Chapter 16
Chance of Doubt
I woke the next morning to find myself along, a groan escaping my lips. Then again, Jenna likely would have kicked Damon out anyway, had she found him here. Regardless though, I still wished that he were here.
"Ah, you're awake."
My head shot up at the voice entering the living room, eyes widening slightly.
"Damon," I gaped, staring at him. "I thought…"
"That I'd left?" he supplied.
I nodded my head.
"Well, technically, I did," he told me. "I came back though after grabbing another shirt," he informed me.
"And Jenna just so happened to let you stay?" I asked skeptically.
"Not exactly."
My eyes narrowed slightly, giving him a tired look.
"You compelled her, didn't you?"
"Maybe," he grinned, moving toward me as he began buttoning his shirt.
"Damon," I sighed.
"What? I thought you'd be happy to see me upon waking up," he joked.
I merely rose a finger in response.
"No comment," I answered, making to go passed him.
He grabbed me though, spinning me back around.
"Damon," I choked out.
He just grinned, fingers brushing my face.
"You know, you're cute when you're flustered," he chuckled, letting me go a moment later.
"Pest," I muttered.
"Loveable pest," he corrected.
I turned to him this time, walking back up to him.
"Oh really? I'm sure we have a flyswatter around here somewhere," I countered.
"Kinky."
I narrowed my eyes at him, shoving him backwards onto the couch. He merely chuckled, laying there on his back.
"Careful, Salvatore. Otherwise, it will be kinky," I pointed out, walking through the kitchen and into the hallway.
I grabbed my suitcase, before going upstairs to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I trusted Damon, but I also trusted him to cause trouble.
T
Damon chuckled to himself as he sat downstairs, back pressed into the couch. He was content in his surroundings. Although, he was also still bored, which left him rather nosy.
"Hmm…"
He glanced over at the coffee table beside him, his eyes landing on a few papers. They were student essays that she still had yet to grade.
"Might as well," he sighed, snatching them up along with a pen.
He then propped himself up against the arm of the couch, ankles crossed over the other end. No one ever said that he had to be ethical in the way that he laid on a couch, so he could have cared less.
"Hmm…Monte," he chuckled, eyeing the writing and making correction as he went, completely ignoring the sound of the shower running upstairs.
T
I turned the water off as I finished, opening the shower curtain and stepping out. I was careful with my footing, not wishing to slip and fall. Last thing that I wanted was to have Damon busting the door down because he hears me scream.
"How embarrassing would that be?" I groaned, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around myself.
I wrung my hair out in the sink, quickly taking a second towel and rubbing it fervently within the folds of the fabric. Once I was done with that, it was somewhat dry, sticking up in weird places.
"Oh well," I shrugged, opening my suitcase and pulling out a fresh pair of undergarments.
In a way, I was actually glad that everything was kept in my suitcase. It meant I had less of a chance of anyone going through my stuff, Damon in particular. Then again, I wouldn't put it passed him to try. He loved annoying me sometimes with his little jokes and I'm sure he'd easily find entertainment in playing with my underwear.
"That reminds me," I grinned, mind going back to the flyswatter comment from earlier.
Jenna had one downstairs in the kitchen that I could use. Granted, Damon might come after me for it, but I could care less at the moment.
"Cocky bastard," I muttered quietly.
"I can hear you!" Damon called from downstairs, my face going slightly red.
"Shut up!" I yelled, popping my head out of the bathroom. "I can call you whatever I want!"
I could just picture him grinning as a result, a chuckled echoing up the stairs. I closed the door after that, locking it back.
"Let's see here…" I pulled out a couple tops, looking them over for a moment.
One was red, the other a light purple.
"Red or purple," I mused.
"I'd go with red," Damon called from downstairs.
I rolled my eyes.
"No body asked you," I replied, not bothering to raise my voice this time because I knew he could hear me.
"Don't care," he sang.
"Pain in the butt," I muttered, pulling the red one on after slipping on a pair of dark wash jeans.
They were a little tight, but apparently, that was the style now.
"We can go literal with that one if you want," he joked.
"Alright, enough of your little innuendoes for the morning," I called, opening the bathroom door and stepping out into the hallway.
I left my suitcase in the bathroom as I walked downstairs, socks in hand. I was determined to get back at him for his little comment.
"Oh, really, and what are you going to do about it?" he questioned from the living room.
I just grinned in response, grabbing the flyswatter from the wall.
"Oh, I'll show you," I muttered, holding it behind my back as I walked into the living room, finding him laying there on the couch.
He had a pile of my papers in his lap, pen in hand as he made corrections. I'd never understand how he could possibly get bored enough to correct my papers.
"Will you now?" he inquired, not bothering to look up from what he was doing.
I swear, the only thing he was missing now was a pair of glasses and it'd be perfect, humorous in fact.
I ignored his question slowly walking behind the couch.
