The Daughter of Damon Salvatore
Chapter Eight
Damon and Stefan woke to the sound of Jessica screaming. Damon, being in the room opposite to Jessica, got to her bedroom first but hesitated and stood staring stupidly at the closed door. Stefan reached Jessica's bedroom three seconds later and looked at Damon like he was crazy.
"What the hell are you waiting for?!" Stefan exclaimed as he walked straight into Jessica's bedroom.
Stefan instantly made his way to Jessica's bed.
Jessica had just woken up disorientated after a night of restless sleep. She had been having nightmares all night and could not keep the image of the scary witch magic and her father's monstrous features as he tore into an innocent woman's throat out of her mind. In her nightmare, as Bonnie screamed, Jessica had started screaming in reality.
Jessica shot up in bed, shaking and a cold sweat breaking out over her skin. She then felt a set of arms trapping themselves around her and she struggled against them.
"Jessica! Calm down, you are safe sweetie" Stefan cooed as he tried to comfort the trembling girl whose heartbeat was trying to pound its way out of her chest.
Jessica was trying to get her breathing under control as she recognised her uncle's soothing voice.
"That's it, you're ok" Stefan encouraged as he noticed her struggling to calm her breathing.
After a few more moments, Jessica had finally got a grasp on the reality around her and was now focused on Stefan and his comforting arms.
"Stefan?" she whispered, voice still a bit shaky.
"Hey you" he said softly.
"Wh-, What happened to me?" she asked him.
Stefan tried not to wince as he answered.
"There was a lot of magic involved last night, you kinda accidentally exhausted yourself" Stefan informed her.
She nodded as she rubbed her head, the memories of the previous evening were starting to return piece by piece.
"I ache all over" Jessica groaned.
Stefan nodded.
"I took you to Sheila Bennett last night" Stefan said.
"Who?" Jessica asked.
"Sheila Bennett is the grandmother of the young witch that was with you last night. She knows exactly who you are and knows exactly how to help you" Stefan told her.
Jessica's eyes widened in shock.
"Help me? Why? Is there something wrong with me?" she panicked.
"No, no!" Stefan exclaimed trying not to curse himself for his poor choice of words.
"I just meant that you have been uncertain about your powers and what it all means in the grand scheme of things. Well, Sheila knows what you are, and she has already formulated plans on how to help you understand more about who you are and how to control yourself" Stefan explained.
"But I don't want to practise magic! I never wanted it to be like this, I just want to be normal" Jessica yelled in desperation.
"I know you did. However, if you don't practise how to control your magic, you could lose control of it and cause some serious harm. I don't believe that is something you really want" Stefan said.
Jessica shrugged and sighed in distress as she buried her head into her folded knees.
"You don't need to be frightened" Stefan whispered, pulling her into a hug once more.
Jessica accepted the comfort as she acknowledged that she would have to face her magic one way or another. At least this Sheila Bennett sounded like a safe option.
Stefan sensed that she had given in to the inevitable and looked down at her face.
"Come on, let's get you some breakfast" Stefan stated, trying to distract her from her worries.
Jessica instantly shook her head; she didn't want to leave her bedroom.
Stefan frowned, noticing her sudden change in attitude.
"Jessica? What's wrong?" he asked.
"Damon" she mumbled, near unintelligibly, into her knees.
Stefan heard her clearly though.
"You're frightened of him?" he asked rhetorically.
Jessica said nothing.
Stefan sighed he knew that he would have to talk to her about this at some point.
"Why did he do that to me?" she whispered.
"Damon is impulsive, reckless, and dangerous when given the correct motivations to be so…" Stefan admitted.
Jessica stared at her uncle, waiting patiently for him to continue.
"…and last night, he wanted something so desperately. Something that he has been waiting his entire vampire life to get hold of. He was so close and now, it's gone…" Stefan continued.
"…now, he seems just as unhinged as ever" Stefan stated.
"You think!" Jessica exclaimed, suddenly losing her cool.
She stood up and started pacing around the room, she was really restless and agitated. She felt the beginnings of her angry personality churn.
Stefan noticed and waited for Jessica to release all her pent-up anger.
"He's a complete arsehole! The bastard is a complete monster, a destructive cun-" Stefan cut her off.
"WOAH!" Stefan shouted before she could finish THAT insult.
Jessica seemed to suddenly remember that she wasn't venting in an empty room and glanced shyly in Stefan's direction.
Stefan was staring at her in shock that she would even know such a word.
"Well, he is" Jessica quipped.
"Don't ever let him hear you say that word. In fact, I don't want to ever hear that word coming out of our mouth" Stefan said, still in disbelief.
Jessica shrugged, it was a word that was used so casually back home, sometimes even as a form of endearment and greeting.
