Cursed Blood and Bound Fates
Chapter 2
Renfri spent the next day with Stefan and Elena getting a summarized version of the events leading to the Salvatore brothers' transition into vampires and sorting reality from fiction when it came to the supernatural species. She brought Ash along, both to make her and Elena a little more comfortable and calm, but also because she was nervous to leave him home alone after hearing about Damon's penchant for impulsive violence and desire to get even; she'd worried he might kill him or feed on him just to upset her and, in turn, Stefan. It was an unpleasant shock to hear how Damon had been compelling and feeding from Caroline, up until Stefan had given her vervain to weaken and imprison him in the basement. Elena remained skeptical throughout the anecdotes and explanations and asked numerous questions. She seemed intent on getting answers and maintained a cautious yet demanding front when engaging with the 162 year old teenager.
She was surprised to find out that Ren hadn't known about the brothers being vampires until last night. Elena, in her tumultuous state, had assumed that she was in on it after seeing her at the scene that was the boarding house last night and had thought her friend of two years had been lying to her, so when they had first met up that morning she had looked at her with distrust and caution. However, she was quick to apologize for the assumption when it was proven wrong, then wrapped Ren up in a warm hug, expressing her sympathies for her uncle's demise.
After hearing Stefan's explanation of how Katherine played with the two brothers and pitted them against each other, on top of compelling them, Ren and Elena had a bit of sympathy for both brothers. Katherine, a woman so cruel as to play with these two young men and rupture the close bond between family just to keep them both for herself, was also a vampire of a ruthless and even sadistic nature. Something must have happened though, because Stefan had hinted at her having died in a fire, as well as the founder's council having gone after the other vampires in town back in 1864 and it not ending well.
As they returned to Elena's house as the sun was getting lower in the sky, Ren turned to her broody ancestor with a question.
"Stefan, what's going to happen now that Zach's gone? He was my guardian, I can't legally live on my own yet, I'm 17; I don't want to get put in the foster system," her forehead creased with worry and Elena looked at her with concern.
Stefan shook his head, "You won't have to. I went into town this morning to finish the paperwork and arrangements for Zach and you. I made sure to have you filed as having a legal guardian so that wouldn't happen. I had to use compulsion, otherwise you would have been placed in a home who knows where. I didn't think you'd want that." Renfri looked grateful, then confused.
"Who did you have them file as my legal guardian?" she certainly couldn't think of anyone that would work and still allow her to stay in the boarding house except him, but he was known to be 17 and in high school so that wouldn't work. That left…
"Oh no…you didn't put him did you?" she asked with building anxiety.
Stefan looked at her a bit sheepishly, before nodding, "Yes, unfortunately, I had to list Damon as your legal guardian." She groaned immediately and raised her eyes to the sky as if in desperate prayer.
Elena now looked very concerned and asked, "Is that really the only option? He's killed your uncle and a bunch of other people, is it safe for her to be living with him? For him to have legal control over her?"
Stefan nodded firmly this time, "He has made himself known in town as Zach's nephew and my older brother, so people know him to be the only other adult in the household, anything else would have looked suspicious." He shrugged and turned to Renfri, adding "At least this way you can continue living here as you please for the most part, and I'll do my best to make sure he isn't a threat to you."
Ren sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose; that was of little comfort to her. Elena gave her a small smile and a quick squeeze on the arm in an attempt to reassure her.
As they climbed up the porch steps and into the house, they came upon raised voices and an odd scene. Jeremy was on the floor behind the living room couch looking shocked and Matt was staring in confusion at his sister who seemed to be having a meltdown.
"What's going on?" Elena questioned as Ash wandered over to her little brother and nosed his arm, checking on him as he got up. The dog had always seemed to like Jeremy whenever Ren had brought him on a visit or outing with the Gilberts present, both before and after Grayson and Miranda had passed last spring; she had even let him dog-sit a few times if Zach hadn't been able to while she was going out with friends.
Stefan quickly took in the situation then focused on Vicki and managed to talk her down. He then sent her upstairs to relax with the help of Matt and Jeremy.
Ren raised her eyebrows at her now grim looking ancestor, "What's going on, Stefan? You clearly know something, so spill."
He looked frustrated and glanced quickly at Elena and Renfri waiting impatiently before admitting, "She's transitioning."
Elena looked confused, "Into what?"
Stefan paused and before he could reply, Ren knew what he was going to say.
"Oh shit," she breathed, and Elena glanced at her then back at Stefan.
"A vampire."
That sure did raise the tension in the room, especially when he explained that Damon must have fed her his blood then killed her and Vicki would have to feed on a human in order to finish changing or she would die. This caused Elena to start to panic since he had sent her upstairs with Matt and Jeremy.
"It's fine for now," he assured her, "she doesn't know what's going on. But once her memory starts to return she'll realize what happened and know she'll have to make a choice."
At that, Elena paused, then slowly turned to him with judgment in her eyes.
