"Ava I know you're awake I can hear you breathing" Damon drawled from the doorway. He was leaning against the doorframe and watching the small lump shifting from the covers. Ava had been living with the Salvatores for the last two days and for both of them she had spent it in bed.
"Go away" her voice was croaky and hoarse. The vampire cringed seeing the pile of dishes around the bed. Most of them were left untouched
"Nope" with that Damon launched himself on to the bed. It was much larger than the one she had at her old house, she grunted when she felt him land beside her.
"Go away-"she muttered.
Damon rolled his eyes and grabbed the edge of the blankets and pulled hard, he didn't expect Ava to go rolling off of the bed.
"Oops" the vampire muttered hearing a thump. "At least you're out of bed"
"Fuck off Damon" Ava snapped from the ground.
"Can I fuck you-"
"STEFAN" the petite teen screamed. Damon didn't even get to count one before his brother blurred into the room.
"What? what-"
"Dude that fucking tea-towel doesn't cover your junk" Damon slammed his hand over his bright blue eyes "be thankful Ava you're blind, otherwise you'll be scarred for life"
Ava rolled her eyes and pulled herself up. She crawled into the bed. she was set on going back to her cocoon of sheets but Damon wasn't having none of that and pulled her into his lap.
"Get off-"
"Damon-"
"No she can't stay there all her life. Ava two days you have not move and to be honest you're getting kind of smelly-" Damon uttered and sniffed loudly causing the petite teen to wriggle
"Go away-"
"Nope, you got school today-"
"I don't want to go. Stefan?" Ava turned to the more compassionate brother but was more than angry by his response.
"He's right Ava, you can't say cooped up all day. You're going to school-"
Ava scowled and swung her legs out of the bed and stormed towards the bathroom "I HATE YOU ALL" she shrieked and slammed the door so hard that even the large dresser shook. Damon cringed hearing the blond knocking things over no doubt in anger.
"Dude when did we ever sign up to take care of a teenager?" Damon asked,
Stefan rolled his green eyes and shook his head "I'm going to get dress-"
"I'll make some food"
Ava exited the bathroom and headed to the dresser, Damon and Stefan had organised the room so it was in the same layout of her old one. The gesture had warmed her heart. She pulled the dresser open and pulled out some underwear
"Wear the red panties so much hotter-"
"FUCKING HELL DAMON. GET OUT" she shouted and grabbed any object and threw it with all her might
"Hey that vase was priceless-"
"FUCK OFF"
"And that's my cue-"
"STEFAN DAMON IS BEING A DICK-"
"DAMON STOP IT AND LET HER GET DRESSED" Stefan shouted.
"Fine" Damon sulked off. Ava huffed and quickly dropped the towel and slipped on her underwear.
The room had a similar layout to her old one but the actual things in there was different, she had a desk but instead of the plastic one that as in the room, it was a large oak one. All the furniture was matching a vast different from her own one.
Ava held out her hand and felt the tips of her fingers touching the label; she opted to wear a pair of skinny jeans and a floral top, since the weather was sunny. She pulled on her cloths and brushed her hair deciding to leave it out. She slipped one her shoes and shut the bedroom door behind her.
Ava laid a mental map in her head, the Boarding House was large so she still hadn't completely memorised the layout. Ava bit her lip thoughtfully she took a left turn and bumped into a wall
"Fuck-"
"This way Ava" Damon uttered and grasped her hand
"I didn't need help I would have found it by myself" Ava pouted as he pulled her down a long corridor.
"Yeah but then your food will get cold and no way am I making you more" Damon muttered as he ushered her over to the breakfast bar. Ava plopped down on the stool and heard something being set down in front of her.
"It's chocolate chip pancakes." Stefan entered the room and poured himself a mug of coffee
"Here" Damon placed a glass of juice in front of her. He frowned when Ava just pushed the food around on her plate; she wasn't in the mood to eat. "Ava" Stefan sat down next to her
"You need to eat"
"Yeah the starve look makes you less hot" the raven head vampire was subjected to glares from both Ava and Stefan. "What it's true?"
Ava huffed and fiddled with her fork, Damon let out a huff and took the plate off of her and cut the pancakes into pieces "Now eat" he instructed "Or I'll take the lock off of your bathroom-"
"Stefa-"
"No Damon won't do that but at least eat some of it" Stefan urged her, the petite teen did look gaunt and pale, and there were light purple bruises beneath her eyes indicating that she wasn't sleeping properly.
"Eat Ava. now" Damon ordered.
Stefan shot his brother a frown but much to his surprise she ate.
"So Ava here" Elena handed the teen a bag of stuff toys for one of the stands, there was a high school carnival and Elena had given her small jobs to keep her busy. "Take this it's for the barrel tossing stand" she informed her. The grounds were covered in students who were setting this whole thing up.
"Hey" Bonnie jogged over to them "Ava how are you?" she asked and was disappointed when the blond turned on her heel and left.
She sagged against the trunk that Elena was standing next to "You think she'll ever talk to me?"
Elena sighed and dropped her arm around the witch's shoulders.
"Just give her time" Elena murmured.
Meanwhile across the grounds was Ava, she tossed the stuff toys over to the guy who was in charge of the barrel toss.
"So kid who forced you to come?" the man asked he was in his late fifties and had salt peppered grey hair.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked leaning against the counter.
"Yeah it is" the man uttered "Wanna tell old Fred all about it?"
Ava frowned "Who's Fred?" she asked him. Fred cocked an eyebrow
"Erm….me?"
"You refer to yourself in third person?" Ava questioned she scoffed "how arrogant are you? Damn I thought old people were nice-"
"Hey-"the man snapped in an offended tone "You little chit-"
"It's shit not chit-"
"I mean chit-"
"You mean shit-"
"I know what I mean" Fred the old man yelled
"You're old-"
"You're a brat-"
Ava huffed and folded her arms across her chest "You smell funny-"
"You look funny-"
"You're family is thinking of dumping you in a retirement home-"
"Wait-what?"
