Twisted Love
Season One
Miss Mystic Falls
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries, I only own Grace :)
Elena wandered over to where Stefan was parking his cherry red sports car, a smirk appeared on his face as he climbed out, pulling his raybans off and tucking them into his pocket.
"Nice car." She noted with a smile.
"Thought it was a waste to leave it in the garage." he shrugged pulling her into a kiss.
"I didn't know you were coming back today." She looked up at him with sparkling chocolate brown eyes.
"You know, I woke up this morning and I was feeling great and I figured it was time for me to get back into things." he shrugged.
"Does that mean you're ok now? With all the cravings?" She questioned.
"Yeah, I mean the worst part is over so... now all I want to do is spend as much time with you as possible." He grinned romantically at her.
"I'm ok with that." Elena blushed gently as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers for the second time that day.
"Hey, thank you for helping me through the rough patch." He told her genuinely.
"You're welcome." She paused looking up into his captivating hazel eyes "we're going to be late."
"ok, uh, you know what? I'll catch up with you, I'm going to grab my stuff. I'll be right behind you." he promised.
Elena nodded as she walked off towards the school building, Stefan opened the trunk of his car and looked at the many empty blood bags that read 'Mystic Falls Hospital' on the label, he pulled his bag out and shut it as quick as he could.
Meanwhile at the Mystic Falls Founders Hall Damon was talking to Sheriff Liz Forbes whilst John Gilbert was listening in.
"There was a disturbance at the hospital blood bank last night; some of the supply was compromised." Liz informed Damon.
"Compromised? You mean stolen?" Damon creased his eyes brows.
"We almost missed it. The inventory records were altered but when the night manager was questioned he had no recollection of changing them..." Liz gave him a look.
"Meaning that the vampire who stole the blood used mind control to hide the theft." John turned away from the table he was standing at to get involved in the conversation.
"I knew what she meant." Damon rolled his eyes at John.
"We wouldn't have noticed had John not alerted us to the recent discrepancies in the other hospital blood banks in the county." the Sheriff shrugged gently.
"How lucky for us, we have John." Damon side ways glanced at John.
"We're stepping up security at the hospital, giving the guards vervain to prevent this for happening again..." Liz added.
"Sheriff, may I offer a suggestion? Why don't Damon and I put our heads together? We can track down whoever is doing this..." John suggested as Damon gave him a less than pleased look.
"Truthfully I could use the extra hands. Is that something you would be willing to do?" Liz looked at the blue eyed Vampire.
"well, of course, I mean, if it'll help." Damon tried to act helpful.
"I think we could make a good team, don't you think so, Damon?" John looked at the older Salvatore brother.
"John, whatever I can do to help keep this town safe; even if it means spending time with you." He threw him a sarcastic smile, which John returned.
Back at Mystic Falls High Grace and Elena took their seats in History Class, they saw that Stefan was the last to walk in just before Alaric.
"Ok, this week we're gonna set aside our regular curriculum for a lesson in local history as we approach Founder's day. Apparently the community leaders feel it's more important than World War 2, but hey what do I know?" Alaric told the class sarcastically.
"Look it's Bonnie." Grace whispered to Elena as the young witch walked in the room.
"Sorry I'm late." She apologised before taking her seat behind Elena and Grace.
Bonnie sat down next to Caroline and smile at her, when the telepath turned she avoided eye contact with her, when Elena turned she avoid eye contact with her too, and she gave Stefan a icy look when he smiled at her...
"Is something wrong with Bonnie?" Grace asked Elena "She just ignored me completely.
"Me too." Elena replied.
At the Salvatore Boarding House the doorbell rang, Damon walked over and opened it to reveal Anna standing there.
"I suppose I should be grateful, you learned how to use the bell..." Damon rolled his eyes.
"I'm here on behalf of my mother." She informed him walking past him into the old fashion house.
"On behalf of or in spite of?" Damon questioned as he shut the door.
"I'm sorry about what the other vampires did to Stefan. Abducting him, torturing him... it wasn't supposed to go down like that." She admitted apologetically.
"You're playing house with a half a tomb of really pissed off vampires. What do you think was going to happened?" Damon growled.
"My mom is devastated; they tried to over throw her..." Anna tried to reason with him.
"Why isn't she telling me this?" Damon quizzed the older vampire.
"She doesn't really do apologies." Anna shrugged.
"well, it's a coincidence, 'cause I don't do forgiveness. Just run along. And if you're going to continue playing house with these little vampire pets, you might want to stop robbing the blood bank dry because they're onto it." Damon hissed at her.
"I haven't been to the local blood bank in at least a week." Anna replied truthfully taking a step back from the angry vampire.
"Then it's one of your others." He told her.
"They others are gone, Damon." The brunette spat.
"well, where did they go?" Damon questioned.
"They weren't cut out for this town... After what happened with your brother my mom kicked them out and they took off. It's just us and Harper now." Anna creased her eye brows at him.
Bonnie is walking through the school yard when she was spotted by the twins, they both ran over but she didn't look very happy to see them.
"Bonnie, it's so good to see you." Grace grinned.
"Thanks." She nodded a little, she seemed awkward and on edge talking to them.
"I tried to grab you after class, but you had already taken off. How are you? How's your family?" Elena smiled.
"We're dealing, it's been hard." She told them truthfully.
"Everyone's really missed you." Grace smiled again at her, but Bonnie only nodded.
"Yeah, I just had so much to deal with after Grams' funeral and, honestly after you told me the tomb spell failed I just didn't really want to come back." Bonnie shrugged.
"I hope you understand why I called... I wanted you to know before you came home." Elena defended her reasons.
"I understand why. I just... I shouldn't know." She paused for a long time.
"I know it's been really hard." Grace looked at her.
"Bonnie! Bonnie!" Caroline came bounding over capturing the olive toned witch into a huge hug "Thank god you're home." She giggled "I know we talked everyday, but I missed you."
"Everyday." Grace whispered a little upset, Elena shared the emotion with her.
