Family Ties - Part 2
"Victoria! It has been too long! You look smashing," Mrs. Lockwood purred, a large smile decorating her face. Victoria blushed under the older woman's praise, giving the woman a shy smile in return. She fiddled with her fingers anxiously as Damon shifted his stance beside her.
Victoria was honestly very proud of how calm she acted around Damon. When he had pulled up to the Gilberts' house to pick her up, she would have thought her heart rate would have spiked. But it stayed normal. She wasn't feeling nervous about the plan. Victoria knew that Stefan would pull through.
It also helped that by the time Damon picked her up, all the other girls had gotten picked up and/or had left to the party. There wasn't anyone to judge her as she walked towards Damon's car, nor was there anyone to sneer when Damon opened the passenger door like a gentleman. That was where his niceness died, though, because he immediately threatened her with pain should his plan to grab the crystal not go according to plan. Victoria retaliated with showing off the little wooden stake she had hidden away in the bottom of one of her shoes. She was prepared to stab him if necessary.
They had such a healthy relationship.
Which led the two of them to the front of the line at the Lockwood Mansion, ready to enter in like guests at a magnificent ball. Victoria, the amnesiac who everyone remembered, and Damon, the vampire with no humanity and a terrible sense of right and wrong: the perfect dream team.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood," Victoria said, nodding her head. She turned and gestured towards Damon, who stood up straighter at being acknowledged. "Mrs. Lockwood, this is my friend, Damon. He's Elena's boyfriend's older brother."
"Oh, well, come on in," Mrs. Lockwood invited, stepping aside to allow the two inside.
"Lovely to meet you," Damon hummed. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he said, "I've been looking forward to this party for quite a while." Yeah, I'm sure you have...
"Well, enjoy," Mrs. Lockwood told them. She paused for a moment, then added softer, "Victoria? Perhaps I could speak to you later about something."
"Of course, Mrs. Lockwood," Victoria agreed, nodding her head. "I actually have some questions I've been wanting to ask you too. And oh! Thank you for helping my mom pick out the anklet." Victoria stuck out her foot and showcased the anklet, which was sitting just atop of her heel. "I love it."
"Of course," Mrs. Lockwood replied. She gave Victoria a soft smile. "I figured it would look good on you. The moon pendent really brings out your eyes."
"Thank you," Victoria said, blushing again. She felt a slight tug on her arm by Damon, his signal that he was getting bored. And probably wanting to murder someone. Remember what Stefan said. I can't be alone with him. "If you'll excuse me, me and my friend need to go enjoy the party."
Victoria said her goodbyes and turned around, walking with Damon away from the front entryway and deeper into the mansion. He, in rare form, offered his arm up to Victoria. She raised an eyebrow skeptically but took it nonetheless. Damon steered her through the masses towards the bar, which were serving champagne in fancy little flute glasses. He grabbed two and offered one out to Victoria. She politely declined. He shrugged, as if to say it was her loss, before hammering both back like some sort of pig. Well, he was a pig.
Victoria turned so her back was to the bar and she observed the people at the party. Everyone was dressed up beautifully and she could just faintly make out Caroline and Bonnie off to one side, chatting and devouring a plate of appetizers. Victoria giggled at their silliness and glanced over her shoulder towards Damon. His eyes were trained on the certain of the room. Victoria followed his gaze and frowned lightly when she saw that he was staring at Elena and Stefan. The two were mingling around the dance floor, saying hello to strangers that Victoria had never seen. It didn't take a rocket scientist to smell the jealousy wafting off of Damon.
A question fell from her lips before she could ever stop to think about it, "Do you actually like her or do you like her because she looks like Katherine?"
Damon whipped his head towards Victoria, his glare pinning her down. She shrugged lightly, offering to leave the question open ended, as she watched Elena grab Stefan's hand. The teen dragged the vampire out of the room and down the hall. They were heading towards the artifact room, where they would find the Gilberts' rings and the original Founder's Ball guest registry. There was a sharp pang in Victoria's heart and she winced, reaching up to gently thumb the area. She had no idea where that came from.
Ok, that was a lie: she knew exactly why. She had always wanted a relationship like Stefan's and Elena's. A relationship that was epic and that made her a better person, with a man who wouldn't hesitate to do whatever it took in order to help her. A man to hold her when she cried (or evidently panicked), one who would watch stupid trash TV with her and sing along with Disney musicals. One who would dance with her.
"Care to accompany me to spy on my brother and his human girlfriend?" Damon suddenly said, offering his arm up to her again. Victoria took his arm automatically and allowed Damon to move her through the crowd. As they moved, she spotted Jenna off to the side with Kelly at her side. Logan "Scum" Fell was chatting with them. Kelly caught her eye and gave her a questioning raised eyebrow, gesturing subtly to Damon. Victoria waved her off. She'd explain later. She returned the gesture to Kelly and motioned with a head tilt towards Logan. Kelly rolled her eyes.
Ah, so it was going good then.
"Have you noticed that you're being rather nice to me right now?" Victoria couldn't help but mention as the two wandered down the hall. Damon barely glanced at her. "I mean, I think we haven't said any death threats to each other since we've gotten here."
"Is that good or bad? Should I threatened to desiccate you and your mother? Put us back on familiar ground?" Damon teased.
Victoria laughed, shaking her head. "I think we're good in that department, thanks. And yeah, it's a good thing. I think. It means that we're actually taking steps to being allies."
"Temporarily and on probation. I can sack you any time that I so please."
"And I can make your time finding Katherine a living hell if I so please," Victoria snickered in return.
It was strange. She couldn't really describe just why she wasn't so panicked and worried around Damon while they were at the party. Perhaps it was because they were in a very public space; maybe it was the fact that she knew Stefan was there to support her should shit hit the fan. Or, it could be because she knew that Raphael and Noble were more than likely watching over her.