"What are you doing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
"Just grabbing my shoes, Damon," I replied, easily slipping my socks on with one hand.
I slipped my shoes on after that, trying not to snicker as I stood back up, flyswatter in hand. He'd brought this on himself, so really, it wasn't my fault.
"Oh, and Damon?"
"Yes, Kali?"
"This is what I do to pests," I revealed, quickly flicking him in the back of the head with the flyswatter, causing him to jump.
I swear, the look on his face was priceless, something that I'd never forget. Although, I'd also never forget the gleam in his eyes after I did this.
"You know, I can't be held responsible for my actions after this," he warned, slowly setting the papers back down on the coffee table.
Within seconds, I had dropped the flyswatter, running out of the room and into the kitchen. I threw the back doors open without a second thought, my body tumbling in the grass as Damon tackled me from behind.
"Damon!" I cried, laughter escaping me.
"You're mine," he grinned, pinning me down with ease, his body hovering over mine.
I realized just how far I'd pushed my luck as he revealed the flyswatter, my eyes going slightly wide.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, but I would," he grinned.
"Damon, don't," I said warily, but it did me little good, my face soon pressing into the ground.
I let out a startle yelp as he smacked my butt with it, eyes going wide in shock.
"Damon!" I cried, kicking at him.
I grabbed the flyswatter as he tried to do it again, my back pressing into the ground.
"Remember, Kali, I don't get mad, I just get even," he told me.
"And now you've had your fun," I pointed out, gripping it tightly in my hand.
"Oh, no, my fun is far from over," he informed me, capturing my lips in his own a moment later.
He then pulled back, leaving me slightly dazed.
"Now, I think it's time that we left," he told me, grinning as he stood back up.
I was completely dumbfounded as I sat there, mouth hanging open. He had purposely stopped, just to spite me.
"Damn it, Damon," I whined.
T
"Well, this place looks nice," Damon commented, eyeing the building in front of us.
"You haven't even seen what the apartments look like on the inside," I said skeptically.
This was the second complex that we'd stopped by, the first one being rather messy.
"Well, I'm sure they can't be nearly as bad as the ones that I saw back in Chicago in 83," he told me. "The complex there was downright disgusting," he grimaced.
"What was it like in Chicago?" I asked, climbing out of the car.
"Busy, crowded, strips lining the streets," he told me. "Plenty of strip clubs too," he grinned.
"Ew."
He just chuckled, following me inside. There were three or four vacancies here for me to possibly choose from, but first I had to check them out.
"Oh, come on, they're not that bad," he tried.
"Oh, yes they are," I said pointedly.
"Not like you've ever been in one," he replied.
I narrowed my eyes at him for a moment, before walking down the hallway.
"I have too for your information," I muttered, shivering at the memory.
A friend that I'd met in Tennessee had dragged me into one before because she thought that it'd be funny. Personally, it was just downright disturbing, and degrading. I'd actually knocked one guy on his ass for groping my butt even. He'd thought that I was a show girl getting ready for her act. I showed him though.
"Really?" Damon inquired.
"Yes, really," I snorted. "Down in Tennessee."
"And how did this happen?" he asked humorously, pushing the door open for me.
"A friend drug me there," I told him, stepping into the room and looking around.
It was a bit dusty, but not too bad. I then walked further in, checking the kitchen. A few of the outlets were busted, a cabinet door hanging from its hinges.
"I see," he chuckled.
"And I decked a guy for trying to cop a feel," I told him.
This seemed to catch his attention.
"I would have liked to see that one," he grinned.
"Well, you saw me slap Jason, so I'm sure you can envision me knocking some guy on his ass."
"You're going to have to show me sometime."
"Oh, are you volunteering?" I asked, glancing at him over my shoulder.
"I'm afraid that you'd likely do more damage to your hand than my face," he said simply.
"Cocky bastard," I muttered.
"Perhaps, but it's still the truth," he said honestly.
"Okay, I think this one's out of the question," I announced, slamming the door below the sink shut, a mouse scurrying around inside.
He chuckled, moving forward and reopening the door that I'd just closed.
"What? Afraid of a little mouse?" he teased.
"No, just the disease it can bring," I told him, moving back out into the hallway of the complex.
The next two vacancies were up on the second floor, one on each end. Hopefully, those wouldn't have any mice. To be honest, I was really that shocked that there had been a mouse in the first one, seeing how it was on the first floor.
"Well, I can't really argue with that one," he admitted, following as I made my way to the stairs. "Although, I've lived with worse," he chuckled.
"Yes, I know, Mr. I-lived-back-in-the-1800's."
"I used to catch mice as a child you know," he grinned.
"Really now? What did you do with them pray tell?" I inquired.
"Let them loose on the maids," he confessed, hands folded behind his back.
"I bet they loved you," I said sarcastically, a small smile pulling at my lips.
"Of course. Even better, they couldn't punish me," he announced proudly. "Ladies first."
