Twisted Love
Season Three
The Birthday
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries, I only own Grace and Fayth :)
Tennessee
It was June 22nd in the peak of summer and Tennessee was baking even in the dead of night, a young woman with flowing golden hair stepped from a beautiful farm house secluded from the rest of the world, miles from anywhere. The beautiful woman was holding a dog bowl whilst jogging down the porch steps.
"Rudy!" She whistled loudly trying to attract the dogs attention "Rudy. Come on! It's too hot to make me come looking for you."
When the woman turned around she saw a small 5'2" brunette girl with sparkling chocolate brown eyes staring over at her, she had a pleasant smile planted on her close to perfect features. The blonde was startled to see this woman standing right there "I'm sorry." Grace smiled at her "I didn't mean to scare you."
"Can I help you?" The blonde took a couple of steps towards the girl before stopping when a blonde man approached placing his arm around her tiny waist making the brunette flinch at his touch.
Klaus cleared his throat "Yeah, our car just ran out of gas a couple of miles back." The Brit put on a fake Southern accent "Eh, I feel like we've been walking forever... yours is the first house we've come to so, we were just hoping we could use your phone?"
"Don't you have a cell phone?" The blonde placed her hands on her hips.
"Huh, yeah." He showed her his phone "battery died. Look, I promise we're not a serial killers, we just wanna use you phone..."
The blonde sighed heavily looking over her shoulder at the house "Sure." She jogged back up the porch placing the dog bowl on the ground first.
"So." Klaus dragged out the 'o' in the word "Can we come in?"
"No, I'll get the phone and I'll bring it out to you." The woman answered.
Grace could see that Klaus was getting annoyed with this humans behavior, and this was confirmed when his fake accent changed back to his threatening level "I thought you country folks were supposed to be more trusting." Klaus narrowed his eyes.
"I'm from Florida." The woman replied cruelly before the Original hybrid zipped over and grabbed her throat.
"well that explains it... Now show me a little Southern hospitality, sweet pea." He purred.
The blonde lead them both into the kitchen to reveal a olive toned skinned woman who was baking some food for them both "I bet you a hundred dollars that dog ran off to a house with air conditioning." She chuckled before seeing Grace, Klaus and the blonde enter "What's going on?"
"Please don't be alarm. I was told Ray Sutton lives here." Klaus told her but neither answered "You see, I have my own way of getting answers from you." He glanced across as Grace who sighed gently letting the barriers in her head come down letting the thoughts, feelings, dreams, wishes flow in.
"He's on the road mostly." Grace whispered and Klaus nodded.
"How?" The black haired girl hissed.
"I expect he makes it home, once a month. That's what I thought. Where is he now?" There was no answer again, this time she ran for it, but when she went to open the front door Stefan was standing there his forest green eyes wide with excitement, he was unable to get in, but was blocking her only other exit.
"I love it when they run!" Klaus was holding the blonde in his arms as he approached the two "Grace..."
"He's... He's in Toll." Grace whispered searching their minds for the answers that Klaus wanted "It's near the border. A bar called Southern Comfort..." She winced "It's on Highway 41."
"Thank you, love." Klaus leaned over and pecked Grace's cheek lingering there for longer than she wanted, as he pulled back he looked into her dark chocolate brown eyes, he was so close she could feel his eye lashes fluttering against her soft skin, he pulled back again to look at Stefan "Can my friend come in?"
The blonde was crying as she answered "Yes." She had no option.
"Kill this one quickly." Klaus referred to the blonde "Make this one suffer." he added looking at the less cooperative victim "We'll be in the car." He lead Grace from the house.
"No. Stefan. Don't do it!" Grace screamed at him but as the ripper walked into the house Stefan closed the door behind him, only the sounds of the women's pained screams could be heard.
Mystic Falls
Elena woke up with a loud sigh, wandering over to her window she opened the curtains after a moment of hesitation, she just wanted to bury herself away until everything was better, but she knew that day wasn't going to be anytime soon, she was no fool.
As she walked into Jeremy's room she yanked open his curtains too, if she had to face the world then he did too, no question about it "Ah! Early. Bad." Jeremy choked pulling his covers over his face blocking out the world.
"Ah! It's not early." Elena told him firmly as she pulled the covers off of him "You're late for work. Matt just called."
"Well, maybe he'll fire me." There was a slight hint of hope in his voice that Elena caught as she walked from the room
"Aim high." Elena called sarcastically.
Caroline was walking around Mystic Falls with shopping bags up and down her arms, talking on the phone to Elena about the big party tonight "What are you doing?" Elena asked.
"Just shopping for the party you're trying to bail out on." Caroline explained.
"I never said yes in the first place..." Elena replied as she walked down the stairs into the kitchen.
"You were never going to, look I know this is Grace's birthday too, but whilst she is missing there is no point to put her lives on hold, she wouldn't have wanted that." Caroline told her "And neither would Stefan, might I remind you."
"Care, that's really insensitive." Elena hissed "She's my sister and I want to spend the day with her and he's my boyfriend, I want to see him."
"Oh, that reminds me, my mom wants you to call her." Caroline informed her ignoring her last comment, there was nothing Caroline could do to bring Grace or Stefan back, no one knew where they were.
"Did she find something?" Elena asked hopeful.
"Animal attack in Memphis, it's the third one this week in Tennessee." Caroline informed her.
"And you're sure it's a vampire?" Elena asked as Ric gave her a look from across the kitchen.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean that it's Klaus." Caroline added trying not to get the girls hopes up.
"Doesn't mean it's not." She countered "I'll call her."
"Well call her on her cell." Caroline replied "Alright. Well, I gotta go. I'll see you in a bit." she added before she saw Tyler smiling at her.