"The same choice you made?"
Stefan looked a bit hurt and ashamed; Renfri quickly stepped in.
"Easy, Elena, you don't know exactly how it happened for him. We shouldn't judge what we don't fully understand," she warned her quietly.
Elena maintained her freezing stare for another second before relenting with a nod and quietly apologized. Stefan just nodded, easily accepting it. The next moment, the boys came downstairs shouting for Vicki, who had disappeared again somehow, and Matt quickly left in search of the wayward girl.
Elena's vampire boyfriend tried to reassure her that he would find her and try to prevent her from feeding. However, Ren wasn't so sure.
"Stefan," she called before he could run off, "you'd have a better chance of finding her if I helped. Ash can follow her scent."
Stefan looked reluctant, "Are you sure he wouldn't get confused by other scents? Untrained dogs are likely to get distracted when tracking and mislead the search."
Ren smirked this time, "Oh, he's been taught to track scents. Ash is capable of doing lots of things; I worked with a special trainer back home so he could learn to track, guard, attack, and stop when I tell him. My father wanted him to be able to protect or find me if something bad ever happened."
Stefan raised his eyebrows, looking mildly impressed, "Well, if you want to, just be careful. You'll want to keep your distance and try to keep her calm if you find her first. Come with me in the car first, then we'll split up to cover more ground once we're closer." Ren had Elena retrieve Vicki's little half-jacket from the dining room so Ash had something to work with, then we headed out while Elena worked on convincing her brother to stay put and wait with her.
As the sun finally set, Stefan pulled the car over on a dirt back road in the woods. As Ren let Ash sniff Vicki's jacket, Stefan stood still and listened carefully, scanning the woods. They agreed to meet back there if they didn't find anything, and if they did to send a text or call.
"Ash, such!" Ren commanded. With that, Stefan sped off in one direction and Ren went another, unclipping Ash's leash so he could lead the way.
After about five minutes or so, Ash alerted to having found the trail, and Ren was glad she had decided to keep it simple and wear sneakers, jeans, and a t-shirt today. Her ponytail whipped behind her as they picked up the pace.
It was completely dark now and as the girl clicked on the flashlight she'd pulled from the glove compartment of her car, her phone buzzed. She called for Ash to wait and paused to check the message. Stefan had found her. They started up again to meet with them. Less than a minute after getting the text, she heard voices up ahead.
Then, a gunshot exploded into the night.
Ren and Ash jumped and froze, it had sounded close, before she urged him on and they broke into a sprint.
"Fuss" she called in a hushed voice, bringing Ash to her side as she slowed to a stop at a small clearing among the trees, clicking her flashlight off to stay hidden. Ahead, in the light of the moon, she could see the silhouette of a man moving to kneel over someone…
It was Stefan. The man pushed the flat side of a stake into his chest, causing him to groan, then began to raise his arm.
Ren's eyes widened, then she pointed and hissed, "Hol ihn."
Ash bolted from his spot in the shadows, Ren following right behind, and went straight for the stranger, his lips curled back over his teeth in a snarl.
The man twisted around, caught off guard, but was too slow. He let out a shout in surprise, then a scream as Ash latched on to his forearm and shook his head viscously. The stranger crumpled to the ground just as another figure in a black leather jacket appeared in the clearing, pausing by the downed man.
Damon.
Ren shouted, "Lass es! Hier," then watched the newly arrived vampire carefully as Ash released the man's damaged arm and returned to her side, remaining watchful.
Damon glanced their way and smirked, "Not afraid to get your hands dirty, are you, Red?" His eyes glittered with amusement and he nodded in…approval?
Interesting.
The older vampire snapped his head back around when the injured man lunged for the gun on the ground a few feet away. Damon flashed behind him and sank his teeth in, ripping brutally into his neck until he dropped to the ground, dead. Ren stood, breathing hard, a few feet away with Vicki watching on as well as Damon knelt and ripped the bullet from his brother's chest, blood dripping from his lips.
He glanced at it and stated, "It's wooden; they know." He paused to wipe his mouth and grin. "If anyone's going to kill you, it's going to be me," he put a hand out in a gimme gesture, "my ring."
Renfri couldn't hold back a scoff, "Seriously, this is the time for that?" Damon shot her a look, no amusement in his eyes this time, and she raised her hands in surrender,"Fine, whatever."
Stefan rolled his eyes and pulled it from his pocket for his brother to snatch and return to his hand with a satisfactory hum and smile.
Suddenly, Stefan twisted onto his stomach and gasped, "Vicki, no!"
The redhead whipped around to see their resident druggie crouched over the dead man, who appeared to be Logan Fell (the news reporter?), with blood covering her mouth. Ren cringed in disgust and ran a hand through Ash's fur to distract herself.
Vicki looked up at Stefan with guilt in her eyes then muttered, "I'm sorry," and ran off.