He opened the door for me, walking in afterward. I just shook my head, looking around. The first place that I went was the kitchen, checking under the sink for anymore mice. Luckily, there were none.
"Aw, no more furry little friends?" he teased, coming to stand behind me.
"Nope," I answered, popping the P.
I then turned the sink on, watching as the water flowed into the sink, draining down without a problem.
"So far so good," I breathed, turning it off and making my way into the next room.
It was the bedroom, the area itself fairly open. Unfortunately, I took notice to the cracked window. I didn't feel like having it rain and then water getting in.
"On to the next one?" Damon assumed, leaning against the doorway.
"Yeah," I sighed, moving past him and out of the room.
Again, I made my way into the hallway, moving down along the hall. My fingers brushed the wallpaper as I went, memories from when I had my own apartment here in Mystic Falls filling my head. I could still picture the crappy lighting and creaking door, even the chipping paint that'd been in the bathroom.
"Why don't we skip this next one and try the third floor?" Damon suggested.
I turned to look at him, giving him a curious look for a moment.
"You called ahead, didn't you?"
He merely chuckled, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. The look on his face was all the answer that I needed as he led me upstairs.
"You're really bent on getting this done today, aren't you, Damon?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
"I want to be able to have the satisfaction of knowing that you're safe," he told me, moving me down the hallway with him. "The landlord said that this was the best one out of the batch."
"Then why is it that we didn't come up here first?" I questioned, slightly annoyed.
"And skip all of this bonding?"
"Damon," I groaned, shaking my head.
I pulled away, pushing the door to the apartment open. I stopped the moment I walked in though, brows furrowing together. Damon didn't say anything as I took another step into the room, eyes scanning the walls and floor. This was…
"The man said he was never able to rent it out. Not enough people looking for apartments I guess," Damon piped up, moving from behind me in order to look around the room.
I just stood there for a moment longer, trying to process things I looked around the room, hesitantly making my way into the small hall of the apartment. I came to a door, slowly pushing against the handle. It creaked for a moment, the hinges old and rusty. Everything was the same, the only difference being the slight lack of furniture. I didn't even notice the footsteps behind me as I stepped forward, slowly making my way over to the window. I pushed it open, a wave of air flooding the room and loosening the dust.
"I haven't been here in nearly five years," I whispered, turning my head back to the door.
I found Damon standing there, eyes glancing around the room.
"I figured you might be more comfortable with something familiar," he told me, running a finger over one of the shelves.
It became covered in a layer of dust, but he didn't seem to mind, wiping it off on his pant leg.
"You've been nosy then," I pointed out, sitting down on the frame of what would have been a bed.
"But it was worth it, I'm sure."
I stared at him for a moment, shaking my head.
"You know, it was in this room that everything happened," I told him, glancing around the room. "The event that led to my leaving."
"If you'd rather something else," Damon started.
"No," I shook my head. "It's about time that I started taking my life back," I said firmly, gripping the wooden bed frame.
"You're sure?" he asked.
"I need this," I breathed, slowly pushing myself to my feet. "I can't let old memories rule my life."
T
"Do you think Damon really believes us?" Elena asked, rummaging through an old box. "That we're both trying to help him?"
Stefan was set against the kitchen counter, arm draped over another chair.
"I don't think Damon knows what to believe," Stefan answered honestly. "Trust isn't something…that comes naturally to him."
Elena shook her head lightly, pulling an old photo album onto her lap and looking through it.
"You know, I really think that Damon believes that everything he's done, every move that he's made, he's done for love," she told him. "It's twisted, but kind of sad."
"There are other ways to get want," Stefan told her. "You don't have to kill people."
Elena couldn't help, but nod in agreement, glancing down at the old album.
"Damon has no regard for human life."
Elena wanted to say something, but she let him continue, biting her lip.
"He enjoys inflicting pain on others," he told her, making to say more. "For 145 years, every single time that I have let my guard down and let Damon back into my life he's done something to make me regret that. I'm not gonna make that mistake again."
Elena understood where he was coming from, but couldn't help disagree with some of his words. True, Damon seemed to enjoy the pain of others, but he was different with Kali. she was sure that even Stefan had noticed that much. For sure though, they had both noticed the growing attachment that Kali held for Damon.
"So what do you think will happen if the tomb gets opened and Damon gets Katherine back?" she asked, her question almost hesitant.
"I think that no matter what Damon promises, a lot of people will die," Stefan replied.
It was hard for Elena to accept Stefan's words. She found herself praying that they'd find the journal before Damon. Maybe in doing so, they'd prevent him from opening the tomb. Honestly though, she wanted to prevent Kali from having to deal with the heartache of him leaving. It was already agreed between Stefan and Damon that he would leave town once he had Katherine. Elena wasn't even sure how to talk to Kali about the whole thing. She still had to explain other things to her first, things about Damon and Katherine in general. Perhaps Stefan would be the one to explain things, but she still wasn't sure what to do.
