AN: Lets not keep you guys waiting anymore. So, here is another chapter. Thanks a lot for the the mind blowing reviews. Here it goes...
Chapter 24: The First Full Moon
When I woke up, I found that I was alone on my bed. Damon must have left in the dawn after Stefan took over the watch shift. The episode 'Bad moon rising' has already started. A lot is going to happen during this time. Freshening up, I got ready for school. More importantly to meet Tyler. He should have found the moonstone by now. He did in the show. I hoped that he would show it to me soon. I took out the fake one from my drawer and put it in my jeans pocket. The first chance I am gonna get, I will switch the real one with the fake one. Tyler wouldn't sense any difference since he wasn't a witch. I didn't wait for Jeremy or Elena to get ready for school and dashed out of the house as soon as possible. When I reached the school only a few people had arrived but thankfully Tyler was among them. It seemed that he has been waiting up for me. He too was eager to meet me apparently.
"Hey, I was hoping you would come soon" said Tyler as he saw me approaching him fast.
"Did you find anything else about Mason?" I asked him with curiosity but Tyler shook his head.
"No, he wouldn't tell me anything. I guess I just have to keep an eye on him" said Tyler more to himself than to me but I nodded anyway.
"But be careful okay." I said showing concern even though I knew it wasn't necessary. Not to mention I knew from beforehand that Tyler would be alright while following Mason. He wouldn't hurt his only nephew. Tyler suddenly looked around to see if anyone was looking at us. I frowned in confusion at him.
"I have got something to show you." My heart started beating fast as he said that. "I found what Mason was looking for." My heart was banging against my ribs with excitement by then. Finally Tyler pulled out the moonstone from his jacket pocket and held it in front of me. I tried hard to control my expression and tried to look normal and curious. But my eyes must be glimmering with excitement.
"Is this the moonstone you told me about last night?" I asked innocently and Tyler nodded his head. Only if he knew about my intention.
"Mason said it's just a sentimental value for him but I suspect more. So, I have decided not to give him this until I find out what he really is" said Tyler and for a second I decided just to snatch it away from his hand and took off running. I laid my hand in front of him and he put the stone in my hand without a second thought. I pretended to carefully observe it.
"Did you do any research on it?" I asked trying to keep my voice normal because it was threatening to shake badly. I was overwhelmed with anxiousness that moment. Finally the moonstone was in my hands. After such a long time.
"I was hoping you could do it for me while I keep an eye on my uncle. Also I want you to keep this for me. It's not safe with me. He could easily find out if I carry it with me all the time around him" said Tyler. My jaws dropped on the ground. Obviously in imagination and not literary. Never for once I thought getting the moonstone would be so easy. I just wanted to hug Tyler that time. But that would look weird so I contained my boiling excitement within me and simply nodded to him.
"Yeah, sure. No problem." I said normally and we parted after a while to go to our separate classes. After the school I went straight to the witch house. I put a mark on the original one so that I wouldn't confuse them myself. I checked the white oak stakes that I had put in the house not long ago. They were still there and very safely. I didn't want to put the moonstone here as well but for the moment no other place was safer than the witch house for hiding the moonstone. But I hid it in a different corner of the house. Now only the fake one would be out there for everyone to fight for while the original one would be safe here.
Later I got a call from Caroline. Bonnie had already apologized to her. And she even made Caroline a daylight ring on her own this time. No persuasion was needed from Stefan. Both Bonnie and Caroline were waiting up for me at her house and wanted me to come over. I was very happy and in a very good mood. After all I have accomplished something I was planning to do for months now. I entered Caroline's house where I was greeted by a bear hug from Care. Bonnie however was standing at a distance. Obviously after what happened last night, we couldn't be all buddy buddy the next day. Caroline noticed the discomfort between us too.
"Come on you two, forget what happened. Lets start over from this moment." I looked at Bonnie expectantly.
"Lets start over?" I asked softly. She just nodded on the verge of tears and came over for a group hug.
"Hey you can't keep me out of a group hug" came Elena's voice who just entered the house. Stefan was right behind her. Elena came over to us and joined the hug. Stefan looked at us smiling as we friends got all sensitive. We hanged out for a while then Stefan took Caroline out to teach her to hunt bunnies. It happened earlier this time. Stefan wasn't suppose to start training Caroline for days. But it was good that it happened earlier this time. I didn't want Caroline to be only on bunny diet. After all she is not gonna go all ripper like Stefan if on human blood once in a while. Besides, she needed her strength too. After much argument with Stefan he agreed to let Caroline continue both diets. But of course Caroline would drink human blood only from bags, no fresh stuff for her. Caroline wasn't worried about her blood diet though. She was more worried about Matt. Thankfully Stefan let her meet him but only under his watch. It made the new vampire very happy. She and Stefan were becoming good friends very fast. Of course I knew it would happen and expected nothing different.
