I'm so sorry for the long wait! I'm not going to give you excuses and grovel. So in this chapter you have some more of Jean being annoying and some Damon comfort. Oh a little bit of Katherine is thrown in, and two of the most hated characters meeting up.
Enjoy ;)

Lay me down.

Let the only sound

Be the overflow

Pockets full of stones

~What the Water Gave Me

~Florence + the Machine

Cecile hadn't said a word. It was beginning to make the rest of the members a little nervous. Cecile never bit her tongue, so the fact that she was doing so now could only mean that she was planning something. The odd thing about it, if an outsider were to witness this they'd be oblivious, was that instead of staring at Cecile, the rest of the people were staring at Damon every now and again. It hadn't been a secret, or at least they hadn't tried to hide it, when everyone had witnessed what had gone on between the Founding Member and the Shop Owner.

Seeing as everyone now knew what was going on between the two of them, they had totally blocked out Cecile's ideas of witchcraft. The Council knew Damon well enough to know that he wasn't stupid. If he trusted Cliona, then the rest would follow his lead. She didn't seem like a bad person anyway, just a little odd. But weren't they all odd, in their own way? She was from an entirely different background to the rest of them, so who were they to judge?

"So it has come to our attention that a Jean Graham may have seen our mystery vampire. It has also come to our attention that her daughter Cordelia is missing. Sherriff?"

"Usually we have to wait 48 hours before calling the search" Sheriff Forbes began, looking at everyone at the table, "But given the latest circumstances it's safe to say that we are viewing her as a missing person but not yet making this public. Miss Graham may turn up within the next 48 hours. She could be under a compulsion and this vampire could be trying to keep a low profile, why, we don't know yet. But what we do know is that they must know that we are on to them after the party, although no attacks were reported he seemed to go with the only one that didn't have vervain in their system. We know this because no one actually saw Miss Graham drink anything"

"Did anyone see her talking to anyone?" Ryan asked from across the table.

"We asked Jean a few questions this morning. She said that she was talking to a blonde man a little taller then her. She also mentioned something about a tattoo on his wrist so that should help us distinguish him. We still have a few names on the suspect list. Women have remained on it, just in case this guy has a partner in crime. These people on the list are only the people that turned up at the party after the sun set."

Damon looked around the room with images of Katherine floating around inside his head. She had to have something to do with this. She was capable, but then again, she wasn't usually sloppy and she knew only all too well about the Founders. She knew that there were humans in this town that knew about their existence.

"Any lead on the blonde guy?" someone broke Damon out of his reverie. He looked back to the Sheriff, waiting for her answer. She looked tired as she let her gaze go down to her , which were on the table, before looking up to Carol at the head of the table.

"The search is ongoing. Once we find another lead, you will be informed immediately."

"Alright" Carol sighed before plastering a smile onto her face and aiming it at everyone. "I think that's enough for today's meeting. I hope you all have a good day"

The sound of chairs scraping against wooden floors could be heard as the members rose and left the room. No one said a word as they departed, each of their heads stuck in the latest Mystic Falls Mystery. Everyone except for Cecile that is, who was sarcastically thinking about how they could get Cliona to use some witchy magic to track Cordelia down, even though she also thought that Cordelia was being hidden away by Cliona.

Business had been booming all day and things had just begun to calm down, finally. Kyle was obviously tired. He was sweeping up while Cliona counted the money and locked up the till for the night.

"Kyle?" Cliona called from the till, moving her eyes up to see the working teenager. He looked back at her, letting her know that he was listening to her. "What would you say to having a new co-worker?"

"I don't know. Depends who it is, I guess" Kyle stopped and leaned against the sweeping brush. His eyes wandered and landed on the window. Cliona looked out too but saw nothing. Kyle was in a rather pensive mood today, she thought.

"Well we would have to have interviews, and you'd be promoted to assistant manager so you would have to be there too and help ask, and come up with, questions to ask the people. There might even be a raise in it for you"

"I'm in!" Kyle grinned, coming out of his thoughts and looking at Cliona with a gleam in his eyes.

"Great" Cliona went back to locking up the till and taking care of the books. This was usually her favourite part of the evening. She loved the hustle and bustle in the afternoons and talking to the customers, but the afternoon was calming and exciting all at once. There was no hurry and she was looking forward to a warm fire and some good television or a book, perhaps even to go to the Grill for a drink.

"So you and that Salvatore guy, huh?"

This time it was Kyle that was pulling Cliona out of her thoughts. Cliona turned around to face him, refusing to blush. If there was one thing she knew, it was that when a person blushes they will have fun poked at them and she didn't like fun being poked at her, especially by a teenage employee.

