I stood in front of my mirror, fixing my hair as my phone rang from beside me and I grabbed it, answering. "Hello?" I asked, sighing a bit.
"You miss me?" A familiar voice asked from the other side and I narrowed my eyes at my reflection.
"Katherine. Where are you?" I asked in annoyance as I leant against my dresser.
"Lurking outside the Boarding House. Pining away." Katherine joked and I rolled my eyes, walking over to my closet and grabbed a light jacket.
"What do you want?" I asked in a disinterested tone and Katherine sighed from the phone.
"I'm homesick. What have I missed?" Katherine asked and I shrugged, closing my closet door.
"Well, Stefan's still Klaus' little prisoner and Elena still thinks she can save him, and no one's thought about you since you left." I pointed out sarcastically as I put my jacket on my bed.
"And what about you and Damon? I'm sure now that he's given up on his brother, he's plotting some sort of way of moving in on you as well as Stefan's girlfriendâAll in one." Katherine stated with slight amusement and I rolled my eyes.
"He didn't give up on him, neither of us did. We just don't know where he is." I corrected in annoyance as I put the phone on speaker and grabbed the jacket from the bed again.
"Mm." Katherine replied with a small sigh and I rose an eyebrow as I put my jacket on.
"But you do." I added, tilting my head down at my phone before I grabbed it, taking it off of speaker. "Have you been trailing them?" I asked in disbelief and Katherine scoffed.
"A hybrid who wants me dead and his sidekick who's off the rails? I couldn't be further away." Katherine stated in annoyance and I rolled my eyes.
"Which means you know exactly where they are." I pointed out as I shook my head in amusement.
"All I know is that Klaus pitched a fit once his hybrids didn't work. Now he's looking for answers." Katherine warned and I sighed, turning towards my mirror again.
"How do you know that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I fixed my hair.
"Spend five hundred years running, they'll be a few people along the way that are looking out for you." Katherine answered and I slowly nodded, walking over to my window.
"Is that what you're doing?âLooking out for Stefan?" I asked as I leant against the window sill and Katherine sighed deeply.
"Maybe. Maybe not. I'm conflicted." Katherine stated in defeat and I rolled my eyes.
"Where are they?" I asked again impatiently and I heard Katherine chuckle from the other side, making me raise an eyebrow.
~~~
I walked into Damon's room and over to his dresser before I started pulling out a few shirts of his. "Well, good morning, Sunshine." Damon said from behind me and I turned to him to see him in a towel and I rose an eyebrow. "You had such a nice dream about me that you had to come over here first thing in the morning? I mean, it's not even eight yet." He added and I shrugged.
"Fine. I guess Elena and I will just bring Stefan home, by ourselves." I countered, walking back towards his door before he vamped in front of me and I smirked.
"What are you talking about? Where is he?" Damon asked, furrowing his eyebrows and I folded my arms over my chest.
"Windy City." I answered and Damon scoffed at my answer.
"He's in Chicago? How do you know?" He asked in disbelief and I walked away from him and back over to his dresser.
"It came to me in a dream.. You know, besides the one where we were both hot, heavy and naked." I replied, looking over my shoulder at him and he smirked, walking over to me. "You would have loved it." I added, opening his underwear drawer. "Elena's downstairs so you gotta pack." I stated, pulling out a pair of whitey tighties and raising an eyebrow at Damon in amusement.
"So I take it he's not there to meet Oprah?" Damon asked, taking the underwear from me and I shrugged, taking the underwear quickly back from him before chuckling down at them.
"Put these in the 'yes' pile." I stated in amusement, throwing them on the bed with the other clothes I pulled out.
~~~
"I sure hope we find him." Damon stated as he drove down the highway while I stared out the window but furrowed my eyebrows and looked at him. "Because it would suck if the last momento of Stefan was that crappy old necklace." He added, gesturing at Elena as she sat in the backseat, fiddling with the necklace around her neck.
"It's an antique, Damon.. Like you." Elena replied in amusement and I stifled a laugh. I looked out the window again as Damon looked at Elena through the rear view mirror and gave her a fake smile. Damon reached from behind his seat and grabbed a journal, giving it to Elena who furrowed her eyebrows, taking it.
"Read that. Paints a pretty little picture of Stefan's first experience in Chicago." Damon pointed out, as he stared at the road ahead of us.
"It's Stefan's diary. I'm not going to invade his private thoughts." Elena stated in annoyance as she shook her head down at it.
"You need to be prepared for what you're about to see." I stated as I looked at her through the rear view mirror.
"I've seen Stefan in his darkest periods. I can handle it." Elena argued, giving the journal back to Damon who shook his head back at her before he opened it to a random page.
