Chapter 15
Don't Wanna Be Alone
For hours, Damon stayed, watching her as she slept. She never budged from the spot he'd placed her in, merely laying there with her head on the pillow. He wasn't sure he could even bring himself to leave, afraid that something else might happen perhaps.
"Such a stubborn little thing," he mused, reaching a hand out and stroking her face.
When they'd finally gotten back, he'd taking the liberty of changing her shirt, only to discover that it had been one of his own. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do with it, seeing how it was ruined and stained with blood. He'd thrown it into the fireplace, burning it. In the time that he'd taken to do it, he'd also allowed himself to look her over, tracing his fingers over the curve of her back. In doing so, he'd discovered a few scars, one resting just below her shoulder blade. It had looked old, the patch of skin a pale white. He noted that he'd have to ask her about it later.
"Damon," Stefan knocked, slowly pushing the door open.
"What do you want, Stefan?" Damon asked lazily.
"You can't stay in here all day," Stefan told him.
"Oh, really? Normally, you'd be thrilled if I locked myself away in my room," Damon stated, joking half heartedly.
"Seriously, Damon, it's not a good idea," Stefan told him, eyes glancing over at Kali.
"I'm not going to eat her if that's what you're worried about," Damon replied dryly, folding his arms behind his head.
"I never said that," Stefan sighed.
"But you were thinking it," Damon replied, closing his eyes. "Go play with Elena, Stefan."
"Whatever."
With that, Stefan left the room, leaving Damon to himself once more.
"This is boring," he sighed, glancing over at Kali for a moment.
Her eyes were flickering beneath her eyelids. She was dreaming, a smile slowly forming on his face.
"Or maybe not."
Her necklace was missing, so it'd be ease for him to enter her dreams, tweak them a bit if he wished. He'd find just what it was that she was dreaming about.
T
Kali stood there in a small field of green, the grass swaying against her bare feet as a light breeze came through. Laughter could be heard in the distance, children giggling. She was all alone, her shape fading into that of a small child, a little girl. It showed her vulnerability.
"Where is everyone?" she questioned.
She received no answer.
Suddenly, an image of Jeremy appeared in the distance. She ran to him, only to have him disappear.
"Jeremy?" she called out, looking around her. "Jeremy?" she tried again.
Her face turned sad, arms wrapping around herself.
A man slowly appeared, his hair dark, along with his eyes. He held a smile on his face as he looked down at her.
"Daddy," she cried, rushing toward in an attempt to wrap her arms around his legs.
He faded away though as she touched him, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Daddy…" she whispered.
"Kali?" came the sound of Elena's voice, her form appearing before her.
"Elena!" she cried out, hesitantly moving toward her.
"Silly," Elena laughed softly.
Like all the others, she too disappeared, leaving Kali standing there in disappointment. She was afraid of being left alone.
"They all go away," she cried quietly, her lip quivering.
"Kali," a voice called, the sound echoing around her.
It was Damon's. A faint spark of hope swelling her in her chest.
"Damon?" she murmured, looking around her. "Where are you, Damon?" she cried out.
"Behind you," he replied, watching as she turned around quickly, the look in her eyes telling him that she thought he would disappear too.
"Don't leave."
Her voice came out in a whimper.
"I'm not going anywhere," he promised, kneeling down in front of her.
He placed his hand on top of her head, showing her that he wouldn't disappear.
Without another word, she leapt forward, wrapping her arms around his middle. He was stunned, staring down at her as she gripped tightly the back of his shirt.
"Don't leave…" she murmured. "Don't leave me," she repeated quietly.
"I promise," he nodded, slowly wrapping his arms around her.
He pulled her to him, picking her up in his arms as he stood, her tiny arms wrapping themselves around his neck. It was as though she refused to let go.
"I don't wanna be alone," she imparted, burying her face against his neck. "Not again."
The sound of children giggling echoed around them for a moment, slowly fading back into the darkness of silence.
"I'm scared," she whimpered, clutching his neck a bit tighter.
"Why are you scared?" Damon asked.
"They won't leave me alone," she told him.
"They?" he questioned.
"The monsters," she cried softly.
Images of Jason appeared, circling them.
Damon glared as he watched, standing his ground. Jason continued to circle, like a lion stalking its prey. Jason's face then turned dark, an evil glint in his eyes.
"You're mine," his voice echoed.
"Help me!" Kali cried, her body trembling. "Get it away!"
Suddenly, Kali was in the corner of a room, her knees pulled up to her chest. She wasn't that small little girl anymore. She was older, back to herself again, but she was crying. Damon's body was on the ground only a couple feet away, blood pulling around him.
"Damon…" she whimpered, shaking as she sat there, blood smeared across her face.
It was like someone had deliberately placed it there, staining her skin. She was all alone, her biggest fear.
"I don't wanna be alone," she cried, gripping her head in her hands.
"You're not alone," Damon said firmly, the scene changing around them, and into his bedroom. "Stand up," he instructed.
Slowly, she nodded her head, pushing herself up off of the ground shakily.
"Come here."
She came closer, coming to stand in front of him. His hands then went to her waist, pulling her to him.
"You're not alone," he breathed, gripping her chin in his hand and pulling her into a kiss.
"Damon…I lo…" her voice faded before he could hear her, the color around them slowly fading away into nothing.
T
"Damon…" I whispered, curling into the warmth beside me, a chuckle echoing.
I peeled my eyes open tiredly, looking beside me. I saw Damon, slowly lifting my head. It'd been laying on his chest, heat creeping into my cheeks. It was faint though.
