A week later.
Grace is starting school today and she is really scared and nervous, she didn't really wanna go all she wanted to do was stay home with her uncles. It's now 7 am and it's time for her to get up for school.
"Gracie come on rise and shine. Time for school". Damon said.
"I don't wanna go Uncle Damon". Grace said.
"Why not Gracie?" Damon asked pushing some hair out her face.
"What if something happens? What if someone comes after me? What if Katherine comes after me?" Grace asked in a scared voice.
"Woah woah woah Gracie calm down and slow down. Nothing is gonna happen to you because you're gonna have this to wear". Damon said hand her a necklace with a small stone filled with vervain.
"Wow Uncle Damon this is nice". Grace said.
Damon then puts it on her without touching the stone and it hangs from her neck.
"This necklace has vervain it it so other vampires can't compel you and if they bite you they will be weakened so you will be protected and safe. Second this is for you it already has mine, Uncle Stefan's, and everyone else's number in it so if you think something is wrong or you know something is wrong call one of us". Damon said handing her the Iphone.
"Thanks Uncle Damon". Grace said.
"Anything for you now get dressed we leave in in 15 minutes". Damon said.
"Who's taking me to school?" Grace asked.
"Me and Stefan then i'll pick you up after school". Damon said.
"Alright". Grace said.
"That's my girl now get dressed we leave in 15 minutes". Damon said.
Damon then left the room so Grace can get dressed for school and 5 minutes later she was dressed in a simple gray t shirt, blue jeans, red chucks, her black leather jacket and her hair up in a high ponytail. She then brushes her teeth and grabs her backpack and heads downstairs to see a hot pocket on a paper towel.
"I'm ready". Grace said.
"Alright here's your breakfast now let's go before we make both of you late". Damon said.
Grace then eats the hot pocket and finishes it and then Damon and Stefan walk their niece to school.
Elementary school
Grace holds both her uncles' hands because she is a bit scared and nervous, she use to be homeschooled up until now so she won't know what to expect at a school.
"Alright Gracie go on now i'll be back at 3 sharp to pick you up". Damon said.
"Do i have to go maybe you can homeschool me". Grace said.
"Gracie there's nothing to be afraid of i go to school". Stefan tried to reason.
"Gracie here's the deal if you go to school we can do whatever you want after school anything at all you wanna do we can do it after school". Damon said.
"Really". Grace said.
"Yeah so right after school we can do whatever you want". Damon said.
"Ok". Grace said.
"That's our girl". Stefan said.
Damon and Stefan hug and kiss their niece on her head before watching her go in the building with the other kids.
"She'll be fine Damon alright she has the necklace and her phone she'll know to call one of us if it's important". Stefan tried to reason with his brother.
"I just have a feeling something isn't right". Damon said.
"Your gonna guard the school aren't you?" Stefan asked.
"Maybe for a little bit". Damon said.
"Just don't cause any trouble Damon not with Gracie around". Stefan said.
"I won't". Damon said.
"I gotta go. Who's picking up Grace after school me or you?" Stefan asked.
"I will". Damon said.
"Alright i'll see you later". Stefan said.
With no one looking Stefan used his super speed to run to school while Damon started to just wonder around seeing if anyone is following him and it's Pearl.
"And what do you want Pearl?" Damon asked.
"I want your help Damon". Pearl said.
"And what makes you think i'll help you?" Damon replied.
"You have a beautiful daughter hate to see if something happen to her". Pearl said.
Damon's eyes grew dark and he got in protective mode insistently and ran up to Pearl and grabbed her throat and looked into her eyes with a pissed off look in his.
"Let's get a few things straight right now. One she's not my daughter she's my niece, second leave her alone or you will end up dead, third if you or any of your friends even breathe around her i will drive a stake through all your hearts. My niece stays out of everything she's just a kid". Damon said seriously.
"Damon i can help you if you can help me". Pearl said.
"Help me with what?" Damon asked releasing her.
"If word gets out about your niece trust me when i say they other vampires will go after her and possibly kill her". Pearl said.
"Why are you telling me this?" Damon said.
"I can help protect her". Pearl said.
"What's in it for you". Damon said.
"I just want my life back Damon before i got thrown in the tomb for all those years. I just wanna live my life with Anna". Pearl said.
"How do i know if you're not lying and you're just gonna go tell Katherine everything". Damon said.
"I haven't seen or heard from her in over a century and a half all i know is she is alive". Pearl said.
"All your friends stays away from my niece i will help you when the time comes". Damon said.
"Deal". Pearl said.
Pearl then ran from Damon back to her hideout while Damon went to get a drink to calm his nerves before Grace gets out of school.
Meanwhile
Grace is in her classroom sitting in the back because she does not like or trust people very easily. She is quietly doing her work and glances up every now and then to see if anyone is staring at her and after 5 minutes her work is done for the class. She brings it to the teacher and goes back to her seat and puts one of her earbuds in and plays her music while playing her psp and after a half an hour it's time for lunch then recess. Damon packed her lunch for her because school food sucked and she saw a table in the far corner of the cafeteria and went to go sit by herself while she ate then after lunch all the kids went out for recess and she stayed to herself playing her psp then after recess she went to the rest of her classes.
