AN: This chapter is dedicated to Tvdlover87654 for being the 100th reviewer of this story. I am so sooo happy that I am updating another chapter right away. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I hope this chapter pleases you more. Enjoy...

Chapter 20: Enter Mason Lockwood

The night with Tyler was quite heart cringing. He was drinking a lot. And he poured out his heart to me completely. Tyler kept telling me about how bad and neglected his childhood was and how spoiled he became for that. Then people just started to misunderstand him for everything he did even if he had good intentions. I was still living the timeline of the episode 'The return' of season two. And everything was happening accordingly so far. Tyler was glad that Matt has finally got on speaking terms with him again. Even though he had to lose his father for that. I let Tyler talk it all out and never interrupted him for once. In the morning I went back home to get ready for the funeral. I went to the funeral before anyone else and helped Tyler with getting ready as well. He obviously had a bad hangover and I had to kick his ass out of the bed. Carol being the best mother didn't pay any attention to Tyler this entire time. Eventually people started to come in the mansion to show respect to the honorable Late Mayor Richard Lockwood. Tyler took his place at the door to welcome everyone inside.

"So, you are just gonna stand here the entire time welcoming the guests inside and be a perfect gentleman host." I said and Tyler nodded to that.

"That's the idea." Tyler said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes at him.

"And I have to stick with you so that you don't get bored." I clarified with a sigh.

"Absolutely yes." Tyler said with a wide grin. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle myself. One by one guests started to come and enter the house. At one point Damon came too. And to my surprise he didn't glare at Tyler or me like I expected him to. He had a different expression on his face which had me confused. However he did approach us.

"Jacq, can I talk to you for a minute?" Damon asked politely. What happened to him? I wondered to myself. Probably woke up at the right side of his bed this morning. But since he asked nicely I agreed to talk to him.

"Yeah sure." I said to Damon.

"I will be right back." I said to Tyler and we started walking towards the garden, Damon and I where no one was present at that moment. Damon stopped and turned to face me, making me stop walking as well. He looked at me with such intense eyes that I felt myself melting under his gaze.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked however with no hint of softness in my voice.

"I want to apologize to you for yesterday Jacq. I don't know what got into me. I really didn't want to hurt you like that. I lost control." Damon was genuinely apologizing to me. My face actually lit up hearing that. I guess yesterday was just a bad day for both of us. Damon would never hurt me intentionally. Maybe he hadn't fed properly or something. I was seriously relieved that he was being normal again and happy too.

"It's okay Damon, I understand. You weren't being yourself." As I said that, relief washed over his face as well and he came closer to me. Damon wrapped his arms around my waist to pull me in a hug. I let Damon embrace me and instantly felt chills running down my spine. I wrapped my own arms around him and pulled him closer to me. I was getting lost in his mind dazzling scent and touch. Damon leaned in and buried his face in the curve of my neck and inhaled deeply taking in my natural perfume. Should I just tell him that I love him right here, right now? Because the way Damon was making me feel that time, I wanted to feel like that for eternity. However before I could make a decision and say something about it, Damon spoke up again.

"Will you listen to me if I ask you to do something?" He asked softly. I was so lost in his heavenly touches that I just nodded my head.

"Mmhhmm." Was my response. I could barely speak that time.

"Stay away from Tyler, will ya?" Damon said at once and I was slapped out of that dazzling moment instantly. I pulled away to look at his face while he still kept his arms wrapped around me. He was sort of making sure that I won't run away from him. I couldn't believe my ears though.

"What?" I asked frowning at him with confusion. I swear I would seriously loose my patience with him if this is another jealousy issue.

"Yesterday, Mayor Lockwood was affected by the device that kills vampires. And Tyler was affected as well. I know that they are not vampires. They weren't affected by vervain but they are something else." Damon cupped my face with both his hands and inched closer to my face while he explained this to me.

"So as long as I don't figure out what they are, I want you to stay away from Tyler, okay." Damon was trying to make it look like a request or pleading even but I could see that he wanted to just order me and force me into obeying him. And he was struggling to stop that from happening. Being submissive to him was the smartest thing to do at that moment. But out of bad habit, and suicidal mentality I decided to do a little experiment with his control issues. I decided to play with the fire and see how far it can burn.