"Damon."
"Good morning, sleepy head," he greeted, a cocky smile on his face.
"You're here," I breathed, eyes watering as I wrapped my arm around him, burying my face against his bare chest.
I could hear his heart beating in his chest, the sound calming.
"I was afraid I'd lose you," I whispered.
I felt his hand come to rest against my back, his other running over the side of my face.
"Sorry, but you can't get rid of me that easy," he chuckled.
I smacked his chest lightly, letting out a breath of air.
"I'll forever be the eternal stud," he proclaimed, a grin on his face.
"You're down right deplorable, you know that?" I asked, looking up at him.
He just grinned, gripping my chin lightly in his hand as he brought his face down to mine. Our lips met, a spark igniting within me. I found myself kissing back, my nails gently digging into his skin, a groan escaping him. He easily pulled me on top of him, his hand running through my hair sensually, my eyes closing as he did this. It was relaxing.
"You know…" he started, tracing a finger over my jaw. "I have half a mind to lock you in this room the rest of the week," he told me.
I nodded my head slowly, enjoying the feeling of his touch.
"We should get you an apartment," Damon voiced suddenly.
"I don't have the money," I murmured, resting against him as he continued to run his hand through my hair.
"I'll take care of it," he told me. "Besides, you'd be safer there than you are here."
"Why's that?" I managed to ask.
"Because there's no longer any living owner here," he explained. "Anyone can get in."
"I see," I nodded.
"Now, if you have a place of your own, only I can get in," he grinned.
"You are so cocky," I muttered, nuzzling against his chest.
"You love it," he said confidently.
"Mm-mm."
"Don't start falling asleep now," he told me, tapping my forehead with his finger.
"And why not?" I groaned, snuggling against him. "You're comfy."
"If that's the case, do me a favor then? Act like you're enjoying it," he told me, drawing me into another kiss, the hand on my back moving down to grip my rear.
I was about to say something as the door opened, my face red at Damon's actions, his arms holding me close.
"Damon, I-" Stefan stopped as he saw us, eyes going wide. "Good God, Damon!" Stefan cried, quickly moving back out of the room and slamming the door.
Damon burst out laughing a moment later, a hysterical look on his face. He'd done that on purpose knowing that Stefan was about to walk in.
"You're terrible!" I scowled, making to smack him in the chest.
He caught my wrist in his hand, holding it in mid strike, a grin pulling at his lips.
"Looky what I got," he teased, before flipping us over, my back pressing into the mattress.
"Damon," I groaned, my cheeks heating up as he peered down at me, grabbing hold of my other hand and pinning it loosely above my head. "I swear, if you start groping me, I'll kick," I warned.
He merely chuckled, pressing his lips to mine pleasurably. I couldn't help, but groan into the kiss, feeling him pull back after a moment. His eyes stared down at me, gazing intently.
"You know, what you did yesterday was really stupid," he told me. "You could have easily gotten yourself killed."
I looked elsewhere when he said this. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Just let Jason kill him? I don't think so. Just because Damon was technically immortal, didn't mean that couldn't be killed. A well placed wooden bullet to the heart could very well do the job.
Completely losing his playful mood, he laid his head on my chest, his ear over my heart.
"Damon?"
"What?" Damon asked, glancing up at me.
He didn't remove his head though, keeping it there on top of my chest. I couldn't bring myself to say anything as I looked down at him, taking in how tired he actually looked.
"Did you get any sleep?" I asked.
"Not really," he answered, closing his eyes.
I let out sigh, closing my eyes for a moment
"I don't mind if you use me as pillow, but can you not lay straight on top of me?" I asked.
I felt him move after moment, his arm draping over me as he kept his head on top of my chest, one of his legs tangling around my own. At least he wasn't laying straight on top of me anymore. Not that I really cared, but it was the weight that bothered me a bit.
"Is the sound of my heartbeat really putting you to sleep?" I asked curiously, looking down him as I played with his hair.
"Mm-hm," he nodded faintly.
"Then sleep," I said softly.
"Really?" he asked, slightly skeptical. "Because I'm warning you now, if I fall asleep, you're stuck with me for a while," he told me.
"I don't mind," I said honestly.
"Just remember, I warned you," he reminded me, pulling the sheet up over us a bit.
"I think I'll live," I smiled, making myself a bit more comfortable before he settled down fully.
T
Damon let out a sigh as laid there, nuzzling into Kali's chest a bit. He was comfortable, his arm drawn over her, and her heart beating rhythmically in his ear. He could feel her hand run through his hair gently, her fingers combing through his short ends. It was rather relaxing in his mind.
"That fells nice," he whispered, inhaling for a moment.
As a result, she continued her ministrations, her fingers eventually brushing behind his ear and face. It was so gentle, loving even as he laid there, savoring the feeling. He wasn't used to such things, so it actually felt nice. He probably would have fallen asleep right away too, if it were for Stefan's ranting downstairs on the phone with Elena, making him snicker.
"What's so funny?" Kali inquired.
"I can hear Stefan," he mumbled. "He's tattling on us," he chuckled.
"Lovely," she sighed, rolling her eyes.
"You're safe with me though," he assured her.
"Just go to sleep, Damon," she said gently.
"Killjoy," he muttered halfheartedly, before slowly drifting into the darkness of sleep.
T
"Stefan, what's going on?" Elena sighed over the phone.
"I'll tell you what's going on. I walked in on Damon getting it on with Kali," he said in exasperation.
"What are you talking about?"
"Exactly what I said," Stefan told her. "He had Kali on top of him, kissing her, while he groped her butt," Stefan said in disgust.
