Bloodlines

Chapter 1: I Know What You Did Last Summer

Beta: PrincessOfSilence

Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my characters and my story.

AN: Happy TVD and TO everyone! I hope that all of you enjoyed the premieres of both shows and I am so ready to start writing these chapters :)

"Oh no."

Cassandra leapt out of her bed and darted for the bathroom with a hand clamped over her mouth. No, not again, she scolded her body for picking the absolute worst times to act up like this. In the darkness, she was able to make her way through the bedroom, save for bumping into the walls. Her stomach churned violently and she had just managed to make it to the bathroom when bile rose up her throat. Clammy hands gripped the toilet seat while she vomited and she was thankful that her hair was tied up off her face. She'd grown accustomed to this happening at any time and just figured that it was easier to keep her hair up as opposed to fussing with it. Sweat and heat prickled along her skin as she continued to wretch and groan over the toilet. The contents of her stomach from just a few hours before was now spilling out of her. Blood, pieces of food; anything and everything that she had eaten was being regurgitated. Her head spun, nausea plaguing her nerves, and her body ached terribly. Hands shook, dehydration was setting in and she needed something to drink, but she knew that she'd just throw it back up again.

With a few final dry heaves, she took a few calming breaths to make sure that she was finished for the night and she flushed the toilet. Sighing heavily, she heard the bathroom door creak open and she knew that she had woken up her husband again. Cassandra closed the toilet seat and very slowly got to her feet. Her knees were buckling and her arms could barely hold her own weight as she braced herself on the edge of the toilet and the bathroom counter.

"Again?" Damon asked her and she nodded weakly.

"Why do they call it morning sickness if it hits you every second of the day?" She said aloud and held her head in her hands. She'd had enough. She was tired. She was hungry. And she was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Frustration surged through her, adding to the still prominent heat that engulfed her body like an inferno. Giving a loud sob, she fell back, her legs unable to hold herself up, but Damon was quick to catch her. He immediately cradled her in his arms and sat her up on the counter.

"Shh, shh, shh." Damon cooed softly and wiped her tears away with his thumbs but they continued to fall. He stood between her legs and tried to calm her down; he hated seeing her cry more than anything.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Jeremy's eyes were bleary with sleep, but Cassandra's crying had woke him up. His pajamas were a mess and his hair was frizzy from frantically jumping out of bed to see what was the matter. Normally Elena would be the first one up, but she was spending the night at Caroline's in preparation for them to leave for college. The hybrid pressed her face into the crook of Damon's neck, purring to herself when she found that the skin was cool and her arms circled Damon's body, eager to cool her body down. He felt her hot tears burning his skin and peered over at Jeremy who looked as confused as ever.

"She just had a bad nightmare," Damon replied.

"Can I get her anything? A glass of water?" He asked and Cassandra shook her head.

"I've got it, Jeremy." The vampire comfortingly ran his fingers along her back.

"Are you sure? I can stay up with her." The teen offered.

"I said, I got it, Jeremy." Damon snapped tensely and he sent the vampire a glare.

Cassandra turned her head to face the crestfallen teen. "It's okay, Jeremy. It was just a bad dream." She assured him with a small smile as if to make it seem like it was just as simple as a nightmare. Jeremy let out a tired sigh before giving Damon one last glowering look and turning on his heel to trudge back to his room.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him." Cassandra chided her husband who had grasped a washcloth from the cabinet and soaked it under the cold water from the faucet.

"And he shouldn't meddle in business that isn't his." The vampire grumbled, wringing out the excess water from the cloth.

"He was just trying to be helpful." She sighed gratefully when Damon placed the washcloth on the back of her neck. The cold soothed her skin and her muscles relaxed from their previously tensed position. He ran the washcloth over her back, cleaning the sweat off her skin and desperately trying to bring her body temperature down as well. He moved to her front and passed the washcloth along her collarbone and just above the swell of her breasts.

"Better?" He watched her eyes fall closed as he stroked her skin.

"Mmhmm." She hummed softly and just enjoyed the sensation of the cool fibers passing over her flushed flesh.

Unbeknownst to the couple, there was another presence in the room with them that they could not see. Bonnie Bennett remained leaned up against the doorway, just observing them with a pensive look on her face. She watched how Damon held her and touched her and she remembered how Jeremy would do the same thing. Their admiration and love for one another was something so rare and incredible to witness. Her heart ached longingly to feel Jeremy's touch again, but it had been two months since she felt anything from someone in the physical world. A part of her enjoyed being in the spiritual world because she could watch over her loved ones and materialize to wherever she needed to be. During the summer, she kept an eye on Elena and Caroline as they readied themselves for college, Jeremy settling into becoming alive again, and she kept a closer eye over the married couple who was going through quite a bit of turmoil.

She watched as Damon pressed a kiss to Cassandra's forehead. "I'll be right back. Are you okay for me to leave you?"

His wife nodded tiredly and took the washcloth from him. "I'm fine." He turned on his heel and headed back to his room. Bonnie's eyes followed him, but she remained with Cassandra in the bathroom. She watched as the hybrid hopped down off the counter and faced the mirror. Bonnie stepped closer to her, but Cassandra remained unaware that the witch was even there. Shaky hands lifted up her nightgown and her fingers lingered over her still flat stomach. Only two months had passed since they learned that she was pregnant, so her body hadn't started to change yet. Underneath her fingertips, she could feel the gentle heartbeats of the unborn child that rested there. A mystified smile pulled at Cassandra's lips, but it was wiped away once anxiety and fear took over her. She was still in shock that she was pregnant, that was a given, but she was a mix of emotions all at once. The past two months had been rough for her. She was constantly nauseous and on edge with each new day. The smallest things would anger her and she would fall to pieces at something that seemed so minute in retrospect. Cassandra let the nightgown go and grabbed her toothbrush from the holder; the smell of vomit was making her sick all over again and she brushed her teeth in an effort to get that bad taste out of her mouth.

