No POV
"Katherine looked just like you two. It was freakish." Bonnie told the Gilbert twins.
"Well, she is our ancestor." Elena said before ordering, "We need to move those two booths to the cafeteria."
"Your vampire ancestor. And she didn't just resemble you guys like a family member would, she was you." Bonnie stressed to her best friends.
"We can't explain it, okay? It's creepy, that's all I got." Erin expressed, still partly distracted by her conflicting emotions.
Bonnie then turned to Erin and asked, "Well how do you know she is still out there pretending to be you?"
"I don't. I could sit here and be tortured by not knowing or I could get these prizes the ring toss." Erin opened a bag full of prizes with her back turned to her sister and her best friend.
"Well have you talked to Damon since he killed Jeremy, or tried to kill Jeremy?" Bonnie asked them. They both froze and answered "No."
Erin then spoke, "I haven't and I won't and I don't want to talk about Damon or anything else that is vampire related okay?" She then handed Bonnie the bag of snakes as she said, "Copy that."
"We're human, and we have to do human stuff or else we will go crazy." Elena stated with her authoritative voice that Erin thought was funny.
"Okay, focus. We have to make Caroline proud, or else she will kill all of us. I don't know how she does this all of the time." Bonnie joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Erin smirked, "Because she is not human, obviously." The girls laughed and moved onto look at everything else.
"This is vervain, you have to put this in the bracelet that Erin gave you." Stefan told Jeremy.
"To protect against compulsion." Jeremy finished, as he smelt the substance.
"Vervain is toxic to vampires." Stefan explained as Jeremy looked at him. "Like poison?" The younger boy asked.
"Exactly like poison, it keeps them out of your head." "But why vervain?" He asked again, full of questions for the vampire.
"I don't know. Certain natural herbs that are just harmful to vampires." Stefan said. "Like a stake to the heart?" Jeremy questioned.
"Right, but it has to be wood." Stefan corrected. "You're pretty confident in yourself by telling me the ways that I could kill you." Jeremy said.
Stefan scoffed, "Jeremy, if I thought you would kill me, we would be having a much different conversation right now." "And Damon is the one that deserves it." Jeremy stated.
"Hey, I want you to forget about Damon. He is a hundred times stronger than you, and he is not very stable, so just try to move forward." Stefan urged his love's brother.
"I was killed by a vampire and brought back from a magic ring, how do you move forward from that?" Jeremy asked him. "Well right now we have a little diatraction courtesy of the slave driver Erin. Hello Erin." Stefan greeted his best friend with a smile.
"Hey, um did you-" Erin started, but got interrupted by her little brother, "Yeah, yeah brought the goldfish to the ring toss, all 300 goldfish. It's gonna be epic." He said sarcastically before walking away.
Erin sighed and slumped against the lockers. "He's gonna be okay, he's just been through a bit of an ordeal." Stefan assured his best friend.
"I was just hoping that this carnival would reel him back into the land of high school teenager." Erin explained. "Oh, is that what we are doing here?" Stefan asked playfully.
"Yes, we all are. We are gonna be boring high school students who live in a world where the 'v' word is not uttered." She told him. "Got it." Stefan stated.
"And later, we are gonna go around to all the booths and you are going to win me a prize, then you are gonna get me some cotton candy, and we are gonna be like normal high school besties. Do you see a running theme here?" She asked him playfully.
"Yeah, yeah I see it. I'm liking it, but I have a quick question. Uh, what do we do about Damon?" Stefan questioned her, but she put her finger up to silence him. "Uh, no 'd' word, okay? That has been deleted from the topics that we can discuss."
"Unfortunately, Katherine showing up has thrown him a little off kilter. It's kinda dangerous, who knows what he's up to." Stefan uttered.
Tyler and Mason caught their breath as they walked through he door of the Lockwood Mansion. Damon eavesdropped on their conversation. "What was that, seven?" Tyler asked. "Six", Mason answered. "Don't count the last one. You crawled it." He accused Tyler who said, "What?"