"That's Johnathon Gilbert," Stefan supplied, standing from his seat as Elena pulled a loose picture from the pile of stuff.
It was a picture of a man with dark hair and a beard, a hat perched on his head. She then looked back down at the box for a moment, her hand lifting the lid of a small box. Her brows furrowed together as she looked down into it, a small contraption resting inside.
"What's this?" she asked, unsure of what it was.
Stefan looked down at it uncomfortably, shifting his weight for a moment as he took a small step back. He knew exactly what it was, a custom made muzzle of sorts for vampires, another one of Johnathon Gilbert's inventions.
"What are you guys doing?" Jeremy asked, walking into the kitchen.
He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, his hair combed back.
"Hey. Just, um, going through some stuff. Feeling sentimental," Elena answered, placing the album she'd had in her lap back into the box. "Dad had this old journal from years ago. I thought I'd dig it up," she told him.
"Johnathon Gilbert's journal?" he asked, pushing himself up onto the edge of the kitchen counter.
"Yeah. What do you know about it?" she asked, looking at him curiously.
"I just did a history report on it," he answered.
"Oh. So where is it now?" she asked.
"I gave it to Mr. Saltzman. He wanted to see it," he told her, glancing between Elena and Stefan for a moment. "Why, is there something wrong?"
T
"Hey, um, Kali?" Elena spoke up.
"Yeah?"
I'd just gotten back to the house, Damon leaving to pick up a few things for the apartment. He'd promised me that he'd be back before too long, that he wanted to cook dinner for everyone. Honestly, I wasn't sure why, but I really didn't feel like asking either. If he wanted to do something nice for everyone, then I was going to let him do it.
"I need to talk to you about something," she said hesitantly.
"Please, don't tell me this is about Damon?" I sighed, rolling my eyes for a moment.
"It is, but please, just listen?" she pleaded.
"Fine," I groaned.
"Can we take it upstairs?" she asked, glancing over at Jeremy.
"Yeah," I nodded, following her.
Once inside her room, the door was shut, lock being put in place.
"There's something you need to know," she told me, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "About Damon…"
"Stefan didn't tell you to do this, did he?" I asked, raising a brow in question.
"No. No, he didn't," she assured me. "Has Damon mention anything about a Grimoire?" she questioned.
"Yes," I nodded slowly. "He said that it was like a witches cookbook."
"Did he happen to tell you why he wanted it?" she asked.
"No, but I assumed that it had to do with Katherine," I replied.
"Kali, I know that you grown attached to him, but…"
"Elena, what are you getting at?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest.
"I don't think he's over Katherine," she sighed. "Kali, he's looking for the Grimoire in order to bring her back," she finally revealed.
My lips parted for a moment, brows furrowing together.
"W-what?"
"I didn't want to tell you this, but him and Stefan made an agreement," she sighed. "We help him find the Grimoire and once he has Katherine…" she paused for a moment, looking up at me.
I could tell that it pained her to tell me all of this.
"Once he has Katherine, he's going to leave town," she finished.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as she said this, my hand curling at my side. If he was just going to leave, then why? All of this stuff that we've done, the kisses, the bonding, the apartment. If he was just going to leave, then what was the point of it all. Did my feelings for him not even matter?
"But…"
"He thinks we're going to help him, but Stefan can't let him go through with it. We plan on finding the Grimoire before he does and destroying it."
I did say a word as I stood there, biting my lip.
"Kali, Damon does care for you," she told me, standing up and taking hold of my shoulders. "I've seen it."
"Then why?" I asked quietly, my eyes watering a bit.
"Kali, you don't realize just how much Katherine manipulated him. She made him believe that she was in love with him. He's been pinning after her for the last 145 years. It's not something that he can just let go of like that," she told me.
"He doesn't even see it…" I whispered, shaking my head.
"Kali, what are you talking about?" she asked, brows furrowing together slightly.
"Elena, I…I love him," I choked out, catching the look of shock on her face. "I actually feel safe with him, Elena, I'm happy," I told her. "For once, I'm actually happy, and it's because of him."
"Kali," she started, looking me in the eyes. "Are you sure it's not just…"
"Elena, since my dad died, I haven't been the same," I told her. "Even before I left, when I was with Jason, before the cheating and the lying… I was never truly happy, but with Damon," I breathed, drawing in a breath. "I actually feel like I can breathe again, like I have purpose," I sighed.
"Kali…" she breathed out.
"Elena, please… If he leaves, I… I don't know what I'll do," I chocked out.
T
Alaric sat reading at his desk, the Gilbert journal in front of him. He'd been reading over the whole thing, the names of a few founding family members coming up, along with the mention of vampires. Apparently, they'd made plans to get rid of the vampires, draw them out of hiding. It was exactly what he was looking for. The name Guiseppe Salvatore also came up. The same with Stefan and Damon, Guiseppe's sons. There was also mention of a woman by the name of Pearl, an Asian beauty whom held Johnathon's affections. He also made note of a compass, one designed to track vampires.