Bonnie was suddenly in the couple's bedroom in the blink of an eye. She saw Damon dialing a number on his phone and then he held it to his ear. The witch knew exactly who he was calling, but she was helpless to even tell him that the person on the other end wouldn't be able to answer. One, two, three rings passed by before the phone went to voicemail. The vampire growled into the receiver as he paced the room.

"Bonnie, it's me. Call me back." He clicked the phone off and threw it on the bed. The witch frowned deeply; she knew that because she was a ghost, she couldn't even touch her phone. She couldn't touch anything, not even Jeremy. Bonnie decided to leave the couple alone and check on Jeremy who she was sure was cursing Damon's bad attitude. A nervous hand passed through Damon's hair and he headed back to the bathroom in time to see Cassandra shut off the faucet. Her hands braced against the counter and her eyes met Damon's in the reflection of the mirror.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this for."

Damon's blue eyes examined her tightly. "You've gotten this far, right?"

Cassandra slowly turned to face him. "Damon, I feel like I've been run over by an eighteen wheeler. I'm moody, I'm bitchy, my boobs hurt, and I can't keep anything down." She counted off each of her problems on her fingers. Damon gently took her hands in his, noticing that they weren't clammy anymore and he kissed the backs of them.

"Day by day, Cassandra." He told her softly.

"You always say that." She pulled her hands back. "Day by day; day by day. I am sick and tired of hearing that! If I hear it one more time..." The hybrid finally realized that she was taking out her ranting and raving on the wrong person and she palmed her face. A long, drawn out sigh left her lips and she calmed herself before looking to her verbally abused husband who had taken her little fit in great strides. "Dammit, Damon. I'm sorry. I don't know when to keep my big mouth shut."

"Cass," Damon spoke.

"I'm just a mess lately and I'm not making our marriage any better." She walked past him into their bedroom and Damon was quick to follow her.

"Cass," he called to her again.

Her hands yanked the damp nightgown up over her head and she tossed it into the laundry bin. She then turned her back to him and opened her drawer, rifling around for another nightgown to wear to bed. "Everything is falling apart and its only getting-"

"Cass!" Her ranting stopped and she looked at him over her shoulder, nightgown in hand. "Just relax, okay? We get moody and anxious. It happens." He said and she huffed, putting the nightgown on.

"Look, I'm sorry."

"And what are you sorry for exactly?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"About this. About everything." She gestured, waving her arms.

"Well, if you're apologizing for the whole "getting knocked up" thing. It takes two to tango, honey." He sat himself on the bed and patted the spot beside him, a silent plea to join him and try to get some sleep.

Cassandra frowned and made her way over to the bed, her bare feet practically dragging against the hardwood floor. She plopped down in a heap on the cushiony mattress and flipped her pillow over to the cooler side. She peered up at Damon through long, ribbon like lashes and snuggled into her pillow. "This is just all so unexpected."

Damon slid down on the bed so he was lying next to her with his arm propped up under him. "I know it is, but it was something that we always wanted, right?"

"Oh, of course this is something I want, Damon. I just didn't think it would be so...strenuous." The two chuckled at her choice of word, mainly because being supernatural, everything came easily to them. "How do you do it? I would think after spending a summer with me being pregnant that you'd want me out of this house."

"Actually, the second you fall back asleep, all of your crap will be on the front lawn." He smirked.

"Damon," she deadpanned, a grin pulling at the corners of her lips.

"You know I'm only kidding."

"I would hope so." She quipped.

"As for handling you being pregnant, I have some experience." Damon said and Cassandra's eyebrows crinkled. "Well, I was around when my mom was pregnant with Stefan."

Cassandra mimicked his position, clearly interested in hearing more. She never knew Stefan and Damon when they were children, so it being mentioned was like unlocking the Salvatore vault. "But, you were just a baby yourself."

"Nah, I was young, but not a baby. I was a bit of a mama's boy and I'd always spend time around her, so I was one of the first people to notice that something was up with her." Damon rarely talked about his childhood since it was riddled with his verbally abusive father, but Cassandra let him continue, eager for him to talk about it. Cassandra had always wondered if Giuseppe ever raised his hands to Damon, but she knew that if he did and she saw it that she would strike him back where he stood. She never understood why parents would beat their children and it hurt her to even think that Giuseppe would beat his son until he was battered and bruised. "She would get sick and sometimes she'd lose her temper with me and my dad, but she'd always apologize. I would do my little part to make her feel better and I think it worked." Cassandra could see it now; a little boy with a tuft of black hair rushing to his mother's bedside to kiss her good morning or to hold her hand when she was feeling ill. One thing was for certain, Damon definitely got his compassion from his mother.

"I always wished that I could have met her." Cassandra smiled warmly. "She sounds like an amazing woman."

Damon smiled too, but it faltered remembering the very end of his mother's life on earth. After giving birth to Stefan, she contracted an illness that made her wither away in front of everyone's eyes. Damon could only watch as his mother grew weaker and weaker with each passing day. She was taken from him much too young and it wrecked him. He didn't have anyone who would protect him from his father's abuse and rage. Not even Stefan could help defend his older brother from their father.

