AN: Finished chapter 3 sooner than I thought I would. Hope you all enjoy. Keep a look out for Chapter 4. It's finished, but I'd like a few reviews before it's posted.
Warning for language, drug use, and underage drinking.
Enjoy. - LS
Chapter Three – Reckless Endangerment
It's been about two weeks since Alex lost well everything and it had not been going well. He'd sneak off every chance he could get and had given not only Sara the slip once, but also Jeremy when he had to watch after him one day. Instead of smoking in his room he'd sneak off to the basement or somewhere on the far edge of the property to smoke. At one point Elena had gone through his room and found his stash and flushed it causing quite the temper tantrum from Alex who ended up running from the house in the end. Elena had been to mad at him to stop him from leaving seeing as they both needed time to cool off. Tension was running high in the Salvatore home for everyone. Alex was a time bomb waiting to explode and he was determined to take everyone with him it seemed. Sara and Nick had been walking on eggshells for the last two weeks and they weren't sure how much longer they could take it.
"I just don't get it. I really don't." Sara said as she floated in the pool. Though summer was about to come to a close and fall was getting ready to set in, Mystic Falls was having one of its many late in the year warm days. "I mean why he doesn't at the very least do his school work and get his grades up is beyond me. It's not like it's hard. Mom and dad would probably start returning things if he did that at least."
"I don't get it either Sar. Mom says it's a phase a lot of guys go through. Uncle Jeremy did." Nick responded from where he floated in the inner tube.
"Yeah well Uncle Jeremy acted the way he did because he was grieving the loss of Grandma and Grandpa Gilbert. Alex is doing it to just be a douche."
"Maybe so."
"At least you're not going through it too. I don't think I could handle the two of you like this." Sara said as she floated closer to Nick.
Nick scoffed. "I would never do what Alex is doing. Besides I don't think you'd have to."
"Meaning?" Sara asked as she lifted her sunglasses off her face.
"Mom and Dad would likely have killed us both by now if that had happened." Nick laughed.
"This is very true." Sara giggled as Chief whined and barked from the sidelines. His kids were laughing which meant they were having fun…without him.
"Chief, cool it man." Nick said to the dog who paced by the edge.
"He thinks were having fun without him. Why don't you throw the ball for him?" Sara said as she nodded towards the floating pool ball next him.
"Sure. Hey Chief, go long." He said as he snatched up the ball and threw it farther out into the back yard. Chief barked and raced around the pool as he saw Nick reach for the ball and when he sent it flying Chief was nothing but a blur as he took off after it.
"Quiet at last." Nick sighed as he leaned back in the inner tube, his arms folded behind his head. Sara splashed him in response. "Hey!" he shouted. Nick sat up and wiped the water from his face, throwing his sunglasses onto the ground. Just as he was about to retaliate a large splash was heard as the two siblings were knocked of their floats from the wave.
"Hey!" they both sputtered. When they were able to see clearly, Chief was swimming up to them with the pool ball in his mouth.
"Dude!" Nick shouted, but was taken over by a fit of laughter.
"Sounds like you three are having fun." Elena said from where she stood on the patio, still dressed in her work clothes.
"Hi Mom." Sara and Nick said.
"Where are your father and Alex?" She asked.
"Uncle Stefan called saying he needed help with something at the house." Sara replied.
"And he took Alex with him?" Elena said with a raise of an eyebrow.
"He said and I quote 'You kids deserve a break from your brother.' So he dragged Alex to the car and Sara and I have been able to have a relaxing afternoon." Nick said with an a-matter-of-fact tone and a smirk on his face.
"I see. You know I don't think we've told you two how much we appreciate you helping with your brother." Elena sighed feeling guilty all of a sudden.
"Mom, we want to help Alex. We really do." Sara said as she reached for the ball from Chief.
"We know you guys don't like who he's become lately and quite frankly neither do we." Nick said putting in his two cents.
"But the only one who can change Alex is Alex." Sara finished and Elena quickly realized how much Alex's behavior was truly affecting her other children. She hated the feeling that she couldn't take their pain away.
"Yes, well hopefully Alex will start making the necessary changes to his life." Elena said before turning to walk inside. "If your dad and Alex are gonna be much longer at your uncle's what do you two say to ordering out for dinner tonight?" she called over her shoulder.
Now usually when Damon couldn't be home to make dinner Sara would, so the fact that Elena was giving the option to ordering out showed to Sara and Nick how guilty their mother was truly feeling. Knowing Sara was going to offer to cook something, Nick quickly responded.