"Here's one. March 12, 1922. I black out for days. I wake up in strangers' blood, I places I don't recognize with women I don't remember." Damon quoted dramatically and I rolled my eyes at him as Elena furrowed her eyebrows, listening intently. "Ahh! I'm shocked! Stefan's not a virgin?" Damon asked frantically back at Elena and I chuckled in amusement, shaking my head as she took the journal.
"Eyes on the road, grandma." Elena stated in annoyance as she opened the book and started reading.
"Fine. Back to my game. Ari, tell me if you see a Florida plate." Damon sighed as he looked back at the road and I rolled my eyes, looking back out the window.
~~~~
"Stefan could live anywhere in Chicago and he chose this?" Elena asked in disbelief as we walked up the stairs of a very old apartment building.
"There used to be an all-girls high school around the corner. But it shut down for attendance issues. Weird." Damon pointed out as we walked down a hallway towards an apartment door.
"If you're trying to scare me into giving up and going back, it's not going to work." Elena argued before I put a hand over her mouth as Damon listened through the door, to see if anyone was living there. He twisted the doorknob, breaking it before he gestured me inside and I rose an eyebrow, pushing the door open and walking in.
"Here we are. Stefan's second personality home." Damon stated and I looked over the entire apartment as it looked like no one had lived in it, in ages. There was an untouched bed with perfect sheets while dust covered them as well as the furniture around the apartment.
"He obviously hasn't been here." I stated as I rubbed the dust off of the bed frame as I past it.
"The tours not over yet." Damon countered and I furrowed my eyebrows as he walked over to some sort of bookshelf that sat inside of the kitchen. Some books as well as cooking supplies sat on top of the shelf. Damon ran a hand along the side of the case before he pulled the shelf back, revealing a secret space. Elena rose an eyebrow as she watched him intently. He gestured us over to it as he went inside and turned on the light and standing against one of the walls of the spall space.
"Stefan hid his alcohol. What a monster." Elena stated sarcastically as she looked over the bottles upon bottles of liquor on the shelves throughout the space. Damon rolled his eyes at her and looked straight across from him, towards the wall that wasn't in our view.
"Look harder." Damon replied emotionlessly before Elena and I walked inside of the space turned to where Damon was looking.
"It's a list of names." Elena stated, shrugging at the many rows of names that were written in cursive, from the top of the wall, to the very bottom.
"Mm-Hmm." Damon replied emotionlessly and I furrowed my eyebrows, folding my arms over my chest as I stared at all of the names.
"These were all of his victims?" I asked in disbelief at the hundreds upon hundreds of names before us. I looked at Elena who gulped at the list, becoming silent.
"Still handling it?" Damon asked in some amusement from behind her before he walked out of the space.
"What were you doing in the 1920's? Paving the way for woman's liberation?" Elena countered sarcastically as Damon walked back into the main part of the apartment.
"I was around. Chicago's a big city." Damon replied, turning back to us and I sighed at him.
"Stefan was a big cocky ripper douche. But I could avoid him and still indulge in a few Daisy Buchanan's of my own." He added with a smirk towards me and I rolled my eyes in some disgust as he walked over to the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked in confusion as I walked after him.
"His old stomping ground." Damon answered before he turned back to Elena and I as he got to the door, opening it.
"I'm coming with you." I stated and watched as he opened his mouth to protest but I cut him off, turning back to Elena. "You stay here and come up with a plan. We'll come back when we find him." I pointed out as I nodded at her and looked back at Damon who stared at me for a few seconds, uncertain. Finally, Damon gave me a sigh of annoyance before we walked out of the apartment, leaving Elena.
~~~
Damon and I walked through a lowkey bar as people drank, danced and talked loudly while music played around us. I rose an eyebrow at Damon who smirked back at me as we walked down some steps, into a pit before over to the bar. An older woman with white hair that didn't even go past her ears, stood behind the bar counter, wiping it down with a cloth. She looked up at Damon and I as we approached her and chuckled lightly. "Well, look what the wind blew in. Last I heard, you hated this place." The woman stated sarcastically as she narrowed her eyes at Damon who sat on a bar stool in front of her.
"Gloria! Damn. If I knew you were going to age like this, I would have stuck around." Damon stated teasingly. I rose an eyebrow and looked behind Gloria and saw a few pictures from the 1920's.. Where a girl with a perfectly white bob haircut, sang while she wore a flapper dress and the headdress along with it.
"MmâI always did like you better. But I see your brother is still running in the wrong crowd." Gloria replied disappointedly and I furrowed my eyebrows at her as she grabbed a glass from behind her.
"You've seen him?" I asked, shaking my head at her in confusion as she turned back to Damon and I.
"With Klaus. Bad combo." Gloria answered and I slowly nodded in agreement as she poured bourbon into the glass.
"You know where they went?" Damon asked, tilting his head at her as she put the bottle of bourbon back behind the bar and grabbed a napkin, placing the glass on top of it before putting it in front of Damon.
