162 Candles - Part 3
The first thing that Lexi said, the moment she and Victoria were secreted away in Stefan's room, was, "Are you sure that you're not Stefan's girlfriend?"
Victoria blushed again and coughed awkwardly, suddenly finding the grain of wood on Stefan's desk very interesting. "Yes, Lexi, I am sure. I'm just Stefan's friend."
Lexi gave her a look that Victoria couldn't get a read on, but nodded slowly and said a drawn out, "Okay" which really told Victoria that Lexi didn't truly believe her. But what could she do? If Lexi didn't believe Victoria and Stefan, there would be no convincing her. So Victoria just changed the subject and got into discussing what would be good options for Lexi's outfit for the night. This led to Lexi insisting that Victoria wear something nice too, and not the outfit she had been wearing all day. It was like any normal day with Caroline; Lexi was just like a three hundred year old vampire version of her who was just a tinge more confident in herself and her identity. Victoria made a mental note to try and get Caroline and Lexi talking at the party; Lexi could do wonders for Caroline's self-confidence.
Lexi shoved Victoria towards her loads of suitcases, insisting that she find an outfit for both her and Victoria to wear for the night. Victoria supposed it would work; the two girls were roughly the same size so nothing of Lexi's would be too out of proportion.
So that was where Stefan found her two hours later, surrounded by piles of open suitcases with various dresses, pants, and blouses strewn about as Lexi took a shower. Victoria had to ask Zach about their water bill. Given how much time Lexi had already spent in the shower, it must be astronomical.
"Is finding clothes for a party like an initiation thing between females?" Stefan curiously asked in place of a greeting. He stood in the doorway of his room, observing the large mess around him with some disdain and sick fascination. "'If you find a good outfit, then you become my friend' sort of thing?"
"You are asking the wrong girl that question, Stefan," Victoria mused, picking up a dress and glaring at it. It was very similar to the one that Victoria distinctly remembered Lexi wearing to the party, but it wasn't exact. She let out of a huff of frustration and tossed it into the ever-growing 'nope!' pile. "While I may have done something similar to this in high school with my female friends, I cut off every tie that connected me with my parents the moment I moved to Virginia. Three years of radio silence doesn't help a relationship grow. I think the last time I did this was either with Caroline or Damon." At Stefan's concerned look, Victoria rolled her eyes and added, "He just invited himself to my house when I was finding a dress for the Founder's Ball, so I'm not sure that counts. That would mean the bonfire was the last time I did this, and that was with Caroline."
Stefan navigated his way through the room, plopping down onto his bed. He scooted out of the way of the multiple outfit options until he was closer to Victoria, who was positioned on the floor by the bed. He stretched himself out and propped himself up with his arm, watching Victoria filter through outfit choices like a machine. "What makes an outfit more desirable to somebody than something else?"
"Over a hundred years alive and you've never asked a woman this question before?" Victoria snorted, glancing over her shoulder at him. He shrugged. "Not even Lexi?" He shook his head. "Well, it really depends on a variety of variables. Is she trying to be desirable, respectable, sexy, reserved? Is she trying to impress somebody or just make herself feel good? Does she want to make somebody regret dumping her or does she want to enjoy the night and forget about somebody or something? Does she want to push herself out of her comfort zone or stay in the lines?"
"I see that this is a deep field of study," Stefan chuckled.
"Teenage girls take these things seriously," Victoria admitted, shrugging with one shoulder. "Our society has pressed it into our minds that our outfits have consequences, whether they're negative or positive. The whole 'asking for it' narrative is so engraved into minds that it can prevent girls from enjoying their outfits because they're so worried that somebody might want to cop up a feel since they know they won't get in trouble for it since a girl is looking the way she is."
Stefan made a strangled noise and Victoria looked away from the dress she was considering and up at him. He looked so disturbed. Victoria gave him a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, times have unfortunately changed from the times when men respected women."
"Is it that bad? Truly?" Stefan rasped, blinking his eyes as if he couldn't believe what Victoria was saying.
"That's how it was in 2021, where I came from," Victoria explained. "I'm not up to date with world happenings in 2009 just yet, so it could be slightly better, but I wouldn't hold my breath."
"That's terrible," Stefan breathed, flopping back onto his bed to stare up at the ceiling. He fell silent after that.
Victoria frowned at Stefan, setting down the dress in her hands. She crawled towards the bed and propped herself up so her head was resting on her arms on the bed. Stefan tilted his head down so he was looking at her, and Victoria could see how upset he was at the information.
"Sorry to drop that piece of news on you on your birthday," Victoria apologized. Stefan opened his mouth to say something, probably something along the lines of 'it's not your fault', but Victoria interrupted him before he could say anything, "But I just want you to know that every time you are a gentleman, women see that. They see a man who is being kind and courteous to a person of their gender and they are thinking, 'Hey, there are gentlemen in the world'. It boosts their hopes."
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Vee-Bee," Lexi cheered, hopping out of the bathroom. Her wet hair was plastered to her scalp and she held tightly onto her white towel that was keeping her from flashing everybody. "Now, I am almost ready. I hope you have a dress for me."
Victoria shook herself out of her daze at hearing the new nickname (it was pretty cute, to be honest), and shook her head. "Do you realize how many dresses you've brought with you? Newsflash: it's a lot. Why do you need this much stuff anyway? Give me a little more time."
"I can't believe that you two are actually thinking that we should go to this thing," Stefan huffed, folding his arms across his chest.
"It's not like I'm asking you to run outside midday without your ring," Lexi insisted, glaring at Stefan through the wardrobe mirror. "I mean, seriously, it's a party."
"A party that Damon wants us to go to, you know?" Stefan shot back. "So my question is why? I think he's up to something." He glanced towards Victoria, silently asking her for her insight on the subject.
Victoria opened her mouth to intrude when Lexi interrupted, on a roll, "Who cares? What can he possibly do in front of all those people in a public place?"
"Give Damon a limitation and he will try to exceed it," Victoria said sagely, reaching blindly into a random suitcase. She pulled out a new dress and cheered triumphantly when she realized it was identical to the one that Lexi wore to the party. "Found it!" She tossed it towards Lexi, who caught it easily.
"Thanks, Vee-Bee."
"He knows how to keep a low profile, believe me," Stefan grumbled darkly, swinging his legs around to the side of the bed.