"That sounds great mom! If Dad says they won't be much longer can you tell him to like stay there for another hour or two?" Nick laughed and Sara could tell it was slightly forced. That or it was just a really bad joke Nick was trying to make himself laugh at. Sara splashed him to get him to shut up. "Hey!" he said before he playfully tried to drown Sara.
The next morning Sara was up early cooking breakfast. She had woken up an hour earlier this morning and couldn't fall back a sleep. She didn't really see the point since she was supposed to be up in an hour so she and Chief got an early start to the day. They went for their run and when they came back to the house before 6am Sara decided to get started on breakfast. She was currently flipping French toast on the griddle when Damon came down the stairs in a t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms.
"You're up early." He said as he grabbed the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. He knew she had gotten up earlier than usual and then heard her and Chief go off for their morning run, but when he heard her starting breakfast instead of getting ready for school when they got back Damon decided to get up and see if she was alright.
"Couldn't sleep." Sara replied.
Damon stared at her as he sipped his coffee. Something was definitely up. "Is everything alright, Sara?" he pried gently.
"Everything's fine Daddy." She said as she transferred the finished slices to a plate and put new ones on the hot surface.
"If this has something to do with your brother…"
"It doesn't. At least I hope it doesn't. I just…have a feeling and I don't know what it is or what it means is all." Sara sighed before looking at her father.
"A feeling?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A feeling. I can't explain it, but I just feel like something is going to happen today."
"Good something? Bad Something?"
"I don't know. Like I said, it's just a feeling. I'm probably just being silly."
"Sara," Damon sighed. "I've been around long enough to know that this feeling you're having is probably for a reason. We just don't know what the reason is yet." He said as he wrapped his arm around her, mindful of the hot griddle.
"Maybe. Just promise me something?"
"Anything Princess."
"Just be careful today." She said as she leaned her head on Damon's shoulder.
"Sure thing." He replied as he planted a kiss to the top of her head.
"That goes for you too, Mom." Sara said before going back to flipping French toast.
"How is it that she knows when we're listening? If I was still up in bed listening, would you have said that?" Elena asked her daughter.
"No, I would've waited till you were down here, but here you are." Sara replied with a smirk.
"How it is you're able to tell the difference?" Damon asked, curious.
Sara shrugged. "It's just a feeling. Like a sixth sense if you will that I've come to develop over the years of being raised by vampires." She giggled. "It's kind of like that feeling when you know you're being watched, but in our case it's being eavesdropped on because our parents have super hearing abilities."
"Whoops." Damon said as he turned to get his and Elena's morning dose of blood.
"So, you have a feeling?" Elena asked.
"I have a feeling." Sara confirmed as she moved the finished slices to the plate with the others and started frying up the bacon.
"Okay, well I'll be careful today too. You be careful as well." Elena said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
"I'm probably gonna be paranoid all day. If anything happens that you guys hear about will you call or text me?" Sara asked. Both Damon and Elena could tell that whatever this feeling Sara had was really bothering her.
"Of course Sweetie." Elena said as she gave Sara a hug, who hugged her back.
"Sara why don't I take over and you can go get ready for school?" Damon said as he checked the time.
"Yeah, okay Daddy." Sara said with a slight smile as she set the tongs down and made her way upstairs.
Sara entered the kitchen dressed for school to find her family at the table eating breakfast.
"'Bout time you come down." Alex sneered.
"Hey, leave her alone." Nick said as he nudged Alex.
"Boys." Elena scolded.
"Sorry." They both muttered.
Sara took her usual seat and put a couple pieces of French toast on her plate, spreading butter and syrup over them. She still had the feeling and she didn't like it. This was not a good something feeling. She ate in silence with Chief's head in her lap.
When breakfast was finished the three siblings climbed into Nick's car as it was his day to carpool.
"Have a good day!" Elena called as she got into her own car to go to work.
Nick and Sara waved from the front seat while Alex just plugged in his headphones.
"So what's this feeling you have?" Nick asked as they drove down the road.
"I don't know, I just have a feeling."
"Sounds like you're crazy if you ask me." Alex grumbled from the back seat.
"Well nobody asked you, did they?" Nick growled.
"Knock it off. I just have a feeling like something is going to happen today, so can you two just promise me that you'll be careful today?" Sara pleaded.
"Sure thing sis." Nick said with a nod as he pulled into the school parking lot for seniors.
"I still think you're crazy." Alex said.
"I'm serious Alex. Just lay low for the day okay?" Sara begged.
"Whatever." Alex grumbled before leaving the car.
