I tilted my head and stared down at the beautiful bathtub in Damon's bathroom as I leant against one of the three sinks. I sighed lightly to myself and turned towards the mirror, looking over my messy hair and the black button up of Damon's I woreâthe one that I pretty much destroyed. "Ari?" A gentle and tired voice asked from near me and I rose an eyebrow and walked back into the main space of Damon's room as he turned over in bed and looked towards me. I tilted my head at his shirtless body as he lay sprawled out under the white sheets.
"Hey." I said smiling at him as I leant against the wall and folded my arms over my chest, staring at the figure that lay before me.
"Hey." Damon replied quietly and I walked towards the bed and crawled back in beside him as he turned over towards me. "I thought you left." He stated in a somewhat sad voice and I smirked down at him.
"Why would I?" I asked raising an eyebrow and he smiled, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me towards him and I smiled as I felt his lips meet mine. Damon and I pulled away slowly and I rose an eyebrow as a smirk and smile all in one, appeared on his face while he twirled a piece of my hair around his finger. "What's the face?" I asked in confusion and he rose an eyebrow as met my eyes with his.
"What face?" Damon asked innocently, a smirk appearing widely and I rolled my eyes and wrapped my hands around his shoulders, pushing myself up above him so I now straddled him.
"That face." I stated, seeing the cheeky smile form again as he stared up at me, slowly running his fingers over my back and up my spine, making me shiver.
"I'm happy.. This is that face." Damon answered quietly and I rose an eyebrow before I gave a small smirk and slowly leant down towards him. I flickered my eyes between his eyes and his lips, feeling his breath hitch in his throat from below me. I chuckled lightly before I kissed him roughly and felt his arms wrap tightly around me, flipping us over so he was on top of me and I breathed heavily from below him as the kiss deepened.
~~~
I ran down the stairs as Damon chased me playfully before we both chuckled and stopped in the hallway. "Bag." Damon stated, gesturing towards it and I nodded in agreement and grabbed it from the chair that sat in the hallway as the two of us walked towards the front door.
"Hey, listenâ" I started and turned away from the door and towards him before his lips cut me off and I smiled into the kiss, chuckling a bit as we pulled away.
"No, no, no. Don't ruin it." Damon stated and I rolled my eyes at him and threw my bag over my shoulder and folding my arms over my chest.
"You don't even know what I was going to say." I pointed out in annoyance and he shrugged.
"Well, I'm assuming it starts as something like 'What are we?'." Damon replied, raising an eyebrow and I tilted my head at him curiously.
"And it ends with 'What do you want us to be?'." I stated and Damon sighed down at me before he looked away as footsteps came down the stairs before Elena's figure appeared as she came towards us.
"Ready to go?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow at me before giving Damon a small smile and I sighed and nodded back at her. Damon stepped in front of us and opened the front door and making room for the two of us to walk out. As Elena walked out onto the steps, Stefan came up to the door and I rose an eyebrow as they both stopped and awkwardly stared at each other. "Hey.." Elena stated, clearing her throat and Stefan nodded at her and put his hands in his jean pockets. I looked between the two for a few seconds in silence before I sighed in annoyance.
"See you in history?" I asked, looking between the two before over my shoulder at Damon who gave me a smirk but I rolled my eyes and ignored him.
"Yeah." Stefan agreed quietly and I nodded, looking at him before I walked away from the house and towards the driveway.
~~~
Elena and I walked into the school and down the halls towards history. "Hey, girls." A voice said loudly from ahead of us and I rose an eyebrow as Bonnie and Caroline stood beside a row of lockers. "Is everything okay?" Bonnie added quietly once Elena and I reached her and Care.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Elena asked with a raised eyebrow as she looked between the two and Bonnie sighed.
"Well, Caroline told me you two had to move out to stay away from Jeremy." Bonnie pointed out and I slowly nodded.
"Matt's at the house staying with him right now to make sure he keeps all of this.. hunter stuff in control." I said quietly and looked around us cautiously to see if anyone heard. "And I informed Jenna. I still don't want her anywhere near Mystic Falls yet.. But for now, Jeremy is okay." I added with a heavy sigh.
"But are you?" Caroline countered, looking between Elena and I, but more so at Elena and I rose an eyebrow and looked at her from the side of me. "I mean, obviously they don't have a flat iron at hotel Salvatore." She added in amusement with a chuckle, making me smile and Elena rose an eyebrow and sighed, taking her hair out of its bun.
"Oh, I was in a rush." Elena pointed out and sighed in defeat as her long hair flowed over her shoulders. "Look, do you guys have any plans tonight? I'm in desperate need of girl talk." She added as she looked the three of us over.
"I'm in!" Bonnie agreed in a chirpy voice and I rose an eyebrow at her. "Shane taught me some small spells I've been wanting to try." She added with a big smile and Caroline smirked and folded her arms over her best.
"Hmmm, creepy professor guys just 'Shane' now." Caroline replied, giving Elena and I a look and I smirked.
"He's not creepy." Bonnie protested in annoyance and I chuckled a bit at the two.
"We're not judging." Elena reassured Bonnie with a smile and I exchanged a look with Caroline who shrugged.
"I am." Caroline and I said at the same time, making Bonnie roll her eyes at us in annoyance and amusement.
"Don't listen to them." Elena countered with a chuckle and I folded my arms over my chest and leant against the lockers. "So, girls' night? We can raid the Salvatore wine cellar." She suggested with a smirk.
"Um, are you sure that Stefan and Damon are cool with us crashing at their place?" Caroline asked raising an eyebrow at Elena as she held the books in her hands, closer to her chest.