"How are you doing?" the blonde pulled back from the hug.
"Better. Better. You know, glad to be back and trying to keep myself busy..." Bonnie shrugged not looking at the two brunettes who had puzzled, hurt expressions on their face.
"Well, I can help with that. Major wardrobe problem! You need to help me pick out the perfect dress for the Founder's court." Caroline grinned.
"The Founder's court? Did I miss something?" Elena questioned.
"They Founder's court! You know, Miss Mystic Falls. They announced it today and you and I are both on it." The blonde told her.
"Oh my God!" Elena looked at Grace "We signed up for that so long ago... I completely forgot."
"So, are you dropping out them?" Something in Caroline's voice sounded hopeful.
"I can't." Elena glanced at Grace.
"No?" Caroline was confused.
"Her mom is the one who wanted her to enter." Grace nodded at Elena before rubbing her shoulder.
Stefan returned home from his long day of school and Damon walks up to him as soon as he walks into the house.
"How was school?" The blue eyed boy questioned.
"Fine." Stefan shrugged.
"Yeah? Same old, same old? Nothing new? No stories to bring home?" Damon quizzed the younger brother.
"You're making small talk, why?" Stefan eyed his brother suspiciously.
"You seem awfully chipper lately, less doom and gloom, a little more pep in your step." Damon gave him a look.
"And you think it's because I drank human blood again." Stefan guessed.
"I don't want to brag, but I would definitely take responsibility for this new and improved you." The raved hard boy grinned.
"Well, I hate to burst your bubble but I'm clean." Stefan stepped past him.
"Yeah, not possible." Damon replied bluntly.
"Not only is it possible but it's quite true." Stefan turned back to his older brother.
"Stefan, just be serious for a second. You spent the last century and a half being a poster child for Prozac and now you expect me to believe that this new you has nothing to do with the human blood. Nothing." Damon questioned.
"I'm clean." Stefan shrugged.
"You're lying!" Damon shook his head.
"Believe what you want..." Stefan wiggled his eye brows before turning and leaving a suspicious Damon behind.
Elena and Grace were sitting in the Gilbert family kitchen, both picking at some grapes that Jenna had forgotten to take with her.
"I really want to enter that Miss Mystic Falls pageant, but I'm not sure Stefan would be up for it." Elena sighed.
"You know what? There's only one way to find out." Grace grabbed Elena's phone and pressed call "Hey, Stef, how is everything?" Grace questioned and Elena looked at her shocked.
"Everything's pretty good, Grace, how are you?" Stefan glanced as Damon whipped his head up at the sound of the girls name.
"Yeah, I great thanks, I'm gonna pass you over to Elena now because she has something very important to ask you..." Grace held to the phone out to her twin "You're welcome." She grinned.
"I hate you." Elena joked taking her blackberry "I'm sorry about her... she can get a little... you know... anyway, I'm sorry for the short notice; I didn't even know that the contest was coming up much less that I would be in it, but would you maybe escort me to the Miss Mystic Falls pageant?"
"I would be happy to escort you, Elena." He smiled.
"My mom was really into this Founder's day stuff. She was even Miss Mystic in her day." She shrugged as she gave a thumbs up to Grace "I kind of want to do it for her."
"It'll be great, we'll have fun." He assured her.
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow, I love you." Elena blushed as Grace giggled.
"I love you too." He replied.
Stefan hung up and look at Damon who was engrossed in the book he was reading, quickly walking from the room, he silently stalked down to the cellar where there was a large fridge, popping it open to reveal many stolen blood bags from Mystic Falls Hospital, he heard a voice come from behind him.
"well, well." Damon announced as he stood in the door way "he's a liar and a thief." he smirked "So when were you going to share?"
"Go ahead, help yourself." Stefan shrugged.
"No, no, no, I'm talking about the fact that you're a closet blood junkie." Damon shrugged.
"So, I'm drinking blood again. You're the one that shoved it on me." the younger brother reminded him "What you're problem? I have it under control."
"Under control? You robbed the hospital!" Damon spat.
"So what's your point?" Stefan growled.
"Fine, whatever man, drink up. Just remember, we're trying to keep a low profile. Why don't you just walk up to Sheriff Forbes and as her to tap a vein?' The older brother retorted sarcastically.
"Have my actions negatively impacted you? I can't imagine what that must feel like." Stefan was just as sarcastic.
"Yeah, what's Elena think about the new... you?" Damon quizzed.
"Nothing's changed; I'm still the same person." Stefan shrugged.
"Clearly." He rolled his icy blue orbs.
"Elena doesn't need to know anything yet." Stefan almost threatened.
"You've been off the human stuff for years, Stefan. If you're having trouble controlling..."
"I'm not having trouble." Stefan cut him off.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Damon laughed "I know what it's like. That Jekyll and Hyde feeling, that switch, sometimes it foes off and you snap. Right now it not a good time for me to worried about snapping." The older brother showed some kind of concern.
Stefan reached into the fridge and grabbed a pouch "I know it pains you to see this but I'm fine, ok? I'm fine." he assured him "So please, do me a favour and back off." He closed the fridge and stomped off into the house.
Carol Lockwood was interviewing the girls for the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, First was Caroline then Amber, then Tina Fell, then Elena
"This year's queen will have the special honour of taking stage at 150ths Founder's day gala. Before we crown our winner, we'd like to get to know a bit more about each of you..." Carol Lockwood state.
"I'm on the MF beautification comity; I volunteer at the poor soup kitchen." Was Caroline's Answer "I implemented this years go green campaign at school." She added "I worked for the recycling program and was in charge of this years police raffle."
"I recognize that I haven't been as involved this year that I used to be." Elena answered during her interview "I've been distracted and I let a lot of things slide." She nodded "But I'm aware of what an honour this is and I want you to know that I take it seriously... This was really important to my mother. She believed in community, family, honour and loyalty. It's the legacy she left for me."
"I don't think it's wrong for me to win two years in a row." The winner for the year before shrugged.