Cassandra watched his expression change within a matter of seconds and she cupped his cheek. "Hey, I'm sorry for making you talk about your mom. We don't have to talk about her if you don't want to."

Her hand on his cheek brought him comfort and warmth that he would never get tired of. Damon quickly buried all thoughts of his rough childhood and adulthood away in the dark corners of his mind and looked into her brown eyes that he loved so much. Through all of the mood swings and morning sickness, she was still his one and only love. And while he knew that the road for them would only get harder, he swore to love her just the same as the day he met her. "We're going to be fine, Cassandra. I promise."

Nodding surely, his wife pressed a kiss to his lips. Her thumb caressed his cheekbone tenderly and her index finger trailed down his defined jaw line. If he was willing to promise that they would survive all of this, she'd be damn sure to hold up her side of the deal. She wouldn't give up on him. She'd rather be staked and dumped in a vat of vervain than give up on the person who has been by her side through thick and thin.

We'll survive this, the words echoed in her head, slowly lulling her to sleep.

We always survive.

"Damon, I'm not going to get any work done if you keep-" A loud gasp fell from Cassandra's lips as her husband ran his tongue over a sensitive spot on her neck. She had been trying to get some laundry done when her husband strolled in. She gave a noble effort of fighting him off, but Damon was just too insatiable for words. He then bit down on the skin roughly, making her call out and sending her into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"C'mon, you said that you're feeling better and you are positively glowing today." He grinned and spun her around to face him. "The laundry can wait." He quickly hoisted her up onto the washing machine and stood between her legs. He kissed her hard and Cassandra moaned wantonly against his lips. His kisses were mind numbing and she craved those sinful lips of his on other parts of her body which were screaming for attention. She crossed her legs at her ankles, trapping his body close to hers and shuddered when his lips trailed over her neck.

"I...I don't have any clean clothes." She tried to tell him, but it came out as more of a whimper than a statement. That part was true; Cassandra insisted on washing every piece of clothing that was in her suitcase even if they were clean or if she didn't wear it when she was away. OCD at its finest.

Damon smirked up at her and palmed her breasts through her thin tank top. "Well, then I certainly wouldn't object to you walking around the house naked." He quickly flashed them upstairs where he situated Cassandra to straddle his lap and she bit her bottom lip before smashing her lips onto his. It had been such a long time since they had been like this, too long have they gone without the intimate touches that they so craved from one another. Well, at least for Damon, two months was much too long to not enjoy his wife. Cassandra's hands slid underneath his cotton shirt and her fingers walked up his defined chest. His hard planes and defined muscles made her inner desires burn and she scratched down his chest, making the vampire below her growl. Damon's hands trailed along her smooth thighs, which looked so good in denim shorts might he add, before curving around her behind to pull her further onto him. Her hips ground down on him, cradling his already straining erection which was fighting to be released from his denim prison. As if sensing her husband's need, Cassandra's nimble fingers flicked open the button of his jeans and dragged the zipper down ever so slowly. Whimpering against her lips, Damon plead with her to please get on with it and Cassandra's right hand slid into his open jeans and fisted his hard length when-

The slamming of the front door made Cassandra immediately retract her hand and whip around to see Jeremy blushing and averting his eyes from their tangled position on the couch. She pulled away from Damon, but not without having her bottom lip get pulled roughly by his teeth.

"Jesus, Jer! Hey, uhm..." Cassandra climbed off her husband and snatched up one of the throw pillows to place it over Damon's groin. "Uh, we...thought that you...left."

Jeremy couldn't even look at her, he was a little too embarrassed. "Yeah, I, uh, did. Five hours ago."

"I'm sorry, but we...ah..." As Cassandra struggled for the right words to say, the teen happened to steal a glance at Damon who was shooing him out of the room with a flick of his hand. "Well, there's food in the fridge if you..." Jeremy had taken Damon's kind hint and left the room, leaving Cassandra to laugh off the awkwardness of what had just occurred. Damon didn't look fazed at all by being walked in on with his wife's hand practically in his pants; if anything, he was annoyed that Jeremy turned their sexy time into one giant awkward cluster-fuck.

"Well," Damon started and adjusted his seat on the couch, jostling the pillow that was propped up against his open fly. "That went well."

"That kid is gonna have nightmares." She grimaced and happened to catch her husband drumming his hand on the pillow as if to call her back to his den of forbidden pleasure. He wiggled his eyebrows and gave her that smoldering smirk that he knew she just couldn't resist.

"Let me just check on him." Cassandra said and her husband pouted along with giving her the most adorable puppy dog eyes.

"But..."

"It'll only a second. I promise." She pranced to him and kissed him quickly before darting off into the kitchen where Jeremy was nuking a slice of pizza in the microwave.

"Sorry, I didn't know if you wanted a piece so I just heated up one for myself." He stated and gestured toward the small box with some more slices inside. "You want?"

It was a tempting offer, but the very smell of the pizza being heated up was making her feel slightly sick. Swallowing her nausea, Cassandra just shook her head and tried to ignore the smell in the air. "No, thanks. I'm not hungry."

"I would have asked, but you seemed pretty busy." He added humorously.

Cassandra clicked her teeth unconsciously. "Yeah...I'm really sorry about that and for Damon snapping at you a couple of nights ago."

"What's his problem anyway?" He asked and the microwave beeped, signaling that his lunch was finished heating up.

"He's just very protective over me, Jer. You know that." She looked away from the pizza and traipsed to the fridge to find something that would mask the smell of the pizza. Finding what she was looking for, her hand curled around a cool plastic bag and she grabbed a straw from one of the drawers.