"'The founding families in Mystic Falls welcomes you to the inaugural founder's council celebration'," Victoria heard Elena read off. She and Damon rounded the corner and entered the artifact room. Stefan and Elena had their backs to them and Stefan was too enraptured by Elena that he didn't realize the two of them had entered the room. "Wow, look, it's the original guest registry. Look at all these familiar names - Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood, Piero LeBlanc."
Victoria stumbled, startled and shocked by what Elena had read. There was a member of the LeBlanc family that had been an Founding Member? Or, if not that, then they had been a guest in Mystic Falls during the first Founder's Ball. That was crazy. Damon sent her a silent look and she shook her head. Guess she really should have listened to that family history lesson that Kelly had given to her before Tyler Lockwood smacked her around.
"Is that Damon Salvatore? And, Stefan Salvatore?"
"The original Salvatore brothers. Our ancestors," Damon piped in, announcing their presence to his brother and his brother's girlfriend. Elena turned around, curiously and openly staring at Victoria's and Damon's connected arms. Stefan followed, but his face just radiated tension and exasperation. The two brothers really didn't along. Why did they have to like the same woman? Wouldn't it just be easier if they didn't share the same type? Damon continued, "Tragic story, actually."
"We don't need to bore Elena with stories of the past," Stefan insisted, glancing between Damon and Elena.
"It's not boring, Stefan," Elena interjected. "I'd love to hear more about your family." She looked towards Victoria and there was a curious, but hesitant expression on her face. "You said that you and Stefan have talked about their family history before?"
"Yep," Victoria confirmed, nodding her head warmly. The last week or so had been mind-boggling, especially with Elena's expressive apology for what she had said during the night of the comet. It was still kind of odd to be on speaking terms with her, but Victoria could never really stay mad at anyone for too long. "It's rather impressive." She gently nudged Damon's side. "He was the one to actually tell me more about it, the day before the comet celebration. He is a fantastic storyteller." She untangled her arm from Damon's and held her hand out towards Stefan. "Now, I can finally dance because I feel great, so I am going to. Damon can stay here and talk to Elena, but I expect you to dance with me, Stefan."
"I don't really dance," Stefan spluttered, glancing awkwardly between Elena and Victoria.
"Oh, sure he does. You should see him. Waltz, the jitterbug, the moonwalk. He does it all," Damon refuted, smirking.
"Oh, what do you know? I do too," Victoria chuckled. She looked over to Elena and tentatively added, "You wouldn't mind, would you, Elena?"
"It's up to Stefan."
Stefan let out a little sigh, but then a smile came to his lips as he offered his arm out to her. Victoria easily looped her arm through the teen vampire and said to Damon and Elena, "Have fun you two!" before dragging Stefan out of the room. The moment the two of them were out of earshot of Damon's vampire hearing, Victoria said in a whisper, "Hint: she's safe."
The tension fell from Stefan immediately and he let out a sigh of relief. "I take back whatever reservations I ever had about you and your Seer powers."
"Again, not a Seer, but at this point I don't even know if I'll ever be able to get that through your skulls," Victoria snickered.
Stefan laughed lightly under his breath. He lead her through the house and into the backyard, where couples were lightly swaying to the music playing. It was a good song with a steady beat. Victoria already found herself swaying to the music as the two of them walked.
"Damon didn't tell you to ask me to dance, right?" Stefan asked as they did their best to avoid the couples dancing (including the one couple that obviously had had way too much to drink).
"Now why would he do that?" Victoria teased. At Stefan's exasperated look, she gently poked his arm. "I'm kidding, Stefan. I actually want to dance. I haven't danced semi-seriously in...gosh...I couldn't even tell you how long it's been for me. Maybe two years?"
"Didn't you mention once that dancing and singing are kind of your thing?" Stefan questioned. He grabbed a champagne flute for himself and gestured towards another, silently asking her if she wanted one. She shook her head and he sipped his as he listened to her.
"They are, but where I was living and with the money situation I was dealing with, I didn't really have much space for dancing," Victoria admitted. Her nervous tick came and her fingers started fiddling with each other. "Singing was a little more tricky because I had to maneuver around neighbors who came at all hours of the night, who complained about every little noise that I made."
"That sounds rough," Stefan commented, finishing off his drink. He set the empty glass down and offered out his hand to her.
Victoria placed her hand in his and he gently swung her around, pulling her into a traditional waltz hold. Victoria felt like she should have been at ease; this was kind of her thing. But her senses felt like they were on overload. She was obsessively aware of everything, from Stefan's touch on her hand to how his palm flexed against the small of her back.
They swayed lightly to the music, turning as it seemed natural. It felt good. It felt...well, to be cliché, like it was meant to be.
Whoa, this is becoming too much like fanfiction. Reel it in, Victoria.
"Have you come up with an idea at how to spike Damon?" Stefan murmured, gently pushing Victoria into a turn. She executed it perfectly, smiling widely as she twisted back under his arm to end up in his embrace.
"You mentioned he made you choose between Vicki and this Leah girl, right?" Victoria said, pulling back silently to see his face. He nodded and she hummed before moving back into position. "And he chose Leah?" He nodded again. "Well, the only logical explanation would be to get him pissed off at me and then he would be upset enough to drink from someone. Vicki's probably gone from the party by now because Tyler's pissed her off. He wouldn't dare hurt Elena, Caroline, Kelly, or Jenna, otherwise our agreement would be nulled. He can't drink from me, unfortunately, so his next target would be Leah: she's not someone I consider a friend, since I've never met her. She's outside of the agreement."
"So, I need to somehow convince Leah to drink vervain spiked champagne," Stefan sighed, shaking his head. He glanced around, obviously searching for the girl in question. "Is she here at the party?"
