"What are you?" Elena asked in a demanding voice that was full of anger and emotion, clenching her jaw at him. Stefan just stared back at her silently, not talking. "What are you?" She repeated, more loudly and Stefan slowly nodded at her.
"You know." He whispered, eyeing Elena who slowly shook her head in protest.
"No.. I don't." She answered quietly, not understanding or knowing what to say or think.
"Yes, you do.. Or you wouldn't be here." Stefan pointed out, staring at her before she shook her head again.
"It's not possible." Elena argued and I furrowed my eyebrows, waiting for either of them to say something useful. "It can't be." Elena added in defense at Stefan who set down a stake on a side table next to the door before he slowly walked towards her but Elena backed away from him in fear.
"Everything you know... And every belief you have is about to change." Stefan warned in a cautious tone. "Are you ready for that?" He asked emotionlessly, looking between Elena and I.
"What are you?" Elena asked angrily again while I remained silent, still trying to wrap my head around it all. Stefan stared down quietly at Elena before slowly nodding as his eyes glazed over.
"I'm a vampire." Stefan answered and I felt my breath hitch in my throat, taken aback. I looked at Elena who slowly shook her head, her eyes glazing over also.
"Iâwe shouldn't have come." Elena pointed out emotionlessly before forcefully grabbing my hand.
"No, pleaseâ" Stefan started, stepping closer to Elena but she quickly dodged away from him.
"No, no! Mariana, run!" Elena warned loudly back at him in frustration and let me go as she ran back towards her car. Stefan appeared in front of her in a flash and Elena gasped, looking back at where she saw him last. "How did you do that?" Elena asked in complete shock and I slowly walked towards the car, trying to avoid them both.
"Please don't be afraid of me." Stefan pleaded at her, ignoring her question.
"Let us leave." Elena warned, trying to pass him but he stood in the way of her.
"Elena, there's things that you have to know and try to understandâ" Stefan started, blocking her and she groaned in annoyance and anger at him before he grabbed her arm while she tried breaking free.
"Stefan!" I warned in anger at him but he didn't listen.
"Let me go!" Elena yelled loudly before Stefan did as told.Elena ran towards the car again while I stepped in front of him. "Mariana!" She yelled worriedly after me and I shook my head back at her.
"Just go, Elena!" I warned before I looked back at Stefan who shook his head in defeat.
"Elena, please!" Stefan pleaded after her but she ignored him as she started the car and drove quickly away from the house. I sighed in defeat and walked away from Stefan, holding a hand on my forehead as I thought it all over in my head again. Trying to comprehend all of it. Stefan turned to me and opened his mouth to speak but I held up my hand, silencing him.
"Damon is one then too, I take it?" I asked, slowly sighing and looking up at him. "A Vampire?" I stated, shaking my head at the word and he slowly nodded back at me. "And Zach?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. "Is he really your uncle?" I asked again and Stefan shook his head before I scoffed, closing my eyes in frustration.
"Marianaâ" Stefan started but I cut him off.
"I'm trying to understand, Stefan." I countered, shaking my head and running my hands through my hair as I paced back and forth in front of him. "I have done some bad things in my lifetime, you know. IâI have drank so much alcohol to make me imagine that vampires, werewolvesâeven fairies were real." I pointed out and scoffed at myself while Stefan watched me in silence, but not in awkwardness. More curiosity almost. "This justâ" I started, breathing heavily before I turned toward him again. I leveled my eyes at him and he looked away from me in disgust at himself and I slowly folded my arms over my chest.
"I would never hurt her, Mari." Stefan stated looking back at me and I furrowed my eyebrows. He hasn't called me that yet. "I couldn't live with myself if I did." He added quietly. I watched him in silence. Question.. then I gave a short nod and looked away from him, taking in a deep breath.
"Will youâ" I started, cutting myself off as everything overwhelmed me all at once now. Finally letting the actual thought overcome me and everything that I know. "Will you just take me home? Please?" I whispered quietly and Stefan slowly nodded in agreement.
