AN: Thank you so much guys for your reviews. I am updating so fast because I want to get to season 2 soon. And I am also sorry because I said that this chapter will have a lot of Damon Jacq moments but it's the next chapter actually. I wrote this chapter after the next chapter. I had to because of the plot line sequence demanded it. Hopefully you will still like it...
Chapter 16: Damon's confession
It has been a while since Isobel made that phone call to Alaric. Uncle John came back to his consciousness already. I helped him drinking some water. Once John started feeling better he looked at me apologetically.
"I am sorry Jacq. I didn't know Isobel will do something like this. Did she hurt you?" He asked with concern. I shook my head to answer him.
"I am okay." I said but before I could say anything else Isobel walked into the room slowly. She smiled at John who glared back at her. Then she looked at me.
"It's time to go. I hope your sister got the device already. We shouldn't keep her waiting now, should we?" As soon as Isobel finished saying that, one of her men grabbed me and started dragging me outside of the house. He was definitely a vampire and quite a strong one. His grips on me were bruising me horribly even though I was being completely cooperative.
"What about uncle John?" I asked to Isobel worriedly. I didn't want him dead because of the change of events and situations.
"Oh he will be fine. Right now you should worry about yourself only" said Isobel as she led the way out of the mansion. I was again back in a car full of mean vampires. This day couldn't get any better for me. I was wondering what Isobel has planned to do with me. Because in the show Jeremy was sent back home with Uncle John. However, this time Isobel was taking me with her to get the device, Why? I found it really frustrating not knowing what is going to happen next. I realized that I don't like this consequence that the changes brought in the situation. I absolutely didn't like not knowing the approaching future anymore. The uncertainty was worrying me. At that moment, I was completely clueless about what is going to happen, like anyone else in this world. What would happen next? Is something bad is going to happen? I simply didn't know. And it was frustrating to say the least.
The driver pulled over the car sooner than I expected. I guess we have already arrived where we are supposed to be. Isobel got out of the car and asked her men to keep me safe until she gets the device. I could see from inside the car that Elena was pacing restlessly at the corner and waiting up for Isobel anxiously. Isobel startled her by standing in front of her in a blink of an eye. I guess all the vampires love to do that. I had the whole conversation memorized that is about to happen between Elena and Isobel. But still I decided to eavesdrop and listen to their conversation as best as I could.
"Where is the device?" asked Isobel.
"Where is my sister?" asked Elena instead of answering the question. Well I guess some changes were must in this situation. Since it's me and not Jeremy who got kidnapped this time.
"This isn't a negotiation. Where is the invention?" Isobel spoke up in her cold tone of voice. It meant she was getting angry.
"Where is my sister?" Elena asked again with her arms crossed over her chest this time. Trying to look tough in front of the vampire.
"Do you think that I came alone?" Isobel threatened and two of her puppets came in view of Elena.
"Do you really think that I came alone" said Elena and both Damon and Stefan appeared but what shocked me was to see Jeremy standing right behind them along with Alaric. They weren't supposed to be here. What the hell were they doing here? Damon was glaring daggers at Isobel. He was ready to rip her off into pieces. The only person stopping him was Stefan. And I really appreciated that. I understood then why Isobel had brought me here with her and still keeping me hostage instead of just letting me go. She knew that the minute she is going to release me Damon would kill her in a snap. I was her safety protection at the moment.
"Give me my sister back and I will let you have the device" said Elena stubbornly. Seeing that, Isobel gave her men a sign and they dragged me out of the car and took me near others. Every pair of eyes landed on me and I could see the worry and care in them. Damon tried to come forward but Stefan held his arm and pulled him back then said something in his ear. I was still being held by a strong vampire. If Damon charges at Isobel or the vampire that is currently holding me, I will be dead before he could get to me.
"Now give me the device" said Isobel running out of patience but still holding up a calm demeanor.
"Release her first." Elena demanded. I really wanted to roll my eyes and yell at her to just give up the damn device already. Suddenly I was yanked by my hair, exposing my neck to the vampire holding me and then before I knew it, he bit onto me and started sucking my blood. I let out a painful yelp as his sharp teeth sank deeper into my skin.
"Stop it. Here take it." Elena cried out and handed over the device to Isobel quickly. As soon as she handed the device the man stopped sucking my blood but didn't let go of me though.
"Let go of her right now. What more do you want?" This time it was Jeremy who spoke up as he stood in front of Isobel with furious eyes. Not caring that she could kill him in a blink of an eye.
