A Few Good Men - Part 1

Dear Diary,

It's been a while, hasn't it?

So much has happened within this past month or so (it's a little less than that, but I'm not in the mood to count days, you know?). First off, Christmas in Mystic Falls.

We had a huge celebration down at the boarding house, co-planned by me and Caroline (with the little sprinkling of help from Lexi). The attendance list was long: me, Kelly, Caroline, Elena, Stefan, Damon, Lexi, Lee, and Zach were the ones who knew of the "secret", while Carol, Liz, Matt, and Tyler were the only "normies" of the group. Bonnie stopped by for a couple of minutes, but she was packing to leave the next day to spend some time with her aunt. She's still reeling from the death of her grandmother. But she told me that it took her a couple of days, but she doesn't blame me. She tried to give me a Christmas present too, but I told her that her forgiveness was all the presents I could ever want. She still gave me the gift, telling me that she had spent forever on it and it would be rude of me to not accept, so I did. I had wanted to invite Anna, Pearl, and Harper to come as well, as a way of trying to fix bonds before everything was broken, but that idea was quickly shot down by Kelly. She didn't think it was a good idea just yet. I still haven't met Pearl.

Oh! And don't tell Lee, but Noble even popped by. He had a bunch of presents for me, including two from two of his associates named Markus and Jeanine (I remember reading their names from Kelly's diary). It was very sweet. He even had a gift for Lee, Lexi, Zach, Caroline, and surprisingly enough, Damon. Lee was understandable, seeing as the two of them had worked together for forever; Lexi was probably due to the fact that she had called him when I really needed him. Zach and Caroline, I figure, are because either A, he likes them, or B, he knows I like them a lot. As for Damon, he said that that was something between the two of them. Yeah, don't really like that for an answer, but oh well.

Next big celebration, New Year's Eve. Also, another thing that vampires celebrate a lot. We held that celebration at the LeBlanc house. There was some champagne, you know, classy alcohol, that was closely monitored by the mothers of the group (read: Kelly, Liz, and Carol). Still, some of the girls who liked to drink but were underage (read: Caroline and Elena) managed to slip some past them while I ran defense, asking the moms about their jobs. When the countdown began, everyone shouted the numbers loudly. Midnight hit and midnight kisses were exchanged between the couples (Matt and Caroline, Stefan and Elena, Lee and Lexi). For all of us single people, we had to make do else wise. Tyler kissed his mom on the cheek, Zach and Matt were gentlemen and gave Kelly and Liz hugs in exchange for kisses, and Damon grabbed me before I could run and plopped many sloppy, semi-drunk kisses on my cheeks, nose, and head. I was squirming and giggling and just enjoying life. It was so nice.

Now, you're probably wondering how I can write Stefan's name without screaming or going back into a catatonic state. And the reality?

It's not worth it.

I am not the first woman in the world to face rejection. I doubt I'm the first woman to face rejection in a vampire. And to be honest, who the hell cares that Stefan said what he said? He asked a question, albeit badly timed, and I gave him an answer. He gave me a real appropriate answer, considering he is dating one of my best friends, and I took it badly. End of story. And it honestly took me a while to realize that I would rather be a sister than nothing at all. It was at the Christmas party that I managed to corner him and the two of us had a decent conversation about what happened. Is it still awkward, even after nearly a month apart? Yes, very much so. But at least we have both acknowledged that it's awkward and that we want to be friends still. I even apologized on behalf of Damon and Caroline for them hurting Stefan, but he waved it off, saying that he deserved it in part for his shitty timing. When we got back to the party, Stefan parted ways with me with a hug and it felt good. Not romantic good anymore, but heaven knows that's not going to happen anymore, but still, good. I went over to Damon and he pulled me to his side and told me he was proud of me. That was also nice.

So, in the end, Stefan and I are back to being friends, though not as close as we were before. I don't know if we'll ever be that close again. It hurts because I do crave his friendship, but I understand. I do hope that one day we can get that close again. Caroline is still pissed at Stefan, but hearing that he had my forgiveness seemed to help tame that rage. Same with Damon (I think...it's hard to read him sometimes).

So yeah. We are now starting the year 2010. No longer in 2009. I have officially been in this world for a little more than four months. And I can now say this wholeheartedly and without a trace of regret:

I have never been more thankful for death.

Also, I miss that "Cake Or Not" trend.

A scream of pleasure echoed throughout the halls of the boarding house and Victoria let out an agitated growl, slamming her diary shut. She leapt up from her bed, marching down towards the door to her room. She flung her door open and shouted angrily, "Damon!"

