Gravity
Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries
I am so so so sorry that it's took me so long to update! I have a billion excuses to do with work and uni etc but I won't waste any more time than I have already!
Thank you Mara for taking time out to read this chapter over for me, I appreciate it :)
This chapter starts off with Klaus' POV and there's another section about midway from his POV too!
June 14th 2013
Friday 8:50pm
Mystic Falls
In the US dictionary the definition of the word 'bored' is this:one who feels weary because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity.
Someone needs to inform those academics that they got it wrong, because the real definition of the word 'bored', or shall I say the use of the word 'boring', is my life right now.
I hate that I have become one of those bloody people who whinge about their life because it has no real purpose, but as of right now that's exactly who I am.
School is officially out for the summer. I should be celebrating the fact that I have graduated, that I have finally escaped the clutches of Mystic Falls High School for good. This should be one of the best days of my life.
Yet, as I stand here leaning against a tree in the woods watching the start of summer bonfire come to life in the distance, a cup of cheap stale beer in my hands, I realize that I actually don't have any plans for the future.
College is a big no-no for me, the thought of being stuck in the education system for another four years is not exactly pleasant and I made sure to derail that idea a long time ago.
The truth is I don't really know what I want to do with my life. Graduation just sort of crept up on me. After all the drama that Damon left behind I'd been distracted and before I knew it I was sitting down to fail my final exam and I was dismissed from school for good, sent off packing into the real world.
I take a large gulp from my beer, cringing at the taste, regretting I didn't steal some of my Dad's expensive bourbon on my way over here. I don't even know why I came. High school parties suck arse and I hate pretty much everyone here.
So why did I come? Well, it's not exactly like my social calendar is full up lately. My best friend is off half way across the country doing God knows what, his younger brother is using me as an outlet to project his anger onto for helping said best friend leave town. All my old buddies think I had a hand in Vaughn's death so they all hate me too.
I'm not exactly Mr Popular in Mystic Falls right now.
"Cheers for that Damon, mate." I mumble under my breath and take another sip from my beer.
"You look about as bored as I feel."
I look up to see none other than Caroline freaking Forbes approaching me with her own cup in her hands. She eyes me slowly and I immediately stand up straight, noticing her steps slowing down the closer she gets to me.
"It's a dull party," I reply before letting a smirk cross my lips. "Maybe we can go liven things up elsewhere?" I raise an eyebrow and watch as predictably she pulls a look of disgust and her expression immediately changes to a glare.
"Gross. There is absolutely no way, not even if we were the last two people on earth."
"Ouch," I press my spare hand against my heart. "I'm hurt, love. Don't worry though. You're a little too prim and proper for my taste." I inform her and grin when her scowl deepens.
"You know, I actually came over here because you looked depressed as hell and I felt sorry for you. Clearly I should have just gone with my better judgement and stayed away."
"Oh I'm not depressed sweetheart," I chuckle and throw my now empty cup onto the grass. "Bored? Sure! Depressed? You've got the wrong guy."
She doesn't say anything and I watch curiously as she turns to face back to the party that is still continuing on as normal without us.
We stand here for a few moments, neither of us saying anything. The distant music and loud chatter from the party is heard but it's all mixed up together in one jumbled blur.
"Do you know where they are?" Caroline turns back to face me, her eyes glistening and I gulp.
"Who?"
"You know who." She looks at me intently and I sigh and look away. "Oh my god," she gasps and my head snaps towards her from the tone of her voice. "You do? Don't you?!" she takes two giant steps towards me. "You know where they are!"
"No." I glare at her, kicking a rock by my shoe. "I don't know where they are."
"I don't believe you."
"Not my problem." I snap at her angrily.
"Klaus, if you know something you need to tell someone!" she practically pleads with my desperately and I look at her in disbelief.
"Are you out of your mind or really just that stupid?" I gawp at her and she doesn't answer, keeping her face stern. "Okay, first things first, love, I don't know where they are. Secondly, even if I do, which again I don't," I stress, "I sure as hell wouldn't be telling anyone about it."
"Why the hell not? What Damon did was wrong! He killed someone and clearly Elena isn't thinking straight by running away with him! She's in trouble, she's breaking the law for him and she's messing up her life! So if you do know where they are then you really need to tell someone!"
I scoff and look away. "You have no idea, Caroline." I mutter coldly, looking back towards her and closing the distance so we are standing toe to toe. "Damon didn't kill Vaughn, okay? He was set up. He may have done a lot of things, he may be a lot of things but a killer sure as hell ain't one of them." Her blue eyes are looking straight into my own and my gaze doesn't waver. "Elena isn't stupid; do you really believe her to be that naive? You're prejudice against Damon because of who he is, because of his last name is what led to them leaving in the first place. This god damn town is toxic and to be frank, Caroline Forbes, you should know better."