"Ava" Stefan appeared beside the teen "ignore her. That's what everyone does" without another word he practically shoved Ava away from the elderly man. "Ava-?"
"What he started it" she cut him off as he gently grabbed her hand leading her away from the noise of teens and was heading in the direction of the high school.
"Picking a fight with an old man-"
"He was arrogant-"
"Ok" Stefan tolled his eyes as they entered the school, "you need this" he pressed her cane into the palm of her hand.
"Why?"
"Ava-"
"Ass-"
"What did you say?" Stefan asked as they came to a stop in front of Jeremy, the younger teen slammed his locker shut and watched the exchange
"I said your ass is looking very nice…." She trailed off making anything up on the spot, she shifted her cane into her other hand and leant against it. Jeremy snorted at that. In response Ava whacked him with her cane hitting him in the shin.
"Ow" he grunted.
"You deserve it" she muttered under her breath
"What? Your lie was crap, you can't even see his ass to point out how good it is-"
"Oh my god" Ava snorted "You're gay" she pointed at Jeremy, the younger teen's eyes widened comically.
"No I'm not-"
"You fancy Stefan-"
"You fancy him-"
"No you do-"
"You-"
"You-"
"You-"
"Ok" Stefan said loudly stepping in between the arguing pair "here" he held out the vial that pertained clear liquid "this is the same as the bracelet that Elena gave you-"
"To protect me from compulsion" Jeremy took the vial and inspected it
"What is it?" Ava asked curiously
"Liquidised vervaine, we need you to start drinking this in your tea-"Ava scrunched up her nose. Stefan sighed
"I don't even drink tea-"
"Juice then" he uttered "It'll protect you. And Ava you too we got an unfriendly vampire around no need to for you to end up drained. Vervaine is toxic to vampires-"
"Like poison?" Jeremy asked straightening up, students were milling around the corridors.
"Yeah, it's poisonous to vampires and it'll keep them out of your head."
"Why vervaine?" Ava asked "Gran mentioned something about herbs or some shit like that? Does manure have something to do with it?"
Stefan snorted at that "What? No" he chuckled "you got one part right, herbs, roots it's just harmful to vampires"
"Like a stake through the heart?"
Ava rolled her milky green eyes "Oh my god. Have you ever watched Buffy? Yes Jeremy you stake a vampire through the heart with a wooden stick thing-"
"Stick thing?" Stefan commented
"Shut up and did you know Jeremy's only asking these questions so he can prolong his contact with you. He so wants to get into your pants Stefan. Which is disgusting-wait no not being gay but the fact that you're in a relationship with his sister/cousin and-"
"Ava enough" Stefan placed his hand over the petite teen pulling her to him. He dropped his chin so that it was resting on her shoulder. "You talk way too much" she pouted making the vampire drop a kiss on to her cheek. "Plus Jeremy if I thought you wanted to kill me we would be having a much different conversation" he told the other male. "We all just need to remember to have fun and move forward." He felt Ava stiffen "All of us-"
"There's a vampire running who looks exactly Elena running around. How do we move forward?" Jeremy asked. Ava licked her lips he did have a point.
"So I'll ask again how do we move forward?" Jeremy uttered
"Right well today we have a nice little distraction in the form of the slave driver Elena. Hello Elena-"Stefan turned to his girlfriend
"Ava the guy from the barrel toss wants to talk to you" Elena told the blond who sighed "Something about retirement homes or-"
"Ha" Jeremy snorted "Ava's got old men pining after her."
"Elena did you know Jeremy will turn gay for your boyfriend?" Ava uttered. Stefan chocked on a laugh and Elena's eyes bugged out.
"I am not gay-"
"Yes you are-"
"Ava-"
"Gay-"
"Ava—"
"Gay-"
Jeremy scowled and snatched the cane out of Ava's hand "Jeremy" she shouted
"Say I'm not gay-"
"Pfft-"
"Ava those jeans make your ass look-oh fuck" he bolted seeing the look on her face. Ava sprinted after her
"No running in the corridors" Elena shouted after the pair
"Fuck off Elena" they both shouted back in unison rounding the corner. She glared at Stefan who had a large smile on his face. "You encourage them-"she accused. The vampire pulled her into his arms
"I don't think they even need encouragement" he uttered.
"You're right" Elena muttered "anyway she seems to be doing better" she commented
"Hmm. Still not eating right and sleeping is nearly impossible-"
"Is Damon taking care of her?" Elena asked seriously.
Stefan's eyes brightened "He definitely is" he assured her. it was true throughout the nights Stefan would occasionally wake up to hear Ava crying out for her Gran but before he even reach her doorway Damon would be there comforting her. "He is looking after her"
"And Katherine coming back isn't going to make him do something….Damon like that?" Elena asked she had wanted Ava to move in with them. But they didn't have enough room plus she didn't think Ava would like the idea of sleeping in her deceased parent's room.
"No…I think Ava keeps him stable" he confided her.
Meanwhile Ava and Jeremy had rounded another corner bumping into other teens who yelled out. The Gilbert teen glanced over his shoulder and saw that Ava was literally right on his heels
"Oh shit-"he ran pass the history classroom's door
"Who's running and shouting?" Alaric yelled slamming the door open.
"Ow-"
"Fuck-"
"Ava?" Alaric looked down and saw a fallen blond clutching her nose "Why are you hiding-"
"Are you ok?" Jeremy rushed back "She's conscious-"
"There's blood" Alaric uttered moving her hand away. There was a trail of blood coming from both of her nostrils.
"No shit-"
"No swearing" the teacher barked. He cupped her chin and inspected it her nose, from what he could see it wasn't broken but he wasn't an expert he needed to take her to the school nurse.
"Ava you want your cane back?"
"Piss off Jeremy" Ava grunted as Alaric wrapped an arm around her waist helping her onto her feet.