After another 15 minutes, he went to makes copies of the journal, intent on keeping the knowledge that he'd gathered. This way, he could give the journal back to Jeremy and be able to go back and look over his findings.
"I still can't believe she's with that vampire," Alaric sighed, referring to Kali.
He knew that Damon was dangerous, but Kali had no clue.
"I'll get rid of him soon enough," he reminded himself, placing the copies he'd made in his locker.
He then shut it, walking back to his classroom with the journal under his arm. He tossed it on his desk upon entering, grunting as he sat down in his chair. He figured that he'd done enough reading for the time being, pulling out a stack of papers that he'd been neglecting. He stopped though, his ears picking up the faint sound of footsteps. They'd been quick, too quick.
"Hello?" he called.
He received to answer though, slowly pushing himself back from the desk and standing up. He made his way out of the classroom, standing in the doorway. He looked around, but found no one.
"Hello?" he called again. "Someone there?"
He moved to walk down the hallway a bit, taking a few steps forward. He turned upon hearing a rush of wind, quickly making his way back to the faculty lounge where he'd been a few minutes ago. He was quick in pulling the locker open, grabbing his duffle bag from the locker and placing it on the floor. He pulled a weapon out, sliding a thin stake from its place and shoving it down the tub of the air gun, a weapon that he'd made himself. He then cocked it, standing back up and walking back to his classroom. If a vampire was going to mess with him, then he was going to stake it. He was met with a surprise though as he walked back into his classroom, pulling the trigger. The stake shot out, only to be caught by Stefan's quick hand.
Quickly, he began to reload it, hands slightly shaky. The sound of air whooshing by him made him whirl around, eyes wide as Stefan stood there, hand gripping Alaric's shirt.
"You shouldn't have done that," Stefan stated, shoving him back into a pile of desks.
Alaric was quick to right himself, quickly clambering to his feet, hand gripping the desk behind him.
"Have a seat," Stefan said, gesturing to the desk that Alaric was clinging to.
He gestured to the desk again, watching as Alaric slowly sat down, hands shaking.
"What is this, compressed air?" Stefan inquired, looking down at Alaric's little invention.
Alaric remained silent though, not saying a word.
"Did you make it yourself?" Stefan asked curiously.
Again, Alaric said nothing, his nerves on edge.
"Who are you?" Stefan asked, stepping forward.
Alaric backed up in his seat, waiting for him to attack.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," Stefan promised, coming to stand in front of him. "Unless you try that again."
Stefan then held the weapon out to him, a friendly gesture. Alaric then took it after a moment, eyes still wary as he stared at Stefan.
"Now…" Stefan started, picking a desk up and setting it back in place.
He sat down on top of it, easily balancing himself on it.
"Who are you?" he asked again.
"I'm a teacher," Alaric answered.
Stefan shook his head lightly, drawing in a breath. He didn't like threatening people, but he wanted answers.
"Are we going to have to do this the hard way?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in question.
"I'm also a historian," Alaric added. "And while researching Virginia, I made a few discoveries about your town."
"So you show up like Van Helsing," Stefan said skeptically, gesturing toward the weapon Alaric was holding onto. "Come on, tell me the truth."
Not wanting to be compelled, Alaric sighed, looking elsewhere.
"My wife was a parapsychologist," he started. "She spent her life researching paranormal activity in this area. It was her work that led me here," he relayed.
"Where is your wife?" Stefan asked.
"Dead," Alaric stated. "A vampire killed her."
"Where's the Gilbert journal?" Stefan asked, changing the subject.
"What do you want with it?" Alaric breathed out, voice quiet.
"Where is it?" Stefan asked again, repeating his question.
"It's on my desk," Alaric answered simply.
"No it not."
Alaric's brows furrowed slightly as he looked over at his desk, the journal gone.
"It was on my desk," he assured him.
T
"My father never approved of anyone that I dated," Damon conversed, cutting into a tomato.
His cuts were a bit hard, but he didn't care, he merely kept them in decent slices on the cutting board.
"Which only made me want them more, of course," he supplied, looking up from his work to meet Jenna's gaze.
.
She was seated on top of the counter by the door, a glass of wine in her hand.
"What about you?" he asked.
"There were a few guys," she answered, shrugging as she took another drink. "Logan isn't the only loser that I've dated."
"They ever find him? Is he still missing?" he asked curiously.
"He's not missing," she breathed out, leaning forward a bit. "He's in the Bahamas working on his tan," she told him. "Very entitled, that one."
Damon chuckled lightly, nodding his head.
"He marches to his own drum," Jenna sighed, downing the rest of her drink.
Damon then made his way over to her, wine bottle in hand.
"He's a Fell. They're all snooty."