"We can't go home because our brother is trying to kill usâso their place is ours now, too." Elena replied, looking at Caroline before at something over Care's shoulder. I rose an eyebrow and followed her gaze before I saw Damon walking down another hall and gesturing for Elena to follow him. "I'll see you in a bit." Elena added quickly before she sighed and walked away from us and I felt tension fall over me as the three of us watched her leave.
"What was that about?" Bonnie asked as she turned and looked back at me and I sighed, pushing myself off of the lockers.
"It was nothing." I stated with a small smile and looked at Caroline who gave me a look of uncertainty and I cleared my throat. "I, uh.. I'll see you in class." I added quietly before I walked away from them.
~~~
I watched as Elena put a small crate on the side table behind the couch that Bonnie, Caroline and I sat on. "One for you." Elena stated, taking a bottle of wine out of the crate and handing it to Bonnie who smiled widely and took it. "One for you. And one for you." She added, handing Caroline and I two separately and I rose an eyebrow at her.
"Ooh, I am assuming this is for either Caroline or Mariana?" Bonnie asked, grabbing a blood-bag from the crate and I rose an eyebrow as Elena grabbed it.
"Actually, it's for me." Elena corrected and I exchanged looks with Bonnie and Caroline who were as confused as I was.
"Are you saying thatâ" Caroline started before Elena drank from the blood-bag and gave us a smile, pulling away from it.
"Thanks to Damon, I am now a functional, dysfunctional vampire." Elena stated in amusement and I tilted my head at Caroline who watched Elena carefully, eyeing her and the blood-bag.
"That's amazing!" Bonnie replied in excitement and I looked back at Elena and nodded in agreement, giving a small smile.
"Uh, what do you mean 'thanks to Damon'?" I asked with a small chuckle and Elena shrugged and drank the blood-bag again.
"Well, he suggested that I try it again. So I did and it worked. No more snatch, eat, erase." Elena stated with a wide smile as she moved towards the couch opposite of the three of us while Caroline sighed.
"So where is my least favorite Salvatore?" Caroline asked in annoyance and I sighed, about to open my mouth before Elena cut me off.
"Out with Stefan for the night. Don't wait up. Brother bonding." Elena stated as she quoted the text she read off of her phone and I rose an eyebrow at her.
"Mmm.. So you guys check-in text now? What else do you do" Caroline asked in defense of me as she leant an elbow on the couch and I sighed, shaking my head back at her.
"I get that you're not his biggest fan, but he kinda just changed my life.. So will you lay off on all the hate?" Elena asked, slouching back on the couch and I sighed, exchanging a look with Bonnie who nodded.
"Okay, new girls' night rule." Bonnie stated, heaving a sigh as she took a pillow off of her and sat up, looking between Elena and Caroline. "No boy talk, yeah? Plus, why talk when we have this?" She added in some amusement as she pulled out a bag of herbs from her purse that sat on the coffee table.
"Is that stoner tea?" Caroline asked loudly, looking at the bag and I rolled my eyes at her.
"It's not 'Stoner' tea. It's Spirit tea. It opens up your chi or whatever." I corrected with a smirk and looked at Bonnie who chuckled as did Elena while Caroline scoffed.
"Come on, it's not drugs. Shane is helping me do natural magic without having to access the spirits." Bonnie stated with a shrug and Caroline sighed and took her elbow off of the couch.
"Mm-hmm." Caroline replied, voice filled with doubt and Bonnie sighed, narrowing her eyes.
"Don't judge." Bonnie stated emotionlessly and Caroline furrowed her eyebrows as Bonnie stared back at her, making Caroline sigh loudly.
"Okay, fine. I hereby vow not to be judge mental for the rest of the evening." Caroline stated, putting her hands up in defeat as she looked between Elena and Bonnie. "Even if you two are potentially ruining your lives as Mariana and I stand idly by, it's your choice." She added with a small nod and put her hands down, making me smirk and look between Elena and Bonnie.
"I'll drink to that." I stated and shrugged, putting my bottle of wine into the air. Caroline and Bonnie grabbed their bottles and Elena held up her blood-bag before we all said cheers and chuckled, drinking from what we had.
~~~
The girls and I laughed lightly as we all sat in Damon's bathroom. Elena sat against the sink, Caroline against the wall, Bonnie against the tub, while I lay in the tub, sighing to myself as I stared blissfully up at her ceiling. "Check this out. Vamp speed video." Bonnie stated as she texted into her phone before my phone buzzed, as did Elena and Caroline's. I rose an eyebrow and grabbed my phone, opening Bonnie's message to see a video of Elena, vamping from the living room to the dining table and grabbing a bottle of wine.
"I look like Superman." Elena said in amusement and I chuckled in agreement, as did Caroline and Bonnie. "Hang on." She added and paused the video she was playing on her phone before she turned the screen towards us. "This years Christmas card." Elena stated with a smirk and I laughed as the video was paused, catching her speeding across the living room.
"Being a vampire is so weird." I stated, shaking my head and smiling at the paused video before I turned away from the girls. "God, I love this bathtub." I added in amusement as I traced the rim of it with my fingers.
"Seriously, why don't we come here and hang out more often?" Elena agreed with a chuckle as she looked around the bathroom, admiring it.
"I'll tell you why. Cooties." Caroline answered and I rose an eyebrow as we all looked at her. "Think of all the germ-ridden skanks that Damon has lured into his den of iniquity." She laughed, shaking her head and I sighed, sitting up in the tub as Elena looked down at her phone in her lap. "Okay, I'm sorry. I have been good all night. I am stopping now." Care stayed nodding at us and Elena scoffed.
"No. Don't stop on my account. Rip away. I mean, it's only Damon, right?" Elena asked raising an eyebrow at Caroline before looking at Bonnie who sighed.
"Well, say what you want about ripper Stefan but, at least he wasn't a man-slut." Caroline countered with a small chuckle and I looked away from her and sighed.