"I haven't seen her, but then again, I think I've only seen her properly once and that was when Kelly, Caroline, and I went to visit Vicki in the hospital after the first attack," Victoria admitted sheepishly.
Stefan hummed and unexpectedly moved Victoria into a dip. She couldn't help the little squeak of shock she let out and it soon turned into a round of laughter. Stefan's shoulders rumbled under her fingertips as she felt him laugh too. Victoria let her head hang in the dip, viewing the world upside-down.
There.
Across the dance floor, she recognized a girl that she had never really interacted with. She had gorgeous dark brown hair that curled down to her waist. Her skin was no longer a deathly pale and she seemed healthier. She was standing by some dude Victoria didn't recognize, but when she turned, Victoria could see the faintest traces of a bite mark on her neck. A vampire bite mark.
Leah Hastings.
Stefan brought her back up from a dip and Victoria was taken slightly aback by how close the two of them were. Their noses just faintly brushed and Victoria found herself very conscious of how much she was breathing. Stefan's eyes didn't seem to know where to put themselves: her eyes, her lips, her face as a whole. They just seemed to capture all of her.
"Your heartrate spiked just now," Stefan whispered, and Victoria felt herself blush. Hard. He gave her a smirk that made her squirm under his look and he added, "And there it goes again. What's the reason behind that, huh?"
"I just found Leah."
Stefan's smirk dropped immediately and it was replaced by his serious face. "Where is she?"
Victoria gave a subtle head jerk to the side. Stefan's gaze turned, their noses actually brushing this time. She was glad that Stefan was looking away from her so he wouldn't see her blush deepen even farther. She managed to stammer out Leah's description to Stefan.
He gave her waist a quick squeeze and dropped their arms, heading straight towards Leah. Victoria took a deep breath and stepped back, bringing a hand up to cradle her head.
What the hell happened? Or, to be more politically correct, what the hell was happening? It seemed as though Victoria couldn't control her emotions when she was around Stefan, which was ridiculous considering they had only known each other for a short amount of time. And yet, through that short time, Stefan had wormed his way into her heart. He was kind and considerate and looked out for her. He treated her with decency and respect and he helped her with her homework. Back where she came from, when she decided to turn her life around, no one had been around to help her. No one wanted to. She had to struggle through the terms she didn't understand by herself, day in and day out, in order to really grasp the concepts. But here...Stefan helped her out. Not that she was struggling since she did remember a good decent chunk of her schooling from years ago, but it was still the thought that counted. He was such a good friend to her.
Friends don't blush at friends, a pesky thought yelled in her head.
And of course, she blushed at that.
"Victoria! There you are!"
Mrs. Lockwood's voice broke through Victoria's rampant thoughts. Victoria turned around and petted down her dress, hoping she looked presentable. Mrs. Lockwood stood on the edge of the dance floor, gesturing for Victoria to come and join her. Victoria glanced over her shoulder; Stefan was still talking to Leah and he was offering a glass of champagne. He was doing fine.
Victoria dodged the many couples (including the drunk one; just how many glasses of champagne have they had?) and came up beside Mrs. Lockwood. She stood beside Mrs. Lockwood, looking out onto the dance floor. She smiled brightly, "Hello Mrs. Lockwood! This is a really fabulous party."
"Thank you, my dear," Mrs. Lockwood told her. She chuckled lightly. "You and that man you were dancing with were certainly something to see."
A blush came to Victoria's face unintentionally and she cleared her throat, looking down at her feet awkwardly. "Well, it was my first time dancing since my coma, so I will use that as an excuse for any bad dancing that may have occurred."
"Oh no! You were beautiful, Victoria," Mrs. Lockwood insisted, reaching out to grab Victoria's wrist. Victoria looked up at the older woman and saw a little sparkle of amusement in her eyes. "I meant it was something to see two people with such a strong connection and chemistry with one another. You danced as though you knew just how each other was supposed to move. You two fit much better than that other man who you came in with today."
"Oh," was the best response that Victoria could come up with. She looked away from Mrs. Lockwood, catching eyes with Stefan from across the floor. He was no longer by Leah and he was looking towards Victoria with not-so-hidden concern. He sent her a sign asking if she was ok and she flashed him a thumbs-up to reassure him. She heard a light giggle beside her and Victoria felt embarrassed. Mrs. Lockwood had been watching them interact. To quickly try and divert the subject from her and Stefan, lest it get weird as he had a girlfriend and she was at the party and Victoria had come as the date to his brother, she looked towards the woman and asked, "Mrs. Lockwood, you mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Oh, of course!" Mrs. Lockwood said, nodding her head. Her whole demeanor seemed to soften and she whispered lightly, "I wanted to ask you how you were doing. I understand you've had a few weeks since waking up from the coma. How are you adapting to things, people, etcetera?"
Victoria was silent for a moment before she quietly admitted, "It's been hard." At Mrs. Lockwood's prompting look, she added, "I haven't exactly been having the easiest time. I haven't gotten it diagnosed just yet, but I'm pretty sure I have PTSD from the car accident, which leads into panic attacks. I got attacked the same night Vicki got attacked, and then the guy found me again at the hospital after visiting Vicki. More panic attacks and PTSD episodes, and then just when I feel like I am making headway...well..."
"Tyler happens," grumbled Mrs. Lockwood, and Victoria nodded awkwardly. "Oh trust me, my dear, feel free to badmouth my son as much as you want around me. I will not judge nor I will reveal your secrets. I understand that the two of you do not get along as well as I would hope. I don't think you two will ever get along in that sense."
"He keeps on calling me 'Cuz', like the slang version of cousin," Victoria revealed, biting her lower lip as she waited for Mrs. Lockwood's reaction. Nothing. She didn't seem phased by the statement. That confused Victoria even more. Victoria continued on, saying, "W-Which is weird because I don't remember what our relationship is supposed to be, but the last time I checked, I was adopted and Kelly isn't in a relationship."