"Think Grandma Lockwood actually passed you in her walker!" Mason chuckled as sweat dripped off of him. "Yeah, okay." Tyler said, rolling his eyes. "Shoes off. Mud, my mom." Tyler made a motion that said no and Mason replied with "Cool."
"So, what is going on between you and Erin Gilbert?" Mason asked Tyler as he drank some water. Tyler shrugged and told him, "We used to date last year, but then her parents died and she dumped me. We've been friends ever since, but nothing else. Why do you ask? Got a crush on her or something?"
Mason smiled at his nephew and said, "Just wondering." Tyler gave him a look that said 'are you kidding?' and Mason just laughed and added, "Maybe."
He decided to change the subject from his nephew's ex and asked, "So,all this anger and aggression you're talking about. Do you notice a difference when you exercise?" Tyler shook his head and said, "Dude, I play three varsity sports. I work out three time a week, I run three. I'm gonna have to say no."
"Do you have episodes? I mean what happens exactly?" Mason continued. "It starts out normal, I get angry. I'm an angry guy, it just amplifies and then I go off." Tyler answered his uncle truthfully, happy to have someone to talk to.
"You black out?" Mason guessed. "Yeah. Its like I go blind with rage." Tyler answered as he was about to go to his room. "Is there a pattern? Once a month, only at night?" Tyler shook his head. "All I know is that I lose myself. You know? By that time I become something else. I hate it." Tyler revealed, not knowing that Damon heard everything.
As Tyler walked up the staircase, he stopped and said, "For the record, I wouldn't mind if you went after Erin. She's a great girl, and she's my best friend." He left Mason feeling a bit more confident in himself.
Stefan walked into the Salvatore Boarding House to see his brother Damon pouring himself a drink. "Hey, want some?" Damon asked, knowing that Stefan would decline.
"No, I just ate." Stefan refused. Damon smirked and said, "Aren't you worried that one day, all the forest animals will band together and fight back. I mean, surely they talk."
"I'm just happy that its a blood bag and not a sorority girl supplying your dinner." Stefan told him. "I like this. You walking on eggshells around me because you think I'm gonna explode. It's very suspenseful, is Erin worried too? I bet I'm the topic of every one of your conversations." Damon smirked as Stefan's jaw clenched.
"Have you heard from Katherine?" Stefan asked. "I think the Lockwoods have a family secret." Damon changed the subject. "Cause the Gilbert device affected them, but vervain didn't, so they're not vampires. They're something else." He continued.
"Is this your new obsession?" Stefan guessed. "Well, if you rather some unknown supernatural element running rampant through our town, fin. I'll drop it." Damon goaded his little brother.
"We haven't seen the last of Katherine, you do know that right? We have no idea what she's up to." Stefan said. Damon scoffed, "Sure we do. She came back to profess her undying eternal love for you. So, I'm gonna let you deal with her because I have more important things to do, like explode."
"Cheers." Damon said to Stefan as he walked out of the room.
Erin looked around as everyone enjoyed the carnival when Bonnie came up to her. "The ring toss is out of Barbie dolls and Team Jacob tees." Bonnie informed her. Erin nodded and said, "Alright, I can grab some from the science club. Also, we lost a speaker in the karaoke booth."
"Hey it's all good Erin. Take a beat, look around, this is a huge success." Bonnie ordered her best friend. "You mean, I can do more than wreck vampire havoc?" Erin teased.
The girls both laughed as Erin looked around to see a man fixing something. "Uh, Carter, right? You're with the carnival." Erin stated, needing help. "Yeah, that's me." Carter confirmed.
Carter looked at Bonnie and asked, "Wow, how may I help you?" Bonnie blushed and questioned, "What do you know about karaoke speakers?"
Carter smiled and said, "Why don't you show me the problem?" Erin smiled and looked at Bonnie sheepishly, "Yeah Bonnie, show him the problem." Erin smiled as the pair walked away.