"Oh, Caroline wait, just... keep tonight small. Please." Elena begged.
"Wear something pretty." The blonde dismissed her pleas and hung up "Hi!" she grinned at Tyler.
Elena sighs as she places her phone down on the counter looking at a picture of herself and Stefan, Ric was tiding the couch that he had been sleeping on so it was suitable for other people to sit on "Was that, eh... Stefan/Grace news?" Ric questioned.
"Could be more Klaus victims." Elena nodded as she grabbed a mug.
"Are you certain they're both will with him?" Ric asked there as an obvious level of scepticism.
She began to pour some coffee into the mug "Easy to be certain when the alternative is that they'd be dead..." A deathly silence fell over the room as they exchanged a look "Are you sure you're still ok on the couch..."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Alaric nodded as Elena poured another cup of coffee.
"Because you spent half the summer on it... If you need your own bathroom." Elena's voice was quiet as she walked towards him.
"Sleeping in your dead parent's room or my dead... girlfriends room, or a guest room that your missing, possible dead sister slept in. Nah." Alaric shook his head.
"Alright." Elena nodded as she passed him the coffee "Got it." She noted.
"Hey Elena." Alaric called as she went to walk away, she turned towards him "Happy Birthday."
She gave him a half smile "Thanks."
Damon was stood in his shower, the warm water running down his bronzed, muscular body. He was brushing his fairly long dead straight raven black hair off his face, and in the other hand a whisky.
Day time drinking had been the only thing that had helped him get through the day, that and calling Grace... he knew that she would never answer but just hearing her voice on the voicemail message helped dull the pain to a sharp stab, rather than crippling despair.
"Hey it's Grace. Leave a message. Or don't. Whatever. Beep!" Damon hung up and dialled the number again "Hey it's Grace. Leave a message. Or don't. Whatever. Beep!"
"Hey, Damon." Andie called from the bedroom "I'm here."
Damon stepped out of the shower putting his whisky down on the counter before pulling a towel around his waist sighing to himself "Have you found any other news?"
"There was some recent deaths in Memphis, Tennessee." Andie explained showing him the newspaper clippings "It looks vampire related, they say it's animal, but..."
"Right." Damon nodded opening his closet door to reveal a map with pins pointed into it.
"Are you sure it's them?" Andie asked when suddenly Elena walked in the room, he closed the closet closing the evidence of Stefan's kills.
"What's going on?" Elena asked.
"Nothing." Damon answered "What do you want?"
"Sheriff Forbes gave us another location to check." She pulled out a note that Damon already knew what was written on it "Memphis."
"Another dead end you mean." Damon didn't want to get her hopes up.
"You don't know that." Elena hissed.
"You're right, Elena. This could be the one. After two months this could be the one clue that tells us that Stefan and Grace are alive and well and living in Graceland." Damon spat sarcastically, hurting her was better than letting her get excited about finding the two, it seemed to be an impossible task.
"Fine, I'll go by myself." Elena growled crunching the note in her hand.
"Right, and let Klaus know you're tracking him." Damon rushed over stealing the note "He thinks your dead; let's keep it that way." Damon replied shortly.
"It's a new lead Damon; we haven't had one in a while." Elena replied.
"Ok, I'll check it out. If I find anything I'll call you." Damon answered.
"But-" Elena went to argue but Damon turned her and made her leave the room.
"They've definitely moved to Tennessee." Damon informed Andie once he knew that Elena was out of ear shot.
"Huh, that fluttered victim you had me looking in to had a family in Tennessee." Andie told him.
"Which one? Pensacola?" He asked and she nodded "Up for a road trip?"
"Ha, no can do, I've got work. But I see if I can get you an address." She got up "See you at the party."
"Get me that address." Damon called as she walked from the room.
Quickly the silence that was left in the room became painful. He took a seat down on the bed and looking at the empty space which he slept next to, the cover still smelt of her sweet skin, his mind kept drifting back to what it was like to hold her in his arms, he struggled to sleep at night just remembering...
Walking over to the closest he pulled on a black v-neck sweater with a pair of dark wash jeans, before grabbing a golden bag, opening it he smiled to himself. It was what he had brought Grace for her birthday.
Grabbing a book he read the title 'Gone with the Wind' it was something that he loved and would want to give it to her, next was a thin Tiffany's box, prying it open he saw the beautiful white gold open heart necklace, his face creased with pain as he grabbed it out of the box and shoved it into his pocket trying to numb the agony in his chest.
Over at the Grill Jeremy was working in the back room staking stock whilst talking to Bonnie over the phone where they could see each other over the cameras "You need to come home it's boring around here with you." Jeremy told his lover.
"Huh, you think you're bored." Bonnie scoffed "My dad's side of the family is like wet pain that never dries." this comment made Jeremy smile "How's the Grill treating you?"
"Well it's teaching me the value of a mundane human experience." He replied shrugging.
"A summer job is good for you; you needed something normal in your life." Bonnie replied as they lights began to flicker around him "What was that?"
"Nothing, look, I uh... I got to go back to work. I'll talk to you soon ok?" Jeremy asked.
"Wait, wait Jeremy. Is everything ok with you?" Bonnie asked concerned.
"Yeah, yeah. Normal and mundane." Jeremy shrugged "Come home soon ok."
"Ok." Bonnie answered and Jeremy quickly hung up, the lights began to flicker again until they finally blacked out, when they turned back on Vicki was standing in front of the scared boy making him so startled he dropped him phone to the floor.
"Vicki?" He whispered as he bent down to get his phone when he stood back up Vicki was gone but Anna was in her place, she reached her hand out to touch him but suddenly Matt burst in and she disappeared.