Mrs. Lockwood's head snapped to the side, looking at Victoria in shock and disbelief. "Has she said that? Directly said that?"
"N-No," Victoria stammered. What the hell was happening? "No, I guess Kelly hasn't said anything about it, I just assumed. There are no guys who wander around the house and Kelly doesn't mention anything about dates or guys in general, unless you count the demon advisor from hell who is doing his hardest to make sure she and Jenna Sommers never graduate with a decent grade."
"Victoria?"
The question was posed by Stefan, who seemed to have finished talking to Leah. He stood awkwardly on the dance floor in front of Victoria and Mrs. Lockwood, his hands in his pockets as he waited politely for them. He coughed into his hand, and added, "Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me for a walk around the dance floor while we wait for Damon and Elena."
"Of course," Victoria said, nodding her head. She looked back towards Mrs. Lockwood. "I'm sorry for our talk getting interrupted. Perhaps we can pick this up later?"
"Of course, my dear."
"Oh! And one more thing," she added. She leaned forward, knowing full well that Stefan was going to be able to hear her anyways, and whispered tensely into Mrs. Lockwood's ear, "I admire you, Mrs. Lockwood, which is why it hurts me to know that you have been rude to Vicki. Please check your behavior next time and remember to be kind to everyone. No one is trash."
Victoria stepped back with a smile, feeling a bit smug at Mrs. Lockwood's startled expression. Betcha didn't believe that I would know that, huh? Victoria thought smugly to herself as she accepted Stefan's outstretched arm.
He pulled her close to his side as they walked away, whispering lightly with an amused tone in his words, "Do I even want to know what that was about?"
"Probably not," Victoria replied with a giggle. Stefan led her over to the bar, where he grabbed another flute of champagne. He brought out a little glass bottle from his suit jacket and popped the corked, dumping what little liquid was left into the glass. "You know that's not going to work, right?"
"Just need to keep him off the scent of Leah for a little bit," Stefan told her.
She nodded her head in agreement and poked his shoulder when she spotted Damon and Elena heading their way over to them.
"There they are."
"What'd we miss?" Damon asked when the two of them were close to Stefan and Victoria. Victoria noticed the long, hard stare that Elena was giving them, her eyes trained on Victoria's arm looped through Stefan's and how close the two of them were standing to each other. Victoria took her arm out of Stefan's hold, pretending to brush down her dress and moved to be standing closer to Damon rather than his brother. Elena noticeably relaxed and moved so she was standing closer to Stefan. Geez, at this rate you're going to pee on him to stake your claim, Victoria thought to herself.
"Victoria and I were just chatting, walking around the dance floor," Stefan explained. He swirled the champagne flute a little and held it out to Damon. "Drink, Damon?"
"No, thanks, I'll pass," Damon replied just as coolly, his self-satisfied smirk never leaving his lips.
Victoria pretended to gasp, nudging Damon with her shoulder. "Our resident alcoholic not drinking? Maybe I am being a good influence on you."
"Trust me, if anything," Damon began before dramatically leaning so his lips were just ghosting the shell of Victoria's ear. He continued in a low, sultry whisper, "I'm being a bad influence on you."
Victoria blushed heavily, mostly at just the random sensation of Damon's lips being just a hair away from her ear. Stefan frowned, his eyes narrowing at how close Damon was standing beside Victoria. Elena took notice of Stefan's look and frowned too. It was just a frowning party.
"Stefan, do you have another dance in you?" Elena suddenly asked.
Stefan looked towards Elena and then looked back towards Victoria. She subtly gestured for him to shoo and Stefan held a hand out to Elena, a smile coming onto his face subconsciously. Elena smiled brightly at him and the two sashayed off, looking ready to start making out as soon as they started dancing.
"Hmm...looks like your boy-toy has found a new beau to dance with," Damon murmured, his lips still ridiculously close to her ear.
Victoria pulled away quickly, unable to stop the disgusted shiver that raced down her spine. She hated that stupid nickname Damon seemed intent on calling Stefan in her presence. Stefan was not her boy-toy and he was definitely not her anything. Well, besides her friend. Probably her closest friend right after Caroline.
"You wanted your crystal, right? Well, it's time to go grab it."
Victoria made a very successful guard dog for Damon to easily slip into the artifact room. He found the crystal easily ("Exactly where I left it, Mama Bear") and the two of them were heading their way back down to the main room before they knew it. Kelly cut them off just as they were entering the room, saying to Damon, "I need to steal my daughter for a moment", before grabbing her arm and dragging her off to parts unknown. She wasn't even able to say sorry to Damon before Victoria found herself being thrown into a small dining room (noticeably all the candles were lit).
"What's with the stealing away, Mom?" Victoria asked once Kelly let go of her hand.
"I need your help because you're more in-tune with dating than I am," Kelly admitted and Victoria's eyes widened comically as her mouth tried and failed to speak words.
"Oh my gosh, do you have a date?"
"Oh heavens, no!" Kelly spluttered, shaking her head. "No. I did not pick up a guy from this party. This is the much needed help for my beautiful best friend, Jenna Sommers. Logan Fell has just tried for the second time to get her to take him back. She's beginning to crumble. I can see it in her eyes. How do I stop this?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Victoria asked with the same level of emotion and intensity as her mother. "I have literally never had a boyfriend or gone on a date!"
"But you're a teenager, which means even if you've never done that, then you know about it!" Kelly fired back. "Listen, baby girl, Jenna would be a million times better in her life without Logan "Scum" Fell in it. I need you to trust me on that. Now, do you have any ideas on how to convince her to not take him back?"
"My best attempt would be to keep mentioning the reason why they broke up," Victoria finally said, shaking her head. This was why her mother had dragged her away from Damon? Really? "Remind her that he's a dirty scumbag who cheated on her. Cheaters shouldn't get second chances. They'll just cheat again."