Ren sighed and the brothers looked at her, "How predictable." She turned to Stefan, "Vicki's already a shit person, Stefan: a druggie, selfish, demanding, and impulsive. She's gonna make an even shittier vampire, so good luck to you on teaching her how to not kill people." Damon barked out a short laugh in surprise at her blunt statement as he got up.
Stefan rolled his eyes again and mumbled, "Let's go," as he got to his feet. She noticed Damon pause then swoop down to pick something shiny and metallic up off the ground. She tilted her head in curiosity but he tucked it away in his jacket pocket before turning to go.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Ren sat on a couch in the boarding house den with Ash lying on the cushions beside her, his head on her knee. She had a homework assignment on her lap that was pretty much done but was lost in thought while she stared with unfocused eyes at the orange flames blazing in the hearth. Stefan had gone to Elena's house to deliver the bad news about Vicki and, based on Elena's mindset all day, he was going to be getting some bad news of his own, so she was waiting for him to return in case he wanted some company.
Ash picked up his head and watched warily as Damon came down the stairs and headed for the decanter of bourbon on the table to pour himself a glass. Ren tensed and tracked him with her eyes as he took a sip and ambled over to sit on the couch opposite her. He glanced at her and rolled his eyes as he brought the glass to his lips again.
"Oh, relax. If I was going to kill you, I would have done it already," he stated dryly. Ren looked at him in disbelief, but let her body relax minutely, although not completely. Neither did Ash who actually sat up straight and kept his eyes trained on the nonchalant vampire. Damon leaned back and looked at her for a moment before one corner of his mouth turned up a bit.
"You surprised me, you know," he commented, then leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, the glass hanging from his fingers. "I figured you were just another goody-two-shoes like Stefan, but you're not afraid to do what it takes to get things done; breaking a few bones or spilling some blood. At least through Kujo over there," he nodded in the dog's direction.
Renfri huffed a soft laugh, "Kujo? Ash is a sweetheart," she glanced at Ash while scratching his chest with him leaning into it, then looked back up with a little mischief in her eyes, "at least to people I like."
Damon grinned, "He certainly seems protective of you, and obedient, at that." He tipped his head to the side curiously, "Was that German I heard earlier?"
She hummed and nodded, "In obedience school I decided to use the traditional language to teach him, which ended up being perfect because when he showed the capability, my father and I decided to work with a special trainer to make him a guard and protection dog. He can also track scents; that's how I caught up with Stefan so fast." She glanced at her furry guardian and smiled, "My dad wanted him to be able to protect or find me if anything ever happened. He's nearly as good as a police dog," she said proudly.
Damon nodded, "Hmm, very useful…against a human. Useless, however, against a vampire. All he would do is piss them off, maybe tear off a finger or take a chunk out of them, if he was quick enough."
Ren frowned and replied dryly, "I hadn't exactly thought that vampires were a problem to consider at the time." She shook her head, "I wouldn't send him after one in the first place. I know that they're likely to kill him if he tries to protect me." She looked at the Dutch Shepherd worriedly before looking back at Damon pointedly. He shook his head and leaned back into the cushions.
"No need to be concerned about little ole' me. I'm happy to cohabitate; if he leaves me be then I'll do the same." He shrugged carelessly then made eye contact and smirked, "Besides, I don't like puppy blood, that's more Stefan's thing. Personally, I prefer people blood…fresh."
She could tell he was trying to make her uncomfortable, and it was working somewhat, though his emotional whiplash of going from casual violence (like eating Logan Fell) one minute to making witty remarks about her dog the next was a bit perplexing. She made no reply, just raised an eyebrow and nodded silently.
At that moment, Stefan opened the door and came in, also heading straight for the liquor.
The girl's mouth twisted with pity, "Didn't go well, huh?"
Stefan poured himself some whiskey, muttered, "No, it didn't," then threw the amber liquid back in one shot.
Damon shook his head mockingly, "Too bad, little bro, looks like you'll have to find someone else to be your Katherine rebound."
Stefan scowled at him.
"Don't you ever get lonely, Damon? You must really miss it…your heart, I mean."
Damon scoffed and replied with an overly false smile, "No Stefan, I'm perfectly happy just as I am." He pulled his face into an exaggerated frown, "But surely you get lonely too, Batman, the Justice League must miss their broody and righteous leader."
Ren tried to cover a snort with a cough but failed, making Damon grin. Stefan just rolled his eyes, before turning to leave again, "I'm going to find Vicki and bring her back to help her." He looked over his shoulder at Damon, "Are you going to help fix the mess you made or what?"
Damon heaved a dramatic sigh but got up to join him, "If you truly need my help, brother."
Ash settled back down after they left, leaving Renfri to shake her head at their odd relationship.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The morning sun peeked through the curtains as Renfri's alarm droned from her bedside table. She grumbled, slammed her hand on the snooze button, and turned over, accidentally poking Ash with her foot in the process. He startled awake then stretched his limbs with a big yawn before jumping off the foot of the bed, pausing at the door and looking back at the girl expectantly. She peaked an eye open and groaned before hauling herself out of bed to open the door for him. She followed him downstairs, pj's and bed head ignored for the moment, to unlock the dog flap on the side door so he could get out into the yard then headed for the kitchen to drop his breakfast in his metal bowl.
