and pulled the blanket tighter around me.

"Where am I?" I mumbled, as I felt the bed shift as more weight came on it. Damon lay down next to me, and I rolled over so that my head was on his chest.

"My house, and you're in my bed." He murmured, feeling stiff at first. But then he relaxed, and I felt him brush my hair out of my face.

"What happened?" I breathed, feeling safe and warm and content.

"Long story short, we were attacked by tomb vampires. We managed to kill all of them, and you were pretty badass." I heard him chuckle at my grin. "It got really close though, and for minute…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but some of my memory had come back to me. "I would've died with vampire blood in my system, Damon." I reminded him, not opening my eyes.

There was silence to my words, neither of us knowing what to say to that. After a beat or two of awkward silence, Damon changed the subject. "There was a council meeting this morning. They know something's up with the animal attacks. They found the dead vampire bodies though, so we're in the clear for now."

"That's good." I opened my eyes, and green met blue. Despite the pounding headache that was like a hangover minus the fun of getting drunk, I leaned in and kissed Damon.

It was surprisingly soft, the way he cupped my face and kissed me back. I think it hit him hard, the thought that I almost died. Even if I would've come back as a vampire.

I pulled away when Damon's hands went for my chest. I smirked teasingly at him, as he frowned at me. "Tease," he muttered into my neck, and I laughed.

"I need to take a shower," I told him, climbing out of bed. "And no, you can't join me." I called over my shoulder. I barely heard him groan in response.

I hadn't really thought about sleeping with Damon- all the murderous vampires and dying friends have been preoccupying my thoughts- but I felt like we were edging towards there. It wasn't like I was a virgin, and the only thing holding me back was the thought that he might kick me aside after. But Damon and I had been through too much for him to just screw me then never talk to me again.

I walked into Damon's bathroom, and shut the door tightly behind me. I stared at my reflection, taking in the blood shot eyes, too pale skin, knotted up hair, and dried blood on my neck and around my mouth. I tried so hard to remember what happened completely, but all I got were certain flashes.

I took a long shower, and when I came out wrapped in a towel, Damon was gone. I borrowed some clothes that Elena had left in Stefan's room, and then came down the stairs to the living room. I was just in jeans and a green tank top, and my wet hair was in a ponytail.

I found Damon in the living room, putting his jacket on. He had his back to me, but still said, "Turns out the tomb vampires aren't as inconspicuous as I thought they would be. There's just been about a dozen blood drained bodies discovered in an abandoned warehouse. I have to meet Liz there."

"Damn vampires, when will they learn to clean up after themselves?" I teased, walking to the door with him.

He smirked as he opened the door for me. "Where are you going?" he asked me.

"Elena's, I have some explaining to do." I sighed, walking to my car that was parked next to Damon's Camaro.

"Are you going to tell her?" he asked me.

"About me knowing the big secret or about my powers?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Both." He clarified, as I got into my car.

"I don't know yet, I think I'll tell her that I know about vampires, then ease her into the whole psychic thing." I sighed, starting my car.

"Good luck." He smirked, and I just rolled my eyes playfully before stretching up to kiss him quickly.

"Yeah, I'll probably need it."

~LMF~

It was almost two P.M, as I pulled to a stop in front of Elena's house. My headache wasn't gone, but it was good as. I walked into Elena's house like I lived there, and almost expected her to be at school. But there she was, sitting at the kitchen table with Stefan.

"Hailey!" Elena said, standing up quickly. She had that look on her face that you get when you're talking about somebody and then find out that they're right behind you.

"Hey Lena, I think we need to talk…" I looked at Stefan, debating on whether or not he should be here for this conversation. But his eyes were glued to my neck. Or more specifically, the red, scabby bite mark that I had totally spaced about hiding.

I pushed my shoulders up to hide my neck, but it was too late, Elena had already seen it. And she looked pissed.

"What did he do to you, Hailey?" she demanded, rushing up to me and pushing my shoulders away. Her anger seemed to fill up the room as she inspected my bite.

"Damon didn't bite me, Elena!" I retorted, pushing her away. Elena looked shocked at how defensive I was of him. Then she looked hurt.

"Did he compel her?" Elena asked Stefan, as if I wasn't in the room. I glared, and crossed my arms over my chest.

"He wouldn't do that, Elena." I said, feeling my emotions unravel very quickly. I tried to keep them in check- to keep my powers in check- but I was failing miserably.

She gave an almost pitiful look. "You don't even know what a monster he is, Hailey." She argued, while Stefan looked like he was putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"You mean a vampire?" I retorted, and Elena looked frozen in shock.

"Y-you weren't supposed to know." She muttered, and I just rolled my eyes. I felt my anger bubble up in my stomach.

"Did Damon tell you?" Stefan asked, not looking nearly as surprised as Elena.

I shook my head, breathing deeply. "I figured it out myself." I said, while Elena still looked shocked.

I turned my gaze to her. "Just build a bridge and get over it, Elena. I know, okay?" I said a little harshly, and Stefan shifted awkwardly.

"I'm going to let you two work this out." He said, before disappearing.

"I didn't want you involved in this, Hailey." Elena said as soon as he was gone.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed with my best friend. I loved Elena, I loved her a lot. But her one fault was that she made decisions for people. She didn't control them necessarily, but if she thought that they would be better off a certain way, she'd do something to make it happen. It wasn't bad, really, but it bugged me sometimes.

"Well, I didn't ask you for your opinion, Elena." I said, and she flinched slightly.