"Ava-"
"Jeremy move" Alaric ordered the pair made their way down the corridor Alaric had pressed a wad of tissue against her bloodied nose.
The Gilbert teen trailed after them in the end Alaric wasn't taken one injured teen to the nurse he had two. Ava managed to punch Jeremy in the face; he was surprised when the teen shrugged it off. Saying something about being even now.
Ava was once again back at the Boarding House; she was lounging on the plush couch. The blond was positioned in a way so that her hair brushed against the rug covered floor. She shifted once to adjust the ice pack on her nose. It turned out not to be broken, the nurse had instructed for her to keep an ice pack on it for the swelling to go down.
Ava turned the page of her book; it was the novel Brother Grim. Gran had ordered it about a month ago. It was special edition and the text was brail. She trailed the tip of her finger over it but paused when she heard boot clad feet walking down the corridor.
Damon entered the parlour and spotted the lounging blond. Her feet were hanging over the back of the couch.
"Ava-"
"Damon-"
"Did you eat-"
"Not hungry" he huffed disappointed by her reply. He ran his fingers across her bare foot causing her to squeak "Don't-"
"Ah" Damon smirked like he had discovered a huge secret "Is the great Ava Xenia ticklish-"she frowned and popped her head up
"You know that-"
"Why do you have an icepack on your face?" he moved over to her so that he was directly looking down at her
"My nose was hot-"
"Shit lie-"
"No Damon-"but the vampire tore the ice pack off of her face and his icy blue eyes widened seeing the bruised nose
"Who do I have to kill?" Damon asked with a growl
"What?" Ava asked baffled scrambling onto her feet.
"Who-"
"No one. God Damon not everyone is out to murder me" she huffed and plopped back down onto the couch "If you must know I ran into the door." there was a moment of silence before Damon's booming laugh broke it
"Serious?"
"No funny" Ava pouted folding her arms across her chest. Damon poured himself a drink from a blood bag and sat down beside her.
He threw his arm around her shoulders idly stroking the skin of her are, the blond had gone back to reading her book. It was a peaceful couple of minutes. The only sound coming from the parlour was the vampire slurping blood and Ava turning a page.
"Stop it" she snapped he had been pulling a strand of her blond locks for the last three minutes. She was set on ignoring him but her patience was wearing thin. Damon grinned he loved getting a reaction out of the petite teen.
"I'm bored-"
"So-"
"Entertain me" he demanded
"How?" Ava quirked an eyebrow
"Hmm" Damon murmured thoughtfully "how about you strip and dance and-"
"No-"
"Bored-"
"Dick-"
"Bored-"
"Prick-"
"Bored-"
"Bored-"
"Ava-"
"Ava—"
"Are you copying me?" Damon asked as she scuttled backwards so that her feet were now resting in his lap. Her book laid abandon on the coffee table
"Are you copying me?" she repeated
"Ava-"
"Ava-"
"Ha ha-"
"Ha ha-"
"Ok I'm getting the message loud and clear-"
"Ok I'm getting the message loud and clear-"
"Stop it-"
"Stop it-"
"Ava-"
"Ava-"she yelped when he shoved her off the couch, Ava however wasn't going to go down alone and grabbed Damon's wrist forcing him down as well.
She grunted feeling something heavy on her "Oww-"she attempted to sit up but her nose collided with his, she froze realising how close she was to him.
Ava licked her lips getting anxious. Damon's eyes followed the movement, his eyes darken he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. God it was intoxicating something was pulling him towards her.
"Damon?" Ava said quietly
"Yeah?" he whispered lightly brushing her blond hair away from her face. He cupped her cheek and used his thumb to stroke the apple of her cheek
"Your belt is digging into my gut" she wheezed. "And I can't breathe."
That definitely broke the mood he grudgingly got off of her, a whoosh of air entered her lungs" Ava gasped and sat up, she scuttled backwards till she was leaning against the couch. The vampire waltzed over to the cabinet that held the liquor
"So why are you around?" Ava asked curiously, she was completely oblivious to their moment. Damon eyed her from the other side of the couch.
"I live here Ava" she rolled her eyes at his statement.
"No shit Sherlock I mean-"
"Thought I'd swing by" he cut her off. Just then Stefan entered the room as Damon poured himself another drink. His green eyes landed on the blond.
"Ava" Stefan uttered in a scolding tone "I told you to keep the ice in your nose"
Ava blushed "Damon's fault-"
"Hey"
"What it is" Ava defended herself
Stefan rolled his eyes and knelt down in front of her, he eyed her nose "Hmm the swelling has gone down. So I guess you don't need it"
"God you're like a mother hen-"Ava muttered under her breath "next you'll be braiding my hair and baking me cookies"
Damon chortled at this whilst Stefan lightly swatted the back of her head "Want one?" Damon held up the blood bag to the other vampire.
"No thank you I'm not hungry" he sat down beside Ava on the floor. he picked up the thick red novel and opened it up. Stefan took in the brail text he would have to ask Ava to teach it to him if she can.
"Not hungry? You sure?" Damon called "anyone can eat-"he empathised the last statement glancing over to Ava.
"I just ate-"
"Not in the mood" were the replies he received.
"Are you worried that one day, all the forest animals will band together and they fight back" Ava giggled at that causing both brothers to smile. Truth be told the Salvatores had missed that sound "They do talk-"
"Ah huh" Ava commented "but what if they end up liking Stefan-"
"He kills them-"
"They'd die anyway. Stefan could be the next Snow White ya know?" Ava uttered got onto her knees resting her bum on her on her feet "You know animals beginning to love him and all that jazz….or they could do what Damon said and turn psycho" she added on and scrunched up her nose "If Stefan does go down the snow white approach he'll have to get a kiss an-"
"Ok you're off on another rant I take it" Damon spoke over her "So drink?"