I ignore the startled look on her face and turn around and walk away.
"Hey, you're here with Marcel, right?"
I blink in my slightly intoxicated state to see some size zero tall blonde with big boobs standing right in front of me with a drink in her hand. She's looking at me with a hopeful yet slightly nervous look on her face and I have absolutely no idea why.
"Huh?" I ask again over the loud music because it really is freaking loud in here.
"Marcel Gerrard, are you here with him?" she asks again. "I saw you talking to him earlier."
"Marcel?" I frown slightly before nodding slowly. "Yeah…I know Marcel."
"Are you two…?" she trails off and raises her eyebrows at me.
It takes me a moment too long in my drunken haze to understand what she is implying.
"What? No. God no."
"Oh good," she smiles happily. "I'm Adrianna." She holds out her spare hand and I warily shake it.
"Elena." I reply.
"So, do you think you can introduce me to him? I've been dying to speak to him all night!" she almost jumps and down giddily. I try my best to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
I have come to realize over the past two weeks of being here in Austin that Marcel Gerrard is kind of a big deal to his peers. It turns out, that despite being a newly graduated senior from high school, Marcel has still managed to cement his place within the college crowd at the University of Texas. Apparently Marcel is a legacy, and his father is a somewhat football legend around here. He has pretty much every fraternity on the campus desperately trying to get him to rush for them in the fall. He gets invited to all of the best parties and basically gets some strange kind of royal treatment.
Honestly, I find the whole thing kind of bizarre, but Marcel seems to love the attention it gives him and apparently it is good for business, which means that Damon is all for it and our attendance at these shindigs are required and necessary.
Right.
I can't complain though, because for me it now means free booze and fun parties. It's nice to be able to act like a normal teenager for once. It's been a while.
"Um…come find me later?" I offer her a fake smile really hoping that she doesn't. "I need to go find my boyfriend, it's an emergency."
Adrianna's smile instantly fades, her face full of disappointment, and for a second I almost feel sorry for the girl, until I remember that I'm not Marcel's pimp. I'm not here at this party to introduce him to hot college girls all night.
I briskly make my escape and head straight towards the beer stand, pouring myself a cup from the keg. I guzzle it quickly then refill it. I grab a spare cup and fill that one too before pushing my way back through the heavy crowds of drunken students.
It doesn't take me long to find Damon, exactly where I left him only this time Marcel is there too with his usual arrogant smirk on his lips.
"Elena! There you are, he was about to send out a search party for you!" Marcel bellows out at me as I get closer, Damon turning around with his lips twisting up into a smile.
"Well maybe if I wasn't ambushed by yet another one of your groupies I wouldn't have taken so long." I reply pointedly, watching amused as Marcel smirks. I pass Damon his drink and he takes it with a grin and a sloppy drunken kiss to my lips.
"Thanks," he murmurs in a slur against my lips before kissing me quickly again.
"Was she hot?" Marcel interrupts us and I roll my eyes.
"Look around, every girl in here is hot."
"Not as hot as you though, right Damon?" Marcel winks at me and I roll my eyes. The guy is one hell of a flirt. "
Damon pauses. He doesn't seem sure of whether or not to be annoyed by the comment or to agree in his inebriated mind. I know he hasn't exactly been impressed with some of Marcel's less than subtle comments about me this week, but I also know that he hasn't been taking them to heart as much as he would if they were coming from someone else.
"Sure." Damon finally speaks up, his hand sliding underneath my top on my hip. "I have the hottest girl in the room," he smirks at me and I roll my eyes to hide my blush. He pushes Marcel back with his spare hand. "Take note of the word I." He pointedly looks at Marcel with a hint of warning.
He pouts and shakes his head, his arms wrapping around the both of us. "You don't want to share?" he asks innocently and I scowl. Damon tenses with a thunderous look in his eyes but it doesn't faze Marcel, instead he just lets out a loud laugh "You small town folk don't know how to take a joke!"
"Maybe we'd find you funny if you actually had a decent sense of humor?" I offer with a fake smile.
"Ouch. You are feisty this evening. I'm going to take this as my cue to leave."
"Good idea," Damon sends him a mocking smile. Marcel chuckles to himself and turns away, probably off to chase the nearest piece of skirt that I'm sure will be more than willing. "The guy's a douche." My boyfriend grumbles while taking a large swig of his beer.
"Oh come on, he's not that bad." I smile because I know that deep down Damon secretly likes Marcel. No matter how much he will deny it.