"I need you to switch sections with me." Matt told him.
"Why?" Jeremy asked.
"Caroline and Tyler just sat in mine." The blond answered.
"So?" The younger boy creased his eye brows.
"So. I don't' feel like waiting on my girlfriend." He replied before turning and leaving.
Just outside of the Grill Caroline and Tyler were sitting at a table talking and waiting for Matt to take their order "Something's up with your mother." Caroline informed him.
"Like what?" Tyler asked.
"When I was over yesterday she just kept eyeing me." The blonde replied.
"Hey guys." Jeremy walked over to them with a little notebook and pen in his hands.
"Did Matt make you switch sections?" Caroline asked looking up at him as he shrugged his shoulders carelessly "He thinks we're dating."
"So does my mother." Tyler quipped.
"What?" Caroline locked her silvery gaze on him.
"We're together all the time, it's not a leap." Tyler answered.
"That's crazy." The blonde's eyes grew wide.
"Right." Tyler muttered.
Tennessee
Down at the Southern Comfort bar a rough looking man with light hair and a scruffy beard to match in a flannel red shirt and light denim jeans walked in "What's up Ray." The bartender called.
"Hey Red, get me a beer." Ray called back smiling as he took a seat at the bar.
"Ray?" Grace asked from where she was sat next to him daintily sipping at a scotch "Ray Sutton?"
"Depends who's asking." Ray gave her a side ways look "Why yes, yes I am." He grinned at her "What can I do for you?"
"I've been looking everywhere for you." Klaus came and sat down the other side of Ray blocking him in "We started in Florida, Pensacola. I met a young chap there who you used to work with before you moved to Memphis, now he directed me to two lovely young women. And they led me here, to you."
"I think I'll be going." Ray turned on the bar stool to see that Stefan was blocking him in now too, he couldn't escape.
"Not so fast mate. You only just got here, now your type are very hard to come by..." Klaus nodded smirking at him.
Ray went to push past Stefan by he held him firmly down and that's when Ray put all the pieces together "Vampires."
"Swiftly, swift, Ray. Yes my friends here are vampires, they have compelled everyone in the bar so don't look to them for help." Klaus informed the man, Ray looked around the room to see that everyone was normal and drinking, but knew all too well that they were not going to help him any time soon "I, however, I'm something else, a different kind of monster, I've got some vampire, I've gone some wolf..."
"You what?" Ray whispered.
"A hybrid, Ray, I'm both." Klaus smiled "You see I want to create more of me, now you being the first werewolf that I've come across in many a moon, pun intended Ray. I need you to direct me to your pack. So, where can I find them Ray?"
"You can't compel me, it won't work." Ray spat.
Stefan glance across at Klaus who nodded, Grace rolled her eyes as she reached into her bag and pulled out a small vial "Can you bring out the darts please." Stefan asked the bartender before looking down at Ray "Tell you what, Ray, we're gonna play a little drinking game, something I like to call truth of wolfsbane."
"Oh, this is gonna be fun Ray." Klaus' eyes flashed with excitement.
Damon and Ric pull out of the farm house in Tennessee, the vampires phone began to ring in his pocket, quickly he grabbed it pulling it out hoping it was Grace, but his hope was painfully trampled on when he saw Elena's name pop up, he pressed ignore.
"Elena?" Ric questioned Damon made a face "I don't know why you just don't come clean and tell her where we are."
"Because Andie said this was a half lead and I don't want to get her hopes up." Damon shrugged, if he was being honest with himself he wanted to check these locations to make sure Grace wasn't there or hadn't been there so he could rule that place out and keep looking.
"Yeah, well they're all half leads, and I'm your accomplice. What do you want me to say to her, I'm practically living there." Alaric informed him.
"Still sleeping on the couch?" Damon questioned.
"You know, I keep waiting for them to kick me out but they don't. I don't know what, it's not like I'm helping or anything..." Ric shrugged when he noticed that Damon was in deep concentration "It's quiet."
"Yeah. Too quiet." Damon muttered as he tests that he can walk in the house, no humans were living there, and he just walked in. As they stalked even further in they see two dead women on a couch sitting upright "Stefan for sure."
"How do you know?" Alaric asked
"It's his signature; there's a reason they call him the ripper. Feeds so hard he blacks out and rips them apart, but then when he's done, he feels remorse. It's the damnedest thing." He kicks the blonde woman's shin "He puts the bodies back together." Just like that the blonde woman's head rolled off her shoulders onto the floor.
"Back together?" Ric almost gagged at the sight of the decapitated woman.
"Definitely Stefan, which means Grace was here too." Damon told him.
Mystic Falls
Caroline, Elena and Tyler were setting up the Salvatore Boarding house for Elena's big party all of them were silent as they blew up balloons and decorated the house.
"Isn't this a little sick?" Tyler asked as he hung up another bunch of balloons.
"What?" Caroline asked "It's Elena's birthday too." She pinned up a 'Happy 18th Birthday' banner.
Tyler looked over at Elena apologetically "Yeah, I mean, no offence Elena, but your sister is missing out there with a crazy hybrid and-"
"Look, I know Grace is missing and everything time I try to talk about it with Damon we have like a huge fight, I just don't know what to do, I'm at a loss." Elena whispered "I want to find them both-"
"Can you blame him?" Tyler asked "He's lost the one woman he loved he doesn't want to keep thinking about it, just as much as you don't want to keep thinking about Stefan leaving..."
"Yeah, but I want to find Stefan and Grace that's why I keep asking questions, it's like he's given up." Elena shook her head gently "I know they are out there, I can feel it..."