"Hmm," Damon chuckled, pouring her another drink.
Jenna tipped her glass in thanks, watching as he went back to his work, chopping up vegetables.
"What about you and Kali?" she asked.
"What about us?"
"Are you two serious?" she asked casually.
"I suppose. It depends on what you consider serious now a days though," he replied.
"Serious as in committed, I'll stand by your side and not cheat kind of serious," she elaborated. "Not being with someone just because you've got nothing better to do."
"Don't worry, I care about her," Damon assured her. "I wouldn't cheat on her."
"Well, I would hope not. Otherwise, you're going to have me to deal with," she warned him.
"Dully noted," he nodded, not bothering to look up as he spoke once more.
"Hello, Elena," he greeted, startling Jenna slightly.
"Oh, hey. Where have you been?" she asked, turning on her spot on top of the counter. "We're cooking dinner," she announced.
Elena merely eyed Damon, watching as he looked up from the cutting board, an eyebrow raised in question toward her.
"Stefan with you?" he asked casually.
"Um, he'll be here soon," she answered warily, her hand resting on the counter beside Jenna.
Damon nodded, looking back down at his work, knife slicing into it's target.
"Kali's upstairs incase you're wondering," she spoke up, catching Damon's attention.
The look on her face told him that they'd been talking, about him no doubt.
"And what have you been talking about might I ask?" he inquired.
"About you," she replied, glancing back into the hallway.
"Really? Nothing good I hope," he joked.
"Only the worst," she answered, although, her eyes told him that they needed to talk.
T
"How long have you been aware of me?" Stefan asked.
Alaric thought for a moment before answering, a sigh emitting from him.
"I learned just recently," he answered, looking up at Stefan after a moment. "When I met your brother."
"You met Damon," Stefan stated.
"Who do you think killed my wife?"
"You certain it was Damon?" Stefan asked.
"I witnessed it," Alaric answered.
"If you're here for revenge…this is going to end very badly for you," Stefan told him, making sure that he understood that.
"I just wanna find out what happened to my wife," Alaric told him.
"I thought you just said that Damon-"
"Ah," Alaric interrupted him, nodding his head. "I saw him draining the life out of her."
He paused for a moment, thinking back on that night.
"He must have heard me coming. He just disappeared," he breathed out, before adding, "So did her body. They never found her."
Stefan nodded his head after a moment in understanding, his lips curling in slightly. Damon couldn't know why Alaric was there, otherwise, he'd kill him in a heartbeat.
"Damon can never know why you're here," Stefan told him slowly, eyes trained upon him. "He'll kill you without blinking."
"I can take care of myself," Alaric assured him. "I'm not so sure about Kali though."
This caught Stefan's attention.
"Your brother seems to have her wrapped around his finger," he imparted. "I can't let him kill someone else."
"Don't worry about Kali."
"And why not?" Alaric questioned.
"Despite what you think, she's actually safe."
"I doubt that," he scoffed.
T
Damon set the bowl of salad on the table, moving back into the kitchen. He deliberately bumped Elena as he went, cornering her at the counter, plates in her hand.
"Oh. Mm," he murmured, moving back as she pushed past him.
She scoffed as she walked over to the table.
"Don't do that," she said firmly, setting the plates down on the table.
"Do what?" he asked, acting as though he'd done nothing wrong, moving over to the pot on the stove.
He wiped his hand on the towel that rested on his shoulder, stirring the sauce in the on the stove.
"You know what. That move was deliberate," she pointed out.
"Well, yeah. I was deliberately trying to get to the sink," he said, trying to defend himself.
It was a poor excuse though and he knew it, a small chuckle escaping his lips. She shook her head, another scoff escaping her.
"Speaking of Stefan, where is he?" he inquired. "He's missing family night, which I am enjoying immensely," he pointed out.
Elena rolled her eyes, grabbing some napkins beside Damon, bringing them back to the table.
"Is it real?" he asked suddenly.
"Is what real?" she sighed, placing a napkin beside each plate.
"This renewed sense of brotherhood," Damon replied, bringing the wooden spoon to his lips and tasting the sauce.
He placed it back down, finding it satisfactory. He then turned, looking over his shoulder at Elena.
"Can I trust him?"
"Yes, you can trust him," she nodded, turning back around toward the table.
His brows furrowed slightly. Her answer was too quick, too dismissive. He was behind her in seconds, his vampire speed propelling him across the short distance. He wanted a straight answer.
"Can I trust him?" he asked again, looking her in the eyes.
"I'm wearing vervain, Damon," she reminded him. "It's not gonna work."
"I'm not compelling you," he told her, his voice telling her that she should have known that.
"I just want you to answer me," he told her. "Honestly."
He was being serious, sincere. All he wanted was an honest answer, something that he could hold onto.
"Of course you can," she answered after a moment, looking him in the eyes.