Victoria rolled her eyes at Stefan's dramatic side and began the epic search for something to wear for the party. She quickly shuffled through anything black and gray, not wanting to be wearing the same color as Lexi (she would never be able to outshine Lexi). One little dress caught her eye and she reached for it, pulling it up so she could see it.
It was mid-shin length, and the fabric was soft. It was spaghetti-strapped with a little bit of a sweetheart neckline. It was primarily white with artistic black lines scattered throughout it, and right down the middle was a pretty row of black buttons.
Lexi snapped her fingers, drawing Victoria's attention away from the dress. Lexi gestured roughly towards the dress, a little bounce in her steps. "That! You will wear that, Vee-Bee. You're going to look so hot!"
"Didn't you call me Stefan's gorgeous girlfriend earlier?" Victoria teased, sticking her tongue out at Lexi. "I'm pretty sure I'm already pretty."
"Well, then you'll be prettier," Lexi giggled. She turned her attention towards Stefan, who looks like he was trying to look everywhere but at Victoria. "And back to what you were saying, okay, so he'll behave." Stefan didn't look convinced. "Come on! One day a year I get you, one day that you're not brooding and existing in your own head."
"It's my birthday, yeah?" Stefan shot back.
"It's my day," Lexi retaliated. "And that guy that jumped naked in the Trevi fountain and got drunk on the torch of the Statue of Liberty, that guy can take a break from all of his worrying for one night and go to a stupid party. So quit your whining and go get ready!"
Stefan glanced back towards Victoria, once again silently asking for her input. She reached out and set a hand down on his knee in a way to comfort him. "Everything will be fine. For once, Damon is on our side, mostly. Nothing's going to go sideways; you've got me, Elena, Damon, Zach, and Lexi all working with you, not to mention Noble if he decides to show up."
"Noble's on your side," Stefan argued. "And I still haven't met him yet."
"Barely anyone's met him," Victoria replied. "But we should be happy he is willing to help. Things are about to start happening for real soon, Stefan, and we'll need everybody who we can get. Now Lexi's right; you go get ready. I'll keep an eye on her."
Stefan sighed and stood up, clapping his hands together. "Fine." He slipped around the bed, but not before reaching forward to ruffle Victoria's hair.
She squawked indignantly at Stefan's audacity and Lexi cackled at the two's antics. Stefan laughed brightly at Victoria's reaction and was still laughing as he marched into the bathroom. Victoria rolled her eyes at the two of them. "You two teamed up together will be the death of me, I swear."
"Well, just make sure you have some vampire blood in your system when you do because I am having way too much fun with you to let you go so soon," Lexi giggled.
"Just a little sip, Blankie. That's not so bad, now is it?"
Victoria yelped and flinched backward, her pulse racing. Was it always that hard to breathe? Her gaze shot towards Lexi, who was looking at her with worry and concern. It's not real, it's not real. Vicki's dead. She can't hurt you anymore. You're fine. Be fine, Victoria. Victoria licked her lips and tried her best to normalize her breathing. "S-Sorry about that. That was...geez. Unexpected. Um, I-I think I'm just going to get changed."
Victoria snatched up the dress she had chosen and raced out of Stefan's bedroom before Lexi's mind could catch up to the conversation. Victoria picked the nearest bathroom and ducked into it, throwing the door closed and resting her head against it wearily. She closed her eyes and pressed her fists tightly against her eyes. She had been doing so well. She hadn't had a relapse in over twenty-four hours.
Shit, had it only been twenty-four hours? Twenty-four hours since Victoria had seen Vicki take her last breath. It felt like it had been so much longer. Her bones felt tired and weary and suddenly Victoria was just hit with the extreme urge to sleep and to never get up and move.
"You are aware I am right here, right, Mama Bear?"
Victoria yelped in surprise and her eyes shot open as she pressed herself harder against the door. Damon stood in front of her curiously, inside the bathroom. He was only wearing jeans, and they were hanging low on his hips. Way too low. He had a towel in his hands, which he was using to rub dry his hair and torso. It had been a while since Victoria had last seen Damon shirtless. She blushed furiously. Now that sounded much dirtier than she meant. He still looked good.
"I will take that as a no," Damon mused, a smirk coming to his lips. "What brings you to my humble bathroom?"
Victoria opened her mouth to say something, but a thought struck her before she could speak.
"Just drink, Blankie, damn it!"
"Victoria?"
Tears sprang to her eyes before she could say anything and she did her best to bite back a sob that threatened to tear its way through her mouth. Damon didn't say anything but shot forward immediately. He pulled Victoria into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her body. Her body responded, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face against his chest. She could feel his hot breath against the top of her head and it had a calming effect. Her body shook with silent sobs and she could barely hear Damon whispering softly to her, calming things like "Breathe" and "You're doing great, Mama Bear", as he rubbed her back gently.
"I-I heard her voice again," Victoria whimpered into Damon's chest. Damon did his best not to react, but she could feel him tensing underneath her. He knew who she was talking about. "I-It hasn't even been a full day since she died and I-I'm going to a party as if her d-death meant nothing t-to me and I-I -"
"- You need to stop talking and focus on breathing, Victoria," Damon said firmly, but softly. "Get your mind off of it. Don't you have methods for doing this?" Victoria nodded her head. "Alright, then use them."
Victoria nodded again and focused her mind on Damon's breathing. Trying to match her breaths to another person's more even breathing usually helped her. His breaths were deep and steady, strong. They timed evenly with the way he was rubbing her back, which made calming down much simpler. The two of them stood that way, just breathing with each other, until there was an abrupt knocking on the door. Victoria flinched at the knock on the door and Damon's grip tightened on her.
"Current company is busy, may I take a message?" Damon grumbled towards the door.
Lexi's voice came from the other side. "Don't get snippy with me, Damon. I know that Victoria's in there and probably wants nothing to do with me currently, but Stefan's girlfriend is here and is demanding to talk to her."
"Tell Elena to go away."
"I am not getting into the middle of that. Did you know that she looks just like Katherine?"
"I have been made aware of that, yes," Damon growled, his grip on Victoria tightening. "Out of the way, Lexi, I'll handle it."
"No," Victoria mumbled, taking a step back from Damon. Damon looked down at her questioningly, and she shivered without his sudden warmth. He was probably warm from the shower. Yeah, that made sense. "I-I'll get it."
"You are in no state to go talking to her," Damon tried to argue, but Victoria shook her head.