"Ignore him. We'll just take it easy today. You too, Sara. Don't overdo it at practice today or something, okay?" Nick advised as they walked through the parking lot.
"Yeah, I will. I just wish this feeling would go away though." Sara admitted. "Well, I'll see you later Nick." She said as she made her way to her locker before going to AP English.
"See ya." Nick called before heading off to Chemistry class.
Throughout the day Sara was paranoid. This feeling had yet to go away and she didn't like it. Rachel had suggest that maybe she was sick and had felt her forehead at lunch. She was fine. Right before lunch had ended Damon had called her saying that nothing out of the ordinary had happened to him or around town. He even checked in with Sheriff Forbes for the hell of it and she had said the town was quiet today. While that should have made Sara feel better, it didn't. When school had ended for the day Sara had walked with Nick to pick up Alex.
"Alright you guys, I'm headed to practice."
"Jesus Sara would you lighten up? Nothing is going to happen today." Alex snapped. "How could it, we'll just be in the library…studying."
"Knock it off and ya know I have yet to actually see you study." Nick said as they stopped outside the entrance to the library.
"Whatever." Alex said as he walked in and chose a table.
"Go, have a good time a practice. Don't worry so much." Nick said before following Alex in.
Sara sighed as she walked off towards the girl's locker room. As she changed into her clothes for practice her phone started ringing.
"Hi Mom…yeah it's still there…no nothing's happened yet…everything's good on your end? Yeah dad called at lunch…I don't know…okay I love you too. Bye." Sara hung up the phone and headed out to the field with the other girls.
"Alright girls!" shouted Coach Biers as he blew his whistle.
In the library Nick had books and notebooks spread out before him while Alex lounged in the chair.
"Mr. Salvatore I will not tell you again, four legs on the floor!" chided the librarian.
"Dude, knock it off before you get us kicked out." Nick scolded.
"Would that be so bad?" moaned Alex.
"Unless you want to watch all of Sara's practice, go ahead keep it up." Alex quickly put all four chair legs on the floor. "Thought so."
For another half hour Nick studied before he stood up. "I gotta hit the rest room. Behave, I'll be right back."
"Whatever Bro. Not going anywhere." Alex said, being unproductive as usual. Nick walked out the library and went down the hall to the boy's room. Alex turned his head from staring at some cute girl to all the work Nick was doing. 'Gross.' Alex thought. It was then an idea struck him. Maybe he could go somewhere? Alex leaned across the table and grabbed Nick's back pack. He search all the pockets till he found what he was searching for. 'Bingo.' He thought as he pulled out Nick's car keys. "I declare study time over." Alex said before he quickly left the library and raced down the hall when he saw no sight of his brother. Alex ran clear to the parking lot and quickly picked Nick's car out of those that were left. He unlocked the car and got in. "Sweet freedom here I come baby!" Alex cried out in triumph as he started the car and drove away from school.
Nick exited the bathroom after washing his hands and walked back to the library. When he got back to the table and didn't see Alex he figured he might be amongst the book stacks. That was until he saw his backpack was not where he had left it.
"No!" he said as he quickly grabbed his bag and went to where he kept his keys. "No. No." he said as he checked every pocket and then the floor before finally checking his pants pockets thought it was no use. "No. No. No!" Nick shouted. He quickly shoved all of his stuff in his bag and ran for the parking lot. When he saw that his car was no longer where he had parked it this morning he swore. "Son of a bitch! Alex!" he shouted before making his way over towards the soccer field.
"So you've had this weird feeling all day?" Lizzy asked as the girls sat on the side lines for a water break.
"Yup. It just won't go away." Sara replied as her phone began to ring.
"Odd. Do you think it's a bad feeling?" Lizzy asked as she saw Nick coming towards them.
"Hi Daddy." Sara answered. "Practice is going fine."
"Hey there's Nick. That's funny, why isn't Alex with him?" Lizzy spoke, but Sara plugged her other ear to hear her father better. Suddenly it felt like Sara's stomach rose into her throat, but she wasn't sick.
"Daddy, you know that feeling I had this morning? It just got worse." Sara stated.
"Sara!" Nick shouted as he got closer, seeing the girls were on break.
Sara turned around. "Hang on Daddy, Nick's calling. That's funny, where's Alex?"
"That's what I said." Lizzy huffed.
"Sara!" Nick huffed out of breath.
"Nick? What's going on? Where's Alex?" Sara asked.
"I went to the…bathroom and Alex… Alex stole my keys." He said in between breaths. Lizzy handed him a bottle of water. "Thanks." He said as he gulped half of it down.