At night I talked to Tyler about the moonstone. I told him I found nothing interesting about it. I hated lying to Tyler when he was trusting me so blindly. But I couldn't tell him anything yet but I promised to tell him everything when the time is right. When he would be ready to hear them. A few days passed like that, very normally. But Damon was getting more and more curious about the Lockwood family. And he was driving Stefan crazy about it. He even took a break on annoying me as well. So, you realize how serious he was about Mason's secrets.
And just like that before I knew it the night of a full moon came at the doors. It meant that Mason would turn into a werewolf tonight. Also I remembered from the episode that Damon, Elena and Alaric are supposed to take a trip to Duke today. They are going to go through Isobel's research for some information about other kind of supernatural creatures other than witches and vampires. I had no idea how the day is going to play out this time with all the changes going on. But I was hoping for a blast. I started the day getting a call from Tyler in the morning. He informed me that he is following Mason and keeping an eye on him as planned. I knew it's going to lead Tyler straight to the Lockwood old cellar. And I wanted that to happen. Such events would let Tyler learn about the supernatural world.
I told Tyler to stay connected with me all the time and keep informing me about everything that happens. After that I got a call from Caroline, asking me for a favor. She ran out of her blood bags stock at night and she was starving at the moment. Caroline didn't want to get out of the house with such hunger in the fear that she might attack someone. And she definitely wasn't such a big fan of killing bunnies from the beginning. At least not so early in the morning. She didn't want to bother Stefan. Also because he would lecture her about being so careless and not realizing from beforehand that she is out of blood stock in the house. So, that left me to get some from the boarding house and drop it off to hers. However when I got to the boarding house I saw Alaric there along with Elena, Stefan and Damon. Of course he was supposed to be there to discuss werewolves. Even though I wasn't surprised but they were surprised to see me there.
"What are doing here?" asked Damon with stern tone of voice. He was definitely not so happy to see me there. Clearly he didn't want me to know what they were discussing about. Only if he knew that I already knew everything that they were talking about. It made me smirk inwardly.
"Good morning everyone. I came here to take a few blood bags for Caroline. She is out of her stock." I replied honestly. Damon scowled at that.
"You are still running errands for Blondie?" He asked with distaste in his voice. Damon obviously still didn't like the idea of me hanging out with Caroline. Of course I glared at him for that.
"It's called helping Damon but obviously it's an entirely foreign concept for you." I said to him in a bitter mocking way. Elena tried to hide her smile while Stefan openly did that. However, Alaric looked amused to see us bickering.
"That's not true." Damon retorted back making me roll my eyes at him.
"Whatever." I said carelessly. I wasn't in the mood to argue anyway.
"Do you need any help?" asked Stefan but I shook my head.
"No, thanks" saying that I made my way towards the underground fridge. Suddenly I got a call from Tyler. He must have already found the old cellar ground.
"Hey Tyler did you find anything?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, I did. I found a place on old Lockwood property. It looks like an underground cellar. It's quite spooky." Tyler described the place to me.
"Did Mason see you following him?" I asked sounding worried. Tyler sighed out softly.
"No, I don't think so. I don't understand why he would come here. I have to ask my mom about this property" said Tyler but I knew that Carol won't say a thing to him.
"Yeah that's a good idea. She would know about that place you just found." And still I encouraged him. I started loading my bag with blood bags as I kept talking over the phone. I hoped the two vampires upstairs weren't eavesdropping on me. But that was such a wishful thinking.
"I just don't understand why he wouldn't tell me the truth?" Tyler sounded frustrated this time. I had to sigh out at that.
"What can I say Tyler? Maybe he thinks that you are not ready for the truth yet or maybe he is not ready to share his secrets with you." I said trying to make Mason look less guilty in Tyler's eyes. He went silent hearing that for a moment so I spoke up again. "But hey, it's much more fun to solve the mystery on your own. And if you are lucky, he might be planning to tell you the truth himself very soon. So, just be patience sweetheart." I heard Tyler chuckle as I called him sweetheart. I usually don't use affectionate names like this but well I made an exceptional for him.