"It doesn't matter; when Elena's determined about something, she won't let it go," Victoria told him tiredly. "It'll just be better if I try to handle it."
Victoria didn't bother waiting for Damon's snide remark. She turned around and opened the bathroom door, noting that Lexi had sped changed into her dress. Lexi gave Victoria a sympathetic smile and mouthed, "I'm sorry" towards her. Victoria gave her a weak smile before she wrapped her own arms around her stomach comfortingly. Victoria marched down the hallway, down the stairs, and into the entryway, fully aware that Damon was following her at a close distance.
The moment that Victoria saw Elena, she realized that their upcoming conversation was probably going to be a mistake. There was a self-righteous fire in Elena's eyes, and that usually meant that whoever was on the receiving end of that look was in for it. And whoopie, Victoria was on the receiving end.
Maybe I should have let Damon talk to her, Victoria thought to herself weakly as she reached the doorway. "Hi, Elena, can I help you?"
"Who the hell is that?" Elena demanded immediately, pointing up towards the staircase where Lexi went up. "And why is she only wearing a towel?"
"Elena, that was Lexi Branson," Victoria said, reaching up to rub her forehead wearily. "She's an old friend of Stefan's."
"Old friend, right," Elena snorted, rolling her eyes. "And did you know that Bonnie is actually a witch? All those jokes were accurate?"
"Yes, I was aware of that one too. She showed it to you?"
"This afternoon," Elena confirmed, nodding her head. "And you just so happened to think that this wasn't important information to mention?"
"We kind of got interrupted before I could tell you this yesterday, Elena, but I can't reveal every single detail about what will happen in the future," Victoria tried to explain. "I'm pretty sure that that would break the time-space continuum, and I currently like living in that, so yeah. I only give hints and clues when they are needed, particularly in life-and-death situations or when someone needs a little extra reassurance."
"So you are suddenly the holder of all this important information and only you can decide when it's okay to release that information?" Elena questioned, folding her arms across her chest. "That doesn't seem fair."
Alright. Victoria was willing to let a lot of things slide. However, she was irritable, she was tired, she was grieving the loss of a good friend and girl who had been like a sister to her, and she wasn't about to take no bullshit from a girl who took the phrase 'main character' a little too seriously. "But it seems fair to ask Damon to compel my memories away of last night?"
Elena paled slightly at that, but she pressed on. "It was for your own good, Victoria. I didn't want you to feel that level of grief. We watched Vicki die."
"Yeah, and she was killed to protect me, Elena, I get that," Victoria snapped, standing up straighter. "But something you don't seem to understand is the process of grief."
"I understand that it's painful and I wouldn't wish it on anybody," Elena retorted.
Victoria snorted and rolled her eyes. Yeah. Just wait until the Mikaelsons come around and you'll be singing a different tune, sweetheart. "But that's the thing! You don't understand! Grieving a person is loving them. If you just skip all of that, go to the mindset of switching off your emotions so you don't have to deal with that sadness, then you aren't really showing that you love them. You're showing you are a coward. And yes, sometimes grief can break a person, but so can love. No matter what we do in life, we risk everything we have every day that we have. And I would rather live my life that way. I would rather grieve everyone I've lost, which albeit hasn't been a lot right now, every single day for the rest of my life than go through life forgetting the emotions behind their deaths."
That seemed to shut Elena up, which Victoria mentally high-fived herself for. She loved Elena, she really did, but today was not the day to mess with Victoria. She would tell it like it is.
"Good chat all around, ladies," Damon interrupted, stepping forward so he was standing right behind Victoria. And given the way Elena squeaked awkwardly and flipped around, Victoria would be willing to bet that Damon still wasn't wearing a shirt. "But if you'll excuse us, I believe Ms. LeBlanc still has a party to get ready for. See you there."
Damon shut the door before Elena could say anything else. He even locked it for extra measure. "Great. That's settled. Now get changed, Mama Bear. We got a party to start!"
The party was in full swing once Damon and Victoria arrived. Lexi had decided to make her own way to the Mystic Grill, and Stefan left to go see Elena. Victoria didn't mention the girls' little spat on the front porch to him; it wouldn't be worth it. And thank goodness, Lexi had been distracting Stefan during the time so he hadn't heard anything either. And Damon...he was content to just sit with the knowledge of the fight and tease Victoria about her Mama Bear side coming out.
The moment they stepped through the doors to the Grill, Damon made to bail on her, angling himself straight towards the bar. Victoria stopped him, grabbing on tightly to his hand so he couldn't go anywhere. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, silently asking her "What?"
"Remember your favor," Victoria whispered lowly. Damon nodded seriously and Victoria reluctantly let go of his hand.
He didn't move immediately, but asked her, "Can you try and get the necklace from Bonnie?"
"The one you dropped at the Founder's Ball and Caroline picked up and subsequently gave to Bonnie because she wanted nothing to do with you and it?" Victoria clarified. Damon nodded. "I'll give it my best shot. But please, keep in mind that by now, Bonnie has learned that the necklace was Emily's necklace. Family is really important to her, and the fact that Emily was a witch too just elevates its level of importance. I doubt she'll give it back to you now, but it'll come back to you eventually."
Damon frowned, apparently not liking that answer. Victoria gave him a stern look and added, "Don't even think about terrorizing Bonnie Bennett. She has done nothing wrong against you and you can still achieve your goal without being a jerk to her."
"Achieve what goal?" Lexi interrupted, appearing out of nowhere. She was wearing the dress that Victoria had found, the one from the episode, and she looked cute as a button. "Looking good, Vee-Bee."
"Thanks, Lexi," Victoria answered. With the dress, Victoria had added some gladiator sandals she had borrowed from Lexi. Kelly swung by and dropped some makeup off for her, so she had added a baby smoky eye with some lipgloss to just give her lips that extra shine. Victoria lied easily to Lexi, "Damon's goal he's trying to achieve is to get my friends to all say he's attractive. I told him he can just be a nice person because that will make things easier than forcing them to say it."
At Lexi's surprised look, Damon shrugged and went along with the story. "What can I say? I'm trying to become a changed man."
"Forgive me if I'm a little doubtful," Lexi sniffed, eyeing Damon up and down. "Seems like I need to meet these friends of yours, Vee-Bee, and see how tough enough they are to resist the temptations that are Damon Salvatore."
"Oh, you'll get along with them great, I think," Victoria giggled.