"You see I can't have Damon on my back, trying to kill me. So as long as I am not far away from here, my men will keep her hostage. And if anyone tries to make a little move on me, your precious little sister will be dead before you will know it" said Isobel before taking her leave. So many thoughts were running through my mind. Would Isobel tell Elena that Damon is in love with her like she did before? Was he really? Am I in love with Damon? Does he feel something for me as well? But before I could think more I felt someone tapping on the back of my neck and I blacked out immediately. I had no idea what happened afterwards.
When I woke up I found myself in my bed completely safe and sound. My head was feeling heavy though. I groaned in pain as I tried to sit up. When I concentrated on my surroundings, I heard voices coming from outside of my room. I focused on that with difficulty. After listening in for a moment or two I figured out that it was Elena and Jeremy's voices actually. They were talking or more like arguing about something.
"Elena, just get out" shouted Jeremy loudly at Elena. Were they seriously fighting? Why were they fighting? I wanted to call for someone and ask what the hell is happening when Jeremy entered the room. He looked mad at first but when he saw me awake he came over to me quickly forgetting all about the fight he was having with Elena just a minute ago.
"Hey you are finally awake. God I was so worried about you" said Jeremy and he engulfed me in a hug right away. I tried to get up but Jeremy didn't let me.
"What's going on Jeremy? Were you and Elena just fighting right now?" I asked really wanting to know what happened between them. Jeremy sighed out heavily before speaking up again but not really answering my question.
"Don't worry about that. How are you feeling?" He asked with concern while brushing my hair out of my face and tugging them behind my ear.
"My head's hurting a bit but I am okay. I passed out, didn't I? What happened after that?" I asked with serious curiosity. I really needed to know what happened after I passed out. And I was really hoping that Jeremy would tell me everything.
"Isobel has the device now and she got away with it. No one could do anything to her as her men were holding you hostage. But don't worry, that device is not a danger for anyone. Bonnie deactivated it before we handed it over, so it's useless now." I nodded slowly as Jeremy explained to me. I needed to talk to Bonnie about this soon. I hope that she just pretended to lift off the spell like she did in the show and didn't really do it because then we would be dealing with a lot of unwanted problems that never happened before.
"Is uncle John okay?" I asked suddenly remembering about him. Jeremy nodded in reply.
"He is taking rest downstairs." I sighed out in relief hearing that. Thank god Damon didn't come for him out of anger. Jeremy looked troubled suddenly, making me frown in confusion because of that.
"What is it Jeremy? Did something else happen?" I asked feeling worried a little. Jeremy hesitated first but then spoke up.
"I know this is not the right time to ask something like this but do you have any feelings for Damon?" Jeremy asked straight away and it kind of caught me off guard.
"What kind of feelings?" I asked instead of answering his question.
"The kind of feelings I have for Anna, romantic feelings." He gave me straight answer to that as well. Should I tell Jeremy? What should I tell him? How can I say something about that when I am so confused myself? I needed to figure out my own feelings first before letting anyone know about it. I know I have feelings for Damon but I don't want to declare it as love so soon. And what about Damon? I needed to know about his feelings as well. I don't want to make a fool out of myself by confessing my heart out and learn later that he doesn't feel anything like that for me. That would be a complete nightmare for me.
"No, he is just my friend Jeremy. There can't be anything else between us. That would be very-" I searched for the right word. "Inappropriate, besides he would never see me any other way but a friend. Sometimes we are not even friends. It's really complicated." Jeremy nodded his head sighing out in relief. I didn't know it got him so worked up. But why would he ask this anyway? I know he doesn't like Damon much. And it's no secret that Jeremy wouldn't like it a bit if I get involve with Damon romantically. But it wasn't the time to worry about that anyway. So, I let it go easily.
"I guess you are right. There can't be anything else between you two. I just don't understand what makes Isobel say that Damon is in love with you." I choked on my own breath as Jeremy said that.
"Isobel said what?" I asked not believing my own ears.
"You know I was there when they gave Isobel the device. I have witnessed everything that happened there. After the vampire knocked you out Damon was about to attack him. Stefan stopped him and they got into a little fight because of that. Then Elena asked Damon why was he acting like this but Isobel answered her the question. She said that Damon is in love with you. That's why he was so mad. But I think she just said that to make everyone uncomfortable. She is a bitch anyway." I had nothing to say to that. Thank god I was unconscious when that happened. I couldn't have faced Damon in that situation.
"Jeremy I want to sleep some more. Will you stay with me?" Jeremy nodded his head gladly and got into the bed beside me. We fell asleep together like many other difficult nights. But I knew more is to come and our problems are just starting.