The music that had been roaring louder than even necessary quieted down just a smidgen and she could hear him faintly call back out, "Yes, Mama Bear?"

Victoria reached up and massaged the bridge of her nose between two fingers. With gritted teeth, Victoria spat, "Keep it down!"

Victoria blinked and suddenly Damon was there, standing in front of her with a hazy look in his eyes. He was dressed rather risque, with fitted black jeans and a button up shirt that was not buttoned up. It left his ridiculously toned chest and abs out on display for the whole world to see. Blood was smeared on his collarbone and down the front of his neck. It spilled out of his mouth like he was one of those cherub statues in water fountains. Victoria frowned in displeasure and she gestured roughly towards his upper body. "You couldn't have at least tried to not spill?"

"Sounds like you're jealous," Damon mused, a slight slur in his words.

That was one thing that Victoria had not enjoyed about the start of the new year. Damon had gotten it so deeply engraved in his brain that Katherine's no-show in the tomb was his fault. Victoria thought she had made it clear that it was nowhere near Damon's fault, but the vampire hadn't seemed to believe her. Cue the many, many rounds of bourbon that had circulated throughout the house and the sorority girls that never seemed to leave. The same girls who thought that getting their blood drained was as pleasurable as having sex. It had gotten so bad that Zach had pleaded with Victoria to take a day of "Damon Duty" because he just needed a single night of sleep in a place that didn't sound like a whorehouse. Victoria had arrived, seen Damon partying with the girls, and immediately went to her designated bedroom.

"Yeah, not even close," Victoria sniffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Come on, Mama Bear. You don't want to let me have a little taste?" Damon purred, leaning through her doorway. He tilted his head, his nose bumping into her ear and he let out a hot breath of air. If it hadn't smelled like he had drunk an entire swimming pool worth of alcohol, Victoria might have thought that the action was kind of sexy. But alas, Damon was the gold medalist in drinking. "I bet without that anklet you taste pretty sweet."

"And we'd all be dead after my powers decided that you were a threat," Victoria retorted, reaching forward to gently push his body off of her. Damon staggered back, throwing on a pout that was more adorable than sad. "Damon..."

"Don't Damon me," Damon huffed, frowning.

"You know this isn't healthy."

"Bah! Who cares about health?"

"How about someone who cares about you?" Victoria retorted softly. She leaned her head against the doorframe and studied Damon carefully. "What happened with Katherine wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, it was," Damon mumbled sadly, waving his hand. He stumbled and Victoria was at his side in a flash. Her hands were planted hard against his torso, one holding onto his back and the other planted firmly in between his two pecs. "Oops."

"You must have drank a lot of bourbon if you're already stumbling," Victoria grunted. Thank goodness for her enhanced senses. She wasn't nearly as strong as a vampire, but she still had more strength than a normal human did, so she was able to stabilize Damon easily. "It's not even nine in the morning!"

"Better to be drunk than sober," Damon sniffed. He reached up and grabbed Victoria's hand that was on his chest. He covered it with his own and his thumb stroked the back of her hand with a gentility that Victoria could only acquit to how drunk he was. Damon looked down at her with his icy blues, looking pensive and depressed and giddy all at the same time. "Maybe I should have fallen in love with you instead of Katherine. You don't leave. Abandon me."

"I, however, like Katherine, fall in love with your brother and then get my heart broken when he chooses Elena," Victoria mused. She threw his spare arm over her shoulders and propped him up better. "Come on, big guy. Let's get you back downstairs and get the girls out. It looks like you need a nap."

"And another drink -"

"- Of water, maybe," Victoria snorted, shaking her head in exasperation. "Think of me as your sober companion, starting today. We're going to have you alcohol-free in no time at all."

"That sounds like hell," Damon complained.

His arms tightened around Victoria and she only had the briefest of seconds to prepare herself for fast travel. When the spinning room stopped moving, she was standing in the living room, surrounded by half-dressed girls and Damon who was dancing around to the music like he was in a club. His eyes were shut in pleasure and he was swiveling his hips like a trained Latin dancer. Victoria just sighed in defeat and clapped her hands together, gathering the attention of the girls. "Alright, ladies, time to get dressed and head on out."

"But I don't want to," one of them cried out. She folded her arms across her chest and frowned at Victoria. "Who are you anyway? Does he like you more than us?"

"I would hope so," Victoria chuckled. "Now, up and at 'em. Get your clothes back on and head on back to whatever college dorm room you all crawled out of." She picked up a t-shirt that was strewn across the coffee table and threw it at the first girl she saw without a shirt.

