Damon and I walked inside of the church quickly after I had him grab a backup dress for Elena. We walked towards the bathroom of the church towards the bathroom as a man sat on a couch, waiting quietly from across us. "You again. Stalking small town funerals?" Damon asked sarcastically towards the man who rose an eyebrow at us. I grabbed the garnet bag and purse from Damon and knocked on the bathroom door lightly.
"Elena." I stated towards the door and gave a small smile towards the man watching us intently. The door opened and Elena sighed looking at me in relief.
"Oh, Mariana, thank god." She whispered looking between Damon and I, and I rose an eyebrow at the blood stains on the front of her pink laced dress.. As if she threw up the blood. Elena looked out of the bathroom and towards the man who sat forward towards her. "Sorry, I-I spilled coffee all over my dress." Elena stated with a small smile towards him. The man got up from the couch slowly, wearing normal clothing. Not a suit or any black. Elena drew back into the bathroom as I gave her the garnet bag and a reassuring smile before she shut the door.
"We have not met. I'm Conner.. Jordan." The man stated holding out his hand towards me and I rose my eyebrows down at it.. Gloves.
"I'm Mariana. Germaphobe." I replied with a small smile and looked back up at his face as he drew his hand back slowly. "Everything okay in there?" I asked towards the bathroom.
"Yeah! J-Just a minute!" Elena replied loudly and I slowly nodded and looked back at Connor as Damon eyed him carefully.
"So what brings you to Mystic Falls? Bible salesman?" Damon asked raising an eyebrow and I sighed at him in annoyance as Connor chuckled.
"No, no. Actually, I'm in, uh.. environmental cleanup." Connor replied and I rose an eyebrow and gently grabbed onto Damon's arm as he nodded slowly. "I heard you had a bit of a pollution problem." He added and I rose an eyebrow as Damon looked down at me.
"Mar, did you know we had a pollution problem?" Damon asked and I shrugged and shook my head, looking back at Connor. "I was unaware. I breathe pretty easy." He pointed out and I nodded in agreement as the bathroom door opened and Elena stood wearing a black dress.
"Sorry that took so long." Elena stated towards Connor who gave her a small smile.
"No problem." Connor countered nodding at her and I looked back at him and smiled.
"Well, enjoy your stay." I said looking at Damon who nodded towards him also and scoffed in amusement.
"We love visitors. And the scenery is to die for." Damon pointed out with a smile and I elbowed him lightly, making him gasp and put a hand to his mouth in realization. "Funeral pun. Too soon. Sorry." He stated towards Connor before him, Elena and I walked away from him. Elena made her way outside of the church and Damon and I followed.
"Did you bring the blood-bag?" I asked Damon as I looked through the purse. Damon nodded the three of us stopped beside a tree and I pulled the blood-bag out of the purse. "Here you go." I gestured the blood-bag towards Elena before Damon and I stood in front of her so no one going into the church would see her. Elena breathed heavily and tore the top off of the blood bag, drinking it quickly and sighing in relief before she furrowed her eyebrows and spit it up. "Elena." I whispered in frustration towards her and took the blood-bag, handing it towards Damon.
"No, I can't. It tasted like.." Elena lead off heavily and I sighed at her and wiped the blood from her chin. "What's wrong with me?" She asked in defeat, looking between Damon and I.
"I don't know. Maybe it's your doppelgänger blood, you're rejecting the transition.." Damon answered, looking her over and I sighed, licking the blood off of my fingers.
"But it would be happening to me. We have the same blood, Damon." I replied furrowing my eyebrows over my shoulder at him.
"I'm dying, aren't I?" Elena asked quietly and I rolled my eyes and looked back at her, wiping the remainder of the blood from her face and hanging Damon the blood-bag.
"No, you're not dying." Damon replied before I looked at him and he sighed and shook his head. "You just need to drink from the vein." He stated and I looked at Elena again as she quickly shook her head.
"No, no. I can't risk killing anyone." Elena countered and I furrowed my eyebrows at her. "Please, Mariana.. maybe I'm better off dead." She whispered towards me and I scoffed, grabbing her hands in mine.
"Noâdon't you even think like that, Lena." I warned, shaking my head back at her. "You'll be fine.. okay?" I asked, tilting my head at her and she slowly nodded back at me in agreement. The church belled rolled from around us and I sighed looking back at Damon. "We have to get back inside." I whispered and Damon nodded down at me slowly.