She offered out her arm towards Lexi, as a regular gentleman would, and Lexi looped her arm in through hers. The two girls laughed at Damon's dumbfounded expression as they walked away, and Victoria did her best to lead Lexi through the crowds towards Caroline and Bonnie. The two girls were standing by one of the booths, drinks in their hands. Caroline already looked like she was on her way to getting wasted. Bonnie was only mildly tipsy.
"Care-Bear, the night is young," Victoria sighed, shaking her head as she and Lexi entered the conversation. "Why on Earth are you already stumbling?"
"Someone has to drink your share of the alcohol since you won't," Caroline sassed back, flipping her hair behind her head. She turned towards Lexi, a hint of conversation and apprehension on her usually happy face. "Who's this?"
"I'm Lexi Branson, an old friend of Stefan's," Lexi said. She took her arm out of Victoria's and stuck a hand out. "Nice to meet you."
Caroline took the hand, albeit suspiciously, and shook it. "Caroline Forbes, Victoria's best friend. This is Bonnie Bennett, another one of Victoria's friends."
"Stefan asked me to show her around, help her get to know other people," Victoria lied. It wasn't a total lie, just not the full truth. Victoria quickly changed the subject before Caroline could say something in her no-filter state. "How was shopping with Kelly?"
Caroline's frown fell away to a smile and she cheered, "Amazing. Your mother knows where to find all the best sales and clothes. I love it anytime I can shop with her. Sad you missed it, though. Found some cute things I thought you might like."
"We'll just have to go again another time and grab them," Victoria tried to reassure Caroline, but Bonnie interrupted with a snort.
"Please, Tori, Caroline totally bought them already and they are probably waiting on your bed at home for you to look at," Bonnie stated, and Victoria laughed. She glanced at Caroline, and given the teenager's sheepish expression, it seemed as though that statement was correct.
"I see," she laughed.
"That's a really pretty necklace, Bonnie," Lexi said suddenly, tilting her head as she observed the crystal around Bonnie's neck. Victoria made a silent hum of acknowledgment, looking upon the crystal as well. It hadn't changed appearances in the month since she had seen it, but it seemed brighter. Being around the neck of a Bennett witch probably imbued it with more magical energy, thus making it brighter. "Where'd you get it?"
"Originally, from Caroline," Bonnie admitted, gesturing with her elbow towards Caroline. "But I found out last night that it was actually my great-great-something-or-other-grandmother's necklace. She wore it during the Civil War time period."
"Really?" Victoria added, even though she knew that already. "That's cool. Can I see it closer?"
"Go ahead, you little history nerd you," Bonnie teased and Victoria giggled along with the rest of the girls.
Victoria leaned forward and brought her hand up to brush her fingertips against the edge of the necklace.
However, the moment that Victoria tried to touch the necklace, a powerful shock raced down her arm. Victoria let out a pained yelp and jolted her hand back, bringing the throbbing appendage to her stomach.
"Oh my gosh, Tori, are you okay?" Bonnie immediately asked, glancing between her necklace and Victoria. "I-I don't know why it did that!"
"It's okay," Victoria hissed, waving her arm around to try and get the throbbing to stop. "I probably just had a wicked amount of static electricity built up in me. That's on me."
"That's the second time it's done that," Bonnie said with a frown, picking up the necklace in her hand. As expected, the necklace didn't shock her and that seemed to make Bonnie's frown deepen. "I don't know why it does. Care, it never shocked you, did it?"
"Not that I can remember, and if it did, never to the extent of what just happened with Tori," Caroline said, looking towards Victoria's arm with a frown. "Do you need some ice?"
"I'll be fine, you worrywarts," Victoria laughed, shaking her head. "I can survive a little shock. It wasn't even that bad, just startled me. Now go, enjoy, party! Stefan's only an eighteenth birthday boy once."
At the mention of Stefan's name, Caroline's frown turned malicious and Victoria's blood ran cold. Damn it. She probably shouldn't have mentioned that.
"Thank you, Victoria, for that reminder," Caroline hummed, folding her arms across her chest. "Oh, what do you know? There's the birthday boy himself."
Caroline started to march off towards Stefan, who was standing in the middle of the Grill awkwardly as Matt walked away from him. Victoria quickly said her goodbyes to Bonnie and Lexi and rushed to catch up with Caroline. Maybe she could get to her in time...
Nope. Caroline was in front of Stefan like a lightning bolt and her hand was moving fast. Caroline slapped Stefan across the face and the vampire wasn't expecting it and did nothing to get out of the way. The crack of the slap was loud enough to draw people's eyes, but it wasn't like Caroline cared. No. This Care-Bear was fierce and drunk and pissed off. That was not a healthy combination.
"You, Stefan whatever the hell your middle name is -"
"- Antonio -" he weakly added.
"- Antonio Salvatore, are the biggest jerk in the land of jerks," Caroline finished, not even blinking an eye at Stefan's interruption. "I'm willing to make an exception to your mistakes because you're new around town, but lemme explain something to you: Victoria has been dancing since she was three years old. She's been competing in dance since she was seven. I have never seen Victoria as excited about an activity, besides singing, as she has been about dancing. Now, Victoria also sees you as a friend. A douchebag person right now, but a friend. So imagine my shock when she reminds me that as her friend, you were supposed to show up and dance with her last night, only you didn't and the other douchebag Salvatore, your brother, stepped up in your place."
"Caroline -"
"- I'm not finished," Caroline snapped. She jerked a finger towards Stefan and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I'm only going to give you one warning, Stefan: Victoria is my best friend. I will do anything to ensure her happiness. And if that involves having to murder you for breaking her heart, then so be it. My mom's the Sheriff. I know the ins and outs of the law. Do we have an understanding?"
Stefan gulped and glanced over Caroline's shoulder towards Victoria, who was standing close behind her. Victoria managed to mouth "I'm sorry" before Caroline interjected, "Hey! Don't look at her, look at me." Stefan's gaze shot back to Caroline. "Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes, we do," Stefan said slowly, and almost fearfully.
Like a switch, Caroline's frown and glare disappeared and a happy, almost drunk smile took its place. "Great! Now, happy birthday and enjoy your party! I'm going to get myself another drink."
She bounced away and Stefan looked back towards Victoria with a "What the hell just happened?" expression on his face. Victoria just shrugged. She had been convinced that Caroline would've attempted assassination on Stefan at least once. Maybe she was trying to lure him into a sense of false security. Attempt later on in the night. She would need to ask Lexi and Damon to help her keep an eye on Caroline throughout the night...