"He lost Fayth before, right?" Caroline asked "Maybe... maybe he doesn't want to go through that pain again."
"Hey. I got a miss call from Bonnie." Elena looked down at her phone "I'll be right back."
"Will you stop being such a dick to her." Caroline hissed.
"Look Grace is one of my best friends, I'm worried about her..." Tyler sighed as he looked down at his phone "I've gotta run if I'm gonna change and pick up Sophie in time..."
"Wait." Caroline hissed "You're bringing a date? Slutty Sophie is your date?"
"Hey! It's been kinda slow in that department. And... I am horny all the time now!" The werewolf chuckled.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Caroline nodded "Sometimes I feel like I'm gonna explode! It's a vampire thing. Yeah, our emotions are heightened and we're on overdrive."
"It's a werewolf thing too. Just like I can't turn it off." He explained to the vampire.
"Yeah." Caroline agreed as they looked towards each other, an awkward silence hung over them darkening the room "Well. Uh. I hope you'll, uh, get lucky tonight."
Tyler chuckled "I'll see you later."
"Yeah, see you later." Caroline called rubbing her back of her neck.
Tennessee
Damon and Ric were still in the farm house observing the dead body, after they had searched the place for any clues Damon was pouring a tank of gasoline over the bodies and living room.
"What are you doing?" Ric asked.
"Covering their tracks. Clearly they have no interest staying in the dark, but I do." Damon growled.
He moved to another spot making the floor creak, he jumped a little hearing the floor boards continue to creak "Hang on." moving the rug the vampire opened a hidden door that was put in the floor to reveal chains that a werewolf would use "Well, what do you know. Werewolves." He closes the door again and threw a match in after him as both men leave the house.
Back at Southern Comfort bar Ray was chained to a wall a dark board placed behind his head, there was darts sticking out of him clearly in a lot of pain. Stefan was sitting at a table smirking as he dipped yet another dart into concentrated wolfsbane before launching them at the werewolf, Klaus was sitting with Grace just to the side watching them both.
"Do you have to do this?" Grace asked.
"Well, yes I do." Klaus smiled at her "I don't want you to over do yourself by reading too many peoples minds, I know it can be tolling on you." He rubbed the small of her back making her stiffen "You know I hear you crying at night..." Grace remained silent "I know you miss him, but that will soon pass, love."
"Stop talking." Grace hissed as she stood up and walked over to sit with Stefan.
"Ray, you can end this right now. Just tell me where your pack gathers for the full moon." Stefan told him.
"I can't." Ray struggled to get his words out.
"I know, I know. You live by code and all that, but see he's not gonna let me stop until you tell me. And I do whatever he sats so, that's the way it goes around here." Stefan shrugged.
A woman walked towards Klaus leaning close as she spoke to him, Grace looked over listening to their conversation, Stefan was too "I saw the guys spotted Damon at the farm house." the glorious bronzed woman informed him quietly.
"Well thank you Claudine, you'll just tell your friends to keep up the good work..." Klaus replied and as the woman walked away Grace and Stefan were instantly standing there.
"My brother still on our trail?" Stefan asked.
Klaus gritted his teeth "He's getting closer, I'm gonna have to deal with that."
Grace quickly stood in front of him placing her hands on his chest looking up into his beautiful sea blue mixed with emerald green eyes "No, no, no. Let me deal with it."
"Why should I let you leave?" Klaus growled.
"Cause Stefan will come with me, then you know I'll come back." Grace nodded at him.
"Do I?" Klaus hissed.
"You saved his life; I'm at your service." Grace nodded.
"Ah, you sound so tedious and indentured, aren't you even having the least bit of fun?" Klaus smirked as he looked over at Ray.
"I'll make sure that he doesn't bother us anymore." Grace whimpered as her and a Stefan walked away.
Elena was standing in front of Stefan's mirror looking at the cute white floral dress she had just put on whilst smoothing it down, Damon was standing behind her in the doorway.
"Don't worry I'm not gonna lose it. At least not before the cake." Elena promised.
"It's your party you can cry if you want to." Damon shrugged carelessly "Ah, Stefan. Such a pack rat." He looked through all the stuff "Hey. Alaric gave me something to give to you..." He handed her the necklace Stefan had given to her that still had vervain in "Alaric found it in his loft, I thought you'd be happy to have it back."
"I am happy, thank you." Elena nodded as she put it on herself "You know, you didn't have to let me use your house for this party..."
"Stefan would had wanted it that way... I mean, I know what Grace and I would have been doing if she was here right now..." Damon drifted off into a dream like state before snapping out of it "it's gonna be rough down there, you're gonna have to lie to everyone about where she is."
"I know." Elena nodded "She's away seeing Heidi or friends..."
"Great excuse." Damon nodded "Go on, get down there." He shooed her from the room before pulling out his phone ringing a number he had imprinted in his head.
"Hey it's Grace. Leave a message. Or don't. Whatever. Beep!" Damon sighed as Grace's voice couldn't dull the pain of not being able to see her today of all days.
As Elena walked downstairs she could hear the pumping music, there was a table full of presents addressed to Grace or Elena and she winced as she saw Grace's name written.
"happy birthday!" A girl screamed over the music "where's Grace?"
"She's visiting some friends." Elena replied her voice close to breaking "She couldn't make it."
"Well, I put you both a present on the table... I hope you like them and tell Grace happy birthday from me!" The girl called before dancing back into the room.
"You like?" Caroline walked over to her.
"This is keeping it small?" Elena looked around her at the busy room of dancing teens "What are we drinking?" Caroline laughs as she links Elena's arms pulling her through the room.