Task complete, she turned around to head back upstairs but jumped a foot in the air and loosed a short scream when she found Vicki Donovan standing an inch away. Renfri held a hand to her heart, feeling it pound rapidly in her chest, and looked up at the older girl with wariness and irritation.
The new vampire simply laughed with a shit-eating grin on her face, "Seems like there are some perks to this vampire crap." The older girl had been annoyed to find out that Renfri had to invite her inside in order for her to enter the boarding house last night, but seemed to have found other reasons to enjoy her new life. Stefan appeared in the doorway in the next second with Ash right behind him. The dog ran through the opening with a sharp bark, pushing past his leg in an effort to come to his owner's aid. The redhead knelt down and rubbed his head.
"It's okay, Ash. Guter hund," she scratched under his chin, causing his tail to swish back and forth. "Vicki just startled me, I'm fine," Ren reassured him while glancing at said girl with annoyance, though she only looked smug. She patted his side then nudged the silver brindle dog toward his food as she got to her feet, giving Stefan a hard look before moving past him and up the stairs.
By the time she got ready for school and came back down, joining Ash who was waiting at the foot of the stairs for her, she only had time for cereal. She hurriedly prepared her sugary bowl and wandered towards Stefan's room upstairs where she could hear voices. As she approached, she heard them debating the merits of human vs animal blood in relation to teaching Vicki how to learn self-control, as well as Damon mentioning that they hadn't reported Logan's death and that the metal item he had picked up last night was a very old and special compass.
While she did understand Stefan's point of view on animal blood and not wanting to kill people accidentally; she found his preaching on morality a bit condescending. She didn't care for the way Damon blatantly tossed out the value of human life, but she wondered if his method of 'snatch, eat, erase' was actually more practical and realistic. If it's the more common method of feeding and is what satisfies their natural predatory instincts, it might be easier to maintain control. She also wondered if Damon actually had more solid logic behind advocating for his preferred method beyond just trying to irritate Stefan and undermine his righteous mission to save Vicki. When the bell rang, Renfri turned to go answer it as Damon came out of Stefan's room and followed her down the stairs. He paused, then quickly passed her to open the door first. As the door swung open for Elena, she was treated to a smirking Damon and a pouting Ren as she munched on her Cheerios just behind him.
"Is Stefan here?" she jumped right in.
"Yep," Damon returned lazily.
"Where is he?" She said stiffly.
"And good morning to you, little miss 'I'm on a mission,'" he quipped right back. Ren rolled her eyes and shoveled in another mouthful of cereal to observe the confrontation happening in front of her.
Elena indignantly crossed her arms and glared at him, "How can you be so arrogant and glib after everything you've done?"
Damon lost some of the humor in his eyes, "And how can you be so brave, yet stupid, to call a vampire arrogant and glib?"
"If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead," she snarked.
"Yes, you would," he agreed easily.
"But I'm not."
"Yet," he said plainly.
A tinge of doubt and fear flitted across Elena's face momentarily before she quickly covered it and moved right on to repeating, "Where is Stefan?"
Ren swallowed and interjected, "Honestly, Elena, you just like tempting fate, don't you? You know what he's done," she jabbed a thumb toward the actual murderer leaning against the door next to her, "and you're comfortable trying to scold him for his behavior? I'd say that's stupid." She scooped up more cereal as the brunette was staring at her in surprise and added, "Please let your brain run your mouth, not your emotions," before turning to go back into the kitchen to finish her food and clean her dish.
Damon looked back toward the redhead walking away and smirked before turning back to the frustrated brunette at the door.
"Now that is someone with a decent amount of sense and self-preservation; you don't see that too often," he slowly shook his head as if impressed at the thought. Elena huffed and walked past, ignoring him.
Renfri came back into the front hall with her bag just as she heard Elena bickering with Stefan about what to do with Vicki and how to handle Jeremy as well. Then, of course, Vicki chimed in and Elena switched from angry to concerned, which Vicki was not a fan of.
Ren headed for the door and called out, "I'm heading to school, good luck with…all of that. And leave the pet door unlocked so Ash can let himself out; you don't want him to ruin your nice antique rugs!" She shut the door behind her and saw Damon's car was gone, so he was already out and plotting something…lovely.
The drive to school wasn't long and as she pulled into her parking space her phone buzzed. She threw the car into park and turned off the engine before checking it, then smiled. It was Caroline.
Hey girl, come meet us by Bonnie's locker, I've got your Halloween costume ready. You can even pair it with Ash, I got him a little something too!