"You don't understand, you don't want to be stuck in this whole vampire mess, Hailey. You don't. And you definitely don't want to be stuck with Damon." Her nose wrinkled, and my temper flared again.

"Maybe you're the one who doesn't understand, Elena. He's my friend, he saved my life. He was there for me when you weren't. But didn't come here to argue about Damon, for you to tell me that he's killed people- I know that. I came here to tell you that I know the truth. I was going to tell you something else, but I- I just don't think I'm in the mood anymore." I turned and walked out of the kitchen, out of her house.

"Hailey, just wait!" Elena ran after me, and I whirled around to face her in the front yard. The little control I had over my emotions suddenly disappeared, and my powers went haywire.

Every single flower pot in Elena's neighborhood smashed at the same time, making it sound like thunder. I breathed heavily, trying to control my temper. Elena stared wide eyed at me.

"What are you?" she whispered, looking like she didn't know me anymore.

But I was already gone.

I drove as fast as I could to Damon's house, afraid. Would Elena think I was a freak? Would she end our friendship? It wasn't like it wasn't already on the rocks. I had some pretty mean things to her that I didn't know if I could take back.

Damon was in his living room, when I burst into his house. He silently handed me the rest of his bourbon, and I chugged it. It burned my throat, but I needed it- bad.

"I'm guessing that telling Elena didn't go to well?" he asked, as I grabbed another bottle.

"Hey," I frowned, as he took the bottle away from me.

"I picked you up at a college bar, where you were 'dancing-on-tables' drunk not even three days ago. You're cut off from getting drunk for a while." He told me, putting the bottle away.

I just glared- I needed to drown out my problems right now. Who was he to cut me off?

We both looked to the door, as it suddenly burst open. I just looked away, as Elena and Stefan walked in. my head hurt, and I wasn't in any mood to deal with Elena right now.

"Just go away, Elena." I told her, rubbing my temples. It wasn't the same headache as before, it was worse. And it kept steadily getting more intense.

"How did you do that, Hailey?" she asked, ignoring my outburst.

"So she's in on the secret?" Damon asked me, and Elena's eyes widened.

"He knew? Damon knew about your… powers before I did?" she looked hurt and outraged at the same time.

"Elena! Not now, okay?" I shouted, feeling as if my head was going to explode. I had never had a headache so bad in my life.

Suddenly, I collapsed in pain, and Damon just managed to catch me before I hit the ground. "Hailey, what's happening? What's wrong?" he asked, worried.

I just clutched my head, moaning in pain. "My head…" I whimpered.

I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see anything. I faintly heard a gasp, and Elena say something about my eyes, but then everything melted away. The pain, the blackness. And suddenly, I was watching a scene play, like in a movie.

"They're dead, Markus."

A young man, probably around fifteen, cowered away from the man he called Markus. People surrounded a group of three and the young man. They were all in a small cottage.

"How? She's just human." Spat a woman in her twenties, with hair so red it looked like fire. "How did a human manage to fight off five vampires by herself?"

"Now, now Candace. I'm sure Tim has an explanation for that." Markus soothed her, before turning back to Tim.

"She wasn't alone, Damon Salvatore was with her. We're sure of it." Tim said, before he looked straight at a tall man standing behind Markus and Candace.

The man looked bored yet slightly amused by what was going on around him. He was tall, with tan skin and messy hair that looked like he just got out of bed. He had to be in his early to mid-twenties, and was overall, very hot.

"She- she looks like Victoria, Nicolai." Tim told him hesitantly.

Candace looked murderous, Nicolai looked like the sun had just come out after a millennium of darkness, and Markus looked only politely intrigued.

"She- she has her powers too, visions and telekinesis. We've been watching her for a few days." Tim continued.

"This doesn't change anything!" Candace shouted, turning to Markus. "Hailey Ellis will die! She has to, she's the only Ellis by blood still alive."

"I never said that she wouldn't, Candace," he soothed her, looking as if he did it by the hour.

Nicolai however, didn't look too sure about that plan. "I… I have to see her." He murmured, before suddenly disappearing.

Candace still looked pissed. "Markus…" she whined, turning to him.

"Hailey Ellis will die, Candace." He said impatiently. "She insisted it. Nicolai just needs to see the girl, that's all. After all, he was in love with Victoria."

Markus walked away, his cool gray eyes calculating as he disappeared. The vampires around them murmured to each other, but Candace's furious expression never changed.

She ripped Tim's head from his body, before disappearing, muttering to herself about lovesick vampires.

I gasped, sitting up in Damon's arms. I looked around, but I was back in the Salvatore Boarding house. There was so much running through my head, I could barely process it all.

"What was that?" Damon asked, as I shakily stood up. Stefan and Elena both looked shocked.

"I don't know. A vision, I guess. I've never had that before." I said, pushing my bangs out of my face.

"You're eyes… they were full of blood, Hailey." Elena told me, but I just closed them.

Something was bugging me from my vision, something that brought back a memory from last night. I opened my eyes and stared straight at the Salvatore brothers.

"Who's Victoria, and why do I look like her?"

~LMF~

A/N: so, I sort of took out my agitation at Elena in this chapter. I don't hate her, but she pisses me off sometimes.

Thank you to: Salvatoregurl, Audri, SomebodyWhoCares, vdemily, carrie9586, Pinkbeca, Samantha meyers, colleenrawr, AudreyDarke96, and jacquline for reviewing!

I love reviews!

~Abby:)