"Thanks, baby girl," Kelly sighed, nodding her head. "I just..." She sighed in frustration and shook her head tiredly. Victoria could see how exhausted she was by the dramatic droop of her shoulders. Her mother continued weakly, "He broke her heart so badly when we were kids. He made her run away after high school and he just expects that she'll let him back?" Kelly verbally growled. "Ugh, he makes me so mad." She looked just past Victoria's shoulder and paused for a moment before she let out a shout, "Jenna Sommers, walk away from that man right this instant!" She stomped out of the room as soon as the words were out of her mouth.
Victoria couldn't help but shake her head, laughing at her mother's reaction to Logan. Yeah, he was a douche and later a potential threat to Jenna when he was turned into a vampire by Katherine, but she didn't think she would see Kelly that passionate about a man, besides her demon advisor, that was.
Victoria found herself wandering into the bathroom after spending a solid minute trying to find Damon in the main room. He probably had wandered off, which wasn't exactly bad news for her. It gave her a breather from the man.
She found Caroline in the room, touching up her makeup with a precise eye. The blonde smiled widely when she noticed it was Victoria walking into the room. "Tori!" Caroline turned around and pulled Victoria into a tight hug. Victoria reciprocated the hug and laughed. Caroline pulled back and gave Victoria a pouty look. "I haven't seen you all night!"
"Sorry, I was busy keeping Da-um, my date, from causing problems, then I was dancing with Stefan, and then I was helping Kelly try to keep Jenna and Logan "Scum" Fell from getting back together," Victoria apologized, wincing as she listed out her night. It was rather pathetic. The only 'good thing' that had happened so far in that night was her dancing with Stefan. "Oh gosh, that sounds so pathetic. Sorry about that. How are you liking the party? Where's Matt?"
"Matt's been looking for Vicki; he hasn't seen her the entire party and he was starting to get worried," Caroline confessed as she turned back to stare into the mirror. "The party's ok. Mrs. Lockwood's been giving me the eye, but that's nothing new. So has Mom. Oh! How are things with Damon? You two enjoying tonight?" She sounded genuinely curious.
"So far, yeah, neither one of us have gotten into a fight," Victoria said with a giggle.
And then she immediately froze.
They ('they' being Elena, Bonnie, and Victoria) hadn't told Caroline who Victoria's date was. Given her explosive reaction to Damon even being at the dinner party a week or so ago, they figured it would be safer for everyone involved. And Caroline had just outright talked about Damon without a single sneer or bad intention.
Victoria's eyes narrowed as she watched her friend through the reflection of the mirror. Caroline caught onto her narrowed eyes and turned around, confused at her reaction. "What? What's the matter?"
"How do you know that I came here with Damon?" Victoria asked.
"Because he told me so," Caroline stated nonchalantly, as if that statement didn't change anything. Victoria's jaw dropped in disbelief as she tried to process what Caroline had just said. Damon had talked to Caroline. Caroline had talked to Damon. They had talked to each other about Victoria. What the actual hell... "He found me just before I came in here. Said he wanted to apologize for making me uncomfortable at the dinner the other night. He was really sweet and expressed how much he hoped our friendship wouldn't be altered because he had taken you to this party."
Damon was never sweet. Not unless he had a hidden agenda...
Shit.
"Caroline, I need you be honest with me right now," Victoria ordered and Caroline turned from the mirror, nodding her head rapidly. She seemed serious and that should have given Victoria some relief. It didn't. "The night of the dinner. The two of us went into the kitchen, remember? We had an argument. What was that argument about?"
"You didn't tell me that you were bringing Damon to the party," Caroline stated immediately. Victoria searched her eyes. They seemed blank and almost lifeless. It scared Victoria to her core and she actually found herself taking a step back. "He is your first boyfriend and you didn't tell me! Of course I was upset! But, as Damon explained things, you were just wanting to keep the relationship secret for a moment. Keep it precious and just between the two of you. But of course, I was the douche who ignored you the entire day after the party just because I was being petty and...Tori? Victoria, are you ok?"
Victoria wasn't breathing. She couldn't move and she was trembling. Everything seemed tipped to the side and she felt like her world was crumbling in on her.
Damon had compelled Caroline. She didn't remember the events of the dinner party as they had actually happened. How the hell could he? Sure, it hadn't been in the contract that the two had come up with but...
Caroline hadn't done anything wrong. Caroline had just thought that Victoria was being abused. There was nothing that she had done wrong (her approach to the subject could have been gentler, but Victoria wasn't picky). She had just been concerned! That wasn't something to compel her to forget about.
It was then that the real world hit Victoria like a freight train. It was right then that all of Caroline's words from the party made sense. The words that Victoria had just been brushing over lightly. Abuse. Abused. Damon had attacked her with zero disregard to her health, to her well-being. It wasn't normal to constantly feel anxious whenever he was in the room. Screw the fact that he was Damon! No person should wonder if they were going to be attacked every time they saw a certain individual. That was fear and that wasn't safe.
Find Damon.
Victoria was stomping off away from the bathroom before she could even register what she was doing. She heard Caroline call out for her to stop, but Victoria was on a mission. Find Damon.
His head popped up outside one of the windows, so Victoria made a beeline for closest door. She shoved past people who stood in her way, ignoring the heated glares that she was receiving. It was nothing new. She would deal with the fallback of her actions that night some other time.
Victoria darted outside and was just a few steps from Damon when he spotted her. That stupid, arrogant self-satisfied smirk came to his lips and he was able to say, "Mama Bear", as a greeting before Victoria's fist went flying. Her knuckles connected with his cheek and he seemed so startled by the greeting that he even staggered back a few feet. Victoria clenched her teeth together, her shoulders heaving from deep breaths. The little gathering of people who had been around them gasped at Victoria's actions, immediately converging in on each other to gossip about what just happened.