"That's the problem you see. I am running out of patience. By the way, what do you think he could be?" asked Tyler with serious interest about my opinion. I was half way back to upstairs and realized that Damon and Stefan could hear me very clearly from where I was standing. Otherwise I would have suggested werewolves to him right away.
"I wasn't the one looking into his eyes when they changed Tyler. I didn't see it with my own eyes. I just heard it from you. So, I will leave you with the guessing game." I said and heard Tyler grumbled a bit with disappointment.
"I don't know, I mean I am not sure but maybe, I think he is possessed by something. You know a demon or a spirit, something evil" suggested Tyler and I had to bite the inner walls of my cheeks to keep myself from bursting out in laughter loudly. The way Tyler said it, he was seriously considering that above all the things he could have thought of. And he wasn't joking about it at all.
"Unbelievable Tyler, I can't believe, you came up with that, possessed? Are you even hearing yourself? He is too damn sexy to be possessed by something evil. Think of something more superior, something cool. Something that will go with his image you know." I could literary hear Tyler rolling his eyes at me.
"Fine I will think of something cool." Tyler grumbled and I laughed hearing his voice.
"So, I will be seeing you in an hour at the Grill then." I said. Tyler and I had decided to hang out after I drop off the blood bags to Caroline's.
"Yeah, I will be there" saying byes to each other, we hung up and I finally came upstairs. I was walking straight towards the main door to get out of the house but Stefan's voice stopped me. I looked back at them and saw different kind of expressions on their faces. Alaric and Elena were totally confused while Stefan looked curious. And Damon had a dark look on his face. Well why am I not surprised? Every time I talk to Tyler his face turns sour.
"Come here Jacq" said Stefan. So I guess Stefan has decided to do the talking this time or confronting whatever. I inwardly rolled my eyes.
"What's up?" I asked cheerfully pretending to be clueless. Stefan was in his forever brooding face as usual.
"What do you know about the Lockwoods?" asked Stefan straight away. So he was sure that I knew something. I shook my head anyway.
"No." I said at once. Stefan raised his eye brows at me.
"No?" He asked confused. I shook my head again.
"No, I am not letting you drag me into this." I said while crossing my arms over my chest to prove my point.
"What do you mean by this?" asked Elena, so she was playing along with them too.
"This." I pointed at them with my forefinger. "I am not gonna let you drag me into Damon's infatuation with Mason Lockwood. You already got Ric involved." Alaric couldn't help but laugh at that. While Damon glared at both of us.
"Infatuation? Damon only told me they want to know what they are up against" said Ric still smirking.
"Well, he is lying. I am telling you Ric, his obsession with Mason increases by every minute. And I swear if this keeps going on like this, soon you will hear him saying 'I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Mason Lockwood." I quickly ran behind Stefan as Damon chased me. Stefan was enjoying the scene very much as he stood protectively in front of me while Alaric and Elena burst out laughing. Damon rolled his eyes at them after glaring at me for a while.
"Aren't you forgetting to ask her something?" reminded Damon to Stefan while standing in front of both of us with crossed arms and an annoyed expression. Stefan turned around to face me, making me gulp the fear down. Just kidding. But if he moved away from in front of me, god knows what Damon would do after my little tease. I was really not in the mood of inviting death today.
"So, Jacq, what do you know about Mason Lockwood?" asked Stefan and his hands were in his jeans pocket. He was trying to look cool I guess. But I knew that he was damn serious this time. I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly at him while shaking my head innocently.
"Nothing, really. Even Tyler doesn't know anything and he is Mason's nephew." I said trying to make a point. Stefan however kept looking at me clearly not buying that.
"Do you want Damon to make you spill?" He threatened me in the most friendliest way possible. But I rolled my eyes knowing he would never really let Damon hurt me.
"What makes you so sure I know something that ancient vampires like you two don't. Come on I am just a smart curious teenager who most of the time guess things right. I am no god and therefore I don't know anything about Mason Lockwood except that he is a surfer and an extremely good looking guy." I said casually. Before I knew it, Damon was standing beside Stefan in a blink of an eye and hovered over me dangerously. It made Alaric and Elena stand up with worry and fear.
"We are gonna do this the hard way if you don't tell us easily." Damon threatened me and Stefan did nothing to push him away this time and walked back to Elena. Traitor.
"Damon, please I don't think she knows anything" came Elena's voice as Damon stared down at me while cornering me like a prey.
"Nope she is lying" said Damon surely. Elena sighed out frustratingly at that.