"I know, but I was just trying to help." The teen took a bite of his food but then remembered that it was way too hot to be consumed. He chewed the piece of pizza in his mouth quickly even though the roof of his mouth and tongue were burning. Looking to cool his mouth off, he gripped a water bottle from the fridge and downed half of it.

"I told Damon that." She sipped daintily from the straw and prayed that she wouldn't throw it up all over the freshly cleaned floor. "But, thank you for trying to help."

"No problem." He smiled.

Cassandra took a few more sips thanked the powers that be that she was at least feeling better to have some kind of nourishment. Sure, it wasn't real food, she'd try that later, but her body was starting to weaken from the lack of blood. "Hey, listen, have you spoken to Bonnie lately?"

The teen looked up at her and nodded with a mouthful of pizza. Was this kid raised by wolves? Although, Cassandra was sure that she'd be just as ravenous as he was after not being able to consume food for a few days.

"Because I tried calling her and she hasn't returned my calls." She and Damon had been ringing the witch's phone all summer. It was a reach, but maybe Bonnie had some answers as to why and how Cassandra had gotten pregnant.

Jeremy swallowed his food and downed some more water before replying. "Yeah, she's at the Grand Canyon now, so her phone is acting up. Why? What did you need her for?"

Her hands unconsciously tightened around the bag, thinking of what she'd need Bonnie for. "Oh, well, I've been having really bad nightmares lately and I wanted to know if she could recommend some kind of tea that would calm my nerves." Another lie to add to the pile. It was tough work keeping this pregnancy under wraps.

"You know, she replies a little quicker to emails. I can email her for you if you want." Jeremy offered. Ah, always the helpful Gilbert boy.

"No, it's fine. I'll do it." Cassandra shrugged, but inside she was jumping out of her skin. Finally, she'd get to talk with Bonnie and maybe her and Damon could sleep easier at night. "Thanks, Jer." She pranced out of the kitchen and Jeremy let a pensive look creep onto his face.

Since he was answering Bonnie's emails all summer, he noticed that the phone got quite a few calls and voicemails from both Damon and Cassandra. He'd play them for Bonnie and ask her what to reply back, but she told him to just leave it be. Jeremy hated not knowing things, so he play the messages back on more than one occasion to himself. None of them had any kind of clues as to what the couple needed Bonnie for, but each one held a sense of urgency that made Jeremy a little edgy. He highly doubted that Cassandra's nightmares would be the cause of 50+ calls and messages unless they really were that severe. And if Bonnie knew and heard that their messages were so urgent, why would she ignore them? Someone was lying to him. Now it was a question of figuring out who and why and more importantly, what were they lying about?

Caroline yanked open the packing tape on yet another box while Elena was neatly folding her clothes and placing them into drawers. Today was move-in day at Whitmore College and their lives as functional vampires in college were just beginning. The entire summer was spent buying everything to get the girls ready for classes and now they were unpacking boxes upon boxes of things to make their dorm room a lot less drab and dull. The blonde vampire had already picked out a color scheme that would serve as the background for nights of cramming and finishing papers while Elena was helping to organize the plethora of small appliances they brought to the dorm room. Everything was going perfectly to plan when they got news of a third roommate that would be joining them.

The girl's name was Megan and needless to say, the two vampires were less than pleased that housing had managed to mess up their room assignments. They had purposely set it up so that they could have a room alone with no human eyes. So, being the control freak and boss that she was so well known for, Caroline sent Megan down to housing and hoped that she would only come back to move her things.

"Here they are." Caroline spoke and hugged an under bed box close to her chest.

Elena turned herself away from her clothes to eye her curiously. "Here are what?"

"My shoes." The blonde stated obviously and walked over to her bed. She knelt onto the floor and lifted up the bed skirt to slide it underneath, but another box was in her way. "What the..." She pulled the other box from under the bed to see that it was beautifully wrapped with a big bow on it. A card hung from the side and she read it quickly.

Just a little something for you to start college.

Love, Cassandra.

Elena was now hovering over Caroline and she checked under her bed to find a gift from the hybrid as well. The girls exchanged a glance at one another before ripping the paper off their presents like little kids on Christmas morning.

"Oh."

"My."

"God!" Both girls squealed seeing brand new laptops nestled inside the mess of tissue paper. Knowing Cassandra, she'd gotten them the top of the line in electronics and they couldn't wait to charge them up and use them.

"She is out of her mind!" Caroline scooped up the laptop and charger before sprinting to the wall to plug it in. "Now I know why my mom told me not to get a laptop..."

Elena giggled and pulled out her cell phone, dialing the hybrid's number. She hoped that she would answer since she and Damon had been gone all summer. It was a little lonely and boring not having the couple around, but like everyone else, they were entitled to some relaxation too.

"Hello?"

"You, woman, are crazy." Elena said and plopped down on her bed. "Cassandra, this is too much!"

Cassandra smiled brightly and laughed heartily. "It's just a little something for you girls and consider it an 'I'm sorry for not being around all summer' present."

"You're forgiven!" Caroline shouted excitedly from her bed.

"How are you girls settling in? Everything okay?" She asked.

"Well, yes and no." Elena frowned. "We have a third roommate."

"What? But I thought you guys-"

"We did, but housing totally messed up and we're trying to get her out of our room." The blonde grumbled. "I mean, what if I get hungry and I want to eat her?"

"I'm sure housing will fix it. You know, you can always compel her." The hybrid offered.

"That will be our next move." Elena sighed. "Everything else at home is good?"