"I was surprised to have been selected since I'm not from one of the founding families." Amber told Carol with a dopey laugh.
"Just because my D.U.I made my community service mandatory doesn't mean that I was any less committed." Tina Fell smiled.
At the Salvatore Boarding House Damon heard the doorbell ring again, he walked to the door and opened it to reveal John Gilbert, he just walked in casually.
"Hey partner!" John grinned.
"What do you want?" Damon asked.
"You haven't returned my calls..." John shrugged.
"Most people take that as a hint." Damon rolled his eyes.
"Where do we start looking for Vampires?" John grinned.
"Why the act, John? I mean, you obviously don't care about looking for Vampires 'cause you're here talking to me..." Damon argued.
"Actually, I care very much." John replied.
"What did Isobel say about that? I mean, considering that she is one..." Damon shrugged.
"Isobel and I share a mutual interest. The original Jonathan Gilbert has an invention that was stolen by a Vampire. That Vampire was then burned alive in Fell's Church, or so Jonathan thought and the invention was lost forever. But then the Vampires we're killed, were they? They were trapped and now they're free, thanks to you which means the invention is retrieval." John grinned.
"What is it?" Damon asked coyly.
"The only thing that matters is that I want it back and you're going to help me if you want your secret safe." John replied.
"Why bring me into it, John? I mean, I don't know what you're talking about much less who has it." Damon shook his head.
"oh c'mon, Damon! You were around back then." he reminded him "You know who these people are, what they look like. He was friendly with a woman who turned out to be a vampire... her name was Pearl. Does that ring a bell?" The fair haired man eyed Damon suspiciously.
"I'm not playing anymore." Damon stated after a long pause "Get out. Get out." He pushed him towards the door.
"I beg your pardon?" John narrowed his eyes.
"You know, I only entertain this whole blackmail scheme thing of yours because I thought that you and Isobel could lead me to Fayth but see, now I know you have no idea where Fayth is, because if you did you would that that Katherine and Fayth were Pearl's best friends... See, you don't know everything, do you John." Damon hissed.
"I'll tell the entire council what you are." John threatened.
"Go for it!" Damon laughed "I'll kill every last one of them. Then I'll sever your hand, pull your ring off, and I'll kill you too. Do you understand that?" Damon hissed.
At Mystic Falls High Carol Lockwood was teaching the girl who are in the Mystic Falls pageant the dance moves they will need to learn, along with their partners.
"Honour your partner." Carol started, all of the teens bowed to each other "Stay focused, right hand around." Elena and Stefan held both of their right hands up and circled each other without touching "Flirt with your eyes." Both laughed as they attempted to flirt with their eyes "Left hand around." Both went left.
"This is ridiculous." Elena laughed.
"Both hands." Carol ordered and both hands came out, not touching just circling.
"You're only saying that because you don't know how to do it." Stefan teased jokingly.
"Sorry only one of us was around when the dance was invented." Elena grinned.
"Ouch." Stefan laughed grabbing her spinning her in his arms.
"No, no!" Carol ran over "There's no touching during this part. It's about the simple intimacy of the near touch." She walked back "Very nice, Amber." She complimented the blonde.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood!" Amber grinned triumphantly.
"If you ask me, the 'near touch' is overrated." Stefan whispered to Elena as they went back to near touching with their hands.
"You seem to be in a good mood." Elena smiled at her man.
"Is that a bad thing? Would you prefer me to be brooding and tortured." Stefan put on his brooding face and frowning forehead.
"Hey, I'm not complaining." She replied innocently moving closer towards him.
"Oh, no touching." Stefan joked taking a step back.
"Let's go see Grace." Elena walked over to where her twin was sitting "We won't be much longer, try and put a smile on..."
"I'm trying..." Grace plastered a fake grin on her face.
In the hall was Caroline was standing there with her stand-in partner Bonnie whilst Matt was working at the Grill.
"The Fell cousins don't have a shot." Caroline sized up the competition "And Amber Bradley is only on the court so the pageant doesn't look like it's founding families only which of course it is." She smirked "So that leaves Elena who totally has the sympathy vote since her parents died. How can I compete with that?" Caroline pouted.
"Very nice, very sensitive." Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry, this must sound really unimportant. In light of everything." Caroline apologised.
"It's ok, I get it, you want to win." She shrugged.
"Well, my grandmother was Miss Mystic and both of my aunts... my mom is the only one who didn't get the gene and I want this. I actually deserve it." Caroline stated egotistically as they walked back into the room to see, Grace, Stefan and Elena leaving.
"Bonnie. Hey." Grace smiled.
"Hey, how are you?" Stefan asked.
She didn't answer, Grace glances at her funny, and as she tried to read her thoughts she gets a shock and hisses in pain.
"What was that for?" Grace growled holding her head "We need to talk."
"We only have a little while left-"
"It'll only take a minute." Elena replied.
Bonnie nodded and the three walked from the room, to where Caroline and Bonnie were just standing talking about the competition.
"Why did you shock me?" Grace asked.
"You should be reading peoples minds, it's an invasion of privacy." Bonnie replied shortly.
"Fine, then tell me what your problem is." Grace replied "Because I'm so lost."
"It's not worth talking about..." Bonnie shrugged.
"What do you mean not worth it? You barely said ten words to us and you won't even look at Stefan. Is that what is is? Is it Stefan?" Elena asked feeling slightly offended.
"Listen, Elena, I can't just pretend that everything's ok. Everything my Grams did was to protect us from those Vampires in the tomb. And not they're out, which means she died for nothing." Bonnie replied.
"I'm so sorry, Bonnie." Elena sighed.
"What can we do to make it better?" Grace asked.
"That's just it, Grace!" Bonnie looked at her now "There's nothing you can do, I blame him! Him and Damon. And I'm not going to put you both in a situation where you have to choose sides. I'm just having a hard time with it. Ok?"
Whilst they were having this conversation Stefan was listening, he quickly walked from the room across the school yard, but something made him stop, one of the basketball players had fallen and hurt his knee, blood was dripping from the open wound and Stefan was doing his best to resist.