"Stefan, you must have it wrong. Kali's not like that," she told him.
"Elena, I know what I saw."
"And are you sure that Damon wasn't just pulling a fast one on you?" she sighed.
"I…" he started, but stopped, thinking for a moment.
She had a point.
"He downright appalling," he groaned, running a hand through his hair.
"Look, I'll be over later, alright?"
"Yeah, okay," he sighed.
"I love you, Stefan," she spoke into the phone.
"I love you too, Elena," he breathed, pulling it back after the call was ended.
He looked back up at the staircase as he stood there, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He made his way back upstairs, stuffing his phone into his pocket. He heard no noise as he stood outside Damon's room, his brows furrowing together.
"Hmm…"
He pushed open the door slowly, peeking inside. He found Damon and Kali laying there, eyes closed, asleep. Damon's head was rested comfortably on top of her chest, arm wrapped loosely around her, his fingers gripping the edge of her shirt below her arm. Kali's hand was also nestled in his hair, her head tilted to the side toward Damon as she slept. Stefan had never seen his brother look so peaceful before, not in all their years. Yet, here he was, resting with this woman who seemed to bring out the spark of humanity that Stefan thought no longer existed. Stefan merely hoped that Damon would give up on Katherine, hold onto Kali instead, someone that could actually love him instead of using him like Katherine had. One could only hope though.
T
"So…how's she doing?" Bonnie asked, looking over at Elena as they walked out of school.
"Fine, I guess," she shrugged. "Damon and Stefan didn't exactly go into detail about the whole thing," she admitted. "I'm just…I'm just glad that it's over."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Bonnie nodded. "At least the upside is that we're minus one more creep," she offered, clutching her books in her hands.
"Yeah," Elena replied quietly.
"Okay, what else is wrong?" Bonnie pried.
"It's nothing, I just feel bad for Kali."
"Okay, me and you, Grill, tonight," Bonnie said.
"Yeah, alright."
T
As Damon woke up, he felt warmth beneath him, his fingers curling around fabric as he moved closer. He buried his head closer, enjoying the feeling, the comfort. He opened his eyes after a moment, taking in everything around him.
"Hmm…"
Kali had fallen asleep once again, her hand still tangled in his hair, while the other laid limply at her side. He couldn't help, but to grin as he stared at her, slowly pushing himself up a bit. He was careful not to disturb her though, her hand slowly slipping from the back of his head and onto the bed. She was beautiful.
He sighed as he pushed himself up a bit more, before reaching his hand out and brushing a bit of hair from her eyes. She remained asleep the entire time, her chest rising and falling slowly. She was at ease in her sleep.
Hearing footsteps, he quickly got up from the bed, making his way over to the door before Stefan could even utter a word. He placed a finger to his lips, signifying to stay silent.
"What are you doing?" Stefan whispered, moving out of the way as Damon walked passed him.
He quickly followed after him as he descended the stairs, making his way into the parlor for a drink.
"Damon," Stefan tried again, watching as his brother poured himself a drink.
"I'm getting a drink. What's it look like?"
"The cravings?" Stefan assumed, folding his arms over his chest.
Damon sent him a dry look, downing the glass quickly.
"I'm fine," Damon stated, pouring himself another drink, before walking passed Stefan.
He made his way back upstairs, Stefan in toe.
"Maybe you should go out for a bit?" Stefan suggested, following him into his bedroom.
Damon narrowed his eyes faintly as he walked over to his closet, searching through it.
"You know, you're going to have to let her go back to work tomorrow," Stefan said quietly, reminding his brother that he couldn't keep Kali locked up in the house forever.
"I know that, Stefan," Damon replied, pulling a shirt from one of the hangers.
He set his glass down on the edge of the bed then, easily shrugging on his shirt and buttoning it up, the color a dark blue. He then picked his glass back up, taking a drink from it.
"You still haven't taken her back home yet though," Stefan pointed out.
"So?"
"She has to go back."
"Are you trying to annoy me or something?" Damon asked, raising a brow in question.
"I'm just stating a point," he replied.
"And it's dully noted. Now, I have some business to take care of. So, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going," Damon relayed, moving passed Stefan and out of the room.
T
Over at the Grill, Bonnie and Elena sat eating, quiet conversation being exchanged.
"I can't believe you're adopted," Bonnie spoke. "I never saw that coming."
"And it gets weirder," Elena started, plucking a fry up off of her plate. "I looked at my birth certificate. It lists Miranda and Grayson Gilbert as my birth parents and none of it makes any sense."
"Which is why you should ask Jenna," Bonnie told her.
Elena groaned in response, chewing at her food.
"First of all," Bonnie started. "The Elena I know would always want the real truth, good or bad."
"And second of all?" Elena asked slightly skeptical.
"You just found out your boyfriend is a vampire," she reminded her. "So unless your birth parents are aliens, how bad could it be?" Bonnie questioned. "Not to mention, Kali's got a thing for your boyfriends brother."
Elena chuckled, shaking her head. Bonnie was right and she knew it.
"Uh, okay, look, I have to go to the store. My outfit for the dance is severely lacking accessories. Same with Kali's and I doubt she's going out any time soon to get them," Elena told her, getting up from her seat.
"Okay, I'll pay the bill," Bonnie offered.
"Okay, bye," Elena waved, heading for the door.
"Bye."
Then, just as Elena left, Damon appeared in front of Bonnie. He had a smirk on his face upon startling her.
"What do you want from me?" Bonnie demanded.