"They'll be back tonight. They're running a little errand for me." Gloria pointed out and I rose an eyebrow and looked down at the bourbon she had placed in front of Damon.
"Gloria.." Damon replied, grabbing her hand gently with his and she tilted her head at him. "Don't be a tease. What kind of errand?" He asked softly, running his fingers gently over her skin and she chuckled, doing the same to him.
"Mm. I don't think so. You may be cute but you're still a vampire." Gloria replied in amusement before pulling her hands away from Damon's and I smirked in amusement at her. "But you're not." She added, tilting her head at me and I rose an eyebrow.
"You're a witch." I stated, catching on as to why she hadn't aged much since the 1920's. "Shouldn't you beâYou know." I added gesturing towards the pictures and she chucked.
"I use herbs and such to slow down the aging a bit. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me some day." Gloria replied in amusement and I slowly nodded in agreement. "You're a powerful one, aren't you?" She asked quietly to herself as she looked me over and I furrowed my eyebrows at her.
"What do you mean?" I asked, looking at Damon who shrugged and silently drank his bourbon. I looked back at Gloria who gave me one last smile before she walked over to other customers who stood at the bar.
~~~
Damon and I walked back into the apartment as Elena came from the kitchen, holding a vervain dart in hand. "Finally! I called you like an hour ago." Elena stated in frustration before I handed her a bag and grabbed the vervain dart from her.
"Make yourself presentable. We know where Stefan's going to be tonight." Damon replied in amusement as he sat in the lounge chair across from us while Elena and I stood beside the bed.
"I told you that I was practically discovered by Klaus and you're worried about what I'm wearing?" Elena asked, scoffing at him in disbelief while I sighed, sitting on the bed as she held the bag.
"We had an hour to realize what a bad idea it was to leave you here aloneâProcess it and move on." Damon replied emotionlessly and I sighed at him as he stared up at Elena almost carelessly.
"He's asking if you're okay." I clarified and Elena furrowed her eyebrows at me while Damon gestured towards me in agreement. "Are you? Are you okay?" I asked in a serious tone as I looked up at her and she stared at me quietly for a few seconds before she cleared her throat.
"Yeah." Elena replied quietly, slowly nodding before I clapped my hands and gave a heavy sigh.
"Okay, then. Go get dressed because you're all road-tripy andâGross." I stated with a fake smile and Elena sighed, not moving.
"So you know where he's gonna be?" Elena asked looking between Damon and I as we both nodded back at her.
"Yes, with Klaus. So I'll distract Klaus and you deal with Stefan." Damon replied, shrugging at her before I rose an eyebrow at Elena who nodded.
"Okay. Thank you." Elena replied with a heavy sigh towards him and I tilted my head at her curiously before I stood up from the bed and folded my arms over my chest.
"But you're going to have about five minutes tops before that hybrid freak rips his heart out." I stated emotionlessly and Elena furrowed her eyebrows at me. "So please, tell me you can do this." I added, somewhat pleadingly and Elena slowly nodded.
"I can do this." Elena reassured me and I sighed in agreement before she walked to the bathroom to change. Damon tilted his head up at me curiously from where he sat, not saying anything but I knew what he was thinking.
"You're our ride back home, okay?" I asked in annoyance at him and he put his hands up in defense as a smirk crept across his face.
~~~
Elena and I hung back quietly as Damon walked out into the street from the back of the club. I rose an eyebrow at him as he looked around before he was pushed toward the side of a car that was parked beside him. "What the hell is wrong with you!" Stefan asked in annoyance and I furrowed my eyebrows at him before I waved a hand and separated the two. Stefan looked over to me in confusion as I leant against the side of the building, tilting my head at him curiously.
"What is wrong with you? You kill Andie one day, you save my life the next. What are youâGood, bad. Pick one." Damon stated in annoyance but Stefan ignored him as he kept his gaze on me.
"Klaus almost saw Elena today. You have to get her out of Chicago." Stefan warned, gesturing towards the bar before I walked towards him.
"She's not going anywhere until she's got you checked into vampire rehab and on the mendâTrust me, I've tried." I argued, folding my arms over my chest emotionlessly.
"She is the key to everything. Klaus can't know that she's alive." Stefan pressed in an aggressive tone and I furrowed my eyebrows at him.
"What are you talking about?" Damon asked from behind him before Stefan turned back to his brother.
"Elena was supposed to die in the sacrifice but she didn't. Now Klaus can't create new hybrids. His witch is seconds away from figuring that out." Stefan stated angrily before he turned back to me. "Tell Elena to go home and forget about me." He added shaking his head before I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Tell her yourself." I replied emotionlessly and gestured to the side of him and he furrowed his eyebrows. Stefan turned and looked at Elena who stood down the street from us, watching him intently with her eyes, as if trying to search for something. Stefan slowly walked away from Damon and I, over to her. Damon looked at me and gave a short nod before he walked into the bar to cause a distraction. I sighed deeply and walked after Stefan, keeping some distance from the two.
