AN: Because I am extremely happy with your response to the last chapter, I am updating yet another one. I hope it keeps up to your expectation. Thank you for the amazing reviews. It made my day. So, here it goes...

Chapter 12: Running errands

I thought when I would wake up I will feel seething pain throughout my entire body. I doubted my survival too. But in reality when I finally opened up my eyes it was like I just woke up from a regular night sleep. There was no pain or anything that could prove the incident that had happened with me. I looked around but I wasn't in a familiar place. The bed I was lying on was stranger too. I noticed a blood bag connected to me. I guess the blood that I lost is being refilled now. When I tried to sit up I felt the weakness in my body but nothing else. I was just wondering where I am when Bonnie entered the room through the door. Seeing me awake she rushed to my side.

"Jacq, you are wake. How are you feeling?" I tried to speak up but found my throat extremely dry.

"Water." I whispered to her. Bonnie got me some water quickly and helped me drink it. My throat soaked the cold water and the dryness disappeared instantly. It felt so good and refreshing.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked again with more concern. I nodded my head lightly.

"I am good Bonnie. Where are we?" I asked finally.

"It's Alaric's apartment. We couldn't take you to your home." I nodded in understanding.

"How long was I out?" I asked as I drank some more water.

"Not long, it's only been a day." Replied Bonnie. So I figured I am currently living the timeline of the 'Blood brother' episode of season one. I touched my neck to feel the wound but there wasn't any. I looked at Bonnie with questioning eyes. She hesitated a bit.

"Damon gave you his blood, so that you will heal quickly." Well I certainly felt thankful for that. I wouldn't want to wear a bandage around my neck for weeks. That moment Ric walked into the room and was happily surprised to see me wake.

"Jacq, how are you feeling now?" I could tell that he was relieved to see me wake.

"I am feeling awfully good." Both Ric and Bonnie smiled at that.

"Where is everyone else? And how many of you knows about what happened?" Because only Elena, Bonnie, Ric and Damon witnessed and knew what happened really.

"Jeremy knows too. He was here the whole time. I forced him to go take some rest just a few hours ago" said Bonnie.

"I should inform others that you are finally awake" said Ric as he started calling someone, probably Elena or Damon. I couldn't stop myself from asking about Stefan when Ric finished talking over the phone.

"They will be here soon." Ric informed us.

"Ric, how is Stefan?" Bonnie's face darkened at the mention of Stefan's name. Alaric got uncomfortable too but neither of them answered me. So, I pushed more.

"Is he okay? Where is he?" I was feeling worried now and it was visible on my face.

"Stefan locked himself up in the cellar at the boarding house." I frowned in confusion because I remembered pretty clearly that Elena had to stab him with vervain for that.

"He did that himself?" Ric nodded with a sigh. "He is feeling very guilty for what he did to you and punishing himself for that." Bonnie kept glaring in the space while Ric explained the situation to me.

"It's not enough. He deserves worse" stated Bonnie with hatred.

"Bonnie!" I said getting tired of their hatred.

"What? He almost killed you Jacq. How can you be worried about him?" Her voice was full of venom. Ric didn't say a word though. Obviously staying out of the girl to girl talk or argument, whatever.

"Isn't you hating him enough? Come on Bon, he wasn't under control. Besides, I am not dead yet. Let's just skip that episode, shall we?" Bonnie shook her head at me in hopelessness as I said that.

"All he needs to do is get his thirst under control again. That doesn't include punishing him. And what is Damon doing about it?" I asked out loud.

"Elena and Damon are with him right now. But they too decided that it's safe to keep Stefan locked up until he is back in control again" informed Ric. I realized that both Bonnie and Alaric had something to ask me too.

"Do you guys have something on your mind?" I asked making it easy for them to spit out what I knew they wanted to ask me. Bonnie started first.

"How did you know about all this? About me?" asked Bonnie softly. I sighed inwardly. I guess I have to feed them the same story.

"When I read Jonathan Gilbert's journal where he mentioned about vampires, I sort of believed it. I was searching for more evidence on this when I was attacked by a vampire. Damon saved me and I asked him not to compel me to forget about it. After that I kept finding out about things, about you as well." I said to Bonnie as she sighed out heavily.

"Why didn't you tell anyone when you knew we share the same secret?" she asked with an accusing tone of voice but I ignored that and answered truthfully.

"I wanted to tell you guys but when Elena asked Damon to compel Jeremy to make him forget everything after Viki's death, I couldn't risk letting that happen to me too. I don't want to forget anything. That's why I thought it's better not to tell anyone about my knowledge about vampires." Bonnie nodded in understanding. Then she got a call from her dad.