Damon moved his jaw around with his hand, his gaze turning dark and ugly. Victoria did her best not to show him how much her hand was buzzing with pain. Her knuckles were going to be swollen by tomorrow. But by tomorrow, Damon wouldn't be her problem. Never again.
"You are an awful person," Victoria hissed, glaring at Damon. She knew she had to be careful of her words, otherwise people around her would hear things they weren't supposed to. Vampire, compulsion.
"You're going to need to be more specific, Mama Bear," snapped Damon. "I do a lot of terrible things."
"Caroline," Victoria spat and a knowing look passed over Damon's eyes. Just a look of recognition. Not guilt, not regret. "How could you?"
"I was trying to make things easier for you, Victoria," Damon huffed, dropping his hand away from his face. He took steps forward so he was closer to her, looming over her like a giant tower. She tried to portray just how much she hated him through her glare. "Was that punch your idea of a 'thank you'?"
"I didn't want you to compel her!" Victoria whispered tensely. She shook her head angrily. "Damon, you can't just use that whenever things get hard. Sometimes, you have to do things the hard way. There is no easy way out."
"There is when you're me," Damon snapped.
Victoria scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Of course there is. Because you're Damon freaking Salvatore. You can do whatever you want, have whoever you want," and in a lower voice she added, "kill whoever you want," before getting louder, "because it pleases you. Because you're the lord of this world. Well, spoiler alert, Damon: you are not. You don't get to mess with us just because you find some sort of sick joy from it."
She flipped around and moved to stomp off but was stopped by a tight and painful grip on her wrist. One moment, she was staring at the back of the Lockwood house, and the next, she was pinned hard against a tree in the woods outside, Damon's arm holding her neck to the tree. She was lifted off the ground, which meant that she was hanging solely from Damon's arm and his body, which was pressed hard against hers. Hopefully none of the people who were watching our fight watched that moment.
"Don't you dare walk away from me," growled Damon. His eyes were turning from their icy-blue color to a deep red, a color that resembled a stop sign. Victoria just wished she would have seen the stop sign clearer. "You can't even be a little bit grateful?"
"Grateful for what? For you compelling my best friend when all she did was try to get me to confess something that I was in denial about!" Victoria shouted, her hands reaching up to claw at Damon's arm. His grip didn't falter, but Victoria felt some satisfaction when her nails dug into his arm enough to draw blood. Never mind the fact that he probably healed instantly; it still made her feel better. "There is a thing called 'tough love', Damon. She wanted me to admit that you were abusing me. And you know what? She was right!" She screamed the last part.
Damon's face distorted slightly as black veins started to form on his face. How could Victoria ever have begun to consider that Damon wasn't that bad of a guy? He wasn't good. He was rude, he was arrogant, and he was nasty. He was a monster because he took what he wanted and didn't give a shit about what other people thought. Victoria thought she had been saving Caroline from having to witness Damon's abuse, but all she did was transfer the abuse. Caroline wasn't being abused, but she had to witness her best friend go through it.
"So where does that exactly leave us?" Damon growled. He pressed his arm tighter against Victoria's throat and a choked cry managed to slip out of her lips as she struggled to breathe. What was with him and choking her? "Just because you intrigue me, Victoria, that doesn't mean you are safe."
"Oh trust me, I'm well-aware," Victoria managed to spit. "And just because for some stupid reason I felt something for you, whether it was pity or sympathy, that doesn't mean I will allow you to continue to treat me like this." She spat at him, like actual spit, and it landed right on his face. With a breathy growl, she hissed, "Have fun finding Katherine by yourself, asshole."
Damon's fangs dropped at that moment and he lunged for Victoria. Apparently Stefan's theory of her blood being gross enough to turn off a vampire wasn't true. Well, she was sure he would unfortunately find out about that when she appeared on the news. As a dead body.
Yet somehow, Damon's fangs never came near her.
Something tackled Damon off of her. With nothing holding her up, Victoria let out a little yelp of fear and she dropped to the ground. Her legs collapsed underneath her and she fell to the forest floor, her hands scraping against the ground. Victoria's head whipped up to see what the hell had just hit Damon.
Across the clearing, Damon was being thrown onto the ground like he was a doll. Her savior's back was to her so she couldn't see their face. But they were tall, wide-shouldered and dressed from head-to-toe in black. The moon was inconveniently shining only on Damon, so the rest of her savior's features was hidden from her view. But whoever they were, they were pissed. She could tell by how passionate their breathing was.
"You shouldn't have touched her," a voice mentioned. Victoria's head snapped to the side as Raphael entered from the darkness of the woods, his hands in his coat pockets. He seemed at ease, at least in his body language, but his eyes were filled with rage. "My acquaintance here does not enjoy watching Ms. LeBlanc getting hurt."
And in that moment, Victoria's heart soared. That was Noble. Her self-appointed protector, alongside Raphael. The tension raced out of her body and she let out a sigh of relief. She was safe. Raphael and Noble wouldn't allow Damon to hurt her.
She was safe.
"And who the hell are you two?" Damon demanded, leaping to his feet. He backed away slightly from Noble and his gaze snapped between Raphael and Noble. "Why do you know Victoria?"
"That is of no concern to you," Raphael stated, marching to stand beside Victoria. He knelt down and offered a hand to her. She grabbed it gratefully and he helped her to stand. Her legs shook dangerously underneath her and Raphael wrapped a strong arm around her waist, preventing her from falling. She thanked him with a breathy sigh. Her throat was throbbing. Damn it. It had just healed too... "You should be grateful that my acquaintance does not wish to kill you in front of Ms. LeBlanc, otherwise you would be dead."