There was a hand on the small of her back. Victoria didn't flinch, though, even though the hand was marginally unfamiliar. She had experienced this so many times that she knew what was going to happen. "Hey, Noble. I was wondering when you were going to show up."
"Pardon me, Ms. LeBlanc, but unfortunately, I am not my companion."
Victoria's blood ran cold and she flipped around instinctively, her body tensing up in fear. Standing in front of her, still wearing jeans, that graphic t-shirt with the plaid shirt and long dark jacket, was Raphael.
Noble's written warning flared up in her head: If you see Raphael, find one of the Salvatore brothers. They are, physically, no match for Raphael, but they will be able to keep him occupied enough for me to learn of his whereabouts and to handle him personally.
Find one of the Salvatore brothers.
"R-Raphael," Victoria stammered, her hands moving to clench into fists. She quickly scoped out the room in front of her. Lexi and Stefan were dancing, oblivious to the situation taking place. Caroline was at the bar, drinking it up, while Bonnie and Matt were off to one side, taking a breather from the party. Damon was nowhere to be seen, and neither were any of the adults that Victoria was used to interacting with (Jenna, Mrs. Lockwood, Kelly, Zach). "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to come and see how you were doing," Raphael stated, putting his hands into his coat's pockets. "It has been nearly a month since your disappearance and then again, a full day since the death of Ms. Donovan." Victoria flinched. Thank goodness none of her Mystic Falls friends had supernatural hearing or the whole conspiracy behind Vicki's disappearance would have been blown out of the water. "I am sad to hear about that."
"But you weren't sad to have caused it," Victoria interrupted. Raphael's gaze turned slightly cold and Victoria had to resist the shiver that wanted to move painfully down her side. Shit, shit, shit! Shouldn't have said that, shouldn't have said that! "I know what you did, Raphael. I'm not an idiot."
"I never would have said that, Ms. LeBlanc," Raphael replied. There was an almost loving tone that was added in his voice when he added, "I would never have thought that. You are truly astounding, Ms. LeBlanc."
Find Damon or Stefan. Damn it, boys, where the hell are you?
"T-Thank you?" Victoria rasped, blinking her eyes in shock.
"You're welcome."
"Why did you do it?" Victoria demanded, trying to keep her breaths even. "Vicki was innocent. She didn't do anything wrong."
"She wronged you," Raphael said, gesturing with his head towards her. "She caused you much emotional turmoil."
"She was dying at a graveyard!" Victoria argued, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Of course that's going to cause me emotional turmoil, but that wasn't her fault. She was a victim, not a problem!"
"I swore an oath, Ms. LeBlanc, to protect you from any kind of pain," Raphael explained, slowly taking his hands out of his coat pockets. He took a step towards Victoria and she flinched backwards, now openly looking around.
FindDamonandStefanfindDamonandStefanFINDDAMONANDSTEFANFINDDAMONANDSTEFAN
"And I swore, en el nombre del Cruxifijo, that I would follow that oath to my second death," Raphael stated, taking another step towards her. Victoria's brow furrowed with confusion once he switched to Spanish. The random Spanish classes that Victoria had taken during her first time in high school helped her piece together the sentence.
In the name of the Crucifix.
What the hell did that mean?
"I have not let anyone come in the way of my goal," Raphael growled, his voice dropping low and dangerous. "Not Ms. Donovan, not Mr. Tanner -"
"- Wait, Mr. Tanner? William Tanner?" Victoria spluttered, her eyes widening in disbelief. "B-But Damon killed him. He confessed to it!"
"I'm aware that he also did not actively try to deny that he 'killed' Ms. Donovan, am I right?" Raphael mused, his eyes sparkling with delight. Something was wrong with Raphael. Something was terribly wrong, and the mere idea that he was getting closer and closer to Victoria scared the crap out of her. "Who better to use as a scapegoat than a man who sees himself as the villain?"
Victoria glanced around, looking towards the number of people occupying the tables and booths surrounding her and Raphael. None of them were looking at them. If they were listening to their conversations, they made no movement to show it.
"The good people in this establishment have been compelled to not bother the two of us as we discuss business, Ms. LeBlanc," Raphael stated, nodding his head towards a random couple who were eating fries and a milkshake. "They will not help you."
"Maybe they won't, but I can," a new voice interrupted.
Tears sprang to her eyes as Lexi stepped in between Raphael and Victoria. Victoria felt her body physically sag in on itself and she reached out, her hands grabbing the back of Lexi's dress. Lexi stood taller once Victoria touched her, and she could only imagine the glare that Lexi sent towards Raphael was something dangerous.
"Ms. Branson, a pleasure to meet you," Raphael commented, giving the woman a nod.
"Nice to meet you too, asshat," Lexi spat, folding her arms across her chest. "Now, I don't know who you are, cause I'm kind of new here, but even I can tell that you're bad news. Now, leave before I make you."
"I am centuries old, Ms. Branson. I do not fear you."
"You know, I once knew a guy who said that to me too," Lexi commented randomly, tilting her head to the side as she observed Raphael. "He was kind of cool, sort of sporadic, and he turned me into a vampire so I could take care of my brother. I threatened to stab him in the heart, he insisted that he was older than I could possibly imagine and that I would have no chance. Do you know what happened to him?"
"No, Ms. Branson, I do not."
"I stabbed him through the heart," Lexi growled, unfolding her arms across her chest. "A day old vampire took out a vampire nearly six hundred times her senior. It was satisfying watching the desiccation process reach his eyes as he realized that he had been bested. So you don't scare me, Mr. High and Mighty. I haven't been scared of any vampires since the day I transitioned. Now I will tell you this only once more: leave before I run you through with a pool stick."
"Unfortunately, Ms. Branson, it will not be me who leaves tonight," Raphael sniffed, standing up straighter. Victoria's brow furrowed in confusion and she sniffed. What did he mean?
Her eyes widened in terror and she flipped her head towards the bar. Damon was sitting there, chatting with a random woman. He didn't look like he had blood on him. Had he gone out and tried to eat that couple? But he had promised Victoria.
Victoria's eyes raced towards the front door, where Sheriff Forbes was now standing, her arms wrapped around a trembling girl reassuringly. The girl was familiar to Victoria.
Leah Hastings.