"I'll take care of the blood-bag." Damon replied and I gave him a weak smile before Elena and I walked towards the front of the church slowly. Once inside the church, Elena and I heard the accordion playing as everyone took their seats. Elena breathed heavily as we moved and sat on a bench beside Matt and Jeremy.
"Are you okay?" Matt asked and Elena gave him a slow nod and held onto the back of the bench in front of her, steadying herself.
"Hey, uh, April was looking for you. She wanted help with her speech?" Jeremy asked furrowing his eyebrows towards Elena also.
"Oh. Where is she?" Elena asked looking around the crowd of people who showed up for the service.
"I don't know." Jeremy replied quietly as he furrowed his eyebrows and looked around the crowd from where he sat also. Carol Lockwood walked up to the podium and stood in front of everyone before we all turned towards her.
"Before we begin the mass, we would like to open the floor to anyone who would like to share a memory about our late friends on the town council." Carol stated into the microphone as she looked out into the crowd. "I know that April Young wanted to say a few words about her dad.. April?" She asked and I rose an eyebrow and looked around us. "April, Are you here still here, honey?" Carol asked again but April didn't answer and was nowhere to be found in the group of people. "Is there anyone else who would like to share a recollection or a memory about Pastor or Reverend Young?" Carol asked smiling out at the people before her. I watched as no one stood up or talked before I felt Elena slowly get up from where she sat beside me. "Come on up, Elena." Carol welcomed her with a smile. I furrowed my eyebrows as Elena slowly walked down the aisle towards the steps before onto the stage and towards the podium. One of the church doors opened behind me and I turned to see Damon come in and dip a fingertip into a holy water front that was set beside the door. He smirked a bit and crossed himself with the holy water and I rolled my eyes and looked back towards Elena.
"I don't know why that always makes me smile." Damon stated in amusement before he sat beside Stefan, two rows behind me.
"I, um.." Elena stated into the microphone as she stood in front of all of us. "When I talked to April earlier, she was kind of nervous about coming up to speak, and.." She added before she sighed and gave a nervous chuckle. "Now that I'm up here, I'm kind of nervous, too." Elena stated, breathing slowly before she clutched onto the podium and sighed. "The worst day of loving someone.. is that day that you lose them." Elena whispered before she furrowed her eyebrows a bit and I slowly leant forwards in my seat.
"Do you smell that?" Caroline asked from where she sat in the back corner of the church.
"Blood." Tyler answered from beside her and I narrowed my eyes as the sound of blood dripping came into my ears from somewhere behind me. I stared at Elena who breathed heavily from where she stood and I clenched my jaw tightly.
"Nobody move. Don't turn around. It's a trap." Damon warned quietly from behind me and I felt lust come over me but I breathed slowly, fighting it back.
"I, um.." Elena stated breathlessly into the microphone before looking down, trying to fight back her hunger as it came over her while sweat started speckling her forehead lightly. I got up from my seat and moved quickly towards her. I saw Elena look back up before her eyes started to shift but I grabbed her reassuringly.
"It's okay." I whispered quietly and she looked at me, breathing a sigh of relief as Stefan came towards us and grabbed her gently. The two walked off of the stage and I gave a small smile, controlling my breathing now. "What Elena was saying.. Was that the worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them.. But I'm sure we can all agree that when we lost the town council, we lost a part of this town. The part that thrived in making us feel safe." I stated into the microphone and saw Stefan and Elena sit back down beside Matt and Jeremy as I heard soft murmurs of agreement from around the church. "At times like these, we need to ban together, not as a town.. But as a common people. We need to protect each otherâBecause no matter how hard we try, terrible accidents like this are going to happen. But it's how we choose to react to those accidents, that will define all of us." I finished and gave a small smile towards everyone. I turned towards Carol who smiled at me and gave me a tight hug as a pastor walked up to the podium.
"Please turn to page 42 in your Hymn books. Let us join together in song." Pastor stated, standing everyone up. I walked down the stage and aisle before I stood next to Damon, two rows behind Elena now. The choir started singing as did most of the town but I remained silent and listened into Elena who breathed heavily, trying to control her thirst.
"Hey, Hey." Stefan reassured her, holding her tightly towards him.
"The blood. Stefan, the bloodâI can smell it; there's so much." Elena stated aggressively, trying to block it out but she couldn't.
