Chapter-2

Hey everyone. Sorry for the late update. I have been really busy and almost forgot that I had uploaded this story a year back. I'll try to do my best to update on weekly basis. I hope you enjoy the story.


Meredith was in a dream. She was dreaming about two women. She could recognize one of the women as her mother. But she couldn't recognize the other.

"You can't do this! This is totally against the rules." the other woman says to her mother.

"But I want to. I want to bring this life to this very earth."

"You know the consequences. You won't be able to survive this."

"I don't care if I die for this."

As soon as Meredith's mother says it, her dream fades to white.

Meredith wakes up from sleep panting heavily and sweating tremendously. She had a dream about her mother. This was the first time that she dreamt about her mother whom she never saw except in the photographs. It was totally strange. She shrugged it off as a nightmare and stood up from her bed and went to the bathroom to shower. After shower, she wore a white tank top and black skinny jeans. Then she wore a black leather jacket and added a little bit mascara to her eyes. After getting ready, she went downstairs for breakfast. She went into the kitchen. She was about to open the fridge when she found a note stuck on the fridge. On it was written:

"I'm going out of town for weeks for an urgent work. Take care of yourself while I'm gone. Don't invite any stranger in. Be careful.

Dad."

Meredith's dad was again out of town leaving her all alone tasking her to look after the house. She was angry. She tore up the note and threw away the shredded pieces.

After having breakfast she takes her school bag and goes to school.


At School

After long period of classes, Meredith goes to look for Bonnie and Elena. While looking for Elena, she comes to the hall and finds Elena talking with Stefan. As she approaches them, she sees Stefan handing Elena a book.

"I brought it. Told you."

"'Wuthering Heights' by Ellis Bell. You know, I can't believe she didn't use her real name."

"That's because all the Bronte sisters used pseudonyms. It was the time female writers weren't very accepted then." Meredith replies.

"Oh! Hey Meredith." Elena says noticing Meredith

"Hey Lena. And hey to you too Stefan."

"Hey," Stefan replies to Meredith.

"So Stefan, where did you get the book?" Elena asks.

"Uh, it was passed down. Through the family."

"Ah."

"I have lots of books. Go ahead. Keep it."

"Oh, no. I...but I would like to read it again. I promise I'll give it back."

"Oh no you aren't. You are giving the book to me before you give it back." Meredith says to Elena and then she turns to Stefan saying, "I hope you don't mind Stef."

"Why not? Sure."

"Okay Stefan if you don't mind can I take your Elena away? I need to talk to her."

"Cool. See you guys later." With that, Stefan leaves the girls alone.


Outside School

Elena and Meredith were walking outside of school chatting. While they were chatting, Elena catches a glimpse of Matt and calls out to him. Matt comes over to where Elena and Meredith were standing.

"Hey guys."

"Hello Matt." Meredith replies.

"Hey."

"So, how's Vicki?" Elena asks.

"They're keeping her overnight to make sure there's no infection, but she should be able to come home tomorrow."

"That's good news."

"Yeah."

"Did you get in touch with your mom?"

"Called and left a message. She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, so... we'll see how long it takes her to come rushing home."

"Vicki's lucky that she's ok."

While they were chatting about Vicki, Stefan was sitting on a table at a distance listening in to their entire conversation.

"I know, and now there's talk of some missing campers."

"Did she say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?"

"She said it was a vampire."

"What?" Meredith was surprised. She wasn't listening in to Matt and Elena's conversation as she totally hated Vicki. But when she heard the word vampire something sparked inside of her.

"Yeah, she wakes up last night and mutters "vampire" and then passes out."

"OK, that is weird." Elena says to Matt.

"I think she was drunk. So what's up with you and the new guy?"

"Matt, the last thing that I want to do is hurt you."

"You know, I'm... I'm actually gonna go back to the hospital. I want to be there when Vicki wakes up, get the real story about last night." With that Matt was about to leave but Meredith stops him.

"Wait up Matt. Do you mind if I go and visit Vicki."

"No I don't. But you don't even like Vicki."

"I know Matt everyone has their differences. But if I don't go and meet her right now at this condition then it is an insult to humanity."

"It's okay. Come on with me."

"Okay Elena I'll see you later."