Jeremy was sitting on the couch about to smoke some pot when Matt joined him taking a seat next to him "Where did you get that?" Matt asked curiously, he wanted to know.
"Henry from the kitchen sold me a dime." Jeremy answered as Matt took the joint and lit it.
"So, what's got you on your spiral downward? Sure it's a lot more interesting than mine." Matt looked at the teen no idea that he could see his dead lovers including Matt's sister Vicki.
"You do not wanna know." Jeremy murmured.
"How bad can it be? I already know everything else." Matt nodded as he passed Jeremy back his joint "Go for it."
"You know I died right?" Jeremy asked and Matt nodded "And Bonnie used magic to bring me back to life."
"Yeah, Elena told me." Matt nodded.
"The thing is, ever since I came back I've been seeing... things." Jeremy didn't know how to explain it.
"What kind of things?" Matt looked over at him interested.
"Just... things I shouldn't be seeing."
"What's Bonnie say about it?" Matt questioned curiously.
"Nah." Jeremy shook his head "I haven't told her. I haven't told anybody. Just messing with my head is all. I just need to chill out, so this." He held up his joint, Matt stood up as Caroline and Elena walked in the room.
"Oh... the stoner den. Buzz kill." Caroline murmured to Elena as Matt approached them.
"Hey guys." Matt smiled.
"Matt, hey!" Elena grinned as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek "Oh."
"Happy birthday." Matt grinned happily.
"Thank you." Elena nodded and he turned on his heels walking away from the two.
"He hates me. His hatred of me, has driven him to drugs!" Caroline overreacted.
"He doesn't hate you, he hates that he's not with you..." Elena mused as she saw her little brother sitting on the couch smoking pot "Is that my brother?" She hissed as she handed Caroline her drink.
Out the front of the house Damon was sitting with Alaric who was inspecting the necklace he had got Grace got her birthday "It's cute." Alaric nodded "She would have loved it, man."
"I need to give it to her, it's burning a hole in my pocket..." Damon hissed "We're so close to finding her..."
"I know." Alaric nodded as he handed him the necklace back "I am every parent's worst nightmare. I am the chaperone teacher from hell."
"I love high school parties." Damon nodded as he slid the necklace back in his pocket.
"Isn't Andie supposed to be coming? Why are you hanging around with her?" Alaric asked confused to why he kept the news reporter around.
"She gets news from other places quickly and she can get the full story, which is what I need if I want to find Grace and Stefan." Damon shrugged.
"And she knows that you're with Grace?" Alaric questioned cocking an eye brow.
"Of course." Damon nodded "She'll be here soon..." He looked at his watch as Elena walked out looking flustered.
"Jeremy's smoking again." Elena informed them both.
"Is his stash any good?" Damon asked earning a chuckle from Ric.
"You're an ass." Elena spat at him before looking at Alaric "Talk to him, please. He looks up to you." She added before walking back into the pumping party.
"You're screwed." Damon smirked.
"Ahw." Alaric groaned.
Over at WPKW9 studios Andie just leaving the studio talking on the phone as she was walking across the dark room "Yeah, uh huh, uh huh." She waved to he man who was leaving too "Uh huh. Ok, I am the last person here. Days of work, please can we do this in the A.M? I have a party I have to get to and you gotta get a life! Ok, alright bye, bye." Andie hung up quickly on the annoying phone call.
She grabs her bag and turns back around to see that the entire room was empty, just as she was about to exit a big headlight flashed on her and blinded her momentarily.
"Hello?" Andie called out to no response "Not cool my retinas are burning..." She moved out of the light but it followed her "Ok, ok... Seriously, who?... What the hell are you doing?" there was no answer and the light turned off "Hello? Hello?" She began to run when she tripped on a large cable falling to the floor spilling the content of her bag and the light came back on a small girl coming into view.
"Grace." Andie whispered seeing the brunette looking at her regretfully "We've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been? Where's Stefan?"
"I'm sorry, Andie." Grace whispered as Stefan approached "I'm sorry you got involved in all this."
"What are you-" Her question fell dead when Stefan's face changed to it's demonic state.
The party was pumping at the Salvatore Boarding house, Sophie and Tyler were dancing together whilst Caroline look on from the side lines drinking heavily "Since when were they a thing?" Matt asked as he approached the blonde.
"I thought you were ignoring me?" Caroline slurred.
"I'm not ignoring you..." Matt lied.
"You only said five words to be all summer, and those were four of them." Caroline countered.
"Maybe because every time I've seen you, you're with him." Matt shoot a look at his best friend who was grinding against the slutty girl.
"Because he's my friend! Which is what I thought you were." She narrowed her silver orbs.
"aren't you guys supposed to be like mortal enemies, I mean isn't that how it words in the vampire-werewolf universe?" Matt asked.
"Matt! Shh!" She told him, anyone could hear him, but Tyler look over at them "What is wrong with you?"
"I don't know. I'm out of it... I guess... Sorry." Matt whispered as he walked away.
Tyler walked over to the slightly distort blonde "What was that about?"
"Nothing." Caroline answered casually.
"Great party, Caroline!" Sophie grinned at the vampire.
"Thanks!" Caroline smiled as she began to compel her "Now leave it!"
"What the hell!" Tyler looked at Caroline frustrated before she just turned and walked away.
Damon chugged down another class of scotch before his phone vibrated in his pocket, he had a text he tried to extinguish the wishes that it was Grace texting him as it hurt too much when he found out the truth. It was really Andie.
"Andie wants me to pick her up." Damon muttered "hold the fort down, will ya?"
"You mean the fort full of my drunk history students?" Ric replied.
"Drink more, you will fell less weird." Damon smirked as he jumped down from the wall they were both sitting on.