"You shouldn't be here." Stefan stated emotionlessly as he now stood directly in front of Elena.
"Where else would I be?" Elena countered, tilting her head at him and Stefan just stared at her blankly.
"What do you want?" Stefan asked quietly and Elena furrowed her eyebrows at him, obviously taken aback by his lack of interest. "Damon won't be able to distract Klaus for long." He warned and I looked at Elena who looked past Stefan and at me for support before back at him.
"Come home." Elena replied sweetly as she stepped closer to Stefan and cupped his cheek with her hand. Stefan furrowed his eyebrows down at her before she sighed in relief and hugged him tightly. I rose an eyebrow as I watched how distant he seemed. Elena slowly held up a vervain dark in her hand, about to plunge it into Stefan's back but he quickly pulled away from her and grabbed her arm, making her gasp and groan at his tightly he held her arm.
"How much clearer can I make it?" Stefan asked through gritted teeth and Elena groaned in pain as the dart dropped from her hand.
"Stefan." I warned emotionlessly, stepping towards them but he ignored me.
"I don't want to come home!" Stefan added angrily down at her before he let her go and Elena walked backwards, staring at Stefan in complete shock. "Klaus is obsessed with siring these hybrids. The second he knows you're alive, he'll figure out why it's not working." He warned as he shook his head at Elena.
"Look, I know you're trying to protect me, but I can't let you do it. Come with me, Stefan, pleaseâ" Elena started in protest but he cut her off.
"And what do you expect if I do, Elena? Huh? It's never going to be the same." Stefan countered, moving closer to her and Elena furrowed her eyebrows at him.
"I know that." Elena agreed quietly and Stefan scoffed, shaking his head at her.
"I don't think you do. I've left bodies scattered
from Florida to Tennessee. Innocent people. Humans." Stefan pointed out with some grief in his voice and I slowly shook my head, walking up from behind him.
"Lexi found you like this before, Stefan. She saved you." I pointed out with hope in my voice and he sighed, looking back at me.
"And you know what I did after that? I spent thirty years trying to pull myself together. To a vampire, that's nothing. To youâThat's half your lives." Stefan argued as he looked back at Elena in disappointment.
"I can't give up on you, Stefan." Elena countered emotionlessly as she stared at him and he shook his head down at her.
"Yes, you can. It's done." Stefan stated bluntly and I furrowed my eyebrows at him as Elena now became still, completely quiet. "That part of my life is done. I don't want to see you. I don't want to be with youâI just want you to go." He added emotionlessly and Elena became silent as Stefan turned away from her and back towards the bar. Elena's eyes glazed over as she watched Stefan walk away from her and I sighed, walking toward her before she looked at me and completely broke down, hugging me highly.
"Come on." I whispered as I lead her back to the Camaro and we got in the car, sitting there in complete silence for a few minutes. Damon came out from the bar and got into the driver's side and looked over at me in question.
"You ok?" He asked quietly and I looked into the rear view mirror at Elena as she looked out the window, clutching the necklace Stefan gave her with a hand and I sighed.
"Just drive." I whispered back at him before I put on my seatbelt and he slowly nodded in agreement, starting the engine.
~~~
"Okay. You were right. He was there." I stated as I folded my clothes on my bed.
"Let me guess. It ended in tears and heartbreak." Katherine replied in amusement and I rolled my eyes and folded a T-shirt.
"Where are you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I grabbed the clothes that I folded and moved towards my dresser.
"Why?" Katherine countered and I shrugged, opening my drawers.
"I'm thinking Europe. Maybe Italy." I replied, thinking to myself lightly and Katherine chuckled. "Oooh, maybe SpainâI take it I get my 'being a sucker for late afternoons' from you." I added in some annoyance as I placed the clothes in their drawers.
"Keep guessing.. bye-bye, Maria." Katherine stated in amusement before she hung up and I furrowed my eyebrows down at the phone before I sighed and placed it in my back pocket.
-Time Skip-
"I just don't know why you want to bring chili to a potluck." Damon stated as Elena cut vegetables on the kitchen island while I stood behind her and in front of the oven. "Everybody brings chili." He added in annoyance and I sighed looking away from him as Alaric came into the kitchen also.
"Hey, Ric." I said nodding at him and he sighed, looking over the three of us.
"Hey, what's up?" Alaric asked, raising an eyebrow and I shrugged, turning back to the stove and stirring the ingredients that I had in the pot.
"What time do you and Jenna want to go to the Lockwood party?" Elena asked, looking up at him as she cut celery.
"Ah.. Those founders party's aren't really my thing." Alaric replied and I scoffed, looking over my shoulder at him.