Damon thought for a moment before responding.
"I think we need a fresh start," he told her.
"You tried to kill me," she point out.
"But I didn't," he reminded her. "And if I wanted to, I would have. Does that not count for anything?"
"You know I can start fires with my mind. Fires kill vampires, right?"
There was a hidden threat in her voice and Damon caught it easily.
"Just stay the hell away from me," she said slowly, eyes locked with his. "Just because Kali likes you, does me I have to," she reminded him, watching the corner of his mouth twitch.
Damon didn't exactly like being threatened, but he held back, reminding himself that he didn't want to cause any more trouble than he already had.
"Everything okay over here?" came the sound of the bartender.
Damon barely looked up from Bonnie as he spoke.
"Yeah, we're fine," Damon replied.
"I wasn't talking to you," the man pointed out, stepping closer to Bonnie.
Damon eyed him carefully for a moment, taking him in. He then chuckled quietly, before walking off, leaving Bonnie alone. He had other things to do tonight, so he wasn't going to bog it down with trivial things.
T
Pushing open the door to my classroom, I felt a small smile pulling onto my face. Things were finally back to normal and I knew that I could relax. Not to mention, I'd possibly be able to have a bit of fun tonight seeing as how I had to help chaperon the dance. Unfortunately, I'd be doing all of the preparing here though. That was the only downside to being absent from my teaching duties. Upon entering the school this morning, Mr. Lockwood had talked to me.
"The curse of being the art teacher," I sighed.
"Kali, is that you?" I heard a voice ask, said person popping their head into the room.
"Alaric, good morning," I greeted.
"Well, you're looking better," he commented.
"Yeah, sorry about that, I was…uh…" I opened my mouth to continue, but closed it for a moment.
I hated lying to people, but right now, I didn't really have a choice in the matter. After all, it wasn't like I could tell him the truth about it. I had to lie.
"I was really sick the last couple of days. A really bad cold," I told him. "I didn't feel that it'd be right, coming to school and possibly giving it to the kids. Besides, I had a fever the first day anyway."
By the look on his face, he seemed to believe it, but was only slightly skeptical.
"I tried calling you, but you didn't answer," he told me.
"Oh, sorry, I somehow misplaced my phone," I told him.
At least that wasn't a complete lie. Jason had taken my phone and I had never gotten it back. I'd actually be going out and getting a new one tomorrow with Damon's help. He was insistent on going with me so that we could also go apartment shopping. That was one thing that he wasn't going to let up on. Not that I minded though. I'd been wanting to get one since first arriving in Mystic Falls, but hadn't had the money. Now, Damon was offering to pay for it, and there would be no arguing about it. Not unless I wanted an irritable vampire anyway. Which I didn't.
"I see."
His response sounded slightly wary as if he were holding something back. I brushed it off though, looking over the papers that had been placed upon my desk. I had a lot of stuff to catch up on.
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, Alaric, but I've got a lot of work to catch up on," I told him, gesturing toward my desk for emphasis.
"Of course," he chuckled. "I'll leave you to it then," he told me, before walking out of the room.
I just shook my head as I sat down, scanning over the papers. I had a long day ahead of me.
T
The Misfit's This Magic Moment hit their ears as they stepped into the gymnasium, students jumping around and dancing meeting their sights. To a newborn vampire, this would have been overwhelming, but for Stefan and Damon, it was a bit more tolerable.
"Well, would you look at that," Damon muttered, glancing around the room.
It was kind of amusing, seeing all of these kids trying to dance the way that he used to. At least he knew what he was doing though, but he had to give them credit for trying. At the same time, he allowed his eyes to land on Bonnie and Caroline, a smirk forming on his face. He completely missed Alaric staring at him as he went.
"Alaric," Jenna called, causing said man to turn around.
"Hey, look at you," he greeted, looking her over.
"I figured I'd stand out less if I dressed up," she told him, almost looking like a school girl as she sway back and forth for a moment.
"Ha, ha. Liar," he chuckled.
"Okay, I'm a sucker for the decade dance," she admitted, a smile on her face. "I went to school here, you know. They do the 60's and 70's too, FYI."
"Aw, can't wait," he said with dread, clearing his throat as he looked around. "Can I get you a drink? I hear the punch is real boss," he told her, smiling.
She laughed in response, nodding her head.
"Yeah."
With that, they walked off to get a drink, moving away from the crowd of students.
T
I rubbed my arm as I stood off to the side, a sigh escaping my lips. I wasn't having as much fun as I would have hoped. Honestly, I was almost tired with as much stuff as I'd had to do today, stepping stuff up and all.
"Well, don't you look dark and mysterious," came a smooth voice from behind me.
I nearly jumped as I turned around, a hand over my heart.
"Damon," I breathed, a smile forming on my face. "What are you doing here?" I asked, still slightly shaken at his sudden entrance.
"Chaperoning," he answered, a humorous look on his face. "Actually, now that I think about it, I owe you a dance," he grinned, taking a little bow as he folded his arm at his waist, his other hand extended toward me. "Would you care to dance my lady?" he inquired.
I felt my face heat up as I watched him, a small smile pulling onto my face.
"I'd love to," I nodded, slowly slipping my hand into his.
He gripped it firmly as he tugged me forward, stepping backwards into the crowd with me as his arm went around his waist.
"You know, Damon, you seem to fit in ironically," I smiled, looking up at him.
"And how's that?" he questioned, quickly twirling me around, before pulling me back.
His hand gripped mine again as he pulled me close to him, leading me as though he were dancing the tango.