Third Person's POV
Back at the boarding house Damon was drinking alone, obviously blood and bourbon, his favorite combination. Jacqueline is safe now and Damon just wanted to relax for the moment. He wanted to be with her right now but she needed some rest. Moreover, Jeremy and Elena wouldn't allow him anywhere near her after what happened. As if that would stop Damon if he really wanted to be with her at the moment. The thought made him smirk. But Damon himself decided to let his princess take some rest. He will see her tomorrow. He was a little pissed off as well because he couldn't rip Isobel's head off and she is still alive. But the day he would get his hands on her again, she will be as good as dead. And how dare she confess his feelings out to everyone else. It certainly made the situation more complicated for Damon. Elena and Jeremy were glaring at him the whole time after Isobel said that out loud that he is in love with Jacqueline. Damon snapped out of his thoughts when Stefan entered the living room.
"Do you want one?" asked Damon offering him a glass of bourbon but Stefan didn't reply to that neither made a move to take the offered glass. Damon shrugged his shoulders at him and put the glass down. He knew Stefan was here to give him the talk that he so wanted to avoid.
"Come on, go ahead, get it out, purge, whatever you have to say." Damon said cockily.
"It's about what Isobel said" said Stefan. Damon unknowingly took a gulp from the drink to send the nervousness away that was bubbling up inside him that moment. He knew this would happen sooner or later but he still felt uncomfortable about it. Damon certainly didn't want to talk about his love interest with his baby brother. But the conversation was unavoidable. So he went along with it.
"What about it?" He carelessly asked.
"Jacq is very different from other girls. She is smart, intelligent, very mature too. She is always there to help. I know it with myself, she saved my life twice already. And for that people care about her a lot. Her brother, sister, all of her friends even her asshole of an Uncle cares about her" said Stefan not getting straight to the point. Damon didn't interrupt and let him speak.
"She has strong bonds with everyone around her, even with me. Even after I tried to kill her. Any other person in her place would have hated me for what I did to her. But she not only forgave me but also saved me from hopelessness." Damon interrupted Stefan this time.
"Where are you going with this Stefan?" Damon didn't like it that his brother was speaking so fondly about the girl he loves. Everyone knows that they had a rough past and a history that should never repeat with them. If Stefan so much as feels anything for Jacq that is not brotherly, Damon wouldn't hesitate to rip his head off. They may have shared Katherine but when it comes to Jacqueline, she is only his and no one else's. He would never allow that.
"What I am saying is everyone cares about her and so do you, that's not a surprise. I mean anyone would start caring about her the way she is. But is it really something deeper than that for you?" asked Stefan straight away this time. Damon snickered at that not showing his true feelings or planning on confessing them for that matter.
"I can't believe you let Isobel get to your head" saying that Damon rolled his eyes at Stefan. There was no need for Damon to confess his feelings out loud to Stefan even if it was obvious.
"I was there you know. I was there the whole time. I saw how you reacted. I saw how much you care. And it's more than just care" said Stefan trying to get through his brother. Damon sighed out getting annoyed this time. He knew very well where this was going.
"So what? You don't need to go all broody over it." Damon snapped at Stefan and looked away from him. Stefan shook his head at his brother.
"Look, I am okay with it that you love her. I mean she is going to grow up eventually and you are not getting any older." Damon certainly didn't expect him to say that.
"Really?" asked Damon trying to make sure he heard correct. Stefan only nodded to that.
"But the thing is Elena isn't okay with it. Jacq is still very young and Elena thinks that you are still a little obsessed with Katherine and Jacq is nothing but a rebound for you. So, Elena wants you to stay away from Jacq and I too think it's for the best." As much as Damon wanted to kick his bother's ass right then for telling him what to do, he just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to act extremely on it when he didn't even know what the girl feels for him. Damon knew she felt something but wasn't very sure about it.
"Whatever" said Damon while thinking of a way to find out Jacq's feelings for him. And how can he make her realize that she loves him too as much as he loves her. And for the first time in his eternal life Damon found himself completely out of ideas. He was used to of taking pride in himself as a gifted womanizer. No woman could resist his good looks and his charms. But he knew it very well that none of them would help him when it comes to Jacqueline. She could bluntly flirt with him and then resist his seduction at the same time. Stefan sighed out knowing what must be going through his brother's head at the moment. He knows Damon too well.
"You are not gonna stay away from Jacq, are you?" Stefan stated the obvious. Damon rolled his eyes at him.
"Elena is your girlfriend brother, not mine. You are bound to do whatever pleases her, not me" said Damon bluntly. This whole thing has started to piss his off.