-Time Skip-
I walked into the Salvatore house slowly, looking around before I heard Damon's voice come from somewhere around the house. "Where are you, Stefan? I'm trapped at the house. I'm getting really bored and very impatientâand I don't do impatient." Damon's voice stated in annoyance. I walked into the parlor to see him on the phone while pouring himself some bourbon into a glass. "Bring me my ring." Damon added with a scoff before he hung up and grabbed the glass of bourbon. "Damn it!" He groaned loudly and I rose an eyebrow.
"Your ring?" I asked, making him look up at me in confusion while I crossed my arms over my chest. "The one that lets you walk in the sun?" I added and watched his eyebrows furrow. He was about to open his mouth before I cut him off. "You're not going to get a hold of Stefan. He's with Elena. She gave him a day to explain.. everything to her." I informed as I walked fully into the living room. "I'm guessing it's going to take more than a few hours to summarize the past 145ish years." I added sarcastically. I turned my attention away from him and saw Vicki bleeding from her neck onto a towel from where she was laying on the couch. Randomly. "But, don't mind me. From the looks of things, you have bigger problems." I pointed out and gestured at her before Damon sighed loudly.
"Oh, don't get blood on the couch. Please?" Damon asked in annoyance, walking over to her and looked under the towel curiously. "I got you good, didn't I?" He asked, eyeing the bite he left on her neck. "Well, you're not gonna be any fun today." He added in disappointment. He downed the rest of his bourbon and looked up at me while I walked around the room aimlessly. "I am so gonna regret this." Damon finally stated with a sigh. I rose my eyebrow and looked back at him as he bit his own wrist and put it to Vicki's mouth. I furrowed my eyebrows at the scene while Vicki reluctantly drank from him. "Drink up, drink up. Don't drip." He warned as she groaned beneath him but slowly furrowed her eyebrows and grabbed his wrist, drinking his blood willingly now. "Good girl." He nodded before rolling his eyes in annoyance.
~~~
"So what? You just saw Vicki in the cemetery and decided to bring your dinner back home with you?" I asked judgingly as I grabbed a bottle of bourbon from the stash.
"No. I decided to eat Vicki and she justâdidn't want to stay dead." Damon answered, making me scoff. "You're oddly calm for someone who just learned that not everything around them is as it seems... What did Stefan tell you?" He asked in confusion, tilting his head at me and leaning against the back of the couch across from me.
"Just the basics, I gather.." I answered as I took the cap off of the bottle. "You two are vampires who've been alive for around 145 years.. You're a vampire dick who drains and kills people for fun while Stefan hunts and maims bunnies because he tends to have a guilty conscience." I added before drinking from bottle carelessly and watched in amusement as Damon's face turned sour.
"That's what they invented glasses for." He pointed out sarcastically and I gave him a fake smile.
"You shouldn't be the one judging me right now. You just gave a druggy something new to get high off." I informed and shook my head in disappointment.
"Oh, I doubt that's the problem. Isn't this the same druggy that broke you and baby Lockwood up?" Damon asked with a smirk. I narrowed my eyes at him, ready to fire back but his phone started to ring, saving him.
"Let me guess.. Caroline?" I asked, sighing deeply. Damon shrugged, letting it ring carelessly as his gaze remained on me.
"Oh man, that shower was so great." A voice stated from the stairs, breaking our glances. We both looked up to see Vicki who descended down the steps, drying her hair with a towel. She stopped in front of a mirror that hung at the bottom of the stairs and examined her neck, furrowing her eyebrows at the flawless skin. "What did you give me?" Vicki asked, turning to Damon in shock.
"Some blood. You loved it." I answered for him and rolled my eyes.
"I did?" Vic asked and I eyed Damon who smirked back at me. "WaitâI'm confused, how did we get here?" She asked again, shaking her head at the unfamiliar settings around her.