"Stefan, are you ok?" Alaric placed his hand on Stefan shoulder, the vampire was taken by surprise as he turned and gripped the teachers throat before realising who it was and realising him.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I was just... I was feeling a little sick." Stefan lied before leaving blood filled area quickly.
The next day Grace was getting dressed for the pageant in Elena's room, she had just finished curling the ends of her extremely long, thick chocolate brown hair, and apply her make up, she pulled on her strapless black mini dress, it had large black and white stripped bow around the waist and for shoes she was huge open toe black pumps to match her dress.
"What do you think?" Grace asked as Elena walked from the bathroom.
"You look great." Elena hugged her "You should have signed up for the pageant."
"It's not my thing." Grace shrugged "But I'm sure you'll win."
"We'd better get downstairs, Alaric will be here any minute." She grabbed her dress.
As they walked downstairs the door was knocked, Elena opened it and Alaric was standing there with his same goofy grin on his face.
"Hey." Elena smiled.
"Hi." Alaric nodded.
"I heard you're driving." Elena stated.
"Yeah I am... Let me get that for you." He took the dress from her hands.
"Thanks." Elena smiled as he walked in the house closing the door behind him.
"How... how is Stefan?" Alaric questioned.
"What do you mean?" Elena looked at him from the corner of her eye as she got her last minute things together.
"You know, he seems on edge." Alaric noted as Grace walked in the room holding a make up bag for Elena.
"He went through a lot, he was in bad shape for a while but now he's bouncing back." She shrugged putting her hair curlers and other hair items in a bag.
John Gilbert walked into the room and him and Alaric shared a narrowed eye look, Grace caught this and creased her thin shaped eye brows before remembering what Damon has told her the other night.
"Alaric. Hey buddy, what are you doing here?" John questioned.
"I'm the chauffeur." Alaric replied.
"I thought I was driving." John looked around the room.
"No need, we're going with Ric." Jenna replied shortly as she walked down the stairs clipping in her earring.
"Are we ready?" Grace asked breaking the tension in the room.
"I think so." Elena nodded.
"Jeremy can ride with you." Jenna told the fair haired man as she left the house with the others.
Anna walked into the Founder's hall feeling a wave a memories wash over her from when she lived in Mystic Falls in 1864, she walked out the back of the large clean white building to see a certain blue eye vampire walking towards her champagne in hand.
"In the running for Miss Mystic Falls?" Damon asked the brunette.
"Sometimes you have to wear uncomfortable heels to blend in.. I remember this event from 1864, I was supposed to enter before everything happened." She sighed.
"Ah, nostalgia's a bitch." He rolled his eyes.
"Is you're just going to mock me can you move along please?" She asked fed up with his games.
"John Gilbert thinks your mom stole an artefact from Jonathan senior... senior back in 1864." Damon started.
"What are you, his errand boy?" She taunted.
"I don't know what is is, but I don't want him to have it." Damon growled.
"I could ask her but you know, you've made it pretty clear that you don't trust us so why should I even bother?" She shrugged.
"Because you want to stay in Mystic Falls and John Gilbert's in town, making that impossible." He replied narrowing his eyes "Find out where it is. He leaves, goodbye welcome mat." He shrugged before hearing something.
"You head upstairs, Elena." Grace told her twin "I'm going to go grab a drink."
"Excuse me." Damon walked away from the older Vampire to see the young telepath grabbing some water "You look amazing." He complimented her as she reached over and grabbed a glass of champagne from a waitress.
A pink tinge washed over her cheeks as she turned to the blue eyed vampire "Thanks, you don't look too shabby yourself." She smiled fixing his tie for him locking eyes with him.
"Are you not running for Miss Mystic?" He asked moving closer to her "I'm sure you'd win."
"Nope." She swigged her champagne "I'd prefer just to help Elena with her winning."
"Thats nice of you." He told her kindly and Grace just shrugged in response gnawing gently on her juicy bottom lip.
"How is Stefan holding up?" Grace asked as a long pause "When I saw him he looked happy."
Damon was torn "I'm not sure if I should say anything..." he glanced down at his shoes then back up to her waiting face "He's still drinking human blood." he lowered his voice.
"He what?" Grace looked completely shocked, like she'd just been slapped around the face "Oh my gosh." She whispered "Are you sure about that?"
"He as a fridge full of stolen blood bags in the basement of our house..." Damon replied "If it wasn't for the council looking for where the blood was going I'd be happy that he was back on the hard stuff."
"What are you going to do?" Grace asked "Should we tell Elena?" her breathing now beginning to pick up when she thought of her twin.
"calm down." He rubbed the small of her back "I think I should tell Elena." Damon told her brushing one of her curls over her shoulder "It isn't your place to worry about my brother or her boyfriend, alright, just relax."
"He's been so close to her, and we didn't even know, I didn't hear him thinking about anything... How didn't I hear him?" She shook her head beginning to panic again
"Grace. Calm." He placed his champagne glass on the on the table at his side and placed both of his arms on her shoulders making her look up into his icy blue orbs "It wasn't your place to know... It's going to be fine, ok? You just need to calm down." She didn't, she was distance from him, thinking about the mistakes she had made.
Quickly he ducked his head down and crushed his lips against her, moving his hands down her arms onto her tiny waist her gripped her tightly, she soon sunk into the passion kiss too, wrapping her thin arms around his neck.
There were many gasps from around them and murmuring voices, but only one stood out when a hand gripped the brunettes shoulder turning her away from the Vampire.
"Grace." Jenna was shocked.
"Jenna." Grace hiccuped peering over her shoulder at Damon who was smirking at her, she was drunk off his presence "I-I should go help 'Lena, she's waiting for m-me upstairs." She breathed patting her chest gently as her cheeks began to turn a deep shade of red.
"I think that's a good idea." Jenna nodded looking at Damon as he rubbed her lip gloss from his lips onto the back of his hand.