"It's alright. Just remember what we talked about." Stefan replied quietly towards her, trying to soothe her while Damon, Tyler and Caroline listened in also.
"Focus, Elena. Push back, come on, you can do this." I reassured her with furrowed brows, fighting the blood lust also.
"What's wrong with her?" Matt asked from where he stood beside Elena, staring straight ahead of him.
"She's hungry.. She hasn't fed." Stefan answered emotionlessly and Matt furrowed his eyebrows.
"So get her out of here." Matt replied in confusion and Stefan slowly shook his head, holding Elena tighter.
"We can't. There's somebody watching us." Stefan warned quietly and Damon sighed from beside me.
"I'm gonna go rip his head of now." Damon stated in annoyance and I rolled my eyes.
"You do that, Damon, and you risk exposing all of us." Stefan warned and I looked at Damon in agreement but he looked away.
"Well, I think the risk will be slightly reminisced when Iâyou know, rip his head off." Damon pointed out sarcastically and I scoffed lightly at him.
"StefanâI-I'm losing it." Elena warned through gritted teeth from in his arms and I furrowed my eyebrows as I listened to her breathing again, hearing it become more jagged as her heart beat raced.
"You have ten seconds before I got old-fashioned on the new guy." Damon warned from beside me and I narrowed my eyes in front of me.
"Don't do it, Damon. Please." Stefan begged from in front of us and I looked at Damon who rose an eyebrow.
"Three, two, one, bye." Damon replied about to walk past me but I grabbed his arm and stopped him quickly.
"Wait, wait, wait, Elena, feed from me." Matt suggested and I furrowed my eyebrows towards him as did Damon. I heard Elena's breaths somewhat calm down as Matt sighed deeply. "It's okay. Everyone will think you're upset. Feed from me." He stated, not looking at her as head remained remained facing the front of the church. Elena slowly looked up at Stefan who looked between her and Matt before he nodded slowly. Elena took a deep breath and slowly turned away from Stefan and towards Matt as he put an arm around her reassuringly. "It's okay. You're okay.. I'm here." Matt whispered reassuringly towards her as him and Stefan stared at each other. I furrowed my eyebrows as Elena moved towards his neck slowly before I heard the sound of her fangs go into his skin and I closed my eyes. I breathed deeply, trying to control my hunger before I felt Damon put an arm around me and I sighed, looking up at him. I heard Elena sighed in relief and pull away from Matt, letting her breathing calm down.
"Thank you." Elena whispered towards him. She stood in between Matt and Stefan now, breathing normally again and wiping her mouth slowly. "I'm okay.. But the bloodâI can still smell it, it's got to be April. We have to help her." She warned looking up at Stefan in worry and moved towards the aisle but Stefan grabbed her.
"Elena, we can't risk it." Stefan argued and Elena scoffed in annoyance towards him.
"Then I'm going to do it." Elena protested and moved towards the aisle again before Tyler stood at the podium.
"Excuse me." Tyler stated and we all looked at him in confusion as the choir stopped singing. "I just wanted to say a few words about Pastor Young." He pointed out and the pastor at the podium slowly nodded and moved out of the way as everyone sat down on the benches again.
"What do you do?" Elena asked in confusion towards Stefan as Tyler grabbed onto the podium and sighed.
"Back in first grade, I was a brat who couldn't be bothered with team sports. Didn't care much about anything that didn't affect me." Tyler stated and I scoffed lightly towards him and sat back in my seat.
"Just a brat?" I asked in annoyance, making Tyler narrow his eyes at me and he rolled them and I smirked.
"But he was the one who made me understand how important it is to be part of a team; a community. Of giving yourself up for the sake ofâ" Tyler started before a gunshot echoed from around the church and I widened my eyes as Tyler immediately went down. Screams and yells erupted around me and I quickly got up and made y way towards Tyler quickly as everyone evacuated the church, pushing me back. I ran up the stage towards Tyler as Carol turned him over on his back and I saw the stake sticking out from his chest.
"Oh, my god.." Carol whispered towards Tyler before Caroline knelt beside him and groaned, pulling the stake quickly out. Tyler gasped, coughing vigorously and I sighed in relief and looked behind me as Elena and Stefan stood there.
"I'm going to kill that bastard." Tyler stated groaning in annoyance and Stefan sighed from behind me.
"Damon's way ahead of you. Stay here, I have to help him." Stefan warned towards Elena and I as we looked back at Tyler.