Damon's mind went back to 1864 for a moment, remembering when he'd put his trust in Stefan. Stefan had promised not to speak a word to their father about Katherine, Damon fearing that their father would stake Katherine if he knew the truth. Stefan had promised Damon and Damon had trusted him.
"There was a time that I trusted him more than anyone," Damon revealed.
"Trust breeds trust. You have to give it to get it," Elena explained, grabbing up the small bowl she'd been playing with and walking to the table.
"Are you lecturing me?" Damon questioned, a humorous look on his face.
"Do you need to be lectured?" she inquired, placing her hand on her hip.
"I just want her back. I'm sure you can understand that."
"I can understand that you would do anything for her, yes," Elena nodded.
"Then you understand what I will do if anyone gets in my way," he said quietly, moving away after a moment.
This left Elena wondering if perhaps Damon really was too dangerous to be around Kali.
T
I sat there the entire time, sitting up in Elena's room. I didn't even bother coming downstairs to eat when Elena told me it was ready. The only thing that I wanted was to hear the truth from Damon. I wanted to know if this thing between us, if it actually meant anything or if it was just all an act. My heart was telling me that it was real, but my head hinted otherwise. I needed to know that truth. I needed to hear it from him, not someone else.
"Damon…" I sighed, laying back on the bed.
I looked over at the wall, eyes landing on a small bottle of nail polish.
"How ironic," I sighed, standing up and picking up the little blue bottle.
The color fit my mood perfectly, taunting me almost. It was a reminder of what I was feeling.
T
Alaric narrowed his eyes as he stepped inside the Grill, his eyes finding Damon seated at the bar. He kept his distance, finding a booth to slide, pulling some papers from his bag. He needed to blend in.
T
I didn't want to hear what Stefan had to say, pushing my way outside. Perhaps, I'd go to the apartments, lock myself in my room. I knew that it wouldn't do me any good though. Perhaps I needed a drink?
T
"Stefan, do you really think it smart, letting her go off like that?" Elena asked.
She'd watched as Kali had walked out of the house, the look on her face from earlier still there. She was still upset by everything she'd told her. Not that Elena could blame her though. She'd be upset too if she were in Kali's place.
"I wouldn't say that it's smart, but what exactly can we do?" Stefan asked. "It would have been better you if hadn't told her," he admitted. "Then Damon could have just left town without a word."
"I couldn't just leave her in the dark," Elena argued. "She had a right to know."
"But at what cost, Elena? At what cost?"
T
I let out a sigh as I pushed my way into the Grill. Damon was nowhere to be seen unfortunately. I don't know why I expected anything else though. After all, he hadn't been completely honest with me.
"He kept me in the dark," I breathed out, walking over to a booth and sliding in.
I pulled my messenger bag up, pulling my sketch pad from it and laying it down on the table. I placed a pencil down beside it, flipping it open. My gaze softened as I came to Damon's picture, my fingers running over it for a moment. It was beautiful.
"If only things were as simple as black and white," I sighed, flipping through to a fresh page.
I began my work on a random drawing, sketching a couple that sat over in the corner. I felt my chest tighten as I looked at them, eyes watering ever so slightly. I imagined Damon and myself, smiles on our faces, laughter filling the air. It bothered me, the thought that it might not be real.
Was I so easily tricked, conned into believing something? Was I too tied up in my own little world to realize the truth? What was the truth anyway? All of these thoughts ran through my head, an irritated groan escaping me as I shoved the pad off of the table, my fingers stringing through my hair.
"Kali?"
My head shot up, eyes flicking around me. Alaric stood there, a worried look on his face.
"Alaric," I breathed, brows furrowing faintly.
"You okay?" he asked, slowly leaning down and picking up my sketch pad.
His eyes trailing over the contents.
"I'm sorry, I just…" my voice faded away as quickly as it came, my eyes shutting as I sat there.
"Why don't you join me over there?" he suggested, pointing over at his booth on the other side of the room. "We can talk."
I nodded my head slowly, slowly pushing myself up from my seat. Alaric grabbed my bag for me, walking with me over to where he was originally sitting.
"So, what happened?" he asked, setting my sketch pad down on the table.
I just sat down, leaning forward on the table.
"I just…I found something out today," I said quietly, resting my head in my arms.
"Guy troubles?" he assumed.
I glanced across the table at him, giving him a wary look.
"I've been around long enough to pick up on things," he told me.
"I haven't been happy in a long time," I answered quietly, closing my eyes. "I come back, find someone new… I'm happy again," I sighed. "And then everything changes…something threatens to destroy it."
"Sounds like there's another girl involved," he mused.
"He…" I stopped, shaking my head.
"Damon, right?" he assumed. "Jenna," he stated, before I could ask.
It figures that she'd tell him about Damon.
"He loved someone once," I whispered. "Now, he has the chance to get her back."
"You don't want that," he assumed, slowly flipping through the pages of my sketch pad.