"We met in the woods. You were drunk. I attacked you, then killed your friends and you didn't wanna dieâso I brought you here. I gave you some blood, you loved it." Damon repeated my words as he compelled her once she came close enough to him. "And now we're gonna party until the sun goes down." He added in amusement, making me scoff.
"Ok." Vicki nodded in excitement and I furrowed my eyebrows. "But firstâcan I have another hit? That blood was so good." She stated with a wicked smile.
"Only if I can." Damon agreed in amusement and Vicki quickly shoved her wrist forwards. Damon sighed at her before he bit his wrist and handed it to her in return.
~~~
I watched with disinterest as Vicki danced around the living room to the music blasting around us. Damon and I shared the bottle of bourbon as he stood beside me with his shirt unbuttoned fully. "I am so over Tyler! So over him. I knew from the beginning, that I was only a piece of ass to him but I thought maybe if he saw what I was actually like, he would see something more. But no." Vicki stated in annoyance as she twirled around. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the bottle from Damon forcefully and drank some, slightly already buzzed. "Now, Jeremy on the other handâthat's all he's ever seen in me, is something more and I like that." She added giddily and I rose my eyebrow at Damon who eyed me curiously.
"Jeremy, huh? Your brother?" He asked, tilting his head at me.
"Yup. First my boyfriend, now my brother." I stated in annoyance.
"So Elena used to date my brother and they were always together, so Jeremy would always be hanging around crushing on me andâhey, why don't you have a girlfriend? You're like totally cool and so hot." Vicki rambled, changing the subject as she looked at Damon and I smirked a bit.
"Yeah, Damon. Why not?" I added, shaking my head in disbelief before laughing sarcastically.
"Don't you wanna be in love?" Vicki asked in a giddy voice as she danced around again and I rolled my eyes at her.
"I've been in love." He answered, now dancing around me as he grabbed the bottle of bourbon back. "It's painful and pointless and overrated." He added, putting the bottle down before grabbing my hands and I rose my eyebrow.
"Except when it isn't." I informed, making Damon roll his eyes at me before twirling me around.
"No more talking. Let's dance!" Damon stated loudly and I laughed as he picked me up, spinning me around in his arms and smiling.
~~~~
"My mom spends most of her time in Virginia with Pete. He drives trucks." Vic stated as her and Damon slow danced together. I now sat on the couch, completely drunk as I watched her cry. "I don't remember my dad but from what I gatherâhe's not worth remembering." She added with a sob and I tilted my head in defeat as she whimpered.
"Your life is so pathetic." Damon stated in a sad voice, rubbing her back and hair gently.
"Yeah, I mean I'm the screwed up one. Matt's got it so easy. He's the golden boyâI mean, he's gonna get a football scholarship, marry Elena, have a lawnmower and some babies. And when I think of my future, I just come up blank." Vicki pointed out, pulling away from Damon as mascara stained her cheeks.
"You are so damaged." Damon admitted as he looked down at her emotionlessly. He held her face in his hands now and started to wipe her tears away.
"Yup." Vicki agreed, slowly nodding as she rested her hands around Damon's torso.
"I mean, you don't have one hint of self esteem." Damon added, rubbing his hands gently through her hair as Vicki nodded back at him.
"Nope. None." Vic agreed, slowly shaking her head before Damon sighed. He rested his forehead against hers and I watched quietly across from them.
"I think I know what can help you." Damon stated reassuringly and I rose my eyebrow.
"What's that?" Vicki asked, her voice shaking a bit from all of the crying and Damon pulled away from her.
"Death." He stated emotionlessly before snapping her neck in an instant. I widened my eyes as I saw her body fall to the ground before he shrugged, walking over it.
"Damon, what the hellâ" I started in protest, now completely sober but he cut me off.
"She'll be fine." He countered, taking my bottle of bourbon away from me. I narrowed my eyes at him before trying to take it back but he put up a finger to me. "Damon's stash. Not Mariana's." He pointed out with a smirk and I scoffed at him.