"Wait, what about April?" Elena asked in confusion and Caroline looked up at her.
"I got it. Go." Caroline reassured him and Stefan nodded down at her before he vamped away from us.
"I have to call an ambulance." Carol stated in worry down at Tyler and Caroline furrowed her eyebrows.
"What? No, he's fineâ" Caroline started in protest before I cut her off.
"The whole town just watched him get shot. She's calling one." I argued, shaking my head at Caroline. I looked behind me and furrowed my eyebrows as Elena no longer stood there. "Elena?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows before Caroline got up from beside Tyler.
"I'll find her." Caroline reassured me and I slowly nodded before I sighed and vamped out of the church, towards where Stefan went. I furrowed my eyebrows as I stood outside of the church and looked around me before I saw Stefan and Damon in the parking lot.
"Ow." Damon groaned in annoyance as he lay on the ground with multiple bullet wounds in his chest. Stefan stood above him and sighed, gesturing a hand down towards him. Damon grabbed Stefan's hand, pulling himself up before Stefan quickly punched him in the face.
"Stefan!" I yelled angrily, vamping towards him and pulling him away as Damon groaned from the ground.
"What the hell was that for?" Damon asked, turning slowly over on the stomach and Stefan scoffed back at him.
"You know what." Stefan countered angrily and I furrowed my eyebrows as he walked away from us. I looked back at Damon who groaned, sitting up before I pulled him up and stood him beside me. He breathed deeply and winced at the bullets in him before I gestured in the direction Stefan went.
"What was that?" I asked, shaking my head and he sighed, looking away from me and I rose an eyebrow.
"Just Stefan wanting to shape his hero hair." Damon replied and I furrowed my eyebrows as him.
~~~
I walked into the Salvatore house and sighed, going down the hall and towards the stairs. I heard indistinct voices coming from the library and I furrowed my eyebrows. I walked towards it, about to walk in before I heard that it was Stefan and Elena. "You're mad." Elena sighed quietly in defeat and I rose an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I'm mad. You lied to me." Stefan pointed out in and I rose an eyebrow and leant against the wall.
-Elena-
"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell youâ" I started from where I sat beside the couch but Stefan cut me off.
"You lied to me, Elena. Come on." Stefan replied emotionlessly, sprawling his hands out in the alcohol table behind the couch and I sighed, slowly shaking my head.
"You were just so happy that things were going well, andâ" I started before Stefan cut me off again.
"You think I'm happy?" Stefan countered, furrowing his eyebrows back at me.
"I just didn't want to ruin it for you." I replied, furrowing my eyebrows as my eyes glazed over and Stefan scoffed.
"You're in hell, Elena. Which means that I'm in hell.. And then you go to Damon for help." Stefan stated in annoyance and I sighed shakily, looking away from him again.
"Yeah, because I thought that he would understand." I pointed out and watched as Stefan furrowed his eyebrows.
"You think I don't?" Stefan asked angrily and I shook my head and looked away from him.
"Stefan, pleaseâ" I started before he cut me off and drew away from the alcohol table and stood up straight.
"You fed on him, Elena. You fed on him." Stefan stated angrily and I slowly looked back up at him as he narrowed his eyes at me. "I know that might not mean much to you, but it does to me. And I'm sure it would to Mariana." He added and I slowly shook my head and looked down at my hands that held a glass of bourbon.
"I didn't want to hurt you." I stated, shrugging as I looked back up at him in defeat. "IâI'm sorry." I whispered and watched as he slowly shook his head at me and looked away. "Look, I'm sorry, I really am." I added and wiped my eyes as tears flowed down my cheeks and I scoffed, wiping them with my hand. "I'm crying. Whyâwhy am I crying? I am so sick of crying." I scoffed in annoyance and slammed the glass of bourbon I held in my hand, onto the coffee table beside me before I stood from the chair I was in.
"Your emotions are a little heightened right now." Stefan replied and I slowly shook my head as I paced the floor in front of the couch.
"I feel like I've been crying since the day my parents died. And my life isâit's like a never ending funeral." I stated angrily as my eyes glazed over again.
"We keep burying people, Elena." A voice stated from behind me and I turned to see Mariana leaning in the doorway of the library. "It's grief. We can't stop feeling everyone's grief. At some point, it's just going to explode out of us." She stated walking slowly towards me and I sighed, running my hands through my hair in defeat.