"Let's just go to Duke and see if we can find out something" suggested Elena really wanting Damon away from me. I pretended to look surprised to hear that.
"You guys are going to Duke?" I asked trying hard to step away from Damon and his dangerous closeness but he would block my way every time.
"Yes, we might find something in Isobel's research" replied Elena still tensed that Damon is going to hurt me or for a more appropriate term kill me. After all he did kill Jeremy for nothing and Elena was still mad at him for that. But apparently on speaking terms with him.
"Who's going?" I asked curiously about it and gave up on trying to escape Damon. It proved to be futile.
"Well, me, Stefan, Damon and Ric" replied Elena. I nodded to that while thinking about the change. This time Stefan is going with them. Of course. This time he didn't have to take care of Caroline and teach her to hunt. He has already done that days ago. Damon was distracted a bit, using the opportunity I slipped away from him and reached the front door, ready to run out of the house.
"Mind blowing, enjoy your road trip guys" saying that I was about to dash out when Ric's voice stopped me.
"Do you want to come with us?" He asked and I shook my head in reply.
"No, thanks I have better things to do." I said to him. Damon however narrowed his eyes at me.
"Like what? Dating Lockwoods." He said bitterly making me smirk smugly at him.
"Maybe." I said and he glared at me dangerously. It only made me smirk more. As I stepped forward to walk out of the door, a mischievous thought crossed my mind and I looked back at them. "Besides, I don't really get curious about things I already know about." I winked at them especially Damon and ran away but I heard Damon shouting-
"I told you she was lying."
It made me laugh out loud. And both Stefan and Damon must have heard that.
After dropping the blood bags off to Caroline's, I went to the Grill to meet Tyler. He told me that his mom didn't tell him anything as I expected and he also decided to throw a party at the old Lockwood property. A swimming party to be specific. Caroline wanted to go too as Matt would be there and asked me to be around her. I was going anyway so it wasn't a problem. We were just hanging around, talking and drinking. Some kids jumped into the water and everyone was having fun. Caroline was going all Mushy with Matt as she just fed and didn't feel much hunger for blood at that time. Suddenly Mason came there in his jeep. Tyler walked up to him. I knew Mason would ask him to take the party somewhere else. But still when Tyler returned I asked him about it.
"What did he say?" Tyler shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
"He wants me to take the party else where before it gets dark. Something about whatever happens on this property will be liability to the family, crap." I looked at Tyler with serious face.
"I don't think so it's the only reason Tyler. And I also don't think we should ignore what he said." Tyler noticed the seriousness in my voice and face and simply nodded his head. I have to send Caroline back home too. So before it was dark, Tyler and I evacuated the place though the kids were protesting against it. I motioned for Caroline to come with me.
"What's wrong?" asked Caroline sensing the seriousness of the situation.
"Remember I told you that I can't tell you yet what Mason Lockwood is." I said and she nodded.
"Well he is a werewolf." I blurted at once and Caroline gasped in horror.
"What? Werewolves exist too." She was shocked to say the least and I chuckled at that.
"If vampires can exist then why not them." Caroline thought about it for a moment then nodded, agreeing with me.
"I guess you are right."
"Listen, tonight is full moon and Mason is going to turn. Once the werewolves are in their wolf form they have no control on themselves. They will kill anyone who crosses them especially vampires. And a werewolf bite is fetal for vampires. It only takes one bite from them to kill a vampire. So, this is what you are going to do. You are going to go home, lock the door and stay inside, maybe hide under the bed even. And whatever happens don't come out okay." Caroline nodded her head obediently to me.
"What about Stefan and Damon? Do they know?" asked Caroline worriedly and I shook my head.
"Not, yet but they will soon. Currently they both are out of town so we don't need to worry about them." I replied her and she sighed out in relief.
"Is Tyler a werewolf too?" asked Caroline with curiosity. I shook my head to that.
"No, it's only Mason. Tyler doesn't know anything yet." Just as I finished saying that Tyler came over to us.
"Everyone is leaving." He informed me and I nodded.
"Good, we should leave too."
"You go ahead, I am gonna stay here for a while. Need to solve a mystery on my own" said Tyler but both Caroline and I looked at each other then back at Tyler. Is he kidding me? No way in hell he is going to stay here all alone. What if Mason attacks him and tears him apart? I knew that in the show Mason recognized him and stopped but what if that changes? I couldn't take any risk.
"No Tyler, you are not gonna solve the mystery like this. It's too dangerous." I said feeling panicked but Tyler shook his head.