"Look, don't be mad at Elena. She just wants her sister to stay out of this kind of trouble" said Stefan trying to defend Elena. Jacq and out of trouble, the mere thought made Damon snort mockingly.
"Sure Elena wants that. She wants everyone to stay out of trouble. But that doesn't change the fact that most of the time Elena doesn't have a clue what her pretty little sister is up to." Stefan rolled his eyes at Damon for saying that so bluntly. Even though he too knew that it was true.
"I thought you and Elena have already bonded and care about each other too. You both are friends now, aren't you?" asked Stefan and Damon nodded to that.
"Yes, Elena is a very good friend. I guess she is my only friend. But that doesn't mean I will do everything she asks me to do." Stefan surrendered after that, knowing he can't control Damon's actions. But he also knew that if Damon hurts Jacq in anyway physically or emotionally, he would stand up against his brother and protect her from him if needed.
"On a more important note even though Elena and I are friends, I am gonna leave it up to you to give her a news" said Damon. Obviously he figured out about Elena's father already. Damon put two and two together and figured out that John Gilbert is Elena's biological father. And now it's up to Stefan to inform her that. He on the other hand has more important work to do like making Jacqueline realize of their love for each other.
Jacqueline's POV
When I woke up next morning I was feeling a lot better. I didn't have any visible bruise on me. Even the bite mark on my neck wasn't there. Damon must have fed me his blood again to heal me. He needs to stop doing that though. I might turn into a vampire with out dying first. I slowly got ready for the day. Thankfully it was the founder's day and I didn't have to attend any classes today. Everyone will be busy with the parade. Hopefully Jenna would write a note for me so that I will be excused to participate in that as well. She was told that I got into an accident at the school. When I got downstairs I found Uncle John eating breakfast and Jenna glaring at him as usual. I swear those two bicker like husband and wife. They can't even pretend to be formal.
"Are you feeling okay Jacqueline?" asked Uncle John in a calm manner. But I could tell he really wanted to know if I was feeling alright.
"Yes, Uncle John I am fine. Are you okay?" He just nodded his head. I guess he already got the device. Isobel was supposed to leave it on our doorsteps yesterday night. He confirmed my suspicion by announcing that he has an important council meeting to attend. Tonight he is going to use the device to free the town from all the tomb vampires including Damon and Stefan. As if I am going to let that happen. When Jenna noticed me going towards the front door she put her hands on her hips and stared down at me.
"And where do you think you are going?" She asked trying to intimidate me.
"I am going to see the parade Jenna. Do you want to come with me?" I asked simply.
"You are not suppose to get up from bed let alone get out of the house. Just go upstairs and take rest." Uncle John for the first time agreed on something with Jenna.
"Your aunt is right Jacqueline, you should take more rest after what happened." I didn't have the energy to fight them both and I didn't even want to. So sighing out I went upstairs to my room. I heard Jenna saying-
"That was easy. I never thought she would listen to me so easily."
"She must be very tired" commented John on that. Only if they knew what I was planning to do. Once I got to my room, I opened my window wide and got out through it. Climbing down the pipe with the help of the tree, I got down and my feet touched the ground finally. After composing myself again I walked away from the house and called Bonnie to meet me at the Grill in fifteen minutes. When I got there, I found Bonnie sitting at a table already and waiting up for me. She engulfed me in a bear hug when I got to her.
"You shouldn't be here. You should be taking rest right now" said Bonnie releasing me from her embrace. We both settled down at the table and started talking.
"Bon, I have to ask you something. It's really important." She looked worriedly at me as I said that.
"What is it Jacq?" She asked looking very concerned. I took a deep breath before asking her the question.
"Did you really deactivated the device Bonnie?" I asked looking straight into her eyes. She nodded but with guilty expression all over her face which meant she was clearly lying to me.
"The truth Bonnie." I wasn't gonna give up so easily. Bonnie looked down refusing to meet my eyes anymore and then to my relief she shook her head. I wanted to say thank god out loud but stopped myself in time.
"It's okay Bonnie, I understand. You did the right thing. Your grams would want you to do that." As I said that Bonnie engulfed me in a hug again and started crying lightly.
"Elena will never forgive me." She said in her sobs. I patted her back trying to comfort her.
"She will, don't worry. It was the right thing to do Bonnie. You don't need to feel guilty about it." Now it's only a matter of time before the town will get rid off the tomb vampires for good. And as for Damon and Stefan, I know for a matter of fact that they will be alright.
AN: Hope you enjoyed it. I have to ask you guys. When I start the season 2, do you want it as a separate story or keep this one continued. I can do both. Eager to know your opinions.