3 pm
Just like Damon promised he was outside waiting on Grace and when she saw her uncle she practically flew down the steps of the school and jumped in her uncle's waiting arms.
"Uncle Damon!" Grace said excitedly.
"Hey princess". Damon said kissing her head.
"Can we go to the grill please?" Grace asked.
"Sure". Damon said taking her backpack.
Damon takes his niece's hand and looks around to make sure no one is following them and they make there way to the grill.
The grill
Damon and Grace enter the grill with Grace glued to Damon's side and Damon sees Alaric there.
"Damon". Alaric called out.
Damon heard his name and he brought Grace over to where Alaric is and the two sit down.
"Hello Alaric what are you doing here?" Damon asked.
"Just sitting and having a drink. And who is this pretty little girl here?" Alaric said.
"This is my niece Grace. Gracie this is my friend Alaric he teaches at Stefan's school". Damon said.
"Hi". Grace said shyly.
"Hi there Grace". Alaric said.
"Grace why don't you start your homework while me and Ric go over to the bar and talk". Damon told his niece.
"Ok Uncle Damon". Grace said.
"If you need me i'll be right over here". Damon said.
Grace nodded and began on her homework while Ric and Damon got a drink at the bar.
"So how is she your niece?" Ric asked.
"She's our distant niece, her parents were killed when she was 2 so me and Stefan kept her hidden so she'll be safe". Damon explained.
"Does she know that you and Stefan are vampires?" Ric asked.
"Yes. We told her when she was 8 so that she wouldn't be scared of us and so incase something ever happens...one of us will change her if necessary". Damon said.
"You seem to really care about her Damon more than anybody". Ric said.
"She's my life, my world and i will be damned if anybody dares hurt her". Damon said.
Grace is still working on her homework when Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy walk in the grill and Damon sees his brother face and he fears something is wrong.
"Gracie i have to go talk to Stefan for a second you stay here and finish your homework. Alright". Damon said to his niece.
"Ok Uncle Damon". Grace said.
Damon then makes his way over to his brother to figure out what's wrong.
"Damon we need to talk but not here. Elena would you mind keeping an eye on Grace please we'll be right outside". Stefan said.
"Sure". Elena said.
Damon and Stefan then head outside to have their private conversation.
"Damon if i tell you this don't freak out or do anything stupid or reckless". Stefan said.
"What". Damon said.
"The tomb vampires are out". Stefan confessed.
"And". Damon said.
"They might be after Grace". Stefan said.
That set Damon off, who in their right mind who even harm a innocent child? Especially someone related to them. Damon took a few deep breaths before doing something stupid and very reckless.
"Damon calm down". Stefan told his annoyed pissed off brother.
"Calm down? I know you did not just tell me to calm down". Damon said in a angry tone.
"Well you have to or you're gonna scare Gracie". Stefan said.
"Stefan i don't know if you know this by now but it was our fault that they were put in there and yes they are gonna want revenge, think about it if they know she is related to us they will use her against us". Damon said.
"I know that Damon. Look right now we have to protect her at all cost". Stefan said.
Damon then took a deep breath and calmed down before he did anything stupid and if he did something stupid that can put Grace in a lot of danger and he was known for getting even. He then looked through the window and saw how his niece got along with Elena, Jeremy, Caroline, Bonnie, and Ric knowing she just met them.
"We should get her home". Damon said.
"I'll get her. Damon don't do anything stupid while i'm gone i know you". Stefan said to his brother.
Inside
"Uncle Stefan!" Grace said.
"Hey Gracie. You finish your homework". Stefan asked his young niece.
"Yup all done. Everyone helped me when i got stuck". Grace said.
"Thanks guys now i have to get this one home". Stefan said.
"Stefan can i talk to you for a second". Ric asked.
"Sure. Gracie stay with them until i get back". Stefan said.
"Ok Uncle Stefan". Grace said.
"What's going on Stefan?" Ric asked.
"The tomb vampires are out and chances are...they might be after Grace". Stefan said.
"Why would they go after her?" Ric asked.
"It was mine and Damon's fault that they were put in there and they will want revenge". Stefan explained.
"I see". Ric said.
"Me and Damon are taking her home now so nothing will happen but be on the look out for anything like that". Stefan said.
"You got it". Ric said.
"Alaric we can't lose Grace she's all we have if we lose her i don't know what i'll do but Damon he will go on a spree and that is never good". Stefan said.
"Hey you won't lose her alright not with us around and as long as she stays with you and Damon she'll be fine". Ric said.
"I'll get her so we can head out now". Stefan said.
Stefan then went to go retrieve his niece from the group and they were all curious to why Damon and Stefan are acting strange.
"Ric what's up with Damon and Stefan". Elena said.
"The tomb vampires had escaped. And they are targeting Grace to get back at the boys for putting them in there". Ric said.
"What? Who would be that cruel to hurt a little girl". Caroline said.
"For now Stefan said to just keep a look out for anything suspicious". Ric said.
Meanwhile
Damon and Stefan were walking their niece home but one of them kept a look out to make sure they don't get ambushed by any vampires or anything but little do they know they are being watched by Katherine who has a smirk on her face.