Meredith says bye to Elena and goes to the hospital to see Vicki with Matt in his truck. At that time, Stefan disappears from the place where he was sitting and listening into Matt, Elena and Meredith's conversation.


Hospital

Meredith and Matt reach the hospital in a couple of minutes. When they go inside Vicki's room, Vicki was still unconscious. So Matt and Meredith wait for Vicki to get up. At that time Meredith gets a call from her dad. So she excuses herself and goes out of the room. She answers the call.

"Hello dad."

"Hi honey, how's everything?"

"Everything's fine except for recent animal attacks in town."

"Yeah I have heard it too. Be careful and don't stay out late at night. I'll try to be back soon as much as possible."

"Please dad, come home soon."

"I'll try honey. Take care of yourself."

"Okay dad I'll talk to you later."

"Okay honey bye."

Meredith hangs up the phone sighing and goes back to Vicki's room. She was about to enter the room when she sees Stefan on top of Vicki holding her tight to the bed and staring into her eyes. She quickly steps back and hides and listens in to their conversation.

"It was an animal that attacked you. It came out of the forest and jumped at you. You blacked out. It's all you remember." Stefan says to Vicki.

"What the-" Meredith was bit surprised at the situation. Goosebumps were crawling up her skins. She shrugs off the goose bumps and listens to Vicki who was repeating after what Stefan said.

"It's all I remember."

"An animal attacked you. You blacked out. It's all you remember."

"It's all I remember."

Stefan then gets off on top of Vicki and gets out of the room before anyone comes in and sees him. Meredith hides herself in the corner out of Stefan's sight. She watches Stefan leave and starts wondering about what happened in the room. While Stefan was on top of Vicki it was as if he was trying to hypnotize Vicki to make her remember that an animal attacked her and that's all she was gonna remember. If it was indeed an animal attack then why would Stefan try to intidimate Vicki? Right then Matt and Elena's conversation was flashing inside her head.

*Flashback*

"Did she say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?"

"She said it was a vampire."

*End of flashback*

"Was it really a vampire? Is Stefan a vampire then? But vampires don't exist. It's only a myth!" Meredith wonders to herself. She then remembers her research about the past history that she has been doing on Mystic Falls. There were rumors of the existence of vampires attacking on humans making it seem like animal attack.

"I think I need to do some research and find out more about Stefan Salvatore." thinking it to herself, she goes back inside Vicki's room. She sees Vicki lying in the bed sleeping peacefully as if nothing had happened. Right then, Matt came inside the room.

"Matt, where have you been to? I have been looking for you."

"Oh, well… after you left Vicki woke up and started screaming at my face. So I went out to get a nurse. When I came back with a nurse, Vicki was lying in her bed and sleeping peacefully. I found it a bit strange. I mean- one time she wakes up and starts screaming the other time I come back and see her sleeping like this as if nothing had happened."

"Yeah… th-that's strange." Meredith says trying to sound normal.

"Hey Mere, have you seen Stefan in the hospital?"

"N-no, why do you ask?" Meredith says keeping her voice calm.

"I think I saw Stefan. Or maybe I thought I saw him. I think I'm just stressed about the situation so much that I'm hallucinating right now."

"Yeah that might be it. I think you need to eat something. I'll go and bring something to eat for you."

"Yeah cool. Thanks."

"It's my pleasure."


Meredith stays all day in the hospital with Matt for Vicki to wake up. While waiting for her to wake up Meredith and Matt gets tired and sleep on the couch. After sometime, Vicki wakes up. She sees Matt and Meredith sleeping on the couch together cozily. So she throws a gelatin container at them to wake them up. Both Matt and Meredith stir and wake up from their slumber. When they wake up, they realize the situation they were in and move away quickly before it got awkward between them.

"Finally you guys are awake." Vicki says cheerfully.

"Hey. How are you feeling? You look better. I was worried before. You really had me freaked out with all that screaming." Matt asks bit worried.

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?"

"I feel fine."

"Good, good. Doctor said you could come home tomorrow."

"Well Vicki, if you don't mind can you please tell us what attacked you in the woods?" Meredith asks.

Vicki hesitates for a moment then replies to Meredith, "An animal. What else could it have been?"

Meredith was bit shaken at the reply because that was what Stefan was trying to make Vicki only to remember that an animal attack happened to her. But she tried to look calm. Right at that time Jeremy arrives.

