"How is it?" Rose asked as Damon looked at her wolf bite.

"Definitely better." He lied. "Right, Elena?"

"Uh, it's not bad." Elena said.

"Where's Stefan?"

"He left. I need you to talk to him. He's convinced that he has to find Isobel but I think that's gonna upset Elijah." Elena explained.

"No, can't do. I'm with Stefan on this one but if you could play nurse for a little while…"

"It's not necessary."

"It is necessary. Elena is a do-gooder. It's in her nature, she just can't resist." Damon said.

"Well, I may not be a healer, but my sister made this." She was holding a bracelet. "She said these crystals had healing properties, especially against all kinds of venomous substances."

"Think it'll work?" Rose asked.

"I don't know, but it can't hurt to try." Elena pointed out. She handed the bracelet to Damon, who bent over and slipped it onto Rose's wrist.

"I usually don't believe in this kind of stuff, but for once, I agree with little Margret."

At school, Margret met up with the others. "Hey, are you okay?" Amy asked her. "You seem out of it."

"I was up all night working on a bracelet for a friend of Damon's. She's a little sick." Margret told them.

"That's terrible." Amy said. "Are you sure you want to be here, Margie?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to miss the athletic fundraiser." Margret said. "Especially with our guys working together."

"Speaking of our guys, look over there." Amy said. Margret turned and saw Caroline and Tyler. "What's she doing with that jerk?"

"Hey, he's not a jerk." Margret said. "He just has some family issues. When we lost the mayor, he lost his father. Not that he was a nice guy, but Tyler isn't all bad."

"Yeah, he seems different to me, too." Alex agreed. "He seems sort of…friendlier."

"I just don't get why she's with Tyler when she still likes Matt." Amy said. "She called me the other day, saying she wished she could be there more for him."

"I don't know, maybe she's just changed." Rob said. "Remember when I dated Kate sophomore year? We broke up because she didn't want to be with a guy who worked part-time at the Grill."

"Wow. That is so shallow." Amy said.

"We didn't even have anything in common anyway." Rob pointed out.

"Yeah, but you were totally smitten over her." Alex said.

"Can we please change the subject?" Rob asked.

"Yeah, Care seems a little down lately." Amy said. "And anyway, I believe you when you say nothing happened."

Margret rolled her eyes. If she and Alex ever turned out like that…

"Maybe she's just got a lot going on lately." Margret said. "I mean, she is always busy with school activities and helping her friends."

"Yeah, I know." Amy said. "But things still feel off with her. She's practically dodging Matt's calls."

"Well, she probably just needs some space." Alex said. "All girls need a break sometimes, you know."

"Yeah, but if I have to watch them become like Rachael and Ross, I'm going to lose it."

"So, what time is this thing again anyway?" Margret asked.

"I think it starts at four." Alex told her. "Are you okay? You seem tense."

"I'm fine. I promise." Deep down, she was worried about Elena. The text she'd gotten from her wasn't good news. Just then her phone buzzed. She looked at the message:

Not doing good over here, I might need you to cover for me tonight.

"Hey, what's up?" Alex asked, reading the message.

"She's watching a sick friend." Margret said. "The girl isn't doing very well, though. It's pretty bad."

"Think she'll get through this?"

"She always does." Margret said. "I know they'll be okay and get through it, somehow."

"You're really strong for your age, Margie."

"It's because of everything that's happened, I guess." Margret said. "It's like, what's the point of holding back out of fear? But I still get really worried about my family, though."

"You want me to walk you home tonight?" Alex asked her.

"I guess it'd help me feel a little better." She told him.

That night, the group spent time at the party. "Hey, Amy, how are you?"

"I'm fine." Amy said. "Caroline left. She said she felt like Matt was putting too much pressure on their relationship."

"Something about that bothers you, doesn't it?" Rob asked.

"I know you wouldn't pressure me into anything, but do you ever feel that we'll end up like them, always at odds in our relationship?" Amy asked.

"Of course not." Rob said. "You're the only girl I've ever really liked and you're really good at everything you attempt."

"Wow. They really like each other a lot, don't they?" Margret said, watching them from a distance.

"Yeah, it seems to be getting pretty serious." Alex agreed. "Hey, are you okay? You seem sort of distant lately."

"Look, I really like you, Alex." Margret said. "But I don't want to mess up what we have. Your friendship means a lot to me."

"I don't want to mess this up, either." Alex said. "I mean, it might work out, it might not, but we'll always have each other to lean on, no matter what."

"Yeah, I remember." Margret said. "So, I guess we're okay, then?"

"We are." Alex took her hand.

They were laughing by the time they approached her house. "I still can't believe you guys thought that hot-dog eating contest last year was a good idea." Margret said.

"It was Rob's idea, and he wasn't the brightest sophomore in the class."

"Well, guess I can't judge, considering even Jeremy got involved." Margret pointed out.

"I had a really good time with you tonight, Margie."

"So did I." Margret said. "Maybe we could try going on a date sometime." She clapped a hand over her mouth, having no idea why she'd said that.

"Maybe." Alex said. "So, see you tomorrow?"

"Sure." Margret said. She kissed him on the cheek. "Good night." She headed inside. Alex watched her go in and brought a hand up to his cheek before leaving.

Margret was heading upstairs, when she noticed Elena. She hurried over to her. "What's going on?"

"Only the biggest disaster of my life." She explained. "My friend keeps trying to shut everyone out, and my boyfriend accidentally brings my father back to town."

"Uncle John's here?" Margret asked. After last time, she couldn't stand him.

"Yeah. I'll tell you everything tomorrow." Elena said. "Oh, and here. You might want this back. I don't think it works on vampires."

Margret looked at the bracelet her sister had given her. It was the same one she'd given her that morning. She headed into her room silently. She was sitting down, still looking at the bracelet, when she realized what she had to do.

That was how she found herself outside the Boarding House minutes later. She entered the house and was surprised by how big it was inside. She'd never actually been inside the house before. She was wondering where she should move, as she didn't want to startle the guys, when she heard a voice.

"Look, I told you, I'm okay. Just go back home, Elena."

"Wrong Gilbert girl." Margret said, entering the living room. Damon turned around.

"What are you doing here?"

"I snuck out of the house." She explained. "I had to see how you were. I know you cared about her, Damon." She was careful to avoid saying Rose's name, afraid she'd set him off. "And I may not have known her, but I know she cared about you, too."

"And look where that got her."

"When I lost my parents, I was crushed." Margret said. "Sometimes that pain comes back. First month was the hardest."

"Is there a point to this?" Damon asked.

"I got into crystals and herbs because I tried to reach them." Margret continued. "As we got used to having Jenna around, I pretended to be okay so I wouldn't worry Elena and Jeremy, but secretly journaled everything I felt. Then school started, and being around my friends again, it made me feel better. I realized I couldn't keep hiding how I felt, seeing how concerned they were."

"Vampires don't have friends."

"That's a lie. Sure, you may not be the nicest guy around, but some of us are still willing to be your friend." Margret said. "Like the Sheriff or Elena or me." He sat there silently for a while. "Look, I didn't mean to bother you, Damon. I'll leave now." She got up and started walk away.

"Wait." She turned around. "Sometimes it's not easy, being what I am. Heightened emotions are a real pain in the…"

"Watch it." Margret said.

"Point is, I hate it sometimes." Damon said. "I wish I could turn it all off, but I don't want to forget her, how she helped me."

Margret walked over and embraced him. "I'm sorry." She told him. He moved his hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She looked at him. "Good night, Damon." She headed out the door.

"See you around, Margret."