Victoria's eyes widened in an instant and she shouted, "No! You can't kill him!"
Damon's jaw dropped a little in shock and she looked wildly at Raphael, shaking her head, pleading, "N-No, please, you can't kill him. He's an ass and he's a j-jerk, but if you kill him, many, many worse things will happen in the future."
Raphael's face did not betray any emotion, but after a moment he tilted his head to the side. Then he chuckled to himself. It was dark, something that Victoria was not used to hearing from her vampire protector. "It seems that Ms. LeBlanc has saved your life. Perhaps the next time you two cross each other's paths, you will be grateful to her. Just a suggestion." He nodded to Noble.
In that instant, Noble crossed the distance between him and Damon. His hands, which just entered the moonlight, wrapped around Damon's neck and a loud crack reverberated throughout the woods. Damon's body fell limply onto the ground and Victoria had to swallow back a squeak. She hadn't seen a dead body since finding Jesse...and...even though she knew Damon was coming back, it still wasn't easy...
"Are you alright, Ms. LeBlanc?" Raphael asked, and Victoria nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from Damon's body. The awkward head tilt that came from his snapped neck. The blank expression on his face and his eyes. It made her sick. "Ms. LeBlanc?"
She wobbled on her feet and Raphael's grip on her tightened even more. She heard him say to Noble, "I will take her home. Grab another elixir for her throat." Victoria moved her gaze to Noble, who hadn't turned around at all. The man nodded and hesitated for a moment. Noble's head turned slightly, so she saw a shadowed profile of his face. She couldn't see features, but she knew by his outline that he was handsome. Victoria blushed. Oh goodness, she must be facing brain damage from all the oxygen loss. Noble disappeared a moment later, leaving Damon's body on the ground.
"Ms. LeBlanc, I believe it is time for you to return home," Raphael stated, turning them away from Damon's body. She nodded weakly and held up a finger to make him pause.
She stepped out of one of her heels and grabbed her little phone that was sitting in the bottom. At Raphael's raised eyebrow, in both amusement and confusion, Victoria rolled her eyes. "The pocket industry is discriminating against women, alright? We gotta get creative with some things." She slipped her foot back into the shoe and dialed Stefan's number.
"Victoria! There you are! We have a problem. Damon's missing and Caroline said that you two got into an argument. I've been watching Leah all night and he hasn't come anywhere near her," Stefan rambled.
"He's in the woods," Victoria told him. She licked her lips and let out a shaky breath. Tears sprung to her eyes and she wiped them away. Why did they have to start coming now? "H-He..." She gulped and tried her best to calm down.
"Victoria. Did he hurt you?"
Everyone was sounding dangerous tonight, it seemed, as Stefan's voice was dark and full of anger. It sounded like when he was a Ripper or without his humanity. Like he couldn't care less of who he had to kill in order to do what he wanted.
"Tried to," Victoria admitted quietly. She heard Stefan curse on the other side of the line and interjected, "Stefan, I'm alright. He didn't get far. I-I can't explain to you what happened, but I need you to trust me, alright?"
"Got it. Do you need to be picked up?"
"No, I have a ride home," Victoria told him. "Damon's out in the woods, I-I don't know how far. Maybe running distance? His neck is snapped."
"How did you...oh wait, not supposed to ask. Lemme guess: spoiler?"
"Spoiler," Victoria agreed, nodding her head. "If you leave now, you can get here and take him back to the boarding house without him waking up. Get him vervained too."
"I'm my way now. Stay safe, ok?"
"Ok."
Victoria didn't cry anymore as Raphael took her home.
She didn't cry when Noble met them there, still standing in the shadows, and when he handed Raphael another elixir for her bruising throat.
She didn't cry when she drank the elixir, nor when Noble and Raphael left with a promise to still be watching out for her.
She didn't cry when Kelly arrived back from the party and asked her how her night had been, and why Damon had left the party early.
She didn't cry when Caroline called her to ask what had happened, nor did she cry when she explained that, in basic terms, she and Damon had "broken up".
She didn't cry when she changed out of her beautiful red dress, now slightly torn because of sticks and twigs from the forest floor.
She didn't cry when she crawled into bed, wrapping herself up with all of her covers tight against her body.
No.
The only time that the tears came flooding to Victoria's eyes was when she received the text message from Stefan telling her that Damon had been taken care of.
Because she had been an idiot.
Because she had tried to shrug off his actions as that of a man who had just yet to change, but still had good in him.
Because she hadn't recognized just how brutal he had been with her.
Because she didn't understand that she had saved Caroline from abuse, but condemned herself to it instead.
Because she didn't think.
Because Victoria had dared to hope that there was still a sparkle of good left in him.
Because Victoria was dumb enough to think that the friendly banter between the two of them was an indicator that he thought of her as a friend and an ally, not just a tool.
She was wrong.
A/N: Heeeeeey! You guys are so great with your reviews that I get so pumped to post another chapter, even if it is a day early ;p. There are some things that I want to clear up real quick at the top so people will actually read it (in case you're like me and you skip the A/N).
NOBLE IS NOT VICTORIA'S FATHER. ELIJAH IS NOT HER FATHER.
Put that in capital letters so it would draw eyes (I'm not yelling at y'all). Some people brought this up in their comments and while that is a brilliant idea, something I honestly should have thought of, that's not the case. Now, just because both Noble and Elijah are not Victoria's father, that does not mean that Noble and Elijah are the same person. It also doesn't mean that they're not the same person (trying to be ambiguous, is it working?).
No one's in trouble, just thought I should mention that real quick. It would mess with future plans of mine, if Noble and/or Elijah were her father. Eek. (Once again, just because I've said this, this does not mean one or the other is her endgame love. This also doesn't mean that one of them is not her endgame lover. Lots of double negatives today).