"Yep, Jeremy is off at school and everything is under control." She did promise to herself and the Gilbert sister that she would look out for Jeremy since he was pretty much on his own. "Damon and I will take good care of him."

"Good," the vampire trailed off and then prepared herself to ask a question that she had floating around in her head the entire summer. "So, how are you doing?" She asked seriously and she could practically hear Cassandra's nose wrinkling over the phone.

"I'm fine. What do you mean?"

"Well, you and Damon took off without notice." The vampire said. "And you guys didn't call at all this summer."

Cassandra let out a long sigh and flopped down onto her bed. "I know and I'm sorry, Elena. I really am. Damon and I are just really stressed lately and we needed some time to ourselves."

Both vampires went quiet, looking at one another warily. "Wait, you guys aren't thinking about...calling it quits, are you?!"

"No, no, no!" She shook her head. "Elena, I love Damon more than anything and after all of the stuff we've been through, we'd be stupid to call it quits. We just hit a little bump in the road." Her hand instinctively patted her stomach. Funny, she thought to herself. Her little bump would soon grow into a big one, throwing everything off track. Hence the "bump in the road" metaphor.

Elena quelled her nerves, keeping them under control. "Oh, good! Because you two are really happy together."

"I am happy." A warm, sweet smile touched Cassandra's lips. "Damon makes me happy. We're just going through some stuff."

"Well, you know if you need anything that Care and I are here." The phone was then transferred to the blonde vampire.

"And listen to me about Damon." Caroline stated. "He loves you so much and would do anything for you. I know that Damon and I have had our beefs, but I'm happy for the two of you. And he should know that if he messes it up, I'm going to yank his throat out."

"Thanks for the visual." The hybrid could see the vivid image of blood and the thought was making her queasy. "But anyways, I'm proud of the two of you. Doing the whole college thing."

"Yeah, we're excited. I'll be even more excited to try out this new laptop." Caroline beamed. "Thanks again, Mrs. S."

"Enjoy them. You girls deserve it." Cassandra said and heard Damon calling her from downstairs, so she climbed out of bed and traipsed down the staircase."Listen, I've gotta run, but play nice with the other freshman and don't do anything I wouldn't do." She told them. "And one more thing-"

"We know, we know." Caroline droned, holding the phone away from her ear and Elena leaned in. "Be careful."

"Bye girls." Cassandra clicked off her phone and hopped down the rest of the steps to see Damon standing in the parlor with the last person she ever think would be in their home.

"It's been a long summer, Damon." Katherine murmured. Her hair was a complete mess and her makeup was smeared all over her face. Her clothes were also worn and torn. Obviously being human wasn't treating her well.

"Katherine." The raven haired vampire recoiled from her disheveled appearance and the two remained looking at each other.

"Well, since no one in this house has said it yet, I will." Cassandra cut in, standing on the opposite side of the room. She was leaning against the doorframe, one hip jutted out. "You look like crap."

"You're gonna have to cut me off soon." Katherine noted as she poured herself another glass of bourbon. "My tolerance is a joke now. It's just so...glorious." She was putting on a brave face, but Damon and Cassandra could see right through her.

"You're miserable," Damon deadpanned.

"Please. I'm Katherine Pierce – I'm a survivor." The human Petrova took a long sip from her glass.

"Even though you're a human, you're still a dirty little liar. Your hair's a mess and you're in desperate need of a manicure." Cassandra stated and Katherine frowned down at her chipped nails. "So, what do you want? To be a vampire again?"

Katherine seemed to think it over for a moment or two, but she shook her head. "I can't, okay? No one's ever taken the cure before. If I die, there's a good chance I may never wake up."

Damon scoffed loudly and took up the bourbon tumbler from the table. "And that would be tragic."

"Do us all a favor, Katherine. Get out of here." The hybrid glowered when the house phone rang. She reached for it, but Katherine snatched it up first.

"Salvatore residence." She purred. "Hello, Principal Weber. This is Elena. Oh, dear. We'll find him." After trying and failing miserably to pose as Elena, Katherine hung up and turned to the two of them.

"So, Jeremy's been expelled. Elena will be cool with that, right?" She smirked and Damon rolled his eyes. The kid was in school for barely a day and he was already expelled.

"When we get back here, you're gone." He eased a jacket onto his wife's shoulders and started to walk out the door, but Katherine jogged up to them.

"Wait, Damon. There's someone chasing me." She blabbed.

"Then run. From what I remember, you're good at that." Cassandra said.

"No, you don't understand. I have enemies everywhere. What happens when word gets out that I'm a human? I can't protect myself!" She was begging at their feet, something that was very foreign to them. "I'm weak and I'm slow. Do you have any idea what it's like to run in heels? I have blisters! Please, just... help me." It was a sad sight to see Katherine groveling for help, a woman who was once independent was now pathetically pleading with them for a place to stay.

"We'll discuss this when we get home." Cassandra offered. "For now, just lay low, don't touch my stuff, and don't break anything."

"One day. One day where you don't screw it up." Damon growled and sat at Jeremy's table at the Grill.

"Leave me alone, Damon." The teen grumbled.

"You're lucky you didn't put one of those idiots in ICU." He hissed.

Jeremy sent a glare his way. "Says the guy who once killed me."

"Yes! In the privacy of your own home! Away from prying eyes!" The vampire said in a matter of fact tone. "Unlike you who went all hunter in the middle of a hallway. You got expelled, genius."

"Does that mean I don't have to go back to school?" There the tiniest sliver of hope in his voice.