"Hey, Vicki. How do you feel?"

"I'm OK."

"I... I'm gonna... I'm gonna go grab a coffee. Hey, Jer." Matt excuses himself out of the room.

"I need to get home. See you later Vicki." Meredith says and gets out of the room to give privacy to both Vicki and Jeremy.

She knew that there was something brewing between those two. She wanted to warn Jeremy about that slut but she couldn't as he was truly in love with her. And it hurt her to not being able to help her friend.

She then goes back to her home thinking about all the events that happened that day. While thinking about the events, she goes into deep sleep as the day was tiresome. While she sleeps, Damon is standing outside the window of Meredith's room watching her sleep into a deep thought.


The next morning, Meredith wakes up from sleep hearing the sound of her cell phone ringing. She picks up the phone and answers.

"Hello?"

"Meredith! Where the hell have you been all day since yesterday? You missed a lot of things." Bonnie says over the phone.

"Yeah I've been in the hospital yesterday all day helping out Matt."

"Anyways I have called you to help me and Elena handing out the pamphlets of tonight's comet. Get up quick and meet us at the 'Town Square'."

"Okay I'm coming." With that, Meredith hangs up the phone and gets up from the bed to freshen up.

In bathroom, while she was splashing her face with water, events of the previous day flashed into her mind about what Stefan was doing to Vicki. She looks into the mirror and thinks to herself whether she should tell anyone or not. On one hand she knew everything but yet she wasn't sure of Stefan being the attacker as a vampire. And if she tells anyone, she doesn't have any proof that Stefan is a vampire. Even if she tells anyone, then no one would ever believe her and chances are that Stefan might kill her if he feels threatened by Meredith's knowledge of him being a vampire.

After a lot of thinking, she sticks to the decision of not telling anything to anyone until she gets a solid proof. She then gets out of the bathroom and changes herself into regular clothes. After changing, she grabs her bag. She walks the entire way to the Town Square. After a walk for 5 minutes, she reaches there and finds Bonnie and Elena already there handing out the pamphlets. She goes over to them.

"Hey guys."

"Hey." Both Bonnie and Elena greet Meredith.

Bonnie then hands Meredith pamphlets to distribute to the others. Meredith takes them and starts handing them out. While distributing the pamphlets, Bonnie speaks up.

"Tonight, night of the comet! Would you guys like a program?"

"Drinking program would do best." Meredith says while smirking at Bonnie.

Bonnie rolls her eyes and turns towards Elena who was lost in her thoughts.

"What about you Elena? Would you like a program?"

Even when Elena didn't reply, Bonnie then nudged her with her elbows and Elena looks up at Bonnie.

"He didn't call, huh?" Bonnie asks.

"Or text. But I realized we never even exchanged that stuff. We've never gotten to the texting part."

"Why? What happened? Did I miss anything?" Meredith asks bit curious.

Bonnie then explains Meredith about what happened the previous day. How she met up with Stefan's brother about whom Stefan never really mentioned. And also the fact that Stefan had a girlfriend named Katherine with whom the relationship went very wrong.

"And now she thinks that Stefan is in a rebound relationship with her." Bonnie says to Meredith.

"Trust is an important milestone in any relationship." Meredith says to Elena.

"Isn't it? The timing is wrong, anyway." Elena says while looking down.

"When is it ever right?"

"I'm not ready, Bonnie."

"Who is?"

"At least I put myself out there."

"Is that what you're calling it?"

"What do you mean?"

"All I'm hearing is reasons why you can't."

Meredith now understands that Stefan has been keeping lots of secrets. He's even keeping the secret of him having a brother. Why?

While Meredith was thinking, Damon was watching Meredith at a safe distance observing her every move. Caroline sees Damon and approaches him. When she gets closer, he vanishes among the crowds of people.

After handing out the pamphlets, the trio helps in organizing the program for the comet night. It was finished as night fell. Elena, Bonnie and Meredith stands at a place and chats to pass their time away. Soon people started to come and see the comet pass the sky. Meanwhile, Matt also joins the trio. After sometime, Caroline comes towards them with candles.

"Hey, I got some candles."

Caroline hands the candles to everyone. Meredith lights up her candle and then passes it down to Matt. Then Matt lights up Elena's candle. Then Elena lights someone else's candle. She looks up only to see Stefan.