"Just when I think you actually have a redeemable quality, You snap her neck." I scoffed and Damon furrowed his eyebrows at me. "How is she gonna be fine, huh? You killed her." I argued, running a hand through my hair in defeat and concern.
"Mariana, I don't know how to tell you this... But you're starting to sound like Elena." Damon admitted in annoyance. I scoffed back at him and watched him try to put his hand in front of a window before drawing back as the sunlight burnt him.
"Seriously? I'm the one who has to figure out a way to tell Matt, one of my best friendsâthat his sister isâ" I snapped before Vicki gasped from below me. I rose my eyebrow and looked at her in disbelief while she groaned, stretching on the floor.
"What happened? We were dancing and thenâ" Vicki started but Damon cut her off.
"And then I killed you." He answered emotionlessly while I stared at her, completely taken aback.
"What?" Vicki groaned in annoyance as she slowly stood up.
"You're dead." Damon nodded with a shrug and I rolled my eyes at his tactics.
"I'm dead?" She countered in annoyance, not believing him and he sighed, folding his arms over his chest as he leant against the couch.
"Yeah, well, let's not make a big deal out of it." Damon pointed out and I rolled my eyes at him. "You drank my blood, I killed you and now you have to feed in order to complete the process." He added and Vicki scoffed back at him, standing up from the floor.
"You're wasted." Vicki countered, grabbing her coat off the couch before she walked towards the door.
"You don't wanna be out there all alone." Damon warned, shaking his head at her in warning but she ignored him, making him vamp in front of her. "You're about to get really freaky." He added in some amusement. Vicki furrowed her eyebrows and looked at where he was standing just a second ago, to where he stood in front of her now.
"Okay, I had a really good time.. I just want to go home." Vicki argued, slowly sighing in defeat.
"You're gonna start craving blood and until you get it, you're gonna feel very out of it. You have to be careful." He tried to warn, narrowing his eyes at her but she groaned in response again.
"Come on, move." She stated in annoyance, pushing Damon out of the way.
"See, you're already starting to fall apart." He countered, shrugging at her and letting her walk past him.
"And I'm going home now." Vicki sighed, shaking her head. I looked at Damon and gestured at her, wanting him to stop her but he didn't.
"Okay, fine. I'm just warning you." Damon stated and turned to me again, raising an eyebrow slowly. I narrowed my eyes as I saw a light bulb turn on inside of his head. "Actually... you know what? You should go. In fact, if I were you, I would stop by your boyfriend Jeremy's house." He suggested in amusement and I felt a shiver run down my spine at the thought while he smirked, looking at me.
"Yeah, whatever. Bye." Vicki stated, opening the door in front of her.
"Tell Elena that I said hi! And if you see Stefan, tell him to call me!" He yelled after her before she walked out of the house completely and I scoffed at him.
"Damon, I swear to god, if Vicki hurts Jeremy or Elenaâ" I started, walking over to him and he scoffed, shrugging back at me.
"I'm sorry. I guess I really don't have a redeemable quality after all." He replied, cutting me off carelessly. I scoffed at him in disbelief before I quickly went after Vicki.
~~~
I ran into my house and let the door slam behind me. I let my eyes scan around me before I started to hear voices coming from the kitchen. "You know what's wrong with her?" Elena's voice asked and I walked down the hall and towards her voice.
"Yes. She's transitioning." Stefan's voice replied in concern as I made it to the doorway to finally see all of them in front of me.
"Into what?" Elena asked again, fear clearly showing on her face.
"Into a vampire." I answered and watched as both of them turned to look at me. "Damon got to her firstâShe hasn't completed her transformation yet.. Not from what he described." I added quietly, playing his words over in my.
"Hâhow does she do that?" Elena asked, looking back at Stefan who stared between the two of us in silence for a few seconds.
"She has to feed on human blood." He answered in an uneasy voice before looking down.