You poor girl.
And her hand was pointing straight towards Lexi, Victoria, and Raphael.
"Shit!" Victoria hissed, her grip tightening on Lexi's dress. Whipping around to face Lexi, she hissed, "The Sheriff is heading right towards us. She's going to vervain you. You can't fight it, Lexi. I will protect you but if you fight it, she will find out that you are a vampire truly and she will stake you. If she asks, you are badly allergic to vervain. You need to trust me. Can you do that?"
Lexi nodded immediately.
The Sheriff was on them in a moment, and Raphael stepped closer to the two women in front of him. Victoria and Lexi tensed uncomfortably as Raphael started, his hand gestured out towards Lexi, saying, "Sheriff Forbes, this is the woman I was -"
Caroline's mom cut him off when she reached out and injected a vial of vervain into Raphael's hand. Raphael gaped in surprise and shock and he immediately started to collapse. Two of the deputies raced out from behind the Sheriff, catching the falling vampire.
Victoria was about to thank Caroline's mom when the older woman swung about and did the same thing to Lexi. Victoria gasped in shock, her eyes widening in fear as Lexi grew sluggish. She tipped back towards Victoria and the adult-turned-teenager caught her fearfully, looking towards the Sheriff. "What did you do?"
"This doesn't concern you, Victoria. Go find Damon to take you home," Sheriff Forbes ordered as two other deputies came around to grab Lexi. Victoria tried to keep her grip on the vampire, but the deputies ripped her hands away and began to drag the woman away from her.
Victoria was not about to let up. She had finally gotten Damon to keep a favor. "That is my friend. What did you inject her with? She has a terrible allergy, she could be dying!"
She followed closely to the deputies and shoved them back when they tried to keep her from exiting the Grill. "Don't you dare touch me!" She marched off after Sheriff Forbes and the four deputies dragging Raphael and Lexi. "Sheriff! She could be dying, please! What did you do to her?"
That was when chaos erupted.
Raphael was the first to awaken and it was obvious when he did. The two deputies holding him went flying, not expecting the vampire to regain consciousness so quickly. Victoria let out a panicked scream as one flew into a nearby building, shattering the store front's window. The other hit a car and the car alarm started to wail loudly. Raphael turned towards the Sheriff, who was rapidly trying to pull out her gun to shoot him. She had to distract him before he tried to kill her.
Victoria waved her hands frantically and screamed as loudly as she could, "Raphael!"
He turned towards her for only a fraction of a second, leaving Caroline's mom with just enough time to cock her gun and to rain down wooden bullets into Raphael's torso. The elder vampire let out a loud growl, one that was louder than the car alarm, and flipped back towards the Sheriff.
Victoria broke out into a dead sprint. She was not faster than a vampire, but she was hoping for once that Raphael wanted to draw things out. Terrify Liz Forbes before killing her. That would be the only way for her plan to work.
Fate was in her favor. Raphael stalked towards the Sheriff slowly, like a lion approaching a zebra. The Sheriff fired more and more wooden bullets into Raphael's torso, and the most that it did was piss him off more.
Victoria's plan was rudimentary at best, downright suicide at worst.
She just had to make him more pissed off at her than he was at Caroline's mom.
Once she was a few steps from Raphael, Victoria threw herself at the vampire. It was a move similar to the one that she had used on Logan; she suspected that Raphael did not expect her to fight. She was a lover, not a fighter, right?
Wrong.
She wrapped her arms around Raphael's neck and threw herself to the side. It worked, just like a charm.
Maybe too well.
A hot and fiery pain raced through her arm and Victoria let out a pained screech as she and Raphael fell to the ground. Her arm throbbed worse than when she had touched Bonnie's neck and the distinct smell of copper filled the air. The pain in her arm made her halt her turn, so her back hit the ground hard and her head cracked against the pavement. Her vision blurred and she cried out as her arm was jostled more.
Shot. She was shot. Caroline's mom had shot her.
"You are becoming more trouble than you are worth, Ms. LeBlanc!" Raphael snarled, pulling up from where he had landed on top of her. His black glasses had flung from his face and his vampiric features were on full display. His eyes were blood red and his fangs were long and dripping with salvia. And he was looking at her like she was an ant under his boot. "Perhaps the only way to protect you is to get you out of the way."
"If you die, that will protect you and hurt the man who caused me so much pain." Some of Vicki's last words before Zach staked her. They were too similar to be merely coincidental.
Raphael's hand wrapped itself around the base of her head, and Victoria wanted to fight him. She really did. But her head was spinning, the world was tipping, and her arm felt like it was about ready to fall off. Her body wouldn't move. Raphael pulled Victoria up and Victoria's body weakly followed him. Tears were steadily pouring down Victoria's face as Raphael spat, "Any last words, Ms. LeBlanc?"
"Fu -" Victoria began, fully intending on swearing him out, but a new voice interrupted.
"Get your hands off of her!"
Raphael's body was ripped off of her, flying off to the side. Victoria fell back down onto the concrete, whimpering as her head smacked into the sidewalk again. Her head lolled to the side, watching as the mysterious figure stood over Raphael's body on the ground.
Not a mysterious stranger.
Zach Salvatore.
With an urgent yell, Zach raised his hands above his head and in the brief moonlight, Victoria caught sight of a wooden stake in his hands. The eldest Salvatore brought the stake down with the full force of his body and it was at that moment that Victoria noticed the car alarm had been silenced. Why, one might ask? Because she could distinctly hear the squelch of Raphael's body as the stake was driven straight into his heart.
Victoria blinked in silence, watching as the gray symbol of desiccation started to take hold of his body. She knew Raphael mumbled something to Zach, because the Salvatore spat back, "This is what true protection of Victoria looks like, asshole."
Hands. Hands were suddenly grabbing Victoria and tilting her head away from Zach. She was being lifted into a lap and a bloodied wrist was suddenly shoved into her face.
"Just drink, Blankie, damn it!"
Victoria flopped her head to the side, the best resistance she could muster.
"Drink it, Victoria, and be traumatized later," Damon snapped, jerking her head back into position.
Victoria relaxed marginally at the sound of Damon's voice, but she didn't stop her face from scrunching up in disgust as she tried her best to suck Damon's blood. The cool copper hit the back of her throat and she had to resist the urge to gag. It never got easier, at least for her.