The same dorm girl from before, Victoria decided to call her Pinkie for now (her bra that was on display was a rather ugly shade of pink), stood up, glaring at Victoria. "You look like a grandmother. There is no way he thinks you're prettier than us."

Victoria dropped her gaze back down to her outfit. True, she wasn't wearing the most provocative clothing like most of the girls had been wearing before Victoria went upstairs, but she still felt like she looked good. Nice fleece-lined leggings, an oversized sweatshirt that was either Stefan's or Lee's that was a beautiful cobalt blue, and maroon fuzzy socks with the little grippies on the bottom that Damon had gotten her for Christmas. She had thrown her hair (a beautiful natural red that had somehow appeared when she was reborn as the Immortalis) up into a messy bun. She looked more like a college girl than the college girls looked like.

Victoria looked back up towards Pinkie and gave her a skeptical look. An unknown source of sass that lurked deep within her spouted out the next thing she said, "If I'm a grandma, then you're a slut. Get out."

Pinkie looked outraged at the statement while the other girls simply looked amused or mildly offended, checking their own outfits to see if they looked like Pinkie. Pinkie took a daring step towards Victoria, moving out from behind the table to stomp her way towards Victoria. "You little bitch! Do you even know who I am?"

"Probably some socialite who likes to party with daddy's money," Victoria answered honestly. Victoria knew because she had been like Pinkie. Nowhere near as provocative or badly dressed, but she recognized the attitude. "If anything, you don't know who I am and what I can do to you without even blinking. Now, get out before I make you get out."

Pinkie raised a hand to slap her and Victoria wanted to sigh in exasperation. Really? She didn't get what she wanted so she resorted to violence?

However, before Pinkie could even get close to hitting Victoria, Damon was there, gripping onto Pinkie's wrist so tightly that Victoria could hear the bones grinding together and just on the verge of snapping. The look of pure and utter rage in Damon's eyes wasn't something new to Victoria; he was a very emotional person, especially when it came to angry emotions. What surprised Victoria was that he was giving that look in a small situation like that. With gritted teeth, his eyes flashing in the telltale sign of compulsion, he growled, "Get out of my house."

Pinkie couldn't fight the compulsion and she immediately ran towards the front door. The other girls quickly followed after Damon sent them all a glare. Victoria just sighed as she watched them go, shaking her head. "Welp. That took a turn for a worse."

She looked back towards Damon and he was staring down at her with an emotion that she couldn't pinpoint. She raised an eyebrow in a silent question and when he didn't say anything, she asked pointedly, "Something you want to say?"

"You don't look like a grandma."

"Aw, that's sweet," Victoria snickered, reaching up to teasingly push his shoulder.

Damon's hand snapped up and grabbed her wrist before she could pull her wrist back. It wasn't tight like he had done just a moment before with Pinkie, but it was enough that Victoria couldn't easily pull her wrist back, even with her added strength. Damon's eyes darkened and he leaned closer to Victoria, murmuring just under his breath, "You look good. Sexy."

A blush jumped to her cheeks and she cleared her throat. Alright, drunk Damon was a flirt. Something to file away for a later time. She stammered, "T-Thank you?" and it came out more like a question rather than a statement.

The music was suddenly switched off and Victoria jumped away from Damon, knowing who was standing at the stereo. She coughed, trying not to show Stefan how much his brother had just frazzled her, and said, "Stefan. Thank goodness you're here."

"Everything okay?" Stefan asked wearily, glancing between Damon and Victoria. Victoria then realized that Damon was still holding her wrist and she pulled it back to her body. Her other hand came up and rubbed where Damon had been holding her. It didn't hurt, but it still felt weird. Maybe he pinched a nerve or something.

"Everything's good," Victoria said after she took a moment to lick her lips. A small stall for time. "Damon's just drunk and you know how odd he can get."

"Don't I," Stefan snorted in agreement, turning to look at his brother.

Damon rolled his eyes and staggered away from Victoria, picking up one of the bottles of booze and cradling it close to his chest. "Greetings, Buzzkill Bob."

"Can we talk?"

"Yep," Damon said, popping the 'p'. "And feel free to speak your mind right here and now. Anything you have to say to me, you can say to Mama Bear. She knows what this conversation is about anyways." Damon plopped down onto the sofa and propped himself up on the armrest. He waved the bottle towards Stefan. Stefan moved and stood in front of the other couch and Victoria moved to sit on the other armrest that Damon wasn't occupying. "You're worried about me, blah blah blah. That's nice. Don't be." He took a long swig of the alcohol and Victoria sighed. So much for trying to get him sober. "There's no need. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I spent the last one hundred and forty-five years with one goal: get in that tomb. I succeeded. Granted, Katherine wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell? You know, it's so liberating not having a master plan, because I can do whatever the hell I want."