"I'm just glad that's a blood bag and not a pretty sorority girl supplying your dinner" Stefan uttered
"Now why would I go to sorority girl, when I got Ava to tap a vein-"
"Not happening" Ava said in a sing song voice
"She's right not happening" Stefan dropped his arm around her shoulders pulling her close, it irked him slightly that Damon was acting so casually about Katherine being back in town.
"Have you heard from Katherine?" Stefan asked
"I think the Lockwoods have a family secret" Damon said not paying attention to what his brother had just said "Because the Gilbert device affected them and the vervaine didn't
Ava frowned she was also affected by the device
"They're not vampires so what are they?" he mused
"So is this your new obsession?" Stefan said shifting slightly glancing down at Ava her nose should heal up in a couple of days.
"Would you rather have some unknown supernatural element running rampant in our town? Fine I'll drop it-"he saw Ava opening her mouth "and Ava there's no gossip on you. Plus you're hardly dangerous to investigate"
Ava rolled her eyes and leant her head back
"I just want you to know we haven't seen the last of Katherine" the more sensible vampire said "you do know that right? We have no idea what she's up to"
Damon snorted "Sure we do."
"We do?" Ava asked interested she knew for a fact that Katherine wasn't done with whatever she was up to
"Oh yeah she came back to profess her undying love to Stefan, so I'm going to let you deal with her" Damon said casually, Ava frowned she could sense an underlying tone of bitterness. "I have more important things to deal with, like finding out what the Lockwoods are and making sure Ava has fun-"
"Wait what?" Ava asked tucking a stray curl behind her ear
"You're coming tonight-"
"No I'm not" she refused, she wasn't in the mood to go to a freaking carnival
"Yes you are-"
"I'm not going Damon" she snapped glaring in his direction
"Yes you are-"
"No-"
"STEFAN"
Stefan felt more and more like a referee every time Ava and Damon argued which turned out to a be a lot of the time.
"Ava we're going-"
"Ha-"her smirk faltered, her mind was processing his words. "Wait. What?"
"We're going" Stefan repeated. "It'll be fun to get out. And Elena wants to see you-"
"Not see, she wants to check up on me" Ava muttered "I told her I was fine. I don't want to go to a sucky carnival" her cheeks were flush from anger "I'm fine ok? So I would appreciate it if you would just leave me the fuck alone" she shouted and stormed off.
"Ava I'll buy popcorn-"
"No-"
"You're going" Damon shouted following after her. "AVA-"
"FUCK YOU"
Stefan winced hearing something shattering against the ground "And that's the seventh vase" he muttered under his breath.
Ava dug her hand into a bag of popcorn; she scrunched up her nose and spat at the mulch into the bag,
"Gross, salty crap-"
"I am right here ya know" Lola the vendor uttered, Ava had spat out the snack in front of her.
Ava blushed "Sorry, I just don't do salt. I'm a sweet kind of person"
Lola chuckled "Let's get you another one then, sweetie" Ava smiled and tapped her fingers against her cane
"Oh Ava are you treating?" Jeremy jogged over to the blond.
"Yeah here I got you a bag already" she handed him over the bag of popcorn and glanced away a smirk came upon her lips
"Oh tha-ERGH" he screeched "It's wet why….Ava you spat in it didn't you?"
"No?"
"Ava-"
"Here ya go honey"
"Thanks Lola" without further ado Ava left Jeremy in her dust. She waltzed around the carnival and dumped her empty bag of popcorn in the trash can. She was bored truth be told, she couldn't really do anything here. Stefan was most likely with Elena or whatever and Damon was no doubt investigating the Lockwoods. She still wasn't talking to Bonnie and Caroline was in hospital.
"This might cheer you up" she heard a man's voice
"What is it?" Ava's nose twitched whatever it was it smelt delicious
"Toffee covered apple. I'm Chris I'm in your bio class. Take it I know you like them" Ava smiled and took the snack and munched on it.
"Hmm" she groaned "It is good so what do you want?" Ava asked as they walked around, she used her cane to make sure she wasn't bumping into anything. They passed the Ferris wheel and he was steering her in the direction of one of the stands it was the ring toss stand.
"Nothing-"
"Chris?"
"Just thought…ok truth is I didn't even want to come. Mum is constantly nagging me to find a nice girl…you know how it is?"
Ava frowned as they moved up in the line "Er no…I'm not a lesbian"
Chris snickered "Good to know, let me see if I can win you something" he said and paid the vendor. Ava finished her toffee covered apple. The other teen took the rings and the game started.
"Woo I won, so what do you want Ava?" he asked after fifteen minutes.
Ava laughed "What is there?" she asked
"There's a giant panda bear. And octopus-they're not real by the way. They're toys-"
"I know-"
"Oh…lobster-"
"I want the panda" Ava declared resolutely
"Oh sorry dear you have to get five in a row…and your guy has got three. Take the giraffe" with that the vendor held out a stuffed giraffe. Ava grouched and reluctantly took it, she wanted the panda.
"Thanks Chris" she uttered holding the stuff toy. "It was-"
"Shitty" a familiar voice drawled, Damon appeared on Ava's other side
"Damon-"she hissed
"Here. She prefers candy floss" he shoved the treat into her hands
"Damon-"
"You think you can do better?" Chris frowned at the cocky vampire, who smirked at him. Ava stood awkwardly in between the pair and took a huge bite out of the candy floss.
Damon was pleased to see that, he knew Stefan would most likely have a bitch about the amount of sugar the blond was eating but he was relieved that at least Ava was eating something.
"I know I can. Watch and learn boy. I'll get you that panda" Damon rolled his sleeves up. The crowd cheered watching the ring toss standoff.
Soon enough Ava was drinking her third soda, Damon had compelled a guy to constantly bring refreshments to the blond, she could hear the crowd cheering for either Chris or Damon, and this ring toss thing was still going on.
"Wow" Alaric strolled over taking in the sight, "You won all of these?"