"Maybe"

"Oh please, everyone saw you. And I spoke to you that night; you weren't even drunk…or that drunk"

"God, I wonder what Cordelia'd say."

"Yeah any updates on her?"

"Watcha mean?"

"Well, she's missing. Everyone's talking about it. They feel sorry for you, running this place on your own. Cecile thought you were a witch and that you were hiding her in the basement or something"

"That's preposterous…I don't have a basement"

Kyle laughed at Cliona's response and she smiled back at his reaction, "But seriously, she's not missing. She does this all the time. This time next week we will be arguing with her and she will be telling stories about some guy she came across and had spent a few days with before telling him that it wasn't working out or something. You know the way she carries on. I've known her for years. I think I'd know if my friend was missing" came the reply, as Cliona ran her finger over her almost fully healed hand. It was the mark she had found on her hand after she woke up with a dreadful hangover, the day after the first party at the Lockwood Mansion. She still wondered how she'd done it to herself, at least the next wound she'd gotten had been when she was sober and could remember cutting those peppers with Damon. He had acted rather oddly actually.

"I'll put an advert in the paper saying that we need help in the shop, and wait for Cordelia to find out and scream at me. I might make her work for the week, to show everyone that she's alive and well."

"I like the way you think boss, hey do you mind if I go a bit early today though? I hate to ask on such short notice but I've told someone I'd meet up with them soon"

"No problem. I've got this covered anyway"

"Thanks"

Kyle grinned before going out back to retrieve his jacket and backpack. He almost ran out of the shop, not even turning back to give Cliona his usual wave. She didn't mind though. She could tell from the smile on his face that he was probably about to see Lucy.

The bell over the door rang as Cliona tried to suppress a laugh, only leaving a smile on her face and directing it at her next customer.

"Oh hey Elena, you're lucky you caught me when you did. I'm just about to close up"

The same olive skinned brunette that Cliona had spoken to at the party walked into the shop but something in her eyes seemed a little different, as if they were darker or more confident. It was as if they were full of malice. Her hair was curled, which Cliona hadn't seen on her before, and she was dressed all in black, instead of Elena's usual jeans and long sleeved top and silver necklace.

"Hi Cliona" she almost purred, "How is the shop going?"

"Not as busy as I'd thought it would be today but I think it's a party day amongst the teens today. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you've got a certain herb here actually. I'm trying this herbal tea thing, it's meant to help with pores and…stuff"

"Can you give me a name for this mystery herb?"

"Vervain?"

"I don't think I do but I'm sure I could try to track some down for you. It can't be that hard to find. You can give me your number and I can call you when it's in or something"

"No, that's fine. I have other stuff at home. Bye"

Elena walked out of the room without another word, leaving Cliona behind to watch her through the window as she crossed the street outside. Now that was strange, Cliona thought to herself, I may have only met Elena once but I know she wouldn't be like that. She must have an evil twin or something, or a split personality perhaps. Damon will know, his brother is dating her after all, and he went to college.

Something just didn't seem right. Cliona debated over whether or not to go and check the Grill and talk to Damon about it, but she knew that she couldn't leave the shop and she didn't want to call him about it, she rather say it to him face to face.

Cliona was holding her phone and looking at it, wondering if she should call when the bell over the door jangled again, this time signaling a person she didn't want to see at all and would have avoided if possible. Jean Graham walked into the shop. Cliona couldn't help but feel a little smug though, she was showing Jean that she worked the shop and was responsible; nothing would stop her from fulfilling her duties or tear her down. Cliona wasn't expecting the smile on Jeans face though.

"You found Cordelia?" she asked the older woman, who was walking towards the counter. A sense of relief washed over Cliona, thank God she was safe, thank God-.

"No"

"What?" Cliona responded, almost snapping.

"My daughter is still missing. But I was invited to a dinner" Jean said smugly, pulling her handbag up her shoulder and looking delighted with herself.

"You complain to everyone that you're daughter is missing and then go to a dinner? Make up your mind! Are you a mother or a cow?"

"How dare you speak to me-"

"No! This is my shop you're standing in so I can speak to you whatever way I like. I can bar you from stepping foot inside my establishment. Now you listen to me. I've been forced to put up with you for far too long. I've seen you treat your own daughter like a piece of gum at the end of your shoe and push her down, and I've had to watch as she crawled back to you like a little lost puppy. Do you know what her favourite colour is? Do you know the country she wants to visit next? Or the name of her college? Or what scares her the most? No you can't. So either you step up and act like a mother or you get out of Mystic Falls and go home because I swear, if you don't, I can do a hell of a lot worse to you"

Jeans eyes had widened, reminding Cliona that she had never actually seen a tear fall from the other woman's eyes. She had heard her cry and make noises alright, but she'd never seen a legitimate tear fall.