-Mariana-
I watched as Elena paced, running her hands through her hair in frustration before Stefan stood in front of her. "Hey. Hey.." Stefan said quietly, grabbing her hands in his and calming her down. "Come with me." He stated with a small sigh as he looked at Elena before over her shoulder towards me.
"Where?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows at him as I folded my arms over my chest and he sighed looking between Elena and I.
"There's something we need to do." Stefan replied and Elena furrowed her eyebrows at him before she exchanged a look with me and I shrugged lightly. "Come on." He added gesturing us to follow him out of the library.
~~
Caroline, Matt, Jeremy, Elena and I sat at two lunch tables outside of the high school now that night had fallen. Damon and Bonnie parked their cars next to the sidewalk before they both got out and walked towards all of us. "What are we doing here?" Damon asked furrowing his eyebrows at Bonnie who shrugged.
"I don't know. Ask Stefan." Bonnie answered, gesturing at Stefan who took paper lanterns out of a cardboard box that was set on one of the tables.
"Stefan, what are we doing?" Damon asked in annoyance as Stefan started handing out the lanterns.
"We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier." Stefan replied as he handed me a lantern and I took it. "We need to start healing, Damon. We've all lost so much, especially recently. I think we're numb to it." He pointed out as he finished handing the lanterns to everyone and Bonnie sat across from me, giving me a small smile. "We push it away, make a joke out of it. Ignore how we feel. Time to just let ourselves grieve." Stefan added quietly as he stood in front of us while Damon stood across from him.
"So you're lighting lanterns." Damon stated sarcastically and I sighed in annoyance towards him.
"Yeah. Yeah, we need to do this." Stefan pointed out as he nodded back at Damon who sighed.
"What we need to do, is find out who this hunter is and what he knows about the death of the council. We have more important things to be doing right now thanâthis." Damon countered as he looked over all of us holding a lantern.
"Not tonight, we don't." Stefan replied quietly and Damon furrowed his eyebrows and looked back at him before scoffing lightly and looking away. "This is for my Uncle Zach.. And my friend Lexi... And for Alaric." Stefan added looking at Damon who cleared his throat and put his hands on his hips as Stefan lit up his lantern with a lighter before passing the lighter to Matt.
"This is for Vicki." Matt stated looking towards Elena, Jer and I. I gave him a reassuring smile as he lit his lantern and Caroline got up from the lunch table and stood beside him before Matt gave her the lighter.
"This is for my dad. And Tyler's." Caroline stated with a small smile, lighting her lantern also. Jeremy got off of the lunch table, Bonnie, Elena and I sat at and he sighed, taking the lighter from Caroline. Jeremy looked at Elena and I, and I felt my eyes glaze over before I looked down at my lantern quietly.
"This is for our parents, for Vicki.. Anna.. And Alaric." Jeremy stated quietly looking down at me before he looked at Damon who looked away from him. Jeremy lit his lantern and took a step towards Damon, gesturing towards him before Damon scoffed.
"No way. I'm not doing that." Damon replied emotionless and I sighed, looking over my shoulder as he walked away from all of us and back towards his car. Jeremy looked at Bonnie who grabbed a lantern from the box beside her. She got up from the table and grabbed the lighter, walking towards Caroline and standing next to her. Bonnie lit the lighter and took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.
"This is for my Grams." Bonnie stared before she looked towards Elena quietly. Elena furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Stefan who stared down at her. Elena slowly stood from the table and grabbed the lighter from Bonnie before she stood in between Stefan and Jeremy, lighting her lantern.
"This is for my mom.. My dad.. John. Alaric." Elena whispered, staring down at her lantern before she looked towards me and I scoffed, shaking my head as I stood from the table. I grabbed the lighter from her and took a deep breath.
"This is for everyone that we've all lost. Everyone that the town has lost.." I whispered staring down at the lantern, but not lighting it. "And this is for us." I added looking up at Elena who furrowed her eyebrows at me. "Not only did we fight like hell to get where we are today.. But we're going to continue to fight.. All of us are." I stated, looking over everyone as I slowly shook my head. I lit my lantern and put the lighter on the table beside me before I let my lantern go and watched as it floated away from me. Everyone else let go of their lanterns also and we stood in silence, watching them float high and higher, away from us..