Erin then went inside to check up on the other booths when she ran into Mason. "Hey you!" Mason greeted her. "Hey! What's up?" She asked with a smile on her face. "Nothing, have you seen Tyler?" He asked her. She shrugged and told him, "I don't know, but I do know Ty. He will most likely be at the arm wrestling booth." They both laughed and headed over there together.
They then watched as Tyler beat one guy after the other, throwing in the occasional snarky comment. Erin then saw Stefan and Damon on the sideline as well, talking to each other in a hushed tone.
Mason then took Erin's arm and ushered her towards the booth. "I bet I can take you." Mason goaded Tyler. Tyler said hello to Erin and said, "Bring it on. Erin here will watch my victory." Mason then shook his head and argued.
"On the contrary, she is here to laugh at you for losing. But, hey, let's make it interesting. The winner gets a kiss?" Mason looked over at Erin who rolled her eyes. "Fine," She told them as the bell rung for them to start.
They both struggled for a moment before Mason slammed Tyler's hand down. "Is that it?" Mason taunted Tyler who looked at Erin and said, "Alright, he's the champion."
Erin laughed and patted Tyler on the back as Mason went up to her. Mason locked his lips with hers as he heard a growl come from one of the Salvatore's. Mason smirked as Erin pulled away and blushed.
"Okay, who wants to go next?" Erin asked the crowd. "Uh, Stefan wants to go." Damon called and Stefan looked at him with a 'what the hell' look. "Yeah, sure. I'll give it a shot." Stefan looked at Erin as he went up to the table.
"Go Stefan!" Erin rooted for her best friend as Mason gave her a look. She then feigned innocence as she looked around and said "Who said that?". Stefan and Mason chuckled at her and Damon looked on in amusement, curiosity in his eyes as the men faced off.
"My brother over there thinks that I can beat you." Stefan revealed to Mason. "Your brother is wrong." Mason argued before the ding of the bell went off.
A struggle was visible before Mason slammed Stefan's hand down onto the table. Both Erin and Damon were disappointed. Erin made her way over to the brothers after bidding Mason and Tyler goodbye. "You didn't even put in any effort at all." Damon accused him.
"Yeah, actually I did." Stefan claimed as Erin popped up next to him. "And the traitor shows up." Damon exclaimed. Stefan rolled his eyes and Erin leaned against Stefan.
"I'm not a traitor, I just don't like you." She retorted causing Stefan to laugh. Damon then pulled them both into the hallway and asked, "Is he?"
Stefan then disagreed, "No, no. It wasn't that kind of strength. But, it was more than human if that makes sense." Damon then grew confused, "What is with that family?"
Erin's head snapped toward Damon, "Excuse me? There is nothing supernatural about the Lockwoods. I have known them my whole life." Damon then retorted with, "Yeah and you seem pretty chummy with them, by the way. Aka, traitor."
Stefan then popped his head up, "Oh, maybe they're ninja turtles!" This caused Erin to erupt with laughter. Damon then turned to him and snapped, "You're not funny."
"Oh or maybe they're zombies, werewolves!" Stefan added with a smile, pinching Erin's side in the process. Damon groaned, "No comedic timing at all." Erin kept laughing with Stefan, and Damon could not help the jealous feeling that came over him. He wanted to make her laugh like that, he wanted to make her happy. Would it always be Stefan for her too?
Damon then broke out of his thoughts as he turned to look at Carter. "What?" Stefan asked, the laughter now gone from his face. "Since this is reality and there is no thing as zombies and combat turtles." "A ninja turtle." Erin clarified, making Damon roll his eyes.
Damon strolled up to Carter and got his attention. "Hey, you." He called. "I have a name." Carter retorted. "I don't care." Damon said before compelling him. "I need you to pick a fight with someone, a kid named Tyler Lockwood." Erin tried to protest, but Damon shushed her. "Get him mad, and don't back down no matter what he does, okay?"
Carter then robotically walked away and then Stefan said, "You know someone's gonna get hurt, right?" "No, someone's gonna get mad." Damon argued. "And what is that gonna accomplish?" Stefan asked with Erin on his side. "That Tyler kid is incapable of walking away from a fight. Let's see who intervenes. It might be the ambiguously supernatural man whore mystery uncle." Damon then walked into another hallway by himself, leaving Erin and Stefan alone.