Elena walked into Damon's room to hear a noise coming from the bathroom, as she turned the corner she saw Caroline draining a bag of blood whilst sitting on the counter.
"Caroline?" Elena creased her eye brows to see the blonde so distort.
"Sorry." Caroline whispered "I just needed to take a beat. Are you hiding?"
"I was looking for Damon." Elena answered.
"Well, he better be here somewhere because we haven't even done the cake yet." Caroline replied.
"I think I'm gonna pass the whole cake thing." Elena shrugged.
"What? No, no way, no! It's you're birthday! You know it's the dawn of a new day and, you can't get on with your life until you have made a wish and blown out the candles." Caroline smiled.
"Is that what you all want me to do? Just get on with me life?" Elena scoffed.
"No... Maybe... I just don't think anyone wants to see you like this." Caroline whispered.
"What? Because Damon can keep it together over losing Grace and Stefan and I'm just freaking out all the time?" Elena spat "I'm not giving up on finding them."
"Of course not. And you shouldn't, but you have to admit that you're kinda just letting your life pass you by... And wasn't it Stefan and Grace who wanted to make sure that you lived it?" Caroline questioned.
"You want me to make a wish? I just wanna know that they are alive. That's it! That's my wish!" Elena growled as she began to walk away seeing that Damon's closet was open, she wanted to see something that Grace would have worn but as she opened it she was taken by surprise when she saw the map that Damon was tracking his brother and girlfriend on.
"I'm sorry, ok. I'm just drunk and dumb tonight. Wait, what are you doing?" She walked over "What is all that?"
"It's Klaus. Damon's ben tracking him without me." Elena hissed.
"Why wouldn't he just tell you?" Caroline tilted her head.
"I don't know." Elena replied.
Damon walked into the news studio looking for Andie, she wasn't standing out front like she usually was "Andie?" He called as his phone began to ring "Party central."
"Where are you?" Elena growled angrily.
"Um, by the punch bowl." He lied.
"Don't do that Damon, don't lie to me! I saw your closet!" Elena yelled.
"Oh... oh, I gotta go breaking up, beer pong." He hung up sliding his phone back in his pocket, as he walked into yet another room he saw Andie's stuff on the floor.
"Damon?" A high voice came from across the room, the older vampire whipped his head up to see her standing across from him, imminently he flew across the room capturing her in his arms looking down at her as she was pressed against a wall.
"Grace." Damon breathed "You're back." He began to kiss her neck devouring it with kisses "I've missed you."
"Damon." Grace became weak, just the feeling of him being there was amazing, being in his arms again, as he began to unbutton her shirt she didn't stop him.
For those moments with her in his arms all the pain that he had experienced for two months solid seemed to vanish, feeling his mouth on hers again, feeling her react and jump at his slight touches, wanting her more than before, listening to her moan out his name as he moved to just the right spot.
"Damon. Damon, stop." She whispered her eyes fluttering open.
Damon breathed out as he looked into her deep chocolate brown eyes "We'll head back home, I'll clear everyone out- Wait... Where's Stefan?"
"Damon." She jumped down from him buttoning her shirt again "You need to stop following us."
"What? No." Damon hissed.
"You're causing problems." Stefan called.
"Stefan?" Damon looked over at him.
"Hello brother." Stefan smirked.
"With who?" Damon spat looking down at his lover "Klaus? Are we supposed to care what he thinks."
"What you're supposed to do is let us go." Stefan answered.
"Saw your latest artwork in Tennessee." Damon turned to his brother "Walking a fine line there, my friend. Keep that up and there will be no saving you."
"See the thing is, I don't need any saving. I just want you to let me go." Stefan replied harshly.
"I got a birthday girl at home who's not gonna let me do that..." He turned to Grace "Speaking of which. Happy 18th birthday, sweetie..." He muttered before pulling out her necklace "Here."
"Damon." She breathed as he turned her and clasped the necklace on.
"You know, maybe I haven't made my point..." Stefan called "Hey, Andie you still there?"
"Andie?" Damon creased his eye brows as he looked up to see Andie standing up on a ledge shaking and crying.
"Damon? I can't move Damon. He told me that I can't move." Andie sobbed.
"Not cool, brother!" Damon spat at his younger sibling.
"Ah, come on! A little bit cool. Huh? Hey, Andie. You can move now." Stefan called.
"No! No, no, no, no, no, no. No!" He growled, Grace suddenly grabbed him shoving him against the wall as Andie hit the ground with a great deal of force killing her on impact.
"I'm so sorry." Grace whispered tears trickling down her face "But you have to let us go."
"Grace, no. Please." Damon begged "Don't go. I love you."
"Damon." Grace dried his tears "I love you. Never forget that. Please. I love you so much." with that Stefan and Grace vanished from the room, Damon looked around for a moment before walking over to Andie giving the dead woman a solemn look.
Jeremy was just leaving the party, he was deciding to call it a night, as he approached his car he saw Matt leaning against it "What are you doing?" the younger teen asked surprised to see that he was still here.
"I can't find my truck." Matt replied holding his keys in his hand.
"That's probably a sign you should be driving it." Jeremy chuckled "Need a ride?"
"You're more stoned than I am." The blond quipped.
Jeremy climbed in his car putting his key in the ignition, and waited for Matt to get in, looking over her saw Vicki sitting there with an upset look on her face "Vicki?" He jumped out of his skin seeing the brown eyed drug addict staring at him.
"Help me." The dead girl begged.
"Hey." Matt climbed in the car and she disappeared "What'd you just say?"
"Nothing." Jeremy replied her breathing calming again.