-Time Skip-
Elena, Stefan and I sighed and sat down in our seats inside of our history classroom. I watched as Elena slowly looked towards Alaric's desk, her face falling just by remembering him. Stefan looked at her and followed her eyes before he slowly nodded and sighed in defeat. "It's the first time we've been back in Alaric's classroom since.." I pointed out quietly and pulled out my phone as a distraction.
"First period and I'm ready to ball my eyes out." Elena replied in defeat before Rebekah walked into the classroom with a big smile.
"Morning, everyone!" Rebekah stated loudly towards the students surrounding the room as she started handing out green flyers, making Elena sigh deeply.
"And just like that, I'm no longer feeling sentimental." Elena stated, folding her arms over her chest in annoyance as she sat back in her chair and I smirked in amusement.
"So I'm throwing a little anti-curfew party at my new house." Rebekah stated handing out the flyers. "Starts at fifth period, goes to whenever. Spread the word." She added walking over to the three of us. "You're welcome to join, Elena, if you'd like to bury the hatchet." Rebekah said with a small smile as she gave us all a flyer also.
"It's a pretty enormous hatchet." Elena replied sarcastically and Rebekah sighed and slowly nodded.
"Well, I'm feeling generous of spirit." Rebekah stated, tilting her head back at Elena as I looked over the flyer and else an eyebrow.
"New house, huh? Did your brother finally kick you out?" Elena asked looking down at the flyer before up at Rebekah who sat on top of a desk in front of us.
"He didn't kick me out. I left." Rebekah pointed out as she narrowed her eyes at Elena.
"So you left the only person on earth who actually likes you?" Elena countered furrowing her eyebrows and Rebekah looked down quietly before she looked at Stefan.
"Well, your boyfriend liked me once." Rebekah stated and Stefan sighed up at her. "Actually, a lot more than once." She added in amusement as she looked back at Elena who looked away and started tapping her pencil against the side of her desk vigorously.
"Why are you still in town, Rebekah? Didn't you have anywhere else to go?" Stefan asked, sitting up in his seat towards her and she rose an eyebrow.
"Okay, why don't we stop while we're ahead?" I asked in defeat as I folded my arms over my chest at the three of them.
"Well, history's my favorite class. Actually, where is Mr. Saltzmanâ" Rebekah started and looked towards the teacher's desk before she cut herself off. "Oh, that's right.. I killed him." She whispered towards Elena who clenched her jaw and tapped her pencil faster before she flung it towards Rebekah who caught it easily. Rebekah threw it back at Elena and I widened my eyes as it went into her left shoulder, making her gasp lightly. Elena breathed heavily and narrowed her eyes at Rebekah who gave her a fake smile before Elena pulled the pencil out and the school bell rang over head. Elena groaned and walked out of class before Stefan walked out behind her and I narrowed my eyes at Rebekah.
"Seriously?" I asked scoffing and she rolled her eyes back at me and stood from the desk.
"Oh, please. You sound like my mother." Rebekah stated in annoyance and I slowly nodded and shrugged.
"Well, the only difference is that I didn't try to kill you. Why don't you remember that?" I asked raising an eyebrow at her before I got up and walked out of the class also.
~~~
"It was a valiant first day effort. No one will judge you if you want to go home." Caroline stated as her, Stefan, Elena and I were grouped together in smoker's alley.
"I don't want to go home. I want to take the White Oak Stake and kill her. That's how mad I am, she made me murderous. " Elena countered angrily from where she paced in front of the three of us who sat on a table against the side of the school.
"How about we just leave the murdering to me and Damon?" I joked with a slight shrug towards her but she rolled her eyes at me, making me sigh.
"Andâand do what? Ignore her to death?" Elena asked in annoyance before Stefan got up from the table.
"Look, she's trying to make herself feel better. She knows that everybody hates her so she's trying to hate harder." Stefan stated with a shrug as he stood in front of her and she looked away from him. "Tell you what, why don't we just skip the day and go have fun? I feel like this day is severely lacking in fun." He added raising an eyebrow at her. Elena furrowed her eyebrows back at him and looked towards Caroline and I who gave her reassuring looks before she slowly nodded her head.
"Okay, fine.. Yeah. We'll go to her party and show her that she can't intimidate me." Elena stages looking at Stefan who gave a small smile and nodded back at her. "I just have to go home and change first." She added with a small sigh. Elena looked back at Caroline and I, giving us a small wave before I waved back and sighed as she walked away from us.