"That's kind of what I'm afraid of," Stefan grunted, folding his arms across his chest.

"Relax," Damon moaned, stretching out on the couch like a panther. The stretch made his chest contort and put his abs on display even more. Victoria rolled his eyes. Such an exhibitionist. "I haven't killed anyone in..." He trailed off and glanced towards Victoria, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Who was the last one?"

"Theoretically, me," Victoria explained, resting an arm on the back of the couch. "After I went ballistic waking up the first time."

"Ah yes," Damon huffed, drawing the word out long, maybe too long. He turned back to Stefan and stated simply, "Too long."

"Those girls?" Stefan asked, glancing towards Victoria for the real answer.

"They will all wake up back in their dorms with headaches," Victoria answered honestly. "They'll think they went to a major rager and they blacked out."

"Business as usual," Damon added, taking another drink. "Predictable you didn't come all this way just for a pep talk. So drink up." He tossed the bottle across the room and Stefan nimbly caught the bottle around the neck. "So, spill it, brother."

Stefan bent down and set the bottle on the table, making Damon frown at the action. Stefan ignored the almost-pouting look on Damon's mouth and said, "There was a woman you may have known a few years back named Isobel in North Carolina at Duke."

"You wanna discuss the women in my past right now? Seriously?" Damon grunted, rolling his eyes. "Why don't you just ask Mama Bear? She knows all the answers anyway."

"I only go to her when I know I can't get answers anywhere else or if I'm really in need of a hint," Stefan shot back, and Victoria sent him a thankful look. It seemed their additional chat at the New Year's Eve party had come in handy. "So, you killed her."

"Mama Bear?"

"Isobel."

"What's your point?"

Stefan sighed in defeat and dropped onto the couch cushions. "I just...just wanna know if you remember anything about her."

"Oh, it's like a needle in a haystack, Stefan," Damon drawled.

"Well, think hard. it's important."

"Nothing is important," Damon retorted, sitting up straighter. The drunken look in his eyes disappeared and he seemed soberer than ever. "Nothing is important, except for protecting Mama Bear. Not anymore." Damon jumped to his feet, startling Victoria and Stefan and he gave them a semi-drunk salute, right back to acting as though he could soak up alcohol through osmosis. "Great chat. I have to go and find some entertainment now since my fun was kicked out of the house in the name of grief. I'm sure you understand. You can show yourself out; take Mama Bear with you. She doesn't like alcohol."

"Damon -" Victoria started, but Damon waved her off.

"I am a full-grown adult and a vampire who is really old. I can take care of myself without needing a seventeen year old with the mental capacity of a twenty-one year old to watch over me," Damon drunkenly stumbled. He flashed from view, but Victoria could hear his steps as they haphazardly made their way towards his bedroom. It was only when she heard the slam of his door that she let out a sigh of relief.

"He's not doing good, is he?" Stefan asked Victoria.

She slipped off of the armrest, dropping down onto the couch. "Yeah, no. He's trying to hide behind the alcohol and the girls and the partying, but it's really clear to see that he's taking Katherine not-being-in-the-tomb hard. Caroline said that he had been doing better during my week of silence, but it's kind of hard to tell now."

"It seems that having you here has been good for him," Stefan commented, leaning back against the couch. "Zach will enjoy returning home to a silent house."

"I thought he liked making pillow forts with Lee," Victoria teased, sticking her tongue out at Stefan goodnaturedly. "How's Elena doing with the Isobel information?"

Stefan raised an eyebrow at her and frowned. "I thought we made a pack about that."

Victoria sighed and rolled her eyes. She had been the one to insist on it, so she might as well follow the rules. She cleared her throat and tried again, "May I ask a question about the forbidden subject?"

"Yes."

"How is Elena doing with the Isobel information?"

"She's confused and worried," Stefan admitted. "We found some info about this Trudie Peterson who used to be Isobel's best friend in high school. Elena got an address from Jenna and she said she wants to go and see her. I'm going to take her in a couple of days."

Victoria did her best not to snort. Yeah right. That girl was probably already on her way to Trudie's house. Instead, she smoothly agreed, "That seems like a smart plan."

"I'm assuming you can't do anything in the hint or help department?"