"They did" Ava nodded towards the cheering crowd, not only did she had a stuff giraffe, Ava also had a stuffed panda, a stuffed Finding Nemo, a stuffed penguin.
"I'm bored Ric-"
"Catch" Alaric got hit in the face by a stuffed squid.
"Ha" Ava snorted
"Hey, you teacher" the vendor shouted "tell them to go away…go shoo-putting me out of business"
"You heard the man" Alaric pushed Damon and Chris away from the stands, the history had to rush off to deal with a brawling pair of teenage girls. "TIKI" he shouted.
"So" Damon smirked "Bye-"he grabbed Ava by the arm and was about to pull her away but Chris jumped in front of the pair.
"Whoa wait-"
"Serious? Are you that dumb?" they had a stare off whilst Ava scrambled around to pick up the stuffed toys "I beat your ass in that ring toss and I can beat it here-"Damon threatened the teenager.
"Whoa" Ava jumped in between the pair. She was overloaded with stuffed toys "No need-stop it Damon" she muttered under her breath.
"He's a punk-"
"Drop it-"
"He's is so gay Ava" the vampire whispered into his ear. Ava shot the raven head male a dirty look
"That's mean and-"
"Just tap into him" he instructed. Ava rolled her eyes and focused in on Chris
"Oh god is that her boyfriend? He's scrumptious, I sure want to take him home to mom. Those eyes-"
"You are so gay" Ava pouted, Chris's eyes bugged out
"What? no?"
"Oh come on I am so not going to be your beard." Ava rolled her eyes and stalked passed him, Damon grinned and followed after the blond, but before the pair could round the corner. She paused
"Hey Chris?" she yelled "Jeremy Gilbert is so into you"
"Really?" he squealed and ran off.
Damon chuckled and grabbed the panda off of her since it was one of the bigger toys "You are so evil-"
"He deserves it. Nearly broke my nose" she huffed as they trotted into the school
Ava bit into a pretzel "Why are we here?" she and Damon were currently at the arm wrestling part
"Ssh" he uttered folding his arms across his chest. Stefan came up beside the pair
"Ava wasn't you eating candy floss?" Stefan frowned
"Erm…well-"
"How much sugar did you have?" the younger Salvatore demanded
"Not a lot?" she offered, he cupped her face and eyed the toffee that marred her mouth
"My ass not a lot" he huffed and pulled out a tissue and much to Damon's amusement he watched as the wriggling teen was being subjected to a frenzied Stefan who was cleaning up her face. When he was satisfied he took a step back "There all done. I don't want you throwing up"
Ava rolled her milky green eyes and turned back to the cheering crowd.
"So you're lurking" Stefan commented following his brother's gaze.
"I'm observing" Damon countered.
"More like obsessing" Stefan retorted seeing Tyler Lockwood was arm wrestling another teen, the crowd cheered when the Lockwood teen won.
"He's got strength" Damon muttered
"He's a triple varsity athlete of course he's got strength" Stefan commented, Ava shifted the stuff toys in her arms her arms were getting tired "You're reaching-"
Just the Mason came up to Tyler "Enter the uncle" Damon whispered Stefan snorted.
"The way you're going Damon it sounds like you got a man crush on the Lockwood men" Ava drawled and yelped when Damon lightly swatted the back of her head.
"This is ridiculous" Stefan muttered.
Ava licked her lips and shifted slightly, she heard the bell go off and knew that the much had started. A minute later Mason started to laugh alerting Ava that he must've won.
"Is that it?" Mason grinned
"Alright he's a champ"
"Crappy excuse Lockwood" Ava shouted attracting Mason's attention
"Fancy a go Ava?" he asked
"What?" Tyler chuckled "No way could-"
"Yep" Ava shoved the stuff toys into Damon's arms and hurried over to the table. She held up her hand and Mason took hers in his, he chuckled seeing the vast difference between the two hands.
His hand practically dwarfed hers. Ava lunged into his mind and frowned finding it was fuzzy, this wasn't right she could usually hear everything, but with Mason it was just so hard to get a read.
Which confused her since the last time she had seen him she could hear the man clear as day, Ava grunted as she attempted to push his hand down,
"Use two hands" Mason laughed he wasn't putting any effort in it at all
"Ok ok, I've got no chance" Ava rolled her eyes as he pushed her hand down much more gently compared to Tyler.
"Good to know that you know where to draw the line" Mason chuckled and ruffled the blond teen's hair. "Anyone else?" he called out to the crowd as Ava scuttled back over to the Salvatores.
"Stefan wants to go" Damon said over the crowd
"Thanks" Stefan hissed "Yeah I'll have a go" he cleared his throat and waltzed off.
"Really Ava you weren't serious about that?" Damon whispered into her ear handing her the stuff toys. She shot him a look
"Duh, he beat Tyler I had no chance and-"the bell rang causing Damon's attention to be directed to the arm wrestling match.
"Get him Stef" Damon yelled. Ava shook her head and clutched onto her cane, the crowd cheered
"What happened?" Ava asked as the crowd applauded
"Stefan lost" the raven head vampire growled, Stefan walked over to them "You didn't put any effort in there at all"
"Yeah actually I did" Stefan hissed. Causing the pair to frown "Ava?"
"I couldn't hear his mind properly" she murmured "I can't hear vampires but I only got a few garbled words but that's all"
Damon's eyes darted between the pair "Come with me" he grabbed Ava's hand and led them down the hallway.