"See you later, Grace." Damon grinned at the flustered girl.
A small wave and Grace was making her way to the spiral stairs in the Founder's hall with Jenna at her side, they walked into the room where at the girls were getting ready for the pageant.
"What took you so long?" Elena looked at them.
"Sorry, 'Lena." Grace apologised holding her head that was spinning "I was talking to Damon."
"You were making out with Damon." Jenna corrected her grabbing a nail file getting started on Elena's nails.
"You what?" Elena smirked.
"It was nothing, just a little kiss." Grace shrugged downplaying the amazing kiss she had just shared with the raved haired 170 year old Vampire.
"With a little tongue." Jenna smirked at the telepath.
"There was no tongue." Grace protested rolling her bright brown orbs "What do you need help with, 'Lena?" Grace questioned.
"Could you do my hair for me? I can't get at the back." Elena asked whilst putting on her fake eye lashes.
"Sure." Grace nodded grabbing Elena's hair tongs and beginning to curl the long, luscious chocolate brown locks.
"Thanks for helping me with this." She smiled at Jenna and Grace.
"Don't thank me until you're sure your hair isn't going to burn off." Grace joked.
"You know, I remember when my mom and I were first applying for this, she was so excited." The brunette smiled.
"So were you if I recall." Jenna grinned.
"Yeah, I remember you were so excited." Grace laughed at the memory.
"I was." Elena agreed "She just made it sound like so much fun. Lots has changed since then." She glanced up at her twin who nodded silently taking in the statement.
"I hate to break it to you, bit it's a little too late for cold feet." Jenna laughed.
"I don't have cold feet." Elena shook her head "I just... I think I'd be enjoying it a lot more if she was here."
"Well I'll tell you one thing, your hair would have a better change is she was." Grace joked as Elena's hair sprung into a curl "I think I'm finished."
"me too." Jenna nodded.
"Ok, I should go put my dress on." Elena stood up looking at her twin "Be careful with that thing, don't hurt anybody." she laughed.
Jeremy is alone outside of the Founder's Hall by himself, when John spots him he walks over and stands next to him.
"You look miserable." he stated.
"are there really a whole month of these events that I'm supposed to show up at?" Jeremy asked already fed up.
"You could fight it if you want, but it's part of being a Gilbert..." John shrugged.
"Yeah, you mentioned you know a lot about the family. You know anything about our ancestor Jonathan Gilbert?" Jeremy questioned.
"Prolific writer, crazy inventor. Why do you ask?" John quizzed coyly.
"Well, I read his journal..." the teen shrugged.
"Is that right?" The fair haired man cocked an eye brow.
"Yeah, I actually found it in all dads' stuff." Jeremy replied with a small shrug.
"well, it's surprising. Most of them are locked away..." John stated.
"There are more of them?" Jeremy asked surprised.
"Jonathan Gilbert journaled his whole life. Right down to the bitter, insane, drunken end... He had a lot of demons." John nodded.
"And did you read them?" The brown haired boy questioned.
"I've browsed, yeah." He shrugged.
"What did you think about what he wrote?" Jeremy asked now interested.
"Crazy ramblings of a mad man, of course." He smirked in response.
Jeremy nodded slightly before turning to see Anna walking across the yard into the Founder's Hall, John noticed that Jeremy was staring at her.
"She's very pretty." John noted.
"Yeah, uh she's a friend of mine. Excuse me." Jeremy followed the Vampire.
Elena walked into where the girls would get dressed one at a time to see the blonde Amber passing back and for nervously gnawing on her newly manicured nails, as she wore her beautiful black rhinestone dress.
"Are you ok, Amber?" Elena questioned.
"I hate being the centre of attention." She let out a shaky breath "I get panic attacks."
"Do you need some privacy?" Elena asked politely.
"Actually I'm just – I'm going to go wait out there with the others." She left the room quickly closing the door behind her.
Elena looked in the direction of the door for a second before turning to grab her navy blue dress from the hanger, when she turned again she jolted when she saw an icy blue pair of eyes staring at her.
"Hey, you can't be back here." Elena told him stubbornly.
"We need to talk." Damon started.
"Does it have to be right now?" She motioned to her dress.
"Normally I would have a completely different outlook of what I'm about to tell you, but since it could really inconvenience me, I'll squeal." Damon shrugged.
"What are you talking about?" Elena creased her eye brows.
"Stefan's still drinking human blood." He didn't hesitate this time.
"What?" Elena's jaw dropped.
"Yeah, a month ago I would have rejoiced, but with the council back on the alert, it is not a good time for Stefan to fly off the handle." Damon told her.
"I know he's been a little on edge, but he said that was normal." Elena stared off into a blank space.
"He has a fridge full of stolen blood bank contraband in the house." Damon lowered his voice incase anyone could hear him.
Elena took a seat on the couch completely thrown back by it all "Oh my God." She whispered.
"He has no idea what normal is, his entire existence isn't normal. Normal to a Vampire is drinking human blood but he spent all of this time fighting it when he should have been learning to control it and now it's controlling him instead..." Damon informed her, his tone now deadly serious.
"I can't believe this. I mean, it's Stefan that we're talking about here..." Elena shook her head.
"Stefan on human blood Elena; he'll do anything because he's not going to want to stop. Trust me." Damon nodded.
Jeremy walked into the hall of the Founder's Hall and saw Anna standing there, she rolled her eyes when she saw him.
"Anna." He called her over.
"What is it?" She hissed walking towards him.
"Come on, don't be like that." Jeremy tried to act nice.
"Why not? You were basically using me to turn you into a vampire so you could be with someone else." She spat.
"No, I wasn't using you." Jeremy shook his head.
"Really? And how would you like to define it?" Anna hissed.
"Look, I don't think it's any worse than you becoming friends with me so you could give your mother my blood." Jeremy replied shortly.
"How do you know that?" She looked up at him shocked.
"It's not important." Jeremy shook his head again avoiding eye contact with her.