"Come on." Bonnie stated quietly towards Caroline who furrowed her eyebrows.
"So what exactly was it about him that made you jump right into bed with him the second you met him?" Elena asked emotionlessly and I rose an eyebrow at her as Caroline gave a small shrug.
"I didn't know what a sociopathic narcissist he was." Caroline answered and I looked at her and she gave me an apologetic look.
"He's always been there for me when I needed him." Elena stated, tilting her head at Caroline in annoyance.
"Because he's probably hoping you'd sleep with him." Caroline pointed out and I watched as Elena opened her mouth in protest but I cut her off.
"Well, I guess beat her to it." I countered emotionlessly and watched as all three of them gave me a taken aback look. "Get that you two have issues about himâ" I started as I looked between Caroline and Bonnie before I looked at Elena who looked heartbroken. "And I understand that he just changed your life and that you have feelings for him that you probably brought all of us together to talk aboutâbut.." I added leading off as Elena just stared at me quietly and I sighed, shaking my head. "Never mind." I stated emotionlessly before I stood up and got out of the tub quickly.
"Mariana." Bonnie said in defeat up at me and I shook my head, walking out of the bathroom quickly. I vamped out of Damon's room downstairs into the living room, grabbing couch pillows and throwing them back on the couches.
"Mar, come on." Caroline sighed as her, Bonnie and Elena appeared on the landing behind me, in front of the door.
"The parties over, okay?" I asked in annoyance as I picked up glasses that we had used.
"Mariana, don't be mad. You have no reason to be mad." Elena stated and I furrowed my eyebrows and slowly turned towards her as silence fell over us.
"What?" I asked emotionlessly and Elena sighed, folding her arms over her chest.
"Do you think it makes me happy to have feelings for someone that everyone hates? Do you think I actually want to have feelings for him?" Elena asked in defeat and I narrowed my eyes at her. "I can't help how I feel, Mariana, and right now, I feelâ" She started before cutting herself off and I furrowed my eyebrows as she sighed deeply. "I think I'm falling in love with him." Elena stated quietly and I felt my breath hitch in my throat before Caroline groaned loudly from next to her.
"You're not falling in love with him, Elena, you're sired to him." Caroline stated in annoyance and I furrowed my eyebrows as we all looked at her in confusion.
"What?" Bonnie snapped quickly and Caroline furrowed her eyebrows in realization of what she just said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked quietly, folding my arms over my chest at Caroline who sighed and looked at Elena who remained quiet.
"Look, I'm sorry that it came out like that but it's true.. Damon's blood turned you. You couldn't feed from animals or blood-bags because he told you so.. Then he suggested you try again with blood-bags, and suddenlyâ" Caroline started as Elena shook her head and quickly cut her off.
"No.. There's no way, Iâ" Elena started before she cut herself off and sighed, shaking her head at herself.
"Are you sure?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at Caroline who nodded and looked at me.
"Yeah, ask Stefan about it. He can explain it better than I can." Caroline answered and I watched Elena narrow her eyes at Caroline.
"I'm sorry, you talk to Stefan about this?" Elena asked angrily towards Caroline who sighed.
"It's not your fault, Elena, okay? No one knew, Damon didn't even know. He was too busy with Mariana to care." Caroline pointed out and I sighed, folding my arms over my chest at her.
"Okay, you need to leave." Elena stated angrily and I watched as she quickly walked towards the door.
"Elena." Bonnie said in defeat after her but Elena ignored her and opened the door.
"I said leave." Elena warned, standing to the side and I furrowed my eyebrows at a woman and a man that stood outside of the door.
"Hello, girls." The woman said with a smirk before she vamped at Elena and pushed her back into the wall. Hybrids. I widened my eyes as she vamped towards Caroline and held her by the throat while the man vamped towards me and pushed me up against a wall, keeping me there. I growled angrily down at him as I shifted before the lights around us started flickering on and off angrily. I looked over at Bonnie who help her hand up towards a lamp, messing with the lights around us. Two light bulbs from lamps that sat in the hall blew and the hybrid holding Caroline growled.
"Stop! One bite from a hybrid and she's dead, remember?" The girl asked, shifting into her canines and eyes. I rolled my eyes and knees the hybrid I had in the balls, making him grown and step back from me. Bonnie moved her hand back to her side and I narrowed my eyes at the male hybrid who growled angrily at me. I looked away from him and towards the girl who held Caroline before she gave me a slight smirk and vamped away from us, leaving the house with her friend.
"Caroline?" Elena asked in worry as she quickly got up from the floor where the hybrid pushed her. I sighed in defeat and stared at the wide open door that stood in front us the three of us.
~~~
"I get in Hayley. I'll find them and I'll get them in line." Tyler stated angrily into his phone before he hung up and I sighed, staring down at mine.
"Bonnie says no luck with the locator spell. You're sure you know where they went?" I asked raising an eyebrow at Tyler as we walked through the woods.
"They've got to be here. They're not dumb enough to risk getting caught by Klaus in town." Tyler countered as we walked in the direction of an old barn used in the early 18th century.
"What do they want with Caroline in the first place, Tyler?" I asked in annoyance and he sighed deeply, turning towards me and stopping.
"Kim's trying to prove that she's the alpha. If I can make her submit, the pack will fall in line, and we can finally get free of Klaus. You'd think they'd play along with how much they hate him." Tyler pointed out in annoyance and I sighed.
"But AdrianâThe hybrid that came with Kim? He doesn't, does he? I mean, he's still aired to Klaus." I asked, folding my arms over my chest.