"So, besides trying to snack on an innocent woman out of revenge, what else has he done?" she asked.
Stefan hesitated; Jessica was not backing down though.
"I deserve to know what sort of man I am living under the same roof as, Stefan" Jessica stated.
"Ok. Damon…is Damon. He sets a goal, and he rips apart anyone who threatens to get in his way. A couple of nights ago, at the party at The Grille, he staked Lexi" Stefan winced as he remembered his best friend's demise.
Jessica's jaw dropped.
"He did what?! I thought she had just left; she had said she was only staying for the night" Jessica screeched.
"Why?!" she asked after she had calmed.
Stefan shrugged.
"He said, and I quote, 'it's all part of the plan'" Stefan chuckled darkly.
Jessica was gobsmacked.
"I'm so sorry Stefan, I really liked her" Jessica said as she sat back down beside her uncle.
Stefan nodded in appreciation.
The two sat in comforting silence, until another thought suddenly struck Jessica.
"He's not coming home, is he?" Jessica stated rhetorically.
Stefan raised an eyebrow at her in confusion.
"Zach" she clarified.
Stefan hesitated for a moment before nodding his head.
Jessica gritted her teeth, she hated death, and now it seemed like wherever Damon went, death surely followed.
"Why?" she asked.
"A short time before I received the message that your mother had died, I tried to lock Damon up and starve him to the point of desiccation. He used his powers of compulsion to lure Caroline here to help him and get out. She succeeded and when Zach tried to stop Damon escaping, Damon snapped Zach's neck. I found Zach's body and buried him in the family crypt" Stefan explained.
Jessica gulped; a chill suddenly rushed through her body.
"I promised Zach that I wouldn't let you down" Stefan whispered.
Jessica nodded, tears welling up in her eyes for the kind stranger she would never get the chance to thank personally.
"I appreciate the honesty Stefan" she sniffled.
"You're right. You deserve to know who you're living with. I told myself when I met you that I would avoid talking about Damon in the hopes that you would have a different experience with him and allow you to form your own opinion of him" Stefan told her.
"Well, opinion formed, the guy is a dick" Jessica said.
Stefan chuckled at that, and the tense atmosphere seemed to diffuse slightly.
"Well, we can't let that spoil your appetite now, can we?" Stefan asked.
"Come on, breakfast!" he declared as he stood.
Jessica stood with him, and they headed out of Jessica's bedroom together.
The pair came to a halt when they noticed the demon himself leaning uncertainly against the wall opposite the entrance to Jessica's bedroom, clearly having heard the entire conversation.
Jessica just looked him up and down in disgust and headed for the stairs. Stefan looked at Damon and shrugged as he went to follow her down to the kitchen, leaving Damon standing alone in the hallway.
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Downstairs in the kitchen, Jessica and Stefan ate breakfast, Stefan had gone into greater detail about the plans he had made with Sheila.
"When do I start school?" Jessica groaned; she hated school.
Stefan grinned.
"You start on Monday. Just in time for the career's fair!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.
Jessica moaned and resisted the urge to bash her head repeatedly against the table.
"Great!" she muttered sarcastically.
Stefan chuckled.
"Hey! Don't laugh at me, you promised you were going to be around to help me ease back into school and, as you have just said, you are now backing off from school – way to make me suffer" she said, only partially joking.
"Look, I'll drop you off and show you to the office so we can get your paperwork sorted out and then I will show you to your class. We would have been in different classes anyway" Stefan suggested.
Jessica nodded; she then chewed her lip in thought.
"What?" Stefan asked after a few moments of waiting for her to speak.
"What do I tell people about me, and about my past?" she asked him.
"That's up to you. Obviously, we don't mention anything supernatural at all. People are going to pick up on your accent straightaway. Just tell them you were born and raised in England, your mother passed away and your only relatives are the Salvatore's and Zach is your only next of kin" Stefan said.
Jessica nodded in agreement, it wasn't a lie and would be easy to remember.
"What about my name? I know I can't mention anything about my mother's surname or lineage but what about me?" Jessica asked.
"Again, that's up to you. You are welcome to use the name you currently go by 'Beesley' as Zach took care to protect you and your mother's real identity before you were even born. Or you can tell people your surname is 'Salvatore' and I can do the necessary 'persuading' to convince people of your name" Stefan explained.
"Would using Salvatore be easier for me?" Jessica asked.
"People will know not to mess with you. Apparently, I have a bit of a 'moody loner personality' and, in this day and age, it apparently makes me slightly intimidating. I don't really understand that but if everyone associates your name with us, it might protect you a bit more. However, it will mean that you are more noticed. The Salvatore's are one of the founding families of the town" Stefan informed her.