"You show up, there's going to be nine other people that brought chili." Damon pointed out in agreement and Elena looked at me in annoyance.
"OneâJenna will drag you anyway. TwoâIt's an old family receipt." I countered, pointing between the two of them playfully.
"Yeah, I know! I knew your old family, okay? They made sucky chili." Damon joked, grabbing the spoon from my hand and I rose an eyebrow at him, challengingly. Damon smirked down at me before he shoved me playfully and I chuckled, turning to Elena and Ric.
"Why are you here exactly?" Jenna asked Damon as she came into the kitchen also and I looked at Alaric who cleared his throat before I looked back at Jenna.
"I needed him for backup." I answered and Jenna furrowed her eyebrows at me as I gestured at Elena who sighed deeply.
"They think I'm going to break." Elena informed and we all looked at her in agreement before she sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not going to break. I'm just going to keep making chili and pretend like I didn't just spend the entire summer looking for someone who didn't want to be found." She added with a shrug while she chopped more veggies somewhat aggressively now before I grabbed the knife from her.
"She's in denial." I stated and Jenna slowly nodded at me in agreement as she folded her arms over her chest.
"I'm not in denial." Elena argued and I rolled my eyes, putting the knife down as I looked back at her while Alaric, Jenna and Damon now stared at the two of us curiously.
"No?" I asked, tilting my head at her and she put her hands on her hips before I gently took the necklace she wore around her neck, in my hand. "You're still wearing this necklace." I stated and watched Elena furrow her eyebrows as she looked down at it. "Isn't this a reminder of your 'unbreakable' bond with Stefan?" I added, shrugging a bit before pulling away and cutting more vegetables for her. The doorbell rang and I quickly put the knife down. "I got it." I stated before walking out of the kitchen and sighing in some relief once I got to the door and opened it.
"I come bearing gifts." Caroline stated cheerfully as she stood on the porch holding a bowl of something and I chuckled, looking down at it.
"Please tell me it's not chili." I stated in defeat before Caroline moved out of the doorway and Bonnie stepped in front of me and I widened my eyes. "Bonnie!" I added excitedly before she quickly came in and hugged me tightly.
"I'm back." Bonnie exclaimed in amusement before we pulled away and she sighed. "I'm gone for the summer and everything goes to hell for all of you?" She asked in defeat and I sighed, shrugging and looking at Caroline who sighed.
"Bonnie!" A voice said from the stairs before we all looked to see Jeremy coming down with a big smile on his face.
"Jeremy!" Bonnie replied happily as he came down the stairs fully and she ran towards him, jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly before kissing him and I sighed, gesturing in Caroline before I shut the front door.
"Bonnie?" Elena asked, coming from the kitchen and Damon followed her. Bonnie chuckled and greeted Elena as Damon looked at me.
"Liz called. Apparently she needs me to do her a favor." Damon pointed out as he looked at Caroline who looked away quickly and I furrowed my eyebrows. "I'll see you later." He added looking back at me and I slowly nodded in agreement as he walked out of the house.
~~~
"The problem with my dad's normal side of the family, is normal made for a really boring summer." Bonnie stated in defeat from where she sat at the kitchen island while Elena put a slow cooker on the counter in front of her.
"After the last few days, I would kill for a normal family." Caroline replied as she grabbed the pot from the stove now that all of the ingredients were mixed in. "Since when did you know how to cook?" She asked, looking at Elena who helped pour the chili into the slow cooker.
"Damon helped a little." I pointed out as I leant against the counter next to Bonnie and across from Elena and Caroline.
"Damon's helping you cook now?" Bonnie asked in annoyance and I rolled my eyes at her.
"Don't judge. He's just trying to be a good frâ" I started but Elena cut me off.
"Ow!" Elena yelled out in pain and I furrowed my eyebrows at her as she backed away from the pot.
"Did I splash you?" Caroline asked innocently as she put the pot down on the counter and Elena groaned, clutching her chest somewhat.
"No, no, it's my necklace." Elena clarified before she grabbed the necklace and I rose an eyebrow and looked at her skin as it left an imprint from where it was laying against her skin.
"It burnt you." I stated, tilting my head at the burn in the shape of a small circle that took place on her chest.
"Maybe its a sign you shouldn't be wearing it." Caroline stated bluntly as Elena took off the necklace.
"Caroline..." Bonnie warned her in annoyance and Care shrugged looking between the three of us.
"What, I'm just saying. I mean, if you're going to be 'cooking' without Stefan." Caroline stated emotionlessly towards Elena and I rolled my eyes and watched as Elena examined the necklace in her hand.
"Let me see it." I suggested and Elena rose an eyebrow as I shrugged before she sighed and dangled it in front of me. I narrowed my eyes at the necklace and looked at Bonnie. "I'm not getting a certain vibe from it." I stated and Bonnie rose an eyebrow, staring at the necklace also.