They came to a stop from the end of the hallway "Is he?" he turned to face them
"No- plus Ava could hear something from him" Stefan informed his brother "His strength was more than human if that makes any sense"
Damon swore "They're not vampires then what the hell are they?" he snarled
"Oh maybe there ninja turtles?" Stefan suggested sarcasm oozing from him, Ava snickered
"You're not funny" Damon snapped
"It kind of is" Ava uttered, the vampire rolled his eyes "they could be zombies, mermen hell even werewolves. If they're vampires are around then that means werewolves are always about"
"No comedic timing both of you" Damon huffed glowering at the pair. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a guy fixing a stereo
"What are you up to?" Stefan asked
"Well since this is reality and there's no such thing as werewolves-"
"Says the vampire" Ava said dryly
But Damon ignored her "or combat turtles-"
"Hey he said ninja turtles and that show was awesome and-"
"Yeah Ava he's gone" Stefan uttered watching as Damon approached the guy
"Hey you" he said
"How rude. Learn manners Damon" Ava scolded
"But I don't care" Damon said boredly and grabbed the guy by the lapels of his jacket. His pupils widened in a tell-tale sign that he was going to use compulsion.
"I need for you to pick a fight with someone" Damon compelled the man "a kid named Tyler Lockwood-"
"Damon don't do this" Stefan started but Damon waved him away
"It's just an experiment" he muttered his eyes still remained on the man "get him mad, don't back down no matter what he does"
Ava frowned she could tell something would go wrong with this absurd plan
"I won't back down" the man uttered in monotone.
"I know you won't" Damon let the man go, him and Stefan watched as the compelled man strolled away.
"You do know that someone is going to get hurt?" Stefan shook his head like Ava he knew this plan had too many holes in it.
"No someone is going to get mad, rage"
"And what's going to accomplish?" Stefan asked
"That Tyler kid can't walk away from a fight-"
"Like you" Ava commented
"Let's see who intervenes, the allusive supernatural uncle-"
"And hot-"
"Ava-"
"What?"
"Everyone always talks about the dreamy Mason Lockwood" she grinned goofily, Stefan quirked an eyebrow seeing the brief flash of jealousy passing Damon's face but the older Salvatore schooled his expression.
"Whatever, if you're so concerned you go and keep watch" Damon said taking the stuff toys off of her "I'll drop them off in the car. Ava-
"Oh I don't feel well" Ava felt her stomach lurched
"It's the sugar" Stefan called after the blond who hurried after towards the ladies room.
"Ava-"
"Argh" she shrieked "What the hell Elena? Do you like sulking around-"
"No time for talking-"
"Wait-"
"Too long" with that Damon flung the blond onto his shoulder making her grunt
"Oww- what the hell?" Elena trailed after the vampire
"It's Caroline" she uttered. Ava frowned shifting slightly so that she was more comfortable
"What?"
Soon enough they were in the history classroom where Stefan had joined them, Damon had explained to them what happened.
Ava was perched on the edge of the desk beside Damon and tucked in a stray curl behind her ear.
"I don't understand what the hell happened?" Stefan asked pacing in front of them
"Well I fed her blood and Katherine obviously killed her" Damon drawled "A plus B equals-"
Ava elbowed him hard in his side "Shut up, you're not helping. Caroline is a vampire?" she asked this was way too much, their bubbly ditzy Caroline was a vampire? She couldn't get her head around it.
"Yes"
"But why would Katherine turn her?" Elena asked in a panicked tone.
"Because Katherine is a nasty manipulative little slut" Damon growled
"And she said game on?" Stefan uttered, Ava ran her hands through her hair "I mean what does that even mean?"
"It means she's playing dirty, she wants us to know" the other vampire replied
"But why kill Caroline?"
"Yeah what did she do to the bitch?" Ava huffed folding her arms across her chest, she swung her legs back and forth.
"I don't know" Damon shrugged his shoulders.
"She must be completely out of her mind" Stefan uttered placing his hands behind his head "she has no idea what's happening to her-"
"Oh I think she does" he said loudly "all of my compulsion from the past starting to fade off when she was is in transition"
"We need find her" Stefan muttered.
Ava sighed "Yeah"
"And kill her" Damon added.
Ava eyes bugged out "What?" she uttered in shock "You can't kill her, what is it with you and killing?"
"We are not killing Caroline-"Elena started
"She knows what we are she's officially like a liability"
"Stefan"
He didn't miss the distress look on either Elena's and Ava's faces "We are not going to kill her absolutely not"
"Need I remind you of a tragic little story of Vicky Donavan?"
"Stop it Damon" Ava shouted jumping onto her feet "That was your fault, we are not going to kill her" Damon blurred in front of the petite teen and placed his hands on her shoulders
"We all know that Caroline won't hack it as a vampire" he said seriously "She's a danger to everyone, you even more so. She won't be able to control her thirst, and her mother is a vampire hunter"
Ava shook her head and shoved him away making him sigh "we all know how the story we'll just flip to the last page-"
"No" Ava yelled "No one is dying Damon"
Stefan swallowed it was too soon for Ava to deal with this kind of stuff. God he wished he had listened to her and let her stay home.
"It's not an option Damon" Elena snapped
"No?" Damon uttered "You're silence is deafening Stefan, wasn't there a school carnival on the night of Vicky's death? You know I'm right"
Ava scowled "You're horrible Damon" she spat and stormed out
"Ava-"
"Leave me alone" she stormed off down the corridor, Damon turned to the couple
"Her grandmother just died Damon, and you want to kill one of her friends?" Stefan questioned his brother sanity "Caroline is not dying"
Ava felt the fresh air hit her; she closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. She couldn't quite believe at how callous Damon was being, wait who was she kidding? She did believe he could be that callous.
Ava pushed her way through the crowd clutching tightly onto her cane, she turned a corner and froze
"God damn how much blood is coming from my nose? I can't believe I started that thing with the Lockwood-"Ava's eyes widened that must've been the guy Damon had compelled to fight Tyler. She changed directions heading towards the man. She needed to check on him,
"Why is that girl crying? Sorry what-ARGH" Ava gasped and slammed her hand against her temple. Something was happening to him. She sprinted towards the commotion
"Stop" Ava shouted
"Ava-"
"Caroline" she cried out when she was slammed into the ground "Care-"she grunted
"Your blood Ava it's so-"Caroline's blood lust consumed her, she smelt Ava as soon as the other blond entered the parking lot, she flung her head back and slammed her fangs into Ava's throat.