Damon pulls a face and moves in front of me, peering down to have a look into my drink which is filled up pretty much to the brim.
"A full drink?" He tuts disapprovingly. "What is wrong with you?"
"Maybe I want to say relatively sober to be able to look after you tonight," I raise my eyebrow at him, motioning to his almost empty cup and I've lost count to how many drinks he has had already tonight.
"Pfft." Damon scoffs loudly, "You should know by now that my tolerance is way up here." He raises his spare arm high up in the air and I grin.
"You told me once that tolerances were there to be broken," I point out with a smirk. Butterflies lining my stomach as he laughs, his arm dropping down to wrap around my waist again.
"I did tell you that."
"See, I do listen to you sometimes." I smirk while lightly pressing my lips against his in a kiss that is far too short.
"Only sometimes," he murmurs against my mouth, kissing me again. "Most of the time you are a stubborn pain in my ass."
I gasp loudly and swat his shoulder. "You are an ass."
He chuckles and kisses me again. "You love me." He smirks arrogantly and I stubbornly shake my head.
"Nope."
His smirk gets bigger. "Yes you do."
"No I don't."
He runs his hand that's round my waist down to my ass and squeezes it firmly and unexpectedly, I almost shriek and unconsciously jerk forward so now our chests are flushed against each other and judging from the cocky grin on his face that was his exact intentions. "You're an ass," I repeat in a murmur as my eyes drop down to his lips which are just centimetres from my own.
"I like your ass. In fact no, I love your ass." He strokes it slowly before sliding his hand further down to the back of my thigh. I try to fight my eyes from fluttering shut as he moves his hand from the back of my thigh slowly around to side, his fingers stroking my bare skin before the hemline of my skirt. "Go on; admit how much you love me."
I shake my head silently and shudder when I feel his hot mouth land on my neck.
"Elena," he mumbles against my skin, his lips kissing the same spot repeatedly before I feel his teeth gently scratch against me. "We all know that you're obsessed with me."
I can't stop the laughter that escapes my lips and I pull back and look at him in a mix of admiration and disbelief. "You are unbelievable, you know that?"
"I know." He grins, his hand moving back up to its original place on my waist. "Now tell me you love me?" his smile widens and I shake my head with a giggle.
"I love you."
"Good." He smirks cockily. "Now kiss me." He demands.
So I do.
Elena giggles as I squeeze my arms around her waist, lifting her up slightly so her feet kick out into the air in front of her as I walk through the door into Marcel's house. After a few days of being in Austin, Marcel suggested that Elena and I stay with him instead of forking out the cash for a motel. I said no at first, both Elena and I would rather have our privacy but when he informed us that his parents are across the world on a two month break and that we would have an entire wing of the house to ourselves, I decided that despite his annoying tendencies, living here did have its advantages.
"Damon!" she shrieks, especially when I almost drop her in my drunken state when I nudge the front door shut behind me with my elbow.
I nuzzle my face into her neck and playfully bite her, smirking against her skin as she squirms in my arms but that only makes me tighten my grip around her.
"You taste delicious," I make joking eating noses against her neck before finally setting her down onto the ground. She swings around in my arms, a flustered but happy look on her face as her hands slide up my chest to wrap around my neck as I walk her backwards.
"Why don't I give you a real taste?" She smirks suggestively, her brown eyes dark and filled with lust and I feel my dick twitch eagerly already.
"Oh and is that an offer?" I raise my eyebrow.
"Mhmm. I'll show you mine if you show me yours." she presses her lips against mine and sighs into the kiss, my hands gripping her hips tightly as I push her back towards the stairs. She falls down onto the third step and I move on top of her, my mouth never leaving hers as I kiss her back hungrily.
I feel her hands ride up my t-shirt, her fingers leaving hot trails against my skin as they roam my back freely.
"Um, Damon." She squirms slightly, shifting and lifting up her hips and that only causes me to groan with pleasure. In fact it takes me a few moments to realize that she is squirming for an entirely different reason to me. "Ouch," she pushes me back, breaking the kiss. "Stairs?" she looks up at me breathless, her cheeks tinted pink and her lips swollen. "So not comfortable." She informs me and I chuckle before tugging on her hands to help her back up to her feet.
However before we can even make it up another step I hear the sound of our names being called and I groan loudly.
"Ah!" Marcel rounds the corner into the hallway to see us. "I thought I heard you both come in! Come on into the kitchen, we're having a mini after party."
"We're good, thanks." I inform him quickly with a fake smile, eager to get Elena upstairs to fulfil on her promise.