"Thank you. Hi."

"Hi."

Seeing Stefan, Meredith fidgets a bit so she turns towards Matt.

"Hey Matt if you don't mind, would you like to go to the Grill with me? Only if you aren't interested in watching the comets pass through."

Matt hesitates at first, but seeing Elena and Stefan talking, he agrees.

"Yeah let's go."


At the Mystic Grill

Meredith and Matt arrive at the grill and sit at a table and pass their time by chatting. They get interrupted when they hear shouting nearby. When they look up, they find Jeremy and Tyler quarreling over something. When they go near, they hear everything they are saying.

"She's never gonna go for you." Tyler says to Jeremy.

"She already did. Over and over and over again."

"Yeah, right."

"You slept with Vicki Donovan? I mean, Vicki Donovan slept with you?" Caroline shouts on top of her lungs so that everyone else in the Grill could hear.

"There's no way." Tyler says not believing in Jeremy.

"And I didn't even have to force her into it."

Hearing those words from Jeremy, Matt gets suspicious of Tyler and turns towards him.

"What the hell is he talking about, Ty?"

"Nothing, man, just ignore him, he's a punk."

"You know what, how about all of you shut up and help me find my sister?" Matt says not finding Vicki around.

"We'll check the back." Bonnie says and goes to the back looking for Vicki.

"I'll check the square." Matt says.

Meredith gets suspicious a bit. Vicki might be in danger. So she hurries and goes outside to look for Vicki. She couldn't find Stefan either. While searching for them, she hears a scream nearby. She follows the scream and comes towards a deserted alley but finds no one. When she was about to leave, she hears voices talking. So she looks up towards one of the building finding Stefan and a guy in black holding Vicki. She recognizes the guy who had ordered a bourbon for her at the bar a few days ago. She quickly hides herself and listens in to their conversation.

"What's happening?" Vicki asks who was really terrified to death.

Damon turns towards Stefan and says, "I don't need her to be dead, but... you might." Then Damon turns towards Vicki and asks, "What attacked you the other night?"

"I don't know. An animal."

"Are you sure about that? Think. Think about it. Think really hard. What attacked you?"

"A vampire."

"What! V-vampire?" Meredith thinks feeling confused about the situation.

"Who did this to you?" Damon asks Vicki.

"You did!"

"Wrong!"

"Don't." Stefan tries to warn Damon. But Damon doesn't listen to Stefan. He grabs Vicki on both sides of her head and looks into her eyes just the way Stefan did back at the hospital.

"It was Stefan. Stefan Salvatore did this to you."

"Stefan Salvatore did this to me." Vicki repeats after Damon.

"He's a vampire. A vicious, murderous, monster."

"Please, Damon. Please don't do this." Stefan pleads with Damon.

"If you couldn't fix it before, I don't know what you can do now." as he says it, he pulls off Vicki's bandage and throws her to Stefan.

"Ugh! Your choice of lifestyle has made you weak. A couple of vampire parlor tricks are nothing compared to the power that you could have, that you now need. But you can change that. Human blood gives you that. You have two choices. You can feed and make her forget. Or you can let her run, screaming "vampire" through the town square."

"That's what this is about? You want to expose me?"

"No! I want you to remember who you are!"

"Why? So what, so I'll feed? So I'll kill? So I'll remember what it's like to be brothers again? You know what, let her go. Let her tell everyone that vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and let them drive a stake through my heart, because at least I'll be free of you."

"Huh. Huh. Wow. Come here, sweetheart." Damon turns towards Vicki but she protests.

"No!"

"It's OK." Then Damon leans in to Vicki and whispers something into her ear and she becomes fine. Vicki then looks up confused at the situation she was in.

"What happened? Where am I? Oh, I ripped my stitches open. Ugh..."

"You okay?" Stefan asks bit concerned.

"I took some pills, man. I'm good." Vicki leaves the building. After Vicki leaves, Damon speaks up.

"It's good to be home. Think I might stay a while. This town could use a bit of a wake-up call, don't you think?"

"What are you up to, Damon?"

"That's for me to know and for you to... dot dot dot. Give Elena my best." Damon then vanishes within the blink of eye.