The pain began to recede, slowly but surely, until only her arm was the only thing in pain. Victoria watched in sick fascination as the healing process pushed the wooden bullet out of her body and made it clink onto the concrete floor with a bloody plop.
Once all of Victoria's mental processes were back to her, she looked around, taking in all the damage. Two deputies were on the ground and it seemed obvious that they were not waking up. The other two, which Victoria had recognized as the jerks who had taken Lexi from her, were dazed but alive. Stefan and Elena were there, Lexi standing in between them wearily and shakily. She was alive. Lexi had survived.
Sheriff Forbes was looking upon the scene with a cop's eye, but it seemed different. Almost...oblivious. Like she hadn't just witnessed a vampire try to kill all of them.
"Thank you, Zach," Sheriff Forbes announced, drawing Victoria's attention to her. She didn't even look towards Damon and Victoria, or at the other trio standing across the way from them. "Pretty handy with that stake."
"Just a reflex," Zach responded, not looking away from the body underneath his feet. His voice was flat, practically monotone. "Adrenaline kicked in."
"This nightmare is finally over," the Sheriff sighed, and she shook her head.
Victoria tensed in Damon's arms and he hissed quietly to her, "Stop moving. I'll explain in a second."
She did her best to still herself as Sheriff Forbes had the two dazed deputies take away the body from Zach, who still hadn't moved. The three cops stuffed the dead body of Raphael into the trunk of the cop car and Victoria didn't find it in her heart to be sad. She had seen the true side of Raphael, and it was not a side she wanted to ever see again. And now, she wouldn't have to.
No one spoke as the cops went back and picked up their fallen comrades. No one spoke until all cop cars had pulled away. Even then, all six members of the congregation just looked at each other in stunned silence.
Victoria was the first to speak, and it was very quiet. Elena would have to strain to hear her, but the vampires would hear her just fine. "What did you do to the Sheriff?"
"Wasn't wearing and hadn't drunk any vervain," Damon answered, not a hint of a joking tone in his voice. Victoria was thankful for it. They didn't need humor. They needed answers. "Heard the commotion, saw Stefan and Elena having trouble getting out, went around the back. I remember your favor and compelled the deputies to forget the situation ever happened, shipping Lexi off to Stefan and Elena when they arrived. The Sheriff, I made her believe that only Raphael and Zach were here during the confrontation. As far as she's concerned, you two were never a part of the confrontation."
"You lied about Tanner."
"We'll discuss that later, Mama Bear; we've got more pressing concerns right now," Damon shot back, looking back up towards the group.
"So he killed Vicki and Mr. Tanner?" Stefan asked in disbelief, glancing between where his great-nephew was standing and back towards Damon and Victoria. "But why?"
"After he killed Vicki, he left us a weird calling card, promising the deaths of everyone who had ever hurt Victoria," Damon mentioned. "The ending of the card had this weird phrase in Spanish."
"In the name of the Crucifix," Victoria translated, looking up at the group. She tapped Damon's knee and the vampire helped her sit up better, making her half in and half out of his lap. She was too tired to care. "He may have been working for someone, something bigger."
"Stefan, take Elena and Lexi back home. Damon, take Victoria," Zach ordered, finally turning around. He looked unbelievably tense and he still didn't look up from the ground. The expression on his face was hidden away behind the shadows on his face. "Do not let any of them out of your sight. I need to follow up on something."
"That's it?" Elena all but shrieked, looking around at the rest of the group in disbelief: four vampires and one human, not including Elena. What an odd group. "We just go back to life as if nothing happened, but now with bodyguards?"
"Pain and death follow us everywhere, Elena," Stefan tried to ease her down. "We have to think about what to do next. Raphael just threatened a lot of us! We need to figure out who this Crucifix is and if Raphael was working with anyone else. Hell, if Noble is a part of this whole conspiracy -!"
"- He's not!" Victoria fired back, jumping to her feet. She heard Damon scramble to be on his feet behind her. "Noble was the one who warned me about Raphael, but I was the idiot who didn't realize what he meant until last night. Damon tried to tell me that it wasn't his fault that Vicki died, but I was too blinded to see the truth. Vicki helped save Lexi tonight too. If she hadn't mentioned that clue about an angel, I wouldn't have realized it was all Raphael's fault. Noble, Vicki, and Damon are the only reasons that Lexi is alive right now!"
"Enough!" Zach shouted, whipping his head up. The sheer volume of his voice silenced everyone and they all turned to look at him, some more sheepish than others. Zach's vampire features were on display. The veins under his eyes were darker than Victoria had ever seen and the deep red of his eyes not only looked stunning and unique, but also terrifying. Zach looked like a conqueror, like an emperor. Like a leader. Zach turned and individually gave each person by him a hard, stern look. "You will not fight with each other. This is not the time nor the place. Go home, rest, and stay vigilant. Your lives will progress as normal. Do I make myself clear?"
Lexi opened her mouth to say something, but Zach snapped again, "Do I make myself clear?"
Quiet "yes, sirs" echoed throughout the area.
"We don't know who or what this Crucifix thing is," Zach continued with a snarl. "But they have dared to enter our town and tried to hurt our loved ones. That will not continue. Resume hating each other in your spare time, I don't care. But when we are together, we are a united front. We will find this Crucifix, and we will stop them. Now, go."
Nobody moved. They were all in too much shock.
"GO!"
A/N: OVER 200k+ words! Whoo! And we've only finished Ep. 8 of Season 1. Oooooh, I'm so excited! The big turning moment comes in four more episodes and I am sooooo pumped. Like, y'all like the story, but we haven't even skimmed the top of this story. Like, EEEK! I'm so excited, if you can't tell.
AND YES!: LEXI BRANSON LIVES! I couldn't let her die. I just couldn't. She is a sweetheart and the best of all of us.