"I'm all here for emotional support and comfort," Victoria said, holding her arms out as if she was offering a hug. She let her arms drop down to her sides, "but other than that, I'm afraid I can't reveal much. What I said to Elena back when she learned she was adopted is true. Sometimes, just accepting that your birth parents chose to give you up for adoption is better than trying to find information about them."

"Have you tried to learn anything about your birth parents in this world?" Stefan asked curiously.

Victoria shook her head immediately. "Absolutely not. I know that they didn't want me if they abandoned me as a baby on the side of the road, so why would I want them? Also, I knew my parents from the other world. They aren't going to be winning any Parent of the Year awards."

"You've mentioned your mom before in passing, but not your dad," Stefan commented. At Victoria's confused look, he added, "For your biological parents, I mean. You said that your mom's name was MacKenzie...?"

"Yeah, that's right. My dad's name was Rocco," Victoria said slowly, licking her lips to stall for time. Gosh, she really hadn't spoken about her dad. "His name meant 'rest' which is funny considering he never was resting. He was this huge business tycoon. Some type of investment firm; he never used to talk about work with me. He wasn't bad, like my mom was, but he just...wasn't. Wasn't there, wasn't present, not really. There was always some type of business that needed attending to. He'd give me anything I wanted except his time. I can't even remember the last time he gave me a hug of his own free will. He had suitors lined up for me for the moment that I turned eighteen. He only allowed me to go on the 'Paris trip' because I promised when I come back, I would go on a blind date with one of his colleagues' sons."

"Suitors? That sounds like something my dad would say. Back in eighteen sixty-four," Stefan huffed, his brow furrowing in disbelief. "He was already trying to marry you off?"

"Like I told Zach," Victoria sighed, shrugging one shoulder in a 'what can you do about it?' manner. "I was a puppet in my parents' game."

"Sorry, it's just...startling," Stefan mumbled, waving his hand. He reached up and ran his fingers through his messy hero hair. "I'm just realizing that there is so much we don't know about you."

"We have been a little busy to have a real get-to-know-Victoria-Vanacore party," Victoria replied, keeping her tone lighthearted. It felt wrong, addressing herself as Victoria Vanacore. It had been forever since she had said that last name. For all intents and purposes be, she was a LeBlanc, through and through. Perhaps, she was more LeBlanc than she was Vanacore. "Maybe we'll have to have a little tea party and we can spill all the tea."

Stefan's brow furrowed deeper. "Spill the what?"

"Future speak," Victoria just said in disappointment, shaking her head. "I'll explain later." Her phone buzzed, drawing her attention away from Stefan. "That's probably Zach seeing if I'm still sane after Damon babysitting. I'll just go outside and take this."

She stood up and slipped her phone out of her pocket as she headed towards one of the back doors. She slipped out, enjoying the bright sunbeam that warmed her face against the chill of the world. Victoria checked the caller I.D. and her eyebrow perked up. That was a surprise. She hit answer and brought it up to her ear, glancing worriedly towards the door. She kept her voice quiet, hoping that she would be quiet enough that Stefan did hear her. "Elena. Didn't expect a call from you today."

"Are you busy?"

"Nah, I just got relieved of Damon duty, I think," Victoria sniffed. At least, she thought she did. "If not, then I'll pass it off to Stefan. He needs to take a turn."

"Can he hear you?"

"More than likely," Victoria stated honestly. She peered through the window of the boarding house and caught Stefan staring at her. She made a 'shoo-shoo' motion and Stefan rolled his eyes before disappearing out of sight down towards the library. "Alright, I think we're clear now, but probably still talk softly or in code if you're trying to keep something from him."

"You know what Jenna told me this morning?"

"I'm special like that," Victoria laughed, before nodding her head and verbally confirming, "Yeah, I'm aware."

"Stefan told you his plan?"

"That is also a confirmative, wing leader."

"And you know about my plan?"

"Throw another 'yes' onto the growing pile," Victoria chuckled. "Am I being invited?"

"I figured that Stefan can't get too mad at me if I have a nearly indestructible magical supernatural creature come with me to see a human. What do you say? You in?"

"First off, I can die, you know? I just can't stay dead. Second off, pick up Caroline first," Victoria ordered, tucking her hair behind her ear. "She's just had an awkward run-in with Kelly Donovan and could use the trip to take her mind off of things."

"Alright. Meet you at the front of the boarding house in twenty or so minutes?"

"Deal. I think I'm going to need a few more layers anyways. It's freezing."

"This is nice," Caroline sighed, sinking deeply into her seat. She pulled a fry out of the cardboard box and tossed it up, nimbly catching it in her mouth. "I really needed this today."