"Seriously, Jeremy, what do you know?" Anna questioned.
"Everything, I know everything." Jeremy nodded.
Grace was sitting with Jenna on a couch when Stefan walked into the room, the brunette stood up and smiled at him.
"Hey, Stef, what's up?" Grace asked trying to act casual even though she knew his human blood drinking secret.
"I was looking for Elena, have you seen her?" Stefan asked a kind smile planted on his face.
"I'm going to go see if Alaric is ok." Jenna stood up and walked from the room "The line up is soon." She called the reminder.
"Yeah, she's just getting changed, she should be ready for zipping up about now." Grace nodded "I'll come with you."
They walked towards the door pushing it open to see Elena not ready and Damon standing in there talking to her.
"What's going on in here?" Stefan asked.
"Just filling Elena in on your extra-curricular activities." Damon replied looking at Grace closing the distance to place his arm around her waist.
"What are you talking about?" Stefan played dumb.
"I know about the blood, Stefan." Disappointment was ringing loud and clear in Elena's voice.
"We should go." Grace whispered to Damon feeling awkward.
"Yeah, we'll be downstairs... Drinking." He gripped her waist escorting her from the room shutting the door behind them.
"Will she be ok in there?" Grace questioned worried for her twin.
"Yeah, she'll be fine..." Damon nodded.
"I was going to tell you." Stefan turned to Elena.
"When?" Elena quizzed.
"I'm fine. I'm fine." He assured her "The blood, it doesn't change anything."
"It's changing you." Elena told him.
"Why? Because I kept it a secret from you? Come on, Elena, look, giving the way you're reacting right now, can you really blame me for doing that?"
"Are you hearing yourself right now?" Elena asked "You've been stealing blood and lying and you say that everything's fine? Everything's not fine, Stefan!"
"So what – so you, Damon and Grace all of a sudden have everything figured out then?" Stefan asked getting angry now.
"It's not about Damon, or Grace it's about what's happening to you." Elena spat.
"I know and I'm telling you that I'm fine. I'm fine." He laughed "Please, c'mon. Elena, I thought you... I thought you believed in me." He gave her a puppy dog look when the door was knocked and Carol Lockwood walked into the room.
"Elena, let's go. The line up is starting." She told her.
"I just... I need a minute." Elena was struck with guilt as she watched her boyfriend.
"You not even dressed yet." She noted "Escorts wait downstairs, Stefan." Carol told him before making him leave.
Whilst this was happening downstairs Grace and Damon awaited the arrival of Elena and Stefan, his hand was placed on her waist still as they stood in anticipation.
"Drink?" He offered her some whisky.
"Thanks." She knocked the entire glass back "Ugh." she complained.
"Terrible, but it does the job." He grinned signalling the waiter over "Two more Bourbons." he ordered placing his glass on the tray.
"What's taking them so long?" Grace questioned leaning her head on Damon's shoulder.
"You know a lot of people are looking at us right?" Damon noted.
"Yeah, I noticed." She replied casually "I'm going to go freshen up real quick." She smiled at him.
"Don't take too long." He smiled back at her.
Grace giggled as she walked across the room to where a bathroom was, she went to open it but realised it was occupied, rolling her eyes, she walked down a flight of stairs to another bathroom, she heard a smash come from within the small room and opened to the door to see a darker Stefan growling at her, his face was filled with hunger and death as she stared into his bold, blank orbs, fang bared at her.
"Stefan." She breathed taking a step back hitting the wall "I'll go get-"
"Come with me." He pulled he from the room by her wrist, he got outside and yanked her through the parking lot.
"Miss Amber Bradley." Mayor Lockwood announced "escorted by Nathan Thomas..."
Amber smiled as she took slow steps down the spiral stairs, shaky breaths fell from her lips as she reached the bottom linking arms with Nathan.
"Miss Tina Fell, escorted by Bartholomew Whitmore." Mayor Lockwood announced the next girl and she travelled down the stairs, leaving only Caroline and Elena upstairs waiting to go down.
"Do you see Stefan down there?" Elena looked over the banister.
Caroline looks over too and shakes her head "Nope, just my boring fill in escort."
"What happened to Matt?" Elena questioned creasing her eye brows.
"They wouldn't let him out of work... Wait, what happened to Stefan?" Caroline questioned concerned.
"I don't know, he just disappeared somewhere, I don't know. What am I doing?" She asked looking at herself "I never should have done through with this."
"What do you mean?" Caroline quizzed.
"I need to find Stefan, this isn't me, I'm not this person anymore." She went to walk past Caroline, but she stopped her.
"no, no, no way, no." She protested "You had your chance to drop out and believe me I was all for it because there is no way that I could beat you." This statement caused a look from Elena "Elena, you're going this because it was important your mom." The blonde smiled.
"Miss Caroline Forbes and her escort Jeffery Lockwood-Hamilton." Mayor Lockwood announced from downstairs and Caroline grinned as she walked down the spiral staircase.
"Elena, you're next." Carol told her with a kind smile.
Stefan drags Grace through the parking lot, then he stops looking at her, she avoided eye contact with him.
"Stop struggling." He growled.
"You can't compel me." Her voice shook.
"Really?" Stefan smirked pulling her bracelet off and throwing it to the floor "Relax, don't struggle, you'll be fine with me." He compelled her and she just nodded.
"I'll be fine with you." She repeated.
Grace's features turned happier she smiled at Stefan like they were best friends walking her silently through the parking lot they didn't speak.
"Where are we going?" Grace questioned.
Stefan sighed "I don't know."
"Shouldn't you be escorting, Elena?" Grace tilted her head.
"No." Stefan barked "Sorry." He apologised.
"No need to apologize." Grace smiled shrugging "It's ok, but you seem sad, Stefan."
"I'm not sad." He shook his head "I'm freaking hungry."
Damon glanced around the room knowing that Elena was next to come down. Walking from the building swiftly into the parking lot he looked around to Stefan, or Grace. Something caught his eye as he saw Grace's charm bracelet sparkling under the bright sun, picking it up his mouth dropped open
"Miss Elena Gilbert, escorted by Stefan Salvatore." Mayor Lockwood announced from inside the building.