"Being Aires doesn't mean you feel differently about someone. I hated Klaus but I still did everything he said. The bond affects how you act, not how you feel." Tyler answered and I furrowed my eyebrows and thought about it quietly before a scream came from around us. I jolted my head towards it, as did Tyler before he furrowed his eyebrows. "Caroline." Tyler added quietly before we both ran forward, towards the scream. A barn came into my vision and I calmed faster to it as Caroline's yells came from it again. Tyler ran into the barn and I ran in a second after, seeing Kim kneeling in front of Caroline who sat against a wall with blood coming from her nose and mouth while chains wrapped around her wrists as Kim broke one of them. "Stop! Stop it, Kim!" Tyler yelled angrily towards her and Kim looked away from Caroline and towards us, slowly standing up. "Caroline's with us, alright? We're all on the same team." He added, breathing heavily and I looked down at Care with reassurance.
"She's on your team. Not mine." Kim countered and Tyler furrowed his eyebrows before hybrids came through. The barn door, surrounding us as Aiden led the group, staring at Tyler emotionless. I looked at Tyler and clenched my jaw before hybrids came towards us, one grabbing me and two grabbing Tyler and holding him back. Kim knelt down beside Caroline again and broke her wrist over again, making her scream out in pain.
"Stop! Stop it!" Tyler yelled angrily towards Kim, trying to go towards her but the hybrids held him back. I clenched my jaw, trying to get out of the hybrids hold with my strength but he was stronger.
"Ease up, Kim. Klaus won't like this." Aiden stated from where he stood by the bar door and Kim looked up at him and smirked.
"That's a very good point." Kim countered before she sighed. "Do you think he'll like this?" She asked and picked up a stake that sat on the side of Caroline and I widened my eyes.
"Kim, don't do it, I swear to godâ" Tyler warned loudly and angrily towards her. Kim ignored him and positioned the stake above Caroline's heart, ready to thrust it forwards.
"No, no, no, wait! Wait!" I said loudly and Kim rose an eyebrow and looked towards me. "If you really want to piss of Klaus then kill me instead. I'm his only cousinâAnd the only family he has left that can stand him. If you really want to hit him where it hurts.. kill me." I added emotionlessly and watched as Kim slowly got up from Caroline's side and came towards me. Kim grabbed me by the throat harshly and I smirked, narrowing my eyes at her. Groans filled the silence around us as I surged by energy around the room, giving them aneurysms. Kim furrowed her eyebrows before the hybrids holding Tyler and I became weakened. Ty vamped at Kim and grabbed her, plunging his hand into her chest, making Caroline gasp and I rose an eyebrow and let my influence over the hybrids waver. The hybrids realized what Tyler was going to do, and threatened to lunge at him but Tyler growled.
"Stay back! I'll rip her heart out right now!" Tyler warned, looking around at the hybrids and I smirked a bit as they listened. Tyler looked back at Kim who became silent from within his arms. "Kim put you all at risk today. And I'm not gonna hurt herâI'm not Klaus. I don't kill and torture my own friends to get what I want." He added in annoyance at her as she winced below him before he looked around him. "Now, we broke the sire bond, but if you wanna be free, we have to work together. No one can step out of line." Tyler warned, looking back at Kim who breathed jagged breaths. "Now, you're either with me or you're against me.. Submit." He stated emotionless and Kim gasped, wheezing from beneath him. "Submit, or you die." Tyler added through a clenched jaw before he put Kim on her knees and knelt above her, still holding her heart in his hand.
"I'mâ" Kim started weakly but cut herself off, breathing a heavy breath. "I'm sorry." She stated quietly and Tyler took his house out of her chest, leaving her gasping and breathing heavily as air filled her. Tyler slowly stood, still narrowing his eyes down at Kim who looked up at him before he looked around at all of the hybrids. The hybrids started to kneel down one by one in front of him and I rose an eyebrow as the scene unfolded. Tyler looked around the barn and one after another, Aiden was the last one to submit to him. Tyler let out a soft sigh and looked back at me and I gave him a reassuring smile before I vamped towards Caroline, breaking the chains around her wrists.
~~~
I walked down the stairs and went towards the living room, ready to pick up the remainder of the party last night before the front door opened and Caroline walked in. I rose an eyebrow at her as she shut the door behind her before she came towards me and hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry about last night." Caroline stated and I sighed lightly, tilting my head against hers but not moving my arms. "Okay.. if you don't start hugging me back, things are going to get really awkward, really fast." She added, making me chuckle.
"You're pinning down my arms." I pointed out with a smirk and she laughed.
"Oh." Caroline replied before positioning her arms higher around my shoulders before I wrapped mine around her back. "I'm a jerk.. And Elena probably hates me but I only said that stuff about Damon to try and get Elena to stop liking him." She stated in defeat before we pulled away and I gave a small shrug.
"Well, all I know is that her feelings for him are real.. Sire bond or not.. And I have to deal with it. But please don't tell Stefan. I'm sure she'll tell him." I stated and Caroline nodded in agreement and rubbed my arm reassuringly.
"Of course. Where is she?" Caroline asked raising an eyebrow and I sighed, folding my arms over my chest.
"Upstairs with Bonnie I think." I answered and Caroline gave me a small nod before walking up the stairs.
~~
I picked up the wine glasses and wine bottle around the dining room after finishing the living room and putting them into the crate Elena got out last night. "Hey." I said quietly as I heard a light heartbeat from behind me.
"Hey back." Damon's voice replied and I looked over my shoulder to see him leaning against the dining room doorway.
"How was your night?" I asked, looking away from him and putting more empty wine bottles into the crate.
"Awful. Yours?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow and I slowly nodded, turning towards him.
"Same." I answered quietly and he let out a small sigh and pushed himself off of the doorway.
"Mariana, we need to talk." He started, walking towards me and I slowly nodded in agreement and folded my arms over my chest.
