PART 1

CHAPTER 7

Stefan sat across from Rose at a secluded back table in the Mystic Grill. Rose had called over a waitress and ordered for them both. Stefan was naturally on guard around Rose, despite telling himself repeatedly that she was Elena's sister he couldn't shake his instincts. Rose was no longer just Elena's sister, she was also a new vampire and Damon's confidant and perhaps lover. Stefan didn't know how dangerous Rose was yet, but he could see the similarities between her and Damon. Involuntarily his mind brought forth the memory of her feeding and then the way she had pressed herself against him, and the near kiss as well.

She was messing with his head a lot as Damon had done over the years.

Stefan looked at Rose, observing her closely. She was ignoring, typing on her phone with a smile on her face. Stefan assumed that she was talking to his brother. Her distraction from him allowed him free rein to take in her features. Rosabella was an exceptional beauty. Her features were unique and striking added on with the natural charm a vampire had her beauty was a weapon on its own. He felt a surge of guilt as he thought of Elena but he wasn't given time to dwell on that when their food arrived. Their meal was simple, burger and fries with some coke.

Rose started with her fries, sipping on her coke occasionally.

"So, are you with Elena for Elena, or because she has Katherine's face?"

The question threw him, making him still in his seat. Rose's eyes were unmoving as she ate focused on him. "He told you about her?" Stefan asked hesitantly. Rose raised an eyebrow in response, "How else would I know about her." Stefan sat up straighter folding his arms on the table. "Katherine wasn't a good person. She manipulated both of us. She compelled us to love her and used us." Stefan half expected Rose to jump to Katherine's defense but the other vampire remained quiet, eating and listening to Stefan.

"She's the reason why Damon and I ended up becoming monsters, and why Damon is still a monster." Rose glared at Stefan, her jaw clenching. "I'll give you a free pass because this conversation is about my sister… but be very careful with insulting or saying anything bad about Damon, and to some extension Katherine." Rose dug into her burger and sipped some of her coke. "You still didn't answer my question." Stefan frowned at her before hesitantly speaking. "I… saved Elena, from the bridge when they were in the accident. That's when I saw her for the first time. I… couldn't get to you parents in time, I'm sorry." Stefan expected Rose to react at the mention of the accident and his inability to save her parents. But Rose just shrugged, "Doesn't matter much to me." The comment made Stefan suspicious, if he hadn't seen the way Rose cared about Damon first hand her indifference to her parent's demise would have made him think that she had flipped her humanity switch off. Rose made a motion with her hand signaling Stefan to continue.

Stefan sighed, "That's why I first approached her, but it's not why I continued to get to know her and started dating her. Elena is a very different person than Katherine." Rose nodded, keeping eye contact with the older vampire. "Well, then. That's that I suppose." Stefan stared at her in confusion, half expecting her to give him some speech about not hurting Elena.

Seeing his confusion, Rose sighed leaning back in her chair. "I'm not particularly fond of Elena. So as long as you're not some creepy vampire dating her because she looks like your sire ex-girlfriend, I don't care whether or not your relationship is successful." Rose stood up, placing some money on the table. "If I'm being perfectly honest." She started, leaning down towards Stefan's ear. "I might just want it to fail."

She walked away without looking back, leaving behind a stunned immortal.

Elena and Bonnie looked up when Rose entered the kitchen. The girl's hair was mussed up and her eyes were teary. It was obvious to both teens that the older girl had just woken up. Rose had sweat pants and an oversized shirt on, her entire attire frumpled. Rose nodded at Bonnie and lightly shoved Elena out of the way to open the drawers. Elena shook her head as her sister took out a fork and plate before helping herself to their dinner and taking a seat on the couch. Rose ate lazily listening in on the conversation in the kitchen.

It wasn't long before the doorbell rang, "Rose! Its Stefan, open up." Elena called from the kitchen. Rose sighed as she stood up taking her food with her. She pulled the door open with one hand, the plate in the other, and her fork hanging from her mouth.

Stefan's eyes widened at Rose's appearance. Stefan had seen Rose dressed up in her usual leather but he had never seen her this comfortable before. She looked too human, but Stefan knew better. "Rosabella." He nodded as she motioned for him to enter the house closing the door behind him. "Salvatore." She greeted in return, his surname sounded out strangely around the fork in her mouth. Elena came out of the kitchen with Bonnie behind her placing the food on the dining table. Rose took her seat on the couch again, continuing her meal.

The night was awkward for most of the time, with Bonnie making no real effort to like the vampire. Rose had rolled her eye from her seat at the couch whenever Elena tried to make conversation. She was surprised by the topic of Bonnie's family and witches, which seemed to sway the Bennet girl into liking Stefan.

The doorbell rang again, this time Rose didn't stand up knowing who was at the door. Stefans protests fell on deaf ears as Elena allowed Damon permission into their home. Rose smirked as Damon made a beeline to her on the couch, the other guests looking with confusion written over their faces.