"I can imagine talking with Kelly Donovan can be a hassle in of itself," Victoria laughed, glancing through the rearview mirror to look towards her friend. "Her catching you making out with her only son must be even worse."

"Ugh, I can't stand that woman," sniffed Elena, shaking her head. "I put up with her for ages when I dated Matt and I can safely say that running away from her is the best way to get out of any situation with her."

"I know for a fact that it takes everything in my mom's control to not smite Kelly," Victoria quickly said, catching the way that Caroline's eyes darkened slightly at Elena's mentioning of her former relationship with Matt. "The janitor at the school used to be the auto mechanics teacher, and he told me that this one student has a problem where she kept getting 'electrocuted'." She threw up some quotation marks around the word 'electrocuted'. "Take a wild guess at who was getting electrocuted and who was doing the electrocuting."

"Your mom is a badass," Caroline giggled. Victoria did a silent fist bump where neither girl could see. It seemed as though she had successfully gotten Caroline's mind off of it. "Speaking of which, I haven't seen her in a while. What has she been up to?"

"Her advisor was semi-impressed with her thesis, but now he wants her to create this speech to give to the front of her entire class by the end of January," Victoria groaned, rolling her eyes. "It's so ridiculous. She's been binge writing on her computer for days. Sometimes she's not even at home and she's just at Jenna's."

"I've heard them a couple of times pulling allnighters," Elena added, nodding her head in agreement. "Kelly will read what she has and Jenna will either give it a pass or a no-go. It seems to be working for them so far."

Victoria nodded in agreement just as her phone started to buzz once more. "I see to be Miss Popular today. One sec." She pulled it out and a soft smile came to her face when she saw the caller I.D.

Caroline picked up on it immediately and a devilish grin came over her face. "Oooh, is it your secret stalker?"

"Shut up, Care-Bear," sniffed Victoria, answering the call. "Hey, Noble. What's up?"

"I stopped by the outside of the boarding house and could not hear your heartbeat. Are you alright?"

Victoria caught Caroline pretending to swoon in the backseat and even Elena puckered her lips and made kissing noises from the driver's seat. Victoria wanted to groan and sink into her seat but instead, she silently flipped off her two friends, which set them off into giggles. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm with Elena and Caroline. We're heading out to Grove Hill to meet up with this lady named Trudie Peterson. She used to know Elena's birth mother from high school and we're going to ask her a couple of questions."

"Am I the only vampire you have told about your adventure?"

Victoria bit her lower lip. She could already see what direction this conversation was going to take. "Maybe?" She drew the word out, trying to see if sounding cute would get her out of a stern talking-to from the elder vamp.

It did not, considering the long-winded sigh Noble gave from the other side of the line. "Victoria..."

"Come on!" she pouted, frowning. "You can't seriously be mad about trying to help my friends."

"There are approximately five vampires in the vicinity of Mystic Falls. Alexander, Alexia, Zachariah, Damon, and Stefan. And yet, despite the numerous amount of vampires, you decide to just gallivant off with two of your friends, who are human, might I add?"

"Noble..."

"I have done my best to prevent the knowledge of who and what you are from escaping Mystic Falls, but I am not perfect," Noble stated sternly. His accent was getting more prominent; was it something that happened when he got annoyed? "There are many witches in the world who would like nothing more than to make sure you die permanently. It is vital for your protection that there are others who are at your level of strength to protect you."

"I can protect myself, Noble," Victoria retorted, flopping back against her seat. She turned to look out the passenger side's window, watching as the terrain flew past them like a colored waterfall. "I've done a pretty good job of it so far."

"And yet, you have also died multiple times," Noble fired back, his voice softening marginally. "I am merely expressing my level of concern for your safety. You are strong, yes, but your protective instinct is stronger. You would rather risk your life than put the life of one of your friends at risk. I am sorry, but I do not feel the same way. Your life is just as important, if not more, than anyone I know."

"One of these days, you're going to have to explain why you care so much," Victoria commented, waiting patiently to hear Noble's response.

There was another sigh on the other side of the phone, and then softly, Noble murmured, "I can't explain everything, not over the phone, but I can say this. Once, many, many, many years ago, there was a woman that I loved. She made me swear that I would find you and that I would protect you with my life. She said that you would become the most important thing in my life, among other things."

"Who?" Victoria questioned as Elena finally turned down the right street. She sat up straighter as Elena pulled the car up to the curb. She remained in her seat as Caroline and Elena bounded out. She repeated her statement, "Noble, who made you promise this? What were the other things she said?"