"Well, I've never come across someone like you before. I'll have you know I've raised my girl to be a lady!" and with that, Jean stormed out of the shop, slamming the door closed behind her.

A lady that likes to disappear with lots of strange men, Cliona thought. She felt guilty for thinking that about her friend. But she couldn't blame her. She'd probably seen Jean do it, when she was growing up as a child.

Cliona wasn't going to think about these things right now. In fact, she thought that she owed herself a break and decided to close up the shop, which she had originally been in the process of doing anyway. She turned the sign on the door and locked up, before grabbing her things and walking across the street and the centre of the town square, heading to the Grill. If Damon was there, it was just a bonus.

Unfortunately she wasn't there.

She ordered herself a coke, as she sat on a bar stool, trying to think back on her day and blank out the bits where Jean was involved, the disappointment eating away at her. Cliona was beginning to worry about Cordelia now, she would have at least called by now, even if it was to argue or lie about where she was, which wasn't that often, she usually told the truth, as disgusting as it sometimes turned out to be. The day was just a melancholic one. Nothing was going right and she felt a little lonely. What was she thinking when she came here? She'd always known that she would have her own life and that Cordelia would too, but she never thought that it would end up like this. The whole thing just made Cliona want to cry. She could feel her throat tighten and her eyes become all moist, knowing that if she spoke, she'd definitely break down and end up sobbing in the middle of the bar.

No. She wouldn't give in. She wouldn't cry in public or at a bar. She wouldn't lower herself. People would see and the word would spread and then Cecile would be delighted with herself. The rumors didn't even affect her because she knew that no one believed them, but she missed Cordelia and she was worried for her and she wanted her house back. She wanted Jean to be gone. She was beginning to miss home and her family, even though she didn't talk to them a lot. She wished that she was a teenager again, thinking that she knew everything and planning out her future within the confines of her little bubble which shielded her from reality, jobs, bills, backstabbing adults.

Why had she agreed to move here?

"Hey stranger, what's the matter? Hey, hey c'mere" she heard a familiar voice beside her, feeling Damon pull her to him and put his arms around her.

"I can't do this anymore. I'm not strong enough. I shouldn't have ever come here. Cordelia's missing, Jean doesn't care. I'm the only one that cares, and I'm being suspected of hiding her. I can't do it all on my own. I miss her, what if something's happened. What if she's lying dead in a ditch somewhere? Oh God, I'm such a terrible person for even thinking that."

"Hey, don't say that. You're not a terrible person. You're just under a lot of pressure, you're putting too much of a burden on your shoulders. I'm sure your friend is fine, she might call you tonight. Don't allow yourself to get all worked up over nothing. As long as you know you didn't do anything, no one else matters. I know you didn't do anything, because you were with me the entire time. Which is an entirely different rumor in itself" Damon winked at her as he let her go.

Cliona giggled. "Thank you"

"Any time"

"I suppose the day isn't all bad, I mean, I kinda lashed out at Jean today when she came into say she was invited to a dinner. That reminds me, is Elena like….bipolar or something?"

"Not that I know of, why do you ask" Damon asked, immediately ready for what was about to be said. He had been hoping that Cliona wouldn't be running into Katherine since she returned to Mystic Falls.

"Well, she came in today, wanting to know about some sort of herb I've never heard for before and when I asked her if she wanted me to order it for her, she just practically ran out the door. And she was dressed differently, compared to what I usually see her wear. She even spoke…a little differently. I don't know. I'm probably just acting weird today. Don't mind me"

"Was her hair curled?"

"Yes?"

"Oh…her friend likes to cook and they like using odd herbs"

"She said it was for tea"

Damon stopped in his tracks and just smirked, not liking the fact that Cliona was beginning to catch him out. "Well, they make herbal tea too" That's when a thought struck Damon, "They particularly like this tea called Vervain Tea, some beauty remedy."

"That's the herb she was looking for"

Damn

"Well, Stefan is big into botany stuff. She probably got it from him in the end. That's my little brother, doing all the boring stuff and somehow getting a girlfriend"

"Well you sit here, the cool older brother, drinking at bars, chatting up the new comers and reading vampire novels. So much better"

"Well you still speak to me, so I've got to be doing something right" Damon smirked cheekily, taking a sip from his glass that had materialized while Cliona had been curled into his shoulder. "I've actually got something for you too" he added, reaching into his pocket and sliding a little black box over to Cliona.