"The leather jacket," I pointed out as I spoke into his ear.
I figured he'd be able to hear me regardless with that hearing of his, but I wanted to make sure since it was so noisy.
"I bet you could put everyone to shame with that dancing of yours though," I added, smiling up at him.
He just grinned down at me, before picking me up and tossing me, easily catching me in his hands as he dipped me backwards for emphasis. He was so confident in his actions, swinging me back into place before pulling me against him. We were practically nose to nose as he leaned down a bit, a smirk on his face.
"Is that good enough for you?" he question.
"Hmm…I'm not sure. Got anything else?" I asked.
He chuckled, before gripping my chin, tugging me into a kiss. Again, I felt my face heat up a bit, his other hand going around my waist and gripping my hip. We just stood there, swaying back and forth to the music, the feeling peaceful.
"That works too," I breathed out, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Well, I would hope so," he chuckled, before finally getting a bit serious. "You really do look nice though. Not too flashy."
I rolled my eyes at his comment.
"I don't look that great," I muttered quietly, looking elsewhere.
Again, he chuckled, slowly running his hand up my back causing me to shiver.
"Stop it!" I cried, hiding the embarrassment on my face in the shoulder of his jacket.
"Then stop doubting yourself," he grinned.
"Well, its not like you've ever had any problems with looks, Mr. Eternal Stud," I scoffed, shaking my head.
"I am rather handsome, aren't I?" he chuckled.
"Cocky bastard," I muttered.
"And don't you forget it," he replied, his breath on my ear as he spoke. "Now, dance," he ordered, dipping me backwards, my fingers gripping his jacket.
"Damon!" I cried, grabbing on tightly as he pulled me back up, before tossing me under his legs.
He then pulled me quickly, swinging me around. Everyone watched as Damon danced with me, going all out. Not that I minded all that much, it was just a bit embarrassing is all. Especially, since I had no clue as to what I was doing. In the end though, we ended up kissing, his lips against mine.
"Damon, what are we?" I asked quietly, looking up at him.
He looked down at me, his finger trailing under my chin.
"What do you mean?" he asked, moving me around a bit.
"What are we?" I repeated.
"A human dancing with a vampire," he answered, twirling me around.
"That's not what I meant, Damon," I pointed out.
"What do you want it to be?" he inquired, pulling me to him for a moment.
"Well, I…" I started, looking up into those icy blue orbs of his.
It was like they froze me in place, my breath catching in my throat.
"Yes?" he inquired, staring down at me.
I was silent, lips parting slightly. What did I want it to be? After all, I'd finally gotten rid of Jason, and now I was left with Damon. Was I even sure my own self of what I wanted us to be? Could I even admit it? If I didn't do something, then it was going to drive me crazy.
"Damon," I started, looking up at him.
I took in the look on his face. He was listening intently, waiting for me to talk and speak my mind. He wanted to hear my answer on the matter.
"I'd like us to be-"
"Ms. Henderson!" I heard someone call from behind me. "One of the freshman got sick!"
"Damn it!" I hissed quietly, gripping the material of Damon's jacket.
It's like whenever I tried to say what was really on my mind, I was always interrupted.
"Just ignore them for a moment," Damon told me, pushing for me to continue.
"Ms. Henderson!"
It was Tyler this time.
"I'm sorry, Damon," I sighed, slowly pulling away.
He caught my hand though, pulling me back for a moment.
"Damon?" I questioned, looking up at him.
He merely pressed his lips to my forehead, a slightly frustrated look in his eyes. He let me go after that though, his hand slowly slipping from my own. I hated leaving him like that, but I had no choice, quickly moving into the hallway. I scrunched my nose up in disgust as the smell hit me, the poor kid leaning hunched over by the lockers.
"Come on, honey, let's go call your parents," I cooed, carefully pulling the girl's arm up and around my shoulders.
I bit my tongue at the smell on her breath. Somebody had obviously been slipping her some alcohol, so it was no wonder she was getting sick. They'd just better hope that nobody spiked the punch bowl, otherwise, there'd be trouble.
T
After Kali left, Damon situated himself by one of the tables, keeping his eyes peeled for any trouble. He couldn't describe how annoyed he was at being interrupted. He'd purposely asked Kali how she wanted things to be between them. He'd done it deliberately in hopes of possibly discovering her true feelings. Then again, if he really wanted to, he could just compel her to answer the truth. Even with that, he had the hint of a feeling that she wanted more. That was only a hint though, possibly wishful thinking on his part. He could always hope though, hope that someone really did care for him without any sort of ulterior motive. Then again, Stefan still thought that Damon was merely using Kali. Using her to get back at Stefan. That was only partly true though. Damon really did enjoy Kali's company, his head lifting up and out of thought as he caught someone walking toward him.
"Hey, I don't recognize you. How'd you get roped into chaperoning?"
It was a man with a varsity jacket on, his light hair reflecting in the dim lighting.
"Alaric Saltzman," he introduced. "I'm the new history teacher."
He held his hand out toward Damon a moment later, Damon obliging easily, though warily.
"Oh, the cursed faculty position," Damon mused aloud.
"So I've been told."
"Damon Salvatore," he finally revealed, glancing back out at the crowd of students.
"Salvatore?" Alaric inquired. "As in, uh, Stefan?"
"He's my little brother," Damon answered, eyes still staring out at the crowd as though the conversation meant little to him. "I'm his legal guardian. Hence, the chaperoning."
"I hear he's very bright, not that I've had the chance to see for myself," he replied.
"Well, his attendance record's a bit spotty. Family drama."