A growl escaped his lips as he pushed the bracelet in his pocket and walked back into the building to be waiting for Elena as she arrived at the bottom on the stairs.
"Where is Stefan?" Elena questioned under her breath.
"I don't know." He lead her outside the back of the Founder's hall to where they would dance with the rest of the couples "But he has Grace."
"How do you know?" Elena questioned.
"Her bracelet is in my pocket, the one that stops Vampires from compelling her." Damon hissed.
"What are we going to do?" Elena asked suddenly frightful.
"Right now... We're just going to get through this." Damon glanced around him as they begin to dance.
"I don't hurt people." Stefan told Grace as she sat on the hood on his car "I'm the good brother, I don't do that..."
"Do you want to hurt me?" Grace questioned playing with the ends on her hair.
"I want to kill you." He growled "I want to rip into your skin and I want to feed on your blood." He gulped as he brushed her hair over her shoulder exposing her throat to him, he could see the bite mark from a while back residing there "Under your skin, pulsating, floating." He breathed touching the soft pale skin, tracing the teeth marks "Your carotid artery." He stopped over that part on the neck with two fingers "If you puncture this just right you can control the blood flow. It takes practice, but it doesn't have to make a mess, toy don't have to waste any." he licked his lips.
"What's stopping you?" Grace questioned.
Stefan brushed the thick strands on hair from Grace's face "If I do this, if I give in, there's no going back..."
"Then don't." Grace replied.
"I just want one taste; that's all I need, I just want one taste." he whispered his face becoming darker and more evil.
"One taste." Grace nodded as he bites down into her neck beginning to drink her sweet blood.
All the girls are waiting up on stage awaiting to find out who the next Miss Mystic Falls was going to be, Damon was still glancing around the room looking for Grace.
"Where is Grace?" Caroline asked looking out into the crowd.
"I don't know." Elena's voice shook with fear.
"Before I crown the winner, I'd like to offer a personal thank you to all these young ladies for their efforts to better out community." Carol announced into a microphone making the crowd cheer "So without further ado it is my honour to announce our very own Miss Mystic Falls." She opened an envelope "Miss Caroline Forbes."
"Congratulations." Elena shouts over the screaming crowd.
"I actually won!" Caroline embrace the brunette.
John and Sheriff Forbes were down in the original bathroom that Stefan was in when Grace found him, they were inspecting the scene.
"There is blood on the glass." John announced as they both stare at each other for long time.
"Get my Damon Salvatore." Sheriff Forbes told on of her men.
"I can't do this." Stefan pulled away from Grace's bloody neck.
"What's the matter?" Grace questioned weaker now.
"I can't do this." He repeated.
"It's ok." She assured him "It doesn't hurt that much... just not so hard next time." She smiled gently.
"I can't stop, I won't be able to stop." He told her touching her calm face accidentally smearing it with her own blood "Why aren't you afraid of me?"
"You told me not to be, I'm going to be ok with you." She repeated what he had compel her to say.
"Grace, look at me." he ordered "I need you to be afraid of me." He began to compel her and her breathing hitched "I need you to run like hell, do you understand me?" She nodded "Run, run now!"
Grace took off from on the hood of Stefan's car into a small forest around the back off the Fonder's Hall, trying to run as fast as she could away from the demon following her.
"There were signs of trouble in the downstairs bathroom." Damon told Elena as he joined her again, they didn't know that Bonnie was listening in on the conversation.
"Damon, I'm getting really worried now, he must have Grace. I mean, her bracelet is with you, there was a struggle downstairs, no one has seen her, or him ... would he hurt her?" Elena questioned.
"Yes." Damon nodded not hiding the truth from her "But I'm not going to give him the chance to, I'm going to find her."
Grace continued to run when Stefan appeared in front of her she slammed into his chest, a sadistic smile planted on his lips as she went to run another direction, but he grabbed her and sunk his teeth into her neck again, her blood spilling into his mouth and a scream erupted from hers.
Damon zipped to where they were standing and Stefan saw him, dropping Grace's lifeless body to the ground with a thud, it wasn't long until Elena arrived, with Bonnie close behind.
"Stefan, it's going to be ok." Damon took slow steps towards the telepath "Let me just get Grace."
"No!" Stefan shoved him away against a tree, Damon groaned in pain.
Bonnie began to cast a spell with set of mini explosions inside of Stefan head, he called out in pain, before quickly running away at supernatural speed.
"Grace." Elena dropped to her twins side "Grace." She shook her "Damon! She's not breathing."
Damon zipped over taking Grace's in his arms pressing his ear to her chest to her a faint heart beat, he nodded and tore into his wrist with his fangs.
"It's going to be ok." Damon whispered opening her mouth and pressing his wrist to mouth in order for her to take his blood and heal "Please take it, please." Damon whispered.
After a couple of minute Damon took his wrist away letting it heal and Grace came spluttering back to life rolling onto her side clasping her throat.
"What happened?" Grace asked.
"We need to get you to my place." Damon picked her up with ease "Are you two going to be ok?" he looked at the brunette and the witch.
"Yeah." Elena whispered looking at her twin as Damon zipped off with her as fast as he could "Bonnie, we need to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about." Bonnie replied.
"Bonnie, please." Elena begged.
"I told you I wasn't going to make you choose but I need to make the choice for myself. Please just leave me alone." Bonnie walked to her car quickly.
Jeremy is standing with Anna talking to her when his Aunt calls him from where she is standing waiting for him.
"Jer, are you ready?" She called.
"Just a sec." Jeremy replied.
Jenna turns to leave when she bumps into John "Who's that girl with Jeremy?" He questioned.
"His friend, Anna." Jenna replied.
"What's her story." John quizzed again.
"Why so nosy?" Jenna countered.
"I'm just curious; he really seems to like her." John nodded.
