PART 1

CHAPTER 6

Rose rolled her eyes at the cheerleaders as they stretched. She located her sister, sitting in front of her childhood friend Bonnie Bennet. She put on a fake smile as she approached them her hands stuffed in her leather jacket. Bonnie smiled at her as she approached forcing Rose to give her a friendly smile.

Rose never liked both Caroline or Bonnie but she had always kept civil with them when they did interact over the years. Elena turned around, a smile on her face as she saw her sister. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked, her brows pinched in confusion. Rose looked over Elena and Bonnie both waiting for her answer. "Well, I'm not coming to try out if that's what you think."

Elena and Bonnie laughed before it died off when Rose didn't laugh or smile along with them. Her face was set in a blank expression, making the girls uncomfortable. Rose let it go on for a moment before she smiled suddenly, laughing at them. The girls joined in, relieved Rose was joking and the awkward tension disappeared.

"Seriously though, what are you doing here?" Elena asked again, pressing her older sister. Rose nodded as she answered, "Waiting for my ride." Both Elena and Bonnie frowned, confusion expressed on their features but were unable to question her as they both turned to the blue car which pulled up, music playing loud and their blonde friend seated in the passenger side.

Elena and Bonnie stood up, watching Caroline as she kissed the man. "Oh my God, that must be mystery guy from the Grill." Bonnie noted making Rose raised her eyebrow as she stared at the 'couple' making out in Damon's car. "That's not a mystery guy, that's Damon Salvatore," Elena explained to her friend.

Bonnie's eyes widened at the new information, glaring at Elena and then Caroline who climbed out of the car. "Salvatore? As in Stefan!?" Rose frowned at Bonnie, her racing heart a cause for suspicion. Bonnie was scared of something involving Stefan and Damon, what specifically Rose didn't know.

"Rose! You coming?" Damon called making Elena and Bonnie gape at her. Rose held up her middle finger pointing it in his direction. Damon blew her a kiss in response and she rolled her eyes at him, walking towards the car. As she passed Caroline the girl glared at her, Rose just smirked in response. Caroline's compulsion prevented her from saying anything about vampires, and the extra bit Rose didn't mention to Damon was that she compelled Caroline to forget about her being there that morning. This meant that the girl's misguided feelings about Damon were currently real and she was well and truly pissed that Rose was currently climbing in her 'boyfriends' car.

Damon smirked at Rose as she settled in her seat. Knowing they had an audience of three he threw his arm around Rose leaning down and kissing his friend on her head before driving off. "You just gave me a huge problem to deal with in the form of Elena Gilbert."

"I know."

Stefan pulled his shirt over his head as he entered the room, pausing when he saw Damon behind his desk. Rose sat in the armchair nearest to him, a smile on her face as she looked back at him. Both of them had one of his journals in their hands. "How were tryouts? Did you make the team?" Damon asked by way of greeting. Stefan didn't reply, shifting his gaze between the vampires his defenses raised. Stefan swallowed as he made eye contact with Rose, his eyes involuntarily dropping to her pale lips.

"Very Emerson, the way you reveal your soul, so many… adjectives." Damon teased as Stefan sped towards him and grabbed his journal out of his older brother's hands. "What are both of you doing here?" He asked, glaring at his brother before turning around and approaching Rose. She smirked at him, holding out the journal now closed for him to take. Stefan stilled as their hands touched, Rose smiled smugly, a knowing look in her eyes.

Damon interrupted the moment, removing his feet from the desk and banging them on the floor drew Stefan's attention. Once Stefan turned around, Damon sighed, a regretful expression sitting on his features. "I've come to apologize." Damon started, his eyes darting around the room as he spoke. "I've been doing some thinking. Some soul searching. Rose helped me too." Stefan looked back at Rose the girl still seated on the couch, a warm smile directed to him. "She made me realize that we need to start over." Damon moved with purpose, standing up and getting close to Stefan. "We need to put the past behind us."

He seemed genuinely sincere, but Rose knew better. His whole speech was just to toy with Stefan. She watched amused as the younger Salvatore seemed to be buying Damon's sob story. She struggled internally to hold back her laughter long enough for Damon to finish his game.

"You're my little brother!" Damon continued. "And if you wanna live a normal happy human life. Then I want that for you. And maybe I can do it too." Rose could see Damon begin to break, Stefan's puppy-eyed expression was causing him to tremble with laughter. "That I can learn to be a non-living… living person. Maybe there's hope for both of us."

Damon burst out laughing patting Stefan on the back as he passed. Rose composed herself as Stefan turned around, but hid a smile behind her fist. "You know it doesn't have to be like this. For both of you." Stefan pleaded and looked between Damon and Rose. They looked at each other before laughing again. Stefan shook his head at the two, seeing their similarities and why they kept each other company.

"I saw Elena today. BTW, that means, by the way." Rose rolled her eyes as Damon taunted Stefan the younger brother falling for the trap, again. "She was at cheerleading practice. She looked so perky in her little… short shorts. Just…" Stefan moved towards Damon and Rose reacted. She sped to Damon's side, her stance casual but the warning clear in her eyes. "Simmer down, I didn't even go near her." Damon put his arm around Rose, smirking at Stefan. "I was just picking up my girl."

Stefan glanced down at the arm that was pulling Rose flush against him, again wondering what the nature of their relationship was. "Besides I've got my own cheerleader now." Damon paused smiling before jumping up. "Oo. That reminds me, I've got to run. I have a date." When Damon stared at his wrist reading the time of his imaginary watch Rose snorted, rolling her eyes at his antics. "Idiot." She muttered, knowing that he could hear her. "Sweaty palms, wish me luck." Damon smiled rubbing his hands together. That made Rose reach out and slap his arm as Damon made his way out of Stefan's room.

They both watched Damon leave the room before Stefan turned to her. Rose stared at him, "Well, as the older sister of the girl you're dating, I should get to know you. So let's go out for a bite." Stefan tensed, and Rose frowned. When she went over her words, Rose realized what she had said. "Food, Salvatore. A burger and fries or something." Rose rolled her eyes moving out of his room, motioning for him to follow her. She heard Stefan sigh as he moved around the room before exiting the room after her.

Stefan stood back as he watched Rose walk towards Damon's room, opening the door disappearing inside. He approached the door slowly, peeking and trying to stay hidden. Damon was half-naked standing in the middle of the room his back to Stefan. Rose stood in front of Damon's drawers, rummaging through his clothes. Finally, she pulled out something. Throwing them in Damon's face, the man catching them before they hit the floor. "Aggressive much?" He asked her. Rose glared at him before kissing him on the cheek and walking towards Stefan. "Let's go," Rose said she made her way down the stairs.

Stefan stared back into the room, glaring at the smirk Damon sent him. He disappeared from the door and followed after Rose, not sure how their 'lunch' was going to turn out.