"I need answers Jacq, and I am gonna get them tonight." Tyler didn't even bother that Caroline was listening too. I sighed out knowing Tyler wouldn't change his mind.
"Fine, I am staying with you then." Both Caroline and Tyler protested immediately but I was stubborn too. And I realized that this night was gong to be very eventful. I just knew it.
Third Person's POV
Caroline knew it was risky and dangerous but she was confident that she could handle it. So, when she was hiding inside her house in fear of a big bad wolf roaming around the town, she called over Matt to accompany her. She was worried sick about Jacq and Tyler too and didn't really want to stay all alone. Matt came over fast with a bright happy Matt smile on his face. It always makes Caroline happy when Matt smiles like that. He came over to her and give her a kiss that dazzled her for a moment. Caroline snapped out before she could get totally lost in the kiss and hurt Matt in anyway. Matt looked worriedly at her. He found Caroline's behavior quite strange nowadays. It was becoming hard for Matt to avoid it. But still he blamed it on the accident even though Caroline looked more than fine physically at least.
"Lets watch a movie" suggested Caroline. Hoping that it would take her mind off of what Jacq must be doing at the time out in the woods. She didn't like the idea a bit that Jacq and Tyler are going to chase a werewolf all by themselves. But she was helpless in this case. She promised Jacq that she would stay inside the house and there was nothing she could really do while hiding inside her bedroom. Matt agreed to watch a movie and they started watching one. They were sitting on the couch snuggling up against each other. But Matt was boldly trying to seduce her. Caroline thought about pulling away then give in then pull away again give in. An inner battle took place in her head. But finally Caroline gave into his touches and they started making out. Suddenly Matt's hand touch something that gave him a paper cut on the thumb and a drop of blood escaped his skin. The smell of fresh blood hit Caroline like a truck and her face threatened to change. She pulled Matt's bleeding hand near her lips and licked off the blood with her tongue. Feeling satisfied already.
"What are you doing?" asked Matt feeling confused at what was going on. Caroline didn't hear him and bit onto his thumb and drew more blood. Her face changed a bit during that.
"What the hell?" yelled Matt and pushed Caroline off of him. He got away from her quickly, feeling scared this time. Caroline realized what she just did but she wasn't satisfied yet and wanted more blood. She lunged herself at Matt and pushed him against the wall. Her fangs came out fully and was about to sink her teeth into his neck when her cell phone went off with a ear blasting ring tone. It completely snapped her out of the hunger and she quickly compelled Matt to forget everthing that has happened and sent him away quickly. Caroline picked up the call and found that it was Stefan.
"Stefan?" Caroline spoke up trying to sound normal and not breathless like she was at the moment.
"Caroline, where are you?" asked Stefan worriedly.
"Home, why?" She asked confusedly.
"Good, listen stay inside. Don't get out of the house until morning. We may have a werewolf in the town and it's full moon tonight" informed Stefan worriedly however Caroline rolled her eyes to herself.
"And a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires, it will only take one bite to kill me. Why do you think I am home at this hours Stefan?" Caroline didn't mean to be rude but what just happened with Matt and with all the tension, she was on the verge of cracking completely.
"How do you know this?" asked Stefan worriedly mixed with curiosity. Caroline took in a deep breath.
"Jacq told me all this already. You guys should stay out of town for the night too" said Caroline glancing out of her window to see the full moon shining brightly in the sky.
"We are half way to Mystic Falls already, but don't worry we will be okay?" said Stefan relieved that Caroline was okay. He was worrying about her. And also wondered why Jacqueline didn't tell them but told her. Maybe she just likes to toy with them. Stefan couldn't help but inwardly shake his head.
"It's actually Jacq that I am worried about right now." Stefan heard Caroline saying. Even though she was saying that more to herself than to Stefan. Damon was ignoring the whole conversation from the front seat but when he heard that he glanced back at Stefan with confusion and fear in his eyes. Caroline obviously didn't mean to say that to them and it was a slip of her tongue. But now that she did say that out loud Caroline decided to tell them what was going on. Besides, Jacq never asked her not to tell them about what she was doing.
"What is Jacq up to Caroline?" asked Stefan forcefully.
"She and Tyler are out chasing werewolf tonight." Both Stefan and Damon immediately turned pale hearing that.
AN: I couldn't help but ask, do you guys think I am dragging the story longer unnecessarily? One of my friends does. If so then please tell me and I will skip elaborate details. Reviews please 'kisses and hugs'.