"Woah! Really? Tell me more about that! It might actually help me seem more Salvatore-y if I actually know the history of this town and the Salvatore legacy behind it all" Jessica said in amazement.
Stefan nodded.
"I take it from that statement that you will be taking the surname of Salvatore then?" Stefan asked.
"Yeah, I think it's a good idea, like you said" Jessica said.
Stefan nodded in agreement; he would get her identity papers changed to reflect 'Salvatore' as well.
"Soo…the founding families?" Jessica prompted.
Stefan snapped out of his thoughts and proceeded to go into detail about the history of the Salvatore family and their connection to Mystic Falls.
Jessica listened enthusiastically; this shit was interesting. Particularly as her uncle had actually been present when the town was in its early founding days.
Jessica was about to ask a question when she was interrupted by the sound of someone at the door. She looked at Stefan.
Stefan looked back at her in confusion, clearly not expecting anyone.
He quickly moved towards the door, Jessica following closely behind him. They reached the front door and Stefan opened the door to reveal the short, blonde, woman who Jessica recognised from the party at The Grille as the sheriff.
"Sheriff Forbes? Hello" Stefan said with an undertone of surprise.
"Hell Stefan, may I come in?" Liz Forbes asked.
Stefan nodded.
"Of course" he said as he moved aside to allow Liz to enter the house.
Liz paused upon seeing Jessica.
"Good morning, who might you be?" Liz questioned.
"Sheriff Forbes, this is a distant cousin of mine from Zach's side of the family. Her mother has recently passed, and Zach is the closest relative she has. Sheriff Forbes, please meet Jessica Salvatore" Stefan introduced.
Liz stuck her hand out in greeting. Jessica shook the woman's hand.
"Well, welcome to Mystic Falls Jessica, I hope Damon and Stefan are making you feel at home whilst Zach is out of town" Liz smiled at the young girl.
"It's nice to meet you Sheriff Forbes" Jessica said politely.
"Well, you're definitely going to stand out with that accent" Liz grinned warmly.
Jessica grinned back.
"I know, but I think Damon and Stefan will have my back if anyone gives me crap about it" Jessica smiled.
"Language Jessica!" a voice said from the other side of the room.
Stefan, Jessica, and Liz all looked in the direction of Damon who was casually sauntering across the room.
"I apologise for the bad mouth there Liz. She's still in behavioral training" Damon said, ignoring the glares he received from Jessica and Stefan.
Liz chuckled.
"It's not a problem Damon. She could've said and done a lot worse, trust me, I know!" Liz said.
Damon nodded.
"What brings you all the way out here?" Damon asked.
Liz winced.
"I was wondering if I could have a quick word with you, alone" she stated, indicating subtly towards Stefan and Jessica.
Damon looked caught off guard.
"Er…sure. Why don't we step out back?" Damon asked as he led the way towards the back garden of the house.
Stefan and Jessica were left standing, looking confused.
"What was that about?" Jessica asked.
Stefan held a finger to his lips, asking Jessica to be quiet.
It dawned on Jessica that her uncle was using his superhuman hearing to listen in on the conversation between Damon and the sheriff.
Jessica watched as several emotions passed over his features.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Damon and Liz walked back through the room and Liz said her goodbyes as she walked out the front door, Damon seeing her out.
The second Damon closed the door, Stefan zoomed over to Damon and shoved him against the wall.
"What the hell is wrong with you? You've been killing again?!" Stefan exclaimed.
"What! Why?!" Jessica screeched.
Damon tried to speak despite Stefan's strangulation.
Jessica fumed as Damon tried to get his words out.
"You've killed MORE people?" Jessica asked accusingly.
"Yes" Stefan growled.
"No!" Damon choked out at the same time.
Stefan relaxed his grip as Damon shoved his little brother away from him. Damon moved over and grabbed a glass of whiskey.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Stefan asked.
"You don't understand the word 'no' brother?" Damon asked sarcastically, as he took a sip of his drink.
Stefan glared at Damon.
Damon just rolled his eyes in exasperation as he swallowed his drink.
"Bad news baby bro, there's another vampire in town" Damon stated.
Stefan and Jessica's eyes widened at Damon's statement.
"Guess we are going vampire hunting this weekend" Damon said.
Stefan nodded, looking like he was preparing for battle. Damon put his glass down and opened one of the drawers attached to the liquor table. He pulled out Jessica's confiscated phone and tossed it in her direction.
Jessica caught it but barely noticed, she just continued to look between the boys in shock at how alert they seemed all of a sudden.
Damon and Stefan proceeded to grab their jackets and keys and they headed for the front door.