"Are you saying Alex stole your car?" Sara asked?
"He what?!" Damon shouted on the other end, loud enough for Nick and Lizzy to hear. Nick just nodded his head.
"Oh dear." Sara said. "Coach!"
Alex drove through town before he pulled up at the old quarry.
"No fucking way!" Shorty shouted as he saw Alex get out of the car. "Dude, how did you?"
"Jacked my brother's keys while he went to the bathroom." Alex smirked as someone handed him a beer.
"Nice!" Shorty grinned as he clapped him on the back. "Well c'mon dude." He said as he led him towards the group of teens that were drinking and smoking.
"I can't believe he did this!" Sara said as she and Nick searched the town from her car.
"I can." Nick scowled in seat beside her.
"I can see him ditching you yes, but taking your car? I can honestly say I didn't see this one coming."
When Nick informed Sara of Alex running off in Nick's car she had told the Coach she had a family emergency and needed to leave. The feeling she had all day had gotten worse before Nick told her the news and now she knew something bad was going to happen. Coach had allowed Lizzy to drive Sara and Nick home so they could get Sara's car. Damon was already off searching the town and had called Elena, then called Liz Forbes to let her know that if she saw Nick's car somewhere to call him.
"Why not, he stole dad's booze. Why not a car?" Nick grumbled as he searched out the window.
"Nick, this is serious. Who would've thought he'd stoop this low. I mean where would he go? He can't be wandering around or out in the open somewhere or else someone would've spotted him by now." Sara said as she drove past The Grill.
"Who knows, he probably met up with Shorty somewhere."
"How? He doesn't have his cell phone, it's not like he could text him and tell him he was on his way somewhere."
"Unless they planned this."
"Shorty has his own car, why take yours if Alex was going to meet with him?"
"No one said the plan was a smart one. Those two put together don't even equal half a brain. Too many fried brain cells."
"Nick." Sara tried not to giggle.
"Tell me I'm wrong." Nick challenged.
"I can't."
"God Dammit!" Damon growled as he drove around. He had yet to find Alex and it was probably a good thing because when he found him he was going to kill him. He had just gotten off the phone with Liz who informed him that there was no sign of Alex or Nick's car around town. Where would he go? He obviously hadn't gone home and he wasn't at the Grill. Matt had said he hadn't seen him come in. He started thinking of places where Shorty hung out and drove off towards the park, knowing the gazebo was still a teen hot spot. Damon's phone began to ring playing Elena's assigned tone.
"Hey Babe." He answered putting the phone on speaker.
"Hey, any sign?" Elena's voice filled the car.
"No. Liz says they haven't seen Nick's car anywhere."
"Well he's not at the park." Elena sighed.
"Fuck! I was just on my way to check there."
"Well why don't you meet me here and we can think of some other places to check together." Elena suggested.
"Alright, be there in a minute." Damon said, hanging up as he put his foot to the gas pedal.
"So the Grill, the park, the movie theater and obviously home are all out. No one's seen him or my car. Where the fuck can he be? He's not that smart to hide from us all." Nick sighed as he read off the text message from Elena.
Sara shook her head as she continued to drive around.
'Another reminder to everyone that the old quarry off of Shaker Rd. is off limits due to the construction going on. Please be advised that trespassers will be arrested. Other news on the quarry, the construction has been put on hold due to a bulldozer being tampered with. Both the oil and gas tanks were found leaking excess amounts into the land and needs to be cleaned up before construction can continue on according from a representative from the EPA.' The announcer on the radio said, finishing his news report. It suddenly hit Sara of where Alex would be.
"No, he's just an idiot." She said as she put her foot on the gas and drove out to the old quarry. The feeling she had going from bad to worse.
"Woah, Sara. Where are we going?" Nick asked as he held onto the arm rest.
"Call Mom and Dad. I know where Alex is."
"And that is?"
At the Quarry loud music was play from one of the cars as everyone chatted, smoked and drank.
"Hey guys! Check this out!" someone shouted. A group of kids walked over to the one who shouted standing not far from where the construction equipment was parked.
"Yo man, what's up?" Shorty asked.
"Watch." The kid said as he pick up a discarded cigarette butt and lit it on fire, tossing it to the ground. A small area ignited in flames before the kid quickly stomped it out.
"Awesome." Shorty responded while the others oo'd and aw'd. A few others decided to try it and in different areas to see who could get the biggest fire started.
"Ah, I don't thinks this is such a good idea." Alex said as he watched people start fires and stomp them out. Some were bigger than others, a lot bigger.