"Why Mr. Salvatore, I do believe that you are rushing into things a little too quickly" Cliona joked, looking down at the box and back to Damon, who just shrugged in response and took another sip.

"Just open the box, smart ass"

Cliona grinned back at him and pulled out an aged looking silver ring. The carvings were intricate and beautiful. It actually looked a little bit like a locket. "Hey does this open?"

"Yeah, but don't. There's this herb in it for good luck, and I guessed you needed it. Turned out I was right" Damon replied, placing his glass down and thinking about how Cliona would need it now that Katherine was back in town. Damn I hate it when Stefan is right, he couldn't help but think.

Cliona pulled it out of the box and placed it on one of her fingers on her right hand, delighted that someone had given her a lucky ring, hoping that it would mean that Cordelia would be found and finding a different meaning behind Damon's words. "I love it. Thank you"

She thought about how she would never take off the ring. Both of them hadn't brought up the subject of the kiss at the party, but she still felt the urge to keep the ring on her at all times.

"I remembered you saying something about silver jewelry, and from what I saw of your house, you don't seem to be into the modern stuff either."

"You're starting to get to know me too well. Should I be afraid?"

"You kidding me?...You should be running for the hills"

Cliona laughed in response. They day was finally beginning to look up for her. Why hadn't she just called him when she was in the shop? "I really appreciate this. There aren't enough guys like you around"

"Well that's a first, usually people say there are too many, and that's a bad thing"

"Well those people are idiots. I really mean it. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here. I'd probably be a loner that sleeps in her car. I might have even left town." Cliona argued on his behalf. Damon frowned in contemplation; trying to imagine what life would be like if Cliona hadn't met him. He'd be on his own, and there would be no missing person's case with that blonde chick. He wondered if the vampire and Katherine would have come to Mystic Falls anyway. He only knew that the vampire they were after wasn't Katherine because he knew that the vampire was blonde, to mention a guy, and the original story of Cordelia being attack by some strange guy just fit the bill. Then again Katherine could be in league with him, Damon couldn't exactly put that past her.

"I always knew that she was a bad egg from the first moment I met her"

"Trust me. People like that always wind up sick in the head. I just hope that she hasn't done anything to my little girl"

"You poor woman. I can't say I'd know what it's like. I don't have any children"

"Weren't you ever married?"

"No. I loved a man once" Cecile replied in a dramatic voice. "But he had to leave, when he tried to return he became ill…I never heard of him again after that. I always just thought that he'd died"

"And you never tried to look for him?" Jean asked sympathetically, while she was really wondering how a woman like Cecile had ever managed to snag a man, looking like that.

"No. It would be too painful. We met when we were seventeen. He worked at his father's gas station and I was in the Miss Mystic Falls beauty pageant."

"My Cordelia used to be in pageants when she was younger. She was a chubby child but she always won the judges over. She had all the trophies. I used to love putting on her make up and dressing her up in her little outfits. Now that little girl is gone, and poisoned, by that witch in that shop."

"So you agree? She stirs up potions and casts spells?"

"I wouldn't put it past her. She was always an odd one as a child. She never left her house, and whenever she did she was always really quiet. I don't know how my daughter ever got mixed up with her; I raised my daughter well and proper. She was probably manipulated. And now look at her? She's missing. That witch let her get taken and she's not doing a thing about it, she just carried on running that shop and drinking and she doesn't even go back to the house. She probably doesn't want to face me. She knows that I'll give her a piece of my mind. She'd see all of Cordelia's things and feel guilty."

"Like I said, I always knew she was a bad egg. Have you seen what she sells in that shop, and all of those kids, poor things don't understand. She's spreading her poison around this peaceful little town. And I'll tell you something else. All of those animal attacks began when she got here. I'd say she brought something with her. The girls had a fight before you got here, maybe your daughter found out about it and Cliona tried…" Cecile didn't continue. She could tell Jean that her daughter had probably been murdered.

"Have you got any other children?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"A son older than Cordelia. My pride and joy. He's a lawyer now, married with no kids. His wife is lovely, very elegant, but they're always going on holiday or working. They never have any time for me. All Cordelia did was open a weird shop, co-owned, of all things. She could make time for me, but did she? No. She ran off, after I come here, all the way from home."

So Jean was still in denial. She thought that her daughter had run away, and from her of all people. That poor woman, Cecile thought, she still doesn't know.