"Oh come on guys!" Marcel, as always, refuses to take no as an answer. "We're making pancakes," he informs us with a cheeky grin and the second the word leaves his mouth I groan loudly.
Elena's eyes light up and she looks at him almost eagerly. "Pancakes?"
"Yup."
She turns back to me and the look on her face proves my original fear. "No." I practically growl.
"Damon," she pouts, her fingers playing with my hair. "We love pancakes."
"No, you love pancakes." I throw back immediately but I already know that this is a losing battle.
"Pretty please?" she moves forward so her lips are a breath away from my own. "Please?" she whispers, pressing a far too short open mouthed kiss against my lips. "Pancakes." She pulls back, her doe eyes wide and bright and I groan loudly.
"Fine." I give in reluctantly, making my displeasure completely obvious.
Marcel chuckles and I'm reminded that he's still here and I grab a hold of Elena's hand and follow him into the kitchen. I look around the room briefly, Marcel's annoying best friend Thierry is stood by the stove, flipping pancakes almost expertly. Another guy who I forgot the name of is shoving down a syrup covered one into his mouth messily. Apart from the three boys, the rest of the small group are girls and I roll my eyes completely not surprised.
"Ah, Elena." Thierry greets my girlfriend with a big smile and I don't even bother to hide my glare. The guy has been hitting on her since the moment they met, not that Elena seems to notice. Every time I bring it up she just rolls her eyes and says that I say that about any guy who speaks more than five words to her. "You want the next one?"
"Yes please!" Elena agrees happily, her mouth practically watering and I wrap my arm around her waist in an almost possessive stance as Thierry drops the pancake onto a plate and passes it over to her with a wink.
He sees my glare and his smile falters slightly before he quickly turns back around to the stove and starts to make the next one.
I'm not surprised when Elena squirts a shit load of syrup onto her pancake and I inwardly groan when she sprinkles some sugar onto it too.
"You're going to have no teeth left by the end of that," I murmur into her ear and she rolls her eyes. Ignoring me, as she shoves her fork greedily into her mouth, a satisfied moan escaping her lips before she practically forces a mouthful into my own mouth while insisting that I'll like it.
I have to admit, it's not that bad but it's still too sweet for me and I decline another bite.
We fall into mindless drunken chatter while Elena attacks another pancake. I tune out Marcel and his friends boasting as they try to impress the girls they've brought home with football stats and whatever, not that they seem to even need impressing, they are like putty in their hands already.
However after twenty minutes or so, I feel Elena tense in my arms and I'm brought back into the room and I blink as I notice a blonde girl looking directly at me.
Still noticing Elena standing tense in my arms, I look at her curiously. "Sorry?"
She smiles and shakes her head before speaking up again. "I said, have we met before? I feel like I know you from somewhere."
That explains Elena's sudden shift of mood.
My mouth opens slightly as she looks at me curiously and I frown and shake my head. "Uh no, I don't think so."
The girl doesn't look satisfied however. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure." I tell her firmly. Elena is still standing stiffly in my arms and I slide my hand discreetly under her shirt and stroke the skin of her hip soothingly.
"What's this?" Marcel joins in the conversation, as the room continues to chatter around us, no one else's attention on us.
"I just thought I recognized your friend from somewhere." The girl tells him while batting her eyelashes.
Marcel looks at me.
I shrug. "Maybe I just have one of those faces."
"Yeah." The girl agrees, seemingly convinced or at least distracted as Marcel casually drapes an arm around her shoulders. "Probably."
"Hey," Elena turns around in my arms to face me. "You ready to go to bed?" she keeps her voice calm and steady but I don't miss the nerves inside.
"I sure am." I step back and we quickly say goodnight before escaping the room. It's not until we are upstairs, the door shut locked behind us that Elena swings to face me with fear evident in her eyes.
"You don't think she recognized you because of Vaughn do you?" she asks nervously.
"Nah." I shake my head, pushing back the nervous lump in my stomach. "How could she? We check the newspapers here every day and my name hasn't even made the small print. We are a long way from Virginia."
"I know but there are other ways…" her voice shows her stress. "What if she saw your photo online or something?"
"Elena," I step towards her and place my hands on her arms. "Don't worry, okay? I probably just look like someone she knows or something. How many times has someone said that you look familiar even though you've never met them before in your life?"
"A few times." She admits in a mumble.
"Exactly," I stress convincingly, needing to reassure her because it probably really was nothing. "Now come on," I smirk, my hands sliding down her arms to her hands as I walk her backwards towards the bed. "You have an offer to follow through on." I wink as her expression instantly changes to a lustful one as I push her down onto the bed and crawl on top of her.