"Did you just say 'Vicki', as in my sister Vicki?" Matt creased his eye brows at the young boy.
"What? No, no. I, uh, I didn't say anything." He turned the key starting the car when suddenly he saw Anna standing there "no..."
"What's wrong?" Matt winced through the window screen to see nothing.
"You know what, maybe we should just walk." Jeremy replied.
Caroline was getting more and more drunk by the minute as she tried to make her way through the dancing crowd, her patients was wearing thin as she barged people out of the way.
"Hey! What's you're problem!" Tyler intercepted her "You're pissed that I brought someone?"
"Why would I be pissed? You brought a date. You're dating. That's... awesome." She lied, the jealousy was clear in her eyes.
"Ok, should I not be dating?" Tyler looked at her.
"Hey, you're horny all the time, right? I mean, a guy has needs." Caroline shrugged pretending not to care.
"Cause if I shouldn't be dating, all you've got to do is say something. If you don't say something, then I'm going to keep dating." Tyler replied.
"What would I say?" Caroline hissed.
"Don't do that, Caroline! I've already been there once with you, ok, and you said no. You shut me down. I'm not going back there unless you make it crystal clear that you-" Tyler began to rant but she cut him off by kissing him passionately "Let's get out of here." He rasped.
Damon walked into his room control his emotions the best he could, he saw Elena looking through all the papers that he had kept of Stefan's killings "What? What are you doing here?" Damon growled.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?" Elena hissed.
"Can we not do this right now? I'm having a really bad night." Damon replied shortly.
"All summer, every single time I came to you with a lead, you made me feel like an idiot for having hope." Elena replied sharply, she wanted to know the truth, he just didn't want to give it to her.
"You were an idiot." Damon replied.
"Tell me what you know, Damon." Elena walked over to him.
"I know you need to get out of my face and get back to your party Elena." Damon warned, he was so close to snapping.
"We're supposed to be in this together. He's your brother. She's my sister. Why didn't you tell me you've been tracking Klaus' victim?" Elena hissed.
"Because they're not Klaus' victims, Elena, they're Stefan's!" Damon growled in response.
"What?" Elena's heart dropped, Stefan had been doing all these terrible things to people.
"He's left a trail of body parts up and down the eastern seaboard." The older vampire told her "Grace is there too, just not killing..."
"No. You're wrong." Elena shook her head, she didn't want to face reality that she was losing the man that she loved more than anything.
"I've see it happen before. He's flipped the switch, full blown ripper." Damon added.
"Stop it, Damon." Elena hissed.
"No, you stop, Elena! Stop looking for him. Stop waiting for him to come home. Just stop! Stefan is gone and he's not coming back. Not in your lifetime." Damon added, he was hurt, he would never normally be that insensitive, but he had just lost his girlfriend for the second time.
"What about Grace? You going to give up on her?" Elena hissed and he remained silent "How dare you try and tell me to give up on the man I love when you're in the same situation with the woman you love..."
Jeremy and Matt were in the Gilbert house standing in the kitchen eating ice cream from the tub, the blond was just about to take off "Alright, I should probably go before Elena and Mr. Saltzman come home and see what a bad example I am." Matt smirked.
"You sure you can walk?" Jeremy asked concerned.
"We'll see. Can I take the ice cream with me?" Matt asked and Jeremy nodded smirked before the teen was about to leave he turned back "What happened in the car, man?"
"Nothing." Jeremy shrugged.
"Come on, man. You said, 'Vicki'. Alright, you said my sister's name. Why? You said you were seeing things?" Matt pried, he wasn't going to let it drop until he got it out of him.
"I've been seeing her." Jeremy replied.
"I mean, I think I see her all the time, too. It's cause I miss her so much, though. You know, like, I want to see her so I do. Look we've got our hands full with all the supernatural stuff in this down, but... Ghosts." He gave him a look of disbelief.
"Like I said, my head's all messed up." Jeremy shrugged.
Tennessee
Ray was laid out on the pool table with Klaus stood next to him explaining to him what would happen next, the hybrid was beginning to get a little anxious considering Grace and Stefan hadn't returned but he was doing a good job of hiding it.
"Ok, it's a three step process, Ray. This is stop one. I want you to drink from my wrist." Klaus shrugged.
"I already told you where to find the pack. What ore do you want form me?" Ray choked on his tears.
"Have you been listening to a word I've been saying, Ray? I have great plans for you." Klaus cooed as he cut his wrist making the werewolf drink his blood "You'll thank me for that later, huh. There we go, at a boy." He looked over his shoulder to see Grace and Stefan walk in.
"What are you going to do now?" Ray rasped.
"It's time for step two, Ray." Klaus smiled as he snapped his neck "You both returned."
"Did you doubt us?" Stefan asked.
"Not for a second. I kew you'd pass the test. You both still care for him, for your old life." Klaus muttered.
"Nah, I don't care about anything anymore." Stefan shrugged as he took a seat at the bar, Grace took up the stool next to him.
"You put on a good show, Stefan. I almost believe you. Let's hope, for your brother's sake, he does." Klaus nodded before looking at Grace "That's a nice necklace, sweetie, where did you get it?"
"It was a present." Grace replied in a small voice.
"Present?" Klaus questioned "Present for what? And from whom?"
"A friend..." Grace shrugged she didn't want to tell Klaus that her lover given her a present for her birthday "For my birthday..."
"Ah, yes. I almost forgot." Klaus smiled kindly at her "Stefan, go check on our friend Ray." He shooed him away "I, too, got you something..." He reached into his jean pockets and pulled out a small envelope.
"You didn't have to getme anything, Klaus." Grace shook her head "I'd rather just forget all about it."