"Cassandra compelled Principal Weber into a very generous three-day suspension." He replied and checked his phone to see that Cassandra was finishing up the meeting and would meet him soon. "Elena does not need to know about this. Finish eating, meet me outside." He rose from the table and turned to see a very familiar face, one that he had missed seeing all summer. However, things weren't always as they seemed.

"Hello, Damon." Silas greeted.

To say that he was shocked into silence was an understatement, but Damon managed to muster up something to say. "Stefan. Welcome home."

"Thanks." He smiled and did a very un-Stefan like move. He hugged his older brother, patting him on the back in a brotherly fashion and Damon was once again at a loss for words. He couldn't remember a time in their vampire lives where they...hugged each other. All in all it was an odd experience and Damon pulled back to give his brother an awkward half-smile.

"Join me for a drink?" The younger Salvatore asked and Damon, never one to pass up a drink, accepted. They sat at the bar and ordered their drinks.

"Look, I get why you haven't called me back all summer. I wouldn't call me back either." Damon started.

"You mean because you and your wife just skipped town without saying goodbye?" Silas jeered and Damon gave him an incredulous look. "I'm over it. Cheers." Damon sipped idly at his drink while the man pretending to be his brother fished around in his head, looking around for anything of use.

"Katherine's living at Château Salvatore." He stated.

"How do you know that?" Damon asked.

"Because I can read your mind." He smirked and saw that Damon wasn't buying his joke. "I'm kidding, buddy. Katherine called me first. Remember? It's always been me first."

Damon nodded, at least Katherine would have someone to cling onto in her pathetic vampire-less state. "Right." Jeremy walked up to them at the bar to let Damon know that he was finished eating and Silas placed a hand on Jeremy's upper arm. An indescribable chill ran up his arm and the teen looked uneasy.

"Hey, Jeremy. Looking good, man." He grinned.

"Hey, Stefan. Glad you're back." Jeremy said as smoothly as possible.

"Yeah... yeah." Silas looked to Damon who was still nursing his drink. "All right, I'll, uh, see you at home."

"Great." Damon nodded and Jeremy watched the younger Salvatore leave, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Something's wrong. When he touched me, I felt a chill where my tattoo was." He hushed to Damon.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Right before I died, Silas grabbed me and I felt the same thing." Jeremy explained.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Silas is gone. Bonnie turned him into a big piece of rock, remember?"

Before Jeremy could answer, Bonnie appeared by his side, a look of worry strewn on her face. "I died. Jeremy, I bound the magic that took down Silas. When I died, the spell must've broken. He's free."

"That was Silas." Jeremy implored, his own panic level rising.

"That's impossible." The vampire denied it.

"I'm a hunter. Our whole reason for existing is to kill him. I know what I'm feeling, Damon. That - that was Silas." He said.

"I just watched him walk through a crowd of people that saw Stefan. There's no way he could fool that many people at once. I mean, he's psychic, but no one's that psychic." Damon shook his head.

"What did he want?" Jeremy asked and the vampire thought on it for a few seconds, but his mind came up completely blank.

Cassandra tossed her belongings on her bed and stripped off her jacket as she traipsed to the bathroom. After compelling Jeremy's principal and most of the school staff to only give Jeremy a three day suspension instead of immediate expulsion, she was greatly looking forward to soaking in a nice hot bath. Clearly, life had other plans for her because Katherine was submerged in a bubble bath and shaving her legs with one of Damon's old fashioned razors. At least she looked a little more put together and the dirt and smeared make up was washed from her skin.

"You're joking, right?" Cassandra glared at the human. "There are other bathrooms in this house."

"Well, I wanted to use this one." She pouted and very carefully ran the razor over her leg.

Clenching her fists, she growled under her breath and crossed her arms over her chest. "Whatever, just don't cut yourself because then I might have to eat you." Katherine gulped at that comment, once again remembering that she was on the bottom of the food chain.

"That's a tempting offer." Silas smirked in the doorway of the bathroom, but Cassandra only saw the face of her brother-in-law.

"Man, you are a sight for sore eyes." Cassandra quipped and ran the faucet to wash her hands. "No phone call? No postcard?"

Silas chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it's not like you and Damon sent any either."

"Ouch," Cassandra winced. "Fine. What's fair is fair." While she was drying off her hands, Silas used the same trick that he did on Damon at the Grill and found a piece of information that was especially interesting.

"So, how's being pregnant treating you?" Silence engulfed the room and Cassandra was frozen in her spot at the sink. Even Katherine's glance snapped up to eye Cassandra who's resistance was crumbling with each passing second.

The hybrid turned back to Stefan and shifted her weight on her feet. "What did you just say?"

"Oh, I ran into Damon at the Grill and he told me the good news." Silas smiled, completely ignoring the turmoil on Cassandra's face.

"No, he wouldn't have told you..." Her gaze drifted to Katherine who was leaning in close, listening intently to the news that was just shared. "We haven't told anyone."

"Hey, I mean, the secret is out. So, congratulations." Just the mannerisms he used and the Cheshire cat grin that Stefan wore made Cassandra's stomach drop. This wasn't Stefan; this was her worst nightmare come true.

"Silas." She gulped and took a step back from him.

"And once again you prove to be smarter than your husband." Silas grinned and saw her place a hand over her stomach protectively. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not here for that." Cassandra recoiled at the tone in his voice, talking about her baby like it was a thing rather than a person. Silas now glanced at Katherine who looked scared for her life and smirked. "I'm here for her."

Chaos managed to erupt in the time frame of a few seconds. Silas moved for Katherine, but Cassandra jumped on his back, choking his neck with the strong grip of her arms.