"No…" I sighed. "I shouldn't be telling you this."
"Don't worry about," he told me.
"I'm selfish…"
"What?"
"I'm selfish," I repeated, tugging at my hair. "I should be happy for him, but I'm not," I breathed, shaking my head.
As long as the person you love is happy, then you're happiness shouldn't matter. As long as they were content, then you would be fine. The problem was, I wasn't fine, I was the opposite of fine. I was a nervous wreck.
"I found out that he might leave…"
"Leave?" he inquired, his brows furrowing together.
I nodded my head.
"Why would he leave when's he's got you here?"
I felt my eyes water at his question, screwing them shut. I'd thought the same thing. Why would he leave? I was here, Katherine wasn't. I wasn't using him like she did, but he was still bent on finding her. He wanted Katherine, not me. The more I thought about it, the more I started to believe it, the pain in my chest unyielding. There was still a small part of me though that wanted to believe that I had a chance, that I had a chance with him, a chance at happiness. Unfortunately, that chance was small, and growing smaller each second.
T
Damon stood there, waiting in shadows of the room. He leapt forward the moment that she'd stepped inside, closing the door. Both had a grip on the others throat, squeezing tightly, each with equal strength.
"Okay, give," Damon choked out after a moment. "Okay."
They both retracted their grip, pulling away, both coughing. Damon brought his hand to his throat, gripping it painfully.
"Damn," he breathed out. "You're strong for a little thing."
"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me," she replied, ignoring his comment.
"How long have you been here?" Damon asked, watching as she placed her bag over on the dresser of the hotel room.
"I arrived around half past comet," she answered, leaning back against the dresser. "Watching you screw up every chance you had to open that tomb."
"How did you know about the spell?" he inquired, mouth pulled into a firm line.
"I didn't say much back then. Which means that I heard everything."
"If you've been here the whole time, why are we just crossing paths right now?" Damon asked, stepping forward in an attempt to intimidate her, easily towering over her small form.
"I like to use others to do my dirty work," she answered, moving past him, her words sinking in.
"Like Logan Fell?" he concluded, his mood souring. "Oh, yeah. Thanks for that, by the way. Little bastard shot me," he said in annoyance, mouth twitching slightly. "Not to mention, he threatened something that belongs to me," he said, referring to Kali.
"You mean that little friend of yours?" she inquired slyly. "Heh. Logan was an idiot."
"Mm-hm."
"We slipped him some blood when he started getting all poser slayer with that compass," she revealed. "I needed his families journal. I couldn't let him die."
"What do you want with the Fell journal," Damon asked warily.
"I thought it contained the location of the witch's spell book," she told him, arms folded. "I was wrong. According to her journal, Honoria gave the Grimoire to Johnathon Gilbert. And according to this…" she continued, walking over past Damon and grabbing a book from her bag. "He gave it to your father. So, now you're gonna help me find it."
"Why would I help you?" he asked simply, staring down at her.
"Because you and I both want that tomb open," she answered, looking up at him pointedly.
Damon merely took the journal from her outstretched hands, looking through it. He found what he needed quickly, looking back at her. He had one more question before leaving.
"What about Jason Hunter?" he asked slowly, biting back the urge to say something else.
"That was Noah's doing, not mine," she told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "He never did like following orders. Instead, he decided to have a little fun, something just to spite you."
"So…all of that crap was deliberate?" he inquired, eyeing her carefully.
"Unfortunately," she nodded.
"Hm," he nodded, quickly winding the string back around the book. "Sorry. I work alone," he told her, tossing the book down on the dresser.
This left Anna standing there, a tired look on her face. Due to Damon's decision, she was left with only one option.
T
"Thanks, Alaric," I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I stood by the building's entrance.
He'd been kind enough to drive me to the apartments, talking to me along the way. Now, I was going to go inside and see what Damon had left, hopefully getting some sleep.
"You sure you don't want me to help you with that?" he asked, gesturing toward my bike.
"Yeah, I'm sure," I nodded, moving toward the door. "I'll see you later, Alaric, thanks," I called, pushing my bike through the door.
I easily made my way upstairs using the elevator, pushing my bike toward my door. I was about to pull out my key when I heard footsteps behind me, turning to find out who it was.
"Can I help you?" I asked, brows furrowing together in question.
"Actually, you can," she grinned, eyes darkening.
"Wait, you're-"
I didn't finish, a pressure at the back of my neck stopping me. Within moments, everything went black.
Alright everyone, that was chapter 16. I really hope that everyone liked it and that it met your expectations. Next chapter is a big one people, so PLEASE REVIEW. I need to know how I'm doing. I also want to thank all those who have been reviewing: KimmyWSmith, Katerina The Von, KittyxCat1509, IvyLinkin, Kira Tsumi, AudreyDarke96, aleema-darkrose1, Silently Tearful, MrsSalvatore84, and others.
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