"Me either." Bonnie replied and I sighed, grabbing the necklace before it zapped my finger and I quickly pulled away from it as Elena dropped the necklace on the counter.
"Mariana?" Elena asked furrowing her eyebrows at me and I cleared my throat as I got a feeling and an image go through me.. The witch from Chicago.. Gloria.
~~~
"Hey, Ok. I got it." Bonnie stated as she came over to Caroline, Elena and I as we sat on a few benches near the Lockwood house while music from the potluck surrounded us somewhat. "I have an identification spell that might be able to tell me what magic affected it." Bonnie added as she sat on the bench beside Caroline and pulled out the grimoire from her bag as Elena gave her the necklace. "It's going to take awhile, so tell me if anyone's coming, Alright?" She asked looking between the three of us before we nodded in agreement.
"So you're not like switching Salvatore's, are you?" Caroline asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at Elena and I rose an eyebrow at her. "Or switching boyfriends in general?" She added, gesturing at me.
"What?" Elena and I countered in unison, obviously confused and Caroline sighed.
"Carolineâ" Bonnie started as she looked up from the grimoire and at Caroline who shrugged her off.
"Stay focused." Caroline replied, turning more towards Elena and I. "As your friend who worries for you daily, what is the deal with you and Damon?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes.
"There is no deal with Damon, Caroline. He's just being a good friend. He's been just as focused on finding Stefan as we have." I stated in annoyance before Caroline rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, but that doesn't make him any less Damon." Caroline replied and I folded my arms over my chest at her and looked at Bonnie who focused intently on the spell she was doing. "If my own father, who I love dearly, can't change meâNo one's changing Damon." She added, shaking her head in defeat and I sighed deeply.
"Look, why are we even talking about this?" Elena asked in annoyance and I nodded in agreement at her as Caroline opened her mouth to respond before she got cut off.
"Hey. Guys?" Bonnie asked in light confusion and we all looked at her as the necklace slowly lifted off of the grimoire that was set on her lap.
"What are you doing?" Caroline asked furrowing her eyebrows and I slowly shook my head.
"She's not doing anything." I replied emotionlessly and they all looked at me confused. "It has it's own magic." I added and looked at Elena in confusion as she looked back at the necklace that was floating in the air by itself.
~~~
"Stefan never told you where he got the necklace?" Caroline asked as her, Elena and I walked through the Lockwood house, toward the door.
"No, I never asked. Hopefully Bonnie will be able to figure it out." Elena informed and I sighed, looking around the crowd of people as Alaric and Jenna fell in beside the three of us.
"Please tell me it's time to go." Jenna stated in annoyance and I chuckled a bit at her.
"My thoughts exactly. Where's Damon?" I asked, looking between the two who shrugged in response before Caroline stepped in front of us once we reached the front doors.
"Somewhere off doing bad things to good people." Caroline stated and I sighed, folding my arms over my chest. "Consider me the honesty police." She added, noticing my irritation and I chuckled a bit, losing the tension as Caroline looked through the living room before she quickly stood beside me, away from the living room doorway.
"What is it?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows as I noticed the concern come across her face.
"What's the matter?" Alaric asked a few seconds after me and Caroline looked between us all.
"It's my dad." Caroline whispered and I rose an eyebrow as we all looked through the living room and saw Bill, Caroline's Dad, chatting with a few of the townspeople.
"Why would he even show up here?" Elena asked quietly once she turned back to Caroline who shook her head.
"I don't know. But I can'tâ" Caroline started before Elena cut her off, nodding in agreement.
"I get it." El reassured her softly and Caroline sighed before giving me a small nod. "I'll call you later." She added and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Okay." Caroline replied before she walked quickly and quietly through the dinning room, away from us.
"Ok, what's that about?" I asked, clearly lost and I looked at Alaric and Jenna who seemed to be just as lost.
"Speaking of doing bad things to good people. Caroline's Dad practically starved her for a day and a half straight, convincing himself that he could change her vampirism so she wouldn't have the urge to drink blood anymore." Elena stated quietly and gestured us outside before we walked onto the porch and closed the door behind us.
"That's impossible." I stated, scoffing in response and Elena sighed, going down the steps.
"Tell him that." Elena countered as the front door flung open from behind us and Damon quickly walked out, following after us in pursuit.
"Wait, HoustonâWe have a problem." Damon stated and I sighed, walking down the steps with Jenna, Alaric and Elena.
"Where have you been?" I asked, looking over my shoulder as Damon followed.
"Managing Bill Forbes. Apparently he's impervious to compulsion." Damon stated in annoyance and I rose an eyebrow.
"How?" Alaric asked in confusion and Damon scoffed.