"I know that Elena's sired to you, Damon.. And she knows that, too." I stated emotionlessly and Damon furrowed his eyebrows at me. "Caroline told us.. And I'm guessing that's what you and Stefan were doing, isn't it?" I asked and Damon looked down quietly. "Is there a way to break it?" I added and he looked back up at me.
"Not exactly.. Which is why we need to talk." Damon replied in a serious tone and I let out a sigh.
"Tyler told me that the bond doesn't affect how you feel, just the way you act. Her feelings for you haven't changed, Damon. Nothing's changed." I stated in defeat and he walked closer towards me.
"Everything's changed, Mariana." Damon countered and I scoffed, shaking my head at him.
"Okay, fine. Everything's changed. But really, Damon. What do you want?" I asked in annoyance and he sighed loudly, looking away from me. "You don't get to do that." I stated angrily and vamped towards him, making him look at me and he scoffed.
"You know what I want? I want to know if this entire time that I have been completely in love with you, you've felt the same way." Damon stated emotionlessly and I furrowed my eyebrows and stepped back from him.
"You don't think it's real?" I asked quietly and watched as he looked away from me. "I'm not Elena, Damon. I'm not the one with the sire bond." I stated angrily and Damon looked back at me with furrowed brows. "Everything might have changed, but my feelings for you since the day that I met youâhaven't." I added and watched as Damon stared at me quietly. "I am happy, Damon. Just like you were yesterday morningâbefore any of this. Before the sire bond and, even before I asked you what you wanted us to be." I pointed out emotionlessly. I walked towards Damon, closing the space between us and grabbed his hand, placing it over my heart. "You told me months ago, when you kissed me on my porch that it was right.. But it wasn't the right time.. So tell meâDoes this feel right?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows at him and watched as he started down at me quietly before I moved a hand over his cheek and watched as he moved his face in the direction of it and sighed. "Does this, Damon?" I asked more quietly, tilting my head up at him before silence surrounded both of us.. Neither of us talking or moving.
-Time Skip-
I stared out the window as the sunlight came in, covering my face and dark clothing before I turned over in Damon's bed and looked at him as he wore his jeans, black T-shirt and boots while he pretended to sleep. "This would be so much more fun if we were naked." Damon stated quietly, not opening his eyes and I smirked.
"I figured you'd be tired from your 'all hassling trip' to Bourbon Street." I replied sarcastically and watched Damon opened his eyes, letting his blue orbs meet my chocolate ones.
"And I was being a gentleman by not suggesting it." Damon countered in annoyance before he sighed deeply and got off the bed, moving towards his dresser as I sat up and watched him. "I promised Stefan I would tell Elena to let go of me. Send her packing." He pointed out as he opened up his top drawer of his dresser and took off his shirt.
"Well.. She's sired to you, which means everything that she think she feels, might not even be real." I stated, getting off of the bed and moving towards him as he grabbed a navy blue long sleeve and put it on. "But to her, it feels real. And she might not be ready to let go of that." I added with a small sigh and Damon shrugged, looking me up and down as we stood an inch or so apart.
"Well, I can make her. Invoke the sire bond." Damon suggested and I rose an eyebrow as he sighed, looking away from me.
"Elena isn't me, Damon. And you told Stefan you would set her free." I stated quietly and watched as he looked back at me and slowly nodded in agreement. "So, what do you want to do?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest and raising an eyebrow. Damon stated down at me quietly before he stepped forwards, closing the gap between us.
"I wanna throw you back in my bed and never let you leave." Damon answered quietly, changing the subject and I smirked a bit, tilting my head up at him.
"So do it." I challenged, flickering my eyes between his and his lips, watching as he smirked back at me. Damon looked between my eyes and my lips also, slowly leaning towards me before my phone started ringing from my back pocket and he sighed.
"Saved by the cellphone." Damon joked and I nodded in agreement and pulled it out, canceling the call.
"I have to meet Bonnie." I stated, backing away from Damon as I put my phone back. "She's teaching Jeremy how not to kill Elena and I." I informed with a sigh before I grabbed my bag from beside the bed and looked back at Damon who stood in front of me expectantly. "Wanna come? Elena will be there." I pointed out jokingly and walked back towards him, wrapping my arms around him as he sighed and gave me a short nod before kissing my head gently, making me smile.
~~~
Damon pulled up towards the Lake House as Jeremy stood outside by the driveway in jeans and a white tank top, chopping wood. He heard Damon's car coming down the driveway and he stopped and held the axe firmly in his hand as he looked at Damon, Elena and I as we sat in the car. "Jeremy?" Bonnie asked from behind him as she walked up beside him but he narrowed his eye at us.
"They shouldn't be here." Jeremy stated emotionlessly and I furrowed my eyebrows at him as I looked at him through the windshield.
"They're here to help you." Bonnie pointed out as she looked at us before up at Jeremy. "Do you trust me?" She asked softly, grabbing onto Jeremy's hand that held the axe and he looked down at it before back towards us. Damon gave me a questioningly look of uncertainty but my eyes remained focused on Jeremy who took a deep breath.
"Yeah." Jer replied, locking eyes with mine and I let out a sigh as he looked down at Bonnie. "Yeah, I trust you." He added and let go of the axe. Bonnie took it and put it on the ground away from them before grabbing Jeremy's arm.
"Let's go inside." Bonnie whispered gently as they both looked at us through the windshield. They both turned and walked towards the lake house as Shane opened the front door and walked out and towards the two, holding a mug in his hand.
"What the hells professor Shadypants doing here?" Damon asked, narrowing his eyes at Shane as he gripped the steering wheel tightly with the hand he held it with.