"I have to go home Jacq. But I will come back soon." I nodded and after sharing a short hug, she left from there. It was only me and Alaric and he looked quite baffled about what he should do? He wasn't used to of taking care of someone for a long time. He spoke up after some time.

"Doctor said you need to rest for at least a week." I frowned in confusion.

"Was I at the hospital?" Ric shook his head. Thankfully.

"Damon kind of kidnapped a doctor and made him treat you then compelled him to forget about it." I was touched by it. Damon didn't need to go through all that trouble but he still did? I think he does care for me.

"When can I go home?" I asked. I needed to do a lot of things and lying on a bed won't help me a bit.

"You lost a lot of blood. So, you have to stay here until you finish refilling." I could tell he has something else on his mind. I didn't need to push him though because he spoke up himself.

"I assume you know about me too?" Ric asked and I nodded.

"You being a vampire hunter, that I do know." He hesitantly took a seat on the chair beside the bed.

"And if I am correct, you once saved my life as well. I was confused at first and thought that I must have seen it wrong but now I am quite sure that it was you. You put that ring on my finger on time when Damon killed me and stopped my death." Well there was no point in denying that now.

"I am sure you would do the same for me if I need a life saving action." Ric smiled at that but his eyes held gratefulness.

"I owe you my life Jacq. But right now I can't think of anything else but so say thank you for saving my life." I chuckled at that. Then I thought it through. This was the perfect time for asking something from Alaric. I could get Ric to make numbers of stakes for me out of the white oak tree wood from the Wickery bridge.

"Actually there is something you could help me with right now." Ric got confused as I said that but he was curious too.

"What is it?" he asked with interest. I forced myself in a more comfortable sitting position before starting the explanation.

"I will only tell you if you promise not to ask me any question about it and you can't tell anyone." Ric nodded to that right away. I knew he was too curious and would agree with me immediately so I said again.

"You have to promise me Ric."

"I promise." I knew he would keep his promise but still I was feeling at risk with my secrets. But there was no option to back out at that point.

"Good, I know that you are very good at making wood stakes. You have your own workshop for that. I want you to make a few stakes for me." Ric had to think before agreeing to that.

"Okay, I will make you a few stakes. Do you want to kill someone?" I groaned rolling my eyes at him.

"No questions asked Ric, a deal is a deal." He nodded immediately. Apologizing right away.

"Yeah sorry."

"So when do you want them?" Ric asked most curiously.

"It's not that easy. So, as soon as I am out of bed, we will work on it together. And nobody, I mean it Ric, nobody can find out. Not even Damon. I know you have a soft spot for him." Ric laughed out loud at that and he tried to sound bitter but failed miserably.

"That's completely ridiculous. I hate him. He turned my wife into a vampire. He tried to kill me. I can hardly stand him." Even his tone of voice said that he didn't mean all that.

"Okay, okay I get it. You made your point." I couldn't help but laugh at his expression. The conversation couldn't go any longer because as soon as we finished talking, Jeremy and Elena barged in the room with worried looks on their faces. Both of them hugged me at the same time, squeezing the life out of me.

"Guys your love is threatening to kill me now." I said when breathing became absolutely necessary. They let go of me but stayed very close. We talked about what happened and what is going on right now. Elena was worried about Stefan but she is going to help him get through it. Just as she planned to do so in the show. I asked Jeremy if he already told Elena that he knows about Viki's death. Elena was talking to Ric that time in the other room. Jeremy told me that Elena just knew that he knows about vampires however not about his knowledge on Viki's death as well. He wasn't planning to tell her that anytime soon. Elena came back in the room.

"Jacq, we have to leave now. But we will keep checking up on you." Very soon Elena and Jeremy left for home. I was feeling very tired and sleepy, Ric noticed that right away.

"You should get some sleep." I nodded and laid back falling asleep instantly. In my sleep I felt someone caressing my face very softly. I slowly opened my eyes and found Damon looking at me. He looked extremely worried and he was actually brooding like Stefan. And his eyes were shining brightly.

"You are looking like Stefan right now." I said waking up completely. Damon helped me sit up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's okay." I looked at the wall clock that read two in the morning. Ric must be sleeping in the other room.

"How are you feeling?" Damon asked looking carefully at my face and with heavy concern.

"Excellent." I said cheerfully, to which he rolled his eyes.

"Don't lie to me." I sighed out.

"Seriously, I am okay. How can I not be when your blood is running through my veins right now." I bit onto my tongue right away. I didn't mean to say that out loud. Damon was looking at me with an amused expression on his face. I was probably blushing like a ripe red tomato. I couldn't even look at him in the eye out of shyness and embarrassment. After a while I heard a chuckle coming from Damon and when I looked up at him I saw Damon smirking at me. I cleared my throat, I needed to do something to undo what I stupidly blurted out.