"CAROLIEN" Ava shouted. The next thing she knew Caroline was thrown off of her. Damon threw her making the other vampire hit the truck. He blurred in front of Ava
"Ava-"
"Fine, fine" she winced pulling her hand away revealing the two holes imbedded in her neck. "Care?" she pushed pass the vampire hearing the sniffing vampire.
"He's dead and I almost killed you-"
"Calm down Caroline, this isn't your fault" Ava said softly, but Caroline shook her head as Damon came up to stand beside the smaller teen
"What's wrong with me?" Caroline cried her face was marred with blood a mixture of Ava's and Carter's.
"Hey, hey it's ok" Damon uttered "I can help you-"
"There you go Caroline" Ava said "Damon can help"
"You can?" Caroline asked Damon
"Of course"
"What are you going to do?" Caroline sobbed, Ava frowned yeah she was wondering what he was going to do.
"The only thing I can do, is kill you-"
"Damon" Ava shouted he pushed her back "Don't-"
"It's the only way Ava-"
"No it isn't" she yelled
"I don't want to die" Caroline cried
"But you're already dead-"
"Stop staying that" the newly transitioned vampire sobbed panic was beginning ebb into her tone. "Just help me-"
"Ok-"
"Damon-"Ava could hear the crowd students laughing and cheering. The carnival was still in full swing.
"It's going to be ok, it's going to be ok-"Ava didn't like the tone of his voice and rushed forward
"STEFAN" she shouted just as the name left her mouth Stefan blurred forward and threw the stake aside pushing his brother away.
"Oh my god Ava-"
"It's fine" Elena rushed over to a sobbing Caroline
"Stefa-"
"Shut up Damon-"Ava shouted and rushed over to Caroline. The blond vampire shoved Elena hard
"Get away from me-"
"Caroline-"
"No she killed me Ava" Caroline screamed
"No it wasn't me" Elena hastily uttered once again approaching the distraught teen "That was Katherine-"
"No why did she look like you?"
"Believe me everyone is thinking that. Caroline calm down" Ava assured her
"Why did she do this to me?" Caroline shouted tears were streaming down her face, she hugged herself.
"Stefan we got to get her inside" Elea told her boyfriend. Stefan kept his eyes on Damon and held out his hand to Caroline
"It's ok Caroline-"
"She will die, it's only a matter of time" Damon drawled and flinched seeing the glare on Ava's face
"Yeah not tonight though-"
"Oh yeah it is" Ava felt a pulse of air, she managed to jump in front of Caroline and grunted feeling the tip of the stake against her chest
"Ava-"
"Damon please. I don't want to lose any more people" Ava uttered her eyes were wide; Damon's orbs met her milky green ones "Please" she whispered the last part.
"Fine, but whatever happens it's on you" he backed off Ava hurriedly nodded and let out a sigh of relief.
"Let's go get cleaned up" Elena said ushering Caroline away along with Stefan.
Ava licked her lips and felt a slight stinging sensation coming from her throat, it wasn't anything serious Damon had managed to push the vampire off of Ava.
"Caroline?" Bonnie took in the scene with wide watery eyes, "You're not you can't-"she shook her head.
Ava bit her lips knowing this was going to be tough. The witch rushed forward and grabbed her arm, she stumbled back realising that Caroline was in fact a vampire.
"Bonnie?" Caroline croaked
"No" Bonnie shook her head and spotted the body on the bed of the truck that Ava was leaning against "oh god-"
"Bonnie-"
"No" the witch spat.
"Elena Stefan go take her to be cleaned up" Ava stepped in knowing that Caroline probably felt rejected. They did as the telepath said and hurried towards the public toilets. Ava's jaw clenched and she grabbed Bonnie by the arm
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ava snapped rage was coursing through her. "She's your friend-"
"No she's not" Bonnie shouted back ripping her arm away from the blond "She's a vampire-"
"Are you fucking out of your mind?" Ava felt like she was going to explode "This is the same girl who we've all grown up with. Get your head out of your ass, and be a friend to her. She needs them" her blood was pumping in her ears
"She killed an innocent" Bonnie screamed in Ava's face.
"She was killed too, you cold hearted bitch." Ava shouted back "You know I thought that with you being a witch it'd be awesome, you got all these wicked powers. But I was wrong you've changed Bonnie-"
"No I haven't, you're the one who has changed. Consulting with murders-"
"You're a narrow minded bitch Bonnie Bennett. Because of your prejudice I already lost one person I love and I am not going to lose another" Ava spat silencing the witch. "Open your mind Bonnie, there's no evil or good. It's not black and white they are shades of grey" silence engulfed them, Ava was breathing heavily she sighed and ran her hands through her hair.
"I can't believe this is happening" Bonnie cried pacing up and down, Ava leant forward against the trunk bowing her head.
"Don't pout about it" Damon drawled returning with a shovel "we got a body to bury" he walked over to Ava "You are calling the shots right?"
"Go fuck yourself, you don't need to be so callous" she snapped
Damon gingerly lifted her hair and saw the fang marks "That's got to hurt-"she slapped his hand away making him roll his eyes "sucks to be you buddy"
Ava shook her head she opened her mouth about to berate him but before she could Damon let out a groan of pain causing her to jump.
"Damon?" she yelled pushing herself against the side of the truck she had no clue what was happening, the only the person who was here was "Bonnie? Bonnie what are you doing?" she shouted
Ava could hear the sound of water running; she paled not knowing how she could help
"I told you what would happen if anyone else got hurt" Bonnie breathed hatred in her tone
"I didn't do this" Damon cried out clutching his head, it felt like needs were stabbing him repeatedly
"It wasn't his fault Bonnie" Ava yelled defended the vampire
"Everything that happens is his fault Ava-"Bonnie snapped, Ava swallowed and shook her head. The water sped towards the vampire, and fire streaked towards him. Ava could feel the heat of the flames. Her heart lurched him screaming, she had never heard that sound before.