"No parents?" Saltzman inquired.
"It's just the two of us now," Damon answered after a moment.
"You, uh, live here your whole life?" Alaric inquired, trying to prolong the small talk in order to get a better feel for Damon.
He knew what he was, but he wasn't going to let on. He just wanted more answers if possible.
"On and off. Travel a bit," Damon answered, nodding his head.
"Really? Where? Around the states?" he pressed, Damon turning to eye him for a moment.
He was getting a bit too nosy for his own good at this point.
"I'm sorry," he chuckled. "I'm nosy. I don't mean to pry. Look, it was nice meeting you."
"You too," Damon replied.
"Enjoy the rest of the dance," Alaric smiled, placing a hand against Damon's back for a moment.
He then watched as the teacher walked off, his body disappearing into the crowd. Damon felt as though he would be someone to keep an eye on, a wary individual.
T
I'd just got done escorting the girl from the school, helping her into her parents' car. They'd been very gracious about the whole thing, thanking me. After that, I made my way back into the building, bumping into someone by accident.
"I'm so sorry," I apologized.
The moment I locked eyes with him though, I knew something was wrong, my eyes widening slightly. A smirk formed on his face as he looked down at me, a side smile forming to reveal sharp canines.
"Y-you…"
Before I could finish, he grabbed me roughly by the throat, squeezing as he shoved me against one of the lockers.
"The newborn's little play thing," he grinned, leaning in close.
I screwed my eyes shut as he sniffed my neck, a faint growl escaping him. I stiffened.
"You're going to help me with something," he said evenly, tugging me forward.
"Screw you…" I grunted.
His tightened his grip on my throat in response, squeezing as he held me a couple inches up off of the ground. I could barely breathe as I gripped his wrist, clawing at it.
"Don't tempt me," he growled, shoving my back against the locker roughly.
T
Elena made her way through the crowd, pushing to find Damon. Normally with what he wore, it'd be easy to find him, but he blended in with all the other guys in the room. Suddenly, her phone went off, quickly scrambling to answer it. The voice on the other end making her freeze.
"Hello, Elena," he greeted.
It was the man that had tried to kill her earlier.
"Here's what you're going to do," he started. "There's an exit door behind you. You have five seconds."
"No," she said firmly.
"Or your friend dies," he continued, her brows furrowing together in response. "Then your brother is next."
Elena looked around frantically, her eyes flicking over toward the punch table where Jeremy stood. Nearby, she spotted the culprit. His arm was draped over Kali's shoulders, his hand gripping her throat discreetly.
"I can snap their necks so fast, I bet there's not even a witness," he grinned, watching her. "Now, start walking."
"Don't you dare hurt them."
"Keep walking," he urged her, moving toward Jeremy, his arm still wrapped around Kali.
She knew that if Damon were to see it, he'd likely kill the man right then and there for even threatening Kali. Although, that was something that she'd have to deal with later.
"Through the door."
Quickly, she made her way through the door, running.
T
"Keep moving," he said lowly, leading me along with him as he walked down the hall.
Elena was running frantically, but I knew that it wouldn't do her any good. He kept his hand at my neck the entire time, threatening to snap it if I tried anything. I was still a bit freaked at his earlier statement. The newborn's play thing? What was that supposed to mean. I was no one's play thing.
"Keep moving," he repeated, pushing me forward.
I nearly tripped as he did this, tempted to run. I knew that I wouldn't get very far though, so that's why I didn't run, merely biding my time in hopes that Damon would notice something and come looking for me.
"You're not going to get away with this," I told him.
"Oh, I think I will," he grinned, shoving me forward into the next hallway.
Elena ran into another room. I suppose you could call it the cafeteria, but it was still a bit small, being used as the health classroom whenever not in use. The moment we stepped inside though, he pushed me up against the wall, his eyes locking onto mine.
"You will stand here and you will not say a single word," he said slowly, eyes dilating.
I found myself unable to move as I stood there, feeling as though as spell had been placed over me. It was then that I realized I didn't have my necklace, leaving me completely vulnerable. After that, I could only stand there and watch as he went after Elena, my eyes water in response.
I watched as he grabbed her by the hair, throwing on top of a table. She rolled off of it, papers and pencils flying as she did. He then tossed the table out of the way, walking up to her as she scrambled to grab at things. I could see the fearful look on her face as he picked her up, pushing her against the wall while his fangs extended. I wanted so badly to cry out, but I couldn't.
Suddenly, Elena thrust her hand forward, shoving a pencil into his chest. A gasp escaped him as he pulled it out, making to grab her, only to end up with a pencil through his hand. She then shoved a third one into him, causing him to fall, his feet slipping on papers as he tried to get back up. He was mad now.
Elena… I cried out in my head, unable to say anything.
She made quick work in grabbing a mop, snapping it in half. She tried to stake him with it, but he caught it in his hand, tossing it behind him. She screamed as he made to bite her, the doors to the cafeteria pushing open. Stefan flew forward, pulling him away quickly before he even had a chance to bite her and threw him across the room. Damon soon followed into the room, his eyes glancing over at my stiff form for a moment.
"Hey, dickhead," he called, catching his attention.
He held the makeshift stake in his hand as he blocked the way out, the doors now close.
"Nobody wants to kill you. We just wanna talk," he told him.
The man's mouth twitched, quickly making his way toward me. Damon stopped him though, jumping in the way and shoving the stake into his stomach.
"Don't even think about it," Damon growled lightly, watching as he crumbled before his feet in pain. "You okay?" Damon asked, looking over a me.