She was curious to see what the blonde had gotten her that could work Ash into it and still be sexy (because of course Caroline would go for a sexy outfit). Renfri made her way to Bonnie's locker, whose owner was holding up a witch's outfit along with an amber crystal necklace that looked old and a bit out of place with the cheap materials. Caroline saw her coming and lit up.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you still came!" Then her face turned a bit sad, "I heard about your uncle," she pulled her into a tight hug for a few seconds then pulled back, "I'm so sorry, that sucks."
Bonnie nodded and rubbed her arm, "Yeah, we heard that the police think it was a burglary gone wrong. I'm sorry you had to go through that again so soon. We're here if you need us."
The redhead shrugged but nodded in appreciation, "Thanks you guys, that means a lot. I wasn't super close with Uncle Zach but it was still pretty messed up and it brings back a lot of stuff about my parents." She heaved a big sigh then turned to the bubbly blonde and switched topics.
"So, what's this costume that suits Ash and I so much?"
Caroline perked up immediately and clasped her hands together, "You're going to love it!" She handed the second paper bag to Renfri who reached in and pulled out a navy jumpsuit that came with a thick black belt, a fake radio, handcuffs, aviator sunglasses, and a hat.
She glanced up, chuckling, "A cop?"
Caroline nodded, "A sexy cop. Annnnd with her partner they make," she pulled out a little police dog vest and pointed to the patch Ren had missed on the jumpsuit's chest, "the K-9 Unit!" She did a little pose with a huge smile.
Her friends laughed and nodded, "Nice choice, it definitely suits us. I don't think I should bring Ash with me inside the school, but he can stay tied up by the car. Maybe Matt or Tyler will want to hang with him." She raised her eyebrows suggestively, "He is a chick magnet!" Bonnie laughed and Caroline smiled and squealed, excited that her idea was well received.
The blonde turned and headed to class with the two other girls, wondering aloud, "What's Elena wearing?"
Bonnie shook her head, "I doubt she's going, what with everything happening. They're still looking for Vicki and that's got Jeremy all worked up, so Elena's worrying over him."
Ren nodded, "Not to mention the drama with Stefan. They're kind of a mess right now, but I think they'll get through it, eventually." Bonnie and Caroline glanced at each other and raised their eyebrows.
"No comment," Bonnie muttered and headed for class.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Renfri arrived home later than usual, she had stayed after school to help finish setting up some of the decorations for the haunted house that evening. By the time she got to the boarding house the sun was already down and night had fallen. She planned on getting ready quickly and heading right back. However, when she pulled into the driveway she saw the two brothers standing on the lawn, the younger looking frustrated and the older looking a bit guilty.
As Ren stepped out of the car she heard Damon suck air in through his teeth and admit, "Yeah, my bad." The girl frowned; if Damon was saying that, then it wasn't good.
"What now?" she called to them as she walked closer. She paused to look at the brothers and put a fist on her hip, leaning to one side.
Stefan was quick to throw his brother under the bus, "Damon decided it was a good idea to show Vicki the perks of being a vampire, like the speed, and now she's run off. Likely to find Jeremy," he looked accusingly at his older brother. "She could hurt him, or worse."
Ren stood still for a second before rubbing her forehead to ease the tension headache that was already coming on.
"Great, a new vampire with zero control on the loose," she grumbled. "Well, I'm gonna change and go to the Halloween party at school, so happy hunting," Ren told them before heading inside.
The brothers looked at each other, one with a grim frown and the other with a carefree shrug, and they both took off on their separate ways.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Ren pulled up to the school which was crowded with people in a wide range of costumes wandering among the booths, games, food stands, and the entrance of the 'Mystic Haunted House' inside the school. She stepped out of her car supported by her black wedge calf length boots, the navy jumpsuit and accessories accentuating her lithe form. It was topped off with her police hat sitting at a jaunty angle on top of her wavy curtain of auburn hair. She opened the back seat to let Ash hop out, clad in his K-9 police vest. She smiled at him and tucked her aviator sunglasses into the collar of her outfit. She paused on the grass to scan the vicinity for her friends. She spied Caroline and Bonnie at a table with a huge cauldron full of candy. As she approached them with Ash, they looked her up and down and started cheering and waving her over.
Caroline grinned, "You look hot. See? Wasn't I right?" she turned to Bonnie for confirmation proudly, who nodded in agreement.
"I have to disagree ladies, I think Ash outdid me tonight, he's the one attracting all the attention," Ren teased, and they laughed and leaned down to give him pets and scratches, causing his tail to thump against the ground happily. Tyler Lockwood made his way over, dressed as a shirtless gladiator (ever the typical jock stereotype) with a drink in each hand.
"Cider, for the ladies; it's the Lockwood Special," he offered.
Bonnie denied immediately, "No way, last year I was hung over until Thanksgiving."
Caroline scoffed, "Lightweight," and grabbed a glass readily.
"I'd love to, but I need to drive this one," Ren rubbed the top of her K-9 partner's head, "home tonight. You can have at it, though."