"Ah Mr Mikealson, just the man I was looking for."
I look up and groan when I see Grayson Gilbert walking towards me through the crowded grill. I push myself up to my feet in a motion to leave but his hand is on my shoulder and he shoves me back down before I can even take one step.
"I don't think so," he glares at me before pulling out the chair across from me and taking a seat.
"You know Detective, this is harassment."
"So sue me?" he goads me and I scowl knowing fine well that he knows I won't do that. "Let's make this short and sweet shall we? What's in Alabama?"
"Excuse me?"
"Don't play games with me, kid." His stance turns aggressive, his voice full of anger as he leans forward on his chair. "I know you helped Damon and my daughter leave town."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Also, you can't question me without a lawyer present. I have rights." I snap at him angrily.
"Oh this isn't official questioning," he glares back at me. "Some new footage has been sent to me of that ever so pleasant friend of yours punching a security guard after being caught shoplifting in a local store in western Alabama."
I feel the smile creeping to my lips and it just infuriates Grayson more when a small sound of laughter escapes my lips.
"So I'm going to ask you again, what are Damon and Elena doing in Alabama?" he leans forward onto the table in an attempt to be threatening.
"Maybe they wanted to visit the Rocket Center?" I shrug innocently with a smirk. "Who knows? Is Elena into that stuff?"
Grayson slams his fist down onto the table angrily, my glass of coke shaking causing some to spill over onto the old wood. "This isn't a game." He hisses at me furiously. "That bastard has my daughter!"
I refrain from rolling my eyes. "Damon doesn't have Elena, she went with him of her own choice. You, Detective, are delusional if you think otherwise. I don't know what Damon and Elena were doing in Alabama. I haven't spoken to them, and if I did I sure as hell wouldn't tell you about it. Hell, if I do speak to them I'll make sure to warn them off from going wherever you think they are." I snap back at him in annoyance but before I barely finish my sentence Grayson grabs me by the collar of my t-shirt and pulls me across the table.
His eyes are wide with pure rage and for a moment a wave of fear lines my stomach at the look in his eye.
"Now you listen here," he snarls. "If you ever, ever –"
"Uh…Mr Gilbert?"
He stills, his grip on my shirt still tight and I don't dare turn away, my eyes glued to his intimidating ones, neither of us backing down.
Eventually though, Grayson's hands on my collar loosen and I push myself backwards away from his grasp, turning to face Caroline who is looking between us with a wary expression on her face.
"Everything okay?" she questions slowly and I'm not sure if it's directed to me or him.
I ignore her and grab my jacket from the back of the chair. "Next time you try to threaten me or try to talk to me unofficially again I'm going to report you for harassment." I glare at him before turning to make a quick escape, ignoring all the stares from the other patrons occupying The Grill.
I don't even make it three steps out of the door before I hear my name being called and I inwardly groan and turn around to see Caroline chasing after me.
"What now?" I snap at her impatiently, my mood making me give no time for manners.
Caroline ignores my tone and closes the distance between us. "What was all that about?"
"What do you think?" I mutter coldly. "He is looking for someone to blame for Elena running away and since Damon isn't here he's using me as his new scapegoat. I don't exactly know what he expects from me, I'm in the dark about the two of them almost as much as he is."
Caroline doesn't answer. Her silence surprises me. I let out a loud sigh and run a tired hand down my face before shaking my head and turning to leave again but her voice stops me.
"Can I ask you something?"
I pause, looking at her closely for a moment before replying.
"Do I have a choice?"
Caroline glares at me for a moment before sighing and brushing her hand through her long flowing blonde hair.
"Fine." I motion with my hand for her to speak. "Ask away."
She looks nervous for a second before recomposing herself into the confident girl that I'm more familiar with. "Do you really believe that Damon is innocent? I mean, if he wasn't your best friend…and you weren't loyal to him, do you really believe that he didn't kill that guy?"
I stay silent and watch her for a moment. "Would my answer make a difference to you?"
"I don't want to actually believe it, you know?" Caroline frowns looking at me, a hint of something in her voice that I can't quite work out. "I don't want to believe that my best friend is on the run God knows where with a murderer, and her only source of contact and," she grimaces slightly "comfort, is with a man who is capable of taking someone's life. I want Damon to be innocent."
"He is innocent." I push her, my voice firm.
"But what if he's not?" she asks quietly. "You weren't there. You don't know that for sure, the only person who knows is Damon and what if…" she trails and lets out a frustrated sigh. "I'm just worried about my best friend. I just want her to come home."
"Damon would never ever hurt Elena."
"Maybe not on purpose."