"I invited him." Elena answered from the backseat and I furrowed my eyebrows at her from the rearview mirror before she got out of the car and I sighed, shaking my head. Damon and I got out also as Elena grabbed her bags from the trunk before Damon and I grabbed ours. Damon shut the trunk and the three of us walked towards the front door that was open as Shane put three chairs from the table inside of the living room.
"Okay, we are ready to get started. But before we can do that, we need to get themâ" Shane started, looking up at Jeremy before gesturing towards the front door where Elena and I stood. "In here." Shane finished and I gave Jeremy a small smile and held my bags closer to me.
"This is your house now, Jer.. You have to invite us in." I stated quietly and watched as Jeremy walked towards the door but stopped and looked between Elena and I silently for a few seconds.
"Go ahead, Jeremy. Invite her in." Shane reassured him from the living room as Bonnie stood near him also. Jeremy took a deep breath and slowly nodded at me.
"You can come in." Jer stated quietly and I did, walking slowly towards Jeremy before I stood directly in front of him. I gave him a small smile and put a hand on his arm reassuringly before I walked behind him and put my bags on the counter. I felt Jeremy's stance change from behind me before I looked up at Bonnie who stood across from me and watched her face change from a relaxed look to a panicked one.
"Jeremyâ" Bonnie started in warning before I quickly turned around and caught his arm that he tried to swing towards me as a stake was held on his hand. I grabbed the stake from him and quickly twisted his arm around his back and narrowed my hers at Shane who stood across from us beside the couch with a look of concern on his face.
"Well.. This certainly wasn't a boring homecoming." I stated in annoyance and pushed Jeremy away from me, towards Shane and Bonnie before I tossed the stake to Damon who caught it easily and gave a defeated sigh as I looked at Elena who furrowed her eyebrows towards Shane and Jeremy.
~~~
Elena, Jeremy and I sat in the three chairs that Shane put in the living room. I sat quietly and leant an elbow on one of the arms of my chair, listening to the sound of a wooden metronome that sat in the coffee table beside us while Shane finished up binding Jeremy's wrists around the arms of his chair. "All Jeremy feels when he sees a vampire is a burning desire to kill them, even if consciously, he doesn't want to." Shane stated as he looked between Elena, Bonnie and I. "As in your case, it's his subconscious that's calling the shots." He added and I rose an eyebrow at him.
"Persuasion helps reverse your subconscious thoughts." Bonnie added, nodding towards Elena and I.
"Think of it as kind of a conditioned response, right? See vampire, kill vampire." Shane stated as he walked behind Jeremy who sat in the chair with his eyes shut. "What I'm doing, is creating a kind of middle step. It's like a detour where his subconscious learns to recognize both of you as someone he loves, someone he wants to protect." He added quietly, looking down at Jeremy and putting his hands on his shoulders gently. "And that give him a choice." Shane stated, looking back towards Elena and I furrowed my eyebrows as Shane sat on the coffee table beside Jer. "He can choose to take the detour instead of the conditioned response.. Ok, talk to him. He'll listen." Shane reassured as he looked over Jeremy carefully before back at Elena and I. Elena and I exchanged a look before she took a deep breath.
"I'm not.. Sure what to say." Elena replied in an awkward tone as she moved around uncomfortably in her chair and I looked away from Jeremy and towards the candles that surrounded the house.
"You chose to do this here at your family's fixation house, right? So maybe just start by telling him why." Shane suggested as he out an arm on the back of Jeremy's chair. I looked back at Elena who took a deep breath and clasped her hands together and put them on her lap.
"Every holiday, we came here.. This place was family." Elena stated quietly and looked over at me and I gave her a small smile and watched her look back at Jer. "And when mom and dad died, Jenna made us come here, and we thought it was an awful idea, but it was like they were here with us." She added with a small smile as she looked around the house and Jeremy opened his eyes and stared at her quietly.
"They would have wanted us to stick together, Jer." I stated emotionlessly and Jeremy's eyes moved towards me. "To fight for each other. No matter what." I added and looked at Elena who slowly nodded and turned back towards Jeremy who remained silent.
"Jeremy.. How do you feel about Elena and Mariana right now?" Shane asked from where he sat beside him and I watched Jeremy with uncertainty and hope.
"They ruined our lives. They're not even my real sisters. They're both just the reason why everyone I've ever loved has died." Jeremy answered emotionlessly and I took a deep breath and tension washed over me. "Neither of them mean anything to me. I will kill them, even if that means I die myselfâ" He added before Shane knocked loudly on the coffee table he sat on and Jeremy blinked, slouching forward a bit as he came out of hypnosis. Jeremy looked between Elena and I before at Shane in confusion, breathing heavily. "Did it work?" Jer asked with furrowed brows and hope in his voice. I looked away from him in defeat and at Elena whose face had horror and disbelief written all over it.
~~~
I sat outside of the lake house out on the edge of the dock, overlooking the water that surrounded me as footsteps came up from behind me. "Damon suggested we use Bonnie as an emotional touchstone for Jeremy. It was good thinking. Damon is very intuitive." Shane stated and I rose an eyebrow and looked at him from over my shoulder before I gave a short nod and stood, putting my hands in my coat pockets. "And Bonnie told me about Elena's relationship with him. I don't mean to pry, obviously." He added and I sighed, slowly nodded.
"It's.. complicated." I replied, and Shane gave me a small nod and overlooked the water as he came closer towards the edge of the dock. "Any ideas of how to hypnotize her out of it?" I joked with a small smile and Shane chuckled.
"You know, in all my world travels, the one spell that I've never found is how to break somebody for loving too much. Trust me, I've looked." Shane answered in defeat and I furrowed my eyebrows at him as he put his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. He saw me looking at him in confusion and he sighed, slowly nodding. "My wife and son died.. I wasâI was just trying to figure out a way not to miss them." He clarified quietly and I sighed, giving a small nod. Footsteps came from behind us and we both turned to see Damon coming down the dock, holding an axe in his hand.