"BONNIE STOP IT. STOP IT" she screeched, hearing Damon's cries getting louder. Bonnie chanted under her breath. "BONNIE PLEASE STOP. BONNIE I SAID STOP"
Ava shouted a tingling feeling formed in her gut, her emotions were running high the screaming wasn't helping and Ava wasn't stable. Her eyes flashed white.
Bonnie screamed in pain clutching her head it felt as if her head had split in two she dropped to her knees, Damon looked over to Ava who had paled.
"Oh my god" Elena breathed taking in the scene "Bonnie" she rushed forward and dropped down beside her.
"Ava-"
"You should take her home" Ava uttered her voice shook
"Ava-"
"I'm fine, fine" Elena wasn't convinced but she needed to take the clearly upset witch home, and that's what she did,
Ava swallowed "Damon?" he let out a groan. She scurried forward and dropped down beside him.
"You ok?" the vampire asked holding himself using his elbows.
"I should be asking you that. You're the one that was nearly burnt alive" she muttered
"I heal you don't" he groaned pushing her messy hair aside "thinking of getting your hair cut?"
"Nope" Ava uttered and poked him hard in the leg causing him to hiss "that's for being a dick"
"Would you stop?" Damon snapped, he and Ava had returned to the Boarding House. The teen had gotten changed out of her clothes and was now wearing a pair of flannel bottoms and a camisole.
"It stings-oww bitch" she hissed. The duo was currently in the parlour Damon had lit a fire and was now attempting to clean up Ava's wound, he wiped the blood off using an anti-septic wipe. She was on the couch whilst he was sitting on the coffee table in front of her.
"It wasn't going to be fun now was it?" he drawled, she huffed and he gingerly placed the bandage over her wound. Damon paused and rested his hand against her neck
"Thank you for that" he uttered sincerely
"What?"
"For stopping Bonnie-"
"I didn't-"
"It's a neat trick Ava" he smirked, "the way you was acting was almost as if you care for me or-"
She snorted "I just didn't want you to end up fried ok? Plus I don't even know what was happening, it just got so overwhelming" she admitted.
Damon frowned and moved so that now he was sitting beside her, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders pulling her close. "I guess I didn't help" he murmured, she leant her head against his shoulder "what with-"
"Trying to kill one of my best friends? Yeah no that didn't help" Ava uttered scrunching up her nose.
Damon sighed and kissed her temple
"I am sorry Ava I wasn't thinking"
"Wow the great Damon Salvatore apologising, god I wish I had a camera" she giggled when he poked her side
"Cheeky" he grinned
"Dick-"
"Sex bomb-"
"Please don't" Ava shook her head and sighed "But Bonnie-"
"If bitchy witchy can't get her head around this, then she's not the person you thought she was" Damon said seriously.
"She's my friend Damon I know her. And she will come around"
"Just don't hold your breath Ava, I don't want you to end up hurt" the vampire lightly pulled one of her curls; she had tied her locks into a ponytail she sighed and leant her head back. Damon eyed the white bandage; he spotted the book that Ava had left on the coffee table.
"So Ava what's this about? Brother Grimm? It's not a sex manual-"he waved the book underneath her nose
"No" Ava laughed snatching the book out of his hand. "It's twisted fairy tales."
"Is there sex in it?"
"Damon"
"What? Come on Ava read us a story" Damon goaded, Ava bit her lip and gave in. The petite teen and the vampire spent the next couple of hours in the parlour she was filling him on about the twisted fairy tales. Until she fell asleep.
"She's out cold" Stefan commented entering the parlour he had spent some time with Elena on the Ferris wheel.
"Yeah no shit" Damon muttered, lifted the book off of her lap and placed it on the table. He gently picked up the blond
"Damon I don't think you should use vamp speed" Stefan warned him "she had a lot of junk food and sugar and the blood loss-"
"Will you quit worrying" he drawled "Ava's right you are a mother hen-"
"No Damon-"but he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence since Damon blurred off.
The raven head vampire deposited her on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He stroked away her hair from her face and took a minute to watch her sleep. He was grateful; once again Ava saved his life.
"Pfft Fabio was wrong" he muttered under his breath and turned on his heel he saw his brother leaning against the doorway.
"I'm wrong?" Stefan cocked an eyebrow he could see Ava shifting slightly in her sleep; he canted his head seeing a peculiar look on her face.
"Yep you are, she's not going to be sick-"Damon scoffed,
"Really?"
"Really"
Just then Ava rolled over and threw up
"Nothing to do with the carnival food-"
"Pink candy floss." Stefan pointed out cringing at the smell. "You're cleaning this up" he uttered
"Damon?" Ava groaned "I don't feel well"
"No kidding" Damon muttered under his breath, using his vampire he could hear Stefan laughing "Bloody Stefan."
AN: Apologies for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Outfit link on profile. Thanks to those who reviewed.
So in this chap-We see the Salvatores adjusting to life with Ava around. She was hiding in her bed. Damon forced her out. He makes her breakfast. Ava still not talking to Bonnie, she gets into a fight with an old man. Stefan interrupts. Ava tells Stefan that Jeremy fancies him. He runs off with her cane. Alaric ends up taking the injured pair to the nurse. Damon laughs at her. Ava is forced to go to the carnival. she gets back at Jeremy by giving him popcorn with with. DAmon and Chris have a standoff. Ava gets a load of stuffed toys. she wrestles Mason. But can't hear him clearly. Caroline is a vampire now and attacks her. She begs Damon not to kill her freind. Bonnie finds out. Ava and Bonnie fight. A brief flash of Ava's power and her potential. Damon clean her up. She tells him about fairytales. Stefan goes Ava is going to get sick from all the sugar. And she does. Damon has to clean up.
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