"She's new I town, I think. She and her mom Pearl, the family who you're so rudely trying to prevent from buying Grayson's building." Jenna hissed.
John looked over at Anna and Jeremy again "Her mother's name is Pearl?"
"Yes, so?" Jenna shrugged.
"Well, I believe I already know all about her." John smirked.
Alaric walks outside to see that Elena was waiting by his car, something was off about her, something he couldn't put his finger on.
"Good, there you are. Have you seen Grace? Jenna wanted me to get the car and find her... but I can't see her anywhere." he looked to see the torn look on Elena's face "What happened?"
Grace was sitting in Damon's bedroom, laying flat on his bed when the raven haired vampire walked in with medicine in his hands, inspecting the child proof bottles they were in to read how many Grace could take.
"How are you feeling?" Damon asked Grace helping her sit up right on the bed.
"I hurt." She sighed "What happened out there? Please tell me."
"Stefan compelled you, but you're ok now, you've got your bracelet back and I'm going to protect you." He told her rubbing her hand gently.
"I trust you." She nodded at her leaning forward pressing her forehead against his "Thank you, Damon, I'd be dead if it wasn't for you."
"It's ok." Damon nodded bringing his lips to her "You should get some sleep, do you want some tablets?"
"No." She shook her head "You blood is doing the trick." She gently moved down so she was laying flat again "Can you stay with me again?"
"Of course." Damon smiled.
It wasn't long until Grace drifted off into a peaceful sleep, Damon rose as gently as he could from his bed and walked from the room to the living room downstairs to see Anna.
"alright now this is getting weird." He stated.
"We're here to talk." Anna replied as Pearl appeared next to her.
"I'm really not in the mood, I have a sick girl upstairs, I really have no time to talk to you." He blew them off.
"Annabelle tells me you're looking for something I took from Jonathan Gilbert." Pearl used her daughters full name.
"I'm listening." Damon looked up, they had peeked his interested as Pearl handed him the Gilbert Device a small around object "What is it?" He questioned.
"Jonathan was passionate about his inventions. He confided in me that he had created a detection device to track down the town's vampire element." Pearl explained.
"It was a pocket watch." Damon noted.
"That's what it turned out to be yes. But that's not what I stole. I discovered my mistake when I saw the watch in Jonathan's hand, the night they took us, its stile pointed at me." She reminded him.
"So what is this?" He questioned.
"I have no idea, but now it's yours." Pearl replied.
"What's the catch?" Damon eyed her suspiciously.
"There is no catch. My daughter wants to stay here. I want to stay here. You refused to trust us and for good reason. Consider this an apology." She nodded before leaving the house with her daughter in tow.
Stefan walks into his room attempting to calm himself down, but the bloodlust was still there, stronger than ever and his was now riddled with guilt for what he did to Grace, pulling his shirt off he saw Elena in the mirror.
"You shouldn't be here." Stefan told her in a low voice.
"I know." Elena whispered.
He slowly turned to her "Now you know."
"That wasn't you." She shook her head in denial.
"Oh, it was absolutely me. A monster, a predator, that's who I am, Elena." He told her running his hands through his hair.
"That's what the blood makes you." She told him.
"The blood brings out what's inside of me and if you think any differently then you're an idiot." He spat aggressively.
"I know this isn't you, Stefan." Elena replied.
"I wanted to drain every once of blood from your sister, Elena." Stefan tried to push her away "I would have killed her and not thought twice about it."
"No." Elena shook her head.
"It's who I am, Elena." Stefan shrugged.
"No, you can't scare me off." Her voice shook.
"Why would you risk it? Why would you come here?" Stefan asked.
"Because I did this, this is my fault; I'm the one who made you drink the blood." Elena too was drowning in guilt.
"All you did was expose me for who I really am." He replied.
"This isn't you!" She protested.
"Stop saying that!" Stefan exclaimed and she started to walk towards him "Don't get any closer to me."
"I'm not going to let this happen to you." Elena shook her head.
"Stop." Stefan warned her.
"Stefan, I'm not going to give up on you, I believe in you." She took a couple of more steps towards him.
"Stop!" He yelled grabbing her forcing her back against a wall rough pinning her there "Stop!" He then went on to punch the wall, he saw the fear in her eyes and came down from his anger "I'm so sorry."
"It's ok." Elena whispered "It's ok."
Stefan leaned his head down onto her shoulder and began to cry, she shhed him when he did, but he couldn't control himself.
"I don't know what's happening to me." He sobbed.
"It's ok, Stefan. It's ok. You're going to be ok." She assured him as she stabbed him with one of Alaric's vervain darts.
It wasn't long until it kicked in and Stefan fell to the ground at her feet, Damon walked into the room to see the situation she was in, they had discussed what they going to do earlier on the phone.
"Sure you want to do this?" Damon questioned.
"I'm sure." She whispered.
Damon carried Stefan down to the same holding cell that Stefan had put Damon in when he tried to kill him, locking the door Elena peered through the bars to see that Stefan was still out of it.
"There's no guarantee this is going to work." Damon told her for her own safety.
"It has to." Elena stepped back leaning against the wall.
"Your sister is fine by the way." Damon informed her.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot." Elena whispered "Where is she now?"
"Upstairs, asleep, I think it's best you not disturb her at the moment." Damon nodded before heading for the stairs.
"Thank you for looking after her, for saving her life." Elena whispered "You've been really good to her, you treat her a lot better than other people."
"It's because she deserves it." Damon smiled to himself "I've done some terrible things to her and even after all of that, she still puts up with me."
"Well thank you." Elena smiled.
"Coming?" He questioned as he put his foot on the stairs.
"I think I'm going to stay here." Elena slid down the wall to the floor, Damon took a step back and slid down the wall opposite her, keeping her company...
A/N
Ok, so here is another chapter, I hope you are all enjoying it :) Damon and Grace seem to be getting closer and I really love writing their scenes :D anyway, if you like please review, fav or alert! And I will get the next chapter up ASAP ;)
Graciiee xx