Caroline shrugged and raised the glass, "I am going to drink until someone is hot enough to make out with."
Tyler clinked his glass to hers, "Sounds like a plan," and jumped right in. Renfri smiled, taking in the lively event around them, but it soon fell from her face as she caught sight of Elena in last year's nurse costume walking out of the doors nearby with Matt, whirling around wildly like she was searching for something, before rushing back inside. The teenage cop frowned; something was wrong.
She turned to Tyler, "Hey, do you mind watching him for a little while? I just saw Elena go inside and I need to talk with her. If you need to, you can tie his leash to the tree by my car until I get back."
Tyler agreed easily, "Yeah, sure, no problem." He took Ash's leash from her hand and looped it around his own.
"Thanks, I'll be back in a bit," she leaned over and gently grabbed Ash's cheeks, rubbing her thumbs over them, "you be good for Tyler, buddy." She dropped a kiss on his forehead then turned and quickly made her way inside. She wandered down a few hallways before spotting Elena, Stefan, and Matt. Ren rushed toward them only to notice that Vicki was there one second then gone the next. When they tried to pursue her, Matt tried to stop Stefan who then pushed him into the wall. The redhead hurried over and grabbed Stefan's shoulder.
"Elena went after her alone, and Vicki's certainly never liked her, we need to go after them." He nodded and let go of Matt, leading the way. We caught up with Elena who had lost the baby vampire in the crowd and flashing lights. We continued to search in every direction through the crowd, but it was hard to see anyone clearly in the shadows and blacklights. All of a sudden, Stefan stood very still and tilted his head, listening to something. He started to follow the direction of it. Elena realized first that he was moving in the direction of the back lot for the buses. She sprinted ahead and Ren managed to slip through the crowd while Stefan was struggling to push past people without outright bodily moving them and causing a scene.
The pale teenager ran through the side door that was just about to shut again from Elena's exit. Renfri heard the brunette scream, "Vicki, no!" then saw her run forward into the gap between buses with a plank of wood. Ren glanced around frantically for a weapon as well and snatched up a metal pipe sticking out of a garbage barrel. She stepped quickly but quietly to the front of the parked bus, making sure to not pass it. Just as she stopped, she heard the clatter of Elena's wooden board splintering apart and hitting the ground.
The next second, Vicki made some kind of growling noise and Elena flew through the air, screaming, and landed on a stack of wooden pallets. As she struggled to get up, gasping, Vicki began to stalk towards her with her lips twisted into a snarl. As soon as the older girl stepped into her sight past the front of the bus, Renfri took a step in and swung the pipe at the vampire's head. It landed with a thunk, making the vampire's head twist to one side as she stumbled backwards, clinging onto the hood of the bus behind her.
Ren ran over to Elena to help her up, still holding the pipe, and she could see that the other girl was bleeding from a wound on her side. But, as she feared might happen, before she could pull her friend up, Ren felt a vice-like grip clamp down on her neck and arm, making her gasp. The next instant, she found herself getting thrown at high speed into the hood of the bus she had hidden behind, slamming her head on it with a bang, before finally hitting the asphalt flat on her back.
Renfri laid there in a daze at first, her pulse pounding in her head and threatening to make her pass out. She heard a scuffle several feet away, then a woosh brought a brief moment of fear-filled silence. She blinked hard and tried to lift a shaky hand to touch her temple, it made her hiss in pain and when she pulled back it came away wet with blood.
Suddenly, she heard Stefan's voice call, "Ren, stay down and don't move," then he yelled to Jeremy and Elena, "Get inside, GO!"
Renfri heard more feet scrambling across the asphalt, away from her. She heard the shifting of Stefan's clothes as he paused at each bus to look underneath for the baby vampire on a rampage. The squeak of the door told her someone had swung it open, and she thought for a second they had gotten away. She was proven wrong when she heard a savage growl, the sound of teeth tearing into flesh, Jeremy's horrified shouts, and Elena's scream breaking through the air.
Elena's voice cut off when a sharp, wet, cutting sound resounded through the lot.
Renfri groaned through gritted teeth and managed to turn herself over onto her side and tilt her head back in the direction of the side door. She watched as Elena stepped back from a graying Vicki Donovan, who had a long piece of wood sticking out of her chest. Stefan stood behind her, holding it, then yanked it back out the way it came. The baby vampire stumbled and looked around then down at herself in disbelief before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
"VICKI!" Jeremy screamed. Stefan turned to grab him as he scrambled toward her still, desiccated body, continuing to call her name desperately.
Renfri let herself roll onto her back again and attempted to control her breathing, hopefully if the blood wasn't rushing so fast then the pounding in her head would lessen. She vaguely heard Elena tell Stefan to get Jeremy home and him calling someone on the phone. She heard Elena hustle over to where Ren laid on the asphalt in front of the bus, likely still leaking essential fluids from her head that really needed to stay put because she was having a hard time seeing straight and keeping her eyes open as it was.