"He compelled her," Elena told him. "She can't move."
"Hmm…" he turned back toward the man in front of him, kicking him across the room toward Stefan, before turning back to me. "Move and talk to me," he told me, eyes dilating for a moment as he spoke.
After he said that, I could feel the muscles in my body unlocking, my voice coming back to me. I then flung my arms around his neck a second later, hugging him close.
"Damon," I choked out, shivering for a moment.
I felt him wrap his arms around my waist, my face buried within his shoulder as he glared over at the other vampire.
"Now you feel like talking?" Stefan asked, looking him over.
"Screw you," he spoke up, gasping as Stefan grabbed the end of the mop handle and shoved it further, twisting it.
"Wrong answer," he growled lightly. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, eyeing him as he gasped.
"Because it's fun," he answered, before Stefan twisted it further.
"Damon," I whispered, catching his attention.
"What is it?" Damon asked, looking down at me as he held me close.
"He…he mentioned something," I told him quietly, fingers twitching a bit.
"What did he say?" Damon asked, looking down at me.
"H-he called me…the newborn's play thing," I told him, brows furrowed together in confusion.
I could feel him stiffen at my word, his fingers curling lightly into my sides.
"What do you want with Elena?" Stefan asked.
"She looks like Katherine," he supplied, eyeing Elena.
All of us went slightly stiff at his words, Damon moving closer to the vampire as he pulled me back a bit.
"You knew Katherine?" Damon inquired, his hand resting on my shoulder.
"Aw…you thought you two were the only ones," he spoke up, talking as though he were speaking to small children. "You don't remember me."
"Tell me how to get into the tomb. Hmm?" Damon inquired, leaning down at the vampires level as he spoke.
"No," he breathed.
Stefan grabbed him then, shoving the stake further, a groan coming from him.
"The grimoire," he grunted.
"Well, where is it?" Damon asked, obviously starting to get annoyed.
With one look from Damon, Stefan knocked the stake painfully, another groan escaping the man.
"Check the journal. The journal," he spilled. "Use Johnathon's journal. Johnathon Gilbert's."
"Wait, your ancestor's journal?" I asked, looking toward Elena.
Damon stood back up after that, moving his arm back around my waist.
"Who else is working with you?" Stefan asked, staring down at the man.
"Who else is there?" Damon asked. "Another vampire? A newborn perhaps?" he inquired.
I watched as a smirk formed on the man's face, his eyes turning to look up at me. A smirk pulled at his lips, mouth twitching. Damon glared at him for it though.
"He's gonna have fun with you," he chuckled, my eyes widening in fear. "This time, you won't be so lucky."
I could feel myself shake as I stood there, his words slowly sinking in. I was slowly putting two and two together. It almost felt as though I couldn't breathe, my breath catching in my throat.
"He's not going to tell us anything," Damon concluding, making a gesture toward Stefan.
Stefan nodded, reaching forward and pulling the stake from the man's chest. He grunted, head falling forward, only to gasp as Stefan thrust it into his chest. I could hear as it broke through the chest cavity and into his back, his eyes widening, and veins creeping up into his face. He was dead and I felt my knees give way.
"Whoa. Easy," Damon breathed out, carefully sitting me down on the floor, his eyes check me over. "Did he hit your head on something?" he asked, carefully touching the back of my head in various places.
"What-? What do-? How are you going to find the others now?" Elena asked, looking between Damon and Stefan.
"He had to die," Damon said simply, glancing over at Elena.
"But…" she tried.
"Elena…" Stefan called. "He's been invited in," he reminded her.
We heard a door close in the distance, Stefan and Damon turning to look at one another. A shadow was then outside the doors, the person slowly walking off after a moment.
"Go. I got this," Stefan told Damon.
Damon nodded, before looking back at me.
"I'll be right back," he promised, quickly making his way out of the room and into the hallway.
That left me with Elena and Stefan, Stefan's arms wrapping securely around Elena's shaken form.
He's gonna have fun with you.
His words echoed in my mind, my chest constricting. Those words could only mean one thing, but how was that even possible? Stefan had killed him. I'd seen it with my own eyes. Stefan had snapped Jason's neck.
"H-he's lying…he has to be," I choked out, feeling my breath come out in ragged heaves.
I was having a panic attack, my mind spinning in circles. I couldn't breathe.
"Kali?" Elena called, coming over beside me. "Kali, what's wrong?" she asked, brows furrowing together in concern.
I didn't even respond, my body shaking. My voice nearly came out in a gasp when I finally managed to talk.
"C-can't…breathe," I choked out.
"She's having a panic attack," Stefan concluded, quickly making his way to the doors. "Damon!" he called out, stepping back as his brother appeared in the room.
His eyes met mine before they widened slightly in realization, coming to stand before me within a second.
"Kali, I need you to breathe," he told me, kneeling down and gripping my shoulders in his hands.
I just shook my head, hands shaking.
"Kali," he started, gripping my chin lightly and tilting it up for me to look at him.
His eyes dilated, expanding and shrinking.
"Take a deep breath," he said slowly, avoiding breaking eye contact.
I did as instructed, taking in a shaky breath.
"Again," he instructed.
I did as I was told, taking in another breath.
"You're going to calm down," he told me, his thumb running gently over my cheek. "Calm down and breathe. Everything is going to be fine."
After a few more moments, my breathing was back to normal, my hands gripping his jacket.
"Thank you," Elena breathed, a hand over her heart. "I was afraid she was going to have a heart attack or something," she sighed.