"I just hope my grandchildren don't turn out like that, and God only knows what her children will turn out like, or what their father will be like either, if they will even know him. Cordelia ran from every relationship she was ever in. There was a lovely man she used to go out with once. His name was Jason, she ran from him because he wanted them to live together, she said he was too arrogant. I couldn't find anything wrong with him. But I know now, it was that little witch whispering in her ear, wanting my daughter all to herself. You never see her with a man either, I was shocked when I saw her talking to that man at the party"

"I hear that he's a town player. He used to date one of the town celebrities, before she died"

"Good, maybe that will rustle her feathers a bit" Jean replied, taking a sip of her red wine with her dinner. "Tell me more about this mystery man"

"Well, word on the street is that he isn't too short of money, if you catch my drift. His house is huge. He doesn't socialize that much, he's usually seen drinking or walking around the town. He can be a little rude too. His brother is meant to be much nicer. He's seeing a nice girl at the moment. He's much more mannerly. He's quiet handsome too, all of their family seem to be"

"Any other family members?"

"There was an uncle in it, but not anymore. He seemed very average"

"People like that always have something to hide. That's why I don't like quiet people"

"It's always best to be kept well informed."

"Well once my daughter turns up I should go home, although my flight leaves Monday and I don't want to miss it. I don't want to worry people at home and I hate to miss flights, they don't come cheap"

"I'm sure you miss your son. If you went, you could give me your number and I could call you to keep you informed and tell you if there are any updates on Cordelia"

"That would be such a relief. I just hate being here and feeling so useless"

Yeah, so you go home and pretend your daughter isn't missing.

Cecile was beginning to grow tired of Jean. She knew that she may as well ask her what she invited her over for.

"So, what was Cordelia like at the party? I don't believe I ever formally met her. I only spoke to her once while she was working. Did say anything to you? Did you see her with anyone?"

"No. I just caught a glimpse of her with a blonde man and that was it"

"Well what else did he look like? I'm sure if you told the Sheriff, she could help. Any information would be useful"

"No I won't, they already asked their questions and I already told them, he had a tattoo on his wrist because I remember him pushing back some of Cordelia's hair. All I remember was curly blonde hair that needed a bit of a cut and the tattoo and that was it. I only saw him from behind. I had gone to the bar to get us some drinks and when I came back she was gone"

"So, she didn't drink at all that night?"

"No. I was with her all night and I didn't see her drink once…and that other one witch, with the audacity to threaten to bar me from my own daughter's shop today." Jean muttered the last bit to herself before taking another sip of red wine.

Cecile remembered the Sheriff at the council meeting and mentioning that vervain would be put in all of the drinks. What if the blonde man had been the vampire?

"Trust me, seeing someone drunk at that party would have been a great thing. Keep drunk, keep safe, that's my motto. Right brother?"

"Damon this isn't funny. A girl is dead, she had a family and-"

"Oh spare me the lecture, I kind of know already Elena. Besides, you don't think Lover Boy over there doesn't give me the same lecture when you're not around?" Damon shot back at his brother's girlfriend.

"Is there anything being done about this?"

"Hey don't act as if I'm the bad guy Elena, you're the one that got your little witchy friend to use her juju to find Katherine. Don't be shocked if the body count seems to climb higher. I don't know, I might even join in"

"Enough, Damon!" Stefan finally spoke up, "The sooner we get rid of this vampire, the better."

"Well Jean is uncompelable now because she has vervain in her system and she saw me that night so she'd get suspicious."

"We noticed, which is why I got someone else to talk to her instead" Jeremy said a little smugly, as he entered the room, delighted to finally be of some use to the vampires and his sister.

"What did you do, Boy Genius?"

"I got my friend Kyle that works in the shop to talk to her. He told her that he was concerned for his boss. He said that this Jean chick was kind of a bitch"

"No surprises there" Damon muttered looking behind him with his arms crossed, before looking back to Jeremy, "so then what?"

"She said that Cordelia was seen with a blonde guy with curly hair and a tattoo on his wrist, that's it"

"So we're looking for a new guy that's blonde with a tattoo…lovely. That's just peachy"

"Not to mention Katherine is on the loose too, and looking for vervain"
"That woman is like a leach, she takes forever to get rid of" Stefan said.

"So the bitch and the blonde…" Damon couldn't help but comment, never thinking he'd see a day where he had to utter those words.

So what did you think? I've got a page of plans written out for this story. Again, I'm really sorry for the long update but I'm back now and I should be writing a lot over Christmas break so get used to me being back

Review

Skitz ;)