"No, ever. He loves her." I tell her firmly, Caroline blinking in surprise. "Look," I take a small step closer to her so we are standing almost toe to toe. "I know that Damon has done bad things, I know he even likes to revel in it. I get why you might question his character, why you would question mine. But murder?" I shake my head. "No way, he wouldn't. Nor would he ever hurt Elena, she means the world to him and if you paid just an ounce of attention to what was going on between them over the few weeks before they left town then you would know that too."
Caroline's jaw opens then closes again, her eyes watching my own and I'm surprised to find that she actually seems to be speechless for once.
"I know you're worried about Elena," I take a step back, shoving my hands into my pockets. "I get it, I'm worried about Damon, but she's safe with him. He'll look after her and hopefully someday soon they'll be able to come home."
"Yeah…" Caroline replies quietly, a crease in her eyebrows as she watches me. "Hopefully."
I nod at her and this time when I turn to leave I'm actually able to make it to my car.
When I woke up this morning it was unfortunately to a dull ache in the back of my skull. Apparently I drank too much last night.
So we end up spending most of the day in bed, only leaving to use the bathroom. I made a quick trip downstairs earlier on to get us both some snacks and luckily I managed to avoid running into anyone.
"How come we've been in bed all day and I still feel tired?" Elena stifles a yawn as she pulls her top over her head.
"Um…maybe because I spent the majority of the morning giving you the best sex you've ever had?" I suggest cockily, a smirk evidently on show for her to see.
She rolls her eyes and fights a smile and I notice that she doesn't deny it. I chuckle and zip up my jeans before pressing a soft kiss against her lips.
"Come on." She tugs on my hand. "I'm hungry, and for real food this time." She pulls me towards the bedroom door and as always I follow. It's about time we made an appearance anyway.
Predictably, Marcel and his guest from last night are there so there goes my wish for the kitchen to be empty. They are sitting eating nachos when we walk in the room, both of them looking up and greeting us with tired hellos and I realize that I'm not the only one suffering from a hangover today.
"Glad to see the two of you finally re-join civilization." Marcel winks at me suggestively and I roll my eyes but not before letting a very brief smirk cross my lips before Elena notices. Marcel chuckles silently and shoves a handful of nachos into his mouth.
"Those smell delicious." Elena muses as she eyes it up and this time Marcel lets his laughter out.
"The oven is still probably warm if you want to make your own." He offers and Elena turns to face me and I nod my head with a shrug.
She takes that as the go ahead and grabs a tray and tips the nachos on, looking around the fridge for the cheese.
I take a seat at the island across from Marcel and his lady friend, the same one who thought she recognized me last night but I push the thought to the back of my mind because I really do think it was just a coincidence.
Elena doesn't seem worried about it anymore, which is good and I yawn tiredly as Marcel starts to talk to me more about business.
"You sell out last night?" he asks me curiously and I glance briefly at the girl beside him. "Don't worry, she's cool." He waves his hand and I nod.
"Yup. I even managed to overcharge some drunken college freshman too." I smirk at the memory, very thankful for the extra cash that is tucked away upstairs in my wallet for when Elena and I eventually move on from here.
Marcel smirks and takes a sip from his drink. "That's what I like to hear, Damon."
"Damon." The blonde girl from last night snaps her head up to look at me, her eyes wide and her face paling and I immediately tense.
Fuck.
"Oh my God," she whispers with wide eyes, glancing between me and an oblivious Elena frantically.
"Elena," I rise to my feet, my voice tense and Elena turns around from across the kitchen and looks at me confused. "Go and get our stuff, now." I order her firmly.
"What?" she steps forward surprised, her eyebrows creased together confused but when she notices the look on the girls face realization dawns and her face is replaced with fear.
"Go now, Elena!" she nods quickly and practically runs from the room.
"What?" Marcel stands up confused. "What's going on? Lisa?"
So that's her name.
"We need to call the cops…" the girl stands up frantically. "He…he…." She picks up her cell phone that was resting on the counter and I react instantly.
I shake my head and round the counter, grabbing her wrist tightly and snatching the phone from her hand.
"Damon? What the hell man?" Marcel barks at me in a mixture of frustration, confusion and a hint of anger. "What's going on?!" his voice rises like an order. "Damon, let go of her!" He tries to shove my hand from her wrist and I reluctantly do so, keeping her phone still tightly clutched in my other hand.
"He…he…" the girl stutters in panic and I stand still, silently wishing for Elena to be almost done grabbing our stuff. "I knew I recognized you!" she shouts at me in frustration. "You killed that man…you're on the run!"