"If your hypnoherbs worked, we should be singing 'kumbaya' around the fire before dinner." Damon pointed out as he looked at Shane before sighing. "So now, tell me why I'm not killing you." He added in defeat and I furrowed my eyebrows at him and stepped forward.
"Damon." I warned, narrowing my eyes at the axe in his hand.
"I'm serious. Why are you after the vampire cure?" Damon asked, ignoring me as he looked past me at Shane.
"I didn't say I was looking for the cure." Shane answered as he stepped beside me, unwatered by Damon. "But I can tell you where to find it." He added and I rose an eyebrow at him curiously as Damon looked taken aback.
"Klaus' sword will tell us where to find it." Damon countered, walking closer towards Shane who seemed unphased.
"The sword will lead you there, sure, but so can I." Shane clarified and I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head.
"What? How?" I asked, tilting my head at Shane who didn't take his eyes off of Damon as they both stared at each other emotionless.
"Because I've already been there." Shane answered in a serious tone and I rose an eyebrow and looked at Damon who exchanged a look of confusion with me.
~~~
I leant against the wall of the family room and looked outside, to see it had became dark now. Shane sat at the coffee table and uncovered the same rock that he showed in his exhibit at the high school. Shane looked up at Damon who stood behind the couch that Elena sat on. "It's a rock." Damon pointed out sarcastically and I smirked at him.
"It's not just any rock." Shane countered up towards Damon who rose an eyebrow and walked towards me.
"So is this that silly little wives' tale you told at the occult exhibit?" I asked with a sigh as Damon now stood beside me.
"Alright, long story shortâ" Shane started as he looked between Elena and Damon, filling them in. "Once upon a time, there was a witch named Silas who loved a girl and wanted to be with her forever. So he and his best friendâanother witch, made an immortality spell.. And then, Silas' best friend witch got jealous and killed Silas' girl before he had a chance to make her immortal." Shane pointed out and I watched as Elena rose an eyebrow and Damon sighed, drinking the glass of bourbon he held, in boredom. "Well, cursed to an eternity without his one true love, Silas finds a way to reverse the immortality spell, and then before he has a chance to take it, his former friend buries him underground.. Leaving him and the cure to rot." He finished and I watched as Elena tilted her head.
"So its a cure for immortality?" Elena asked furrowing her eyebrows and Shane slowly nodded.
"Human blood is the life-force of an immortal." Shane stated, looking between Elena, Damon and I. "No more immortality, no more need to feed on blood. You dig up Silas, and you've got your cure." He added emotionlessly and I rose an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Damon. Shane took out a folded piece of paper, unfolding it to show Connor's tattoo that Jeremy drew. "This is the mark of the brotherhood of the five." Shane pointed out, gesturing at the symbol on the back of the hand, the same symbol on the bullets Connor shot Tyler with. "And up the arm, you have the murder of a girl by a witch." He added, gesturing towards the girl, tangled in vines of some sort while each vine had a Viking symbol. "The symbols in the vines are your mapâwhich obviously you no longer need. When this mark is complete, it will contain the spell that we need to dig up Silas." Shane stated, putting his elbows out on the coffee table as I moved behind the couch and leant forward on it.
"And where did you say he was buried? Oh, wait. You didn't." Damon countered in annoyance from where he stood behind me still.
"You threatened to kill me, whatâlike three times already this week?" Shane asked and I rose an eyebrow and looked over my shoulder at Damon who shrugged. "The location is how I'm going to survive your bad moods." He added and I smirked as Damon gave him a fake smile.
"And what's in it for you? If not the cure, then what?" Elena asked emotionlessly and I looked down at her as she sat in front of me and folded her arms over her chest and Shane smiled, putting a hand on the rock in front of him.
"I'm in this for Silas, alright? Up until this point, he's only been a myth." Shane pointed out in amazement and Damon sighed deeply.
"Then write a thesis." Damon replied sat and walked towards the side of the couch, downing the rest of his bourbon.
"Would you rather be the guy who writes about Noah's ark or the one who sails it down the river?" Shane countered, folding the piece of paper back up and giving it to Damon.
"I'm not buying it." Damon stated, looking towards me as I stood up from leaning on the couch and folded my arms over my chest.
"You don't have to buy anything. You just have to believe that I can fix your brother." Shane stated as he gestured at Elena and I, making me raise an eyebrow. "And when his hunter's mark is complete, I'm gonna take you to the cure." He added before walking out of the room and I sighed, looking down at Elena who rose an eyebrow.
~~
"Mar, we should take these decorations home with us. I think we could use the holiday cheer." Elena stated as she took a box of ornaments out of the closet from the family room.
"Look at you. Suddenly so optimistic." I stated in amusement from where I sat on the arm of the couch while Damon leant on the back, leaning against it with his elbows.
"I think Shane's gonna Get is through this. I trust him." Elena replied and I rose an eyebrow and gave Damon a questionable look as he gave a light scoff, making Elena furrow her eyebrows and out the box of decorations on the coffee table in front of us. "Which clearly you don't." Elena added and Damon gave a light shrug.
"Maybe because I think he blew up twelve people at the Young farm." Damon countered in annoyance and I sighed deeply and folded my arms over my chest.
"What?" Elena asked in confusion and I shook my head, looking down.
"Little tip, Professor. He heard you before you even took your first step." I stated emotionlessly before I looked towards the doorway of the family room where Shane leant against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.
"I see we're back to the false accusation part of our relationship." Shane stated in annoyance towards Damon who gave him a fake smile from over his shoulder.
"What is he talking about?" Elena asked, furrowing her eyebrows towards Shane and I rose an eyebrow at him as well.