"He is such an ass." Erin groaned. Stefan then threw a comforting arm around her shoulder. "I know. Now, why don't we go play some games and I will buy you some cotton candy." Stefan suggested and Erin laughed, following him to the throwing game where he won her a big koala.
Stefan then left to check up on the fight between Carter and Tyler while Erin went to go check up on some of the booths. Damon then came up to her after some time and ordered her to come with him.
Damon then proceeded to tell Elena, Stefan, and Erin of what happened between him and Caroline. "how did this happen?" Stefan asked him. "Well, I fed her some blood, Katherine obviously killed her. A plus B equals." Damon trailed off.
"But why?" Elena questioned. "Because Katherine is a manipulative nasty little slut." Damon sneered. "She said game on, what the hell does that mean?" Erin asked them.
"It means she's playing dirty, she wants us to know." Damon answered her. "But why Caroline?" Elena asked. No one had any clue as to why and silence greeted them all before Stefan said, "Caroline has no idea whats happening to her, she must be going out of her mind."
Damon scoffed, "She knows exactly whats going on. All of my compulsion from the past started wearing off the minute she was in transition." "We have to find her." Stefan concluded.
"Yup, and kill her." Damon stated. Erin and Elena looked at each other in horror and Erin spoke up, "You're not gonna kill Caroline!"
"She knows what we are, she's officially a liability. We have to get rid of her." Damon reasoned. "Damon, absolutely not." Stefan argued with him.
"May I remind you of a tragic little story of a girl named Vicki Donovan? Yeah, Caroline of all people will not make as a vampire. Her mother is a vampire hunter. Guys, we all know how this story is going to go, so let's flip to the last chapter and-" Damon started before Erin interrupted him.
"It's not an option Damon!" Erin exclaimed. "No? Your silence is deafening, Stefan." The twins looked over to Stefan in shock. "Wait, wasn't there a school carnival the night you staked Vicki? Talk about a town where history repeats itself."
Erin got up to storm out of the room, but Damon's voice stopped her, "You know I'm right." Stefan then went up to his brother and told him, "We're not going to kill her." Elena also started to get up as Damon muttered to her, "It's the only way."
"You agree with Damon, don't you?" Elena asked her boyfriend. When he didn't answer, Elena said, "Stefan?" Frustrated, Stefan punched the side of the cotton candy vendor's station. Erin then exclaimed, "Cotton Candy!" Elena then gave her twin a look that said 'shut up and focus'.
"Stefan, hey." Erin spoke softly. "Damon's right. Not about what we should do, but what will happen. Katherine already signed Caroline's death sentence." Stefan stated.
Erin shook her head, she had much more confidence in her neurotic friend, "That's not true, Caroline is one of the strongest people I know. With help, she can be an amazing vampire."
"Well we can't let it end the way Damon thinks." Elena mumbled. They were all silent until Elena said, "She's doing this to us, isn't she?" Stefan scoffed, "Actually, she's doing this to me."
Stefan, Elena, and Erin ran up to Damon and Caroline as he was about to stake her. Stefan pushed Damon off of her, and Erin and Elena tried to comfort Caroline. "Get away from me! You killed me!" Caroline shouted fearfully.
"No, no, no Caroline. That wasn't me, you know that wasn't Erin. That was Katherine!" Elena tried to reason with her. "No! Then why did she look like you? Why! Why did she do this to me?!" Caroline screeched.
"Stefan, we have to get her inside." Erin told him, concerned about her friend. "It's alright, Caroline come with me." Stefan told her, grabbing her hand.
"She will die, it's only a matter of time." Damon said coolly. "Maybe, but it's not going to be tonight." Stefan countered.
"Oh yeah, it is." Damon then sped over to the stake and almost killed Caroline, but Erin stepped in front of her. "Damon, she's my friend." Erin snapped. Damon then backed away and pointed at Erin, "Whatever happens, it's on you."