"Katherine, run!" She shouted and the human jumped from the tub, sloshing water all over in the process and she grabbed a robe from the hook behind the door. Silas threw Cassandra off him as if she weighed nothing and slammed her into the mirror by the tub with a hand at her neck. Her scalp burned as the glass shards poked and shredded the broken skin there and she placed a hand over Silas's.

"What did you do with Stefan?" She rasped and fought his hold.

"Maybe instead of telling you, I'll have you join him." Silas smirked evilly and Cassandra's other arm flailed around before grasping the razor that was perched on the edge of the tub. In one quick motion, she slashed Silas across the cheek with the blade, creating a deep wound and he let her go. Rushing from the bathroom, she vamp sped downstairs and screamed out when she came into contact with a hard body. Damon's hands caught her and she wrapped her arms around him tightly just as Silas walked at a leisurely pace down the steps.

"Did he hurt you? What happened?" Damon asked and Cassandra wordlessly placed a hand on the back of her head. He checked her scalp and could feel that her healing ability was pushing the glass shards from the wound.

"She did a lot more damage to me." Silas announced and wiped the remainder of blood off his cheek.

Damon nudged his wife behind him, anger flashing in his blue eyes. "What do you want, Silas?"

"You can put your guard down, Damon. I don't want your wife or your little demon spawn." Damon's anger only grew and Cassandra was holding herself back from using the razor again. "I only want Katherine, so get out of my way and tell me where she is."

"First, drop the Stefan look." Damon demanded and Silas simply chuckled. "What?"

A blood bag and an ice pack later, Cassandra's head had healed up and she was now sitting with Damon who was sitting opposite Silas. She was surprised that the first ever vampire hadn't killed them both yet. She was even more confused as to why he wanted Katherine. Damon had practically shoved Katherine out the door with Jeremy, telling him to drive her away and not tell him where they were going because Silas had the ability to read minds.

"If I have to hear the word 'doppelganger' one more time, I think I'm gonna actually have to learn how to spell it." Damon huffed.

Silas leaned back on the couch, making himself comfortable. "You say you don't believe me, and yet your mind is spinning at the possibility."

"A), Get out of my head; B), I think I'd know if my little brother had an evil twin." The raven haired vampire growled.

"Oh, we're not twins." Silas shook his head. "See, when I became truly immortal, Nature retaliated by creating a version of me that was killable. It's called a 'shadow-self'."

"It doesn't matter what you are. Your plan didn't work, Silas. The cure is gone." Cassandra said. "Now what do you want with Katherine?"

Silas examined the hybrid carefully before pursing his lips. "I could tell you, but wouldn't it be so much more fun if it were a surprise?"

"We're not going to let you get her." She hissed.

"How well do you two know Stefan?" Silas posed. "Do you really think he would leave town for three months without so much as a phone call, so you could live happily ever after with the love of your life?"

Cassandra leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees and she stared Silas down. "Where's Stefan?"

"He's suffering, like I suffered." He said and Damon's eyes were tinged with sadness. How had his brother been suffering the entire summer and he didn't even realize it. His own brother was in danger and he could only imagine the Silas pulled all of the stops in making Stefan suffer.

"Tell us where Stefan is." Cassandra demanded.

"Call the hunter, bring me Katherine, and then I will tell you where your little brother is." Silas looked to Damon who immediately pulled his phone to call Jeremy. He knew that he'd be giving up Katherine, but finding his brother was much more important.

"How far'd you get?" He asked as soon as Jeremy picked up the phone.

"You said not to tell you." The teen said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You pick now to listen to me?"

Jeremy was silent for a few moments before replying. "We just passed Old Miller Road."

"Good. Turn around, bring her back." Damon ordered.

"What? No!" They heard Katherine shout through the phone, but Damon quickly hung up the phone.

"Spill it. Where is Stefan?" Cassandra glared.

"Patience. When I get Katherine, you'll know where Stefan is." Silas assured her. "Although, after the condition you find him in, you might not want him back."

"You're a sick piece of shit." She seethed.

"Such foul language for a lady. You do know that your child can hear you, right?" He pointed to her and she shifted on the couch.

"Don't act like you care, Silas. You were the one to make me believe that I was pregnant." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Would you happen to have any answers as to how and why I'm pregnant?"

Silas didn't reply, he simply leaned back and looked between her and Damon. "Maybe I do have answers, but then again...maybe I don't." Had she really expected him to give her a straight answer? She wanted to take that smug smirk of his and slash it off his face, but he was clearly higher up in the supernatural food chain. Shaking her head, she watched as Damon's fingers rushed frantically over the keyboard on his phone. Old Miller Road was barely five minutes away, so why was Jeremy taking so long to come back? His nerves were rubbing together in-harmoniously and Cassandra was starting to worry now too.

"Ooh, your thoughts are churning. It's like a...spool of pink taffy. It's very messy, but very fun to watch." Silas jeered.

"Anyone ever tell you that's creepy?" The vampire quipped.

"You're worried." He stated. "Jeremy's not answering the phone. He should be back by now. You think something's very wrong."

Bonnie appeared by Jeremy's side and took his bloodied head in her hands. "Jeremy, hold on." She begged him, but he remained motionless on the gravel road. The witch saw the entire accident but was powerless to stop it. Katherine's fighting had caused him to veer the truck off the road and smash into an electric pole. The impact of the crash gave both Katherine and Jeremy bad injuries, but she managed to hobble away while he bled out helplessly.

"Hey, I know you can hear me. Jeremy." She shook him lightly, but knew that being a ghost, he couldn't feel her touch which was trying so hard to let him know that she was there with him. She then turned at the sound of Damon's car pulling up to the crash site and she vanished, allowing Damon and Cassandra to rush up to his lifeless body.