"Daâha. Damon discovered that I was in contact with Pastor Young prior to the explosion at the Young farm." Shane answered with a sigh as he looked at Damon who gestured towards me in annoyance and I slowly nodded, watching Shane, who walked into the room and put his hands in his jean pockets. "The pastor was severely depressed. He had lost his wife to cancer, and he sought me out for a little supernatural assistance." He pointed out, looking at Elena and I as he stood in front of us. Elena looked between Damon and Shane and I rose an eyebrow and looked at Damon who didn't falter as he stared at Shane in complete annoyance. "I tried to help him but he was too far gone. It's just, I never expected that he'd take eleven innocents with him." Shane stated in defeat, looking down and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Mari. Elena." A voice said and I turned towards Jeremy and Bonnie who came into the room. I stood from the couch as Elena and I turned towards him fully as did Damon, who stepped in front of Jeremy protectively. "No, it's okay.. I think we've got this." Jer reassured Damon before he looked at me as I stood in front of him now.
"Mar, don't move, okay?" Bonnie asked, stepping out of the way as did Shane and I rose an eyebrow. "No matter what." She added with a small nod. I looked back at Jeremy and drifted my eyes down towards the stake that he held in his hands tightly.
"Jeremy, remember the detour.. Choose the right path." Shane stated quietly from behind Elena who stood behind me. Jeremy gave him a short nod before looking back at me. He walked forwards only for Damon to step in front of him and Jeremy clenched his jaw. Damon rose an eyebrow and looked down at the stake, making Jeremy look towards Bonnie who gave him a smile. Jer looked down at the stake before giving it to Damon easily and I furrowed my eyebrows, as did Damon, who hesitatingly took it. Damon and Jeremy both looked towards me and I rose an eyebrow. Jeremy slowly started walking forwards, calmly and quietly before he stood directly in front of me.. I watched him silently before he pulled me towards him and hugged me tightly, holding my head to his chest. I furrowed my eyebrows before I sighed in relief and hugged him back. Jer pulled Elena into the hug also and I smiled, hugging them both and chuckling in amusement and happiness. I was happy.
~~
Jeremy, Elena, Bonnie and I went through the box of Christmas stuff that Elena pulled out of the closet and Jeremy chuckled. "Hey, check this out." Jer stated, taking out a piece of mistletoe from the box.
"Jenna used that to make out with Logan Fell." I pointed out in amusement and looked past Jer, through the sliding glass door to see Damon sitting outside on the porch with a glass of bourbon in hand.
"Is he okay?" Elena asked from beside me and I rose an eyebrow and looked at her as she stared at Damon also.
"Uh, I don't know.. Why don't you go check?" I suggested and Elena furrowed her eyebrows back at me. I gave her a small nod and a reassuring smile before she gave a light sigh and got up from the floor, going outside. I smile and looked away from her and back towards Bonnie as Jeremy, putting my hair behind my ear and listening in as we pulled more things of out the box.
"All the drama and you're missing the actual fun part." Elena said in amusement as she stood in front of Damon who slowly nodded and gave her a small smile.
"It's good to see you and Mariana like thatâall normal with your brother." Damon replied, looking inside towards Jeremy and I.
-Elena-
"Christmas was always mine and Stefan's favorite holiday when we were kids. Not that I've celebrated since." Damon added, standing up from where he sat against the porch. "I kind of miss that." He pointed out with a small sigh as he watched Mariana, Jeremy and Bonnie take Christmas decorations out of the box in front of them.
"I'm sorry about the sire bond." I stated and watched as Damon looked down at me in confusion before I gestured inside towards Mariana. "I know you and Mar are togetherâor, whatever you are.. But I didn't mean for this to happen." I pointed out and Damon slowly nodded, looking away from me.
"These things happen. It's no one's fault." Damon reassured and I gave a small nod and folded my arms over my chest. "But.. I do need to keep the promise I made with Stefan." He added and I furrowed my eyebrows. "I need to invoke the sire bond.." Damon stated quietly and I slowly nodded and looked away from him and back inside.
"Do you think he'll forgive me?" I asked quietly, holding my arms to myself as Damon became quiet. "For trying to go for you?" I added, looking back at Damon who stared down at me silently. Damon took a deep breath and gave me another small smile before he slowly nodded.
"You're gonna go home. Mariana and I are going to stay here with JeremyâI'm going to teach him how to hunt and how to kill vampires.. Without you." Damon stated down towards me and I furrowed my eyebrows up at him.
-Mariana-
"I'm setting you free, Elena.. This is what will make you happy.. And this is what we both want." Damon stated quietly down towards her and I took a deep breath and grabbed a gingerbread man ornament from the box.
"Hey! It's Gingy." Jeremy said in amazement as he grabbed the ornament from me and I laughed, shaking my head. I looked towards the porch as Elena was walking back inside and Damon's eyes caught mine. I tilted my head at him as he gave a small sigh and nodded back at me before looking away, making me furrow my eyebrows.
~~
Damon and I walked out of the Lake house as Bonnie and Elena got in Bonnie's car. Jeremy walked past us and gave me a small wave and I smiled back at him before I turned towards Damon as Jer went inside. "So I'll be back tomorrow, okay? And Matt should be up here after school so Jeremy will have someone other than you to practice on." I pointed out as Damon opened the car door for me silently and I rose an eyebrow and out a hand on top of his. "I can stay." I added quietly and Damon stared at me for a few seconds before he shook his head.
"I've got this. I'll take care of him." Damon reassured and I tilted my head at him curiously before I gave a small nod.
"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I replied and Damon nodded in agreement before I slowly leant up towards him and gave him a soft kiss. I pulled away and he gave me a confused look but softened before I got in the car and he closed the door behind me.