"Is this the only reason? I mean it has nothing to do with your loathing for Tyler for no reason at all." I asked crossing my arms over my chest while stepping away a little from Damon. However he was still holding me. Keeping me at arms' distance. Damon just smiled at me trying to play cool.

"It's the only reason." He said to convince me. I smiled brightly at him after that.

"Great, then you have nothing to worry about. I am used to of hanging out with two vampires and a witch. Whatever the Mayor was or Tyler is, I am sure I can handle that." I said with a chipper tone of voice and I could see that Damon's control was slipping out of his hands slowly. He sucked in a deep short breathe before speaking up again.

"So, you are not gonna stay away from him?" Damon stated with controlled aggressive tone of voice.

"Nah, I don't think so." I said in a sweet but firm voice. His flat palms on my body turned into firm grips but this time I was prepared for it. So, my smile didn't falter when he growled at me angrily.

"Is it because I kissed Katherine yesterday that you are trying to piss me off at every chance you are getting?" Damon hissed at me in a low dangerous tone of voice. It only made my smile wider.

"I am not trying to piss you off Damon. Why would I? Besides, I don't mind that you kissed Katherine. I mean you loved her for 145 years. You shouldn't have welcomed her with anything less. I was just a little mad that you thought it was Elena. How could you confuse a woman you love with a woman who looks like her? Or maybe you love Elena as well so you couldn't differ their kisses. But my point is, it's none of my business. So please don't drag me in it." I said it with such conversational tone of voice that it even surprised me. But I was satisfied nonetheless. Even though Damon was trying to murder me with his glares. And his hands were threatening to break half of the bones in my body. Damon closed his eyes shut, his jaws gritting but suddenly he loosen his grips on me and slid his hands into his black jeans pockets so that he wouldn't suddenly do something that he might regret forever.

"Just go, leave." Damon didn't need to tell me twice. I went back to Tyler and found him still welcoming the guests.

"What did Damon want to talk to you about? The guy is really spooky, he creeps me out" said Tyler freely without any hesitation.

"You are not the only one Tyler. He just had to inform me about something." I said to him. Tyler wasn't nosy so he didn't ask in return what was it. After sometime I got a chance to ask Tyler the question I wanted to ask him since last night.

"Hey Tyler, Matt mentioned to me last night that you heard a noise that caused you migraine and made you lose control of the car." I asked with as much casual tone as possible. Tyler sighed out heavily and nodded his head.

"I honestly have no idea what happened. There was this noise that I heard but neither Matt nor Caroline heard it even though we were in the same car. I lost my control over the car and almost killed everyone. Thankfully nothing happened to Matt but Caroline is in the hospital now because of me. She could have died last night. And it would have been my fault. I am sorry Jacq. I know you and Caroline are good friends. But there was nothing I could've done. It was totally out of my control." Tyler said regretfully.

"I understand Tyler. I am not blaming you. I was just wondering what kind of sound it was, that only you heard and no one else did, what could it be really? You know I am a sucker for mystery." I said and Tyler smiled at that. Relieved that I wasn't mad at him for the accident.

"I have no idea Jacq. I never heard anything like that before." Tyler said getting interested as well. I had to voice this topic so that Tyler would freely talk to me about his supernatural side in near future.

"You know what I am thinking, what if it turns out to be a radio frequency sent from the space by aliens and you are someone special that they want to contact to. If I were you I would be very careful. Who knows when they decide to abduct you Tyler. You will sleep in your bed at night but wake up inside a box in a space ship in the morning. And they would be taking you to March or maybe Pluto even." I said it with such concern that it made Tyler burst out in laughter.