"I have no idea." Damon pointed out as we walked towards the parking lot. "But he threatened to out me. Don't get me started on the irony of that." He added in annoyance and I slowly nodded.
"What'd you do to him? How do you know the compulsion doesn't work?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows up at him and he looked down at me for a few seconds before looking away.
"That's not the most important piece of information I mentioned, Mariana." Damon stated sarcastically and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Well, what does he want?" Alaric asked, furrowing his eyebrows, clearly irritated.
"He wants to control the council. Says it's been compromised." Damon stated in annoyance.
"It has." Alaric countered in a aggressive voice and I furrowed my eyebrows at him.
"He wants to put vervain in the towns water supply." Damon pointed out in defeat and I sighed, folding my arms over my chest.
"Maybe it's not a bad idea. I mean, it'll help you keep yourself under control now that Stefan's not here toâ" Elena started but Damon cut her off quickly.
"To what?" Damon asked, standing in front of the four of us quickly and I rose an eyebrow at him. "To keep me in check? Make me behave?" He asked in annoyance before scoffing. "I should have killed him this morning." He added emotionlessly.
"He's Caroline's dad, Damon." I argued, tilting my head at him challengingly.
"Yeah, and when I kill him, she'll have one more parent than we do." Damon countered going to walk away and I scoffed, looking away from him.
"Oh, come on, Damon." Alaric stated in anger as he stepped in front of Damon.
"You're repeatedly killing my buzz today, Ric. Step aside." Damon warned emotionlessly, going to pass Alaric who put a hand on his chest, pushing him back.
"Yeah, it's not going to happen." Alaric argued in annoyance and Damon narrowed his eyes silently and looked down at Alaric's hand that was on his chest.
"Your temporary funeral." Damon replied emotionlessly, looking up at Alaric again.
"Damon, no!" Jenna, Elena and I yelled at once but Damon had already snapped Alaric's neck and he fell to the ground.
"What is wrong with you?" Elena asked through gritted teeth at him and Damon smirked down at her. He looked at me and I scoffed, turning away from him as he walked past us and back towards the Lockwood house. I pulled out my phone and dialed in Caroline's number quickly.
"I'm only answering Incase it's a friend emergency." Caroline stated in some amusement from the line and I scoffed, looking down at Alaric as Jenna knelt over him.
"It's an emergency." I warned emotionlessly as I sighed heavily. "Damon's out for your dad's blood, Caroline. And I don't think he's going to stop until he's had it." I added, looking at Elena who nodded in agreement.
"The last of the guests are leaving now. So I'll leave it to Damon to make a scene when no one is around." She added before we hung up and I looked between Elena and Jenna.
"You should go." Jenna stated looking over her shoulder at me and I furrowed my eyebrows in protest.
"You're the only one that can calm him down, Mariana." Elena added in agreement and I scoffed, not moving as I looked between them both for a few seconds before I sighed.
"Fine." I replied in defeat before I walked back towards the Lockwood house and up the steps before into the house. I quietly closed the door behind me as all of the guests were now gone. The house was quiet. I rose an eyebrow as I slowly walked through the living room before I heard glass shatter from somewhere around me. I furrowed my eyebrows and walked towards it quickly and into the study to see Bill kneeling on the floor with blood surrounding his neck while Damon hovered above Caroline as he pinned her to the desk by her throat.
"I'm stronger than you, little girl." Damon warned with a smirk as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
"Well, I'm angrier." Caroline countered up at him through gritted teeth before she twisted Damon's wrist that held her and he groaned in pain before she butted her heads against his and kicked him off of her. Damon flew back into the wall and landed on the floor before Caroline quickly grabbed her father and vamped away from the scene quickly.
"Bummer." Damon scoffed in annoyance from where he sat against the wall. "I love a good girl fight." He added sarcastically and I slowly shook my head at him.
"You can't do this anymore, Damon. Not in the town. Not around me." I stated angrily at him as he slowly stood from the floor.
"Why not?" He asked as he breathed heavily. "It's nothing I haven't don't before." Damon stated emotionlessly and I narrowed my eyes at him as he walked slowly towards me. "Why is it suddenly so important for everyone to keep me in check?" He asked in annoyance and I scoffed.
"Because I don't want you to be what other people think that you are." I pointed out and he shrugged.
"What? A monster?" Damon countered and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, Mariana, but last I checked, I was still a vampire!" He added loudly as he stood in front of me now and I slowly shook my head.
"I guess I wish that you didn't have to act like one!" I argued angrily back at him.
"I am one, Mariana! I am not Stefan!" Damon yelled back at me and I groaned angrily towards him.
"I don't want you to be Stefan, Damon! I want you to just stop hurting people just because you're hurting!" I yelled and Damon furrowed his eyebrows at me as we both became silent and I sighed deeply. He slowly shook his head at me before he walked past me and out of the room.