Damon smiled at Rose leaning over the back of the couch to plant a kiss on top of her head. "How do the two of you know each other?" Elena asked, breaking the stunned silence in the house. Rose and Damon looked at each other wondering what story to tell. "I slept with him once, been friends since then. Didn't know he had a brother though, met Stefan when the rest of you did." Damon raised his brow a smirk on his face, keeping his voice low he leaned to Rose's ear. "You really want to go with that backstory?" He asked. Rose placed her hands on Damon's face as he pulled back. "It's fun, look at Caroline's face."

Damon did that and had to hold back his laughter at the anger on the blonde's face. Elena slapped her hands together drawing attention to her. "Well, I'll get some of that desert then." Bonnie scrambled after her as the two of them escaped to the kitchen.

Damon sat down on the single comforter, pulling Rose into his lap. He kissed the side of her neck as she settled down. Caroline glared daggers at her Rose ignored her. Rose yawned not bothering to cover her mouth as she did, curling up into Damon's neck to doze off. "What the hell is going between the two of you?!" The anger was clear in her voice, as she approached. Damon lashed out gripping her arm when she got close, forcing her to lean down so that he could compel her. "Anything about Rose and I does not concern you, now sit somewhere else." Caroline nodded dazed and took the seat on the larger couch, Damon next to her. Stefan glared at the compulsion but before he could say anything Elena and Bonnie entered the room with the desert as well as coffee for everyone.

Elena and Bonnie shared looks when they saw the seating arrangement but both girls kept quiet knowing that Elena would interrogate her sister when they were alone. Elena handed out the mug for the respective people, handing Damon his own as well as Rose's. Damon jolted her sister, Rose opened her eyes and glared at Damon before taking her mug from him.

Rose mumbled a thank you and Damon smiled softly at her attitude.

The room was quiet as its occupants watched the pair in stunned and curious silence. Rose looked up noticing this and rolled her eyes. She made eye contact with Stefan, a false smile on her lips. "So, I heard about you're the new star athlete of Mystic Falls." As Rose intended, Caroline jumped into the conversation. "Oh, yeah! I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team. Tyler must be seething! But good for you, go for it." Damon smirked at Stefan, "That's what I always tell him. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it." Stefan glared at Damon, the smug expression on the older Salvatore angered him to his core. He had forced his way into Elena's house, she wasn't safe from Damon here anymore. More so now that Rose had made it clear to Stefan she didn't have the same protective instincts for Elena as she had for Damon. "Yeah. Elena wasn't so lucky today. It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines." Caroline spoke, her voice condescending. Bonnie glared at Caroline, "I'll work with her, she'll get it." Elena smiled at her friend a grateful look in her eyes.

Rose felt her irritation spike, for all the love she had for Damon and for his scheming tendencies she wasn't as fond of Caroline. The girl's personality irritated her to no end, how shallow she was and constantly trying to one-up even her friends. Damon looked down at Rose, seeing the glare on the girl's face. He chuckled which earned him a pinched side. "I guess we can put her in the back." The blonde mumbled.

Damon sent Caroline a subtle glare before taking over the conversation, Rose's irritation with the blonde was amusing to him. "You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena." Knowing the stereotype cheerleaders were associated with, Damon's statement was a compliment. Elena smiled behind her mug, but her expression fell with Caroline's next words. "Oh, It's just 'cause her parents died. Yeah, I mean, she's just totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun. And I say that with complete sensitivity." Rose who had been resting peacefully in Damon's arms, sat up kissing Damon on the cheek, ignoring the others and made her way up to her bedroom.

Rose sighed as she closed her door, face planting on her bed, hunger pangs flashing through her body.

Rose had successfully fallen asleep only to be woken up by the weight of someone on top of her. The familiar scent clued her in to the weight belonging to Damon. She opened her eyes lazily, sighing as Damon pulled her arms above her head his body resting between her own. Damon's free hand pulled her thigh around his waist running up and down her bare skin. "You undressed me." She murmured. Damon smirked at her before he leaned down and kissed her neck playfully nipping her with his fangs. "Maybe." Damon leaned back, staring into her eyes. Rose held his gaze, both of them unflinching even when he leaned down bringing their lips together in a gentle kiss. She kissed him back, grey eyes staring into blue. "You know we're not like that." She whispered when he pulled away, afraid to break their bubble of calm. "I know." Damon whispered against her lips, kissing her once more before he settled his head on her chest, closing his eyes. Rose pushed her hands into the mop of hair Damon had, gently massaging his scalp as the vampire relaxed against her. "You wanna stay the night?" She asked, staring at the ceiling. Damon hummed against her, and Rose felt his entire weight settle on her.

Rose smiled to herself, the calm, comfort, and safety of being near Damon lulling her back to sleep.