"Jessica, stay here. Don't leave the house and do not let anyone in. If anyone comes by, call me immediately" Stefan instructed as he ran out the door behind Damon.
Jessica threw her hands up in the air in frustration.
"For the love of god!" she shouted to the empty room.
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.
.
Jessica waited impatiently for the boys to return. She was bored, restless, and wasn't sure she could take it much longer. She was just about to go and get dressed, with the intention of leaving the house, when she heard her phone ping.
She turned her head towards her forgotten phone on the couch. She picked it up and looked at the text she had received:
'Don't even think about it. Need something to do? Check what I left on your bed.'
Jessica looked at the text she had received from Damon in confusion. She sat back down, refusing to be tempted by the cryptic text.
It was no good.
After a few minutes, she groaned as she stood and moved towards the stairs.
Upon entering her bedroom, sat neatly on her unmade bed, was a stack of papers.
She frowned in confusion as she approached the bed. On top of the paper's was a note:
'Punishment Number Four' the note read.
Jessica turned to note over and read the other side:
'Dear Rebellious Teen,
This stack of papers are all the different tests your new teachers wanted you to take before you started school to judge what levels of classes you would be in. I was going to be nice and 'persuade' the school that you were intelligent enough to not need to take them. However, recent behavior has made me doubt your intelligence.
Punishment number four: You will sit and complete all these tests before you start school on Monday. Happy studying!'
Jessica crumpled the note in her hand and growled as she threw it across the room angrily. Now, that was a real punishment!
Jessica groaned even more when she realised that she did not have good enough reception out here to use the internet on her phone nor did she have access to a computer to help her. She sighed as she grabbed the stack of papers. She would have to make do with the library.
Jessica studied for the rest of the day. As it started getting dark, Jessica heard the front door open and close.
"Jessica?" she was relieved to hear Stefan's voice.
Stefan found Jessica in the library and looked at the papers and books spread around her in slight shock.
"What the hell are you doing?" Stefan asked.
Jessica shrugged.
"Studying apparently" Jessica stated.
"Ok then…" Stefan replied.
"How did vampire hunting go?" Jessica asked.
Stefan paused for a moment before replying.
"We didn't find them. It's likely that the vampire will come out at night after being cooped up all day, so Damon's going to keep an eye out around the square tonight in case the vampire shows up. I've come here to make sure they don't track us out here" Stefan informed her.
Jessica nodded in understanding.
"Thank you" Jessica said.
"Wouldn't have it any other way" Stefan replied as he took off his jacket and sat down beside Jessica.
"So, seriously, what is all this?" Stefan asked.
Jessica glared at him.
Stefan raised an eyebrow.
"Punishment number four" she muttered.
Stefan laughed.
Jessica responded by throwing one of the books at him.
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.
Sunday passed in a similar way as the day before. Except, Stefan went out and hunted for the unknown vampire whilst Damon came home to sleep, change, and relax a bit. Both men were convinced that the vampire would not be wandering around in the daylight.
Damon had spent until noon in bed before deciding to get his lazy ass up. After a much-needed shower, and a fresh set of clothes, he made his way downstairs. He found Jessica in the library studying.
"I see you got my note" Damon stated.
Jessica looked at him for a moment in acknowledgement and then turned her head back to her paper.
Noticing she was opting for 'the silent treatment', Damon tried not to get angry. He knew it was warranted. He sighed.
"Look, I know I crossed a line the other night…" he started to say.
Jessica immediately glared at him.
"Don't you dare even try to justify what happened that night. There is absolutely nothing that can excuse you ripping me from my bed and then demanding me to 'do something useful' and tossing me into some witchy spell. Then to top it off, you try and tear some innocent girl's throat out whilst we are both in agony and exhausted from some powerful magic and I'm left practically bleeding out on the floor of the forest wondering what the fuck had just happened!" she growled.
Damon went to open his mouth.
"I don't care if you're about to reprimand me for language, respect for respect, remember? You lost my respect for you the second you grabbed me. I owe you nothing!" she fumed.
Damon just stared at the angry teen. He wanted to snap back at her but knew that would only add fuel to the fire.
The two sat quietly for a few minutes, the tension rising in the room with each passing moment. Jessica couldn't take it anymore.
Jessica scoffed.
"I'm done with studying" she stated as she took her half-written English paper and stormed out of the room.
Before she disappeared completely, she turned back to Damon.
"Here's the deal, I will stay out of your way, and you sure stay the hell out of my way" she said through gritted teeth.
Damon tried not to wince at the sheer venom in her tone, he could tell that she meant what she was saying.
He would let her frustration slide for today, he DID deserve it. However, she would start school tomorrow, and hopefully that would force her to settle into a calmer routine.