"And what if she doesn't?" Elena whispered in concern, making Stefan slowly clench his jaw at the thought,
"She'll die." He replied warningly and Elena slowly nodded, looking away from him and taking it all in. "She only has a few hours." Stefan added and I rose my eyebrow.
"Where's Jer?" I asked Elena in question as she paced back and forth in front of me.
"She's upstairs with him right now." Elena pointed out and ran her hands through her hair in frustration.
"It's okay, she doesn't know what's happening to her, yet." Stefan reassured but I scoffed and walked into the kitchen fully.
"When will she know?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him challengingly.
"Right now, she doesn't remember anything. A part of her is still human. But slowlyâthe deeper she gets into the transition, the memories will start to come back, and then she'll know that she has to make the choice." Stefan informed. I sighed deeply and sat at the table, resting my head in my hands in deep thought.
"The same choice you made?" Elena countered emotionlessly towards him and I looked at her in confusion. My eyes darted to Stefan who stared back at her taken aback and becoming silent before she walked out of the kitchen in defeat. I let her go and didn't say a word before I turned to Stefan, about to open my mouth until I heard footsteps running down the stairs quickly.
"Vic!" Matt's voice yelled loudly from the stairs, bringing by away from my thoughts. I looked down the hallway to the front door just in time to see Vicki run out of the house. "Vicki!" Matt yelled again, running out after her before Jeremy came down the stairs also and I met him at the door.
"She was fine and then she justâshe just freaked out." Jeremy pointed out in sorry and I turned to Stefan who was at the door now also.
"I'm gonna go look for herâcall me if you hear anything!" Matt said loudly as he ran towards his truck that was parked next to the sidewalk.
"I can track her." Stefan stated in question as he looked between Elena and I as we moved out onto the porch.
"Go." I replied, not waiting for Elena to respond. Stefan nodded back at me, doing as asked before running quickly down the street. Elena looked at me in anger, clearly about to say something but stopped herself and quickly walked back in the house instead.
-Time Skip-
I grabbed the dinner plates from the table and walked over to the sink where Jeremy stood. "Maybe we should check in with Matt." Jer stated worriedly as I handed him the dishes.
"He'll call when he finds her." I reassured as I moved back over to the table to grab more dishes.
"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Jeremy asked in annoyance at me and I sighed, shaking my head.
"We waitâwe're supposed to wait." Elena answered, loading the dishwasher from beside him.
"I don't know what's wrong with her." Jeremy pointed out in defeat and I felt my heart break at the sight of him.
"She'll be fine. It'll all be fine." Elena reassured with a soft nod but her voice said otherwise. I was about to grab more plates from the table before the doorbell rang and I popped my head up, in the direction of it. Elena fast walked towards the door worriedly and Jeremy and I followed behind her. I rose my eyebrow and watched as Elena opened the door only to widen her eyes and quickly try to shut it again but a hand pushed against it, opening the door forcefully. "Jeremy, go upstairs." Elena warned, backing away from the door slowly and Jeremy did as told, no questions asked. Damon's body leant against the doorframe and stared at Elena in curiousness, a smirk falling across his lips.
"You're afraid of me.. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and just guessâStefan finally fessed up." He stated in amusement before looking at me from where I stood beside her.
"Stay away from me. From us." Elena warned with a shaky voice and I looked away from Damon, not objecting.
"Hey, hey, hey, there's no need to be rude. I'm just looking for Stefan. May I come in?" Damon asked, tilting his head vindictively. "Oh, waitâof course I can. I've been invited." He pointed out in amusement before walking in freely and shutting the door behind him. He looked around the house curiously, making Elena back away from him slowly. "We can cut to the chase if you want, I'm not gonna kill you right now. That wouldn't serve my greater agenda." He stated with a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest, making me roll my eyes. "So.. Where's Stefan?" He asked in a serious tone, narrowing his eyes at Elena specifically.