"Does she seem a little off-balancing to you?" Caroline asked towards Stefan and I before I nodded.
"Yeah. She's channeling all of her emotions into rage. Makes her feel like she has purpose." I stated standing from the table and spun my bag over my shoulder as did Caroline while Stefan folded his arms over his chest and sighed.
"I used to do that, too.. When I was, uh.. you know." Stefan pointed out and I nodded back at him in agreement.
"Ripper you?" Caroline asked and Stefan gave her a small nod and looked away.
"Yeah. She needs to come to terms with it, confront it, let it in before she can let it go." Stefan replied and grabbed his backpack from the table, making me slowly nod and fold my arms over my chest.
"You're good at this, you know? I mean, you saved Caroline's vampire life and now you're saving Elena'sâhell, even mine." I stated and Stefan rose an eyebrow at me as we walked after Elena.
"You should write a book. Go on 'The View'?" Caroline asked sarcastically and I chuckled and Stefan rolled his eyes at us in amusement.
~~~
I looked through Damon's closet curiously as I opened his drawers before I heard footsteps come in from behind me. "I hope you plan on cleaning this up." Damon stated in annoyance and I sighed, shutting the drawers and turned to him.
"Well.. I'd say that I need bourbon to get through Rebekah's party.. But sadly, I don't care enough to attend. But, your bourbon is better than Stefan's." I pointed out with a sigh as Damon looked at me curiously from where he stood by his bed.
"Top drawer of the dresser." Damon replied and I gave a short nod before I walked towards his dresser and opened the top drawer, raising an eyebrow.
"You keep alcohol in your underwear drawer?" I asked, pulling a pair out and looking at Damon who held a flask in hand and scoffed.
"No." Damon replied in annoyance and I rolled my eyes and out the underwear back before I closed the drawer. "You weren't looking for alcohol, were you?" He countered and I sighed, looking back at him. "Do you really think I'd leave the last teaming White Oak stake where any vampire could just walk in and take it?" Damon asked in amusement, unbuttoning his shirt a little and looking down at his shoulder as a wound was placed on it.
"What happened?" I asked raising an eyebrow at the wound.
"Hunter mishap." Damon answered looking back at me and I folded my arms over my chest.
"Elena said he was at the school today." I stated furrowing my eyebrows and walked closer towards him as he sighed and nodded back.
"Yeah, Jeremy told me." Damon pointed out and I rose an eyebrow at him in confusion.
"Why were you talking to Jeremy?" I asked, tilting my head at him and he shrugged emotionlessly.
"Don't worry about it." Damon countered and I scoffed, shaking my head.
"Damon, don't bring him into this." I warned in annoyance and he rolled his eyes as he unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, revealing another wound on the side of his stomach.
"Perish the thought he might actually be useful, Mariana." Damon replied in amusement and I rolled my eyes as he unbuckled his belt from in front of me. I rose an eyebrow and looked him over slowly while he tilted a head at me. "You staying for the show, or.." He added with a small smirk before unbuttoning his jeans.
"Eh. I don't think it's worth my time." I stated coldly and Damon scoffed lightly back at me before I looked towards his fireplace and narrowed my eyes at a pile of firewood that sat beside it. "Please tell me you grew smarter after the moonstone and soap incident." I sighed in annoyance and walked towards the pile, digging through it.
"Come on. I thought I hid it better than last time." Damon stated in defeat from behind me before I furrowed my eyebrows as I didn't find it. "Or maybe I did." He suggested, raising an eyebrow at me and I sighed, looking at him from over my shoulder.
"Or maybe someone else got here before I did." I pointed out and watched as he furrowed his eyebrows down at me. "Elena.." I stated, looking back towards the pile of wood before I stood up and walked out of the room.
~~~
I sat on the couch, staring up at Stefan who stood in front of me, staring down at the floor, pondering something over as he held a glass of bourbon. The front door opened and Caroline walked in, making both of us look at her. "Hey." Stefan said with a small smile and she smiled back.
"Hey." Caroline replied coming into the living room as Stefan sat on the couch opposite from me.
"Thank for coming." Stefan stated gesturing at the two of us as Caroline sat beside me and I sighed, sitting up towards him.
"Not everyday you get summoned by a Salvatore." I joked, tilting my head at him and Caroline chuckled in agreement. "So what's up?" I asked raising an eyebrow and watched as Stefan sighed and looked down at his glass.