THE SHIPPING WARS! (feel free to keep on voting (you can vote for more than one ship!); 1 full point for if you choose one ship, two half points for two separate ships, more than 2, smaller decimals. Anything that is not a full point will be italicized):
ROMANTIC:
Team Stetoria {Victoria/Stefan} (13.5): insert name here XD, sammyleann's dad, TikiKiki, Maistryia, Don't-Say-It-Feel-It, another guest, Elyse1821, Lime, herewegoagain, K, Yukihino-Sama, emma, hfgfgfrdr, just another guest, BookwormStrawberry, heyyeah, Guest (3)
Team Datoria {Victoria/Damon} (10.5): Sciave, Guest, ArganRose, CrystalAris, Marine76, Assenavira, CarlaPA, Guest (1), Maistryia, emma, just another guest, Freeshavacahdoh, Guest (3)
Team Vilijah {Victoria/Elijah} (20.5): guest, Guest, SoraLover987142, insert name here XD, sammyleann, Orange keys 25, LoyalElijahFangirl, Hinata Megumi, A. G Herz, Aryabloodlust, ferallahey, AngelColdHeart, BlueDragibus, dreamwalkerlisa, Guest, Stachelbeere, Guest (1), jocillyria, Guest (2), BookwormStrawberry, Ieviheichu, Teghan-Potter1370
Team Klatoria {Victoria/Klaus} (1.5): Tayla141, TikiKiki
Team Koltoria {Victoria/Kol} (2): DreamerPop, MelissaMorningstar
PLATONIC:
Vinn {Victoria/Finn) (.4): LoyalElijahFangirl, Orange keys 25
Varcel {Victoria/Marcel) (1.4): LoyalElijahFangirl, Orange keys 25, jocillyria
Zinn {Zach/Finn} (.4): LoyalElijahFangirl, Orange keys 25
Jol {Jenna/Kol} (.9): LoyalElijahFangirl, Lime, Orange keys 25
Kelas {Silas/Kelly L.} (.4): LoyalElijahFangirl, Orange keys 25
Koltoria {Victoria/Kol} (.2): Orange keys 25
Kennett {Kol/Bonnie} (.5): Lime
Autoria {Aurora/Victoria} (.2): LoyalElijahFangirl
Vonnie {Victoria/Bonnie} (1): bpopa7110
Vibekah {Victoria/Rebekah} (1): BookwormStrawberry
If it so pleases any of you, I have found theme songs for each of the romantic ships that I feel really connects with the characters involved in the ships, so please feel free to listen to them to get in the mood; if you have any song recommendations for the ships, please leave a review. Maybe we'll have our own playlist!:
TEAM STETORIA: "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry (the acoustic version)
TEAM DATORIA/VIAMON: "Animals (Epic Trailer Version)" by J2
TEAM VILIJAH: "Be Here For You" by Sam Tinnesz
TEAM KLATORIA: "Can You Hold Me?" by NF feat. Britt Nicole
TEAM KOLTORIA: "Dear Future Husband" by Meghan Trainor
New Followers!: Ieviheichu, sycoticprince19
New Favoriters!: Ieviheichu, Ismatyca, sycoticprince19
Onto reviews!:
Ieviheichu: Your vote has been added! Without disclosing some information that might give away the ending of the Shipping Wars, I can say that we will see a good splattering of The Originals and Vampire Diaries as we progress past Season 4. There weren't enough crossovers in my opinion, so people will be crossing over much more frequently. Don't know if that answers all of your questions.
DBZFAN45: Your little titles at the beginning of your reviews always make me laugh XD. I love the Sherlock Z. Salvatore and Ms. Victoria Watson at your service bit. We will be milking that quite a bit as the season progresses. Yeah, Tori being the "love child" of Lexi and Damon kind of does seem accurate in some places. Just a little humor to soothe the trauma. I would say it's Hurricane Caroline. Yes! Gossip Girl references. I was actually going to make Noble have a special appearance, but I just couldn't figure out how to work it out so he's not going to show up here. Next chapter though! 2nd AMENDMENT: Ahhh, I see, so the Pilot episode. I was surprised anyone decided to take a chance on the first chapter at all. I mean, I know it's kind of different from other first chapter starters, but I didn't think it'd catch on (especially since the TV show has been done for so long). And yeah, it's gotten a lot of traction already, and it's only almost December, and we started this in what, September? So glad everyone's liked it so far! And ooooh! I just read a new fanfic that I really liked called "Wolf Cub" by Radioactive59. Klaus makes a baby werewolf an orphan and takes her under his wing. Has Klaroline in it, which I adored! Hasn't been updated in two years, which is a shame, but it was sooo good nonetheless.
Teghan-Potter1370: Hello to you too! Thank you so much. I say this so many times, but it really warms my heart whenever people talk about how much they love this fic, or how it's like a comfort fanfic for them. Like, I'm just little old me writing a fanfiction, what's so special about that? So thank you, truly. Yeah, Stefan really does need a decent OC beau. Maybe a fanfic for another time.
heyyeah: Thanks dude! That really means a lot to me, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Your vote has been added!
BookwormStrawberry: Oh thank goodness. I was worried I was reading between the lines wrong. Yeah, Tori would probably gouge her own eyes out before she wrecked a relationship purposefully. That's not her sort of thing. I can tell you that Elijah and Victoria's first meeting will have a "wow" factor and it will be unlike anything you've read before ;).
fayenight: Thank you so much! Someone pointed out in a review (semi-harshly, but in a good constructive critcism sort of way) that Victoria was being blind to the fact that she was being abused. I decided to take that topic head on and address it. I'm glad everyone liked that approach!
Lime: You're starting to read my mind because I was going to update early again so you reviewed the night before the night before XD. Ohhhhhh, yeah that makes sense. I was thinking stagnant water, and I was like, "Why would you call that limewater?" XD. And yeah, more Lexi around! It'll be fun. Good times. I may have alluded to that fact in this chapter. Very soft, very subtle, but it was there ;). I'm having so much fun messing with Zach because he was never properly explored as a character, and I love that I get that opportunity to do so. I haven't read a single fanfiction yet that follows the TV show where they saved Zach, so I'm glad I'm taking that leap and everyone is liking it! Same with Lexi. I hope everyone enjoys how she's added into the story, cuz she's here to stay for a very, very long time. I think Damon's behavior is one of the things that changed because Tori is in the universe, like a butterfly effect moment. Because someone has cared for him, no matter how small, Damon actually feels that humanity portion in him that wants to try. I can say this, the truth behind the anklet will come in the chapters that follow the fourth episode from now ("Unpleasantville"). Lexi will totally become a Stetoria shipper, I can see it.
Guest: Your vote has been added. You are Guest (3), so say you are that person if you ever want to change your vote.
Alright, 215 reviews, 160 Favoriters, 210 Followers, 1 Community, 25k+ views, and over 200k+ words long. I'm proud of us all. Self high-fives all around!
Enjoy your weekend and I'll probably see you next Friday. Enjoy!
Stay healthy and stay safe!
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