"Oh my God! Jeremy!" Cassandra knelt beside him and checked his pulse on the side of his neck. Her fingers probed the skin frantically, but she couldn't feel it. "Damon, he has no pulse."

The vampire tore open his wrist and pressed the bleeding wound to Jeremy's lips. "Jeremy! Open your eyes, Jer. You do not get to die on us, you hear me?"

"C'mon, Jeremy, you need to drink. We're supposed to be taking care of you, you little brat!" She smacked his cheeks.

"Wake up, or I'll kill you myself!" Damon warned and a beat of silence passed before Cassandra could hear his pulse start up again. Pressing her fingers to the skin on the side of his neck, his heart beat was now regulating its rhythm. He slowly opened his eyes, waking up and he looked at the pair who were utterly relieved that he was alright.

"I...I'm n-not a b-b-brat." He told Cassandra and she gave a short laugh.

"Of course you're not." She gently stroked his forehead, being mindful of his open wounds.

"K-Katherine...is...is gone." He added and Damon hugged the teen's body close to his.

"I don't care." The vampire murmured and patted his head, thanking whatever powers out there that brought Jeremy back. The two did have their disagreements, but deep down, they really did love another like brothers. Cassandra watched on and rubbed a hand over Jeremy's back, letting him know that she was happy he was back as well.

"Hey, sorry it took so long to call you back. Car trouble." Cassandra said into her phone.

"What happened?" Elena asked worriedly.

"Ah...uh," she looked at the totaled car and fabricated yet another lie. "Some idiot broke the window, but based on your voice mail, you sound like you had a rough night. Are you okay? You can come home if you want to Elena."

The brunette vampire sighed heavily. "I can't. And especially if my dad's connected to this somehow. I need to know why." While she was looking through Megan's phone, Elena came across a photo of Megan and her father Grayson. Needless to say, she was shaken up that there was a possibility that her parents were hiding things from her. She wouldn't come home until she got to the bottom of it.

"It's probably for the best that you do stay, but we're here for you if you need us, okay?" Cassandra leaned against the truck beside Damon while Jeremy listened on. Damon's blood had done the trick and healed his injuries from the crash.

"Thanks, I'll talk to you soon." She said.

"Bye." Cassandra hung up and Jeremy gave her an accusing look.

"You didn't tell her Silas was here."

"Exactly. And I didn't tell her about Stefan missing, or that Katherine's in town, or that you got expelled." She listed them off on her fingers.

"So you lied." Jeremy frowned.

"No, she withheld a bit of the truth, so that Elena wouldn't drop everything and come running home to help." Damon stepped in and gave another look at the crashed car. "We'll figure all this out." He ushered both Cassandra and Jeremy to his car and they all tiredly piled inside. It had been a long night for everyone and if today was any indication on how the summer would end, they were already bracing themselves for one hell of a ride. Katherine being back was the least of their problems, but Silas moseying into town and wreaking havoc was something that no one needed. Cassandra watched as Damon's hands tightened around the steering wheel. She could see the guilt and turmoil playing on his features as thoughts of his lost brother crossed his mind. Damon and Stefan never had the best brotherly relationship ever since they turned, but Cassandra knew that Damon would go to hell and back for his brother.

Well, it looks like things in Mystic Falls are off to a rough start. Cassandra's pregnancy will be a rough one and it will test her and Damon's marriage like never before. Even as a human, Katherine still continues to be a complete nuisance and Silas is already causing trouble. He knows about Cassandra's pregnancy and it will cause quite a stir in town. Hopefully within the next few episodes, Damon and Cassandra will find Stefan and get him out of the mess that he is been in all summer. Please review :)

tvdlover87654: Thanks for reviewing! What did you think of the premieres? I hope that you enjoyed them and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well :)

Guest: Thank you for reviewing! I do like Klaus and Giuliana together, but I think that Elijah cares for her too. We'll have to see what happens ;) Marcel will definitely be the cause for some tension between him and Klaus. I think Hayley and Giuliana could actually become friends despite their arguments in the past. Giuliana is angry with Klaus for sleeping around, so let's see if he makes up for it.

sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thanks girl! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

Silently Tearful: Thank you for reviewing! I couldn't wait to start writing chapters too! I felt like I was slacking all summer for not writing :-P

sweetdreams705: Glad that you liked both promos! I am very excited that both shows have finally started :) Thanks for reviewing!

Thank you, Damon ;) *jumps him*

I had a wonderful birthday, Klaus! *smiles and rocks on the balls of my feet*

Hmm, I wonder what my gift would be, Kol! *smirks mischievously*

PS: I absolutely FLIPPED when I saw those birthday wishes ;) Thanks so much for them and from you too!

grapejuice101: Thanks for reviewing, girl! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Seira asami: Thank you for your review! I do like Klaus and Giuliana and they will have their moments together, but Marcel has taken an interest in her too ;) Klaus no likey, LOL!

SomebodyWhoCares: Thanks girl :)

shippolove844: Thank you for reviewing! I am so happy that both shows started and I'm ready to write!

xoxobianca13: Thanks so much for reviewing, girl! Glad you enjoyed the promos and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I love the Giuliana/Klaus and Cassandra/Damon interactions too :D

Cori Tom: Oh, no girl. You know me too well ;)

rosa: Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

Guest: Thank you for reviewing! I wrote in the chapter that Cassandra has not started showing yet, but within the next few months, her belly will start to grow and it will be hard to hide.