"Do you remember what you were like before you turned?" Stefan asked looking at Caroline who furrowed her eyebrows, taken aback.
"Mm, you mean an insecure control freak?" Caroline asked sarcastically and Stefan chuckled, shaking his head at her.
"You grew into yourself when you became a vampire." Stefan pointed out and Caroline gave him a small smile. "You changed.. And Elena, she's changing, too. And I want her to be able to enjoy it.. without all of the guilt and shame that I went through." He stated as he sat up towards Care and I. "And there was a moment today when she did.. and when I'm with her, every bone in my body tells me to join her. To enjoy it." Stefan stated before he became quiet and looked down at the glass in his hands again, making me furrow my eyebrows as I watched him intently. "But I know that if I do.. Even a little, I risk becoming him. The ripper." He whispered and gave a small scoff, looking up at Caroline and I again. "I love her.. And I don't want to hold her back." Stefan stated quietly, sitting back in the couch again and making me raise an eyebrow.
"But you don't know how to be around her and still resist that urge." I stated, tilting my head at him and he silently looked at me before he looked away again.
"Damon promised me he'd help me stay off the edge, but uh, he and I, we're not in a very good place right now." Stefan pointed out quietly and I slowly nodded as Caroline tilted her head at him. "I just thought.. you're so good at it. At being a vampireâI mean, you both are. Mariana, you're already excelling, even for being new." He added sitting back up and gesturing towards me, making me scoff in amusement.
"Because of you, Stefan." Caroline stated shaking her head at him and he smiled back at her. "We're good at it because of you." She added reassuringly and I shrugged a bit.
"Damon helped me a little. But still." I pointed out, making Caroline roll her eyes and I chuckled and looked at Stefan who stared between Care and I. "Come to us.. Whenever you want, and we won't let you lose control." I added quietly, making Caroline nod towards him in agreement. Stefan looked down and slowly nodded before he looked back up at us and gave a small smile, making me smile back.
~~~
I walked into the house, closing the door behind me before raising an eyebrow, noticing that most of the lights that were off. "Jer? Elena?" I asked in confusion up towards the stairs before I heard a clatter come from the kitchen and I narrowed my eyes down the hall towards it. I furrowed my eyebrows as I noticed the kitchen light was on and I slowly walked towards the sound. I froze in confusion as a familiar scent came over me before I listened into the kitchen carefully. "Elena! Stop, Elenaâ" Matt's voice said angrily, straining and I widened my eyes at it before I vamped into the kitchen and pulled Elena off of Matt as her teeth were sunken into his wrist. Elena growled angrily at me, snarling as blood dripped from her mouth. She tried to push past me and towards Matt but I held her back firmly.
"Stop!" I warned in anger back at her, hearing her breath heavily and angrily. I watched as she looked over my shoulder at Matt in confusion for a few seconds before back at me. "Stop." I repeated more quietly now and watched as she slowly shifted back to normal. Elena calmed her breaths and furrowed her eyebrows at Matt who leant against the counter weakly, bleeding from his wrist.
"Oh, my god.." Elena whispered in a shaky breath towards him, realizing what she just did and Matt stared back at her silently, breathing heavily. "Matt, I'm sorry.. I'm soâ" She started again but cut herself off as she breathed heavily, starting to sob. "I'm so sorry, IâI didn't mean to." Elena stated as her eyes glazed over. I looked at her and sighed in defeat before I walked towards Matt who backed away from me but I put a hand up, rendering me defenseless.
"It's okay." I reassured him softly and watched as he stared at me.. Slowly becoming less tense. "You came over, she fed a little bit and you left.. Now go home, Matty." I compelled emotionless before I sighed a bit and watched as he did as told, walking out of the kitchen and leaving Elena and I. I heard the front door open and close from down the hall before I turned towards Elena who slowly shook her head at me.
"What have I done?" Elena asked quietly, breathing heavily and staring at the door that Matt just walked out of.
"Nothing you should be ashamed of." I reassured, walking back towards her as she whimpered and slowly shook her head, making me sigh. "We are a vampires now, Elena... You just have to learn how to be one." I pointed out in defeat and she sighed and looked away from the door and at me. "You're going to get through this, okay?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows at her as I wiped the blood from her mouth gently. Elena slowly nodded back at me before I pulled her towards me, hugging her tightly. "I'll get you through this." I whispered reassuringly, rubbing her back gently as she sobbed into me.