Bonnie then appeared from behind them. "Caroline?" She questioned. When Bonnie got a look of her bloody face, she realized what happened. Rushing over to Carter's dead body, Bonnie gasped, "No."
Erin then pushed Stefan and Caroline inside to get Caroline cleaned up. Elena followed them in, and Erin had to deal with Bonnie. "I can't believe this is happening." Bonnie cried.
"Oh, don't pout about it. We've got a body to bury. Thought you were calling the shots, no? Sucks to be you buddy." Damon ranted until he was hit with a jolt of pain.
Damon started groaning and fell on the ground while Bonnie used her powers to turn on the hose. "I told you what would happen if anyone else got hurt." Bonnie stated.
"I didn't do this." Damon grumbled as the pain continued. "Bonnie, this wasn't his fault." Erin argued. "Everything that's happened is his fault, Erin." Bonnie bellowed.
"Bonnie, what are you doing?" Erin questioned her as the water finally reached Damon's body. The water then turned to fire and Erin pleaded, "Bonnie, Bonnie stop it. Stop Bonnie!"
Bonnie continued as the fire spread to Damon's leg, effectively catching it on fire. Damon tried swatting it in an attempt to put it out, but nothing worked. "Bonnie stop you're going to kill him!" Erin yelled at her.
Erin realized nothing was working, so she jumped over the line of fire and shook her best friend so she lost her concentration. Bonnie, now furious exclaimed, "Why? Why did you stop me?!" "Because this isn't us, Bon. This can't be us." Erin told Bonnie. The girls hugged and left Damon lying on the ground.
Erin opened her locker and took some things out of it to study with as Stefan approached her. "Hey," He said. "Caroline's okay for now, I'm gonna check in on her later." Stefan told Erin, knowing what she was going to ask.
"What about the guy that she..." Erin tried to say 'killed', but it just couldn't come out of her mouth. Stefan sighed and told her, "It's taken care of."
Erin nodded and looked down at her feet. "Elena and Damon think that it's not gonna end well for her." She said. Stefan grabbed her chin in his hand and looked her in the eyes and whispered, "We are going to make sure that they are wrong."
Erin sighed, "I just can't believe what this day has turned into." Stefan knew what she was feeling all too well. "Not just a normal day, huh?" Erin reached into her locker to grab her book and vented to her best friend.
"I was stupid to think that this day could be normal. Nothing about my life is normal anymore. My best friends are a vampire and a witch, and I have a doppelganger who is hell bent on destroying all of us." Stefan looked at her with an apologetic look and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Erin shook her head, "It's not your fault, Stef. It's no one's fault, you know? It is what it is." Stefan cupped her face and she continued, "i'm fine, i'm fine. It's just-you know what? I'm fine. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Erin shut her locker, said goodnight, and walked away.
Erin slept in her bed as Stefan came up and ran a hand over a cheek, admiring her for a second before she woke up. "Hi, what time is it?" She asked groggily. Stefan said nothing, he just motioned for her to move over in the bed. She did and he revealed a bag full of stuff that he was holding.
Erin smiled at her best friend, he was full of surprises. Erin dug into the bag as Stefan got comfortable in her bed. She laughed as she saw all the junk food in it, and a few movies. At the bottom of the bag, Erin dug out a tub of cotton candy. "You remembered." Erin said to him, as he smiled at her.
"Why did you do all of this?" She asked him. "We have to take these moments, Erin. What Katherine did to Caroline could be the beginning, and there's things with Tyler's family that we don't understand yet, and there's also the 'd' word. But, I came back to this town to spend a life with you and Elena. We can't forget to live it." Stefan told her truthfully.
She nodded and hugged her best friend. Pretty soon they were eating and laughing like always, and Stefan just spent some time looking at her. "What?" Erin laughed. Stefan smiled, "It's just so nice to see you laugh." Erin rolled her eyes and said, "You're such a softie!"
They both chuckled, but Erin then asked solemnly, "It's not gonna get any easier is it?" Stefan just sighed and shook his head, "No, it's not."