"She'll be fine," Damon assured her. "Won't you, Kali?" Damon asked, looking back down at me.
I nodded my head slowly, closing my eyes. I was still shaking a bit, but my nerves had calmed a bit.
"I…I'll be fine," I nodded, glancing up at Damon.
I didn't feel like staying any longer, my mind running in circles still.
"Take me home?" I asked quietly, wrapping my arms around him.
He nodded his head, gripping my waist as he pulled me up with him. I clung to him as I did this, trying not to have another panic attack.
"Take care of the body," Damon said, nodding toward his brother.
Stefan nodded in response, wrapping his arm back around Elena. Damon then scooped led me out of the cafeteria, my arm draped around his shoulder while he kept his around my waist.
T
"You know, sometimes, I wish I had my own room," I sighed, looking over at Damon as I sat there curled up on the couch.
No one was home yet, so I didn't have to worry about it, but that was beside the point.
"We'll take care of that tomorrow," he promised, pulling me to him as he rubbed my arm.
"Damon, what's with this Grimoire?" I asked quietly, looking up at him.
I watched as his mouth pulled back into a firm line.
"Please?" I sighed. "I just want the truth, no matter what it is."
He sat there thinking about it for a moment, likely debating on whether or not to tell me.
"Look, just tell me. If you don't like how I react to it, you can always compel me to forget," I told him, leaning my head against his chest. "What have you got to lose?"
"It's like a witches cook book," he told me, staring out at the wall.
"This has to do with Katherine, doesn't it?" I asked slowly.
He eyed me careful for a moment, before speaking again.
"What do you know about it?" he questioned carefully.
"Not much," I admitted, closing my eyes. "I just pick bits and pieces up."
"Hmm…"
"Tell me about her?" I asked.
I felt his grip tighten for a moment, his fingers flexing.
"She was beautiful, like Elena, I'm sure you've figured by now."
I nodded my head as he spoke, listening to every word.
"She was also very complicated," he added, pausing for a moment as though in deep thought. "She was selfish, cruel at times. She was smart and cunning, sexy, seductive…" he breathed.
I tried not to feel uncomfortable at his words, but a faint hint of jealousy hit me.
"You loved her, didn't you?" I inquired.
"Yes…I did," he nodded, eyes glancing down at me.
"Tell me more?" I asked.
He nodded his head slowly, leaning his head back.
"Stefan thinks that she just used us, played around with us like toys, but that's not true. There was more to it than that," he supplied. "When she originally came to us, the states were at war. I'd joined the Confederacy, but left after a time. I didn't support their beliefs," he explained. "My father saw me as a deserter, a traitor…" he sighed.
"Well, it's not like you ran off to Canada or anything," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
He merely shrugged in response.
"That didn't matter to him. He never really liked me that much anyway, always seeing me as a disgrace to the family. I was never good enough for him, not like Stefan," he sneered.
"Stefan was the favorite?" I concluded.
"Yes…"
"Well, if I makes you feel any better, you're my favorite," I whispered, knowing he could hear me.
He just chuckled, shaking his head at my comment.
"You say that, not knowing what I truly am," he mused, taking my hand and bringing it up to his face.
He ran his face against it, kissing it lightly, his nose pressing against my wrist.
"You're hungry," I sighed.
"And?"
"Drink," I told him, offering up my blood.
I didn't care about the pain, just as long as he was satisfied.
"You know, if you're not careful, I'll become addicted to this," he warned lightly.
"You won't hurt me," I stated, glancing up at him.
"As you wish," he breathed, his eyes becoming slightly veiny for a moment as he pressed his lips to the pulse point on my wrist.
I then felt his fangs slip out, sinking into the flesh of my wrist. I took a sharp intake of breath as he did this, my eyes slowly sliding shut. In all honesty, it really wasn't even that painful, almost sensual to a degree if you think about it.
"Damon?"
"Mmm?" he answered, voice muffled as he kept his mouth clamped on my wrist.
"Earlier, you asked what I wanted us to be," I started, biting my lip.
I felt him pause for a moment in his drinking.
"I…" I licked my lip, pushing myself forward.
It was now or never and given what was going on, I knew that I may not have another chance because life has shown me exactly how short it can be.
"I think…I want it to be more," I whispered.
I said this knowing full well that he was on the look for Katherine, something that I'd picked up from Stefan.
"I know I probably have no right to even ask such a thing," I sighed. "But I really like you," I admitted. "And when all of that stuff happened with Jason, I…"
I was stopped as he pressed his lips to mine, gripping my face in his hands. I gasped lightly as I tasted my own blood on his mouth. I didn't mind it as much as I should have though, turning and touching his cheek lightly. Perhaps things would be different now, things between me and Damon. Perhaps I could finally have something of my own, something worth keeping.
I love you… I thought in my head, hand raking through his hair.
Tonight, I was happy, happy in this small moment of bliss and acceptance.
Alright everyone, that was chapter 15. I REALLY hope that everyone like it? It took a bit to get done.
IMPORTANT:
The next couple chapters are going to be difficult. I need IDEAS on how to go about writing them. ANYONE with ANY IDEAS is welcomed!
ALSO, I NEED REVIEWS PEOPLE IF YOU WANT THE NEXT CHAPTER OUT. THOSE IDEAS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT SO PLEASE POST THEM IN A MESSAGE OR REVIEW? THE REVIEWS WILL MAKE THE NEXT COUPLE CHAPTERS. 'Children of the Damned' and 'Fool Me Once' are the episodes for the next chapters, so that's what I need help with.
Thanks everyone and thanks for reading! :)