Meredith has been listening in to each and every word all these while. She's now confirmed that Stefan is a vampire. Not only him, but also his brother Damon is a vampire too. And it was Damon who had attacked Vicki at the forest. From what she heard Stefan say, the rumors were indeed true about the vampires existing in Mystic Falls in the past. Now, after a long time, vampires have come back to this town.

Meredith is in dilemma of finding out about vampires. She can't believe that vampires really exist. In fact, one of her best friend is dating one. She wanted to warn Elena but she couldn't. Because Elena had never been so happy in her life after her parents died. Only Stefan could bring smile in her face. She was sure of one thing though that Stefan would never hurt Elena or anyone else for the matter of fact. It was Damon who was a threat to everyone else.

She has been sitting at the place she was hiding listening to the entire conversation still then. She stands up and goes to find Stefan to confront him. She goes to the Grill and finds Stefan talking with Bonnie and Caroline. As she approaches them, Bonnie gets freaked out while she handing out a piece of paper to Stefan. Shrugging it off as nothing, Meredith taps on Stefan's shoulder from behind. Stefan turns around to find Meredith.

"Hey."

"I need to talk to you Stefan. It's urgent."

"Ok then, what is it?"

"Not here. Let's go outside."

Meredith then grabs Stefan's hand and drags him outside at the back of the Grill. Stefan was confused at Meredith's attitude. Meredith then looks around to make sure no one was there to listen in to their conversations. Then she speaks up.

"I know what you are Stefan. You are a vampire."

"WH-what? Are you serious? Are you drunk or something?" Stefan asks with a fake smile on his face and his voice bit shaky.

"Stop lying now. I know everything. Yesterday I saw you at the hospital in Vicki's room. You were pinning her down to bed and staring right into her eyes as if trying to hypnotize her or something. I didn't think much of it but later I realized that Matt had told me and Elena that day that Vicki screamed a vampire attacked her. Still I wasn't sure. Then tonight, when Vicki went missing, I saw you and your brother Damon with Vicki on the top of the building. I have heard each and every conversation that you guys had about being vampires and reasons of the recent animal attacks in town. I know everything Stefan. You can't hide anything from me."

"Look Meredith, you have to listen to me..."

"Give me one good reason that I listen to your shit other than going up to everyone else and reveal your secret."

"I know that you have the right to not to trust me but I need you to trust me now. I will tell you each and everything you want to know."

"Ok then tell me. Why have you come here?"

"This is my hometown. This is the place where I was born. I come here once in a while and stay for a couple of years and then I leave."

"Why do you leave?"

"Vampires don't age with time. We are immortal. If a vampire stays at a place for a long time, people would be suspicious. "

"So... How old are you?"

"I'm 17 but technically I'm 161 years old."

"Are you serious? I mean... That's cool not aging and all but still you are a monster. You hurt people!"

"Yeah I agree we hurt people but not me. I drink only animal blood."

"Let's assume you drink animal blood then what about the recent animal attacks in town?"

"It's my brother Damon. He doesn't feed on animals. He drinks human blood."

"So Damon is your brother?"

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you try to help out Vicki? He could have killed her!"

"I couldn't. Damon's a lot stronger than I am because he takes human blood and I'm on animal diet. If I tried to do anything, there was a possibility that he could have killed Vicki."

"If he had, I swear to myself I would have exposed both of you."

"Listen Meredith, I promise you that I would do no such thing to hurt anyone. Not even Elena."

"What about Damon? If he wants he can go on to a killing spree at any moment and kill anyone he wishes no matter whoever that person is."

"I know he's a threat to this town. That's why I need you to keep it a secret."

"Why should I?"

"If you don't, then I won't be able to keep Damon at bay. I need you to help me and trust me. If you don't help me in this, then I won't be able to save this town from Damon."

"Okay. I'll help you only this time."

"Thanks Meredith."

"Don't thank me. I'm doing this only for Elena. I don't want to ruin her happiness that she found recently because of you." As Meredith says it, she starts to leave when Stefan calls out for her.

"Meredith, wait up."

"What?"

"You better be careful from Damon."

"Why?"

"I don't know why but there is something about you. It's really intimidating and intriguing at the same time."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. But there sure is something unusual about you. Sometimes you seem like you are a normal human, but other times it seems like you are something else."


I'm really sorry for any type of grammatical mistakes since English is not really my native language. Please rate and review for me to keep going on this story. Will update the 3rd chapter next week.