"What I meant to say is- thanks for healing my wounds." Damon's smirk didn't drop but thankfully he didn't say anything smug to embarrass me more.

"Sure" said Damon. Unknowingly I licked my bottom lip to wet it but Damon's eyes caught the act. Suddenly both of us started to feel awkward for different reasons. I had to say something to make the situation normal again.

"I heard what Stefan did to himself-" I was cut off by Damon immediately before I could say more.

"Jacq listen to me, I am really really sorry about what happened. Stefan wasn't being himself but I should have been there to protect you. I am very sorry." Any other time I would have busked in glory as Damon Salvatore himself was apologizing to me and really meaning it as well. But not now, the moment was too serious to be smug about it. I couldn't even be mad at him for being with Elena when Stefan was draining me dry. I was incapable of being angry that moment.

"Hey, it's okay. I know Stefan would have never hurt me if he was under control. I know what he was going through. And he is still suffering Damon. Stefan needs to learn to control his hunger, and not let it control him. And you have to be there for him in every step. He can't do it alone Damon." I spoke most enthusiastically. Damon just kept looking at me with indescribable expression. He kept calm outside while a tornado of emotions was going through him.

"What are you Jacqueline?" Damon spoke up, his voice heavy with emotions. "You are still caring about someone who almost killed you." That moment froze for me right then. I didn't know about Damon but I was dying to kiss him. Feel his lips moving against mine.

"You have to figure that out on your own." I said. Damon sighed with a smile but then he looked into my eyes. And the way he was looking at me I knew he wanted to kiss me too. What's stopping him? I know it's definitely my age. It seemed like a curse to me then. Why the hell I am so young? He did kissed me but on my cheek.

"You should get more sleep." Damon made me lay back and was getting up to leave but I stopped him by holding his hand.

"Stay with me, please." I whispered to him. Damon knew it wasn't a right thing to do when both of our feelings weren't so innocent that moment but he got in the bed anyway and just embraced me by wrapping his arm around me. I sighed with contentment and fell asleep again. But this time it was more peaceful and comfortable.

The next day I woke up at around twelve thirty. I never slept so deeply and for so many hours. I guess tiredness did that to me or Damon's warmth. Whatever it was I was feeling very fresh and strong after waking up. I was recommended to stay in bed for a week but the way I was feeling that moment, no way in hell I was going to follow that. I shooed away Jeremy who was baby sitting me before Ric arrived from school. Once he got back I got all cheerful.

"Ric, it's time for us to get to work." Ric looked at me with disbelieve in his eyes.

"You aren't suppose to get up from bed for a week." He said it like a doctor who is disappointed with his patient's carelessness. I rolled my eyes to that.

"Come on Ric I am bored. You don't want me to die from boredom, do you?" Ric shook his head to himself, clearly not agreeing to help me right now.

"If you really want me to take rest then please, please get me out of here. We will finish the work as soon as possible and after we come back, I will take rest for as long as you want me to. And I also promise that I won't move from my bed for the rest of the week." There was no point in arguing with me and Alaric knew that very well. But still he tried to change my mind which didn't work as expected. So in the end we were in his car and headed towards the Wickery bridge.

"Are you doing anything interesting nowadays?" I asked casually on our way, hoping to find something useful out of him.

"Damon asked me to look up about an old device that he got from a vampire named Pearl. I am still trying to find out what it is. And I am also doing some digging about your uncle." I nodded to that, then after asking some more questions about this and that, I asked him something that I really wanted to know.

"You must use vervain. Where do you get yours from?" I asked as causally as possible so that Ric wouldn't suspect me. He didn't mind the question at all or get suspicious about it for that matter.

"Around about. I always keep some in my jacket pocket." Ric even showed me that while saying it.

"Don't you drink it?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Even though I am not a vampire, I don't like the taste very much." I nodded my head to that and dropped the topic right away. I learned what I needed to know already. When we reached the Wickery Bridge I asked Ric to stop the car. We both got out of the car. Ric was completely clueless about everything that was happening or what we were doing there. He couldn't help but ask me questions.

"Why are we here?" I couldn't avoid answering that.

"We are here so that we could get woods from this bridge and make a few fine stakes with it, at least twenty of them." Alaric sighed out heavily.

"Can I ask you just one more question?" I shook my head and Ric rolled his eyes at me.

"And I can't tell anyone either that we made stakes out of this bridge." He repeated his promise with hidden frustration in his voice.