"Ren," Elena called, "stay awake." The girl's fingers carded through her blood stained hair, combing it away from the redhead's face, "We'll get you help soon, just stay still so you don't hurt yourself worse."
Ren grunted an, "Uh-huh, sure," and tried to focus her eyes on the stars in the sky above her as she breathed unsteadily. The next second, Damon appeared, bending at the waist and looking over his descendent's current state of wear and tear.
"Damn, Red," he remarked, "how'd this happen."
The battered girl managed to half shrug her shoulders and mumbled, "This is what I get for trying to save Elena from getting eaten." She lifted a hand and pointed at the abandoned pipe lying several feet away, "I swung for the fences and hit a homerun off a vampire's head, but it didn't do much." She slowly rolled her head back and forth while Elena muttered about staying still, "Getting tossed around like a ragdoll wasn't fun; I definitely don't recommend it."
Damon smirked at the dizzy, bloody girl in amusement and, secretly, a bit of pride. She had some fight in her.
"Well, it was a good attempt, but yeah, I wouldn't recommend trying that against a vampire since you've got weak little human arms," he poked her bicep in jest.
Elena looked at him with irritation, "We need to take her to the hospital, she hit her head pretty hard." Ren mumbled something about Elena making it sound like it was her fault, but was ignored. Damon ran his eyes over her more intently and tilted her head to one side to inspect the gash on her temple that had been steadily weeping red liquid that was now seeping into her hair. He used his thumb to pull her eyelids wide open and check her pupils.
He sighed, "Well, you've got a pretty nasty head wound which could possibly have caused some kind of internal damage or a brain bleed, so it'd be best to get you healed up now rather than risk waiting and moving you to the hospital." He pulled up his sleeve and held up his wrist in a clear indication of what he meant.
Ren relented and muttered, "Fine, but if I die and come back, I'm kicking your ass…and letting Ash bite you."
He chuckled, "I'm sure you'd try. Now, come on, let's get you up." He reached an arm behind her back and began to help her sit up with Elena trying to support her head in case her neck was injured. Elena made a noise in disgust and turned her head away when Damon's face shifted, revealing his fangs and black veins under his eyes. He bit into his wrist then pressed it to the injured girl's mouth. She managed to get a few mouthfuls before the skin sealed over. It was enough; as soon as the first mouthful hit her stomach she started to feel better. Within a minute she was able to stand, though a bit shakily, and was far more alert. She turned to Damon who had a hand on her back to steady her and he quirked an eyebrow curiously.
She gave a small smile and whispered sincerely, "Thank you, Damon," lightly squeezing the arm that was supporting her. Damon's eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised at her genuine gratitude, then nodded before stepping back.
The man broke the tension by slapping Ren's fallen police hat back on her head and said cheekily, "No problem, Red, but I don't think you're cut out to be a cop just yet."
Ren allowed herself a small laugh and shook her head. He was probably expecting something more along the lines of Elena's hostility or at least frustration at needing his help of all people, but she wasn't Elena. Despite everything, he was family and she was slowly starting to accept him, the good and the bad. It might be optimistic, but she kind of hoped he would think of her as family soon as well.
As Damon went to crouch over the desiccated corpse, he called back, "You two should go, I got this," and waved a hand lazily over in their direction.
At that Elena marched up to him, holding her wounded side, and snapped, "You did this; this is your fault!"
He ignored her accusing stare and said dryly, "You confuse me for someone with remorse."
Ren gasped as Elena tried and failed to shove him (he didn't move an inch) then raised her hand to slap him (he caught her hand). His blue eyes blazed with his eyebrows pulled down and his shoulders tensed.
He slowly forced her hand back and said coldly, "None of this matters to me, none of it," then let go of her and returned his attention to the body. Ren inched over in hopes of de-escalating the situation.
Elena scowled deeply with tears in her eyes, "People die around you, how can it not matter?" she paused, fury building and quietly Ren came closer.
"It matters and you know it."
Elena raised her hand again to swing her open palm as Damon continued to ignore her, but Ren quickly lunged, grabbing Elena's wrist and pushing her away from the vampire that had now looked up. He looked mad that she had been stupid enough to try again, but she knew it would have been worse if she had actually slapped him; Ren wasn't sure if he would have held himself back if that had happened. The lines around his mouth tightened and he glanced at Renfri before returning his steel gaze back to the fuming brunette.
"You need to leave," he nodded to the blood seeping through her nurse outfit, "your wounds are bleeding. You. Need. To leave."
He was visibly restraining himself, so Ren nodded and whispered, "I'll take her home," then tugged her friend away. Elena didn't fight her and once they were through the halls and came out the front doors again onto the lawn, she was leading the way while holding her bloodstained side. Matt saw the two girls, and they quickly waved off his concerns, claiming that someone had sprayed them with fake blood as a prank. Elena's face filled with guilt and Ren's lips tightened when he asked if they'd seen his sister.