"What?!" Marcel gawps at me in disbelief and I quickly shake my head.
"No, I didn't kill anyone." I defend myself immediately. I figured out pretty quickly that Klaus hadn't informed Marcel on the real reason Elena and I left Mystic Falls, my best friend spinning some story about how we were just needing space away from our rivaling families for the summer.
"Yes, it's you!" the girl argues, the fear evident in her voice. "I just got back from visiting family who live in Virginia; I saw your photo in the paper! You're on the run for murder and you took your girlfriend with you!"
"Oh my god," Marcel looks at me in disbelief. "Oh my god," he turns around and storms out of the kitchen and I quickly run after him just in time to see Elena get to the bottom of the stairs, both of our duffel bags in each of her hands.
"Marcel!" I chase after him. "Where are you going?!"
"I'm calling the damn cops!" he shouts back furiously as he keeps on walking. I notice Elena's panicked eyes.
"No Marcel, please!" She steps towards him as he marches towards his house phone by the front door.
"Move!" he shoves Elena aside forcefully, causing her to almost fall over, and I swear I almost see red as she falls against the wall roughly.
Marcel picks up the phone and goes to dial in the numbers but I grab the handset from his hand roughly and slam it back down.
"You know, I always knew there was something off about you!" Marcel shoves me backwards and reaches for the phone again but I grab his shoulder roughly and swing him around.
"You aren't calling the cops!" I practically growl furiously and we end up in a scuffle, both of our hands trying to choke the hell out of each other and as we struggle to overpower each other. Our strength is matching up to each other's and we shove and fumble around, crashing against the wall.
"Let go of me!" Marcel snarls furiously but I don't give in, not until a jolt of pain shoots up me and I groan and fall to my knees, clutching my parts as I realize Marcel has just jammed his knee hard into my crotch.
"Jesus!" I snarl onto the floor, Elena instantly by my side, panic in her eyes.
I push myself up to my feet just as Marcel starts to redial 911 and for a moment I think it's all over. Even if we run now, the cops will probably get to us before we even get out of the city. Marcel knows what car I drive and everything.
I don't think, I see Marcel's fingers hit the keys in slow motion and I reach out to grab a vase that is placed on the side table to my right and before Marcel can finish dialing the third number I reach my hand back and slam the vase against the back of his head.
Elena shrieks and the vase smashes immediately, Marcel crashing straight onto the floor unconscious and I gulp breathlessly.
"Oh my god!" Elena dives towards Marcel but I grab her by her waist and pull her back, shaking my head. "Damon!" she practically screams in disbelief.
"Get our things in the truck, now!" I order her and she looks at me startled.
I hear the sound of a cry come from behind me just in time to turn around to see the girl, Lisa, staring at me fearfully, her eyes moving from Marcel's unconscious body to me.
I gulp and take a slow step towards her, my arm held out in front of me.
"No!" she cries out, tears running frantically down her face. "No! Stay away from me!"
"I'm not going to hurt you," I try and keep my voice calm but my heart is pounding painfully against my chest. I spare a glance back to Marcel and I groan when I see Elena is knelt down beside him, her hand resting on his arm as she looks him over. "Damn it, Elena! Don't touch him! Get our things in the truck!"
"Well excuse me for wanting to check if he's alive!" she argues back furiously and I clench my jaw.
"He's fine, just knocked out! Now go!"
She glares at me and moves to grab our things but just as she's about to leave she stops and turns around, noticing Lisa still cowering in the corner, cries falling from her lips as tears slide down her cheeks.
Elena's face falls.
"He's not going to hurt you." She says softly, her eyes laced with guilt. She drops the bags, again, and takes slow steps towards her, walking past me towards Lisa.
"No!" she cries out between a sob. "Please! Don't come any closer."
Elena stills and glances at me nervously and I bite my tongue to resist a snarky comment about how she should be loading the trunk right now. Marcel won't be out for long and we need to be gone ASAP.
I groan and turn around, moving towards the house phone and slamming it against the ground before hitting my foot against it to make sure that it's completely smashed and unusable.
I turn back around and move back towards them, looking down at Marcel as I go, I rest my hand gently on Elena's hip and try to keep my voice steady and calm even though I am panicking like hell inside.
I can't go to prison, but more importantly, I can't lose Elena.
"Elena," I say softly into her ear. "Please. I am begging you, get in the car."
She stares at me unsure and I notice her gulp. "What are you going to do?" she asks in a whisper and part of me wonders what exactly she thinks I am capable of. I know that my reputation is a dark one, I know that Elena is very much aware of some of the awful things that I have done in the past.
However, she needs to trust me on this.