"Just open it." Klaus smiled genuinely "It's not something I got, it's something I had." he explained shrugging a little.
"Erm... Ok." Grace peeled the envelope back and a small picture fell out onto the side, she picked it up to see her parents and a younger version of herself smiling back at the camera "What... Where?" She whispered.
"I've had it a while, my dear..." Klaus smiled "I've been looking for you for some time."
"but..." Grace whimpered looking at the picture in disbelief.
"I want you to keep it now." Klaus told her "Because I've found you."
He rose from his seat and walked over to Stefan who was giving Grace a concerned look as she quickly jumped from her chair running outside grabbing her phone from her pocket calling a number she remembered very well.
"Hey it's Elena. Leave a message. Thanks." Elena's bubbly voice came down the line.
"Hi. Elena. It... It's Grace. Happy birthday, I'm sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate our 18th birthday... I hope you had a good time." Grace felt tears approaching "You need to stop looking for us. I'm sorry. I love you." She quickly hung up throwing her phone to the ground aggravated, she turned and walked back in the bar leaving her phone in the gravel.
Alaric was packing his bag getting ready to leave when Elena walked in the house looking at him confused, she thought he liked it living with them, she was obviously wrong "What are you doing?"
"Ah. I'm not gonna stay here anymore." Alaric replied awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he refused to face her upset expression.
"What? Why?" Elena whispered, she was losing everyone around her, first Isobel, Jenna, John, Grace, Stefan and now Alaric too, she needed a lot of people around her to help her get over her losses.
"I'm not a good role model." Alaric replied "You know, I drink too much, I say the wrong things, I encourage bad behavior. At school I can pull it together, but in my own life... The way I miss Jenna, it's just, I'm really not any good to anybody right now. I'm sorry, Elena. You're 18. You can do all this alone now. You can do it better without me." Alaric replied to her mournfully as he turned and walked out of the house.
Tyler and Caroline stumble into the Lockwood Mansion kissing heavily, pulling at each others clothes with such a deep need, their emotions were running wild. Soon the bash into his tidy room laying down on the bed in their underwear kissing each other hungrily to satisfy their fiery passion and intimate need for each other. They couldn't deny it anymore.
Damon was wandering around his now empty house trying to silence the pain in his chest, he walked into his brothers room and looked around at all the stuff before starting to trash the room. Throwing chairs across the room in complete anger, tearing apart books, pushing book shelf's to the floor, he grabbed the neck of a guitar about to slam it into the wall when he stopped.
He missed them. He couldn't deny it. Both of them. The house was so empty and quiet without them there, the silence was deafening to him, he knew he wouldn't sleep tonight not without them. Knowing that they were alive, but they couldn't be with him.
He could still feel her soft lips on his, feel her smooth skin under his touch, her feather light weight in his arms, hear her voice in his ear. Her voice, telling him she had to go, his heart broke a thousand times over. Carefully he placed the guitar down on his brothers bed as he walked from the room slamming the door shut behind him.
Stefan walks out of the bar grabbing some air, his cheeks were flustered a bright pink as he stood in the middle of the car park, down on the floor he saw Grace's phone buried deep in the gravel, he picked it up and checked the contacts Bonnie, Caroline, Damon, Elena He paused on Elena's name before pressing call, holding it to his ear he heard the phone begin to ring.
Elena sat on her bed just after listening to the voice mail she had received from Grace, her heart was aching to see her sister again, her heart was aching even more to see the man she loved again. Suddenly her phone began to vibrate in her hand she quickly pressed answer and held it to her ear.
"Grace?" Elena whispered "Grace? Is that you?" No one answered but Elena had a feel and a small whimper fell from her throat "Stefan? Stefan, if this is you. You'll be ok. Grace will be ok. Look after her, please. I love you Stefan. Hold on to that. Never let that go."
On the other end of the line Stefan was just listening to her voice cracking under her deep emotions, he could feel the tears brewing in his eyes threatening to fall over.
Tyler was fast asleep naked on his bed and Caroline was wide awake, she glanced around the large room before raising from the bed putting her dress back on as she walked from the room holding her shoes in her hands so she wouldn't wake him as snuck stealthily out of his room downstairs surprised to see Carol Lockwood.
"Mrs. Lockwood." She jumped.
"Leaving so soon?" Carol crossed her arms over her chest.
"I... I didn't mean... to... I'm just gonna grab...grab my purse." She took her purse from the counter when it suddenly burnt her, she growled when suddenly Carol whipped out a gun and shot her in the back with a vervain dart.
A/N
Hey!
Hope you enjoy this chapter a little bit of Drace and some Klace! So I have a question to ask you, what do you think Drace's song would be? Like what explains them best? Because I've been really weird lately and when I listen to a song I go, wow! That explains Drace really well, in my opinion I think One and Only by Adele explains them or Heart Vacancy by The Wanted.
Also, the lovely Sapphire Psycho came up with a beautiful (friend) ship name for Grace and Stefan which is Stace which is lovely so thank you very much!
Tell me what you think :) I know a lot of people really love Drace so I'm not really sure what people are gonna think of the Klace in this chapter. I hope you all like it :) Team Klace or Drace?
Plus, I have a tumblr account set up, so if you want to follow me I will start to put little sneak previews of the chapters to come, and update on when I have updated, or you can ask me questions and so on... Anyway, here it is http : / / little-vampire-girl1 . tumblr . com / but obviously without all the spaces... :/
Drop me a review tell me what you think so far :) what do you want to see? Who do you want to be together? Let me know :) also fave and alert. I really appreciated all the feedback I get from everyone so thank you :) and thank you to everyone who is reading!
Graciiee xx