They had to lie and assure him he was a good brother. He was, what happened was just out of his control.
Ren found Ash tied to the tree by her car with Tyler chatting with a group of buddies nearby. She gave him a wave in thanks as she passed him to reach her dog who was pacing anxiously; he had probably heard some of the noise from the fight due to his canine hearing. He gave a concerned yip when his owner came back with blood on the side of her head and staining her hair. He nosed it gently when she kneeled to untie him but she gave him a pat and told him she was okay.
Stefan had texted Elena to let her know that he had taken Jeremy home in her car and she replied to let him know that she and Ren would be there soon. Elena climbed miserably into the passenger seat as Renfri loaded her dog into the back then directed them to the Gilbert house.
As she pulled up to the house the street was quiet and they could see Stefan waiting on the porch. Ren climbed the steps behind Elena who inquired where her brother was. She continued to follow her inside and upstairs while Stefan stayed behind. When Elena saw her brother huddled on his bed with tears streaming down his face, she hurried over. Ash quickly followed and hopped up onto the bed to settle beside the grieving and confused teenager who immediately accepted the comfort.
Ren whispered, "Just send him down when you're ready."
Jeremy turned and shakily asked, "You're okay? You were hurt…?" Ren waved it off and gave him a soft smile.
"I'm alright, it wasn't as bad as it looked," she reassured him. She glanced sadly at Elena before returning back downstairs and joined Stefan on the porch to wait; she'd rather give them their privacy to talk and deal with what just happened. She decided that she would support the family that she had left too, despite the problems they seemed to bring into her life.
Ren took a seat on the swinging bench and crossed one leg over the other, letting herself sway gently back and forth. They sat in silence for a minute before Renfri broke it.
"It's not your fault, you know. She wasn't controlling herself and wasn't trying to. She nearly killed me and Elena. You did what you had to," she finished softly. He glanced at her and nodded gratefully but the guilt was still lingering in his eyes. Another minute passed before Elena came back out, this time with a towel thrown over her shoulders; she looked lost.
As they spoke, Ren could tell that Elena appreciated that Stefan had done everything he could to help Vicki and protect them; two things that had ended up contradicting each other. Stefan clearly was not going to give himself a break for killing Vicki even though it was necessary in the end, but it helped show Elena that he's still human in the ways that she thought really mattered.
"Elena, what can I do? What can I do to help? I'll do anything," Stefan asked her desperately.
Elena paused, then looked up, "Can you make him forget?"
"Elena!" Ren protested, "you want him to manipulate Jeremy's mind to save him the pain? Are you even sure that it would do that? He could just walk around with depression and just not know why!" Elena looked worried at that so she continued, "And then you'd have taken his free will away; maybe you should ask him if he would rather forget what happened?"
Elena thought for a few seconds before shaking her head, "No, he shouldn't have to go through this again, it isn't right, he's just a kid." Ren sighed but said nothing and looked away. Clearly, she had made up her mind.
When Elena turned back to Stefan with pleading eyes he hesitated, then shook his head, "I can't."
Elena thought he meant wouldn't, but Ren was surprised to hear that because he only fed on animal blood, his abilities were weaker, meaning he couldn't compel people and be sure it would stick. It seemed to her like that was a big point in Damon's favor for the 'snatch, eat, erase' method.
"I can do it."
Damon came up the front front walk and stopped on the porch steps. Renfri's eyebrows slowly rose up in shock. Not even 30 minutes ago he had been pissed at Elena for having the audacity to try slapping the shame into him, but here he was, willing to compel her brother's pain away for her sake. This only made Ren lean more toward her lingering suspicion that he wasn't as heartless as he portrayed himself to be, at least, maybe in regards to a certain few people. The dark haired vampire glanced at her surprised face before turning to Elena for what she wanted Jeremy to know.
This time, Elena stayed on the porch as Ren followed Damon back in. He glanced over his shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow which she just mirrored back at him and he let it go. She paused in the doorway as Damon walked into Jeremy's room. The boy looked up at him in confusion, still stroking the dog's dark silver fur. When Damon stopped in front of them, a low growl rumbled from Ash's chest in warning.
Damon only smirked but Ren quickly snapped her fingers and cut him off with a hurried, "Nein." The noise ended but the dog clearly remained alert, watching him as he kneeled in front of Jeremy. The girl watched silently, resigned yet fascinated, as the vampire compelled the boy using the same phrases Elena asked him to. It was odd, watching Jeremy's face relax blank, his tense body and stuttering breaths calming as his memories were altered in front of her. As Damon stood and headed for the door, Ren quietly called for Ash. She waved goodbye to a dazed Jeremy who blinked rapidly then headed back down and out onto the porch behind Damon.
It was damn awkward when it was clear that Elena had been crying again, evident by the fresh tears in her eyes, and as soon as Damon announced that it was done, she nodded and went inside, closing the door on them all. They stood in silence for a moment, looking at each other before turning as one to head home.
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