"He's out looking for Vicki." I answered back in annoyance as I glared at him, making him roll his eyes in return,
"Don't look at me with those judgey little eyes. Girl's gonna thank me for what I did to her." Damon shrugged, walking closer to me threateningly but I didn't flinch, which made him more amused.
"Did you thank Katherine?" Elena countered emotionlessly and Damon narrowed his eyes down at me before slowly looking back at her.
"Mm.. Got the whole life story, huh?" Damon asked with a sigh before looking back down at me. He gently fiddled with a few of my curls from where he still stood in front of me, making me look at him in curiousness.
"I got enough." Elena answered sternly, glaring at him with daggers in her eyes.
"Oh, I doubt that." He shot back in annoyance and I furrowed my eyebrows at him, watching his face soften a bit before he shook his head and backed away from me. "Tell my brother I'm looking for him." Damon stated, walking out the door and closing it behind him. I slowly shook my head and fixed the curls he had played with before Damon opened the door again, but only popping his head in. "Oh, tip for laterâBe careful who you invite in your house." He nodded sarcastically at Elena before he looked at me again and I folded my arms over my chest. He looked me over in amusement, smirking at me before shutting the door behind him again. I rose an eyebrow in some confusion and turned away from the door, only to meet Elena's narrowed gaze.
"What?" I snapped, sighing of exhaustion and making her scoff.
"He is trouble, Mariana. Vampire trouble." Elena warned in annoyance and I tilted my head at her logic.
"Yeah. What's Stefan?" I countered, shaking my head back at her, making her go silent. "Why don't you stop judging Damon for at least one second and think about the life he has had." I stated in annoyance. "You don't know what living for 145 years could actually do to a person." I added in disappointment before walking up the stairs to my room and leaving Elena there alone.
~~~~
"Do you think something happened?" Elena asked in an uncertain voice as the two of us sat out on the porch, staring at the moon in silence.. waiting.
"I don't know." I answered with a soft shrug. Movement came from the corner of my eye and I darted my eyes in the direction of the porch steps and sighed. "But.. we can ask." I added and gestured my head over to Stefan who slowly made his way up the stairs.
"You're bleeding." Elena exclaimed in a worried voice and rushed over to him as she looked over the blood staining his shirt.
"It's okay. I'm fine." Stefan replied in reassurance and I got up from the porch chair and folded my arms over my chest.
"And Vicki?" I asked in a quiet tone and watched Stefan's face fall at the question.
".. I couldn't stop her. I tried." He answered in defeat and I looked at Elena in confusion, watching her eyebrows furrow.
"What does that mean?" She asked in uncertainty, clearly not knowing what he meant. And neither did I really.
"She fed.. and then I lost her." Stefan clarified and I scoffed lightly, looking away from him.
"Oh, my god." Elena stated in disbelief as she slowly backed away from him.
"I'll take care of it. I'll find her and I can show her that she can live like I do. I will make sure that she doesn't hurt anyone, ElenaâI promise." Stefan replied quickly, moving towards her but I cut him off.
"What do we tell our brotherâand Matt?" I asked in disappointment and Stefan met his gaze with mine.
"We'll come up with a story." He answered in reassurance, making Elena scoff.
"You mean we'll come up with a lie." She countered emotionlessly and Stefan looked back at her in complete defeat.
"I... I am so sorry." He stated, slowly shaking his head but Elena just stared back at him.. almost blankly.
"I gave you today just like you asked.. And I understand that you would never do anything to hurt meâand I promise I will keep your secret, but.." Elena started quietly, cutting herself off as Stefan's brows slowly started to furrow at her words. "But I can't be with you, Stefan." She added and I looked away from the scene, not knowing what to do or say. Elena abruptly walked away from him and went inside, closing the door behind her. I looked back at Stefan and met his defeated eyes that started to glaze over.
"I'm truly sorry, Mariana." Stefan stated in repeat and I slowly nodded and stepped forward to comfort him but he vamped off before I got the chance.. leaving me on the porch alone.