Ok, I have been waiting so long to have this chapter out and I hope I did an okay job. I have been blessed that I never have had to deal with abuse of any kind, so I'm kind of winging it, but I've talked with people I respect (aka Papa Fearless) about this subject and gotten their input to see if it all stands well. If there's any way I can make it better, please let me know.
Also (I know, long A/N), I started a point system for possible ships people have mentioned. When you choose a ship, you give them 1 point. When you're divided between two, those two ships get half points until you choose which one to fully give yours too. This will be open for as long as you want and you can change your vote at any time. Just lemme know in the reviews!
Italicized names are the ones that are divided.
Team Stetoria {Victoria/Stefan} (1): insert name here XD, SoraLover987142
Team Datoria/Viamon {Victoria/Damon} (1): Sciave
Team Vilijah {Victoria/Elijah} (3): guest, Guest, SoraLover987142, insert name here XD
Vilijah's got the most votes and Elijah hasn't even made an appearance yet XD (you Elijah fangirls are determined; don't worry, I'm one too ;) ).
New Followers!: hybridaiyanwarrior, Writeeveryday, tvhbabygirlcb2012, Hinata Megumi
New Favoriters!: hybridaiyanwarrior, Breesabry, Writeeveryday, Guusjecullen, tvhbabygirlcb2012, Hinata Megumi, XxEriaChanxX
Look at that new crop of people. Welcome to our slightly dysfunctional gang!
Onto reviews!:
kafo521: Aw thank you! Mhmm. I see your point. Damon does love his danger. There's a little bit of flirting/violence between them in this chapter, so here you go! I make your shipping game even harder to decide. Also, I can totally see how you got to the conclusion of "Are Jenna and Kelly a couple?". To answer that shortly, no, no they are not. To answer it a little bit longly, Kelly and Jenna grew up together and have been best friends since they were kids. That's why Kelly's going as Jenna's date (no single ladies left behind, kind of mentality). I low-key hardcore ship Jenna and Alaric, so I'm trucking along with that until I change my mind, and I got a couple of dudes in mind for Kelly, but they won't be coming until Season 2 and Season 3, so you'll just have to wait there.
insert name here XD: Thank you so much! I am a total sucker for Elijah too (I recommend the fanfic "Hope's What We Crave" on this site. Elijah/OC and soooo good). Stefan is a puppy that you just want to squeeze and love. Hope this chapter made your shipping game just a little bit harder!
DBZFAN45: Stefan's Ripper was showing last chapter XD. Here's your Stetoria BFFs Team Up! I personally didn't think the middle name thing was a big deal until you mentioned it and then I was like, "Oh dang, maybe that is a girlfriend thing" XD. Victoria definitely has many father figures throughout this series (some good, some not) that she'll have to deal with, Alaric potentially being one of them (I would put him more in the awesome Uncle category, though). Yeah, I have such a hard time with Logan cuz I kind of liked him and then he's just totally playing Jenna's heart. Wait until Kelly catches him. Whoo! That man won't be alive for long. And yep, Noble and Raphael and Damon have all officially met (though Damon doesn't know their names). Here's something to note: Kelly doesn't have a husband. If you look in 'Entr'acte', when Kelly is first introduced, her name is also Ms. LeBlanc, like Victoria. She's just a single mom (and remember that Victoria is adopted). Kelly dated someone in high school, and so far that's the only mention of love that she mentions. Plus, what Mrs. Lockwood reveals in this chapter. Just some things to keep in mind ;).
LoyalElijahFangirl: No problem! I always like to respond to reviews because they make me happy :). And thank you! I've made it my goal to completely confuse every single reader on who she's going to end up with and what's going to happen next. I want everyone to be stumped and shocked by the surprises Imma throw at y'all. That is my ultimate goal. I think you'd probably be one of the few who don't ship Stefan and Victoria. And yeah, their relationship is sooo much like Lexi and Stefan's (just wait until Lexi comes in!). Oh, really? Rose was always an interesting character to me and I was never really sure what I thought of her. Might finally get a good feeling about her when I get to her part in this story (I always did feel bad for Trevor though). Victoria is such a huge influence on Caroline, and I think that Caroline is the same way for her. The two of them balance each other out.
Sciave: Thank you! I'm excited too! Ooooh, I didn't think about Tristan! That would've been smart. No, Raphael is an OC (I faceclaim him as Austin Basis, who played JT Forbes on CW's Beauty and the Beast). I can confirm that it will not turn into a polyamorous relationship. If that's what you're into, good for you, but I'm personally not and I don't have any idea on how to write that well. I'm a very monogamous person, so one relationship at a time, please (plus, I don't think Victoria would be able to handle more than one guy). Hmm, yeah, John could be a possibility. As I mentioned to an above reviewer, keep in mind that Kelly goes by "Ms. LeBlanc", that she dated someone in high school, that Victoria's adopted, and Mrs. Lockwood's words from this chapter. That should help clear some things up (or make them harder). Her "father" (in relation to Kelly) could be a boyfriend of Kelly's, not necessarily a husband. And nope, Elijah is not the father! (dramatic music). I don't know, I guess you'll have to wait and find out ;)
SoraLover9871422: I enjoy torturing you guys :). Team Klaroline is a ship that will sail and I have such big plans for The Originals. Ugh! I hope you'll love it when we get there. And nope, Elijah is not her father and neither is Noble. Just need to clear that up cuz things could get messy later if that was the case. Here you go!
Guest: Thank you! Enjoy!
Y'all are so amazing. Eek! Love you guys lots.
I hope you enjoy the chapter. Feel free to leave a review with a comment, question, concern, conspiracy theory, or a vote to the Shipping Wars (if you vote in the shipping wars, make sure you are clear about who you're voting for, just so I don't get confused. Thanks!)!
Until next time, stay safe and stay healthy!
BecomingFearless1F