"Ssshhhh, you are supposed to look sad." Tyler covered his mouth with his hand. I was happy that it made him laugh. But my eyes unknowingly traveled to someone else. Damon was standing between Carol and Liz and well as usual glaring at me and Tyler. I turned my face away from him. Not long after that a black hummer pulled in front of the entrance door. And Mason Lockwood got out of the car. A small smile appeared on my lips. It was about time the hot stud werewolf arrived. I liked Mason a lot in the show and was extremely pissed off at Damon for killing him off so brutally. He is handsome too, quite an eye catcher. No wonder why Katherine chose him as her boy toy even though he is a werewolf. Tyler had already started approaching him.

"So the black sheep returns." Tyler said out loud and crossed his arms over his chest. Mason came closer to him with a grin.

"Tyler?" He asked trying to confirm if that was his nephew.

"Yeah." Tyler replied.

"What happened to you? In my mind you are twelve years old." Mason said smiling.

"Well that's two years older than the last time you saw me uncle Mason." He nodded then gave Tyler a hug.

"It's good to see you." Mason said.

"It's good to see you too" said Tyler. I was standing right behind Tyler giving them some family moments and space. When Mason's eyes fell on me, I smiled at him.

"Who is this?" Mason asked Tyler. Tyler then proceeded to introduce us.

"This is my friend Jacq." Mason's eye brows shot up and a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Just friends?" He asked and Tyler nodded but I smirked back at Mason.

"Well, if he was as good looking as you then perhaps we would be something more." I said and Tyler rolled his eyes while Mason looked flattered. It was not flirting but a genuine compliment. And I was glad that he liked it.

"He is my uncle Jacq" said Tyler but I shrugged my shoulders at him.

"So what? It doesn't change the fact." I said with a shrug of my shoulders. Mason laughed at Tyler's expression and extended his hands towards me.

"I am Mason Lockwood." I took his hand and shook it lightly.

"Jacqueline Gilbert." Mason let go of my hand not holding longer than needed. Such a gentleman. Another compliment but I kept it to myself.

"Correct me if I am wrong but you like surfing." I asked and Mason looked at me with surprised expression.

"How do you know? Did Tyler tell you?" Mason asked. Tyler shook his head and I just laughed at his amused look.

"You have a body of a surfer. It's not that hard to recognize one." I said and Mason looked impressed with that too.

"I do like riding the waves. That's why I choose to live in Florida. You seemed to know a lot about surfing and surfers." I can't believe Mason is actually making conversations with me. I can't get any luckier today.

"That I do." I said and he nodded.

"Glad to know that I have someone here with mutual interest about surfing." I just smiled at that, not knowing what to say to that.

"Come on let's go inside for a while" said Mason to both of us and we followed him inside. My eyes flicked over to Damon who was kind of shaking with anger and trying to control it at the same time. Good, I thought to myself. I should never let it go that he kissed Katherine without some pay back. Besides, he was going to hate Mason anyway. Why not give him a proper reason this time? Soon Damon is going to search for information on Mason and obviously Liz would be the person to give him a few info. I wondered what Stefan and Elena are doing right now. Probably coming over here after confronting Uncle John at the hospital. When Mason got occupied with others Tyler and I were again back at the door to welcome guests.

"Tyler, how come you never mentioned anything about your uncle. He is absolutely hot." I said and Tyler blushed at my bluntness.

"Do you know how old he is?" Tyler asked and I shook my head and laughed. I tried to get as much inner information on Mason as I could from Tyler like when Mason left Mystic Falls and, why? for how long? Where he studied? about his friends and girlfriends. And Tyler kept answering as much as he could. I showed him how much I was interested in his uncle. Then suddenly Elena appeared at the door with curly hair which indicated that it was actually Katherine. Tyler thanked her for coming. Katherine's eyes flickered to me and I just nodded that said I am doing good. She entered the house feeling proud. There was this air around Katherine that was so high and confident. No wonder why every guy falls for her. She is never clueless and always knows what she is doing. I liked this kind of personality. Anyways, I knew what's going to happen from now on. She is going to confront Bonnie but after finding out from her that Caroline got Damon's blood in her system. In a while Stefan came and entered the house too. I waited for him and Katherine to go out and then went to Bonnie to see if she was okay.