"Dude, c'mon. Lighten up." Shorty said as he tried it himself.
"Yeah, okay." Alex replied, uncertain. His words to his sister from this morning being thrown back at him. Suddenly, Alex didn't have a good feeling. "Hey man, I should get going."
"What? Why?" Shorty whined.
"It's late and my sister's practice must be over by now. I'm sure everyone's started to look for me."
"Exactly. You're already in trouble with your folks not to mention your brother, why voluntarily go home?"
"Well…" Just then a car pulled up next to Nick's.
"Alex!" Sara shouted as she and Nick go out of her car.
"Busted man." Shorty said before walking off as Nick walked right up to him.
"Give. Me. My. Keys." Nick growled. Alex reached into his pocket and handed them over.
"How did you guys know to look here?" Alex asked.
"Radio announcement." Sara said as another car pulled up. Damon and Elena got out of Damon's car as Sheriff Forbes pulled up behind them.
"You called mom and dad?" Alex hissed.
"And a good thing from the looks of it. Get in the car. You can either ride with me or mom and dad. Take your pick." Sara said. A look over at his parents quickly determined Alex's choice.
"You." He said as the two walked towards Sara's car. Nick started his car up and backed out towards the road while Sheriff Forbes was breaking up the party and stopping kids from setting more fires. Unfortunately, some of the kids had started running off when they saw that adults were arriving so not all the fires had been put out. A small patch got larger and traveled towards the bulldozer. Soon it was out of control and before the flames reached the machine there was an explosion that quickly engulfed the machine. Everyone scattered while Damon and Elena quickly grabbed Sara and Alex and brought them up to where the cars were parked by the road, a safe distance away from the explosion.
"What the hell?!" Alex shouted.
"Are you both okay?" Elena asked as she looked over her kids. Nick had thankfully moved his car to the road and was rushing over to make sure his siblings were okay.
"You guys okay?" he asked.
"Fine." Sara and Alex responded.
"I'm gonna go see if Liz is okay." Damon said before speeding away to look for the Sheriff.
"I'll call the fire department." Elena called after him.
As Elena placed the call, Sara looked at her brothers. "I told you I had a feeling." She said before all three of them turned their gaze to the fire in front of them.
Back at the Salvatore house Alex was getting the talk of a lifetime. Sara and Nick were hanging out back with their younger cousins as everyone was over after hearing about what happened. Stefan was manning the grill talking with Rick and Jeremy while Bonnie and Caroline kept a watchful eye on the kids as they ran amuck. Elena, Damon, Alex and Liz Forbes were all talking in the living room.
"Alex what on earth were you thinking?!" Elena shouted. "Not only did you ditch your brother, you stole his car!"
"About that, do either of you want to press charges? Should I ask Nick?" Liz asked.
"No, Liz we don't. I honestly don't think it'd do any good." Damon sighed.
"What about what happened with the quarry?" Elena asked, knowing that he son had been trespassing.
"A lot of the kids scattered before the explosion so no one got hurt. I doubt they'll be hanging out there again any time soon, but we're going to be adding more drive by's and monitoring it closing from now on." Liz informed.
"Any charges being pressed?" Damon asked.
"The leak from the bulldozer was well known. There's no telling who set the exact fire that started it all. It's complicated right now, but I'll keep you informed."
"Thanks Liz." Elena said as Liz walked towards the back of the house to join everyone else outside.
"Alex," Damon started.
"I know what you're gonna say dad and I shouldn't have taken Nick's car. I'm sorry." Alex apologized.
"I believe you should be saying that to your brother." Damon said before running his hand through his hair. "Alex you could've been seriously hurt today. You could've been killed. Sara and Nick could've been hurt. You knew the quarry was off-limits, why would you go there?!"
"Everyone else was there." Alex grumbled.
"And if everyone jumped off of Wickery Bridge would you?" Elena chided.
"Sara's done it." Alex muttered.
"Alex!" his parents shouted.
"That is not funny, not the same thing here!" Damon chastised. "You know what? From now on you will not be spending time with Sara or Nick after school."
"Really?" Alex said almost hopeful while Elena looked him, wondering where he was going with this.
"No, from now on I will be picking you up after school and you'll be spending your afternoons with me. We'll come home and you will sit and do your homework." Damon said.
"And if something comes up?" Elena asked.
"If it's something he can go to I'll bring him with me, if not then I'll figure it out."
"Alex, go outside. Your father and I need to talk." Alex couldn't get out of the room fast enough.
AN: That's chapter 3. Please review.