"I promise I'm not going to hurt anyone." I tell her firmly, my hand squeezing her waist. "Please." I say softly and she nods slowly and takes a step back.
"No, no!" Lisa speaks up again, her voice full of dread as she starts to shake her head. "Don't leave me with him!"
Elena looks almost heartbroken and I swallow my fear and my guilt as I watch my girlfriend ignore Lisa's cries and grabs our bags and leaves without another word.
I still for a moment, before slowly turning back to Lisa who is cowering in the corner in fear. Jesus Christ, she is actually terrified of me. I realize that I haven't exactly given her reason not to be, I mean, she believes that I'm a murderer, a killer, and she's just watched me knock out her lover right in front of her eyes.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone look so afraid of me before, especially a girl. It gives me a painful uncomfortable feeling deep inside but I take a deep breath and push it away.
"I need you to stay calm." I take a slow step towards her and that just makes her cry louder and I am so glad that Marcel's mansion is so big that his neighbors are a good distance away to not be able to hear this.
I cringe and stop, looking around the parlor and freeze when I see the curtains covering the windows by the front the door. I quickly walk towards them and pull them off and ripping them into wide strips, ignoring Lisa's pleas and screams and I hope to God Elena can't hear this from the truck.
I try my best to tune her out as I hurriedly approach her, the fabric clutched tightly in my hands and I grunt in pain and annoyance as her fingers claw at my skin as I bend down in front of her, her hands slapping my face and my neck but I grab her wrists in a firm grip and use a ripped piece of the curtain to tie it around her wrists tightly. She gasps in pain and I murmur an apology before doing the same to her ankles, gripping down her kicking feet.
I gulp and do the part that I am less willing to do but if Elena and I want to make it out of this state before we're reported then I don't have a choice. I tie a piece of fabric around her mouth, gagging her and she muffles a scream through the material.
"I'm so sorry." I tell her sincerely once she can't move. Her eyes are wide with fear as tears continue to flow down her cheeks.
I thank God that Elena didn't have to witness this.
I quickly do the same thing to Marcel, who is starting to stir slightly but remains unconscious. Once I make sure the knots are tight enough, I rise to my feet and glance again at Lisa who is watching me with terrified eyes, tears still flowing quickly down her already wet cheeks.
Again I swallow my guilt and look at her almost shamefully. "I'm sorry." I practically whisper before turning on my heel and running out of the house.
I slam the door shut behind me and fall back against it, my eyes closing ever so briefly before I recompose myself.
I pull out Lisa's cell phone from my pocket and drop it onto the concrete floor and stamp my foot onto it a few times, breaking it into pieces.
I see Elena's silhouette in the truck that's parked along the driveway and I quickly make my way over and jump inside.
I notice immediately that she is crying, her arms wrapped around herself protectively and when she turns to face me her eyes widen.
"What did you do?" her voice is cold and tense. I frown confused but then I realize that Lisa scratched me and I probably have the evidence clear for her to see.
"She's fine." I tell her firmly, swallowing the lump in my throat as I put the keys in the ignition and start the car. Slamming my foot against the accelerator, wanting to get as far away from this house as possible.
Elena doesn't say anything else; instead she turns her head away and stares out of the window. She's stopped crying but her eyes are still wet with tears and I clutch onto the steering wheel tightly as we fall into an uncomfortable tense silence.
I didn't realize how long we'd been driving until I noticed the sun starting to set and that it was starting to get dark. I spare a glance at Elena for the first time since we left Marcel's house and I notice that while her tears have dried away, her body is still tense and her arms are still wrapped around herself in a protective stance.
I take a deep breath and break the silence.
"Elena?"
She doesn't reply, but she tilts her head from the side window to the front so I know that she's listening.
"I'm sorry for what I did." I say quietly, my body seeping with guilt as I'm reminded of the look of fear in Lisa's eyes back at the house as well as Elena's shocked look after I knocked Marcel out.
She doesn't reply and I gulp, my knuckles turning white against the wheel as I clutch it tightly, unable to let go even if I wanted too. My other hand is clutching the gear stick so tightly that it starts a numbing pain in my fingers but again I can't seem to let go.
"I did what I did to survive," I continue despite her ignoring me. "For us to survive." I keep my eyes glued onto the freeway ahead of us.
"I know," Elena whispers and I'm surprised by the softness in her voice. Her hand moves and lands on my own that is resting on the gear stick and I nervously spare another glance to see that she's now looking at me.
Her familiar doe eyes are now back to their usual softness and I feel a release, my shoulders instantly relaxing.
"I know." She whispers again and my fingers are finally able to let go.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it :)
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Until next time