"Hey Bonnie, are you alright? It was Katherine, wasn't it? I saw her going after you." I asked with concern. Bonnie nodded to me but still looked a little breathless.

"I am fine, Jacq." She managed to say and right then Damon came over to us.

"What happened?" He asked knowing very well that something has gone wrong.

"Katherine was here?" I replied shortly. "She attacked Bonnie." Damon cursed under his breath hearing that.

"Where is she now?" Damon asked and I shrugged my shoulders telling him that I have no idea.

"Do you know where Elena is?" Damon asked again and I shook my head this time.

"I better go and check" announced Bonnie and started to get out of the room. I stepped forward, ready to follow her out too but Damon held me back. I looked back at him.

"What?" I asked, well sort of snapped at him actually. Damon didn't say anything and kept staring at me until Bonnie completely disappeared from our sights.

"What was that?" Damon growled on my face. He was looking furious at that time and I was kind of enjoying it instead of feeling scared. I mean what more he could do other than accidentally snap and just kill me here or drain me dry. Didn't I already try to kill myself once? So, why fear death now?

"What was what?" I asked pretending to be confused and absolutely oblivion.

"You were flirting with Mason Lockwood." Damon spat the name as if it poisoned his mouth. However, I rolled my eyes at him.

"I wasn't flirting Damon. I was just being truthful about his good looks and dashing personality." Before I knew it I was pushed up against a wall with Damon hovering dangerously over me. He was pressing his body against mine and kept me pinned up against the wall. A moan threatened to escape my lips but I held it back with difficulty. In less then twenty four hours we were in this position twice already. Not that I minded or anything.

"I am done trying to make you understand. You will stay away from Mason Lockwood and that Tyler kid too. Or the consequences will be your fault. If I see you with any of them ever again, I won't hesitate to kill them both and their blood will be on your hands. Do I make myself clear?" Did I ever mention that Damon looks more handsome in a devilish way when he threatens to kill like this? However, I didn't spend much time checking him out and titled my head a little. A cunning smile was playing on my lips that moment. I was about to do something I never did before, with Damon at least.

"Let me put it this way." I said in a low but clear tone of voice. Then I wrapped one hand around his lean waist pulling Damon closer to me and put my other hand on his chest. I traveled it up to his shoulder blade in a seductive way, exploring his broad chest that was covered by his black shirt. And how I wish to tear it off and touch his bare skin instead. I felt his entire body tensing up at my slight touches much to my satisfaction. I didn't think I would get such reaction from him or his body I should say. Damon was leaning into me, his breath teasing my skin and his eyes were clouding with longing and getting dark with lust.

"If you so much as put a scratch on any of them, I will kill myself and my blood will be on your hands. Do I make myself clear?" I finished with a smirk. Damon became violent with rage suddenly. He snatched my hands from his body and pinned them on the wall with both of his hands.

"You will not dare." He said so dangerously that anyone would have turned pale hearing that voice but not me. I challenged him back.

"Don't challenge me Damon, you and I both know that I am capable of doing it. Besides why do you care what I do or who I am with? Aren't you back into Katherine now? Or are you still busy making Elena happy? Whatever it is, just stay away from me and my business Damon." Surprisingly he didn't glare at me this time and we kept staring into each others eyes without blinking. Suddenly Elena came over there.

"What's going on?" She asked startled to see us like that.

"Nothing." Damon said and stepped away from me. I looked at Elena then back at him and left the room. I was near Mayor's study room and saw Jeremy going away. Probably to the washroom. Mason took a gulp of whatever it was in the bottle that Tyler had found in his father's desk drawer. I knocked at the door to get their attention.

"Hey Tyler, Have you seen Jeremy anywhere?" I asked even though I knew where he was. I just needed a question to ask.

"Yeah, he just went inside. Come on in" said Tyler. I hesitated a bit but Mason too nodded for me to come in. I better get close to them. Close enough for them to trust me. So, I spend the rest of the time talking to Tyler and Mason. I have a feeling Mason and I will bond in no time. And I hope I am right for his life's sake.

AN: SO, how was it? Keep reviewing guys. I really love them. 'hugs and kisses'.