"As I said, Victoria. Someone I cared greatly for. I trusted her, and I still trust her, even though she is long gone from this world, to tell me the truth. She would not lead me astray."

"What was she like, if you won't tell me her name?"

"To say she was sweet would be a gross understatement. She was kindness personified. She was a goddess: beautiful, radiant, and powerful. She was not afraid of anything or anyone, even when she should have been fearful," Noble spoke. There was a fondness in his voice that Victoria had only heard in regards to her. "I fell the moment I met her and we argued like monsters at first, but then we saw the light in each other and swore to never let go."

"What happened to her?" Victoria was almost fearful to hear.

"I let go. She died. Because of me. My sweet, and beautiful -"

"- Victoria! Come on! Hurry up!" Caroline moaned from outside of the car. Victoria flinched, not expecting her friend's voice, and she looked through the windshield. Caroline was standing in front of the car with her hands planted on her hips. "Stop flirting with the stalker and get your butt out of the car!"

"N-Noble, I have to go," Victoria stammered. Why did she feel hot and warm in her chest? Something about Noble's story hit her, hard. Was it jealousy? Was it recognition? Why did she feel like she knew that story? "Can you meet me at my house tonight, after the bachelor raffle? We can talk more there."

"It would be my honor, Victoria. I shall see you then."

"And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry for what happened to her."

"Not as sorry as I forever will be."

A/N: Fun fact, I had this chapter wrote this chapter and the next one in the span of two days, so I'm ahead for once! That's awesome, especially since I'm about to head into dress week next week, and I'm starting to get sick again and my brother's starting to get sick (not great when we are two leads in the show. Eek). This is not the chapter I originally had planned, but I watched the episode and decided that it was too soon to meet Pearl. She will meet Pearl eventually, just not yet. But, we got more info on Noble and why he is trying to help Victoria! Who is this mysterious woman that Noble used to love? Who knows? ;p

I also just got an A03 account and will be cross-posting this story onto that site if that works better for some of y'all. Just thought I should mention that!

Also, Stetoria is not out of the Shipping Wars just yet. For those holding on, more is yet to come!

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. This will not decide the final pairing; I already know who Victoria will end up with, I just want you all to be able to guess):

ROMANTIC:

Team Stetoria {Victoria/Stefan} (17.5): insert name here XD, sammyleann's dad, TikiKiki, Maistryia, Don't-Say-It-Feel-It, another guest, Lime, herewegoagain, K, emma, just another guest, heyyeah, Guest (3), guest4ithinklol, Guest (6), Guest (9), guest (1), theappleseed, Anaidiana, Hayden, Takinginspiration1, Serena Salvatore, Prometo, Lolita, MoonlightMiracle-SakurianaHime

Team Datoria {Victoria/Damon} (44): Sciave, Guest, ArganRose, CrystalAris, Marine76, Assenavira, CarlaPA, Guest (1), Maistryia, emma, just another guest, Freeshavacahdoh, Guest (3), Guest (4), Guest (6), sabrinaannpierson, Guest (7), Guest (8), Guest (9), guest (1), hfgfgfrdr, lillen20, Yolo, theappleseed, Guest (10), Juko, Bulma, Ellay, V, Ghest, charlievini, Guest (13), Guest (14), Guest (15), TrembleB4DietCoke, dhariti, Hayden, Guest (17), Elyse1821, Dannn, Yukihino-Sama, Dede, 4day, jazica, Guest (20), Unnisa, MoonlightMiracle-SakurianaHime, Tik, 00esoteric00, Hariana Halone

Team Vilijah {Victoria/Elijah} (40): 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, karenc0r, Hachiko33200, Guest (11), Anaidiana, Dalia2009, wolfcorgi, Nia, Rory, Teghan-Potter1370, Guest (12), Shiro7, alessandra92, Guest (16), Guest (18), Karina, Serena Salvatore, xrysatsan, Lolita, jazica, Guest (19), MoonlightMiracle-SakurianaHime

Team Klatoria {Victoria/Klaus} (6): Tayla141, TikiKiki, Guest (9), Mythology216 the Beard King, thisIsNotATest, Guest (10), Tris Hart

Team Koltoria {Victoria/Kol} (2.5): DreamerPop, MelissaMorningstar, Guest (11)

Team Vinn {Victoria/Finn} (1): silentmayhem

New Followers!: ArtemisLuna85, direwolf1829, brunettebabe29

New Favoriters!: Elyse1821, MoonlightatEarth

Onto reviews!:

DBZFAN45: Caroline is not to be trifled with when it comes to the emotional well-being of her friends, that's for sure. I agree that her statement of "I don't give up on people" might just be her life motto. It's going to be happening. A lot. What was the surprise trip supposed to be? We won't know for a while! Aw thanks! I'm glad you like the idea of baby fanfics for the shippers. Yeah, I'm glad we kind of see eye-to-eye on the Stetoria thing. 2nd Amendment!: I can understand how some people might feel like it's an overreaction, but Caroline has publically slapped Stefan at his birthday party because he missed a dance recital for Victoria. Breaking her heart? I feel like she would have definitely punched him. Her strength just surprised everybody. I feel like my version of the sacrifice with Klaus will definitely hurt some people emotionally. Can't explain why, but I can guarantee you it will.

Dassa-chan: It might be a slight overreaction, but it's one that I'm willing to let slide. I'm glad you're liking gossip besties Damon and Caroline! If things had gone differently in the show, I could see them acting like this in the canon (same with Damon and Bonnie) way earlier than it actually did. I can't wait for Elijah and Klaus to come in soon too. We're almost to Season 2. Just a few more episodes!

Stachelbeere: Oh hey! Haven't seen you for a while! Yeaaaaaaaah...that would've been the nicer, simpler way of doing things. Should've thought of that one XD. To be fair for Stefan, he might be desensitized to the feeling of death (seeing as he's a vampire and he's probably died from snapping necks a handful of times), so he didn't stop to think how traumatizing it might have been for Victoria. Killing Sheila? Definitely he'd understand that. Waking up from dying? Probably not so much. Yeah, he's not doing himself any favors, you know?

Elyse1821: Hey you! At times, their relationship can be smexy (hint: this chapter) and other times it's fluffy as heck and I love all aspects of it! I looooooove Lexi. She's awesome. You're going to be gobsmacked and really confused when I bring Katherine in. It's going to be awesome. Popular opinion reckons that Noble is Elijah, although I have yet to either confirm or deny that. I can say that Noble has been around for quite a while. Longer than the Salvatores and Lexi. No problem! I used to be willy-nilly about updating with my other stories and they haven't gotten finished, so I'm trying my hardest with this one. My sister thinks I'm crazy for having it as planned out as I do. This will be my pet project for years, I suspect.

Prometo: Hello! Yeah, Steffie-boy really needs to learn when to speak about sensitive subjects. Oooooh, good point. I didn't even think about that one. There's still more to do with Stetoria, so that ship is not out of the running. Haha!

Lime: I was literally hoping you would review last night because I didn't want to post this chapter without responding to you XD. Yes, the two halves would have the same taste (fun fact: Kelly helped design the room, so theoretically, Kelly has good taste). Hmm. I find that rewriting words over and over again really helps to induce panic. Like "DamonpleasehelpmeDamonpleasehelpme" over and over again and it really, to me, adds to the effect. Ugh. I hate everything Shakespeare, which is funny cuz English is my favorite subject (followed shortly thereafter by History). Oh yeah, them Mikaelsons love spirit, and the gals I've got lined up for them (whether romantic or platonic "let's be besties for life!") definitely have that in them. I love DBZFAN45's comments; it's like the Sparknotes version of each chapter with little comments interwoven in. Super fun to read! I'm tired too. I've already been up for almost three hours before publishing this. Yep, Care-Bear and Damon are not passive-aggressive people. They're more along the lines of aggressive-aggressive. No Markus cameo for a while. Honestly, Markus and Jeanine will be in it more along the ends of Season 2 and in the in-between chapters of Season 2 and Season 3. I just threw them in earlier for added effect. He finds out soon, but I think Victoria might be slipping some clues to him as well. Also, just wait until Jenna learns. That's a funny confrontation. That's one of my favorite lines from that chapter. I am a ninja. ::cue ninja noises here::

BookwormStrawberry: Ahhhh gotcha. I just started reading on A03 (plus I just got an account on it so I can cross-post Immortalis) but Fanfiction is definitely my favorite fanfiction reading website. Wattpad is...special, but there's a couple of stories on there that I enjoy (mostly originals. I don't dare enter the fanfiction world on that site). Hurray! You just gotta recruit your friends to read the story and vote. I've had a reviewer whose Dad read the story and he got his own vote too. Simple as that.

I'm writing this super fast cuz I gotta go to work soon and I feel like crap (whoo). I hope you all enjoyed it! Next one will be up on Monday!

Stay healthy and stay safe!

BecomingFearless1F