"Not a soul Ric." I said with strong tone of voice. Alaric shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. A look of determination came over his face and I knew where this was going immediately.

"Jacq, I am not doing anything until you tell me what this is all about?" I knew he wouldn't be easy to work with but easier than others to work with. That's the only reason I chose him for this job.

"Why don't you work and I talk?" Thankfully he agreed to that after considering it.

Alaric started collecting wood and I started telling him about the originals. He did ask a lot of questions in between. Then after collecting the wood we went to his workshop and he started making stakes with it. I helped him with this and that as I continued telling him about white oak tree and how that is the only weapon that could kill an original. Alaric was surely an expert because he made the stakes in very short time but perfectly nonetheless. Then we went straight to the witches house. I told him about the house too and what happened there. The dead witches' house was the perfect place to hide those newly made stakes. After I hid them properly I left the stakes under the witches' protection. If they hate the originals which they do for sure, they would guard the stakes with all their powers. Once again Ric and I were back in his car and he was driving towards his apartment.

"Jacq, how do you know all this? This is too much information?" I knew he would ask it sooner or later.

"I know so much because I am not from this world Ric. I mean I am not an alien or from another planet or something. But from where I am this world, I mean your world is just a TV show for us. I am kind of into a TV show. That's how I know so much. I have already seen everything that is happening or going to happen. I know it's hard to believe but that's the truth." Ric exhaled a deep breath as I finished my explanation.

"It's a lot to digest even for me. Who else knows about this?" He asked with serious curiosity.

"Only you, because I trust you and you promised me you wouldn't tell anyone. Ric, our one stupidity could destroy everything. We have to be very careful, all the time." He nodded his head vehemently.

"But why are you here? I mean why were you sent into a TV show?" asked Alaric making me sigh out a deep breath.

"I have no idea Ric. I only know that I have to keep everyone safe here. Everyone who is good. But I do have a feeling that it has something to do with my past life. You see I wasn't a very good person. I killed many people back in my real life. I used to sell poisonous drugs to people that usually led them to their graves. I guess this is how I am repaying for the lives I took." This was the only explanation I could give him because that's what I knew and believed.

"Or maybe you are just given a second chance at life. To do something good. You may have been a killer once but now you are saving people's lives. Our lives." Well it certainly sounded good to my ears.

"Well that could be possible too." I am glad that I talked to Alaric. He made me look at the situation in a very different way. I could understand more about my purpose to be here. And talking to him made me light at heart as well. Once we were home Ric got busy making dinner for us. Soon Bonnie or Elena would come by to see me. Not long after we got settled with food, someone knocked on the door.

"That must be Bonnie." I said and opened the door but it wasn't Bonnie but standing there in front of me was Anna.

"Oh hey Anna. Finally you came to see me." She couldn't enter as she wasn't invited in before.

"Hey Ric, someone needs your invitation." I said to Ric. He came to see who it is. Alaric looked at me with questioning eyes.

"She is a friend. We can trust her." As I said that Ric invited her in without a second thought.

"How do you know Jacq is here? Did Jeremy tell you?" asked Ric to Anna as she settled in the couch.

"No, Ric I did." I spoke up and he looked confusedly at me. "And I am sorry for this." I nodded to Anna and in a blink of an eye she had Ric pinned up against the wall and commanded him not to move. Ric froze on his spot because I had removed his vervain long time ago. He was absolutely unprotected against vampire compulsion that moment.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Anna while still holding Alaric up against the wall.

"Compel him to forget everything we talked about today. Everything we did together. He came home from school and we were home all the time. He did his school work and did some research on things he had to and I just rested while he was working and watched TV for a while before we cooked dinner together. And you never came here." Anna did as I said and made Ric fall asleep on the couch.

"Are you sure he is compelled? What if he is pretending?" I asked. Anna checked his blood and confirmed that he wasn't on vervain and he was successfully compelled.

"Why did you ask me to compel him? What did you do?" asked Anna with obvious curiosity. I had sent a text to Anna while Ric was making the stakes at the workshop. I asked her to come at Ric's apartment and help me out.

"Something I don't want him to remember. He would have regretted it his whole life. Anyway thanks for helping me Anna. But you should go now. Someone will be here soon. And I am sure, Jeremy must be waiting for you." We shared a quick hug and then Anna left the apartment before I knew it. I wish I could afford Ric knowing everything. It was really nice talking to him. But it was too dangerous for him to know everything and for me as well. I couldn't take that risk even though he promised me that he won't tell anyone. But the secrets I know are mine for keeping. Not anyone else's.

AN: So was it good? Even if it wasn't I am sure the next chapter will please you. Do review this one though. love you all hugs and kisses