~~~
I stared up at the ceiling quietly before I heard the door open and I turned to see Tyler who gave me a smile once he saw me. "How was football practice?" I asked, turning my body towards him as I lay on my side and examined his red, sweat stained tank top that he wore while carrying his duffel bag.
"What are you doing here?" Ty asked quietly, shutting his door so his mom wouldn't hear and I shrugged, turning back to the ceiling as he put his stuff down.
"Hiding out from Damon. He just tried to kill Care's Dad so." I informed and Tyler furrowed his eyebrows at me before he grabbed my legs gently and turned my body to him. I sat up and positioned myself in front of him as I now sat on the side of the bed.
"Are you okay?" He asked gently and I scoffed before I slowly nodded as I thought about Damon over in my head before I pushed the thoughts away. "Do you want me to kick his ass?" Tyler added in amusement and I chuckled, nodding up at him.
"Yes." I agreed with a smile before I slowly shook my head. "No.. Sometimes I just don't even think he's worth my time, you know? But I justâ" I started before he cut me off.
"Like to see the good in people?" Tyler suggested and I sighed, tilting my head at him before I nodded.
"Yes." I stated nodding and he smiled down at me. "Caroline told me what you did for her." I added and he furrowed his eyebrows down at me. "Well, after she didn't help you with the full moonâSomething was wrong. And while I was too busy trying to find Stefan, you went through the full moon alone as well as helped Liz break Care away from her dad." I pointed out and Tyler slowly nodded back at me in agreement. "Thank you. For being such a good friend to her, Ty." I sighed and he gave me a small smile before he pulled me towards him and gently kissed the top of my head as he ran his hands though my hair. "God, you wreak." I scoffed, quickly pulling away from him once I got a whiff of him and he chuckled.
"What? No, this?" Tyler countered as he gestured down at his shirt and I nodded in agreement.
"That is bad." I replied chuckling and he rolled his eyes at me.
"This is sexy." Tyler argued and I laughed, shaking my head at him as he came closer to me.
"No, it's really bad." I protested before he pulled me back to him and kissed me gently. I closed my eyes and fell into his kiss as he held my face in his hands and I slowly pulled his tank top over his head. I smiled and pushed myself back onto the bed as Tyler hovered over me, now shirtless, before he started leading kisses from my neck and up my jaw until finally, onto my lips.
~~~
"I'm not going to say I told you so." Caroline stated as the two of us walked through town square.
"Thank you." I replied with a small nod as we walked past the water fountain.
"But I did tell you." Caroline stated and I sighed in defeat at her as she smiled at me knowingly.
"Okay, you and Damon were both right. I was trying to keep him in check." I stated, looking away from her as we walked before Caroline stepped in front of me.
"Wait, Iâ" Caroline started before she cut herself off and I rose an eyebrow. "IâIt's been a long week so I'm just going to be blunt. It doesn't matter what he does, Damon's gotten under your skin." She stated, tilting her head at me and I rose an eyebrow.
"That's not true." I protested as I folded my arms over my chest and Caroline groaned in annoyance.
"God, just admit it, Mariana! You are attracted to him and all of his bad boy glory." Caroline countered and I slowly shook my head at her.
"I can't admit that, Caroline." I argued and she furrowed her eyebrows at me as she became silent. "If I admit itâ" I started before I cut myself off and looked away from her. "If I even have the thought of it for a second.. what does that say about me, Caroline? I'm with Tyler." I whispered as I looked back at her and she slowly nodded.
"It says you're human, Mariana." Care replied in a reassuring tone and I furrowed my eyebrows at her as we stared at each other for a few seconds before she looked past me and sighed. I rose an eyebrow and looked over my shoulder and saw her Dad walking towards his car.
"Do you want me toâ" I stared before Caroline cut me off as she placed a hand on my shoulder.
"I got it." She reassured and I slowly nodded in agreement at her as she walked away and I sighed. I looked down at my phone and checked the time before I made it over to the Grill and saw Elena and Bonnie already seated at a table outside.
"Hey. Sorry." I said quietly once I sat at the table with them and noticed how quiet they were and I rose an eyebrow as I looked between them. "What's going on?" I asked and Bonnie looked at me, sighing deeply.
"Did Jeremy tell you that he's been seeing ghosts of his dead girlfriends all summer?" Bonnie asked with a small scoff and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"I'm sorry, what?" I countered, completely thrown off.
"Vicki and Anna. He's been talking to them." Elena added and I scoffed, sitting back in the chair as I looked between the two.
"You're kidding." I stated, folding my arms over my chest.
"I wish. It's because I brought him back to life. The witches said there would be consequences." Bonnie pointed out quietly as a waitress came over and poured more coffee. "Guess they were right, huh?" She added in annoyance and I sighed, looking at Elena who gave me a concerned look.